Dallas, TX
Dallas Mavericks players as M. Night Shyamalan movies
There’s not a whole lot going on in Mavs Land right now. Summer League has come and gone, and the transaction period of the offseason is all but over. Dwight Powell is playing in the Olympics and Dallas signed a Summer Leaguer to a training camp deal, but it’s mostly quiet on the Maverick front.
However, in the world of cinema, the party is just getting started. Master filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, Trap, just hit theaters. Love him or hate him, Shyamalan movies are events in their own right. No matter what you may think about the quality of his work, he is an unquestionable genius of form. I saw Trap on Thursday night and had an incredible time; I recommend you see it as soon as possible.
In my post-Trap delirium, my thoughts suddenly drifted toward the Dallas Mavericks. And as I thought more about it, I realized most Mavericks players have a pretty strong Shyamalan counterpart. Last year, during the Barbenheimer craze, I divided the Maverick roster into camps based on who would see each movie. Now, I’ll do something similar, matching the qualities of the players with a Shyamalan film. Let’s get right to it:
Luka Doncic: The Sixth Sense (1999)
This one is a layup. The Sixth Sense was Shyamalan’s big breakthrough, the out-of-nowhere smash hit that established him as a major talent in cinema. Like Shyamalan, Luka Doncic also hit the ground running immediately with his first taste of national spotlight. Both men were called generational talents once the public got acquainted with them. And, on the other side of the coin, both M. Night and Luka have been unfairly criticized by their respective industries after some minor bumps in the road. Also— while Haley Joel Osment’s Cole had the “sixth sense” of seeing dead people, Doncic possesses a similar ability to see the floor as no other basketball player can.
Kyrie Irving: The Village (2004)
The movie that started Shyamalan’s perceived decline, The Village is an extremely divisive work. While its formal brilliance is undeniable, many viewers were turned off by its daring final act, featuring a patented Shyamalan twist. Kyrie Irving knows a thing or two about controversy and big revelations. In The Village, the central characters live in a close, religious community (a sort of “tribe,” even) that believes in a grand conspiracy. It’s an allegory for Bush-era surveillance, a world governed by fear of an unseen enemy. These are all things that Irving would certainly take an interest in. And, like Irving’s singular basketball ability, The Village is awesome and a joy to watch.
Klay Thompson: Old (2021)
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. But this isn’t a dig at Klay or a declaration of his potential washed-ness. Make no mistake about it: in basketball years, Thompson is old. His best days are behind him. However, like the characters in the film (who find themselves on a secluded beach that rapidly accelerates aging), Thompson’s production level has been altered by factors outside his control. His devastating injuries robbed him of his elite defense far sooner than natural regression would have. Klay Thompson was on the Old Beach of professional sports. But just like our heroes from the film, he’s come out the other side with a ton still to give. Old, despite its reputation, is a great movie. And the Thompson signing will be a similarly great move for Dallas.
Dereck Lively II: Signs (2002)
This is my personal favorite Shyamalan film. Does everything happen for a reason? I don’t think Signs answers that question one way or the other, but it does offer beautiful insight into the power of faith, family, and the great unknown. When disaster struck the Mavericks during the 2022-2023 season, it seemed as though all hope was lost. The team was heading toward rock bottom, even after trading for Kyrie Irving, and their only lifeline was a top-10 draft pick they smartly prioritized keeping. Of course, that pick ended up being Dereck Lively II, the definition of a franchise saver. Much like Rory Culkin’s asthma attack in the climax of Signs, a dark and scary experience directly led to a moment of salvation. It’s almost enough to renew your faith in a higher power. Throw in Lively’s alien-like ability to learn and get better on the fly, and this feels like a perfect fit.
PJ Washington: Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Washington was a tough one to draw a comparison to, but I think there are some interesting parallels here. Star Dave Bautista and PJ Washington both started their careers as one thing and underwent a metamorphosis. Many doubted Bautista’s ability to transition from WWE icon to serious film actor. Similarly, NBA fans didn’t believe Washington, who spent his whole career on the perennial bottom-feeding Hornets, could become a winning piece on a contender. But both men proved their doubters wrong. Bautista’s turn in Cabin solidified him as a serious artist, just as Washington’s contributions in 2024 cemented him as a winning player. Washington is also famous for Standing on Business, which is exactly what Bautista’s character does in the film when Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge try to escape their fate.
