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The Dallas Mavericks made some trades at the deadline to add size, frontcourt depth, and scoring threats to their team. The new additions, Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington, have had solid performances so far. Gafford provides rim protection and offensive rebounds, while Washington adds spacing and size. The Mavericks are on a five-game winning streak and have a chance to rise in the standings. With Luka Doncic playing at an MVP level, the team looks strong and has a good chance to make a playoff run. The addition of Gafford and Washington has improved the team's overall depth and weapons. Yo, what's good, y'all? It's Sean. I'm back from Top Box Central and in today's video, we're going to be going over the Dallas Mavericks and kind of just how they've been since the trade deadline where they ended up picking up Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington and had to trade away Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and a 2027 first rounder for P.J. Washington and for Daniel Gafford, they had to give away a 2024 first round pick along with Rashawn Holmes over to the Wizards and their goal by the deadline was to trade for someone that could help them add size to this team and some frontcourt depth as well and also just some more of like scoring, you know, a scoring threat in general that can just go out to the wing and just be able to score. And P.J. definitely checks a lot of those boxes while Daniel Gafford also presents a nice traditional center that can do a lot of the dirty work inside the paint and is really just somebody that I feel like the Mavericks needed. And real quick, if you guys have not already, make sure you like the video so we can continue to make more and more content just like this to entertain you guys and let's get right back into the video. Now going back over on the story of how they made these trades happen, it all really started with their GM and he spoke out on the needs of the Mavericks, which was they had three goals coming in here. They wanted to get bigger overall in size and they also wanted to add depth to their frontcourt. And then he also spoke on he wanted to get some scoring threats as well, like I said that they needed and those were the three goals and they feel like they accomplished those. And now I'm kind of going to be going over how they've already played so far in these past two games and also what the future holds overall just for this team as a unit. So just a few days ago after Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington had just came in and started their first game as a Maverick, we got to see them face off against one of the youngest top teams in the Western Conference right now and that is the Oklahoma City Thunder. And they absolutely dominated that game. And with the two new guys coming in, they had a really solid performance coming off of the bench. Daniel Gafford helped this team a lot putting up 19 points and nine rebounds and four of those being offensive boards. He shot very efficient from the field. He clipped in almost all his free throws and he also showed us a little flash of how good he really is on defense when he swatted a shot away from SGA in that game and just a very good overall impressive performance, especially just playing 17 minutes in that game. To be able to put those statistics up is very impressive. And I just feel like this is a really insane weapon to have coming off of the bench right behind Derek Lively. This is going to be a really good thing that the Mavericks did and it just provides the Mavericks with great overall rim protection that they truly needed and it just gives them some center depth behind Derek Lively. And he just showed us that the other night and last night as well at the time of recording this video. He just showed that he can be an excellent lob threat whenever Luka needs it because I mean Luka was making insane types of passes near the rim and he can do that because he is that type of guard. He can absolutely pass the ball really without the defender even seeing it and if Luka ends up catching on the double team he can go up and just lob it right up to Gafford off of screen and roll and he's one of the best in the league at doing that. And they also got P.J. Washington who had a really solid night against the Thunder. He played in just 24 minutes and dropped him 14 points. He shot one from four from the three. Honestly, I think he is going to be a better overall type of three-point score because I feel like they're going to have him sitting on the wing a lot more if Luka is the playmaker. And that's just how this offense kind of runs. And I just feel like this was an excellent trade that they made because it gives them a really good spacing on the floor. Some really good size. And I feel like his defense is really just going to improve a lot more being on this team. And I just really love the variety that these guys provide them. Like Daniel Gafford literally last night against his former team and that being the Washington Wizards, he put up an absolute dominant performance grabbing 17 rebounds and 16 points in just 24 minutes. And he had five blocked shots as well. And Gafford definitely let his presence be known during this game because I mean that is just really impressive, especially seven offensive rebounds. That's something that the Mavericks have needed for so long was a guy that can grab offensive rebounds and just really just be a physical player under the basket. And that's definitely what they're getting with Daniel Gafford because he is showing it already. He is an absolute menace when it comes to blocking shots and being able to defend the low post. And he's just looking like something that they really need at the backup center spot. And in that game versus the Wizards, P.J. Washington didn't really have the greatest game. He had nine points, five