October 22, 2025 • 18 mins
With the new NBA season underway, Craig catches up with Mavericks play-by-play voice Mark Followill before their matchup with the Spurs this evening.
They discuss Cooper Flagg's potential impact, key depth pieces down the roster, and how a loaded Western Conference might take shape/
They discuss Cooper Flagg's potential impact, key depth pieces down the roster, and how a loaded Western Conference might take shape/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
You know, it's a yat Rock Wednesday, and there are
many people who do not believe that Steely Dan is
in the cradle of yacht rock, especially if you've seen
the yacht Rock documentary.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
You know.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Certainly that Donald Faga does not feel that way, but
a lot of their offerings are and so on the
yacht Rock Wednesday, Little Return Action would do it again.
Our next guest, or a first guest in the program
this afternoon is a guy who has incredibly impeccable taste
in things like international cuisine and beverages and the best
(00:40):
place to find a scenic jogging trail or a hiking
trail internationally I'm talking about. He also happens to be
a guy does play by play on international soccer. He
also does football for Big ten Network. Also, we'll be
doing some MBA for NBC this year. But of course
(01:02):
we know him as our friend and the play by
play by play voice of Dallas Mavericks Television Mark follow
up who joins us on the hotline. I would imagine
with all of those really sophisticated taste, yacht rock probably
does not fall into your musical listening genre, does it.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Of course, of course, who doesn't love a good Sealy
dance song or anything from the seven There's plenty of
seventies era rock that pops up on my Spotify.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
So you're something like that.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So you're you're okay with Toto or Christopher Cross because
I'm a yacht rock file, you know, so I listening
for that stuff, So sure, sure room.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
For all of that.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Thank you for the lovely introduction. I need to hire
you for my prestation nothing.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Thank you, nothing that is nothing that isn't true.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
So we're glad to do that.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
And twenty how many years now would you involved with
Mavericks broadcast both radio and television combined?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Now this is my twenty seventh season, which we'll technically
start on Friday night, twenty one years of doing a
TV broadcast and six years of involvement with the radio
broadcast or four full time play by play in a
couple of years of studio and play by play.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
A little bit of everything.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
So you know, we're not working tonight on local television
as I don't believe Jacob and Seawan had that opportunity
unfortunately either for San Antonio for the opening telecast tonight.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
So they'll get going with their next game. But we'll
get going on Friday when the Maps and Wizards play.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Is that a mixed blessing, mixed feelings because obviously, if
the Mavericks are on a national telecast, be it NBC, ESPN,
whatever it might be ABC, if they're on a national telecast,
clearly it's because the network values them and sees that
they are are a contender or a player, or someone
(02:51):
would mentioning. But it robs you of a game on
that So I'm kind of curious how that dynamic falls
to you.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Well, I mean, look, I think we're you know, we're
cut from the same cloths, Craig, We've known each other
a long time. When you're a play by play guy,
you want to do all the games.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
But the reality of.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It is the way it falls for me is I
just kind of learned to manage the fact that it's reality.
And so when we don't, you know, have the opportunity
to do the games, make the best of the situation.
Enjoy watching a TV broadcast or listening to our longtime
buddy Chuck Cooper Stein who does a great job on
the radio broadcast up here, or as is the case tonight,
(03:30):
the wife you and I are going to go to
the game because we want to be in the building
for the first game of the Cooper Flag era, among
other intriguing.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Things that I expect to see tonight.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
So you know, as you know, like like I said,
we're play by play guys, and we want to do
all the games that we can.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
But the reality is we can see you just.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Kind of figure out how to how to manage it
the best you can, and it's not the end of
the world to.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Have a night off every once in a while. Line,
So it's all good.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yeah, yeah, no doubt about that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
All right.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
So you mentioned the Cooper Flag ears, it's as good
a place to start as any How would you describe
how the run up has been starting from draft day obviously,
and there was incredible elation even going back to the
draft lottery that they that they were able to accrue
the number one pick and to get Cooper Flag, and
(04:16):
the run up through the workouts, the limited work that
he had it first in the exhibition season and a
little more now and getting ready for his actual professional
debut tonight.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Well, the thing that I feel like that I've seen
in the run up to it, I mean number one.
