The 2022-23 Dallas Mavericks as Pokemon

When the latest Pokemon games release this Friday, November 18th, there will be new additions to the already expansive list of over 900 Pokemon. With so many different creatures, there is a vast library of personalities, shapes, and sizes to explore. Much like the Mavericks, no two are the same, and some are better than others. With such a detailed catalog to choose from, it is safe to say that there exist Pokemon equivalents of every Mavericks player.

We did this once in 2016 and with the combination of a terrible loss to the Rockets to get over and new games on the horizon, well, it was time.

Here are the Dallas Mavericks in the world of Pokemon:

Mckinley Wright IV - Eevee

Both small and fast, they have the ability to be something if they add another element. For Wright it’s the jump shot, and for Eevee it’s the acquisition of a stone.

Tyler Dorsey - Beldum

Dorsey has potential to be a valuable piece, but is a few steps away from being a few steps away. Additionally, I don’t really think about Beldum, nor do I think about Dorsey much.

Jaden Hardy - Rotom

Both are exciting and fast. Rotom can transform when shown a number of objects, and Hardy can transform his game if he is shown ball security amongst other things.

Davis Bertans - Deoxys

If Deoxys was born in Latvia, he would quite literally possess a “Latvian Laser” in his chest. Both have lanky arms and no shyness to shoot.

Frank Ntilikina - Frogadier

Ntilikina and Frogadier are men of class. In a similar vein as previous entries, both can be good with more experience.

Theo Pinson - Oricorio (Pom-Pom Style)

While Pinson is a good player in his own right, there is no denying he is the Mavericks’ lead cheerleader. Oricorio has the pom-poms, Pinson has the energy.

Facundo Compazzo - Throh

Not a bad Pokemon, but not good by any stretch. Throh does some cool things but not enough to justify using one.

Josh Green - Magikarp

With enough training and experience, Green could become a very good player. However, right now all he does is flop around and only has one move.

Javale McGee - Slaking

Slaking is big and does not move much but, in theory, is very powerful. His fatal flaw is that every other turn he falls asleep, much like McGee on defense.

Maxi Kleber - Forretress

Forretress is a defensive monster. However, upon introduction to heat, Forretress explodes. Maxi does something similar, when he gets hurt after being in the heat of battle for too long during a game.

Tim Hardaway Jr. - Talonflame

A great piece to any team. Hits incredibly hard, or misses and dies trying.

Christian Wood - Mewtwo

Born from his predecessor (Kristaps Porzingis), Mewtwo has managed to take the things Mew did and make them better. Mewtwo was held in captivity for a long time to avoid the realization of his true power. Jason Kidd is doing the same to Wood.

Dwight Powell - Pikachu

One of the oldest and most classic Pokemon. Pikachu isn’t the best, but he’s not the worst. Much like Pikachu, Powell has been by the Mavericks’ side for as long as we can remember.

Reggie Bullock - Tauros

Quite literally a bull pokemon, Tauros is the definition of “mess with the bull, get the horns”. To make it even sweeter, Tauros has three tails, and Bullock is a three point specialist.

Dorian Finney-Smith - Ferrothorn

Ferrothorn is tough and holds firm in the ground. Finney-Smith is the anchor of the defense and, just like Ferrothorn, does the things that not many others will do.

Spencer Dinwiddie - Hoopa

Simply put, Dinwiddie is a hooper. Hoopa is also a hooper. Not coincidentally an argument can be made that Hoopa looks like they have a lot of money invested in Bitcoin.

Luka Doncic - Jirachi

Being a legendary Pokemon, Jirachi has no business looking so innocent. Similarly to Doncic, Jirachi possesses an unassuming face, but unlimited power. As “the wish Pokemon” and “the wonder boy”, there is no shortage of miracles this duo helps to facilitate.

That’s it. That’s my list. Where did I do right? Where did I go horribly wrong? Let me know in the comments.