rebounds, and three assists and a shot four from 11 from the field. And I can't lie, the Mavericks are making some crazy things happen like the trade they just made with those two guys adding in them. And plus they're on a five game winning streak. They was already on a three before they got them. And the Mavs are just looking very solid as of late. And the Western Conference has been so tight of a race. Honestly, I think we can honestly see the Mavericks even making like the top three seed by the end of the season just because of how easy their schedule really is. If you go to look at it, they rank at 23 with the remaining schedule strength. And if you think about it, a lot of these games for the Mavericks are winnable. And just these additions that they added are just really huge for them in my opinion. Because in my opinion, I believe that they are one of the biggest winners from this trade deadline. I'd probably say they're number two right behind the New York Knicks. And this is a team that I believe that we can see rise up the standings in the coming future because of this depth that got added to that roster. And this team this looks like has so many weapons because you're giving Luka two insane lob threats and Derek Lively and also Daniel Gafford. And that was just one problem that I feel like the Mavericks needed was an extra lob threat to come off of the bench to help Lively. And they're also adding a really great overall shooter and also PJ Washington. I mean, I just don't see how this team really can be great. And I just think that the Mavericks did so great for what they had because they didn't really have many assets going into the trade deadline because they didn't really have any first round picks just to try to really get Gafford. So they had to go over and ask the Oklahoma City Thunder if they could get a first rounder and that's what they had to do was give up a future draft pick as well just to be able to add Gafford. But they definitely made something out of nothing because I really do like these two assets that they added. And I just really like this team overall because I feel like they have a really good shot at making a huge run towards the end of the season. And this is all due to the fact that Luka is playing at such a high level at right now at an MVP type of level. He's top three right now, I'd say for sure. And this is definitely the best Luka we've seen and most skilled because I mean his points have went up tremendously and also his assist as well. He's became a better overall playmaker and his passing skills are just looking better and better each game because especially with the addition of Daniel Gafford, it's going to add more of a lob threat like I said before. It's going to just keep adding more and more lobs that Luka's going to be able to create and if any time Luka needs to get rid of it, Daniel Gafford should be there down low or also Derek Lively. And I think if this team is able to make a run for that top three seed, I think this may be Luka's MVP year. And you know potentially at least finish in that top three, I think for sure. Because I mean this team is already a seven seed and the Western Conference is just so tight, like I said. It's just so easy to be able to move up the rankings, especially with their schedule strength. And in my opinion, Luka's sitting right around three or four in the MVP rankings, probably right under SGA to be honest. Really just because of his team record and really where they're sitting in the standings. But if this team could go on a run, especially with these new additions, honestly, I think Luka will finish maybe even as a MVP or at least in that top two to three range. And he's also been really efficient as well. Almost shooting at 50% from the field. He's right around 49.2% I believe. And he's also been shooting a career high on his three-point percentage as well, which is really impressive. But I just really like the look of this Mavericks team as of right now. I mean Kyrie Irving, he's been on a roll. He's been averaging 25.5 and 5 this year. And you know, also they drafted Derrick Lively, who I've already mentioned in this video. He's been a very great piece for them and they really didn't miss him when he's on the court. But them adding the addition of Daniel Gafford just makes this team so much better in my opinion. And they also have Derrick Jones, who's been a terrific lob threat for Luka this whole season. Also Tim Hardaway. He's been a really solid piece as well and just been a really terrific overall piece for this team. He's been putting a little over 17 points up per game. Been a terrific role player on this roster. And also Josh Green. Josh Green's been hooping as well. He's been a terrific wing defender for this team as a whole. And I think he has a great future on this roster as another role player that can just continue to be really successful on this team. And this team has already looked really solid in their past two games. Going against, you know, the Thunder. One of the best teams. One of the best young teams in the whole league right now. It's the OKC Thunder. They dominated them. And then they played the Wizards where they made an insane fourth quarter comeback where that was honestly a game that they should have lost. But Daniel Gafford put in a tremendous amount of work that game and he was just an absolute dog on the rebounds. And I'm just excited to see how truly dangerous this Mavericks team can be with these two new additions. Now, let me know down below in the comments below what you guys think. Do you guys think this team will be, you know, dominant kind of like how they're already being? Or do you guys think they're going to fall off and just become more of a playing type of team? Or like, you know, maybe a top three team. Let me know down below in the comments and as always make sure to like, subscribe, and turn on post notifications. And I'll see y'all in the next one. I'm out.