John Poulakidas has been chasing this his whole life. He is 24 years old, a Yale graduate, and on a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He had yet to score an NBA point. The opportunities had been there. The ball just wouldn’t go in.
Sunday in Cleveland, down single digits in the third quarter against one of the East’s best teams, he got another look. This time, a clean look from 3-point range went in. Then another. Then a mid-range off the dribble. Eight straight Mavericks points. Game effectively over before clinching a 130-120 victory.
He finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes. The game ball was waiting for him in the locker room afterward.
“Feels great. Just a dream come true,” Poulakidas said. “I worked very hard for it, and I’m glad I could capitalize on my opportunity today and that we got the win.”
A Long Time Coming for John Poulakidas
The wait had been eating at him. His first NBA minutes came against Charlotte. He passed up shots he should have taken and knew it immediately.
“Seeing that first three go down felt great. Obviously, I missed my first two, and I had honestly just been itching since the first minute I played against Charlotte to knock that first one down for us,” he said. “To see one fall, let alone two, was great. Then we blew the game open in that third quarter, so obviously the most important thing is getting the win, and that’s what we did.”
He missed his first two attempts on Sunday before the dam broke.
“I take pride in being an efficient shooter, so if I miss my first two, I know one of them is going to drop pretty soon,” Poulakidas said. “Just continuing to find windows and make myself available to guys so I can put us in a position to be successful on the offensive end.”
Cooper Flagg had a message for him before he got going.
“I just told him to go out there and play, be confident in his shot, and take the shots when they’re open,” Flagg said. “He did a great job being aggressive and finding his looks. He can shoot it for sure. He can impact the game in a lot of ways, but putting the ball in the basket is a big one.”
After the first bucket fell, Flagg had another message.
“He congratulated me and basically told me the floodgates were open now,” Poulakidas said. “Playing with Cooper is great because he’s someone who can get me a lot of shots, and I’m hoping I can do the same for him by taking one more defender away from him.”
What He Brings to the Dallas Mavericks
Poulakidas is not trying to be a secondary scorer or a shot creator. He knows exactly what his role is and why it matters.
“I think my gravity is something that can help this team win, and my ability to knock down shots is something that can open the floor for everybody else,” he said. “That’s what I’m here to do.”
Jason Kidd has been waiting for Poulakidas to get comfortable enough to show that in an NBA game, and Sunday was the first real glimpse.
“John was great. Just looking at his energy — he competed on defense. And then offensively, what he gives us is something that we needed,” Kidd said.
Poulakidas described how his gravity as a shooter creates space for everyone else — a concept that fit perfectly with what Dallas was doing offensively on Sunday, with P.J. Washington at center and guard-to-guard screens putting defenses in rotation.
“When everyone is touching the ball, and it’s moving side to side, and everyone feels involved, it makes everybody want to guard on the other end,” he said. “We did a great job in the first quarter, setting the tone. Everyone was touching the ball. We had 35 assists tonight — that’s terrific.”
A short stint with the Texas Legends — Dallas’s G League affiliate — gave Poulakidas something he needed heading into Sunday.
“The biggest thing Coach Hooper and the Legends stressed to me in my short time there was just to be myself,” he said. “The type of player that I am, I’m never one to try to force the issue. When I joined the Legends — after being with San Diego for the entire season — I wasn’t trying to step on any toes and wanted to make sure the offense was flowing how it’s supposed to. Thankfully, the last couple of games with them, I was finding some rhythm, and it gave me more confidence out here today because it’s a very similar system. Getting those reps was big for me the last few days.”
A Surreal Afternoon in Cleveland
Sunday carried an extra layer of meaning for Poulakidas, who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and has been training with Cleveland’s Max Strus for years. Before tip-off, he reached out to Strus and got his jersey — a moment he said he was not entirely prepared for emotionally.
“Max is an elite shooter. It’s funny — we’re both from the suburbs of Chicago. I’ve actually been training with him the last several summers since my freshman year at Yale,” Poulakidas said. “This was a very surreal moment for me. I hit him up before the game and got his jersey from him because he’s somebody I’ve looked up to and tried to model my game after as a floor spacer and sniper.”
He was careful to clarify one detail when asked if the two had swapped jerseys.
“Not a jersey swap — I got his jersey. I’ve got work to do before that,” he said.
He also recalled the assist that started it all — a pass from Dwight Powell that set up his first bucket — and made sure Powell knew he appreciated it.
“It felt great. I thanked him. It was right before the first quarter ended, so in that huddle before the second I just thanked him for the pass,” Poulakidas said.
Washington was equally thrilled watching the moment unfold from the floor.
“It was great. I was super happy for him. He saw a couple go in, and we were just trying to get the ball to him,” Washington said. “He had the hot hand and a bunch of confidence. It was great seeing his first couple of points in the league and just seeing him be aggressive.”
What Comes Next for John Poulakidas
Poulakidas said the first points are not a destination — they are a starting point.
“I’m just trying to be grateful for every opportunity I get every single day. There was definitely a big sigh of relief after that first bucket went down,” he said. “I feel myself getting more comfortable with every minute I’m on the floor. I just want to keep stacking.”
He is clear-eyed about what his path in the league entails.
“I’m just trying to make the most of every opportunity I get and be a good person while I’m doing it,” Poulakidas said. “It’s a dream come true. I’m living my dream right now and trying to stay in this league for as long as I can.”
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