06-22-2021, 03:14 PM
(06-22-2021, 02:48 PM)HanspardsShowerVoice Wrote: I think the Suns/Booker vs. Mavs/Luka comparison is a worthwhile one to follow through on ... but let's to a real Apples to Apples comparison
The Suns are 3 seasons longer into their building process around Booker than the Mavs are with Luka.
The Suns winning percentage with Booker vs. Mavs with Luka...
Booker Year 1: 28%
Booker Year 2: 29%
Booker Year 3: 26%
Booker Year 4: 23%
Booker Year 5: 47%
Booker Year 6: 71%
Luka Year 1: 46%
Luka Year 2: 57%
Luka Year 3: 58%
The Suns built a young foundation around Booker, because they pretty much sucked for 5 years straight after they drafted Booker and stockpiled lottery picks where they surrounded Booker with Ayton, Cam Johnson and Bridges (and went through the normal success rate on lottery picks with the Josh Jackson and Dragan Bender whiffs). Then with that young foundation in place and feeling they were ready to the big high risk trade bringing in Chris Paul to put them over the top. But this didn't happen until the Suns were in their 5th year with Booker
On the otherhand, Luka was so good so fast that the Mavs rebuilding timeline was sped up by 2-4 years. Drafting in the lottery wasn't feasible by Luka's 2nd year, and it pushed the timeline up where the Mavs were making their high risk gambles by Luka's 2nd year when they traded for KP to try to put the Mavs in title contention by Luka's 3rd year.
This is why I bring up that Luka has been an absolute miracle for the Mavs, but it also pushed up the Mavs rebuilding timeline to such a degree that they haven't been able to build around him in a conventional manner.
Great points absolutely. And what is the winning percentage the year before Lukas and Bookers 1st year? That would be great to add in the overview to see how much these players improved their teams first years or at least contributed to that.
Many Hawks fans now saying that Luka didnt improve Mavs and his teammates. That is absolute BS. The winning percentage the year before Luka was less and Mavs were not a playoffteam. Luka improved the team dramatically and as your chart shows each year both the team but also Lukas game has developed. Now Mavs are a regular playoffteam and I agree stronger than either Hawks or Suns. That Luka doesnt improve teammates is also complete BS. I can name THJ, Seth, Brunson, Maxi, DFS, Powell, Boban all that have played to their absolute best in their career, next to Luka. All of them becoming names in the league and gaining value. And those players love playing with Luka that much is clear.