(02-10-2025, 09:57 PM)Smitty Wrote: I don’t think it’s wise to start a playoff rotation thread in November going forward.

(02-10-2025, 10:08 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Hahaha, my fault. Sorry, my dude - felt safe coming off of a finals run. Lesson learned.

(02-11-2025, 07:37 AM)LukaMVP Wrote: if the mavs were fully healthy they would still be a playoff team with the 2nd round being their floor. now with so many guys injured i would rather they miss the playoffs and get a good rookie from the stacked draft, than snatch a spot in the playoffs only to get bounced in the first round.

(02-10-2025, 10:08 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Hahaha, my fault. Sorry, my dude - felt safe coming off of a finals run. Lesson learned.

(02-08-2025, 07:33 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: So the remaining team looks like:
Starters: Kyrie, Klay, PJ (when healthy), AD, Lively (when healthy)
Optimal bench players: Exum, Christie, Martin (when he gets healthy), Naji, Gafford
Supplemental bench: Spencer, Hardy, OMax, Powell (when healthy), plus two-ways Kylor, Kessler, Williams

Thank goodness for the injuries, because tanking is key the rest of the way this year. Need our pick to be a good one, if not the Flagg consolation prize. Without the three injuries (four if you count Powell, which you shouldn't), that's a team that's way too good to tank and way too poor to make noise in the playoffs.

Have to say that the PJ-AD-Gafford frontcourt was way more impressive than I expected today, and actually makes me drool a little for PJ-AD-Lively (which we won't see for a long time - maybe next year). But way the hell too much quantity-not-quality in the guards.

(02-11-2025, 04:19 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Should I unpin this thread now, or wait for the incoming horrible AD injury news to drop first?

(02-11-2025, 04:19 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Should I unpin this thread now, or wait for the incoming horrible AD injury news to drop first?

(02-14-2025, 02:16 AM)F Gump Wrote: When everyone is healthy, I think the playoff minutes-by-position will look something like the following:

Gafford, Lively (and AD)             
AD  (and PJW)                           
PJW, Christie      
Klay (and Christie, Exum)  
Kyrie, Exum      

I think only those 8 would be certain to get solid playing time, as we stand now, and after that it's all up in the air for some leftover scraps. 

I do think a wildcard is Martin - when we see him play, who knows, he may change the thinking and force his way into a role. He's been really good in the playoffs. 

I know Marshall has been a regular all season, but I think when the rotations get tightened, there are too many ahead of him for him to play a lot.

That's with everyone healthy, of course, and based on how this season has gone, that's probably unrealistic all by itself.

(02-14-2025, 07:42 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: I think this is about right, but I believe they hold Dinwiddie's role this season in higher regard than you do. During the best stretch of the season, Kidd was closing games with him, even over a healthy Klay Thompson. Over Grimes. Christie and Exum change things, I think, but still. I think Dinwiddie is currently 9th and should be listed as an everyday automatic, at least for now. 

And, I agree Martin will get a shot to find his way in.

(02-14-2025, 03:32 PM)F Gump Wrote: Re SD, perhaps. But I think 2 things trend in the other direction:
1 the time you think of was a time when they were short handed, and Exum was not an option ... now he will have to be better than Exum to play PG minutes, and I don't he is, especially at PG. 
2 as you noticed, he was used instead of Klay ... that's minutes from the SG/SF basket, which "when everyone is healthy" is now definitely going to be feeding many playoff minutes to PJW, Klay, and Christie, and if any are left then I think both Marshall and Martin will be ahead of SD in that pecking order. Yes Grimes is gone, but Christie, PJW, and Martin have all been added to the mix, and I would say Exum too (for playoff SG minutes, when Kyrie is getting 35 or more at PG).

(02-14-2025, 03:46 PM)Smitty Wrote: Kind of incredible that the Mavs can play an 8-man rotation in the playoffs that doesn’t include Naji and Martin, who are very good. For as much as I’ve silently cussed Nico this week, this is the deepest team the Mavs have had in years.

(02-14-2025, 04:47 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: I would argue that the Luka-Kai-PJ-Klay-Lively-Gafford-Grimes-Marshall-Exum team would have been almost as deep.

(02-14-2025, 06:19 PM)LukaMVP Wrote: we'll probably see Christie starting in some games where defense is the priority. dude has been so consistent and efficient since he became a mav he definitely deserves a try in the starting five. even playing off the bench he still got starter minutes the past few games.