BACKGROUND THOUGHTS ON ROSTER NEEDS AND CHOICES
While it doesn't really help to remake the roster at the moment, my belief is that a huge part of the Mavs issues stem from the fact that their franchise's ability in player evaluation and player development has been anemic. And that's probably because Cuban decided early on that he wanted to build a faster way, through trades (players already developed by other teams) rather than by the hard slow work of sifting through prospects, developing an eye for potential, drafting smartly, scouring the GL and end of rosters for overlooked prospects, and then figuring out how to mold that potential into an NBAer.
They found one every so often, but it's been very sporadic. There has been no pipeline regularly feeding the roster and reducing the need for desperate trades and overpriced free agents to fill way too many holes. However, when there was no real spending limit, they could just keep adding salary until something clicked, and eventually reached the top.
But with the 2011 changes, and with Cuban deciding to be frugal, that spending freedom stopped. And the large pool of talent they had gathered was frittered away, eroding rather than being sustained and replaced.
Unfortunately, that didn't come with a pivot to the evaluation-development model. Instead they just took fewer shots at desperate trades and overpriced free agents. And the result has been a real shortage of talent.
Getting some young players in the mix isn't the actual answer - it has to be a combo of being able to get the RIGHT players, and also knowing how to develop them into useful NBA help.
I want to see a path forward now that's promising, but I see nothing in these new hires to suggest a change in approach. I was hoping they would grab a guy with a track record of producing a productive player pipeline, but they instead are going to be trying to develop a GM from raw potential rather than an expert in finding and developing young talent who can fill needs.
SO WHERE DO THEY GO FROM HERE?
With this approach, the only real immediate answer is another star at the top of the roster, who then makes other players better just by the fact that they are asked to do less, and can stay within their strengths. Your #2 guy before is now #3 and competing with 3rd bests, rather than 2nd bests. Take that all the way down the roster, and suddenly everyone is "better" in their role. Getting that 2nd star changes everything; but if they can't get that done, I fear the available options Cuban and friends opt for will be like putting lipstick on a pig.
I'd literally strip the roster and all assets to get that guy. Role players can be replaced. But they have no path to add a star.
Star or no star, I still would hope they will turn to an EMPHASIS on scouting, evaluation, development, drafting, etc to create that desperately-needed pipeline of young and affordable talent. Be the best, not just get by. That would take some time - it's not an instant answer. But if they don't do everything they can to go down that road, we'll be sitting here in 5 years with the same issues and the same lack of answers. Even with another star, you need that pipeline to fill the roster with affordable players, and the knowledge you can trade some of them and then go find and develop more.
While it doesn't really help to remake the roster at the moment, my belief is that a huge part of the Mavs issues stem from the fact that their franchise's ability in player evaluation and player development has been anemic. And that's probably because Cuban decided early on that he wanted to build a faster way, through trades (players already developed by other teams) rather than by the hard slow work of sifting through prospects, developing an eye for potential, drafting smartly, scouring the GL and end of rosters for overlooked prospects, and then figuring out how to mold that potential into an NBAer.
They found one every so often, but it's been very sporadic. There has been no pipeline regularly feeding the roster and reducing the need for desperate trades and overpriced free agents to fill way too many holes. However, when there was no real spending limit, they could just keep adding salary until something clicked, and eventually reached the top.
But with the 2011 changes, and with Cuban deciding to be frugal, that spending freedom stopped. And the large pool of talent they had gathered was frittered away, eroding rather than being sustained and replaced.
Unfortunately, that didn't come with a pivot to the evaluation-development model. Instead they just took fewer shots at desperate trades and overpriced free agents. And the result has been a real shortage of talent.
Getting some young players in the mix isn't the actual answer - it has to be a combo of being able to get the RIGHT players, and also knowing how to develop them into useful NBA help.
I want to see a path forward now that's promising, but I see nothing in these new hires to suggest a change in approach. I was hoping they would grab a guy with a track record of producing a productive player pipeline, but they instead are going to be trying to develop a GM from raw potential rather than an expert in finding and developing young talent who can fill needs.
SO WHERE DO THEY GO FROM HERE?
With this approach, the only real immediate answer is another star at the top of the roster, who then makes other players better just by the fact that they are asked to do less, and can stay within their strengths. Your #2 guy before is now #3 and competing with 3rd bests, rather than 2nd bests. Take that all the way down the roster, and suddenly everyone is "better" in their role. Getting that 2nd star changes everything; but if they can't get that done, I fear the available options Cuban and friends opt for will be like putting lipstick on a pig.
I'd literally strip the roster and all assets to get that guy. Role players can be replaced. But they have no path to add a star.
Star or no star, I still would hope they will turn to an EMPHASIS on scouting, evaluation, development, drafting, etc to create that desperately-needed pipeline of young and affordable talent. Be the best, not just get by. That would take some time - it's not an instant answer. But if they don't do everything they can to go down that road, we'll be sitting here in 5 years with the same issues and the same lack of answers. Even with another star, you need that pipeline to fill the roster with affordable players, and the knowledge you can trade some of them and then go find and develop more.