Summer League Notes

[Smitty731]

Hey all!

I'm not sure how often you check other boards, but I've been at the Orlando Summer League all week. As I've talked to people from the team, I've hit up the other forums and let people know what I've learned. Not all of it is earth shattering or maybe even newsworthy, but feels like it is worth sharing.

One note, if you have questions about anything I shared, please quote me or I won't be able to guarantee I see your question.

1. The team is pretty high on Justin Anderson. High enough that there was no thought of him playing Summer League in Orlando, just in Las Vegas. They think he has the potential to be a rotation guy this year as a backup wing.

2. Satnam Singh looks like he has no NBA future. He's massive. I mean ridiculously big even by NBA standards. But he's so slow. Each time he plays, the other team puts him in P&R and he fouls or they go right by him. The Mavs have hope, but not nearly as much as a year ago.

3. Don't be surprised to see Vander Blue go to camp and pre-season. They really like his game and ability. All the PGs on the roster probably hurt his chances of making the team, but they'd like him in their D-League system.

4. Everyone is beyond excited to have Harrison Barnes. They feel like he'll be a 20 PPG guy as more of a primary weapon. And look for a lot of Dallas' version of the "Death Lineup" with Nowitzki, Barnes, Matthews, Curry/Anderson and Williams. They are really excited for that grouping.

5. They think Bogut will be very good for them. They love his passing and feel like the entire likely starting group can pass.

6. Curry was a targeted signing and they considered giving him an Offer Sheet. Once Sacramento pulled his Qualifying Offer, they were all over him. They think he'll be a weapon for them and they intend to use him a lot.

7. I talked to them before the Evans trade was announced, but they said they like his athleticism a lot and feel like he deserves a spot at the end of someone's bench. On the flip side, they feel like he'll never be more than that because his game hasn't developed at all.

8. McGee will be gone before his guarantee date. The exact quote was "There is a reason everyone else gave up on this guy too. He's just never going to get it." And this one "He is a far superior athlete to Tyson Chandler and should be a borderline HoF talent, but he has the mindset of a child and doesn't seem to care. We told him he's lost on so much money and his response was 'But I made more than anyone ever needs.' The dude just doesn't care."

9. I knew Nowitzki was beloved, but the team said they hope he will be a huge part of the franchise after he retires. And they said they would have supported him going anywhere if he wanted to win another ring, but that he said the thought was never in his mind and he would rather retire than play anywhere else.

10. They feel like last year's team had some chemistry issues. Nothing huge, but just messy at times and it all stemmed from the DeAndre Jordan situation. They openly owned that situation screwed up all their plans for the summer and that everyone in the organization let it drag on way too far. It was a topic in the locker room until Christmas when Carlisle said the next guy to bring it up would never play for him again. That was the last time anyone talked about it in season.

11. Everyone feels re-charged this year. They think if the Spurs slip, they could win the division. Not just goal setting either. It is legit belief.

Again, maybe nothing overly newsworthy, but I wanted to share!

[Dirk]

I am impressed with your ability to take so many notes about so many different teams. And it's interesting how while on the surface nothing sounding groundbreaking, it's still really interesting to read because you do feel like you're closer to the team (I've read a couple of your other posts about other teams and felt the same).

It's crazy about McGee... what a waste of talent. He lost out to Mejri, who had his moments, that really said it all. McGee wasn't that bad for the Mavs when he played and I didn't hear about him being a distraction, but I guess he just really doesn't have it in him to grow up and making the most of his athleticism, while he has it. Let's hope he's managing all that money he's made, he does sound very childish.

The Mavs trotted out some lineups with Dirk at center last year that scored a ton of points, but their success came with them playing a more traditional half court game, with a slow pace, so I am really curious about what style they're going to play. I am hoping that Barnes comes with the mentality of being a great defender, more than him now having the green light to jack up shots --- so I don't envision him as a 20 ppg guy, if he scores 16 a game, on good efficiency and plays good defense, it'd be a great season.