You know, the work ethic and the professional approach is
abundantly clear already. You know, he's had a lot of
years where he's been under the spotlight and has learned
how to handle himself from a media standpoint, and didn't
(04:49):
get to be the number one pick in the draft
and all of the accolades, and you know, be a
McDonald's All American and go to mont erd and win
a mythical national high school championship and play at the
highest level and be the NCAA Player of the Year
in college without a great work ethic and an intense
drive to be the best he can be and be very,
very competitive.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
What I would say that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Has stood out to me and watching him in preseason
games and for that matter, in what little summer league
did he played, understanding of course that summer league basketball
is a gulf apart from what.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Regular seas in NBA basketball is.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
But he's the kind of player who will look to
make winning plays. He will let the game come to him.
He can impact the game without scoring. And for example,
when he's had af scoring nights, because he did in
one summer league night and a couple of preseason games,
he still finds other ways to contribute to the team dynamic.
And I think that's the biggest thing that stands out
is I think he's poised to make some pretty high
(05:50):
level contributions as a rookie, and I don't think rookies
typically make these kinds of high level contributions that exist
without just I think that's where that's what's exciting, is that, yes,
he'll have a certainly nights where he scores, like any rookie,
he's going to have some down nights when.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
It comes to shooting and scoring.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
But I think he's got the makeup mentality and the
approach to the game that's going to allow him to
do other things to help the team win. And so
he can pull up a box score with rebounds, he
can make plays for other people and get assist and
obviously he's an elite defensive player who can get steals
and blocks as well. So what's what I've seen is
a player who plays with the high IQ and is
(06:30):
able to help the team in ways that involve more
than just scoring the ball.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I see.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
I obviously you know me. I've been a Mavericks fan
since I sold merch while in college during the expansion
year of eighty eighty one. So I haven dialed in
from the start, but I've watched the telecast from Fort
Worth in the exhibition game, and to see the different
amounts of contributors, and obviously everybody, you know, the old
(06:58):
waiting for good oh thing, everybody be waiting on Kyrie's return,
But just to see the other guys who has really
kind of impressed you what you've seen, Knowing what you
already know about these guys, the ones who played last
year and even the ones who were in that weren't
a part of this particular group last year, but you
know them from what they've done other things. Who's kind of,
if not stood out, certainly been significant enough and marked
(07:22):
their minutes by what they've done with some achievement.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
I really like PJ. Washington his training camp. You know,
he's come off the bench a couple of games, he
started in a couple of games. Because of what this
team is going to look like to your point without
Kyrie or however long that's going to be, there's going
to have to be multiple people who make plays for
other people on this team. And he's improved as a
(07:50):
ball handler, and so his ability to drive to protect
the ball while he's driving to get there to create
for other people, et cetera. That's really been pretty noticeable
to me, elevation of that aspect of his game. So
all of the things that PJ has already done, which
is play good defense, be an enforcer, give the team
a little bit of an edge on the offensive and
(08:11):
defensive ends of the floor. You know, all of those
things are there, and he's added to his locker the
ability more of the ability to make plays for.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Other people that take the ball to the basket.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So and I think that that he's just in a
very very good hadspace. He got a contract extension in
the offseason, and I think he's prepared to come off
the bench start whatever is needed. You know, he's not
the only one, but I would say to your question,
you know, he probably jumps out as much as anyone
in terms of what kind of preseason he had and
the approach that he's taking on the floor to help
(08:47):
the team win and off the floor as a leader
of the group now in his third season year.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Another guy, when I ask you about and this is
going to sound a little odd only because who knows
what kind of a role that he might have at
some point, but only because I saw play for a
while in college and the way he has blossomed has
really impressed me. And that's boost to ces with what
I saw, you know, even in his infancy as a
collegiate player at Oklahoma State before he transferred, I thought
(09:11):
I was pretty impressed with what i'd seen.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I think, you know, he he earned the last two
way contract on the team because there was one. You know,
for your listeners who don't know, you're allowed to carry
three players on a two way contract, and what that
means is they can play and be active for fifty
games during the season, but they're also expected, you know,
they're going to go back and forth.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Between the NBA team and the G League team.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
So for example, if a Spurs player was on a
two way, they would go play in Austin, but the
Austin Spurgs for a number of games over the season,
so the Mavericks had one of those slots. Opens earned
a spot in training camp based on his play. You
saw him Craig for two years to your point, at
Oklahoma State beat a Big twelve defensive player of the
year in one of his two years, and his superpower
(09:54):
for lack of a better term, is shot blocking. You know,
I think there's a lot lot of work still yet
to do for him as a player. I mean, this
is a long game that the MAVs are playing on that,
but there is very high upside with elite shot blocking potential.
