NICO! WHATSA-MOTTA YOU!

Stefano DiMera said:

---

Yep... Lively out hurt .. Washington on personal leave cause he and wife had a baby ...and newly acquired Caleb Martin and Davis not cleared yet.

---

Martin doesn't count. They traded for him injured with no timetable to return.

Luka unfollowed both Nico & Jason Kidd on Instagram. He still follows Michael Finley. https://t.co/Z3Qj7ndYCM

— Panda Hank (@pandahank41) February 7, 2025

pic.twitter.com/BDX0NvPJEI

— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) February 7, 2025

“Sell the team” chants outside of AAC pic.twitter.com/PhrWbQnw7d

— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) February 8, 2025

Dallas Mavericks fans would like the team’s GM fired pic.twitter.com/hA43ZLeHNX

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 8, 2025

Some media members seem to want to paint the picture that Mavs fans have violent intentions today. On the TNT broadcast the other night the court side reporter was saying something like I hope Mavs fans don't cross the lines with their threats.

That all seems overblown...at least I hope so. I'll be curious to hear the vibe of the crowd inside the AAC today. Should be AD's first start.

Dallas Police Department's Public Information Officer tells me, "There are no known threats at this time," directed at Mavericks GM Nico Harrison.

This comes despite ESPN's report yesterday on added security measures due to "death threats" ahead of Saturday's game vs. Rockets. https://t.co/Ka1scX0OEL

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 8, 2025

If an Ivy League educated guy who comes from money could plot and murder an insurance CEO ..

There certainly could be some unhinged fan do the same.

The protest outside of the AAC has gotten PACKED.

Wow.

(📸: @NickkWhite) pic.twitter.com/pNcR5bP03H

— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) February 8, 2025

boognish_bear said:

---

Some media members seem to want to paint the picture that Mavs fans have violent intentions today. On the TNT broadcast the other night the court side reporter was saying something like I hope Mavs fans don't cross the lines with their threats.

That all seems overblown...at least I hope so. I'll be curious to hear the vibe of the crowd inside the AAC today. Should be AD's first start.

Dallas Police Department's Public Information Officer tells me, "There are no known threats at this time," directed at Mavericks GM Nico Harrison.

This comes despite ESPN's report yesterday on added security measures due to "death threats" ahead of Saturday's game vs. Rockets. https://t.co/Ka1scX0OEL

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 8, 2025

---

This was an obvious ploy to make tens of thousands of angry fans look collectively unstable, so those farther from the situation would dismiss the outcry as a fringe response.

If you've got death threats and racial epithets, put them on the table. All normal people will condemn them. Otherwise they need to STFU.

Seen several people say that Tim McMahon is fanning the flames on that narrative

Anthony Davis going off .

16 pts ..10 reb..3 ast. ..and we're only halfway thru 2nd qtr.

Going off...then going out

Anthony Davis Mavericks run https://t.co/MxoZwq4ytr pic.twitter.com/AwUbS0QIcs

— dmahri (@dmahrii) February 8, 2025

boognish_bear said:

---

Going off...then going out

Anthony Davis Mavericks run https://t.co/MxoZwq4ytr pic.twitter.com/AwUbS0QIcs

— dmahri (@dmahrii) February 8, 2025

---

And...that's AD. Great player when available. But availability has always been the issue with him.

Grade 1 groin strain and he's likely going to miss 1-2 weeks.

Grade 2, likely 5-6 weeks.

Grade 3, likely done with the season.

Hopefully this is of the more minor variety. Either way, Mavs could be in trouble even if he misses even a brief amount of time. Lots of ground to make up, and not much time to do it.

He's Joel Embid 2.0

Anthony Davis on his injury: "My leg got tight, like a little spasm. I came back to try to get it loose while still dealing with the abdominal strain. But I managed to loosen it up, and it's nothing serious. I'm fine."

Where?: "Groin—quad kind of area. It's like right in there."

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 8, 2025

AD ............

