October 28, 2025 • 6 mins
“Would this front office ever trade Anthony Davis—or are they riding this aging core into the ground?”In this thought-provoking and laugh-filled episode of The Ben and Skin Show, hosts Ben Rogers, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina Ray break down the Mavericks’ latest game and dive deep into the team’s evolving identity. Is this a contender in transition—or a franchise caught between two timelines?The crew compares the Mavs’ season opener to the Cowboys’ week one loss: technically an L, but emotionally a win. From Jaden Hardy’s clutch performance to Anthony Davis’s conditioning concerns, the gang explores the highs, lows, and head-scratchers of the current roster.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Down is around the sports KTD pun queens as all
the sports.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Yes, last night's MAVs game felt like Week one of
the Cowboys season where they lost to the defending world champs,
but it kind of felt like a win to me,
go on because they made it close. Yeah, I mean,
it's stuck when they got down by fifteen, but the
game always felt reasonable, and then then third quarter and
early fourth quarter they're down by fifteen to seventeen for
(00:29):
a while, but then they went on that run and
had a shot at it. I now understand what people
were telling me about D'Angelo Russell though, Oh he'll drive
you crazy. He's fun at times, but he'll drive you crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
He's very similar to me, not like the actual way
he plays, but his impact and the ebb and flow.
I think it is very similar to Spinter Dinwiddie.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah, there's times where either one of those guys can
take over a game and you're like, damn right, he's awesome,
and there's times you're like a little less of him
would be good, but they don't. They don't have I mean, honestly,
they went into the season just like we don't need
a point guard. Why would we ever need that Kyrie
is going to be back at some point. It's like,
(01:15):
I'm honestly less worried about the quote unquote point guard
part and more way more.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Concerned about the lack of shooting. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I feel like if you have shooting that it just
changes things. It changes spacing, it changes options, opportunities, and
I think it'll continue to get better.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I really do.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
But you know, it's a it's a league right now
that's predicated on three point shooting, and they don't have
near enough of it.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
No, they don't.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
And it also it's like I don't want Cooper flag
to labor bringing the ball up the court, getting picked
up full court by the toughest defenders on Earth. It's
going to be exhausted. Yeah, I just want him to
already be down there and go be athletic. I just
I just wish there was I don't know, man, and
I think they're about to have to have a tough
conversation with Clay.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I don't know. And dude, and I watch Anthony Davis.
He is not in shape. He's laboring out there.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, and he again, I mean, he had an awesome
game last night and all of his game. Statistically, he's
been stuff in the stat sheet. It was I mean,
they don't get back in that game without Jaden Hardy.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
That happened last night.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, if they don't have Jayden Hardy, they lose by seventeen. Yeah,
I wonder what they'll do. Like, you've got the timeline
of Cooper Flag and Derek Lively. We're eighteen and twenty
one years old, and that's a super bright future. And
then you've got Ad who's going to be thirty three
next year, and Kyrie who's going to be thirty four
next year, and Clay will be thirty six next year.
(02:48):
And so you kind of have two concurrent windows happening,
which is great. You're a contender now, but you're rebuilding
for the future. But if you're not going to contend
this year, you know, cause Ad can opt out.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Right, Uh he has I.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Think he can opt out this off season. Maybe he's
going to be interesting, but have to double check that, dude.
Would this front office have the balls to trade Ad?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
This front office? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Not this front office, right that they they the balls.
They traded Luca for Anthony Davis. Right, That's what I'm saying.