And we always say in basketball, you can't teach being
seven feet tall or six to eleven or whatever he
(10:15):
officially is. But he's got seven to five wingspan I
think it is, and the ability to run the floor
and be a lot finisher, which is a very very
valuable thing for Biggs right now in the NBA. And
then he provides shot blocking presents at the other end.
So I don't expect to see a lot of him,
but he you never know. I don't think Daniel Gaffer
(10:37):
is going to play to nights. In the opener, so
you're talking Derek Wively starts at center, sam Anthony Davis
at the five. But of course, as many of your
listeners know, with having a matchup against Victor Wimbiniama, he
might need a lot of big guys and so who knows,
he might get a handful, not many, but he might
get a couple of meaningful minutes into Night's game because
they need size to match up with Wimby at some
(10:57):
point in time over the course of the game. Depends
unfoul trouble, and a lot of other things. But given
that the maps are listing at last report Daniel Gafford
with an ankle sprange from training camp as doubtful tonight,
they may need an extra big guy and he might
get called into action, But I think he will be
a long term developmental project.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Will be primarily what you see out of him this year.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Sure, if there's someone so hard to say now in
today's microscopic view of each NBA team, but if it
is possible to say that there's someone who might be
a little bit under the radar, but who could really
be an X factor for this group this year, who
would you.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Think it would be?
Speaker 2 (11:40):
I would still probably lean towards Brandon Williams, who is
a player who went to Arizona back in the twenty
eighteen nineteen collegiate season. He had a year The next
season he was still en rolled to play Arizona, but
was out with an injury for the entire year. He
took the following season and the COVID time twenty twenty
twenty one off to prepare for the two thousand twenty
(12:02):
one NBA draft.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
He wasn't drafted.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
He did catch on that year for part of the
year with the Trail Blazers, then another full season in
the G League, and then he's caught on on one
of those two way contracts with the Maps over the
last two years. Well, last year in the post All
Star Break portion of the season where the team was
decimated by injury and needed people on the floor, he
really shined and helped them win some games. Not that
they won a ton of those games when they were
(12:25):
dealing with a lot of injuries, but they did win
some games thanks to you know, no small part his play,
his ability to handle the ball and get to the basket,
push the pace of the team whenever he was on
the floor, knock down outside shots, and run the team.
So he's, you know, a point guard who can come
in off the bench. And they want to play faster
(12:46):
this year at the Mavericks too. They want to play
with more pace. There's going to be a lot more
cutting and bald movement than I think he thinks you'll
see on the team. And I think Brandon Williams is
still kind of under the radar because I'm not sure
how many people realize that he was a fifteen point
per game score and a four cist per game guy
for the last thirteen fourteen regular season games that he
played last year, and that turned his two way deal
(13:08):
into a standard NBA contract. So I think there's I
think there's a fair chance that that he is the
player that you're you're referring to that could be still
off the radar for a lot of NBA fans, but
able to have a positive impact on the team. He's
a little banged up with a hamstring in training camp.
I don't know if he hits the ground tonight at
(13:28):
totally one hundred percent, he's available to play. But as
the as the season starts to unfold, specially a chunk
of it without Kyrie irving, his presence at point guard
is going to be valuable and important and I think
will help him.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Visiting with Mark Followill play by play voice of Average
TV here on thirteen hundreds in a couple more minutes,
I want to I wanted to get your thoughts on
the on the Spurs because it's clearly a team and
someone say franchise whatever in transition, pending the outcome of
that whole arena vote and all that other kind of stuff.
