2021-2022 MAVS NEWS: 4th in West | WCF loss [ARCHIVED]

[Jommybone]

I get your frustration, but I think I have a little different take. As a preface, I don't have a dog in this hunt -- just trying to convey a sense of what is being reported. 

Regarding your comments --

1. Bob has admitted his abrasive personality isn't for everyone. Did say that he tried to fit in at first, until Cuban made it clear that was exactly what Cuban didn't want him to do. Said Cuban knew there were deficiencies in the organization, and specifically wanted Bob to call them out. 

2.  Not sure I understand what you are saying there. Believe his point was that Bob had input, but no one dictated anything to Carlisle except Cuban. [Other sources have suggested that Rick thought he "had" to follow Bob's recommendations absent a clear reason not to. We don't have enough information to judge that one way or another, but that very fact is an indication that there were some organizational problems with communication.]

3. Donnie was not technically a source for Cato, according to Bob. However, Bob thinks that someone with Donnie's blessing chose to execute a "suicide" mission with those leaks and take Bob down with him. To my mind, Bob's one-sided report is just one more piece of information seeming to indicate a certain level of organizational dysfunction. 


I am certainly not here to be an apologist for ESPN, but I wouldn't characterize this as an "attack" on Mavs management. Many fans find these front-office issues interesting, and I think they were just reporting Bob's views on the matter. If Donnie would agree to an interview, I'm sure they would be equally happy to relay his side of the situation. I didn't get a sense that ESPN was expressing a view of its own, for or against Cuban. I think it's hard to really fault a news organization for reporting the news. 

Of course, I think I understand why you consider this type of article distasteful, and you are certainly well within your rights to stop clicking on those links. In my mind, the continued reporting of this situation isn't just rehashing the past, since it is somewhat of a baseline for determining to what extent these problems are solved by the changes in personnel or whether they still remain.

You are a reasonable dude, always it seems. Which is saying something on an anonymous discussion board. 

And it’s hard to disagree with moderate, reasonable positions. Like your take that my use of the word “attack” seems a bit off. 

But I disagree with the general theme of what you’re saying nonetheless. At least as I’m reading it. On opening night, the team with the leading MVP candidate gets a lead article that has nothing to do with the game of basketball or the upcoming season but instead focuses on drama and disfunction in basketball operations. That’s targeting. In football, there’d be a flag and an ejection.

Is the article interesting? Sure. Is it news? Of course. And it’s their job to manufacture clicks. So how can I fault them?

I get it. It’s also news which basketball players are dating Kardashians. And it generates clicks. So whatever. It’s 2021. I can live and let live with all this. But I don’t have to like it. 

I also find it remarkable that Bob’s word parsing seems to be given credence in the article and in your post. When Luka asks who is in charge, Rick or Bob, it is not an adequate response to say, “It’s not me, it’s my data.” Neither is it adequate to point to the org chart and say “I’m just a consultant.” Pointing to several recent occasions on which Rick disregarded Bob’s advice (er, Bob’s data’s advice) might be persuasive. But the bald assertion that RC declined “some” suggestions is no denial. 

And I don’t blame Bob for this. Plainly its the head coach’s fault when the team’s best player is questioning whether he is really in charge. Or, as was more likely the case, challenging him for being too deferential. I only blame Bob for being a jackass. 

And I don’t blame the reporters for publishing this shit. Like Geico, if you’re an internet reporter, it’s what you do. I only blame them for lacking analytical skills and the wherewithal to write an interesting piece that is actually about the game. 

For those of you who made it this far, thanks for listening to an old man’s rant.