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Eddie Sefko, Mavericks beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered your questions about the team in a live chat Tuesday. Here are some highlights:
Q: At what point would the Mavs consider trying to get something for Deandre Jordan?
Sefko: What? They finally have a rebounder who can help defensively, too and you want to deal him away? Good grief. Look, every player is tradeable. But, no. The Mavericks want to see how this season goes with Jordan and then make a decision on whether he’s a long-term fit. It’s not like Atlanta is going to ship back that draft pick in exchange for Jordan. Let’s deal in reality.
Q: Have you noticed DeAndre Jordan’s weird routing at the free throw line? Before every shot, he looks over at a teammate (usually Wes Matthews) with a concerned look on his face, and asks who that person is guarding on defense. Has anyone discussed that with him? He’s been great at the line (over 80%) but can he not make the shots without doing that routine before each shot?
Sefko: Funny you should ask. I asked that very question after the Chicago game Monday. First I went to Harrison Barnes, who informed me that Joran is, indeed, asking about who’s guarding who. But Barnes said he’d let Jordan explain why. When I approached Jordan, he just said he zones out in those situations and wouldn’t go into details about the short chat he has with a teammate lined up for a potential rebound of his free throw. Whatever the conversation, it’s now part of his routine and it’s a routine that’s working. Remember a guy named Karl Malone? The Mailman was not a great free throw shooter early in his career. By the end, he always muttered a few words to himself at the line. He never divulged what those words were, but it helped him because it became routine. Whatever works, Jordan and the Mavericks are all for it.
Q: Is there any internal beef going on between Luka Doncic and DeAndre Jordan/Wesley Matthews?
Sefko: Not that I’ve seen. And I saw LD and Jordan clowning together after the game Monday night. Hey, everybody gets testy when you’re losing. Don’t mistake being upset with losing as a sign that players don’t get along.
Q: Dorian Finney-Smith went in the starting lineup in place of Wes Matthews against Chicago, and he seemed to fit in just fine. Is this something we could see more down the road, or just in lieu of Matthews absence?
Sefko: As I wrote in today’s DMN and online, this will not be the start of Wesley Matthews as a sixth man. The Mavericks already have too many of them. But you are correct. Finney-Smith has emerged as a viable rotation player and particularly for a team that values a hard-nosed, blue-collar defender.
Click here to enjoy the full chat.
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