(11-15-2023, 07:46 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Powell has only played more than 15 MPG in a play-off series once in his whole Mavs career. It´s not like the coaches trusted him, when it really mattered. The Mavs were just a team of overachieving regular season specialists for the last 12 years. Everybody knew their overall talent level was never sufficient to do anything in the play-offs. This team might be different due to the massive difference Luka being in shape and Kyrie being well behaved could make. 

Some things though are still lacking and size/athletism are a huge part of it. 

Love Seth Curry, but he doesn´t even look like a steal at $4M. He looks like an 33 year old undersized SG that doesn´t have the quickness to get his shot off against longer players. He´s shooting 25% from the field and 17% from three. He´s virtually unplayable at the moment. I´d like to see some AJ Lawson in those situations. He clearly gains nothing from playing G-League anymore. Shot 59/50/100 in his seasonal debut there. He´s a career 40% 3pt shooter in the NBA too on a limited sample size. Right now the bar is playing better defense than Seth Curry and shooting better than 25/17/83.

(11-16-2023, 03:28 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: @sixfivelando
Derrick Jones Jr. has four 15+ point games this season. He has played in 12 games.

He had four 15+ point games the previous three seasons.

(11-16-2023, 08:30 AM)Chicagojk Wrote:  
Also, there was and were good posters here who said how Kidd handled Wood last year was a fireable offense.  It looks like Wood is settling in as a 15 minute a game player (with the Lakers still missing Vanderbilt).  We will see if that changes.
 

(11-16-2023, 08:30 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: Is it to early to admit being wrong about DJJ (me included)?  Maybe it is a short sample but when he was announced as a starter, I had no idea he would be this good.    It is a long season though.

Also, there was and were good posters here who said how Kidd handled Wood last year was a fireable offense.  It looks like Wood is settling in as a 15 minute a game player (with the Lakers still missing Vanderbilt).  We will see if that changes.

Lastly, right now would the Mavs lose a straight up Hardaway for Capela trade right now with how Hardaway has played so far this year?

Again, long season and these may not  age well, but still.

(11-16-2023, 09:08 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: Wood in LA is a fascinating study.  He's playing almost exclusively at the four.  Either AD or Hayes is almost always in when he plays.  His personal numbers are basically career worst in most categories (especially offensive categories).  But, the team is winning his minutes by a massive margin.  LA is +7.2 when he's on the floor and the On-Minus-Off is +17.7.  The only other time that he's been an on-court positive in his career was that last season in Detroit where he also got most of his minutes at PF.    

The LA coaches have figured out how to make the team around Wood successful.  Given his history, I suspect the scoring efficiency and usage will eventually return.  Will that be a good thing from a team success perspective?  Obviously, the efficiency would be a good thing.  It will be interesting to see how his usage and the on-court success intertwine as things move forward.

(11-18-2023, 05:27 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: So why is the D trending backwards?  Do you think this team currently constructed can get to league average?  With their offense, things could get really interesting if they find a way to get to 15th in defense.   

Do you think the more Lively and some of the newer players play together they can fill in the gaps?

(11-18-2023, 05:27 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: So why is the D trending backwards?  Do you think this team currently constructed can get to league average?  With their offense, things could get really interesting if they find a way to get to 15th in defense.   

Do you think the more Lively and some of the newer players play together they can fill in the gaps?

(11-19-2023, 02:51 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: 2 pieces needed to make this team a real serious threat come April. If Nico can somehow pull an OG while keeping most of the core then you got to run with it. Green+Hardy are on the table as well as the 2027 first.

(11-19-2023, 09:34 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: I am out of the loop on trading for a center.  Is there a center you have in mind?  The issue is the mavs don’t have many assets or expirings.  So for any starting level center they most likely use up valuable assets.  I am in the mind of keeping your assets for that big wing while trying to pick up a stopgap at center if the team feels Holmes can’t help them.

Vucevic?  He probably won’t cost a ton.  But again the mavs don’t have an expiring or extra picks.  Chicago would probably hold out for an unprotected first from us.  If they don’t get it, I am sure another team could beat our offer.

(11-19-2023, 06:35 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: OG is CAA.  He won't extend.  There is NO WAY Dallas will trade for him and be subject to him walking this summer.  A trade this summer?  Maybe.  But, it won't happen in season.  Might as well let that one go.

BTW, I do think Olynyk would help.  I don't think Drummond does much for us.  He won't be able to stay on the floor in the playoffs any more than Powell.  He's just a different kind of mediocre.

(11-19-2023, 10:16 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: I was just looking at Vuc. I do think if he could model his career arc to match Brook Lopez, he would be amazing here (mostly scorer to mostly defender). He was the starting C for the #5 defense in the league last year. So there might be a little hope?

My post was about finding a player to at least match what we get from Lively, and trying to figure out what he does that is beyond what bringing in a hard working tall C with good instincts is. It was meant to slow that snowball roll of “Lively is a starter, period”. If Lively is the better choice to start? GREAT! Bravo! Just give him competition, cause as of now, there is not 1 C (even Maxi) that is competition for the starting spot. I also don’t really care about the actual competition, I care about having much more of the things Lively does for this team on the court for much more than half the game.

As far as a list of guys I think fit what I’m talking about? I posted one previously. I could add Vuc to it due to how available (and relatively cheap) I think he might be as a try out. Each has varying degrees of availability, impact and cost and none of them are in order of want. Gafford, Hartenstein, Capela, Vuc, Stewart, Allen, and Zubac. Get 1 of those guys, and I’m willing to give the 27 (or at this point Green), and I think we’re a ton closer to championship contenders. I’m sure there are others that would fit, especially some of the younger players, Sims is intriguing to me for instance.

Get the correct starting SF in the offseason when we have even more ammo than now to do so and next season I think we compete with the best teams in the league as sure-fire contenders.