Friendly Bounce Open Run: Rick Carlisle is really good at his job

The weird Mavs just keep chugging along

by Taylor Smith (@TaylorBojangles)

To put it bluntly, I thought the Dallas Mavericks were going to be a depressing pile of trash coming into this season. They struck out on a big free agent for what seemed like the 10th straight summer, Dirk Nowitzki wasn’t getting any younger, and two of their projected starters (Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews) were coming off of major surgeries. Their starting point guard was going to be Deron Williams, who looked Axl Rose-level washed during most of his time with the Nets. Plus, with the West so stacked, the Mavs weren’t even going to sniff the No. 8 spot.

We’re still only 36 games into the season, but that’s enough for me to happily admit that I couldn’t have been more wrong about this team. Following Wednesday night’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas sits in the West’s No. 5 slot with a 21-15 record. Could it all come crashing down?

Sure, but that doesn’t feel very likely.

Rick Carlisle coached the Mavs to an improbable championship in 2011, yet this season feels like his coaching master stroke. Dallas is getting contributions from everyone. With four starters (Williams, Nowitzki, Matthews, Zaza Pachulia) sitting out on Wednesday after Tuesday night’s double-OT triumph over the Kings, Dallas was relying on the likes of Raymond Felton, JaVale McGee, J.J. Barea and Dwight Powell on the road in New Orleans. Sure, the Pels are an injury-riddled sea of sadness this season, but there was really no reason Dallas should’ve won this game. Yet they did, by nine.

Parsons and Matthews have rounded into form after being limited early in the season, and Nowitzki is enjoying a resurgent season after a so-so 2014-15. Zaza is enjoying a career year (18 double-doubles this season, 15 all of last year) and even D-Will looks rejuvenated. Even Ray Felton (!!!) has become a usable player again. If they’re able to remain relatively healthy, this team has a (VERY) outside shot at a top-four seed in the playoffs. That’s still improbable, but the fact that it’s even a possibility this late in the season is amazing, all things considered.

Rick Carlisle and Dirk Nowitzki forever.

Kyrie Irving is back, and the Cavs are about to run away with the East

By Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg)

You know what will light a fire under you? Try blowing an 18 point lead and letting the Washington Wizards tie the game on a Ramon Sessions dunk with 10:42 remaining in the game.

That’s precisely when Kyrie Irving–who, y’know, has been around since mid-December but not quite down with his bad self until this week–got lit.

On the next trip down, Irving dodged around a pick and Washington’s Nene Hilario for a fantastic layup finish. Then he took it right at Jared Dudley, put him on skates with a few dribble moves and finished with an ice cream scoop layup at the rim.

And that was just the beginning.

Irving scored FIFTEEN more points in the fourth quarter, including a few ridiculous long two’s at the end of the shot clock and, of course, some crazy moves near the rim. At one point, he almost lost the ball out-of-bounds, recovered it before it rolled out and put up the shot. It went in. Irving finished with 32 points.

It took a while for him to get back on the court, and it took a while for him to really be back, but Kyrie is back. (And just in time for the All Star game!) On a night when the Heat, Raptors, Hornets and Celtics played, the Cavaliers are about to pull away in the East.

When LeBron and Kyrie are together, they are the best duo in the conference. The real race is for second place.

Brandon Jennings should stay right where he is

By: Donnie Kolakowski (@donniebuckets)

It seems like there is a new Brandon Jennings trade scenario every couple of days.

After all, Reggie Jackson took his place, making Jennings expendable. Ever since his return, people have been fake-trading him to point guard desperate teams.

But Jennings, despite Jackson’s presence, is right where he belongs.

Detroit’s bench has largely been a disaster this year, and Jennings is a much-needed quality player off it. He hasn’t had eye-popping numbers since his return from a torn Achilles, but the most important thing Jennings is doing in the box score is giving Steve Blake DNPs. Blake isn’t a good player anymore, and Jennings is already an upgrade, with the potential to be a game-changing player off the bench.

Jennings shouldn’t be playing starter’s minutes anyway off a torn Achilles. Not everyone is made of adamantium like Wes Matthews.

With this being the final year of his contract, Jennings doesn’t hurt the books at all for the Pistons, either. And there isn’t a better place for him to establish his value before free agency, as Stan Van Gundy has put him a position to succeed when he’s been on the floor.

Maybe he isn’t a part of the long-term future, but there’s no reason for Jennings to go anywhere this season. Detroit needs him to fortify a weak bench, and he needs Detroit to get some money next year. Brandon Jennings may not be long for Detroit, but there’s no reason for him to finish the season anywhere else.

The New Orleans Pelicans are ruining Joel Meyers

By Matt Cianfrone (@Matt_Cianfrone)

The New Orleans Pelicans have disappointed in a lot of ways this season.

Early on it was that the injuries to just about every member of the projected rotation was keeping us from watching a fun team perform their best. Yet as everyone has returned to action things have not gotten any better, as New Orleans consistently struggles to play hard, get Anthony Davis the ball and stop anyone from doing whatever they want on offense. On Wednesday night they once again disappointed, losing a home game to the Dallas Mavericks despite Dallas having played a double overtime game on Tuesday and resting four key players.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment from the Pelicans this season though, is that they are ruining the great Joel Meyers. Meyers, one of the best play-by-play voices in the entire league, is not afraid to show sadness and frustration in his voice. And on Wednesday night it was once again there as Tyreke Evans ended a late, important Pelicans possession with a three-point attempt.

Who knows if and when the Pelicans fix things this season, but Meyers deserves better. Maybe we can trade him to the Oklahoma City Thunder or Golden State Warriors broadcasts for the end of the season. Meyers deserves is for all of his great work and we deserve it as basketball fans.

So join the movement and #FreeJoelMeyers.