Mavs rookies make big-time contributions in Game 2 win

Justin Anderson and Salah Mejri did in Game 2 what hasn’t been done by any Maverick for a long, long time. Anderson became the first Mavs rookie to record both a block and a steal in the same playoff game since Devin Harris did so in 2005, according to Basketball-Reference. Even better, his block was […]

Justin Anderson has shined during his stretch as a starter

A rookie is helping to lead a team of veterans into the playoffs. Justin Anderson, the youngest player on the third-oldest roster in the NBA, has played the best basketball of his career during the last six games, the latest of which was just career start No. 7. The 22-year-old scored 19 points, grabbed 10 […]

Mavs’ playoff chances have received big boost from seemingly unlikely places

Coming into the season, a tight race for the playoffs was all but guaranteed. That’s been the name of the game out West this entire millennium. Nothing is ever set in stone, and nothing is decided early. What you probably didn’t expect — and I’m not sure who else could have — is the Mavs […]

More than anything, Anderson and Powell contribute athleticism in win at Denver

His Mavs were playing on the second night of a back-to-back against a team with a significant athletic advantage against the typical starting lineup. So Rick Carlisle took a chance on his young players, Justin Anderson and Dwight Powell, and the move paid off. Before last night, Anderson and Powell had a combined one NBA […]

Lineup change pays off in Mavs win at Charlotte

It was bound to happen eventually, and last night it did. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle changed up the starting lineup, replacing Zaza Pachulia with Raymond Felton. Dirk Nowitzki started at center with Chandler Parsons at power forward as the Mavs tested a small-ball group against the hottest team in the NBA. Before last night, the […]

Los primeros pasos (The First Steps)

Ser un rookie en la NBA no es nada sencillo. En bastantes aspectos, el baloncesto NCAA y el baloncesto NBA son prácticamente deportes diferentes. Por nivel de los jugadores, por velocidad de juego, por exigencias físicas. Incluso para jugadores con experiencia en entornos profesionales en Europa, como Salah Mejri, la adaptación puede llevar su tiempo. […]

Justin Anderson created his own burger, and it’s actually really good

The most notable thing about many pro basketball players is that they are very good at basketball. If you’ve followed Justin Anderson’s young career, though, you know there’s more to him than athletic ability. Anderson loves food. Like, a lot. If he weren’t a basketball player, he’d be in culinary school. Recently Rick Carlisle compared […]

For Anderson, Evans, D-League stint is as much mental exercise as it is physical

Many might believe a D-League assignment is more about working out the legs and less about working out the mind. But the Mavs, for one, don’t think that to be true. Justin Anderson, Jeremy Evans, and Salah Mejri appeared for the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ D-League affiliate, on assignment Saturday night and all performed very […]

Justin Anderson and Salah Mejri fill it up for a night in the D-League

Justin Anderson scored 27 points and Salah Mejri grabbed 12 rebounds on Saturday night in their brief assignment to the Texas Legends. The rookies were assigned on Saturday to the club’s D-League affiliate in Frisco so they could get some extra run. It appears they took full advantage of that opportunity, as Anderson’s 27 points […]

Justin Anderson appears on NBA.com’s list of potential ROY candidates

Justin Anderson hasn’t played an NBA game that counts yet, but he’s received plenty of praise and therefore is facing plenty of expectations — not just from his team and fans, but from his peers and those in the media. Earlier this summer, Anderson finished third in an NBA.com rookie survey asking the 2015 Draft […]