Dwight Powell: Unbreakable (2000)
Dread it. Run from it. Dwight Powell is inevitable. Many have tried to take him down. He’s been sent through the trade machine more times than any other player in NBA history. He’s been ridiculed, mocked, memed, and shunned. He survived a torn Achilles and got another multi-year contract. Just like David Dunn in Shyamalan’s monumental take on the superhero genre, you cannot hurt Dwight Powell. He cannot feel pain. Watch as he gets smacked in the face at least once per game— it doesn’t phase him. Powell didn’t ask for this power, but he tried to use it for good. While David Dunn used his newfound abilities to solve crimes, Powell used his wealth and influence to give back to the Dallas community. Both are heroes in my book.
Naji Marshall: Split (2016)
After M. Night’s fall from grace in the mid-2000s to early 2010s, he experienced a career resurgence that peaked with the success of Split. In the lead-up to the film, no one knew this was a 16-years-later sequel to Unbreakable. But audiences were delighted with the movie and excited about the tie-in at the end. In a similar vein, Maverick fans did not anticipate losing Derrick Jones Jr. to free agency this summer. However, his replacement (or sequel) is ready to rock in the person of Naji Marshall. And just like James McAvoy’s characters(s), Marshall is incredibly versatile. He can do a bit of everything, and the hope is that he can have the same kind of on-court impact for Dallas as Split did for Shyamalan’s career. Also, Marshall is nicknamed “The Knife” which definitely sounds like one of McAvoy’s psychotic personalities.
Maxi Kleber: Glass (2019)
In the final chapter of the Unbreakable trilogy, Glass gives us an in-depth look at fallen heroes and fragile villains. Unfortunately, Maxi Kleber could be confused for Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass at this juncture of his career. Mr. Glass is always in danger of breaking every bone in his body, just as Kleber is always in danger of missing basketball games due to injury. And when he is on the floor, Kleber is not as effective as he once was as a floor-spacing, shot-blocking menace. His arc is following a David Dunn-esque path. Plus, Glass, like many Shyamalan films, was extremely under-appreciated at the time of its release; but now, smart people recognize it as a strong film. Maxi Kleber can relate to that, too.
Daniel Gafford: Trap (2024)
We’ll keep this one short and sweet because many have not seen Shyamalan’s newest film yet. The Maverick defense is built to funnel ball handlers into a rim protector. You may think you have the defense beat but in reality, the Trap has been set— Daniel Gafford is waiting for you at the rim. And he’s going to block your shot with the ruthlessness of a killer.
Dante Exum: The Happening (2008)
Many consider The Happening to be Shyamalan’s worst film. Personally, I think it’s fine. Definitely not his best, but there’s a lot to like. Dante Exum inspires the same feeling within me: he’s had some memorable moments, I’m glad he’s around, but I won’t defend him with my life. In The Happening, a mysterious, deadly virus wreaks havoc on the Northeastern United States; no one knows what’s causing it or why it’s occurring. There is no explanation, just as there was no explanation for how Exum became completely useless in the 2024 playoffs. Also, Exum was unfairly maligned before going to Europe and reinventing himself; the same thing happened to Shyamalan after this movie and the two that followed (The Last Airbender and After Earth).
Markieff Morris: The Visit (2015)
Morris is on the team because the players respect him as a veteran and elder. The Visit teaches us a thing or two about that. Getting old is terrifying, and the baggage we carry as we age can consume our minds as they deteriorate. In Shyamalan’s film, these ideas are brilliantly woven into a campy horror concept that preys on the audience’s preconceived ideas about the elderly. The 34-year-old Morris has virtually nothing left to give from a basketball perspective. It’s easy to think of him as useless, a waste of a roster spot. But he’s worth keeping around because he’s the grandfather of the team. And like the “grandparents” in The Visit, Morris can unleash a world of hurt as an enforcer if his number is called in that capacity.
Olivier Maxence-Prosper: Lady in the Water (2006)
Lady in the Water was the moment people started to dismiss Shyamalan entirely. And I’ll be honest; it’s one of my least favorites of his filmography. I admire the fantastical elements and appreciate what M. Night was going for, but it doesn’t quite work for me. Olivier Maxence-Prosper suffers from the same mistake Shyamalan made with this movie: he’s out of control and needs to reign it in. There’s still ample time for O-Max to rebound from the disappointing start to his career, just as Shyamalan did after Lady in the Water sent him down a path of denigration by the film-going public. But the situation leaves a lot to be desired as is.
With the second wave of free agency underway, it’s just a matter of time before former Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney finds a new home.
Clowney is one of the most high-profile players left on the open market and easily the best free agent out of Dallas. The former No. 1 overall pick is coming off a season in which he tallied 8.5 sacks, which was tops on the Cowboys.
