Two Days Off, One Big Trip: What Dusty May Said About Risacher and Christie Before Flagg's Mavs Head to Minnesota

By Marcus Delaney, RF Sports Radio Mavericks voice

Mavs fans, the glow from Monday night is real, but the schedule does not care. Dallas has two days to rest after Cooper Flagg's 43-point night, then heads to Minneapolis to face one of the best teams in the West. And the stuff Dusty May said before the Pacers game tells you where this rotation still has work to do.

The facts

Per the Associated Press preview, Dallas (7-4, ninth in the Western Conference) visits Minnesota (8-3, third in the West) on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, which is 7 p.m. Central. The Mavericks have won three straight. In Monday's 125-122 win over Indiana, Flagg went 16 of 25 with 43 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Kyrie Irving scored 35 on 7-of-10 shooting from three, per Grant Afseth's notebook for Roundtable Sports. Dallas outscored Indiana by 29 with Irving on the floor, the best mark in the game, and it was the first time this season he played both ends of a back-to-back.

Before that game, May talked about two players who have not found it yet. Per Dallas Sports Journal, Max Christie is shooting 32.8 percent from the field and 26.2 percent from three through 10 games, averaging 5.5 points in 19.6 minutes with seven starts. Last season he averaged 12.3 points and shot 40.4 percent from three. May backed him through the slump.

May also said he did not know about the July trade that brought Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas until after it happened, per DSJ. Risacher, 21, has started two of his 11 games. He played 15 minutes Monday and scored four points with four fouls. Irving, asked about his own workload, said, "I won't divulge too much information on the injury management plan because my words could get twisted."

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: the Christie slump is the one I care about. When Flagg and Irving draw two defenders, somebody has to make the open corner three, and a 26 percent shooter turns that into a free possession for the other team. I believe in him because the track record is real, but he needs one game where he sees two go in early.

Risacher is a longer project, and that is fine. He is 21. The fouls tell you he is trying to defend, and that is how you earn minutes from this staff.

The bigger question for Thursday is Irving's minutes. Dallas got 38 out of him on the second night of a back-to-back. With two days off, I expect him to be fresh, and Minnesota is exactly the kind of team where you need both closers.

Prediction: Wolves 116, Mavs 112. Flagg gets his fifth straight double-double, but Minnesota's size wins the glass.

What to watch next

Watch the injury report Wednesday night, Christie's shot in the first quarter Thursday, and whether Risacher's minutes go up. After Minnesota, Dallas plays at Cleveland on Saturday. For our recap of the Pacers win, read our Nov. 10 recap of the Pacers win, and follow the team on our Dallas Mavericks page.

Radio question: if Christie does not snap out of it soon, who should get his minutes?

Sources: AP News - Dallas plays Minnesota after Flagg's 43-point game; Roundtable Sports via Yahoo - Mavs Notebook: 4 takeaways on Flagg and Irving; Dallas Sports Journal - Dusty May backs Max Christie through shooting slump; Dallas Sports Journal - Dusty May reveals Mavericks' approach to Zaccharie Risacher; Dallas Mavericks - Irving, Flagg overwhelm Pacers.