Mitch Johnson the full time once and for all now
(14:03):
head coach there. How about how about your thoughts on
what you see from San Antonio.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Well, I liked that they added Sean Swinging to their staff.
By the way, that's kind of maybe a little under
the radar thing. Sean was on the staff with the
Mavericks for the last several years while Jason Kid's been here,
and he was the first assistant and with coach games whenever,
not that Jay kicks thrown out very often, but whenever
the heat that would happen, or if he had to
miss a game due to illness or personal reasons or whatever. So,
(14:29):
you know, number one, I like that addition to the staff,
And that's going to be a good person with a
lot of experience on an NBA bench that mich can
lean on. You know, obviously he's got a lot of
other experienced guys, but I'm talking about within the context
of the game, he's going to have someone sitting right
next to him that has some pretty valuable experience and
a really good basketball mind. Look, I think that san
(14:52):
Antonio is poised to take a big step forward this year.
I don't see how as long as they're healthy. Of course,
that's always the ex actor with these things. But once
and you know, unfortunately for them, they're not very healthy
tonight with Fox out and with so Hand out and
with Kelly Olenick out. But when you add those three
to Wimby, to Castle, to the cell to a good
(15:15):
veteran like Harrison Barnes, Champagne has had some really good
games against the MAVs.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Ultimately, maybe his role is more of.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
A as a spot up shooter coming off the bench.
I like Keldon Johnson, that's another player. But I feel
like uh has always had a lot of good games
and get the Mavericks over the years, and he just
plays so hard and it's so physical and so relentless
in his willingness to attack. So you can go with
the healthy team Sanato. And by the way, Olenic knows
(15:43):
how to play too. I mean, that's an excellent backup
center who moves the ball, passes it well, knocks down
outside shots, rebounds. I think better than people giving credit
for so one to ten, san Antonio has got a
damn good team man and to me, they are absolutely
in the West playoff race, whether that means they're in
(16:05):
or the playing tournament or whatever. The only thing that
holds them back is again number one, being healthy, and
number two is the West is just immensely difficult again
this year. I mean, if you saw Oklahoma City and
Houston and the Lakers in Golden State, I mean, those
are four teams that all have high aspirations. Obviously the thunderdo,
and all of them look really good and create a
(16:27):
lot of problems as we saw in the games that
those those four teams played against one another last night.
I mean, look there there's there's no nights off in
the Western Conference. I mean, Utah is the only team
it feels like it's going to go into this year
that is for sure rebuilding.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Everyone else I.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Think feels like they have some kind of window of
opportunity to at least be into playoffs. So, uh, that's
that's the biggest challenge is for the Mass for the Spurs,
for everybody is how do you rise to the top
or at least into playoff position in a conference that's
so competitive and what looks like there's a pretty big
displace between the other conference and strength as.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Well, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
And I started saying, you just rolled through all of
that without even mentioning Minnesota and Denver.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Yeah, I know, and Denver is better Denver's Denver looks
to me like they're better this year in Minnesota has
been in the conference finals two years run. I mean,
it is. It's crazy to me how good the West is.
There's obviously flaws with every team and the apron world
of NBA economics now and teams being hardcapped as certain
(17:30):
numbers depending on you know what roster building mechanisms that
they've used. So to me, it's like the West is
really really good. But obviously I go into the season
feeling like the Western Conferences Oklahoma City and then everyone else,
and that all still has to sort itself out based
on obviously a number of factors that will play out
(17:50):
over the course of the next five and a half months.
But you know, as I just ran down, San Antonio
has got a deep roster, a lot of talent, someone
who's ready to boss the league in wimpy and other
than the four times they come across the maps, I'm
really looking forward to watching watching them play this year.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
They have a very good team.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Well listen, enjoy being a spectator at least tonight anyway,
Well yeah I.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Will, Yeah, for sure, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
All right, Hey, I'll be back in touch with me
during the year. I really appreciate the time. Mark, thanks
so much for joining us of course.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Greg, always great to catch up with you and say
hello to the good folks in Austin.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
We'll talk down the road now, you bet. That's Mark.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Follow all play by play voice Mavericks television. Like I said, also,
you can catch them doing so many things international soccer,
Big ten Football, NBA this year on NBC. You'll be
doing some of that in the rotation as well.
