(08-25-2023, 11:13 PM)MarkAguirreWrathofGod Wrote: The Celtics did not have a great off-season. Even just by virtue of bringing Mazzulla back. Lost a ton of grit and defense by trading Smart and G.Williams. To over pay Porzingis. And they wanted the 25th in this past draft to take Omax, which didn’t exactly happen.

Getting back GSW 2024 1st, top 4 protected could be a sneaky good pickup though if injuries catch up to the Warriors.

(08-25-2023, 09:49 PM)surfpuckmd Wrote: THJ pairs nicely with Luka and another guard because of Luka's size.  In those lineups, you can call THJ the 2 or the 3- it doesn't really matter.   His shooting fits well with Luka on offense and his THJ's team defense is underrated.  I think the more important thing is that there are usually two ballhandlers on the floor with THJ.   Tim doesn't do well when he tries to create.

(08-26-2023, 02:03 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: I’m very well aware of all the talking points for THJ the player. I agree with some of them. The type of defender we need at the 3 spot is not what THJ can provide. His inability to do anything with the ball except get his own shot is a big part of the problem with him and with building the team around his deficiencies. In that Luka/THJ lineup you have, who is the other ball handler since it looks like you’re leaving Kyrie out of it? Hardy? Curry? Exum? Exum might be the best shot at making THJ work out in the lineup, but he will for sure not be playing all the minutes THJ will. 

We will also have minutes where he is on the floor without Luka, he will more than likely get some run with both Luka and Kyrie on the floor as well. It’s not gonna be as cut and dry as you’ve stated. On offense, THJ certainly opens some things up, but he also closes other things off. Same with defense. My post was a concession to a way I think he would fit this team. The logjam we have right now with so many players best suited to play the SG spot is not great, someone will not be getting the minutes they should have this year if we don’t open a release valve somehow.

(08-22-2023, 08:48 AM)From Dirk to Luka Wrote: I get why people are high on Hardy's potential, but he looked like a high volume launch it anytime from anywhere and pray it goes in guy in the summer league.  It's a small sample size, but  35% FG and 27% 3P in the summer league...He has a lot to work on.

(08-26-2023, 02:48 AM)surfpuckmd Wrote: We have two superstars then a lot of role players on the roster.  There will be some flaws with every lineup we put out there.

I think lineups with Kyrie, Luka and THJ will be poor defensively but even better offensively and so we'll generally win those minutes. 

I think lineups with Luka and THJ (without Kyrie) will require another ball-handler.  I anticipate Jaden Hardy getting a lot of minutes in those situations because he is our third creator.  Josh Green is an option who brings better defense but doesn't shoot as well as Tim.  Dante Exum is an unproven but potential solution as a 3 and D who seems to be able to handle the ball a bit.  I think he might become a useful rotation player for us.

The player who I don't think fits well in all of this is Seth Curry.  I think Seth will be somewhere around the 13-15th man on the roster.  I think he's a really good 13th man.  I think he's also a player they brought back because they like him and wanted him in the locker room.

Regardless, I think we can anticipate some injuries and rest days opening up some minutes for everyone as well.

Your argument seems to be that we're really deep so we should trade someone away.  I would argue that they have prioritized good depth this summer and I think it will help us win some games during the regular season.

The best thing that could happen to the Mavericks this season would be that the younger players (especially Hardy, Green and Exum) to earn minutes during the season at Hardaway's expense.  THJ averaged over 30 mpg last season.  I hope he averages less than 25 mpg this year.   It that occurs, then Tim becomes very expendable next off-season and we trade away his expiring contract to improve the roster elsewhere.  I think we should let the season play out though and see what we have prior to trading THJ.

(08-25-2023, 10:25 PM)surfpuckmd Wrote: Jaden Hardy will mostly play off-ball with either Kyrie or Luka on the floor as the primary ball handler.   

(08-26-2023, 11:29 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: https://x.com/wojespn/status/1695470084695748716?s=46&t=Fmdr94oXagcEyy75KJqaFg

Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn)
Restricted free agent F PJ Washington has agreed on a new three-year, $48 million contract to stay with the Charlotte Hornets, @LiftSportsMngmt agent Kevin Bradbury and Washington Sports Group’s Paul Washington Sr. tell ESPN.

(08-25-2023, 11:13 PM)MarkAguirreWrathofGod Wrote: The Celtics did not have a great off-season. Even just by virtue of bringing Mazzulla back. Lost a ton of grit and defense by trading Smart and G.Williams. To over pay Porzingis. And they wanted the 25th in this past draft to take Omax, which didn’t exactly happen.

Getting back GSW 2024 1st, top 4 protected could be a sneaky good pickup though if injuries catch up to the Warriors.

(08-26-2023, 11:29 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: https://x.com/wojespn/status/1695470084695748716?s=46&t=Fmdr94oXagcEyy75KJqaFg

Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn)
Restricted free agent F PJ Washington has agreed on a new three-year, $48 million contract to stay with the Charlotte Hornets, @LiftSportsMngmt agent Kevin Bradbury and Washington Sports Group’s Paul Washington Sr. tell ESPN.

