(12-02-2022, 11:56 PM)Kammrath Wrote: LAL is 7-2 in their last 9 and about to catch the Mavs....

(12-02-2022, 07:25 PM)vfromlmf Wrote: I'm still in wait and see mode on this tbh. 

Kidd is clearly tinkering with lineups and still working stuff out. He's also a recent superstar player himself, who knows it's a long season and might not really care all that much about a loss to an undermanned team in November. This team's success, or failure will be judged on the playoffs.

Of course, they have to make it to the playoffs first and you'll count me among those  carrying pitchforks if they don't. But I'm confident they will. There is no superteam in the West as far as I can tell and does it really matter if the Mavs first round opponent is Phoenix, the Clippers, the Nuggets or the Warriors? Those are all top veteran teams who will be hard to beat, regardless. 

And don't look now but there are some young upstart teams - Pelicans, Grizz, Kings! - who are actually above some of those teams. I don't fear young teams at all. Dallas has Memphis' number and no other teams are playoff tested. The Wolves look easily beatable (does anyone buy the KAT Gobert pairing?).  The Blazers are a dark horse to surprise some people but honestly the West is a crapshoot. Kidd knows this.

So why would he go to the whip in November? Or even December? 

Clearly the Mavs still have to sort some things out, and they may yet make a trade but if the playoffs started tomorrow with Dallas as a 7 or 8 seed versus Phoenix or Denver? I say lace 'em up and let's go.  Dallas still employs the top three players in MPG from the WCF team and 9 of the top 10 overall. 

Yes, Brunson is missing 33 min and 18 points ... but in THJ's last playoffs he averaged 37 min and 17 points on fewer shots than JB ... and you also have Wood. Dinwiddie and Luka will both play 40+ MPG and Green is better, so two playmakers issue in the playoffs is solved.

To be clear, I'm not saying this year's team is better than last season's team. Brunson was special. But this team will be very good when the games matter and a really tough out against anyone in the West. They just need to play their best players "playoff minutes" and tighten up on defense.

**EDIT: If Reggie still can't shoot by March please forget I wrote this.

(12-03-2022, 10:47 AM)Kammrath Wrote: Sounds like JB is conceding that he didn't give the Mavs a chance and that ship had sailed at an earlier date.

(12-03-2022, 10:55 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: You must be talking with Jalen via FaceTime or Skype right now, because there is no chance that tweet got you to this conclusion.

(12-03-2022, 10:59 AM)Kammrath Wrote: You think he is calling Nico a liar? That was the worst job of calling Nico a liar if that is what he was doing.

(12-03-2022, 11:03 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: No, I think he opted to say something nice about Harrison and sidestep the question. I think that because that's what he did.

(12-03-2022, 11:14 AM)Kammrath Wrote: But he has had MANY opportunities to say he wanted to be in Dallas and that if they would have stepped up to the plate, he would have signed. But he has refused to go there. Because Jalen is a good guy and doesn't want to lie. He is a really truthful guy.

(12-03-2022, 11:21 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: they came in with his biggest monetary offer

(12-03-2022, 11:25 AM)Kammrath Wrote: We do know the Mavs didn't want to go over a certain threshhold, BUT they wanted a final meeting with him (possibly to up that offer) and he refused to give them a chance to match or better the offer. 

BOTH things can be true:

1) Cuban is cheap and desperately did NOT want to pay more than $XX,XXX,XXX.

2) Cuban in the 11th hour realized that losing JB for nothing would be a disaster from an asset standpoint and therefore was willing to go higher, but at that point money wasn't going to change JB's mind.

(12-03-2022, 11:25 AM)Kammrath Wrote: 2) Cuban in the 11th hour realized that losing JB for nothing would be a disaster from an asset standpoint and therefore was willing to go higher, but at that point money wasn't going to change JB's mind.

(12-03-2022, 11:29 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: Cuban would've gotten those details out by now...it would be in his interest to be fairly clear if that were the case. 

(12-03-2022, 11:35 AM)Kammrath Wrote: He did, like three different reporters spoke of how the Mavs were never given a chance to make a final offer to JB. Stein included. There was never a "number" given, but the chance for a true, final offer was rescinded by JB.

(12-03-2022, 11:43 AM)Kammrath Wrote: @"KillerLeft"

As soon as NYK was willing to offer the max THEY could, JB was in with them. He knew they couldn't beat a Mavs max offer, but he wanted to be in NYK and have them show it. 

https://twitter.com/NYPost_Berman/status/1542623926676774913