So this front office believes in Anthony Davis. So it's
going to be right or die no matter what, Like,
we're going to try to win a championship in his
age thirty three, thirty four to thirty five. Absolutely, yes,
that would be a sizemic shift if they if they
change directions.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
He can't opt out until after he's here next year too. Yeah,
and in twenty twenty seven, he's got a player option
for sixty three million dollars that he might want to
just take.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah. No, I mean, I mean, and we had talked
about this. I never thought that they would trade Luca
for Anthony Davis. But I was ringing the Anthony Davis
bell two years ago. I was like, Nico's gonna go
get him. It'll have been better. Two years ago. I
actually thought that they would eventually trade Kyrie to the
Lakers to reunite him with Lebron, to get him.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I never foresaw this. But no, no, no, this this
front off is very much believes in Anthony Davis.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
And statistically speaking, I mean, I agree with you, Ben,
He's not in great shape yet and Kid has mentioned that,
but if you look at his numbers, he's one of
the most from a numbers standpoint, he's off to one.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Of the best starts of anybody in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I just worry about a guy who gets hurt, maybe
even listening to this audio, who can he stay healthy
when he's not in great shape, because that was always
the knock on Luca. All Right, he's gonna have these
soft tissue injuries because he's not in the best condition. Yeah,
and so I look out there and see a d
he's laboring a little bit. He'll get there. I don't
think he's ever had been. This has been a big
(04:41):
problem for him staying in shape. But he does look
a lot thicker, and he looks a little more tired
than he usually does. I think the mark Stein talking
about the eye stuff late in the summer had a
lot of there was a reason for all, Well, it's.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Four games, right, small sum But he's like twenty five
and twelve, which is like his career.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Yeah, he doesn't kind of what he is. I think
he's currently a top five he bounder in the NBA.
It's just we's averaging two blocks a night.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
We haven't been in the mode over the last since
Luca has been here where you're just occasionally going okay,
where are we gonna get a bucket? Like and now
you're kind of like you got those little stretches. You're like, Okay,
let's go do this. Yeh. Luckily, Max Christy's shooting the
ball very well to start the year. Dangel Russell too,
Like if he could get back to shooting like he'd
like two or three years ago, like that guy, Bro,
that could help a lot. But he is not shooting
(05:24):
well through four games. I don't have his stats in
front of you, but he's missed a lot of threes. Dude,
he's missed a ton of bunnies just missing layups.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
He shot two years ago, he shot forty percent from
three Last year, I think he shot twenty nine percent
after getting traded from the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
To the Nets in a really bad year.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Yeah, oh dude, if he shot forty percent, that'd be insane.
All Right, there you have it. There's a little maps
And when's the next game? Uh, tomorrow against the Pacers?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Rick?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Okay, will you get some quality time with Rick? I
already have, Oh you already have, Okay, but you guys
do met him for breakfast today?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
There's Yeah, there's what do you order around the sport?
You didn't have to dance for that, Thank you, Denver
hey Man. Nuggets coming up Coming up next the weekly
weekday Update. OH cold front is coming to Dallas Fort Worth,
and KT breaks out his weather models next
Down is around the sports KTD pun queens as all
the sports.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Yes, last night's MAVs game felt like Week one of
the Cowboys season where they lost to the defending world champs,
but it kind of felt like a win to me,
go on because they made it close. Yeah, I mean,
it's stuck when they got down by fifteen, but the
game always felt reasonable, and then then third quarter and
early fourth quarter they're down by fifteen to seventeen for
(00:29):
a while, but then they went on that run and
had a shot at it. I now understand what people
were telling me about D'Angelo Russell though, Oh he'll drive
you crazy. He's fun at times, but he'll drive you crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
He's very similar to me, not like the actual way
he plays, but his impact and the ebb and flow.
I think it is very similar to Spinter Dinwiddie.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah, there's times where either one of those guys can
take over a game and you're like, damn right, he's awesome,
and there's times you're like a little less of him
would be good, but they don't. They don't have I mean, honestly,
they went into the season just like we don't need
a point guard. Why would we ever need that Kyrie
is going to be back at some point. It's like,
(01:15):
I'm honestly less worried about the quote unquote point guard
part and more way more.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Concerned about the lack of shooting. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I feel like if you have shooting that it just
changes things. It changes spacing, it changes options, opportunities, and
I think it'll continue to get better.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I really do.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
But you know, it's a it's a league right now
that's predicated on three point shooting, and they don't have
near enough of it.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
No, they don't.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
And it also it's like I don't want Cooper flag
to labor bringing the ball up the court, getting picked
up full court by the toughest defenders on Earth. It's
going to be exhausted. Yeah, I just want him to
already be down there and go be athletic. I just
I just wish there was I don't know, man, and
I think they're about to have to have a tough
conversation with Clay.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I don't know. And dude, and I watch Anthony Davis.
