Andscape’s David Dennis Jr. stopped by on Tuesday’s edition of GoJo and Golic to chime in on the NBA All-Star game tweaks and what should Mavericks fans expect out of their team in the future in the Anthony Davis era.
The conversation around fixing the NBA All-Star game continues to persist as a hot topic in sports media. Many fans have complained about the competitiveness of the game, Dennis Jr. highlighted that the NBA All-Star Game was hardly ever consistently competitive. He pointed out that every so often, the game delivered a memorable moment, but those instances were rare and more a product of chance than design. He cited examples like the 2001 All-Star Game, where Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury led a comeback, and the 2003 edition, which featured Michael Jordan’s final appearance and a dramatic game-winner. However, he emphasized that historically, the game had always been an exhibition, not a high-stakes competition.
He added that there is too much pressure on the All-Star Game to be something more than it was meant to be, which is an entertaining event centered around fun, flashy plays, and a weekend of festivities. Rather than trying to force a more competitive game, he suggested that the real focus should be fixing the dunk contest. He argued that the event, which was once the highlight of All-Star Weekend, had lost its appeal outside of a few standout performances in recent years. In his view, revamping the dunk contest would do more to improve the weekend than overanalyzing the All-Star Game itself.
A take that is spreading like wildfire is the thought that we will get a one-on-one tournament for NBA All-Star Weekend next year. Dennis Jr. expressed tremendous skepticism about this actually happening. He pointed out that players talk about taking the event more seriously every year, whether it’s the dunk contest or other competitions. Still, when it comes time to commit, few actually follow through. He referenced a brief moment where Kyrie Irving went one-on-one with Victor Wembanyama, nearly putting the rookie in a dangerous position just trying to keep up defensively. He emphasized that many players likely want to avoid becoming a viral highlight for the wrong reasons, just like star dunkers don’t want to risk losing to a lesser-known player like Mac McClung. He also called out the media’s role, noting that if a Sixth Man were to beat a star like Anthony Edwards in a 1v1 matchup, the conversation would immediately shift to questioning Edwards’ competitiveness. Ultimately, he wasn’t sure a 1v1 tournament would happen. Instead, he predicted the league might tweak the current format, removing mid-game distractions to see if it improves engagement. If that doesn’t work, he expected the NBA to return to a more traditional setup.
All eyes will be on the Lakers post-All-Star break and their outlook in the Western Conference going forward. Dennis Jr. sees the Lakers holding steady around the 5th seed rather than making a significant jump or drop. He acknowledged they might move up slightly if Houston continues to struggle but didn’t see them surpassing teams like OKC, Denver, or Memphis. He argued that their lack of size was a big reason for that. While Luka Dončić and LeBron James are elite playmakers, Dennis Jr. pointed out that both have thrived alongside dominant big men who can defend and finish at the rim. Unlike the Warriors, who can succeed with a small-ball approach, the Lakers don’t have the speed or defensive versatility to make that style work. With Luka on the floor, they aren’t built for a fast-paced game, meaning their success relies heavily on James and Dončić’s offensive brilliance. The real issue, he noted, is the competition at the top of the West. With dominant bigs like Chet Holmgren, Jaren Jackson Jr., Nikola Jokić, and Alperen Şengün in the mix, the Lakers’ lack of interior presence puts them at a serious disadvantage. With their current roster, the Lakers frankly don’t have enough to overcome that weakness against the conference’s top teams.
After the Anthony Davis trade, it was clear that the Mavericks championship window was shortened; however, Dennis Jr. was never fully convinced that the Mavericks had a true championship window. In his view, the window effectively closed when they moved Dončić. Now, Dallas is betting on the next two to three years, hinging on the hope that AD can be both dominant and healthy. While Davis has built a reputation for being injury-prone, Dennis Jr. pointed out that before his latest setback, he had played in about 94% of games over the past two seasons making him one of the more available stars despite his history of in-game injury scares.
The Mavericks saw an opportunity: if AD could be the best player in the league and stay healthy, they had a shot to compete. But Dennis Jr. remains skeptical of the roster. He felt its construction was awkward, with too many bigs clogging the floor and no real spacing. He also questioned how their offense would function, especially with Irving a score-first guard—being asked to run the show alongside an aging Klay Thompson. While the defense would be strong, he wasn’t convinced they had the offensive firepower to keep up, even if everyone stayed healthy.
Watch or listen to the full show below and tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Hour 1: NFL Tagging + Senior Andscape Writer, David Dennis + NBA All-Star tweaks + Acho & Smith Beefing
Hour 2: Welcome in Jason Fitz + NFL Tag Window + Man vs Cheetah + CFP Expansion + Go Home Rodgers
VIDEO
Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.
