“I bet the Mavs will finish higher than the Lakers”
A figurative wager starts a literal debate
BY HENRY ABBOTT, JAROD HECTOR, TRAVIS MORAN, and DAVID THORPE
TRAVIS:
I’ll bet 10 bucks right now that the Mavs will finish higher in the standings than the Lakers. Any takers?
DAVID:
What’s the Lakers’ record? Are they above .500 right now?
TRAVIS:
The Lakers are 28-19 [as of February 3]. They’re 10 games out and currently fifth in the West. The Mavericks are 26-24; they’re 13.5 out in the nine hole.
DAVID:
Well, I would never bet on anything.
TRAVIS:
Figuratively speaking …
DAVID:
I took it as such …
TRAVIS:
The Mavs are three-and-a-half games behind the Lakers right now (and they’ve played three more games).
DAVID:
So, you’re willing to bet $10 that the Mavs will finish above the Lakers?
TRAVIS:
Yes.
HENRY: (laughing)
Ten dollars?
TRAVIS:
Throw a number out there.
DAVID:
Ask me on February 7.
TRAVIS:
I mean, it’s a better bet now.
HENRY:
It raises a good question, Travis.
TRAVIS:
I had several conversations this weekend after the trade went down. A couple people were adamant that A[nthony] D[avis] is being grossly undervalued. One even said he believed the Lakers got fleeced in the deal.
DAVID:
Well, you’re talking to really stupid people.
TRAVIS:
These are just the conversations that I was having. I’m no expert, but—from a short-term basketball perspective—I like the way the Mavericks are set up, if they’re healthy.
DAVID:
You like AD on the Mavericks better than Luka Dončić?!
TRAVIS:
No, but I like AD on the Mavericks better than Luka on the Lakers.
DAVID:
Different question, right? I think you’re forgetting the elephant in the room. Who coaches Dallas?
TRAVIS:
I mean … Jason Kidd.
DAVID:
I can’t stress to you enough how big this elephant is.
TRAVIS:
The same elephant that got him to the Finals?
DAVID:
No, it’s not. No, that elephant was riding the real elephant—that guy’s in L.A. now.
HENRY:
Oh, my God, the picture in my head just got dirty.
DAVID:
Here’s a real world example of what I mean. The Mavs had a nice little win streak, then a rough patch, yet they were still skipping walk-throughs—on regular games, not back to backs. Then they lost enough games where suddenly they started doing it again.
But the idea that “the Mavs were winning games because they weren’t prepping for the game” is how I would end my closing argument, followed by: “This guy is not coaching.”
TRAVIS:
I agree with everything you’re saying, David—but it doesn’t change the fact that I’d put 10 bucks on the Mavericks today.
I think Luka, in a lot of ways, is the “anti-LeBron.” For all the reasons that we’ve discussed—not taking things seriously, not caring, not showing up—these are very anti-LeBron behaviors for a superstar.
I think we sometimes overlook the Eastern European cultural aspects here. I know a ton of people from that region, and it’s not as common to take everything so seriously. But that doesn’t seem like it’ll mesh well with LeBron’s M.O.
DAVID:
Serbia is considered Eastern Europe, right?
TRAVIS:
Yes, of course.
DAVID:
You don’t think the Serbs like to win?
TRAVIS:
I didn’t say anything about that. I was saying …
HENRY:
They’re mocking the OCD: Oh, you’re so worried. Oh, did LeBron miss his little workout today? Is he gonna freak out?
TRAVIS:
How about: Can I live? Can I have a fucking beer? The fuck you talking about?! I’ve been drinking beer since I was four.
JAROD:
Literally.
TRAVIS:
So, again, I’m by no means an expert. But short term, I feel like the Mavs are gonna be pretty decent, and the Luka-LeBron pairing is going to be kind of a trainwreck.
HENRY:
They’re both—in different ways—control freaks. From what David just told us, Luka wants control over the team in that he wants teammates to be oriented to his success—something he doesn’t articulate very much.
There’s some suggestion Luka played a role in getting Haralabos Voulgaris fired. It matters if Luka is the kind of guy prone to pulling strings like that. Luka’s dad is on TV saying whatever is the opposite of “we respect the people in charge.” And LeBron is the most controlling player in league history. He runs his agency; the agency runs the team; and he’s been controlling who’s on the roster for going on 20 years. Only one of them can be in control.
