Jason Kidd's next Mavericks rotation dilemma is the one fans dreamed about
When the Dallas Mavericks signed Ryan Nembhard just hours after the second round of the draft concluded, every fan knew the Mavericks were walking away with an absolute steal. Throughout the draft process, it became increasingly clear that the Mavericks needed to pair first overall pick Cooper Flagg with a rookie guard to not only play alongside but develop together.
While the Mavericks would strike out by not trading back into the first round or even the second round of the draft, the Mavericks got a huge steal when they signed Nembhard to a two-way contract. Many draft experts instantly understood that the Mavericks had a potential Jalen Brunson 2.0 type of player on their hands. Throughout the preseason and Summer League, Nembhard has begun to prove that he belongs in Jason Kidd's main rotation.
Nembhard has been, without a doubt, an impressive addition early into his NBA career, but he will be fighting with Brandon Williams, who had an equally impressive end to the season last year after Kyrie Irving went down with a season-ending ACL injury. Williams will likely have Kidd's hand at the start of the season, but there is a reality where Nembhard and Williams could begin to fight it out for an important role off the bench.
Nembhard and Williams could be fighting for each other's minutes
When Irving went down with a season-ending injury to his left knee, the Mavericks were left with an absence of playmaking and creation on the offensive end. While Naji Marshall would make up for a lot of the starting lineup's offensive playmaking faults, Williams would take his game to another level, which is one of the reasons Dallas got so close to making the postseason.
Heading into this season, Williams has entered his name into a select category of bench guards that the Mavericks and Kidd will have at their disposal. Now, after signing Nembhard, Williams may have some competition for his role.
The Mavericks will have a clear hole at the guard position until Irving does eventually return from injury, but plenty of the playmaking weight is expected to be picked up from Williams and Nembhard. It may only be preseason, but Nembhard has shown a willingness to get his teammates involved and pass the ball to get wide-open shots.
Not only does Nembhard's passing abilities separate him from Williams, as he led the entire NCAA in assists last season, but being so young, he may have an opportunity to grow alongside Flagg. For Williams, he has already proven that he can play within an NBA-level rotation; it's just whether or not it is sustainable for an 82-game period.
To some fans, it may sound like drama is ready to brew in Dallas between these two players, but it couldn't be a more perfect opportunity for Nembhard or Williams, and the Mavericks as a team. Competition will only make both players better in the long run, but for Nembhard, he still has plenty of time to develop before expectations begin to enter into his game.
Assuming Nembhard begins to take the ropes in Kidd's rotation, it will not only prove that the Mavericks have their potential point guard of the future with Irving coming off a catastrophic injury and not getting any younger, but it will give Nembhard to develop an offensive bag away from passing and creating for others.
Williams has all the motivation to prove that he can belong in the NBA and earn a big-time contract, but before doing that, he must prove that he can belong in Dallas' nine-man rotation and be a consistent playmaker on the offensive end.
There will be plenty of drama during the regular season, but one that every fan can begin to keep a close eye on is the rotation battle between Williams and Nembhard.
NFL Makes Final Decision on Punishment for 2 Lions Players
The Detroit Lions had a fiery game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, October 12, and it was a
The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs game had quite a few heated moments. The most high-profile, of course, was when Brian Branch brushed off Mahomes and
Each week, the league penalizes players for conduct in the previous week’s games. The NFL states on their website that these actions are “to protect players from unnecessary risk and preserve competitive balance and game integrity, the NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed on a set of game-related rules violations that may result in accountability measures.” The new roster of players getting hit with punishments goes up every Saturday afternoon. Two Detroit Lions players are on this week’s tally.
Detroit Lions Players Get Punished By the NFL
Two Detroit Lions players, Alex Anzalone and Tyler Lacy, are getting punished by the NFL for their actions during the Chiefs game. The NFL is fining Anzalone $12,172 for “unnecessary roughness” and “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing.” They’re also fining Lacy $5,722 for the same reason.
The news came out in the NFL’s report for Week 6. The highest fines for this week went to L’Jarius Sneed of Tennessee, who has to pay $23,186 for “unnecessary roughness” for “use of a helmet” and
According to the NFL, those fines will go to the Professional Athletes Foundation to “support legends in need and the
More Questionable Calls in Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs Game
The Lions and Chiefs game was filled with head-scratching moments. Early in the game, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff made a scoring touchdown, and the but it was called back by the ref after saying that Goff and the Lions offense hadn’t executed the trick play properly. So, the NFL overturned the touchdown.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell discussed the incident during his Wednesday, October 15, radio appearance on 97.1 FM The Ticket. As Campbell explained, he was informed that the league office in New York City had told the on the ground crew that the touchdown needed to be overturned. But, Craig Wrolstad, the head referee in the game, told reporters after the matchup that they actually didn’t get any call from the New York office on reversing the touchdown. So, what really happened?
We may never know, but what we do know is that the Detroit Lions are still rocking this year. Let’s hope they rock all the way to the postseason.