You know, it's a yat Rock Wednesday, and there are
many people who do not believe that Steely Dan is
in the cradle of yacht rock, especially if you've seen
the yacht Rock documentary.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
You know.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Certainly that Donald Faga does not feel that way, but
a lot of their offerings are and so on the
yacht Rock Wednesday, Little Return Action would do it again.
Our next guest, or a first guest in the program
this afternoon is a guy who has incredibly impeccable taste
in things like international cuisine and beverages and the best
(00:40):
place to find a scenic jogging trail or a hiking
trail internationally I'm talking about. He also happens to be
a guy does play by play on international soccer. He
also does football for Big ten Network. Also, we'll be
doing some MBA for NBC this year. But of course
(01:02):
we know him as our friend and the play by
play by play voice of Dallas Mavericks Television Mark follow
up who joins us on the hotline. I would imagine
with all of those really sophisticated taste, yacht rock probably
does not fall into your musical listening genre, does it.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Of course, of course, who doesn't love a good Sealy
dance song or anything from the seven There's plenty of
seventies era rock that pops up on my Spotify.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
So you're something like that.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So you're you're okay with Toto or Christopher Cross because
I'm a yacht rock file, you know, so I listening
for that stuff, So sure, sure room.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
For all of that.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Thank you for the lovely introduction. I need to hire
you for my prestation nothing.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Thank you, nothing that is nothing that isn't true.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
So we're glad to do that.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
And twenty how many years now would you involved with
Mavericks broadcast both radio and television combined?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Now this is my twenty seventh season, which we'll technically
start on Friday night, twenty one years of doing a
TV broadcast and six years of involvement with the radio
broadcast or four full time play by play in a
couple of years of studio and play by play.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
A little bit of everything.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
So you know, we're not working tonight on local television
as I don't believe Jacob and Seawan had that opportunity
unfortunately either for San Antonio for the opening telecast tonight.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
So they'll get going with their next game. But we'll
get going on Friday when the Maps and Wizards play.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Is that a mixed blessing, mixed feelings because obviously, if
the Mavericks are on a national telecast, be it NBC, ESPN,
whatever it might be ABC, if they're on a national telecast,
clearly it's because the network values them and sees that
they are are a contender or a player, or someone
(02:51):
would mentioning. But it robs you of a game on
that So I'm kind of curious how that dynamic falls
to you.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Well, I mean, look, I think we're you know, we're
cut from the same cloths, Craig, We've known each other
a long time. When you're a play by play guy,
you want to do all the games.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
But the reality of.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It is the way it falls for me is I
just kind of learned to manage the fact that it's reality.
And so when we don't, you know, have the opportunity
to do the games, make the best of the situation.
Enjoy watching a TV broadcast or listening to our longtime
buddy Chuck Cooper Stein who does a great job on
the radio broadcast up here, or as is the case tonight,
(03:30):
the wife you and I are going to go to
the game because we want to be in the building
for the first game of the Cooper Flag era, among
other intriguing.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Things that I expect to see tonight.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
So you know, as you know, like like I said,
we're play by play guys, and we want to do
all the games that we can.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
But the reality is we can see you just.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Kind of figure out how to how to manage it
the best you can, and it's not the end of
the world to.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Have a night off every once in a while. Line,
So it's all good.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yeah, yeah, no doubt about that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
All right.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
So you mentioned the Cooper Flag ears, it's as good
a place to start as any How would you describe
how the run up has been starting from draft day obviously,
and there was incredible elation even going back to the
draft lottery that they that they were able to accrue
the number one pick and to get Cooper Flag, and
(04:16):
the run up through the workouts, the limited work that
he had it first in the exhibition season and a
little more now and getting ready for his actual professional
debut tonight.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Well, the thing that I feel like that I've seen
in the run up to it, I mean number one.