[Smitty731]

Oh yeah one more note:

They do want to bring Beaubois back, but don't know where he fits on the roster with so many guards already. That was really all I got about that situation.

[daoneandonly]

Hey all!

I'm not sure how often you check other boards, but I've been at the Orlando Summer League all week. As I've talked to people from the team, I've hit up the other forums and let people know what I've learned. Not all of it is earth shattering or maybe even newsworthy, but feels like it is worth sharing.

One note, if you have questions about anything I shared, please quote me or I won't be able to guarantee I see your question.

1. The team is pretty high on Justin Anderson. High enough that there was no thought of him playing Summer League in Orlando, just in Las Vegas. They think he has the potential to be a rotation guy this year as a backup wing.

2. Satnam Singh looks like he has no NBA future. He's massive. I mean ridiculously big even by NBA standards. But he's so slow. Each time he plays, the other team puts him in P&R and he fouls or they go right by him. The Mavs have hope, but not nearly as much as a year ago.

3. Don't be surprised to see Vander Blue go to camp and pre-season. They really like his game and ability. All the PGs on the roster probably hurt his chances of making the team, but they'd like him in their D-League system.

4. Everyone is beyond excited to have Harrison Barnes. They feel like he'll be a 20 PPG guy as more of a primary weapon. And look for a lot of Dallas' version of the "Death Lineup" with Nowitzki, Barnes, Matthews, Curry/Anderson and Williams. They are really excited for that grouping.

5. They think Bogut will be very good for them. They love his passing and feel like the entire likely starting group can pass.

6. Curry was a targeted signing and they considered giving him an Offer Sheet. Once Sacramento pulled his Qualifying Offer, they were all over him. They think he'll be a weapon for them and they intend to use him a lot.

7. I talked to them before the Evans trade was announced, but they said they like his athleticism a lot and feel like he deserves a spot at the end of someone's bench. On the flip side, they feel like he'll never be more than that because his game hasn't developed at all.

8. McGee will be gone before his guarantee date. The exact quote was "There is a reason everyone else gave up on this guy too. He's just never going to get it." And this one "He is a far superior athlete to Tyson Chandler and should be a borderline HoF talent, but he has the mindset of a child and doesn't seem to care. We told him he's lost on so much money and his response was 'But I made more than anyone ever needs.' The dude just doesn't care."

9. I knew Nowitzki was beloved, but the team said they hope he will be a huge part of the franchise after he retires. And they said they would have supported him going anywhere if he wanted to win another ring, but that he said the thought was never in his mind and he would rather retire than play anywhere else.

10. They feel like last year's team had some chemistry issues. Nothing huge, but just messy at times and it all stemmed from the DeAndre Jordan situation. They openly owned that situation screwed up all their plans for the summer and that everyone in the organization let it drag on way too far. It was a topic in the locker room until Christmas when Carlisle said the next guy to bring it up would never play for him again. That was the last time anyone talked about it in season.

11. Everyone feels re-charged this year. They think if the Spurs slip, they could win the division. Not just goal setting either. It is legit belief.

Again, maybe nothing overly newsworthy, but I wanted to share!

Thank you so much for this bud, love reading more in depth about the Mavs. I've been a fan of Vander Blue and quite surprised he hasn't found a place in the NBA. You mentioned the glut of guards, most of which are PG size, were there any thoughts on that? Getting more size? Even all of our PG are wrong side of 30, do they have any plans to inject some youth at the 1 since Curry is really a SG?

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[daoneandonly]

And yea being a Mavs fan in Maryland, all too familiar with McGee, and if Hammonds ever has any hope, we need to get JaVale far far away from him.

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[Devassa]

Hey all!

I'm not sure how often you check other boards, but I've been at the Orlando Summer League all week. As I've talked to people from the team, I've hit up the other forums and let people know what I've learned. Not all of it is earth shattering or maybe even newsworthy, but feels like it is worth sharing.

One note, if you have questions about anything I shared, please quote me or I won't be able to guarantee I see your question.

