10-12-2022, 12:02 AM
(10-11-2022, 11:35 PM)F Gump Wrote: I think there's been a 3rd - and more likely- scenario that has emerged, from the things that have transpired (and some hints from various reports over the summer) ...
3. When the summer started, the Mavs knew what had worked for them. They planned to continue to have 3 Playmakers to rotate (Luka, Brunson, SD). Then when Brunson went awry, they expected to find a different guy instead to be Playmaker 3. Dragic was their backup plan all along to be Playmaker 3, if they couldn't land someone better via trade. They couldn't. So Dragic it would be.
BUT THEN -- the Staff all went to Europe to see Luka play Euroball, where they all also watched GD play a lot and saw what level he's at now, and Kidd said "He's not what I want or need, because he can't defend anymore. If you sign him, I'm giving most of those minutes to Franky, Green, someone else, and Dragic will be my insurance policy if someone is out." They know they have to shoot straight with Dragic (ie, his agent, since it's also the agent for Luka), and when they tell him about GD being viewed as Playmaker 4 (ie, the Burke role, the insurance policy), then Dragic isn't interested in the job anymore.
Kidd doesn't want him. They can't BS the situation. Bye bye GD.
Are they suddenly changing course with Campazzo? IMO not at all - he is saying yes to accepting the job of Playmaker 4.
What about P 3 (the guy to rotate with Luka-SD, to get regular minutes and be a key part of the rotation)? Right now, it looks like he's not on the roster. Either he emerges from development, or they find a trade at some point, or they change course on their strategy and make do without a P 3. In that regard, Brunson is very likely to end up being missed badly.
There was no reasonable route to P 3 with their limited assets, especially after they sent the first for Wood. Don't know if they knew Brunson was gone when they made that trade, but it wouldn't surprise me. Seems like Timmy has been the plan for third guard for some time.
The only legit option I can think of would have been Rubio for the tax MLE, but I don't know if he would have been interested and you would be dealing with a minutes crunch.
As I mentioned above, it seems like the only reasonable route to that P 3 player you are talking about is to send out Timmy and his minutes. In an ideal world, that player is also a plus defender and Luka's batman (basically the player we send all of picks for).