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[Chicagojk]

What I’ve said is I would for a player, but not right now for a TPE.  I would remove the protection at the TDL for a TPE assuming we are playing well.  

Something they said on the pod that went further than anything I said regarding Bogdanovic is he is really a point forward and could carry the playmaking for bench units.  On or Off the ball he would be fantastic in that role.  I think Beverley is more realistic and a path to the $15.5mm needed to match him is difficult to see without a Brunson S&T.  But, I LOVE the bench being Maxi, Bogdanovic, THJ and Bullock.

I agree.

But I think Bogdanovic would start if he was here.  Either in place of Dinwiddie or removing mcGee.   I think he is too good to come off the bench in that grouping.   I was actually envisioning a starting lineup of Wood, Bogdan, Bullock, DFS & Luka.   Not ideal, but was wondering how it would look.

[mvossman]

What I’ve said is I would for a player, but not right now for a TPE.  I would remove the protection at the TDL for a TPE assuming we are playing well.  

Something they said on the pod that went further than anything I said regarding Bogdanovic is he is really a point forward and could carry the playmaking for bench units.  On or Off the ball he would be fantastic in that role.  I think Beverley is more realistic and a path to the $15.5mm needed to match him is difficult to see without a Brunson S&T.  But, I LOVE the bench being Maxi, Bogdanovic, THJ and Bullock.

Are you referring to Bojan?  He has never had more than 2 assets a games and his assist rate has never been over 10%.  Does not really seem like a guy that could effectively run a unit.  I would be more than happy with sending out Powell for Beverly.

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I agree.

But I think Bogdanovic would start if he was here.  Either in place of Dinwiddie or removing mcGee.   I think he is too good to come off the bench in that grouping.   I was actually envisioning a starting lineup of Wood, Bogdan, Bullock, DFS & Luka.   Not ideal, but was wondering how it would look.

I don't think Dorian and Bullock would be able to make that even an average defense.

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status...3390808065

[KillerLeft]

 I don´t think McGee can replace Powell´s versatility on defense. Will be really interesting to see how they change the scheme because the one thing that lead to big defensive improvements last season isn´t an option with McGee on the floor.

Couldn’t agree more. I think in the ways that MATTER, McGee might be a step down from Powell. I still like what Powell brings to the table (I admit he wasn’t very good in the playoffs). 

When they added Wood, I thought ”cool, now Powell is the 3rd guy - he’ll be an asset in that role.”

Making center a TPE problem, at that point, was a big mistake.

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/dmn_mavericks/status...2120166402

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/CallieCaplan/status/...7135460352

[SleepingHero]

I think we've improved our front court dramatically.  Wood was a Top 40 player in the league by EPM in the 20 and 21 seasons before the Houston tank last season.  McGee replaces the Powell role with dramatically better rebounding and defensive numbers while not giving up the good PnR numbers.  Yeah, we lost Brunson, the league's 75th best player by EPM last season and replaced him with SD, the 135th.  But, peak Dinwiddie in 2020 was the 58th best player in the league by EPM and the upcoming season is the point you'd expect to see him fully recover from his injury.  We will miss JB's self created offense, but between Wood and the return of THJ, we'll generate plenty of O.  Dinwiddie is actually an improvement over JB in the distribution area (48th in the league in Asst% versus 81st for JB) 

PREACH!

[ItsGoTime]

PREACH!

Yep, DS has put into numbers what I’ve basically been trying to say without.

[Kidnova]

Couldn’t agree more. I think in the ways that MATTER, McGee might be a step down from Powell. I still like what Powell brings to the table (I admit he wasn’t very good in the playoffs). 

When they added Wood, I thought ”cool, now Powell is the 3rd guy - he’ll be an asset in that role.”

Making center a TPE problem, at that point, was a big mistake.

I think rebounds and rim protection are ways that matter, and McGee's rebounding (TRB% typically ~19% vs DP's 13%) and blocks (BLK% ~7% vs DP's ~2%) lead me to believe that he's going to be a big improvement in those two areas.  Will he be rendered irrelevant in some playoff matchups?  Probably, but DP can be as well.

[KillerLeft]

I think rebounds and rim protection are ways that matter, and McGee's rebounding (typically ~19% vs DP's 13%) and blocks (BLK% ~7% vs DP's ~2%) lead me to believe that he's going to be a big improvement in those two areas.  Will he be rendered irrelevant in some playoff matchups?  Probably, but DP can be as well.

He’ll absolutely rebound better. I’m just not sure that’s worth going a different direction with the team defense approach. Drop coverage is such a give up, imo. 

We’ll see. I was just hoping we could live in a world where the roster further equipped them to do the things that worked, but with improvements in rebounding and a little more rim protection. Instead, they boxed themselves in with a guy who ONLY improves in those minor problem areas. 

For me, it’s no different than adding a “defense only” wing and then saying you’ve addressed the defense. If you can’t play such a player against good teams because of his offense, what has actually been accomplished?

