TAKE DAT WIT YOU 10/22

[audiosway]

Very well put. 

Just a gloss on the observation that it is a good sign if Cubes has empowered Nico. I agree that it is a good sign, in the sense of a general indication that Cuban is ready to take a more professional approach. 

Taking it a little further, we really don't know whether empowering Nico in particular is good or not, because he has never done the job before. By all accounts, he has great skills in the organizing and management areas, which the Mavs are definitely in need of. However, by his own admission, he knew nothing at all about the roster construction side of the job. 

I consider it a bit discouraging that, as far as we know, the organization still has no one with a proven track record of success at drafting and roster construction. Such a person would still report to Nico, or maybe Cuban if he wants to maintain that degree of control. Heck, maybe Cuban considers himself to be that person.   Until they are willing to hire and rely on people who have professional skills and experience at their jobs, I fear they are doomed to repeat history.

This is a really good point. And that's really what concerns me. Cuban had two very good evaluators of talent and yet let them go. Say what you want but Donnie and Rick knew talent. Who knows why the current team doesn't have more talent on it. (Although, I really think that there has been a terrible use of assets up until the DSJ draft. They had a good couple of years of team building and drafts there by adding DSJ (KP, THJ), Luka, Maxi, Brunson, etc.) It feels like there is no one on the team now that is a proven commodity of talent evaluation. That to me a doomed to repeat previous failures.

Some of the Mavs media are making much of Luka's seeming lack of buy-in to the effort to institute a more egalitarian offense. They note that when he is playing off the ball, he is mostly standing around. Drawing off a defender, but not cutting and otherwise moving around, as a good off-ball guard would normally do. Also, that he was VERY upset at halftime of the Raptors game, and came out after halftime and reverted to the heliocentric offense in a (successful) effort to salvage the match. 

I don't know how much should be made of this at this early point in the season, but I think it bears watching.

Luka isn't stupid. He is an incredibly smart kid with that MJ or Kobe drive to win. If he hadn't taken over when he did that Raptors game would have been a loss as well. I agree that they do need to pass the ball more. However, without another ball handler capable of creating shots for themselves or someone else it's really dumb to move Luka off the ball. I can see why he would be frustrated.

If it was my team I would be trying to build up KP's value to move him at the TDL if a deal is there. He has some good things he can do. However, I don't think he's a championship caliber 2nd option. He wants to be in the post and he's not elite at it. Rick was using him the way he should be used. He hated it.

My key acquisition targets would be primary ball handler 1st and defenders next. That may be what they are doing. I'm not sure. I just think it was a little naive for them to set their sights on Lowry then Dragic. Both guys that had very little chance to get. Sure Dragic would come to Dallas. But, there is that thing of not really having assets and him being under contract. There were other players that were available and can create. Maybe not creators at a championship level. But, better than currently on this roster.

Aside from what Cuban and by extension Donnie would always say about keeping the powder dry...Dry powder doesn't create buckets. And when John Wall and CP3 get moved on those massive deals they had...players can ALWAYS be moved.