- KKM

... being AD

{ sipping coffee }

This was the biggest concern with Anthony Davis rushing back from abdominal injury

-Making the strain worse than what it was

He could potentially now have a Grade II strain with a timeline to return of 4-6 WEEKS pic.twitter.com/0ZeFP7FuA8

— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) February 8, 2025

Shams reported that Anthony Davis tried to return to the game tonight after his injury in the third quarter, but Dallas decided to play it safe.

— All Things Mavs (@All_Things_Mavs) February 9, 2025

There has to be a secret agenda ... no rational person with a brain would make this trade.

Harrison Bergeron said:

---

There has to be a secret agenda ... no rational person with a brain would make this trade.

---

There's probably not a secret agenda. The organization put a salesman in charge supervised by a manager of casinos. They don't understand the game. Luka is a Savant and no he doesn't have to do what others do to be great. He's the Natural. You can't teach and train and work hard and develop a Super High Basketball IQ. You're born with it, or you're not.

There are 29 other teams that would have offered more than the Lakers, if they had it to offer. One thing you can teach is if you have a rare asset and decide to sell it you auction it off and sell it to the highest bidder. You don't negotiate a private sale.

Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont comments on Luka trade.

That fucker married into the wealth bough Mavs with the help of his mother-in-law and destroyed the future of the Mavericks in 1 year.

And he has the audacity to say stuff like that after everything Luka did for the… pic.twitter.com/cbbDRhTow4

— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) February 9, 2025

FR even Kobe said if Shaq worked out more he’d have 10 championships

— SoCal Goulah (@SoCalGoulah) February 9, 2025

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10154178-report-marko-milic-leaves-mavericks-coaching-staff-after-luka-doncic-lakers-trade&ved=2ahUKEwiw1ZrbvbeLAxUU6ckDHRBqJHwQFnoECDIQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw24H6u2Pz3Gz2LBYz1YpoWv

pic.twitter.com/B2DrxSjLjL

— UnconcernedLion 🦁🇺🇸 (@PSU_Lion_commit) February 9, 2025

Now Anthony Davis is hurt. Earning his nickname Street Clothes.

Tim MacMahon: "The threats did not raise themselves to the level that they needed to be reported to the police."

That's what "some wannabe reporter" reported the first time.

I don't think it's fair to give a fanbase or the city of Dallas an undeserving reputation on global TV. https://t.co/IDPXrqa5Zt

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 10, 2025

bear2be2 said:

---

Mothra said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Stefano DiMera said:

---

They were upset with his conditioning and diet choices..he apparently ballooned up to 260 pounds right before the injury..

It could be the new ownership group saying we do not want to give him that supermax extension.

---

His doughy ass led them to the finals last ****ing year ... after singlehandedly leading then to the Western Conference finals a couple of years earlier.

This is further proof that attaining a front office job with a pro sports franchise doesn't make a person an expert. This is an idiotic trade -- and one that completely betrays a fan base that has put up with a whole lot of **** over the years.

---

Yup. I can't believe they cited conditioning as the basis for the trade. What a crock of *****

I have to think ownership didn't want to sign him to a super max deal. Otherwise this makes no sense whatsoever. They will rue the day they made the worst trade in NBA history.

---

I'm not normally a conspiracy theorist, but I wouldn't be at all shocked if this is a long-term play to nuke the fan base to justify a move to Las Vegas.

Cuban sold DFW basketball fans out when he sold the team to a bunch of soulless *******s.

---

You guys are being ridiculous.

The NBA is not going to allow a franchise to leave from the 6th largest media market to the 40th.

bear2be2 said:

---

Hotsauce said:

---

Let's pretend that everything they are saying to justify this is true...he's damaged goods, he won't commit to fitness, he was leaving anyways, blah blah blah...it still won't prevent the entire fanbase from feeling like they just got sucker punched in the face. Apathy and disinterest just skyrocketed.

Great day for Jerry Jones, though...