[Fuerza1]

Dinwiddie is actually an improvement over JB in the distribution area (48th in the league in Asst% versus 81st for JB) 

Highly misleading when you are lumping in Dinwiddie's primary ball handler role in WAS vs Brunson's role as a secondary ball handler. Dinwiddie had a lower Assist % than Brunson when he joined the Mavs despite his role being mainly a distributor vs Brunson's scorer role.

In the 7 games he started for the Mavs (small sample size), he had an assist % of 20%. Compare that to Brunson's 24% when he started 61 games. 

When you compare Brunson's assist numbers to other "secondary ball handlers," he's elite, especially when you factor in his low turnover numbers. 

It's not easy playing next to Luka, arguably the most ball dominant player in the league. Can Dinwiddie do that at a high level for a full season with great success?  

Even if the passing is similar (I think Brunson's better), Brunson is better than Dinwiddie at every other facet of offense. Isn't that the more important part, playing off-ball to Luka? 

FWIW, I think THJ/Bullock play their way to starter and Dinwiddie settles on the bench.

[Kidnova]

He’ll absolutely rebound better. I’m just not sure that’s worth going a different direction with the team defense approach. Drop coverage is such a give up, imo. 

We’ll see. I was just hoping we could live in a world where the roster further equipped them to do the things that worked, but with improvements in rebounding and a little more rim protection. Instead, they boxed themselves in with a guy who ONLY improves in those minor problem areas. 

For me, it’s no different than adding a “defense only” wing and then saying you’ve addressed the defense. If you can’t play such a player against good teams because of his offense, what has actually been accomplished?

Fair enough, I'm just not sure I'm in the same boat of how minor of a problem those areas are, specifically rebounding.  Rebounding has been a big problem, IMO, that they've typically overcome with great 3 point shooting, but it's made them very one-dimensional on offense.  I also think having a better rim protector makes everybody better on defense.  

I agree that he's not a huge difference maker, but I do think he's an overall upgrade on DP.  We'll see how it turns out.

[Smitty]

Highly misleading when you are lumping in Dinwiddie's primary ball handler role in WAS vs Brunson's role as a secondary ball handler. Dinwiddie had a lower Assist % than Brunson when he joined the Mavs despite his role being mainly a distributor vs Brunson's scorer role.

In the 7 games he started for the Mavs (small sample size), he had an assist % of 20%. Compare that to Brunson's 24% when he started 61 games. 

When you compare Brunson's assist numbers to other "secondary ball handlers," he's elite, especially when you factor in his low turnover numbers. 

It's not easy playing next to Luka, arguably the most ball dominant player in the league. Can Dinwiddie do that at a high level for a full season with great success?  

Even if the passing is similar (I think Brunson's better), Brunson is better than Dinwiddie at every other facet of offense. Isn't that the more important part, playing off-ball to Luka? 

FWIW, I think THJ/Bullock play their way to starter and Dinwiddie settles on the bench.

It has certainly been fascinating seeing the board shift from Dinwiddie being "one of the worst contracts in the league" a few months ago to now he is better than Brunson. 

Appreciate the homework and stats you posted - interesting since I never viewed Brunson as a a distributor, yet the numbers aren't bad in comparison.

[Mavsfan12]

That´s the trade off. Would argue that the Mavs switch-heavy defense allowed less penetration (also less open 3s) but when it happened they had no rim protecton to clean up the mess and struggled to control the defensive board.

Maybe I am just traumatized by the drop defense the Mavs used to play with KP. Recent playoff series certainly wasn´t encouraging. Whenever McGee was on the floor I knew the Mavs would create an open 3 on every single offensive possession. Then again. It´s not like Powell´s playoff run was any better.

I just don´t think that drop defense is the way against the best teams in the league. Too many players that can handle the ball and shoot from 3 to get away with it. If we are looking at the four teams in the CF all of them played switch-heavy schemes.

Doesn´t mean that it is impossible to win with different styles but I think it requires more talent to do it. In the Mavs situation (with limited assets) I would have tried to double down on the things that enabled the WCF run. Used the one available exception to add a player that fits into the scheme.

After the Mavs added a PF/C in a trade another ("dinosaur") big was way down on my personal list of needs. Listening to Nico and looking at the contract they handed out the Mavs didn´t share my concerns.

Ok, I kind of want to callout @"dirkfansince1998" (and to an extent, @"KillerLeft" ) on this continued line of thinking, because I don't know how productive it is.  We get that you aren't on board with McGee and what he adds to the team.  Got it loud and clear.  So lets hear who you wanted to add for the money that the Mavs paid McGee that checks all your boxes.  Its fine if you don't agree with an acquisition that the Mavs made, but if you're gonna complain, you have to have an alternative.  Otherwise, its just noise.  And right now, its very loud in here.

[KillerLeft]

We get that you aren't on board with McGee and what he adds to the team.  Got it loud and clear. 

The thing is…that’s not what I’m saying. Like, at all.