When it comes to possible landing spots for Clowney, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports “some of his former teams” remain interested in Clowney, although he did not say which squads exactly, which means Dallas could be one of them.
“I gather that some of (Clowney’s) former teams are interested in him, which is pretty easy when you’ve played for as many teams as he’s played for,” Garafolo said. “So, let’s see about Clowney here in the near future.”
Clowney has played for seven different teams during his career, with the Cowboys, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans all on that list.
Would Cowboys re-sign Jadeveon Clowney?
We know Clowney liked his time in Dallas and he would be interested in coming back.
“Oh man, it was great. I enjoyed Dallas, playing on primetime every week. It was a great experience, man, and playing on Thanksgiving and Christmas was special for me. A lot of people watching, a lot of families showing up, and I had a great time playing for Dallas,” Clowney said.
We also know that, despite all the Cowboys’ additions at edge rusher, a team can never have too many. That’s especially true when Dallas has some question marks with their current ones.
The jury is still out on what a rookie in Malachi Lawrence and a second-year player in Donovan Ezeiruaku will be in 2026, and Rashan Gary is no sure thing, either, after he didn’t sack any quarterbacks in the second half of last season.
But owner Jerry Jones didn’t seem like he thought a Clowney return was in the cards after the NFL owners meetings.
“It’s real hard when you look at how Clowney came on last year in the snaps he gave us,” he said. “It’s real hard not to have a place there for Clowney, but you can’t have it all. You just can’t have it all. If things go right for us, we’ve already made a signing, we’ve made trades, we think that’s the better way to go. And, of course, we got the draft. It can very easily answer some of that question.”
There also seemed to be an indication that one of the reasons Clowney might not re-sign in Dallas is because he isn’t a good scheme fit in Christian Parker’s defense.
“He led the Cowboys in sacks last season and in January seemed like a prime candidate they would like to retain. But the move to a new scheme with DC Christian Parker seems like the Cowboys will look to other edge players first without completely shutting the door on Clowney’s return,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote.
The veteran would definitely push back on that notion, though.
“I walk in every year and play well on every scheme and every team I’ve been on,” Clowney said. “I want to continue to do that going into year 13. Showing people wrong and proving that I can still play at a high level. It don’t matter where I end up, where I play at, just know I’m coming to show you again and prove people wrong again.”
Whatever the case may be, it would appear based on Garafolo’s reporting that there is at least a chance Dallas might be a team interested in bringing Clowney back. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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Dylan Santos Green
The Strokes, the Grammy-winning band whose music dominated rock music in the early and mid-2000s (and likely still dominates your bad Hinge dates’ playlists), announced a world tour to pair with their forthcoming album, Reality Awaits. Strokers, as the band’s cult following calls itself, were disappointed when Texas was left off the map. The closest they’re coming is Manchester, Tennessee, for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival — 725 miles, or a 10-and-a-half-hour drive away, if you contemplated it. But Different Strokes, a local Strokes cover band, is playing a much closer and much more affordable show at Granada Theater on Friday, May 8.
Different Strokes, comprised of Dallas musicians Cory Graves, Dev Wulf, Hunter Cannon, Eric Nichelson and Colin Beams, is breaking a two-year hiatus, returning to the stage ready to rip “Reptilia.” The band, which formed 10 years ago, was derailed by Graves’ frequent commitments to his full-time gig playing with the Vandoliers. But Graves left the cowpunk band earlier this year, meaning it was time to get the (cover) band back together.
“I called all the guys back, and everyone was really excited,” Graves tells us. He says it took them little time to find a venue to host, but the timing of Granada adding them to the calendar was chismet.
“We booked this Granada show several months ago, and as soon as we posted, the Strokes announced a new album and tour, and we had no idea,” he says. “It’s just really good timing for us. There’s no dates anywhere around here, and all I see is people on [the Strokes] Facebook pages complaining.”
Hopeful Strokers prayed the band might be announced as a headliner for Austin City Limits, though they topped the bill in 2025. To the dismay of leather jacket-wearing Texans, though, the lineup released this week does not include Julian Casablancas and company (though it does include Dallas’ own Cure for Paranoia). This leaves Different Strokes as the best available option for anybody in the Southwestern United States who wants to feel the rush of those opening chords on “What Ever Happened” live.
Casablancas must have a really severe aversion to good barbecue and a wide-brimmed hat, because the Strokes haven’t played in Dallas since a show at the Globe Life Field in 2022. Before that, it had been two decades since their last show in the region at the now-demolished Bronco Bowl in Oak Cliff in 2002, when the band only had one album out.
