GAME 5: DAL (3-2) @ DEN (3-2) | 75-106 loss

[Branduil]

Can we fire Jason Kidd and tank the season please.

Thanks.

Why fire Kidd if the plan is to tank?

[JamesConway]

Does Jason Kidd make it to the end of the season? Nico has his work cut out for him.

The Jkidd hire was suspect from the beginning but here we are. We can only hope it doesn’t blow up in our faces but the chances of that happening are pretty good I’m afraid.

Nico himself needs to step up too though. He had little time to prepare but the offseason moves were as underwhelming as it gets. Donnie could not have slept through the draft/FA/trade market better than he did. Having that much money available and coming back with nothing more than some exception signings and a non-improved asset base was just terrible work.

I’m so down on this mess....yuck

[SwisherPrice]

It really doesn't matter how bad the Mavs are this season though, it will all come down to free agency. That's the main reason why Kidd and Nico were brought in by Cuban. I don't expect them to be any better than RC/Donnie when it comes to drafting/player development or constructing a championship team from scratch.  

Cuban is banking on Kidd's status and Nico's Nike resume/connections to win over free agents and that matches with his Super Team dreams of the last 10 years.

[JamesConway]

I would say there are two major issues with this team:

1) KP not turning out the way we thought and being only an injury-prone average NBA player on a max salary so far.

2) Luka not keeping himself in NBA level shape and physical conditioning. 

If those two things were different, the rest of the roster would feel WAY different.

My forced KP optimism has already evaporated 100%. The guy just doesn’t have it anymore Imo. Just move on. It’s not healthy for the organization to drag on with him. It will never work.

[cow]

My forced KP optimism has already evaporated 100%. The guy just doesn’t have it anymore Imo. Just move on. It’s not healthy for the organization to drag on with him. It will never work.

Problem is you probably need to attach a valuable asset to him to dump his contract.

[Kammrath]

My forced KP optimism has already evaporated 100%. The guy just doesn’t have it anymore Imo. Just move on. It’s not healthy for the organization to drag on with him. It will never work.

I 100% understand Nico and Kidd wanting to see it for themselves in a new environment (though I disagree and would have already traded him last year or this past offseason)....but yeah, if the fit is not any better SOON they absolutely need to trade him.

[Kammrath]

Problem is you probably need to attach a valuable asset to him to dump his contract.

Just trade him for another bad contract and go from there.

[cow]

Just trade him for another bad contract and go from there.

At this point we'd be returning Kevin Love, John Wall or Westbrook.

[dirkfansince1998]

It really doesn't matter how bad the Mavs are this season though, it will all come down to free agency. That's the main reason why Kidd and Nico were brought in by Cuban. I don't expect them to be any better than RC/Donnie when it comes to drafting/player development or constructing a championship team from scratch.  

Cuban is banking on Kidd's status and Nico's Nike resume/connections to win over free agents and that matches with his Super Team dreams of the last 10 years.

Take a look at the Mavs payroll. Next capspace opportunity wil be 2023. Maybe even 2024. Are we supposed to throw in the towel and just wait for 2-3 years.

[Branduil]

At this point we'd be returning Kevin Love, John Wall or Westbrook.

I would be all over Sexton+Love for KP

[cow]

I would be all over Sexton+Love for KP

You giving up JB or a FRP to make that happen?

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/chrisadempsey/status...0280041487

[Branduil]

You giving up JB or a FRP to make that happen?

Not sure Brunson would have much value to the Cavs since the whole reason they've made Sexton available is that they don't want to pay a score-first PG when they have Garland.

[burekemde]

Luka is 5-18 in 26 mins, -32. He doesn't even look like an average NBA player, much less a superstar. What the hell.

Physically, Luka looks in way better shape to me than the beginning of previous seasons. Evident on how better he moves on defense. Also in the way he does not grasp for air in the small breaks during game. Last seasons he was doing that all the time, in the very beginning of seasons, and this tendency to grasp for air went down as he came in shape during the season. The reason he is in better shape now is also likely the national team tournament that kept him in shape during offseason.

Physically, he is there, and better.

Mentally, this team is very different.

This is a completely different system. This is where the issue is 100% IMO. Kidd is experimenting too much away from the system that the team knows to play. And Powell is playing way way too much. He came on the bench with 5 min to go in 3rd, he played a lot until then. He gets the ball in the paint throughout the game, and is not able to finish. Most bigs would create a lot of points in these situations.

There is a completely different flow to the offense and how players move. Basically, not only Luka but entire team looks not to believe in this offense at this moment.

I just hope this is experimenting. Too many plays are drawns that do not work with these players. Sooner rather than later, it needs to revert back to the former system that works.

[burekemde]

We are 3-2, but could have easy been 0-5. We have had slow starts to games even in the ones we won. We didn't deliver any decisive victory yet, that one reminiscent of that contending teams do deliver. The offense looks like a complete mess of a system. This can go either way. But key is reverting to doing things on offense that work. Sooner rather than later - it can get too late IMO.

[cow]

Not sure Brunson would have much value to the Cavs since the whole reason they've made Sexton available is that they don't want to pay a score-first PG when they have Garland.

They are going to want some positive return for Sexton though.  Honestly, I'd take just about anything at this point.  That dude certainly needs a fresh start.

[Kammrath]

Physically, Luka looks in way better shape to me than the beginning of previous seasons. Evident on how better he moves on defense. Also in the way he does not grasp for air in the small breaks during game. Last seasons he was doing that all the time, in the very beginning of seasons, and this tendency to grasp for air went down as he came in shape during the season. The reason he is in better shape now is also likely the national team tournament that kept him in shape during offseason.

Physically, he is there, and better.

He doesn't look as "doughy" as last season for sure....but he still looks overweight AND a step slow. His shot is also garbage from long range, pointing to conditioning issues in the legs. 

He is no where close to where he needs to be physically IMO. Probably the superstar in the worst condition in the whole league.

[cow]

He doesn't look as "doughy" as last season for sure....but he still looks overweight AND a step slow. His shot is also garbage from long range, pointing to conditioning issues in the legs. 

He is no where close to where he needs to be physically IMO. Probably the superstar in the worst condition in the whole league.

He seems to have more Shaq in him than he does Kobe.

[burekemde]

He doesn't look as "doughy" as last season for sure....but he still looks overweight AND a step slow. His shot is also garbage from long range, pointing to conditioning issues in the legs. 

He is no where close to where he needs to be physically IMO. Probably the superstar in the worst condition in the whole league.

I agree his shot is off for sure. I believe the shooting can be off even if you are in good physical shape, there is not necessary always a correlation between these two. If he would be off physically, he would have been grasping for air, not being able to make it at the correct defensive positions. This is not the case however, in contrary he is moving a lot better and most of the times making it at the proper spot and timing on defense.

IMO, he is in a good physical condition, but hos shot is indeed way off, and it was also off last season in the beginning and became much better (went from like 25% to over 40% in 3pt later in season if i remember the numbers correctly). Its a completely different offensive system. This and the shot is having a combined effect.

[Kammrath]

If he would be off physically, he would have been grasping for air, not being able to make it at the correct defensive positions.

He has been solid in one-on-one D, but lazy, lazy, lazy off-the-ball not giving the effort he needs.

I see nothing in him saying he is in good physical shape.