1. The team is pretty high on Justin Anderson. High enough that there was no thought of him playing Summer League in Orlando, just in Las Vegas. They think he has the potential to be a rotation guy this year as a backup wing.

2. Satnam Singh looks like he has no NBA future. He's massive. I mean ridiculously big even by NBA standards. But he's so slow. Each time he plays, the other team puts him in P&R and he fouls or they go right by him. The Mavs have hope, but not nearly as much as a year ago.

3. Don't be surprised to see Vander Blue go to camp and pre-season. They really like his game and ability. All the PGs on the roster probably hurt his chances of making the team, but they'd like him in their D-League system.

4. Everyone is beyond excited to have Harrison Barnes. They feel like he'll be a 20 PPG guy as more of a primary weapon. And look for a lot of Dallas' version of the "Death Lineup" with Nowitzki, Barnes, Matthews, Curry/Anderson and Williams. They are really excited for that grouping.

5. They think Bogut will be very good for them. They love his passing and feel like the entire likely starting group can pass.

6. Curry was a targeted signing and they considered giving him an Offer Sheet. Once Sacramento pulled his Qualifying Offer, they were all over him. They think he'll be a weapon for them and they intend to use him a lot.

7. I talked to them before the Evans trade was announced, but they said they like his athleticism a lot and feel like he deserves a spot at the end of someone's bench. On the flip side, they feel like he'll never be more than that because his game hasn't developed at all.

8. McGee will be gone before his guarantee date. The exact quote was "There is a reason everyone else gave up on this guy too. He's just never going to get it." And this one "He is a far superior athlete to Tyson Chandler and should be a borderline HoF talent, but he has the mindset of a child and doesn't seem to care. We told him he's lost on so much money and his response was 'But I made more than anyone ever needs.' The dude just doesn't care."

9. I knew Nowitzki was beloved, but the team said they hope he will be a huge part of the franchise after he retires. And they said they would have supported him going anywhere if he wanted to win another ring, but that he said the thought was never in his mind and he would rather retire than play anywhere else.

10. They feel like last year's team had some chemistry issues. Nothing huge, but just messy at times and it all stemmed from the DeAndre Jordan situation. They openly owned that situation screwed up all their plans for the summer and that everyone in the organization let it drag on way too far. It was a topic in the locker room until Christmas when Carlisle said the next guy to bring it up would never play for him again. That was the last time anyone talked about it in season.

11. Everyone feels re-charged this year. They think if the Spurs slip, they could win the division. Not just goal setting either. It is legit belief.

Again, maybe nothing overly newsworthy, but I wanted to share!

A lot of that is good and new information. Thank you for that! I really hope they are able to get Harrison Barnes to reach the potential he came into the league with. Remember, this is a guy they turned down some amazing trade offers for just 2 years ago.

[HMFFL]

Thank you Smitty.

[Nowitness]

Thanks for all this info! Love the confidence in everything, definitely think they can be second best in the division if everything comes together.

[Darren]

I hope Blue could make the team. Devin Harris will likely retire or playing elsewhere by the end of the season. Vander Blue is really a solid competitor with all-rounded offensive games. He may force the issue sometimes but he'll improve when he's surrounded by great shooters. He's also a good shooter, too.

[The Sparest]

Oh yeah one more note:

They do want to bring Beaubois back, but don't know where he fits on the roster with so many guards already. That was really all I got about that situation.

Thanks Smitty.

The Mavs have a lot of guards, but those guards have injury issues. Not sure how healthy Roddy is these days, but it might not hurt to have another guard on the roster. Blue could be another option.

[Mr B]

Oh yeah one more note:

They do want to bring Beaubois back, but don't know where he fits on the roster with so many guards already. That was really all I got about that situation.

Thanks Smitty.

The Mavs have a lot of guards, but those guards have injury issues. Not sure how healthy Roddy is these days, but it might not hurt to have another guard on the roster. Blue could be another option.