He is not in shape. He's laboring out there.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, and he again, I mean, he had an awesome
game last night and all of his game. Statistically, he's
been stuff in the stat sheet. It was I mean,
they don't get back in that game without Jaden Hardy.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
That happened last night.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, if they don't have Jayden Hardy, they lose by seventeen. Yeah,
I wonder what they'll do. Like, you've got the timeline
of Cooper Flag and Derek Lively. We're eighteen and twenty
one years old, and that's a super bright future. And
then you've got Ad who's going to be thirty three
next year, and Kyrie who's going to be thirty four
next year, and Clay will be thirty six next year.
(02:48):
And so you kind of have two concurrent windows happening,
which is great. You're a contender now, but you're rebuilding
for the future. But if you're not going to contend
this year, you know, cause Ad can opt out.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Right, Uh he has I.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Think he can opt out this off season. Maybe he's
going to be interesting, but have to double check that, dude.
Would this front office have the balls to trade Ad?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
This front office? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Not this front office, right that they they the balls.
They traded Luca for Anthony Davis. Right, That's what I'm saying.
So this front office believes in Anthony Davis. So it's
going to be right or die no matter what, Like,
we're going to try to win a championship in his
age thirty three, thirty four to thirty five. Absolutely, yes,
that would be a sizemic shift if they if they
change directions.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
He can't opt out until after he's here next year too. Yeah,
and in twenty twenty seven, he's got a player option
for sixty three million dollars that he might want to
just take.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah. No, I mean, I mean, and we had talked
about this. I never thought that they would trade Luca
for Anthony Davis. But I was ringing the Anthony Davis
bell two years ago. I was like, Nico's gonna go
get him. It'll have been better. Two years ago. I
actually thought that they would eventually trade Kyrie to the
Lakers to reunite him with Lebron, to get him.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I never foresaw this. But no, no, no, this this
front off is very much believes in Anthony Davis.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
And statistically speaking, I mean, I agree with you, Ben,
He's not in great shape yet and Kid has mentioned that,
but if you look at his numbers, he's one of
the most from a numbers standpoint, he's off to one.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Of the best starts of anybody in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I just worry about a guy who gets hurt, maybe
even listening to this audio, who can he stay healthy
when he's not in great shape, because that was always
the knock on Luca. All Right, he's gonna have these
soft tissue injuries because he's not in the best condition. Yeah,
and so I look out there and see a d
he's laboring a little bit. He'll get there. I don't
think he's ever had been. This has been a big
(04:41):
problem for him staying in shape. But he does look
a lot thicker, and he looks a little more tired
than he usually does. I think the mark Stein talking
about the eye stuff late in the summer had a
lot of there was a reason for all, Well, it's.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Four games, right, small sum But he's like twenty five
and twelve, which is like his career.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Yeah, he doesn't kind of what he is. I think
he's currently a top five he bounder in the NBA.
It's just we's averaging two blocks a night.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
We haven't been in the mode over the last since
Luca has been here where you're just occasionally going okay,
where are we gonna get a bucket? Like and now
you're kind of like you got those little stretches. You're like, Okay,
let's go do this. Yeh. Luckily, Max Christy's shooting the
ball very well to start the year. Dangel Russell too,
Like if he could get back to shooting like he'd
like two or three years ago, like that guy, Bro,
that could help a lot. But he is not shooting
(05:24):
well through four games. I don't have his stats in
front of you, but he's missed a lot of threes. Dude,
he's missed a ton of bunnies just missing layups.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
He shot two years ago, he shot forty percent from
three Last year, I think he shot twenty nine percent
after getting traded from the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
To the Nets in a really bad year.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Yeah, oh dude, if he shot forty percent, that'd be insane.
All Right, there you have it. There's a little maps
And when's the next game? Uh, tomorrow against the Pacers?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Rick?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Okay, will you get some quality time with Rick? I
already have, Oh you already have, Okay, but you guys
do met him for breakfast today?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
There's Yeah, there's what do you order around the sport?
You didn't have to dance for that, Thank you, Denver
hey Man. Nuggets coming up Coming up next the weekly
weekday Update. OH cold front is coming to Dallas Fort Worth,
and KT breaks out his weather models next
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.