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

[F Gump]

Just curious, because you seem to have done a 180º turn on this: Are you getting info not all of us can access on this, or are you just going off of what's been said publicly? I mean, don't you think they'd say Donnie had that much authority if he were still here, in light of the Cato/Amick thing? I guess I just don't take people at their word as easily as you. 

But, I'd sure LIKE to be as confident about this as you are, because that would be a major step in the right direction. Help me believe, @"F Gump"!

1 They keep telling us that Nico is the boss, in every way that can be said. Not sure what else there is to do. It is what it is, whether you get it or not.
2 Cuban had been the real GM. Cato's article about a "Shadow GM" was the right headline, but missed the forest for the trees. CUBAN was the Shadow GM -- ie, for the last decade he has been the one doing what a GM does, personally managing the roster planning, the hiring, firing, decision-making, and all brought their thoughts to him so HE can make the decision. Bob answered to Cuban not Donnie, which raised the furor and made Bob the center of attention, but the same was true of RC, Finley, and perhaps others. It was a weird setup for any NBA owner, but Cuban thought he could figure it out and do it better if he made the decisions.
3 You are right. When Nico was hired, I expected that he was just another minion hired to offer opinions to Cuban, who would continue to be in control. And Nico's lack of experience bolstered my belief that he was simply a trainee, who could be hired cheaply, and learn on the job, while Cuban still ran the show.
4 But come to find out, I was wrong. That is NOT what Nico was hired to do. By all accounts, Nico was hired to fill the role Cuban has been filling. Obviously Donnie HAD to go, and the coach left because he was now being instructed to report to the GM (like coaches do), not to Cuban. Kidd, Finley, Bob (if he is around), all of those guys offering input now report to Nico, not to Cuban. He's their boss.
5 Just listen to everything that's being said, allowing the above as your expectation, and it's always the same message: Nico is the boss, everyone reports to Nico and Nico makes the decisions. Yes Nico reports to Cuban because everyone has a boss but Nico is the GM and does the GM-ing for the Mavs.
6 I believe it when Nico keeps telling us that he wouldn't be here if it wasn't a real GM job with real GM authority - there's no reason to doubt that. Cuban wants to downplay the fact that he WAS the GM (and therefore responsible for horrendous direction, decisions, and inaction) so he doesn't emphasize that he's had to fire himself and things have changed, but he does say everyone reports to Nico, which is very different than before.
7 I also notice they aren't tip-toeing with their words, to try to keep outsiders from thinking what they want to think. They know what they've changed, but don't particularly care if you get it or not. Including in this interview. Nico was straight-forward, but the questions (based on faulty assumptions) and interviewers were really awful, and it's not Nico's job to clean up their mess.