(02-09-2024, 11:31 PM)Mavs03 Wrote: I would love for Dallas to sign Dinwiddie, but it's certainly not a done deal.  He's attending the Pelicans-Lakers game today.  Looks like it's between Dallas and the Lakers

(02-09-2024, 09:49 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: REALLY seems like Dallas can pay more, if they want…

https://x.com/ericpincus/status/1756040572647936459?s=61&t=Zmns3TEXDYnIJIXeN05-eQ

(02-09-2024, 11:51 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: What Lebron and Rich Paul want, they get. Criminal and tiresome. The Lakers are freaking below us in the standings. 

I'm salty just because I was treating getting SD in my heart like it was a done deal when my mind knew it was a pipe dream. I plead guilty that a decent portion of my giddiness over yesterday was over the presumption we would get him.

(02-09-2024, 11:35 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: Oh, another point. If Lively is out for 3-4 more games and Gafford shows to work well starting, I’m not all that confident that Lively is still the starter for the rest of the season. He still needs to figure out how to not pick up ticky tack fouls and Gafford has the tenure to have gotten that far. That will be important in the playoffs. Lively can still learn plenty off the bench.

(02-09-2024, 10:40 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I don’t think we will make a big trade this summer.  I think we will get to the second round and maybe beyond this season and largely run it back and hope for some internal improvement (and find the next GG Jackson in the late second round).  THJ and 2025 (the first or the second) at the TDL a year from now is a possibility.  We aren’t replacing Lively, Luka or Kyrie in the starting lineup and the bar to upgrade Green and PJ will likely be high enough that it isn’t easily jumped over.  I’m not saying we can’t upgrade those guys.  I’m saying the list of players who are substantially better than either is short and those types of players are very expensive.  If I have a disappointment, it is that it will be hard to develop Hardy and OMax with so many mouths to feed.  We have time for OMax, but decision time regarding Hardy is the same summer as decision time for THJ.

(02-09-2024, 11:31 PM)Mavs03 Wrote: I would love for Dallas to sign Dinwiddie, but it's certainly not a done deal.  He's attending the Pelicans-Lakers game today.  Looks like it's between Dallas and the Lakers

(02-10-2024, 02:44 AM)SleepingHero Wrote:

Screenshot of Dinwiddie sitting next to Pelinka.

(02-09-2024, 10:40 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I don’t think we will make a big trade this summer.  I think we will get to the second round and maybe beyond this season and largely run it back and hope for some internal improvement (and find the next GG Jackson in the late second round).  THJ and 2025 (the first or the second) at the TDL a year from now is a possibility.  We aren’t replacing Lively, Luka or Kyrie in the starting lineup and the bar to upgrade Green and PJ will likely be high enough that it isn’t easily jumped over.  I’m not saying we can’t upgrade those guys.  I’m saying the list of players who are substantially better than either is short and those types of players are very expensive.  If I have a disappointment, it is that it will be hard to develop Hardy and OMax with so many mouths to feed.  We have time for OMax, but decision time regarding Hardy is the same summer as decision time for THJ.

(02-10-2024, 07:25 AM)omahen Wrote: You made a great summary and as I said before, I totally agree Mavs are better than they were. 

However, I remember you saying early in the season, I can't see how Mavs offense can be stopped with Luka/Kyrie/Lively and two shooters. Turns out Mavs offense is as good as it always was, but Mavs defense was so bad that good teams easily scored even more. I don't see Mavs significantly improved in that area.

This last paragraph you posted is why I am not enthusiastic. If Mavs ceiling is a 2nd round exit, how do they improve from here? As you said - going from Green and PJ to a serious upgrade isn't easy. Give it another try and finish with another 2nd round exit? Perhaps even WCF. Kyrie will turn 34 after that. 

I don't buy "we got young players (Gafford, PJ) who will keep their value" narrative some have posted. Both PJ and Gafford will be 26 next year and they have been around long enough. I could see Gafford having same value as Mavs paid. But PJ was greatly overpaid for what he is and will have to be considerably better in Dallas to have an almost unprotected FRP value.

I am not interested in being decent. I want rings. I am sure Luka does too.

(02-10-2024, 07:32 AM)omahen Wrote: It will be interesting to observe the situation next season. Lakers were in a very similar position - one pick to trade this TDL or three in the summer. They opted to stand pat and save their ammo for a true difference maker.

I am at least a little concerned about Kyrie. He will be expiring and I could easily see him asking out to play with his friend.

(02-10-2024, 07:36 AM)Branduil Wrote: I do believe Dallas could see a significant improvement on BOTH ends of the court simply by hiring a competent X-and-Os coach. Right now the offense is simply whatever Luka and Kyrie can generate and the defensive scheme actively sabotages any improvement.

(02-10-2024, 10:00 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: Trading Kyrie next year might be the last really good way the Mavericks have to get better.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be against that.

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They are currently in the process of overhauling the roster with his input in mind, so I highly doubt he’s going to lose his job anytime soon. That is sort of part of the depression for me.

(02-10-2024, 10:19 AM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: That's actually a big part of it. Gafford is basically a better version of what McGee was supposed to be. It's still 2020 Lakers 2.0. 
On defense: Big rim protector in the paint. Drop defense and ice against the pick and roll. Overload the strong side and pre rotate.
On offense: Iso heavy. Luka and Kyrie create the rest of the guys screen or space the floor. Not a lot of ball movement.

The guys they are adding right now are supposed to fill roles in that system. Gafford allows them to play 48 minutes of drop defense/rim protection + rim running. PJ is more versatile but for the most part he is going to space the floor or function as an outlet when teams double/trap Luka. I guess the idea is that he can take advantage of the resulting 4vs3.

This is just as much a test of Kidd's scheme as it is as about the players.

(02-10-2024, 10:00 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: Trading Kyrie next year might be the last really good way the Mavericks have to get better.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be against that.

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They are currently in the process of overhauling the roster with his input in mind, so I highly doubt he’s going to lose his job anytime soon. That is sort of part of the depression for me.