08-03-2022, 05:23 PM
I’m right there with you KL. I think Scott4Mavs posted something similar recently. The reason for feeling so down about this turn of events, for me, is what it says about the “new” leadership. It says to me that it is still mostly Cuban or Cuban-centric. And that will result in seemingly endless mismanagement and scandal, masked somewhat by the transcendent talents of first Dirk and now Luka. To say, in effect: “guys, the sky’s not falling. We still have Luka!” is reductive. We have few assets. Precious little youthful talent. Part of the point of my post about Ballmer and the Clippers is you can bet Ballmer or other will find a way to suggest that Cuban can’t spend. Desmond Bane and other rival players trolled us for losing Brunson. Cheapskate Owner is a bad look. So is bungling Dragic situation twice, draft chaos with your GM leaving the war room amidst a power struggle with your professional gambler buddy shadows GM, sexual harassment scandal, being sued by former GM (again with sexual harassment). Not to mention the DeAndre Jordan embarrassment, the inability to tank properly, paying 2nd round picks for Deron Wright and then turning around and paying two more to get off of him almost immediately, and not using cap space in that same offseason (was it 14m or so?). Not using cap space to take on players or picks before Luka’s massive extension hamstrings our ability to do so. Leading to… letting Brunson walk for nothing after blowing the whole thing from beginning (4 years/no RFA), not signing him to an extension, possibly insulting him with a belated offer, and then lowballing him this summer— knowing he wouldn’t accept the offer— in order to give Cuban cover for being cheap. But we are supposed to believe some great move is right around the corner. Well run franchises don’t lose players/assets like Brunson for nothing. It’s disheartening and discouraging.
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