(10-31-2025, 07:29 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: You make a good point about AD being behind Giannis.  That one probably comes to a head this summer as he will either sign an extension with the Bucks or they will need to trade him.  Maybe someone who had set themselves up to trade for Giannis would be interested in two years of AD as a consolation prize.  

I see three possible paths:

1.  AD is really good and the team gels as the season progresses and Kyrie returns.  As a result, we have a decent playoff run.

2.  AD produces good numbers, but the team just doesn’t work.  It takes some pressure off of Flagg in his Rookie year, but it becomes clear there is no reason to wait two more years to start to build around Flagg.

3.  AD is hurt a lot and we end up in the lottery again.

I realize this is projected to be a good draft, I think 1 and 2 above are better outcomes than 3.  They provide an AD who might have some positive trade value.  I think the third option probably puts you in the back half of the lottery and an albatross AD contract for the next two seasons.  So, I want AD to succeed here, just not so much that Nico wants to add years.  I hope that ends up being someone else’s decision to make.

(10-31-2025, 07:50 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I saw this and started to post it myself.  One thing I wonder, but am too lazy to look up…is Max getting more of the minutes where Kidd is playing a PG while Klay has gotten more of the non-PG minutes.  It still leaves you with a chicken/egg situation.  Is DLo helping Max’s numbers or is it the other way around.  You also have to wonder if Klay is the culprit in the problems with the lineups with all the bigs or a victim of those lineups.  

I think some of this will sort itself out eventually.  Kidd makes frustrating lineup choices early in the year every season, but he eventually tends to get to things that work.  He’s tended to close with Max almost from day one, so he clearly values what he brings.  My favorite lineup would be Kyrie/Max/PJ/Flagg/Lively, but that isn’t realistic as a starting or closing lineup if AD is healthy.  It is more realistic to swap out AD for Lively.  If you do that, then Gafford and Klay is the logical outgoing trade package if you aren’t going to ever trade AD.

(10-31-2025, 07:50 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I saw this and started to post it myself.  One thing I wonder, but am too lazy to look up…is Max getting more of the minutes where Kidd is playing a PG while Klay has gotten more of the non-PG minutes.  It still leaves you with a chicken/egg situation.  Is DLo helping Max’s numbers or is it the other way around.  You also have to wonder if Klay is the culprit in the problems with the lineups with all the bigs or a victim of those lineups.  

(10-31-2025, 09:27 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine)
Anthony Davis is expected to be ruled out of Dallas’ game Saturday in Mexico City against Detroit after exiting Wednesday night with left lower leg soreness.

An official status update remains TBA after Davis was listed earlier in the week with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy.


EDIT:

Smitty beat me to it!

(10-31-2025, 08:58 AM)mvossman Wrote: Looking at the numbers, Klay is basically bringing everyone else down.  He is not the victim, he is the perpetrator.  The Max+Dlo minutes are a crazy +34 and the Klay+Dlo minutes are -20.  The big lineups are suffering from a lack of a PG and too much Klay.

(10-31-2025, 10:33 AM)Smitty Wrote: The Lively on/off numbers are crazy good also. With AD out, it seems pretty obvious that the starting 5 should be DLO-Max-Flagg-PJW-Lively. There's an argument to be made that Naji over Flagg is the way to go, but it won't happen so no need to go down that path.

(10-31-2025, 07:29 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: You make a good point about AD being behind Giannis.  That one probably comes to a head this summer as he will either sign an extension with the Bucks or they will need to trade him.  Maybe someone who had set themselves up to trade for Giannis would be interested in two years of AD as a consolation prize.  

I see three possible paths:

1.  AD is really good and the team gels as the season progresses and Kyrie returns.  As a result, we have a decent playoff run.

2.  AD produces good numbers, but the team just doesn’t work.  It takes some pressure off of Flagg in his Rookie year, but it becomes clear there is no reason to wait two more years to start to build around Flagg.

3.  AD is hurt a lot and we end up in the lottery again.

I realize this is projected to be a good draft, I think 1 and 2 above are better outcomes than 3.  They provide an AD who might have some positive trade value.  I think the third option probably puts you in the back half of the lottery and an albatross AD contract for the next two seasons.  So, I want AD to succeed here, just not so much that Nico wants to add years.  I hope that ends up being someone else’s decision to make.

(10-31-2025, 02:51 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: Looks like Lively is not in Mexico.  Wasn't a part of the team photo they just posted.   Reason why Davis is there and he is not playing but not Lively?

(10-31-2025, 03:57 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Cause AD is arguably the biggest star on both roster. I assume he´ll have to do some promotional work.

(10-31-2025, 02:51 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: Looks like Lively is not in Mexico.  Wasn't a part of the team photo they just posted.   Reason why Davis is there and he is not playing but not Lively?

(10-31-2025, 04:18 PM)Smitty Wrote: Talk me off the ledge KL.