Kyrie Irving looked like the player Dallas has been waiting on Friday night.
After working his way back into form, Irving took over late with 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and added nine assists as the Mavericks beat the Rockets 116-111 for Houston’s first loss. Austin Veazey of Mavs On SI noted that Irving was getting to his pull-up jumper and finishing around the basket instead of leaning so heavily on threes.
The turning point came in the final period, when Irving either scored or assisted on five of Dallas’ first six baskets. That stretch helped erase an eight-point deficit and swing the game back in the Mavericks’ favor, with much of it coming while Cooper Flagg was on the bench.
Dallas moved to 4-2, but the win also exposed a thin spot in the rotation. Veazey pointed to the team’s limited playmaking depth, especially after Walter Clayton Jr. had three turnovers in the final four minutes of the third quarter against Marcus Smart’s pressure. With Sergio De Larrea out because of a knee sprain, the Mavericks do not have many options when Irving is off the floor.
In Washington, AJ Dybantsa is already showing why the Wizards are leaning on him early.
The No. 1 pick has played just two NBA games, but he gave Washington another strong dose of energy in Friday’s 95-79 win over the Hornets. Dybantsa finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Henry Brown of Wizards On SI emphasized more than the scoring: Dybantsa’s willingness to push the pace and create easier baskets before Charlotte’s defense could get set.
His work on the glass mattered too, especially after the Hornets had given the Wizards problems there earlier in the week. Since returning from the ankle injury that delayed his debut, Dybantsa is averaging 18 points.
Washington still has room to clean up its perimeter game. Brown pointed to Tre Johnson, who played fewer than 13 minutes Friday.
Outside of a four-three performance against Toronto, Johnson has made just three of his other 16 attempts this season. The Wizards also attempted 30 threes against Charlotte’s 57.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, is still searching for its first win, but Moe Wagner has at least given Jordi Fernandez something to build around.
Wagner scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds in Friday’s 110-94 loss to the Pistons, dropping the Nets to 0-5. Sameer Kumar of Nets On SI wrote that Wagner’s scoring and ball movement have given Fernandez more flexibility with his lineups.
Kumar also suggested Wagner could eventually push Day’Ron Sharpe for the starting center job, though that was presented as his view and not a confirmed move. Brooklyn still needs more from its top scorers, too. Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. combined for 28 points on 8-of-22 shooting against Detroit, and Kumar called for more purposeful cuts and movement from Porter, along with guards who attack the basket and create cleaner looks for teammates.
In Other News...
Nets Young Core Ran Into The Same Frustrating Problem Again
Chaney Johnson got the start in place of Egor Dmin on Friday night, a change forced by the bone bruise that has sidelined Dmin and left Brooklyn shuffling its young lineup again. The Nets actually grabbed an early lead against Detroit, but the familiar issues followed soon after, with the offense bogging down and the shots not falling as the game wore on.
Brooklyns problems only deepened in the third quarter, when the Pistons started to separate and the Nets found themselves chasing a game that had gotten away from them. By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the bench group was getting extended run for Mikel Brown Jr., Danny Wolf and Drake Powell, another reminder that this still-developing roster is trying to find answers while searching for its first win of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Backcourt Shakeup Just Put One Rotation Battle In Focus
Jordi Fernandez is already reshuffling the Brooklyn backcourt three games into the season, and the move has quickly turned one of the rosters early questions into a live rotation battle. Nolan Traore got the nod in place of Keon Ellis and responded with a promising first start, finishing with 15 points and three assists before cramps forced him out of the game.
The bigger wrinkle is the health of Egor Demin, who had handled the point guard spot through the first three games before being sidelined. Chaney Johnson is set to start against the Detroit Pistons in his place, leaving Brooklyn to sort out both the short-term lineup and the longer-term fit in a backcourt that already looks unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Rotation Problem Is Putting Moritz Wagner Under Real Pressure
Moritz Wagner has given the Nets some useful scoring pop off the bench, averaging 10.3 points per game, but the fit has been far less tidy on the other end. Brooklyns defensive numbers have taken a hit with him on the floor, and the issue goes beyond one rough stretch. Wagner is more comfortable stepping out to defend the perimeter than anchoring the paint, which leaves coach Jordi Fernndez trying to balance a skill set the team can use against the interior resistance it still needs.
The problem is made trickier by the roster around him. Brooklyn does not have a deep pool of backup center answers, and the sample size is still small enough that the staff has to decide how much weight to put on early returns. Fernndez also has to factor in Wagners contract, which makes any rotation adjustment more than a simple short-term tweak, and the next stretch could say a lot about how long the Nets keep leaning on him in that role. [Read more 🡒]