The Dallas Mavericks, all nine of them, welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies to Big D on Friday night in their third matchup of the season. After splitting the first two games, the undermanned Mavs let this one slip away, losing 122-111. This game should not have been competitive or even remotely entertaining, but it ended up being both. Had any player even had a mediocre game alongside Naji Marshall and Brandon Williams, this probably would have been a Mavs win. Let’s get to the grades!
Dante Exum: C-
3 Points / 2 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (20 Minutes)
He gets bonus points for a banked-in buzzer beater three to end the third quarter, but the fact it was his first made shot after missing five in a row certainly doesn’t help his cause all that much. Exum was the starter, but was majorly out-played by Brandon Williams off the bench. Perhaps the worst part was that he seemed very hesitant to shoot throughout the evening. Hopefully this is a one-off.
Max Christie: C
8 Points / 5 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 1 Steals / 1 Blocks (33 Minutes)
Christie coming down to earth has been disappointing after a hot start to his Mavericks career. He isn’t playing poorly, but his shooting effectiveness has dropped, and with it his offensive production. He didn’t do a whole heck of a lot in this game, and was a surprising liability on a few plays.
Klay Thompson: B-
15 Points / 4 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 0 Steals / 3 Blocks (28 Minutes)
A minute restriction didn’t help Klay’s performance, but even with the minutes he got, he didn’t quite find a groove. When the fourth quarter rolled around, he showed out a bit more, but even a slightly better game would have gone a long way.
Naji Marshall: A+
29 Points / 17 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 2 Steals / 0 Blocks (39 Minutes)
Naji had a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards by halftime. His three-point shooting is still finding its way, but he was a beast throughout this game. This game was a perfect object lesson in appreciating what he brings to the team. Naji is super-intelligent, let’s the game come to him, and adjusts to find his best self. He and Brandon Williams were the shining stars in an otherwise disappointing loss.
Kessler Edwards: A-
13 Points / 3 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 2 Steals / 1 Block (29 Minutes)
I haven’t given many high grades to Edwards this season, though I acknowledge he is typically playing way out of position and doing all he can. Tonight I’m happy to show him some well deserved love. He hit a few timely threes and contested more than a couple shots.
Spencer Dinwiddie: C-
10 Points / 3 Rebounds / 4 Assists / 0 Steals / 1 Block (31 Minutes)
If Exum’s buzzer beater three got him some bonus flash, Dinwiddie’s missed tomahawk jam has to cost him some, right? We don’t really grade on the basis of one play, but the fact a missed wide-open dunk accentuates a mess of a shooting night.
Brandon Williams: A+
31 Points / 5 Rebounds / 6 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (33 Minutes)
For a guy who averages 4.2 points in 9.8 minutes per game, Williams was bound to do more given the state of the roster. Case in point, he played almost twice as many minutes in the first half as he averages per game thus far. The good news is he made the absolute most of it. In the first half alone, he scored 17 points to lead all Mavs and did it on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor. The rest of the way? He was neck-and-neck with Naji as best Mav of the game and gets top marks on a career-high scoring night. This guy can play, and barring injury, he will be the lucky one (out of him, Hardy and O-Max) to actually maximize his potential in the available time he certainly earned.
Dwight Powell: C+
0 Points / 2 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (8 Minutes)
Powell gets a mention because he actually suited up along side eight other guys. That’s not meant to be an insult, but rather a commentary that the longest tenured Mav deserves mention for being ready and healthy and giving it all he has. At no other time would his minutes or stats warrant a grade, but he’s getting one tonight on principle if nothing else.
Caleb Martin: C+
2 Points / 4 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 1 Steal / 1 Block (14 Minutes)
Martin is perhaps the toughest grade of the night, both because we’ve not seen him in a Mavs uniform prior to tonight and also because he was clearly deferring and facilitating while he acclimated to his new team. Coming off injury to boot, Martin had himself a relatively solid game. He didn’t stuff the stats, but also didn’t play a whole heck of a lot.