(10-11-2023, 09:42 PM)surfpuckmd Wrote: I don't think our outlook should be that bad based on preseason but I do understand your concerns. I believe our roster is better than last season so as long as Luka gives us 65 games, we should win more than 40 games this season.
I do think it's fascinating that Richaun Holmes and Maxi look bad thus far. We dramatically banished Christian Wood then JaVale from our roster. Mark Cuban insulted them on their way out. They may both make contributions to better teams than ours this season. We've got Dwight and a 19-year old rookie as our most viable center tandem. That's clearly our weakest position. Christian Wood on a 2-year $10 million dollar deal would be pretty comforting right now. At the least, we should be looking for a center to take the last 2-way contract. If Dwight is injured or Lively busts, we might even need to make an emergency call to Hassan Whiteside wherever he is in China.
If Luka only plays 65 games, no way this team wins 40 games. Mavs aren't good enough to have their top 5 player in the world sit up to 17 games with this roster. To me, that's wishful thinking. Then, factor in Kyrie at 70 games best case, this has the potential to go downhill quickly. I want to enjoy the season and the growth of the young team, but I don't expect a playoff birth this season and people that do, are likely to be disappointed. The West is stacked and unless Luka/Kyrie play 70-75 games (won't happen), no playoffs for this team.