👋 Good morning! The DLLS Mavs crew made it back home from Las Vegas late last night, but not before I placed real-life bets on the NBA for the first time ever. I’ll keep the specific action to myself, because trust me, this is not the diary of an experienced or wise gambler, but let’s just say the DNVR Nuggets show would be proud of me. The CHGO Bulls crew might, too, depending on what they actually want from their season. (I’m not sure the team itself knows yet.)

At any rate, the real reason I’m happy to be back will be mentioned in a bit more detail below, but DLLS will be ranking things all week long this week! We’re focusing specifically on the top “what if?” moments in our team’s history. Not many things are more fun than sitting around thinking about what could have been, whether that’s for better or for worse. We’ve got some really special stuff planned for you. Can’t wait! — Bobby Karalla

After a relatively inauspicious Las Vegas Summer League debut, at least when judging by field goal percentage, No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg bounced back in a major way on Saturday afternoon by dropping 31 points and generally looking awesome against a chaotically aggressive San Antonio Spurs defense. Flagg threw down dunks, attacked the rim to draw quite a few shooting fouls, and even knocked down a few 3s all in one tidy 40-minute affair.

There was never a doubt from any of us that the guy is very good, but it was nice to see that point made so convincingly by the man himself less than 48 hours after the most panicked doubters allowed second thoughts to creep into their skeptical minds. The Mavs themselves seem to be happy with his day at the office, too, as our Marc Stein reported after the game ended that Flagg won’t play another second in Vegas this summer. If I had to guess, that 31-point outburst will be his last ever Summer League performance of any kind. Our Tim Cato has more on Flagg’s strong Saturday afternoon here.

The Mavs of course still have a few games left in Vegas before coming home, and we’ll be watching two-way rookies Ryan Nembhard and Miles Kelly closely for those. Dallas has one remaining two-way spot available to fill, but none of the rest of the players on the roster have really stood out to me so far. Without Flagg, though, there’s certainly an opportunity for one or several of those guys to step up and take advantage of the extra shot opportunities and minutes that could come their way.

We’re kicking off our top-10 “what if?” moments in DFW sports history by trying to turn a bad thing into a good thing. What if Dwight Clark hadn’t caught the ball in the 1981 NFC Championship Game?

In practical terms, it would’ve become 4th down for the San Francisco 49ers with under a minute to go, Dallas up 27-21. The Cowboys would’ve been one stop away from essentially winning the game, so long as they didn’t fumble or anything while wasting away the final seconds. In realistic terms, the Cowboys very well probably would have gone on to beat Cincy in the Super Bowl and win another title.

Symbolically, though, that game means a little more. The Niners went on to win the game and the Super Bowl, and would take home three more after that before the Cowboys would make it to the big game again. The Cowboys were (and still are, kind of…?) firmly America’s Team at the time, but the 49ers without question were the team of the ‘80s.

I’m a basketball guy and was born in 1991, so you don’t need to hear too much more about it from me. Check out the DLLS Cowboys’ show TONIGHT ranking the top-10 “what if?” moments in their opinion in franchise history, debuting at a special time! Tune in at 7 p.m. Central to catch the premiere!

The Rangers selected high school shortstop Gavin Fien in the first round of the draft over the weekend, the first time Texas has drafted a high schooler in the first round since 2018.

Fien is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. That’s pretty big for a shortstop, but the Rangers like him at that position. They like his power more, but reportedly also believe he can develop as a hitter, not just as a slugger.

Our Jeff Wilson recaps and analyzes the first few selections the team made here, with comments from Rangers amateur scouting director Kip Fagg.

I’m supposed to put a tweet here or something else small to feel good about. Well, this video is 12 minutes long, but I promise it’ll make you feel good! Mavs rookie Ryan Nembhard joined our live show in Vegas on Friday and shared what his draft experience was like and what he hopes to accomplish in Summer League and moving forward with the Mavericks. Hope you enjoy!

Be sure to subscribe to our shows wherever you listen to your podcasts. Traffic can be the worst, and one of the best ways I get through it is by listening to the audio versions of our DLLS shows. You should, too!

Bobby Karalla
DLLS Sports Head of Content​
[email protected]