08-02-2022, 07:57 AM
(08-01-2022, 07:48 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: I have to say that the past month might be my most depressing time as a Mavs fan, and I've been on board since the summer of '95. Just seeing the abject fail in losing Brunson for nothing, with no proximate pathways of improvement, the front office failing to achieve their own goal of a defensive wing, let alone the tremendous necessity of replacing Brunson's playmaking, throw in our poor prospects given recent history of keeping (or making good use in trade of) Wood, and Luka's increasingly probable eventual departure, I'm just not seeing much reason to hope. Up until now, there's always been hope of some kind. In the bleak post-2011 years, there was always Dirk. We may very well not always have Luka. What's most discouraging is the evident lack of urgency by the front office, when significant moves should have been made at least two weeks ago. It can't all be about the supposed KD and DM waits. That tells me 1) our trade "assets" have even less value league wide than we think they do here, and 2) we're probably going into to the season with this roster, which is deeply discouraging to me after last year's progress.
Hard to believe it's come to this point just a couple of months after the high of making the WCFs.
Of course, the probable second-most depressing and bleak-seeming time was probably the few days between Nellie Sr. nuking what was left of the three J's and his miraculously convincing Finley to extend rather than walking. Unfortunately, Nellie is on a beach in Maui and not here.
It really bothered me we lost JB. Not so much paying him close to 30 million but how we made a mistake on our internal evaluation. I believe it is a misconception here that JB made a huge jump this past year. I think that is untrue and unfair. He had a bad Clippers series. It happens. The coach drastically cut his minutes where he couldn't play through his mistakes. If we play the Clippers in a series again, there will probably make life tough for a few of our players still. It was a bad matchup for JB. But he was good that year and he well deserved the contract he should have been offered. I know things are not always black or white with moves, so I try to see both sides. But the offer should have been made to JB last offseason.
I keep saying for the past 2-3 years that yes Dallas missed an opportunity, but there is still time. I still believe this. Whether it was passing on Maxey in the draft, striking out in FA, etc. The issue is, the Mavs really can't afford to make many more mistakes moving forward.
I think the Mavs will take a step back this year. I thought this even if they signed Brunson. But if we think positive and use a lot of if and buts, there is some hope for this upcoming season and moving forward with added flexibility. Dinwiddie is bigger than Jalen and given the added role he may be able to make a jump in production. I am still worried about health long term with him. Can McGee be better than Powell? Maybe as good as a role man but a better rebounder and rim protector? The big question is can Dallas find a guy who can do 70% of the protection as Jalen as your third creator? Maybe it is someone between Jalen and Trey Burke production. If they can, then you have added a better starting center, a bigger backcourt mate in Dinwiddie, and also adding Wood and getting Hardaway back. I need to see Wood play in a winning environment. There have been times where i thought he was exactly what we needed. Other times, I thought he was going through the motions. If he is that guy, he sort of does the things we expected KP to do on offense.
Is this the team that will win a championship? I severely doubt it. For me it is closer to a play in team than contender in the deep west. But no one wants to play Luka plus shooters in a playoff series. I could see them back to the same spot next playoffs in the conference finals. I wouldn't be on it, but I think it is possible.