DWill is bound to miss about 15-20 games so I agree they do need another PG, but Roddy? I'd rather they resign Felton.

[Mr B]

Hey all!

I'm not sure how often you check other boards, but I've been at the Orlando Summer League all week. As I've talked to people from the team, I've hit up the other forums and let people know what I've learned. Not all of it is earth shattering or maybe even newsworthy, but feels like it is worth sharing.

One note, if you have questions about anything I shared, please quote me or I won't be able to guarantee I see your question.

1. The team is pretty high on Justin Anderson. High enough that there was no thought of him playing Summer League in Orlando, just in Las Vegas. They think he has the potential to be a rotation guy this year as a backup wing.

2. Satnam Singh looks like he has no NBA future. He's massive. I mean ridiculously big even by NBA standards. But he's so slow. Each time he plays, the other team puts him in P&R and he fouls or they go right by him. The Mavs have hope, but not nearly as much as a year ago.

3. Don't be surprised to see Vander Blue go to camp and pre-season. They really like his game and ability. All the PGs on the roster probably hurt his chances of making the team, but they'd like him in their D-League system.

4. Everyone is beyond excited to have Harrison Barnes. They feel like he'll be a 20 PPG guy as more of a primary weapon. And look for a lot of Dallas' version of the "Death Lineup" with Nowitzki, Barnes, Matthews, Curry/Anderson and Williams. They are really excited for that grouping.

5. They think Bogut will be very good for them. They love his passing and feel like the entire likely starting group can pass.

6. Curry was a targeted signing and they considered giving him an Offer Sheet. Once Sacramento pulled his Qualifying Offer, they were all over him. They think he'll be a weapon for them and they intend to use him a lot.

7. I talked to them before the Evans trade was announced, but they said they like his athleticism a lot and feel like he deserves a spot at the end of someone's bench. On the flip side, they feel like he'll never be more than that because his game hasn't developed at all.

8. McGee will be gone before his guarantee date. The exact quote was "There is a reason everyone else gave up on this guy too. He's just never going to get it." And this one "He is a far superior athlete to Tyson Chandler and should be a borderline HoF talent, but he has the mindset of a child and doesn't seem to care. We told him he's lost on so much money and his response was 'But I made more than anyone ever needs.' The dude just doesn't care."

9. I knew Nowitzki was beloved, but the team said they hope he will be a huge part of the franchise after he retires. And they said they would have supported him going anywhere if he wanted to win another ring, but that he said the thought was never in his mind and he would rather retire than play anywhere else.

10. They feel like last year's team had some chemistry issues. Nothing huge, but just messy at times and it all stemmed from the DeAndre Jordan situation. They openly owned that situation screwed up all their plans for the summer and that everyone in the organization let it drag on way too far. It was a topic in the locker room until Christmas when Carlisle said the next guy to bring it up would never play for him again. That was the last time anyone talked about it in season.

11. Everyone feels re-charged this year. They think if the Spurs slip, they could win the division. Not just goal setting either. It is legit belief.

Again, maybe nothing overly newsworthy, but I wanted to share!

Really good information. I liked reading that about Curry. I have a feeling he's going to be huge for the Mavs this year.

Any idea in what capacity they would use Dirk after he retires as a player?

[The Sparest]

Oh yeah one more note:

They do want to bring Beaubois back, but don't know where he fits on the roster with so many guards already. That was really all I got about that situation.

Thanks Smitty.

The Mavs have a lot of guards, but those guards have injury issues. Not sure how healthy Roddy is these days, but it might not hurt to have another guard on the roster. Blue could be another option.

DWill is bound to miss about 15-20 games so I agree they do need another PG, but Roddy? I'd rather they resign Felton.

True, but Felton will get a better offer than vet min which is all we can offer now.

[Mr B]

Thanks Smitty.

The Mavs have a lot of guards, but those guards have injury issues. Not sure how healthy Roddy is these days, but it might not hurt to have another guard on the roster. Blue could be another option.