(08-26-2023, 11:41 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: This is where I assumed it was heading, but I'm a little sad the dream is over. It's not like they really needed a guy like this after the Williams (and then DJJ) signing, but it was still fun to imagine ways to use him on the Mavs' roster.

(08-25-2023, 04:09 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: For the Hardy people, in particular, here's what I see:

1) Lots of hype around him and how excited they are about him this season.

2) They ask him to play PG during summer league, while not really having another option at 3rd PG.

3) He didn't come close to impressing as a PG during summer league. Pretty disappointing, actually.

4) They respond by signing Exum.

Personally, I believe there's a train of causality there. I could be WAY wrong, but I feel like those events are linked.

I think they feel Hardy needs a little functionality as a PG to break in, and I kind of don't blame them. He isn't really a PG (yet) but he's also not an off-ball guy. Almost everything he brings to the table involves him having the ball. To me, it's logical to expect the guy with the ball in his hands to be able to set others up, not just himself. That's not to say he needs to be Chris Paul (he never, ever will be) but on this team, he'll probably need to learn how to run a pick and roll. Like JET did, for example. Ask yourself, do you really believe that on a team with Luka and Kyrie Irving, they are planning to slice off parts of the game every night and say "everyone get out of the way while Hardy plays iso ball"??? I don't imagine that would go over very well.

On the other hand, if the plan is for him to play off-ball, then both THJ and Curry are VASTLY superior to him at the moment, and probably for the next couple of seasons.

(08-26-2023, 11:49 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote:

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DJJ is a minimum level 12th man player and Williams has to show he can carry bigger minutes. Washington has much more potential. It´s dumb to pass on talent, because you have some rotational pieces in the same positions. But then that be arguing with some people that said Powell is better than Randle and Kleber is better than Markkanen.

(08-26-2023, 11:53 AM)Ghost of Podkolzin Wrote: At best re PG, Hardy will be a combo guard, heavy on the SG part of that combo.  With J.Green and Kyrie ahead of him (not to mention Luika), and his complete lack of defense, 6th man combo guard is his predictable role for the Mavs.  I see him as J.Terry with less PG skills.  J.Clarkson.  J.Poole.  J.Crawford.  He was a 2ndRnd pick.  Those comps are nothing to sneeze at.

Luka being a point SF/PF gives us so much flexibility in the backcourt.

(08-26-2023, 11:49 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Another that got away. Probably would have taken a our 2027 lottery protected. Can easily see his development going the Markkanen way.

Also Garuba with 12/7 in 14 minutes for Spain. The guy is basically a Capela starter kit. We have the cash to sign him and waste our time with this McMorris shit.

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DJJ is a minimum level 12th man player and Williams has to show he can carry bigger minutes. Washington has much more potential. It´s dumb to pass on talent, because you have some rotational pieces in the same positions. But then that be arguing with some people that said Powell is better than Randle and Kleber is better than Markkanen.

(08-26-2023, 12:05 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Yep, I've made all the same comps. This is nothing new, and doesn't really address the conversation I was having. 

The Mavs (not me) seem to be encouraging him in a PG direction. I kind of get it, since I don't think they can justify playing him ahead of THJ and/or Curry. I think they were hoping he could get into the rotation in a role similar to the one Dan was describing earlier for Tyler Herro, and that's not pie-in-the-sky thinking, since PG is almost always a score first role in the current game. Heck, all three of the players you mentioned: Clarkson, Poole and Crawford CAN play PG. That's my whole point, not that he must become a PG, but that he has to do SOME of those things in order to effectively play the role you're describing.

(08-26-2023, 11:04 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: @Dan, I can totally see where you're coming from with what Herro would provide in terms of options, and I agree that the 3rd ball-handler/PG type is pretty near the top of needs at the moment. Don't you think a player at that level and that price point is kind of overkill though? I mean, I wonder if his head would even be right with coming off of the bench.

(08-26-2023, 12:48 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: Since it is a trade and not an FA signing, I'm not that worried about it.  Dinwiddie was just as much of a starter at Herro has been at the point we traded for him and put him in a bench role.  Like Dinwiddie, Herro already has his money and Irving may be gone by the time he's UFA again.

If we presume we are trying to upgrade the roster with a 30-minute type player, there are 3 roles that make sense to me.

1. Starting Center - The issue here is we probably drafted Lively to take this spot in a year or two or three.

2. Wing who can push Green or GWill to the bench - Is this what we hope OMax will become?

3. Third guard with shooting, creation and distribution skills - probably what we hope Hardy will become.

We won't all agree on which we need more.  It is somewhat a product of which kid we think is furthest away or has the lowest ceiling.  It is also a product of who is available and at what price.  I can say that I think OG or J. Allen is the guy we need, but at what price.  I happen to think Herro would fit role #3 very nicely and I know with near certainty that he's pretty available right now.