You know, the work ethic and the professional approach is
abundantly clear already. You know, he's had a lot of
years where he's been under the spotlight and has learned
how to handle himself from a media standpoint, and didn't
(04:49):
get to be the number one pick in the draft
and all of the accolades, and you know, be a
McDonald's All American and go to mont erd and win
a mythical national high school championship and play at the
highest level and be the NCAA Player of the Year
in college without a great work ethic and an intense
drive to be the best he can be and be very,
very competitive.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
What I would say that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Has stood out to me and watching him in preseason
games and for that matter, in what little summer league
did he played, understanding of course that summer league basketball
is a gulf apart from what.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Regular seas in NBA basketball is.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
But he's the kind of player who will look to
make winning plays. He will let the game come to him.
He can impact the game without scoring. And for example,
when he's had af scoring nights, because he did in
one summer league night and a couple of preseason games,
he still finds other ways to contribute to the team dynamic.
And I think that's the biggest thing that stands out
is I think he's poised to make some pretty high
(05:50):
level contributions as a rookie, and I don't think rookies
typically make these kinds of high level contributions that exist
without just I think that's where that's what's exciting, is that, yes,
he'll have a certainly nights where he scores, like any rookie,
he's going to have some down nights when.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
It comes to shooting and scoring.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
But I think he's got the makeup mentality and the
approach to the game that's going to allow him to
do other things to help the team win. And so
he can pull up a box score with rebounds, he
can make plays for other people and get assist and
obviously he's an elite defensive player who can get steals
and blocks as well. So what's what I've seen is
a player who plays with the high IQ and is
(06:30):
able to help the team in ways that involve more
than just scoring the ball.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I see.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
I obviously you know me. I've been a Mavericks fan
since I sold merch while in college during the expansion
year of eighty eighty one. So I haven dialed in
from the start, but I've watched the telecast from Fort
Worth in the exhibition game, and to see the different
amounts of contributors, and obviously everybody, you know, the old
(06:58):
waiting for good oh thing, everybody be waiting on Kyrie's return,
But just to see the other guys who has really
kind of impressed you what you've seen, Knowing what you
already know about these guys, the ones who played last
year and even the ones who were in that weren't
a part of this particular group last year, but you
know them from what they've done other things. Who's kind of,
if not stood out, certainly been significant enough and marked
(07:22):
their minutes by what they've done with some achievement.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
I really like PJ. Washington his training camp. You know,
he's come off the bench a couple of games, he
started in a couple of games. Because of what this
team is going to look like to your point without
Kyrie or however long that's going to be, there's going
to have to be multiple people who make plays for
other people on this team. And he's improved as a
(07:50):
ball handler, and so his ability to drive to protect
the ball while he's driving to get there to create
for other people, et cetera. That's really been pretty noticeable
to me, elevation of that aspect of his game. So
all of the things that PJ has already done, which
is play good defense, be an enforcer, give the team
a little bit of an edge on the offensive and
(08:11):
defensive ends of the floor. You know, all of those
things are there, and he's added to his locker the
ability more of the ability to make plays for.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Other people that take the ball to the basket.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So and I think that that he's just in a
very very good hadspace. He got a contract extension in
the offseason, and I think he's prepared to come off
the bench start whatever is needed. You know, he's not
the only one, but I would say to your question,
you know, he probably jumps out as much as anyone
in terms of what kind of preseason he had and
the approach that he's taking on the floor to help
(08:47):
the team win and off the floor as a leader
of the group now in his third season year.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Another guy, when I ask you about and this is
going to sound a little odd only because who knows
what kind of a role that he might have at
some point, but only because I saw play for a
while in college and the way he has blossomed has
really impressed me. And that's boost to ces with what
I saw, you know, even in his infancy as a
collegiate player at Oklahoma State before he transferred, I thought
(09:11):
I was pretty impressed with what i'd seen.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I think, you know, he he earned the last two
way contract on the team because there was one. You know,
for your listeners who don't know, you're allowed to carry
three players on a two way contract, and what that
means is they can play and be active for fifty
games during the season, but they're also expected, you know,
they're going to go back and forth.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Between the NBA team and the G League team.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
So for example, if a Spurs player was on a
two way, they would go play in Austin, but the
Austin Spurgs for a number of games over the season,
so the Mavericks had one of those slots. Opens earned
a spot in training camp based on his play. You
saw him Craig for two years to your point, at
Oklahoma State beat a Big twelve defensive player of the
year in one of his two years, and his superpower
(09:54):
for lack of a better term, is shot blocking. You know,
I think there's a lot lot of work still yet
to do for him as a player. I mean, this
is a long game that the MAVs are playing on that,
but there is very high upside with elite shot blocking potential.
