PLAYOFF WCF GAME 3: GSW (3-0) vs. DAL (0-3) | 100-109 loss

[mvossman]

I think there are two big arguments for "Team Patient" (Or team "Mostly Patient," I think we all agree we need a starting center and backup wing next year)

1. This team is not that far from being able to beat the Warriors. I think it's plausible that this same team with Holmes and Batum added, and another year of experience, is beating the Warriors right now. The immediate need right now is depth, and all-in moves don't add depth, they deplete it (in favor of top-level talent acquisition). Any time your team plays beyond expectations, you also want to be careful not to upset chemistry-- we've seen just this year how important that can be with the addition-by-subtraction of KP.

2. The Mavs' asset-bank is probably about as low as it can get right now. THJ is coming off an injury, Dinwiddie and Bertans still have several years left, Green might never be worth anything, and we can't even think about sending future picks without tipping New York for the privilege of removing the protection on our '22 (that itself would be a risky move, even if complete disaster is unlikely). Furthermore, is that final piece really available right now? Someone who is undeniably worth going all-in for?

In my mind, the final piece for this team is a three-level scorer, who particularly excels at off-ball shooting, but can also punish teams who overplay him on the perimeter. In addition, he should be at least as long and proficient on defense as Bullock. I can't view Gobert as the final piece, because he doesn't make us better on offense, and in fact might hinder us from playing Luka's (and Brunson's) best, ideal form of 5-out offense.

Good post.  This where I am at the moment.  Priorities are:

1.  Sign Brunson (any other scenario is disaster)

2.  Get big depth.  We have several expiring contracts, the 22 first at draft night, the TPE and the tax MLE.  If you are sending the pick it needs to be young depth.

3.  Get wing depth.  Not sure we will have the resources to do this after getting big depth but it would be nice.  In the above scenario I am not sending out THJ which would help, and Green and Frank have possibility to improve so there are internal options for this.