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The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night, seeing their two-game win streak come to an end with a 130-121 loss.
Let’s get to the grades!
Naji Marshall: A+
36 PTS / 10 REB / 6 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 42 MIN
One! Man! Gang!
Max Christie: C
8 PTS / 2 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 27 MIN
Christie couldn’t quite find the range, hitting only 3-for-9 overall and 2-for-5 from deep. Compounding the issue was that what he did contribute didn’t come in any impactful way – no big-moment shot or key defensive stop and two turnovers paired with zero assists.
Caleb Martin: B-
10 PTS / 0 REB / 2 AST / 3 STL / 0 BLK – 20 MIN
Martin had a deceptively decent box score despite an almost shockingly bad plus/minus of minus-25. He shot 4-for-7 from the floor, didn’t turn the ball over and had an impressive number of steals.
Khris Middleton: B+
17 PTS / 5 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 33 MIN
Middleton put on a savvy veteran performance. He didn’t shoot at a particularly effective rate to start, but made up for it by getting to the free throw line (5-for-5) and then hit a couple of nice shots in the fourth quarter to end the game 5-for-9 overall (2-for-4 from down town). He had a more solid game than his box score totals would necessarily indicate, although you really can’t complain about much there aside from three turnovers.
Marvin Bagley: B
10 PTS / 9 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 29 MIN
In a recent Grades article, I pondered if Bagley would eventually get a starting nod over Gafford, given their comparative play. Tonight Bagley got his chance, although Gafford was unavailable. I’m not really sure what else to say about him at this point. He has been a huge positive for this team, consistently making smart plays and putting himself in a position for success. His production has been great, especially relative to minutes played. He was 5-for-6 from the floor and continues to do a lot of small things – boxing out (unheard of!), getting offensive rebounds, sneaking into the paint for a little drop-off pass he converts into a dunk. He took a knee to the head, but returned after a quick trip to the locker room to come just shy of a double-double. Way too many turnovers and fouls (four apiece) hurt his grade relative to where he has been lately.
Brandon Williams: B+
16 PTS / 3 REB / 4 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 27 MIN
Despite hitting 6-for-10 from the floor, Williams’ grade gets dinged for three turnovers, three fouls and hitting only 3-for-7 from the free throw line. His game was a bit Jekyll-and-Hyde as a result, but credit for a big three-pointer in the fourth quarter and consistently penetrating to breakdown the defense.
Klay Thompson: C
8 PTS / 2 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 16 MIN
Thompson mirrored Christie in both output and presence. He was fine, but largely flew under the radar in respect of material impact on the game.
AJ Johnson: A+
11 PTS / 2 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 15 MIN
I’ve joked with fellow MMB’ers David Trink and Tyler Edsel about my high hopes for Johnson, so it feels good to give him an A+ here. In fairness, there is quite literally zero history to compare to, and this was his best game as a Mav by default. Nonetheless, he did have a solid game and was a legitimate part of the Mavs’ fourth quarter comeback when he dropped in eight of his 11 points. 4-for-4 shooting with two and-ones allowed him to show some flashes. It’s nice Dallas has a very young player they can invest some time in, to see what they may have.
Final Thoughts
The Mavericks’ ability to get obliterated in the first quarter and inevitably make it a clutch game is the stuff of legend at this point. It’s beyond belief. Dallas couldn’t finish the comeback, largely victimized by missed free throws (21-for-34) and 17 turnovers. If nothing else, it helps the effort for a higher draft pick.
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