MAVS NEWS: Luka Is Hurt, But is Trudging On | DLive's Mom Passes Away| Maxi OUT

[DanSchwartzgan]

Where do we go from here?

Clearly Dallas has a problem with roster construction because Luka is a big PG who can't defend his position. 

Shocker: starting Luka-Din-THJ-DFS is a disaster waiting to happen unless you have Gobert protecting the rim. DFS can't defend the primary point of attack for 40 minutes and you can't start Bullock in Dorian's place if you want to have any hope on the glass. Either Din or THJ needs to go to the bench or be traded. 

Taking stock, you have four defensive specialists who are good but not great shooters. Green and Bullock can guard point of attack. DFS and Kleber can guard wings, forwards and some bigs. 

I'm ready to start Green at SG when he's healthy and hope he stays out of foul trouble. Bullock, DFS and Kleber are on the block but only part of a package that returns a clear upgrade.

THJ, Dinwiddie, Powell, Wood are on the block for any package that returns a two-way player that can create his own shot. I'm afraid the proposed Bullock+Wood for John Collins deal won't be enough. You're dealing one of your only point of attack defenders and your second best scorer for a guy who can defend a little but will need Luka to generate his offense. The gettable names might not be sexy. Kyle Lowery. Tobias Harris. Best case might be Van Vleet and will cost you future assets.

Other assets?
- McGee might have value to a contender in the East as long as they have big strong defensive guard who can fight over screens and let McGee defend the rim in drop coverage. 
- Hardy probably has 1st round pick value.
- Bertans might have value to a team that needs shooting but the contract is obviously negative value. He'd probably look great in Indiana.

One clarification...Maxi can't be traded this season.  I think the first question has to be 'are we looking at this Long Term or Short Term?.  The problem with thinking Short Term is the roster is a bit of a game of Jenga.  Pull out one block to fix another and the tower might still crumble.  We can't trade so-and-so.  He makes the D work.  We can't trade so-and-so.  He's the only ball-handler besides Luka.  We can't trade so-and-so.  We need his shooting to spread the floor so Luka can get to the basket.  We have too many sacred cows who aren't the least bit sacred to any fan base outside of our own.

If we aren't a contender, we should think longer term (thus my posting of what Cato said about needing to stop thinking of ourselves as a WC Finalist).  But, as someone stated earlier, when has Cuban ever made an in-season deal (at least since the early 2000's) that was more about future seasons than the current season.  

IF we assume they have some ability to look beyond the end of their noses, the next question is who are your keepers and what do you really need to build a roster around that.  It should be a 'white sheet exercise'.  Start from scratch.  You have Luka.  Now what?  I really think Green is the only player I'd mark as untouchable.  He's really the only two way player on the roster.  He's not good enough at ball handling to be the second creator, but he hits his outside shots, defends the point of attack, drives and can score or create off of drives.  He is a Swiss Army Knife with upside and there is certainly room for that in a lineup with Luka.  I'm not saying you have to jettison everyone else.  You just can't treat them as sacred.

At this point, you need another person who can create their own shot.  They also need to defend at a high level.  It can be any position really.  Jaylen Brown at SF/SG is probably the ideal.  A younger version of Paul George would also work (I'm trying to avoid obvious top 15 guys like Kawai).  But Siakam at center would also work.  The next Jrue Holiday at PG would work too if that guy exists.  Luka and Green are positionally flexible.  So, it just needs to be someone willing to put up with Luka's crap, but good enough to carry things themselves on any given night.  The position doesn't really matter.  If that player is a four or a five, then you have to compliment them at the other "big" position.  Maybe that is Dorian.  Maybe it isn't.

But, if that second creator is a wing or a guard, then you have to figure out what kind of big rotation best fits your creators.  It has to start at the defensive end.  We can talk all day (literally) about whether 5-out or a PnR big is best to unlock Luka.  But he can work offensively with either.  What we know is he can't work with a poor defender patrolling the paint.  I think getting that right is much more important than the philosophical debate around the offensive end.  After that, you eventually get to a point where everyone else is just a replacement level player and largely interchangeable as long as they fit with the philosophy of how you want to play and what you need when your main players sit.  Try to avoid having to pay guys like this above market contracts.