(01-31-2021, 03:50 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Ahhhh...there it is. Different conversation.
I think Dirks prime ended in 2011. I know there are advanced stats that disagree, but I watched the games, and never quite felt he was a superstar ever again. I don't really blame the MBT for much during that time, other than breaking up the title team and then not simply choosing to rebuild soon after. I can totally agree that some HORRIBLE decisions were made during that post championship era, but I think they were symptoms of not really knowing how to reset the franchise (without Dirk retiring).
It´s actually pretty simple. The MBT sucks at the execution of the most basic NBA moves.
Here is a short story from 2019
Mavs sign Delon Wright + two 2nd round picks at the cost of $9M
Grizzlies acquire Andre Igoudala + an virtually unprotected Warriors 1st round pick at the cost of $16M
Twelve months later the Mavs traded Delon Wright + two 2nd round picks for cap relief.
So when it is all set and done the Mavs lost four second round picks to be empty-handed, while the Grizzlies have gained a 1st round pick to be empty-handed.
Oh and that´s before we even mention the rumour that later the Mavs tried to actually acquire Igoudala via trade from the Grizzlies.
For a damn decade, every single summer the Mavs could have eaten bad contracts for picks and gotten players just as good as the 2nd rate leftover FAs they eventually settled for. For 10 years they could have collected picks over picks over picks for the moment a Doncic needed a Beal.
Can you think of a single trade in 20 years of Cuban, where we took on a bad contract for picks?
I honestly believe in 2000 Cuban was an enthusiastic mediocre owner and Nelson was an enthusiastic mediocre GM in a room full of utter morons. Then over the last 20 years more and more of these morons left the room and were replacement with smart people. Now the mediocre guys have become the morons.