Around The Beat: Christie's Ceiling, Defense Talk, Gafford's…

By the Mavericks Nightly Desk · Monday, October 5

Three outlets are debating what this Mavericks team becomes once games start, from Max Christie's ceiling to whether the defense is already elite. Last season's numbers back one of those claims and complicate another.

Mavericks Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Christie's Next Leap

Mavs Moneyball's Michael Harris wrote that the door is open for Max Christie to take his next step, and Mavs.com profiled him chasing command of every part of his game. Christie's own numbers back the framing: he shot 40.4 percent from three last season, the best mark of any Dallas regular, over 29.1 minutes and 12.3 points a game across 77 contests. A full offseason removed from the trade that brought him over from the Lakers, he already has the shooting efficiency a bigger role would lean on.

Defense Talk Meets Last Year

The Smoking Cuban's Colby Krueger argued Dallas' new-look roster already has what it takes for a top-tier defense. Last season's numbers complicate that: Dallas ranked 19th in defensive rating at 115.5, a figure that held up only because the offense was worse, finishing 27th at 110.3 and dragging the team to a -5.2 net rating overall. General manager Nico Harrison has staked the rebuild on the idea that defense wins championships, and the roster built around Cooper Flagg and Daniel Gafford reflects that bet, but the pieces becoming elite right now is a projection, not a result.

Gafford's Jumper, Cisse's Spot

The Smoking Cuban's Lorenzo Almanza wrote that Gafford's jump shot could add a new dimension to the offense, a claim with no track record behind it: Gafford made zero threes last season, going 9.5 points and 6.9 rebounds a game without ever connecting from outside. A clearer storyline closed on October 1, when Dallas guaranteed Moussa Cisse's salary for the season; the Smoking Cuban's Austin McGee called it the end of the roster debate, and Cisse's workload already reflects it, with his playing time jumping to 26 minutes per game over his last five outings.

Is Max Christie in line for a bigger role with the Mavericks this season?

Outlets have floated it, and his 40.4 percent three-point shooting last season supports the case, though nothing is confirmed since Dallas has not played a game yet this season.

Did Daniel Gafford make any three-pointers last season?

No, Gafford shot 0.0 percent from three last season, which complicates any claim that his outside shot is ready to be a weapon.

By the Mavericks Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.