DWill is bound to miss about 15-20 games so I agree they do need another PG, but Roddy? I'd rather they resign Felton.

True, but Felton will get a better offer than vet min which is all we can offer now.

That sucks, I like the attitude Felton brings. Still though, Roddy? Seriously?

I will say though that if Curry can play half as good as he does in this highlight, the Mavs got a steal.

https://youtu.be/oPe3XzDdrjk

[blackrook]

Great information. Any insight into the whole Parsons thing?

[Darren]

DWill is bound to miss about 15-20 games so I agree they do need another PG, but Roddy? I'd rather they resign Felton.

True, but Felton will get a better offer than vet min which is all we can offer now.

That sucks, I like the attitude Felton brings. Still though, Roddy? Seriously?

I will say though that if Curry can play half as good as he does in this highlight, the Mavs got a steal.

https://youtu.be/oPe3XzDdrjk

Definitely, he's always a great shooter. But you won't get a great player only for the highlight. He doesn't have the physical tools to guard the likes of SG. At the same time, he's still raw playing PG. He's mostly a pure shooter. Of course, we'll have situation that we need a 3 in clutch time. He'll make his impression felt if he manages to perform well in those situation. However, I bet Felton won't be back with min. I hope we still look at young options for that. I like Anthony Cat Barber in particular. This kid can play immediately if we allow him to play one-on-one and learn to set up for teammates.

[The Sparest]

Great information. Any insight into the whole Parsons thing?

Parson's wanted a max deal, but the Mavs were worried about giving it to him after all the injury problems. There were also rumors of his relationship with the Mavs souring somewhat, but nothing specific.

[blackrook]

Great information. Any insight into the whole Parsons thing?

Parson's wanted a max deal, but the Mavs were worried about giving it to him after all the injury problems. There were also rumors of his relationship with the Mavs souring somewhat, but nothing specific.

Yeah, I guess it was just confusing because Parsons essentially proved he could return from microfracture playing at a career best, and the Mavs said that the injuries weren't related to each other. So unless we're not getting the whole side of the story, it wouldn't seem like the injury should be a big deal.

[Smitty731]

Really good information. I liked reading that about Curry. I have a feeling he's going to be huge for the Mavs this year.

Any idea in what capacity they would use Dirk after he retires as a player?

Not sure, but I can try to follow up today if there is time. With the Wade news, it will be a busy day.

What I do know is that they don't want it to just be some ceremonial role, unless that is what he wants. I think they intend for him to be involved in a real way.

I knew the guy was beloved, but seeing it and hearing it from people here really brought it to a new level. They LOVE him. With guys leaving teams this week, it was awesome to see the the love for Dirk.

[Dirk]

Really good information. I liked reading that about Curry. I have a feeling he's going to be huge for the Mavs this year.

Any idea in what capacity they would use Dirk after he retires as a player?

Not sure, but I can try to follow up today if there is time. With the Wade news, it will be a busy day.

What I do know is that they don't want it to just be some ceremonial role, unless that is what he wants. I think they intend for him to be involved in a real way.

I knew the guy was beloved, but seeing it and hearing it from people here really brought it to a new level. They LOVE him. With guys leaving teams this week, it was awesome to see the the love for Dirk.

If you do talk to Mavs people, some interesting topics are:

- how big of a role does Dirk have in the decision making?

a) did he really shoot down the Howard idea?

b) did he advise the Mavs to not give Parsons a max deal?

- how big of a role does Cuban have on basketball decisions?

- where should fans put the blame. On D.Nelson for the poor returns/decisions with draft picks or Cuban?

- how does Carlisle feel about the whole power structure?

a) more importantly, something that Mavs fans everywhere feel: why does Carlisle have such a short leash for young players (I know it's a common thing among most coaches)

b) would he ever be willing to coach a rebuilding team?

c) how does he feel anyway? Having to work very hard, just to get a lower seed in the playoffs, when everyone fully well knows the Mavs are likely to be crushed by the top two seeds?