01-14-2024, 02:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-14-2024, 02:36 PM by KillerLeft.)
(01-14-2024, 02:13 PM)DallasMaverick Wrote: Christian Wood comparison?
Sure, that's another example.
A little different, because he came from nowhere, relative to someone going #2 overall. Meaning, the "learning as he goes, rough around the edges" was sort of implied with him from the jump as something he was hopefully growing out of. Having said that, Wood is an example both proving and disproving the Bagley point, in my view.
He's similar in that every time he comes up or moves to a new team, there are fans convinced that he's about to break out if/when he gets the right chance, and so far, every one of those fans (if they're honest) ends up having to admit that there's something that just doesn't work with him. I wanted the Mavs to sign him when he was first free and signed in Houston. I was excited when the Mavs traded for him. I still believe the coach could've done some things differently to give him a slightly better chance of succeeding, but ultimately, it's clear it wasn't going to succeed, and I suspect it's mostly about "behind the scenes uber-annoyingness" with a pinch of "refuses to buy into the role he's given"...regardless, it's on HIM at the end of the day. There's always someone waiting to take your spot and your opportunity in the NBA.
He's different than Bagley in that even now, amidst another season on yet another team wherein he's being yo-yo'd in and out of the rotation with a HUGE number of DNP-coach's decisions, there are still some respectable basketball minds out there pointing out data in certain lineup groups in which he seems to be quite a positive, making the case that he should play. I'm not saying they're right, but they exist. I literally cannot remember the last time I read anything from anyone real that was remotely positive about Marvin Bagley II. Idk, maybe I'm just missing it.
(01-14-2024, 02:21 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote:
Even if everything you say is true, it would still have been smarter to just waive him and eat the $12.5M for next year. This deal is Javale McGee levels of stupid.
Fair enough. I haven't popped the hood on the trade much, and I'm definitely not wanting to vouch for Detroit's front office in a general sense.