TRAVIS:
Like, how many seconds do you need on the shot clock for all the dribbles?
DAVID:
I just don’t think Travis’ bet is the wisest (just yet). Why would you bet now not knowing what’s going to happen tomorrow?
TRAVIS:
The odds?
DAVID:
If it were $1,000, you’d be more concerned.
But your question is exactly what the Mavs’ ownership wants everyone to be wondering. They want us optimistic about their chances so they can get their fucking casino built—so we’re just being distracted. It’s no different than what oligarchs in power are doing every fucking day. The more we quibble over the shit, the more they get other shit done.
The other thing is, the Lakers have completely transformed how we can view them. Now they have a 25-year-old who’s been incredible in his career. I’m not predicting he’ll get worse. I think he’ll be just fine with Lebron—maybe even the perfect guy for LeBron, who can no longer shoulder that load (the way he’s always done). Now, he won’t have to. And he’s still very smart in the paint—sealing, posting, faking, pivoting. He’ll have his moments as primary ball-handler as well, but he won’t have to do it as often.
Regardless, free agents are going to want to play with Luka, so the Lakers’ chances of signing quality free agents just increased. They can’t do anything now, other than some trades in the margins. (Before you ask, I don’t think they should go after Jimmy Butler.)
HENRY:
Marc Stein reported that Luka didn’t want to work with former Mavs trainer Casey Smith, whom Mark Cuban loved. But Luka had a guy he’d worked with in Spain and another he’d grown up with, and he didn’t want anyone else advising him on his body.
I feel like that’s a model for the coach, too, right? This is the control thing.
I mean, fuck everyone in Dallas for knowing that for 10 years and not telling us until Luka leaves—but JJ Redick is the Casey Smith in this story. He’s someone who has a lot of ideas about how you should work.
DAVID:
I didn’t think it’s from that point of view, but that’s very good. I was seeing more basketball wise, but JJ was also an insane workout guy. I mean, in theory, Luka should be listening to JJ, because he lasted a long time without anywhere near the same kind of talent. But no fucking way Luka will listen to that guy—I don’t think anyway
Yeah, it’s an interesting question: What happens next? I don’t think they bring Jason Kidd in, but they might if Luka wants him.
HENRY:
Not that they want to, but is it even possible to trade LeBron today? He makes so much money.
DAVID:
Well, he has a no-trade clause, so it’s not like they could just do a deal with Detroit. Besides, LeBron doesn’t want to leave L.A. Guy’s Hollywood, through and through.
JAROD:
He has a 15 percent trade bonus as well.
TRAVIS:
Wait one real quick. Before we go, I got no takers on that bet?
HENRY:
That’s interesting. I feel like I don’t want to bet with you on that. I don’t feel too cocky about the Lakers right now.
JAROD:
Look, David: they still can’t shoot, defend, or rebound, right? These are still their problems as currently constructed.
HENRY:
With my betting cap on, a hat I do not wear very often, I wonder how many games Luka and LeBron are each going to play the rest of the way?
JAROD:
Well, there’s also that, right? Do we have a timetable for Luka’s return?
DAVID:
I think it’s soon. AD is out with an abdominal issue, but he’s coming back soon as well.
HENRY:
It’s interesting that nobody’s taking Travis’ bet. He’s even spotting us three games, right?
DAVID:
Like, just to be clear, I just have nothing to do with gambling whatsoever. FBI, if you’re listening, Trump, whoever—I don’t fuck with any of that shit. So, you guys can debate all you want.
JAROD: (laughing)
“If you’re listening …”
HENRY:
David, separate from gambling, do you think the Lakers will finish with a better record than the Mavericks?
DAVID:
On February 7, I’ll have a much better idea. I think more moves are coming.
TRAVIS:
Yeah, well, I’m gonna dangle this bet until … let's call it midnight tonight.
Thank you for reading TrueHoop!
Travis "Ten-Spot" Moran.
Fun discussion to read. David's comment about Travis talking to some "really stupid people" cracked me up.
Are we sure Luka's only been drinking since he was 4? Must've been a late bloomer. Maybe LeBron will turn him into a wine guy.