I agree with Scott. I think JB continues to be way better than some of you realize -- and that his ability and impact in DAL was very instrumental to how far they progressed. (I also think he will continue to improve.)
That's not to say they CAN'T somehow move forward after losing him. But we can't just blithely whistle past the graveyard and assume it will happen. He became such a KEY cog in their ability, especially on offense, because he was a very efficient creator of offense. Can bring the ball up the floor and initiate the offense, very effective production, elite shooting percentages, incredibly few turnovers, ability to score under pressure, can get to the rim and break down the defense. That took a lot of pressure off of Luka.
That's not to say they CAN'T somehow move forward after losing him. But we can't just blithely whistle past the graveyard and assume it will happen. He became such a KEY cog in their ability, especially on offense, because he was a very efficient creator of offense. Can bring the ball up the floor and initiate the offense, very effective production, elite shooting percentages, incredibly few turnovers, ability to score under pressure, can get to the rim and break down the defense. That took a lot of pressure off of Luka.