And we always say in basketball, you can't teach being
seven feet tall or six to eleven or whatever he
(10:15):
officially is. But he's got seven to five wingspan I
think it is, and the ability to run the floor
and be a lot finisher, which is a very very
valuable thing for Biggs right now in the NBA. And
then he provides shot blocking presents at the other end.
So I don't expect to see a lot of him,
but he you never know. I don't think Daniel Gaffer
(10:37):
is going to play to nights. In the opener, so
you're talking Derek Wively starts at center, sam Anthony Davis
at the five. But of course, as many of your
listeners know, with having a matchup against Victor Wimbiniama, he
might need a lot of big guys and so who knows,
he might get a handful, not many, but he might
get a couple of meaningful minutes into Night's game because
they need size to match up with Wimby at some
(10:57):
point in time over the course of the game. Depends
unfoul trouble, and a lot of other things. But given
that the maps are listing at last report Daniel Gafford
with an ankle sprange from training camp as doubtful tonight,
they may need an extra big guy and he might
get called into action, But I think he will be
a long term developmental project.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Will be primarily what you see out of him this year.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Sure, if there's someone so hard to say now in
today's microscopic view of each NBA team, but if it
is possible to say that there's someone who might be
a little bit under the radar, but who could really
be an X factor for this group this year, who
would you.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Think it would be?
Speaker 2 (11:40):
I would still probably lean towards Brandon Williams, who is
a player who went to Arizona back in the twenty
eighteen nineteen collegiate season. He had a year The next
season he was still en rolled to play Arizona, but
was out with an injury for the entire year. He
took the following season and the COVID time twenty twenty
twenty one off to prepare for the two thousand twenty
(12:02):
one NBA draft.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
He wasn't drafted.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
He did catch on that year for part of the
year with the Trail Blazers, then another full season in
the G League, and then he's caught on on one
of those two way contracts with the Maps over the
last two years. Well, last year in the post All
Star Break portion of the season where the team was
decimated by injury and needed people on the floor, he
really shined and helped them win some games. Not that
they won a ton of those games when they were
(12:25):
dealing with a lot of injuries, but they did win
some games thanks to you know, no small part his play,
his ability to handle the ball and get to the basket,
push the pace of the team whenever he was on
the floor, knock down outside shots, and run the team.
So he's, you know, a point guard who can come
in off the bench. And they want to play faster
(12:46):
this year at the Mavericks too. They want to play
with more pace. There's going to be a lot more
cutting and bald movement than I think he thinks you'll
see on the team. And I think Brandon Williams is
still kind of under the radar because I'm not sure
how many people realize that he was a fifteen point
per game score and a four cist per game guy
for the last thirteen fourteen regular season games that he
played last year, and that turned his two way deal
(13:08):
into a standard NBA contract. So I think there's I
think there's a fair chance that that he is the
player that you're you're referring to that could be still
off the radar for a lot of NBA fans, but
able to have a positive impact on the team. He's
a little banged up with a hamstring in training camp.
I don't know if he hits the ground tonight at
(13:28):
totally one hundred percent, he's available to play. But as
the as the season starts to unfold, specially a chunk
of it without Kyrie irving, his presence at point guard
is going to be valuable and important and I think
will help him.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Visiting with Mark Followill play by play voice of Average
TV here on thirteen hundreds in a couple more minutes,
I want to I wanted to get your thoughts on
the on the Spurs because it's clearly a team and
someone say franchise whatever in transition, pending the outcome of
that whole arena vote and all that other kind of stuff.
Mitch Johnson the full time once and for all now
(14:03):
head coach there. How about how about your thoughts on
what you see from San Antonio.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Well, I liked that they added Sean Swinging to their staff.
