(10-05-2025, 08:18 AM)Smitty Wrote: Agree with all of this completely. I’d argue that Lively’s inability to stay on the floor is not talked about enough. I can’t remember which poster it is that likes to talk in TOTAL minutes for the season. But it’s always been what I think of when I look at Lively. If he’s a 18-22 mpg guy for 40-50 games a year. That’s not a lot of impact throughout the season.

He needs to stay healthy. For his sake and the Mavs.

(11-06-2025, 05:21 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: I have been thinking about this like it is the zapruder film.  Did Nico make a public comment after the Kidd extension?  They weren’t pictured together this summer right?   They did join Flagg in a press conference.   Kidd plays the political game well, but I do wonder if something is there.  Kidd comparing this to the babe Ruth trade and saying the fans have a right to voice their opinion is right, but I am just wondering if their is a power play going on.

As much as I want Nico gone, I don’t think a Kidd with more power is a much better alternative.

(11-06-2025, 05:13 PM)vfromlmf Wrote: We all thought Kidd was an idiot for starting Flagg at PG but did anyone else see what happened when they started DLo ?

It might be the case that our 18 year old rookie forward is, in fact, the best point guard on this roster.

Not sure if you noticed but DLo did some wild sh&t last night and the camera picked up Kidd saying something similar to "what the F" and immediately subbed in Naji to play point. Flagg initiated the offense in crunch time.

This is a bad team and AD isn't going to make it better.

Think: AD had 27 pts, 13 boards, 2 steals and 2 blocks while PJ pitched in an efficient 18 pts while Flagg managed another 18. That's probably ideal contribution from their top three players -- and they STILL lost by 10 to the Wizards who are now 1-7.

(11-06-2025, 06:00 PM)mvossman Wrote: Its unfortunate that Dlo had a bad game in his first start, but the numbers (and eye test) still scream that the offense is better with a PG (and specifically Dlo) on the floor.  He is going to do dumb shit because that is his nature (part of the reason he was so cheap) but if he continues to shoot like he did last season (as opposed to most of his career) its going to be a long half a season.

(11-06-2025, 07:58 PM)F Gump Wrote: All of THAT when considered together is what makes me think they may have ALREADY decided to bail on the season as a whole. Because I can't think of anything else that really makes sense.

(11-06-2025, 08:32 PM)Smitty Wrote: So now the theory is that Kidd is sabotaging the season and on team tank. Doing things to win a power struggle with the GM. It couldn’t be that this team is bad, like any team would be without their 2 all-stars and best Big man. The offense is bad… no %#*^. It’s missing two 25+ ppg scorers. 

(11-06-2025, 08:32 PM)Smitty Wrote: I think I need a break from Mavs forums.

(11-06-2025, 09:13 PM)F Gump Wrote: I agree, your answer is a VERY possible answer (bad roster) and others think the same. I'm not saying it's definitely a tank, just raising the possibility. 

OTOH ...

 

I dont see injuries as a reliable explanation for what we are seeing. (And NBA history tells us LOUDLY that "injuries" can be a significant part of the methodology for a team that wants to tank.) So I have to open my mind to the possibility that this is a gap year, as they call it, to try to get LONG TERM running mate for CF.
 

(11-07-2025, 09:54 AM)Smitty Wrote: @Gump and @Dan

I respect both of your opinions, but I just think you're going down a path that has zero credibility or reason at this point. The identity of this team is/was supposed to be double Bigs that dominate inside, running a Princeton style motion offense through one of the Bigs in the half court, and being a team that runs in transition with having multiple "capable" ball handlers on the floor to do so, rather than one heliocentric "PG".

I agree with everyone here that the first two games made it very obvious that the team needed a real "PG" on the court at all times. But Kidd told us exactly what he was going to do with Flagg, so it's hardly a surprise that we see him on ball that much to start the year.

In game 3, I made a post about how well Kidd and Co. adjusted to the lineup data and had excellent rotations and minutes distribution. Lively is then out with a knee injury. 

In Game 4 he did what he could against the defending Champs in a b2b. Davis has to play 38 minutes at the 5 because Lively and Gafford are both out, after playing 35 minutes the night before. He's then hurt in Game 5, just 7 minutes into the game.

Game 6 Gafford makes his season debut, but on a minute's restriction, and to this day still doesn't look 100%.


I just see no evidence that the coaching staff is doing anything to deliberately lose winnable games. The team has no identity. They have no chemistry. They have no Alpha. They have below average shooters. Their best player, Davis, came into the season out of shape. The roster is absolutely flawed; that's not the argument. I've said all summer that the double Big thing is not ideal, but even then, they don't even know how that looks. Davis and Lively have played 29 minutes together. Davis and Gafford 0. We're 8 games into a season that is already showing us why it's a bad idea to build around injury prone players.

Do I think Kidd will go the "tank" route if Davis, Lively, Kyrie, Gafford remain on the injury report more than the court? Of course. I just don't think that's what's happening at the moment.

(11-07-2025, 10:25 AM)mvossman Wrote: Completely agree.  We knew going into this season that this team was going to struggle with creation, shooting and injuries.  I feel like Kidd blew the Wizards game by not having a PG on the court for much of the game, and it was demoralizing to lose at home to NO even with all of the injuries, but otherwise this season is playing out as expected.  I thought it was general consensus that this is probably a lottery team if AD reverts to "street clothes" this season.

(11-07-2025, 11:08 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: They had a super soft home schedule too. Absolute worst case they should be 4-4.

(11-07-2025, 11:08 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: They had a super soft home schedule too. Absolute worst case they should be 4-4.

(11-07-2025, 10:41 AM)Dirknows Wrote: Even with AD this looks like a play in team that doesn’t make the playoffs.

(11-07-2025, 11:47 AM)mvossman Wrote: It does without Kyrie.  The hope was that AD could stay mostly healthy the first half of the season and they tread water until Kyrie gets back.  I am already losing hope regarding AD health.  Given his history, Nico's medical staff and the fact that Kidd will play him 40 minutes a game when he is available, I guess there was probably never much chance.