Mavs' Slow Start, Kemba Expectations & Benefits of Wood Starting

On the latest edition of the Mavs Step Back Podcast, hosts Dalton Trigg and Drew Johnson talk about the Dallas Mavericks getting off to a slow start for the third consecutive year despite Luka Doncic being in MVP form early on. From there, they break down the Kemba Walker signing and why Christian Wood must start sooner than later.

Dalton Trigg | Nov 29, 2022

For the third straight year, the Dallas Mavericks are off to a slow start as we approach the 20-game mark of the 2022-23 NBA season, and they'll need to figure something out sooner than later if they want to avoid getting buried in December.

Last year, the Mavs had injuries, COVID protocols absences and Luka Doncic's early-season conditioning to blame for the slow start. This year, however, Dallas has been mostly healthy with Doncic performing at an MVP level early and often, which makes its slow start even more concerning.

On the latest episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast, we break down the main reasons for Dallas' struggles, as well as reasons for optimism going forward ... if the correct changes are made. Coach Jason Kidd has been rather stubborn with how he's handled Christian Wood's role this season, and that needs to change if the Mavs are going to reach their ceiling. On this episode, we explain all the potential benefits of Wood finally getting to start alongside Doncic.

What should Mavs fans' expectations be for the Kemba Walker signing? Could he be even more of a lift for Dallas in the locker room than on the court? How will he fit into a limited bench role? Can 20-year-old rookie Jaden Hardy, who is the G League's top scorer with the Texas Legends, get some run while Walker is being integrated over the next week?

Answers to all those questions and much, much more can be found right here:

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Published Nov 29, 2022

DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.