---

If you just insist on trading Luka, shop him to the entire league and get the best deal possible.

It make no sense whatsoever to negotiate with one team -- a team their GM just happens to have connections to -- and sell him for pennies on the dollar.

The Mavericks front office look like absolute fools right now, and none of these justifications make even a lick of sense.

And the fact that they didn't give Luka any warning makes this even worse. You don't blindside a franchise player who has been more loyal to your organization than he had any reason to be. That's bull*****

---

The Dallas Mavericks have never in their franchise history had a player with the skillset of Anthony Davis.
The Mavs were not looking to shop Luka to the rest of the NBA.
The only two players they would have done this trade for were Anthony Davis, and Giannis Anttetoukoumpo.

The Mavericks have rarely ever been a great defensive team.

Method Man said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Hotsauce said:

---

Let's pretend that everything they are saying to justify this is true...he's damaged goods, he won't commit to fitness, he was leaving anyways, blah blah blah...it still won't prevent the entire fanbase from feeling like they just got sucker punched in the face. Apathy and disinterest just skyrocketed.

Great day for Jerry Jones, though...

---

If you just insist on trading Luka, shop him to the entire league and get the best deal possible.

It make no sense whatsoever to negotiate with one team -- a team their GM just happens to have connections to -- and sell him for pennies on the dollar.

The Mavericks front office look like absolute fools right now, and none of these justifications make even a lick of sense.

And the fact that they didn't give Luka any warning makes this even worse. You don't blindside a franchise player who has been more loyal to your organization than he had any reason to be. That's bull*****

---

The Dallas Mavericks have never in their franchise history had a player with the skillset of Anthony Davis.
The Mavs were not looking to shop Luka to the rest of the NBA.
The only two players they would have done this trade for were Anthony Davis, and Giannis Anttetoukoumpo.

The Mavericks have rarely ever been a great defensive team.

---

We talkin' 'bout "Street Clothes?" The greatest ability is availability, and Davis has never had that ability in his toolkit.

Method Man said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Hotsauce said:

---

Let's pretend that everything they are saying to justify this is true...he's damaged goods, he won't commit to fitness, he was leaving anyways, blah blah blah...it still won't prevent the entire fanbase from feeling like they just got sucker punched in the face. Apathy and disinterest just skyrocketed.

Great day for Jerry Jones, though...

---

If you just insist on trading Luka, shop him to the entire league and get the best deal possible.

It make no sense whatsoever to negotiate with one team -- a team their GM just happens to have connections to -- and sell him for pennies on the dollar.

The Mavericks front office look like absolute fools right now, and none of these justifications make even a lick of sense.

And the fact that they didn't give Luka any warning makes this even worse. You don't blindside a franchise player who has been more loyal to your organization than he had any reason to be. That's bull*****

---

The Dallas Mavericks have never in their franchise history had a player with the skillset of Anthony Davis.
The Mavs were not looking to shop Luka to the rest of the NBA.
The only two players they would have done this trade for were Anthony Davis, and Giannis Anttetoukoumpo.

The Mavericks have rarely ever been a great defensive team.

---

AD can be a game changing player when he's on the floor....but he has repeatedly had issues staying healthy. The fact that the Mavs did not get way more in return for giving up on a 25 year old generational talent is embarrassing.

If Davis misses 10+ games, it’ll be the seventh double-digit game absence over the last 7 seasons. Luka Dončić has one such absence in last 7 seasons. https://t.co/nxGE7uadEH

— Mr. Statistician Face Man (@tomhaberstroh) February 10, 2025

Hotsauce said:

---

The fitness thing has to be a smoke screen. Dirk will be the first one to tell you that he didn't take his body seriously until his 30s. So to assume that Luka wouldn't flip the switch somewhere down the line...? Doesn't add up.

At best, this still feels like an ownership decision to cut payroll and reduce fan interest. At worst, this feels like some sort of collusion to get the league's best player on a marquee team.

---

Umm......This isn't true.