By the way, that's kind of maybe a little under
the radar thing. Sean was on the staff with the
Mavericks for the last several years while Jason Kid's been here,
and he was the first assistant and with coach games whenever,
not that Jay kicks thrown out very often, but whenever
the heat that would happen, or if he had to
miss a game due to illness or personal reasons or whatever. So,
(14:29):
you know, number one, I like that addition to the staff,
And that's going to be a good person with a
lot of experience on an NBA bench that mich can
lean on. You know, obviously he's got a lot of
other experienced guys, but I'm talking about within the context
of the game, he's going to have someone sitting right
next to him that has some pretty valuable experience and
a really good basketball mind. Look, I think that san
(14:52):
Antonio is poised to take a big step forward this year.
I don't see how as long as they're healthy. Of course,
that's always the ex actor with these things. But once
and you know, unfortunately for them, they're not very healthy
tonight with Fox out and with so Hand out and
with Kelly Olenick out. But when you add those three
to Wimby, to Castle, to the cell to a good
(15:15):
veteran like Harrison Barnes, Champagne has had some really good
games against the MAVs.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Ultimately, maybe his role is more of.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
A as a spot up shooter coming off the bench.
I like Keldon Johnson, that's another player. But I feel
like uh has always had a lot of good games
and get the Mavericks over the years, and he just
plays so hard and it's so physical and so relentless
in his willingness to attack. So you can go with
the healthy team Sanato. And by the way, Olenic knows
(15:43):
how to play too. I mean, that's an excellent backup
center who moves the ball, passes it well, knocks down
outside shots, rebounds. I think better than people giving credit
for so one to ten, san Antonio has got a
damn good team man and to me, they are absolutely
in the West playoff race, whether that means they're in
(16:05):
or the playing tournament or whatever. The only thing that
holds them back is again number one, being healthy, and
number two is the West is just immensely difficult again
this year. I mean, if you saw Oklahoma City and
Houston and the Lakers in Golden State, I mean, those
are four teams that all have high aspirations. Obviously the thunderdo,
and all of them look really good and create a
(16:27):
lot of problems as we saw in the games that
those those four teams played against one another last night.
I mean, look there there's there's no nights off in
the Western Conference. I mean, Utah is the only team
it feels like it's going to go into this year
that is for sure rebuilding.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Everyone else I.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Think feels like they have some kind of window of
opportunity to at least be into playoffs. So, uh, that's
that's the biggest challenge is for the Mass for the Spurs,
for everybody is how do you rise to the top
or at least into playoff position in a conference that's
so competitive and what looks like there's a pretty big
displace between the other conference and strength as.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Well, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
And I started saying, you just rolled through all of
that without even mentioning Minnesota and Denver.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Yeah, I know, and Denver is better Denver's Denver looks
to me like they're better this year in Minnesota has
been in the conference finals two years run. I mean,
it is. It's crazy to me how good the West is.
There's obviously flaws with every team and the apron world
of NBA economics now and teams being hardcapped as certain
(17:30):
numbers depending on you know what roster building mechanisms that
they've used. So to me, it's like the West is
really really good. But obviously I go into the season
feeling like the Western Conferences Oklahoma City and then everyone else,
and that all still has to sort itself out based
on obviously a number of factors that will play out
(17:50):
over the course of the next five and a half months.
But you know, as I just ran down, San Antonio
has got a deep roster, a lot of talent, someone
who's ready to boss the league in wimpy and other
than the four times they come across the maps, I'm
really looking forward to watching watching them play this year.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
They have a very good team.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Well listen, enjoy being a spectator at least tonight anyway,
Well yeah I.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Will, Yeah, for sure, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
All right, Hey, I'll be back in touch with me
during the year. I really appreciate the time. Mark, thanks
so much for joining us of course.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Greg, always great to catch up with you and say
hello to the good folks in Austin.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
We'll talk down the road now, you bet. That's Mark.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Follow all play by play voice Mavericks television. Like I said, also,
you can catch them doing so many things international soccer,
Big ten Football, NBA this year on NBC. You'll be
doing some of that in the rotation as well.
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