Plus, Different Strokes won’t play any of the deep cuts you don’t like, and all the ones you do.
“Their fans are so culty and rabid that we do get a lot of requests for super obscure deep cuts,” Graves says. “You never get that with another band.”
They certainly won’t skip the 2000s radio hits that’ve been removed from the real Strokes arena tour setlist, either.
“This band already has a fan base, so you show up and everyone’s pleased to hear these things that they already love so much and just maybe don’t get to see all the time,” Graves says. “In the case of The Strokes, if you see [them], they’re going to play a stadium. You’re going to pay hundreds of dollars for a ticket. You’re not going to be able to stand front row with The Strokes probably, but you can come right up to the stage for us.”
Ahead of the show, the cover band has added the latest Strokes’ release to their repertoire, rehearsing Reality Awaits’ lead single, “Going Shopping,” last week in preparation. It was their first rehearsal in years, but the dust brushed away easily, and they’d already played a secret and surprise set at the Seegars Deli opening a week before, with zero preparation.
“We played 50 people or something, just to kind of shake off the nerves,” Graves says. “We didn’t rehearse for that one. We all just showed up and expected each other to know the part. It was good reassurance that we still had it.”
Graves and other members of Different Strokes have had run-ins with real members of the Strokes band, smoking cigarettes with drummer Fabrizio “Fab” Moretti outside a show in Deep Ellum for his side project, Little Joy, in 2008, and chatting with lead guitarist Nicholas Valensi after his solo show at Trees in 2016. The latter Strokes member jokingly recommended the guys of Different Strokes buy wigs to really sell it.
And though cover bands get a bad rep, Graves, a seasoned, internationally touring musician who contributed to five Vandoliers albums, says they’re undeniably fun to play in.
“Cover bands are kind of divisive. When musicians are young, they take themselves way too seriously,” he says. “You get to a certain point where you’re older, and you don’t care as much about the posturing. Cover bands are just really super fun. There’s no stress, there’s no pressure.”
Different Strokes will play at Granada Theater on May 8 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. The band will only be playing music by The Strokes, but they will not be wearing wigs.
It’s hard to find much fault at all with the Dallas Cowboys draft class this season.
Dallas shored up three of their biggest holes on defense by selecting safety Caleb Downs, EDGE Malachi Lawrence, and linebacker Jaishawn Barham with their first three picks. They also added another linebacker, bringing in veteran Dee Winters in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
We already dove into which selection was our favorite from the class, which was an easy decision. Downs checks every box and has been called a perfect fit for new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Least favorite pick has nothing to do with talent
Choosing Downs was easy when it came to a favorite pick, but deciding on which one is the least favorite is far more difficult. Dallas maximized value and filled needs at every position, but if there was one pick that had question marks, it was Devin Moore, the Florida cornerback who was taken at No. 114 in Round 4.
To be upfront, there’s nothing to dislike about Moore as a player. He’s a talented boundary cornerback and he proved himself against some of the elite players in the SEC. The only true concern is his injury history.
While Moore played in 11 games this past season, he never suited up for more than seven in his three previous campaigns. He missed roughly 20 games due to injuries, with shoulder issues ending his 2022 and 2024 campaigns early. Prior to the draft, Dane Brugler said Moore’s injury history is a “major red flag.”
Devin Moore could prove the doubters wrong
Despite the red flags, Brugler saw a player with “rare height and body length,” making him someone to keep an eye on.
The Cowboys decided it was worth the roll of the dice, but it’s not an easy gamble to make. Dallas saw multiple cornerbacks battle injuries in 2025, including DaRon Bland. They were unable to turn to 2025 third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr. as he was rehabbing a torn ACL.
That’s what makes this the “least favorite” selection, even though Moore has the talent to make the pick look brilliant.
Cowboys have shaky history when gambling on injury concerns
Of course, it’s going to be hard to sell fans on a player with so many injuries in the past.
Dallas hasn’t had a great track record when gambling in this department. They’re still waiting on Revel, but have also struck out with their own players.
In 2022, Michael Gallup signed a five-year, $62.5 million extension while recovering from a torn ACL. He was never the same player, and was released following the 2023 season.
They also bet on Terence Steele following a torn ACL suffered in 2022. He signed a new deal ahead of the 2023 season, landing a five-year, $86.8 million extension. While Steele has had more success than Gallup, he hasn’t lived up to that contract and has struggled to regain the form he had before the knee injury.
The good news with Moore is that it’s not a knee issue, and he isn’t on a massive contract. Still, there’s some risk here and it’s at a position where they need less risk.
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