72 is the most games Luka Doncic has ever played for the Mavs which was 87% of the season. That was his rookie year.

Dirk was giving you 77-82 games/season every year for like 10-12 years. Same with Tim Duncan, Hakeem, Lebron, Kobe...etc

The reason these franchise players were consistently on teams that were winning 50 games a season was that these franchise players almost always played 90% of the games in a season.

Luka has NEVER given the Mavs 90%.....and its a big reason why 52-30 is the best regular season record of a Luka led team.
Luka is only 25 and he's already missing half the season?????

Dirk was in year 15 before he ever missed serious time.....why was what? Because Dirk was always lean.

BUCANDOIT82 said:

---

Harrison Bergeron said:

---

There has to be a secret agenda ... no rational person with a brain would make this trade.

---

There's probably not a secret agenda. The organization put a salesman in charge supervised by a manager of casinos. They don't understand the game. Luka is a Savant and no he doesn't have to do what others do to be great. He's the Natural. You can't teach and train and work hard and develop a Super High Basketball IQ. You're born with it, or you're not.

There are 29 other teams that would have offered more than the Lakers, if they had it to offer. One thing you can teach is if you have a rare asset and decide to sell it you auction it off and sell it to the highest bidder. You don't negotiate a private sale.

---

You guys still aren't getting it.

The Mavericks have never, ever been a great defensive team.

These are only two seasons that they've ever finished the year as a top 10 team in defensive Net rating.
#5 in 2006-07 they went 67-15
#7 in 2010-11 they went 57-25 and won the NBA title.

The Mavericks have never in their franchise history ever had an Hakeem Olajuwon, Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan type of two big man that can also anchor an elite defense.

The Mavs were regularly top 3 (and many seasons #1) in the NBA in offensive Net rating under Dirk, Nash and Luka.
The Spurs (under Tim Duncan) were almost always top 5 in defense.
Which franchise has more titles and NBA Finals appearances?

The Mavs traded their worst defensive player for the best defensive big in the NBA.

The Mavs would have only done this trade for AD or Giannis. Milwaukee probably doesn't do it because the chances of Luka staying in Wisconsin past this initial 1.5 years is low.

The Lakers feel like they have the best chance of keeping Luka long term...but there is also no guarantee he stays in LA.

Method Man said:

---

BUCANDOIT82 said:

---

Harrison Bergeron said:

---

There has to be a secret agenda ... no rational person with a brain would make this trade.

---

There's probably not a secret agenda. The organization put a salesman in charge supervised by a manager of casinos. They don't understand the game. Luka is a Savant and no he doesn't have to do what others do to be great. He's the Natural. You can't teach and train and work hard and develop a Super High Basketball IQ. You're born with it, or you're not.

There are 29 other teams that would have offered more than the Lakers, if they had it to offer. One thing you can teach is if you have a rare asset and decide to sell it you auction it off and sell it to the highest bidder. You don't negotiate a private sale.

---

You guys still aren't getting it.

The Mavericks have never, ever been a great defensive team.

These are only two seasons that they've ever finished the year as a top 10 team in defensive Net rating.
#5 in 2006-07 they went 67-15
#7 in 2010-11 they went 57-25 and won the NBA title.

The Mavericks have never in their franchise history ever had an Hakeem Olajuwon, Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan type of two big man that can also anchor an elite defense.

The Mavs were regularly top 3 (and many seasons #1) in the NBA in offensive Net rating under Dirk, Nash and Luka.
The Spurs (under Tim Duncan) were almost always top 5 in defense.
Which franchise has more titles and NBA Finals appearances?

The Mavs traded their worst defensive player for the best defensive big in the NBA.

The Mavs would have only done this trade for AD or Giannis. Milwaukee probably doesn't do it because the chances of Luka staying in Wisconsin past this initial 1.5 years is low.

The Lakers feel like they have the best chance of keeping Luka long term...but there is also no guarantee he stays in LA.

---

Do you think the Mavericks got a fair trade?