archivePlayer Development

DHJ Quick Take: How Slowing Down Sparked Azzi Fudd's Breakout Back-to-Back 20s in Her First Start: Azzi Fudd scored 22 in her first career start against Las Vegas after a career-high 24 at New York, becoming the only rookie this season with 20 or more points in back-to-back wins. Slowing...

DHJ Quick Take: Cori Close Outlines Azzi Fudd’s Defensive Impact for the Wings The Invisible Perimeter Impact: While back-to-back 12-point outings dominate the headlines, UCLA head coach Cori Close noted that rookie Azzi Fudd’s premier contribution against Chicago was her elite defensive prowess, systematically neutralizing the Sky's backcourt creation across...

DHJ Quick Take: Masai Ujiri Cuts Ties with Jason Kidd to Trigger Total Mavericks Reset Ujiri Owns the Head Coaching Ouster: Mavericks President Masai Ujiri confirmed the decision to fire Jason Kidd after five seasons was entirely his own, shielding the roster from accountability while launching a sweeping organizational review....

DHJ Quick Take: Azzi Fudd Elevates Bench Efficiency in Career-High Outing Mid-Range Production Surge: Rookie guard Azzi Fudd turned in the most productive scoring performance of her young professional career Monday night, contributing 12 points on a highly efficient 6-of-9 shooting. The No. 1 overall pick generated her scoring almost...

DHJ Quick Take: Navigating the Mavs' Generational Gap The 15-Year Contradiction: The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2026 offseason occupying a distinct, non-traditional developmental timeline. The franchise anchors its entire future on 19-year-old rookie sensation Cooper Flagg, yet its primary offensive partner remains 34-year-old veteran Kyrie Irving. The Valuation Dilemma: While...

DHJ Quick Take: Azzi Fudd Navigates Professional Transition Untangling the Vocabulary: Rookie guard Azzi Fudd noted that her steepest learning curve early in her professional career has been mental rather than physical. After spending five seasons under Geno Auriemma, her primary daily focus is untangling deeply ingrained terminology to fluidly...

DHJ Quick Take: Cooper Flagg's Growth & Khris Middleton Effect The Veteran Blueprint: While Cooper Flagg's 51-point night made history, the foundation was laid during pregame warmups with Khris Middleton. Since the trade deadline, Middleton has transitioned from teammate to technical consultant, working hands-on with Flagg on post technique and...

Cooper Flagg has seen plenty in his rookie season, but Wednesday night offered a test. The Dallas Mavericks forward scored 26 points in a 142–135 loss to the Denver Nuggets, then found himself explaining what it’s like to match up against Nikola Jokić after a historic performance. Jokić delivered another...

AJ Johnson spent Saturday night in Frisco putting up numbers that turned heads. By Sunday morning, his head coach had taken notice. Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd spoke glowingly about Johnson's 27-point performance with the Texas Legends ahead of Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and confirmed the...