The Dallas Mavericks have been hard at work, preparing for their season opener against the San Antonio Spurs, but it appears their scouting report for the game has been leaked by a Reddit user, u/sunshine60st.
This individual claims to have found it in front of Kyrie Irving’s room in a hotel. While this first image just had some very basic information regarding preseason stats that can be found online, the fan then shared some player reports.
Elephant seems to be a term used by the Mavericks to highlight players who can be targeted on defense. Tre Jones and Doug McDermott can expect to be hunted whenever they are on the floor. The fan shared one more page of player reports as well.
For those searching for Victor Wembanyama on there, you won’t find him. The fan stated that he won’t be sharing everything he found, and seems to be trying to sell that information to ESPN to make some money.
I have serious doubts about whether they would want to purchase something like that from this individual. There’s also obviously a chance that these are just fake.
A Video Of The Mavericks Training To Play Against Victor Wembanyama Went Viral
The Mavericks will be the first team to play against Wembanyama in a regular season game, and he’ll be presenting them with a unique challenge. We saw during the preseason that he can defend pretty well on the perimeter, as Wembanyama blocked Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson.
To ensure their players won’t suffer the same fate, the Mavericks have had assistant coach God Shammgod using arm pads while guarding players.
Arm pads have been used in the past for these kinds of drills, so it isn’t something new that has been brought in to train for Wembanyama. Still, Shammgod yelling the Frenchman’s name from time to time makes it clear it’s being done with him in mind. He might need two arm pads to match the 19-year-old’s reach when he jumps, though.
What To Expect From The Spurs And Mavericks?
The Spurs and the Mavericks both missed the playoffs last season, and the last time that happened prior to it was in the 1996-97 season. Both would be eyeing major improvements in 2023-24, with the Mavericks hoping to be serious contenders.
The Mavs made the trade for Irving last season in the hope that it’d elevate them to title contender status, but the move backfired tremendously. They shockingly missed even the play-in tournament in what ended up being a disastrous campaign.
The hope is that with a preseason under his belt, Kyrie would fit in better with the likes of Luka Doncic. The Mavs have also acquired Grant Williams and Dereck Lively II, in a bid to fix some of their woes on defense.
Considering these factors, I think the Mavericks will make the playoffs this season, but I don’t see them going on a deep run. A favorable first-round matchup might help them win a series, but that’s about it.
As for the Spurs, the only way to go is up after winning just 22 games last season. They should certainly improve on that tally and with Wembanyama leading the way, might just be in the mix for one of those final play-in spots. Them making the playoffs this season, though, seems rather unrealistic.
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