01-16-2021, 05:55 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-16-2021, 05:58 PM by KillerLeft.)
(01-16-2021, 05:27 PM)mavsluvr Wrote: I must say, I don't really understand why KP seems so anxious. It's not like his spot on the team is in any kind of question. They'll give him whatever time he needs to ramp back up. Carlisle tried to get the media to understand it from KP's point of view, talking a little about how he is so desperate to help the team, and so on, but it just sounded like a reflexive attempt to shield KP from possible criticism.
I puzzled over this for 5-10 minutes last night, too.
In addition to your point about "his spot on the team" I'd add that he already got his contract. His generational wealth is secured, and while we as fans tend to just write off concerns about this in a sort of "well, all of these guys get paid, so it's whatever" kind of way, my sense was that a bit of doubt over whether he'd get his max contract was very much a contributing factor to the souring of his relationship with the Knicks.
Think about it: the rumor was that he wanted to play earlier than he should have, and that they were holding him back (the right decision). Then, he gets traded to Dallas, where he immediately began to sing the chorus of "I'll be back as soon as it's safe, but for now I need to continue rehabbing" right there along with team officials. My assumption has long been that Cuban assuaged any fear KP might've had about his future by promising the max contract extension upfront, and that this must have been something Knicks management were unwilling or unable to do. My guess is that doubling down on a "let's wait and see what's appropriate financially when the time comes" approach, combined with confirmation that a chance to prove himself on the court wasn't coming soon is likely what actually happened during that fateful meeting with NY management on the day Porzingis was traded here. I believe the rumors that Dolan was unwilling to offer Durant a max to come rehab in NY for a year support my read on things regarding Porzingis.
So, given that KP's role on a good team and his financial future are both more than secure, what, indeed, are we to make of this start? I can think of two possibilities (though there might be more I haven't thought of):
1) The exact reasoning that Carlisle gave, word for word. It does make sense IF KP is the type of guy who puts team first. He wants to win, and feels guilty for not having been healthy enough during his time here to contribute enough, so far.
2) Maybe a liiiiiittttttle bit of jealousy regarding his status vs. Luka's? I mean, going from NY to Dallas has got to be a shock in some ways, especially ways that affect celebrity. The transition from being the face of any franchise to the second banana on any other franchise could be a factor, too. Mix in the fact that Luka is 21 and possibly not all that humble behind the scenes, and I can imagine that for many people, KP's last two years might be challenging on a personal level.
Goodness, I sure hope number 1 is closer to what's going on.
Either way, my guess is that two weeks from now Mavs will be on another win streak, hopefully with all their complement of players available. Porzingis will be playing well by then, and we'll all have forgotten about this.