[mvossman]

Ok, I kind of want to callout @"dirkfansince1998" (and to an extent, @"KillerLeft" ) on this continued line of thinking, because I don't know how productive it is.  We get that you aren't on board with McGee and what he adds to the team.  Got it loud and clear.  So lets hear who you wanted to add for the money that the Mavs paid McGee that checks all your boxes.  Its fine if you don't agree with an acquisition that the Mavs made, but if you're gonna complain, you have to have an alternative.  Otherwise, its just noise.  And right now, its very loud in here.

You didn't call me out by name, but I am part of the noise.  Some alternative options:

Full tax MLE (meaning you only go 2 years on Hardy but he would still be restricted):

Ricky Rubio (Perfect fit for what we are looking for.  A guy who can run the second unit and plays good defense)
Otto Porter JR (a big wing that can reduce load on Dorian/Bullock)
Ingles (a big wing that can provide the missing secondary play making)

For less than what McGee got:

Jalen Smith (a young prospect who has already shown rotational value and fits the mobile big model)
DiVincenzo (A young wing that showed real value for Bucks before a disaster in Sacto)
Dragic (Who after the Wood signing and Brunson walking would be more valuable to me than McGee, especially in playoffs)

All of those players fit the model of what worked for us the second half of last season and all of those contracts will age better than giving a 37 year old center reliant on athleticism over 5 mil (with a freaking player option).

Personally my biggest concern is having both McGee and Powell on the roster because I think both would get significant (more than 10 minutes a game) playing time.  I'm also not excited about the idea of McGee starting.

If we move Powell before the start of the season, and McGee gets used as a situational center as he should, then I don't hate the player, but it is still a contract that has a real good chance of being a negative asset well before its done.

[dirkfansince1998]

Ok, I kind of want to callout @"dirkfansince1998" (and to an extent, @"KillerLeft" ) on this continued line of thinking, because I don't know how productive it is.  We get that you aren't on board with McGee and what he adds to the team.  Got it loud and clear.  So lets hear who you wanted to add for the money that the Mavs paid McGee that checks all your boxes.  Its fine if you don't agree with an acquisition that the Mavs made, but if you're gonna complain, you have to have an alternative.  Otherwise, its just noise.  And right now, its very loud in here.

First. Let´s be clear. I can complain as much as I want. If you don´t want to read it just put me on ignore. Next. I offered my own take on the situation more than once. After the Mavs added Wood and lost Brunson I would have prefered to go after a wing or guard. If they really wanted a traditional big I would have prefered a cheaper option. Howard and Whiteside are still free agents. Drummond signed for less. For me they are all in the same tier as McGee. Useful for 10-12 minutes in certain matchups.
With the big advantage that they probably wouldn´t have asked for three years. That´s by far the worst part of McGee´s contract.

[KillerLeft]

You didn't call me out by name, but I am part of the noise.  Some alternative options:

Full tax MLE (meaning you only go 2 years on Hardy but he would still be restricted):

Ricky Rubio (Perfect fit for what we are looking for.  A guy who can run the second unit and plays good defense)
Otto Porter JR (a big wing that can reduce load on Dorian/Bullock)
Ingles (a big wing that can provide the missing secondary play making)

For less than what McGee got:

Jalen Smith (a young prospect who has already shown rotational value and fits the mobile big model)
DiVincenzo (A young wing that showed real value for Bucks before a disaster in Sacto)
Dragic (Who after the Wood signing and Brunson walking would be more valuable to me than McGee, especially in playoffs)

All of those players fit the model of what worked for us the second half of last season and all of those contracts will age better than giving a 37/38 year old center reliant on athleticism over 5 mil (with a freaking player option).

I would’ve been thrilled with any of these options, maybe with the exception of Ingles.

[Kidnova]

If we move Powell before the start of the season, and McGee gets used as a situational center as he should, then I don't hate the player, but it is still a contract that has a real good chance of being a negative asset well before its done.

It's $5.5, $5.7, and $6 million per year.  That's what?  $3 million above a vet min?  Even if he plays himself into a bunch of DNPs by year 2 or 3 it's not exactly going to be a boat anchor, and he could easily fit in for salary matching in various trade scenarios.

Edit:  Just to be clear, I'm not a big fan of McGee, in general, but I do think what he does is valuable to the Mavs and the contract is small enough that it's no big deal if he has to be moved later.

[cow]

It's $5.5, $5.7, and $6 million per year.  That's what?  $3 million above a vet min?  Even if he plays himself into a bunch of DNPs by year 2 or 3 it's not exactly going to be a boat anchor, and he could easily fit in for salary matching in various trade scenarios.

Great post.  I almost can't fathom the bellyaching over someone getting a portion of the rMLE but here we are.  The McGee signing isn't going to be the make or break to this offseason and the majority of the other names we all floated around wouldn't have fit in the Mavs budget.  We turned an anemic rotation of Powell, Maxi, Bertans, Boban and Chriss (2 of which didn't play and Bertans mostly played because we needed someone (anyone) to soak up minutes) into Wood, McGee, Maxi, Powell and Bertans.  At the very least, that's an upgrade.