MAVS 91, PELICANS 107

[mavsluvr]

Sure, I think this is reasonable, too. 

The thing is: they very clearly DID have a plan. Defensive wings and guards who are (supposed to be) catch and shoot threats. 

Maybe. I tend to think it's possible that the catch-and-shoot guys were fallback options when their attempts to get playmakers and better bigs fell through. (I guess that would still be a plan, wouldn't it, even it were plan C or D. I won't argue about the semantics.) I meant to suggest that they didn't have a strong sense of how they wanted to play going forward, not that they were just throwing darts at the free agent board. 

If we were in store for more of the "space for Luka" offense, these would've been excellent moves, to an extent, so much so that I took the Bullock/Brown signings as an indication that the offense would be pretty much unchanged. That was my impression, as well. That has not been the case, really. No, it hasn't. We're watching unreliable handlers initiate sets (Ok, maybe that will spur growth), loads of plays end with mid-range pull ups (yikes) and there's someone simply standing in the dunker spot through about 75% of each game (yiiiiiiiikes). Yes, yes, and yes. 

If that's how he wants to play offense, Bullock/Brown/Ntilikina is not a great way to prepare for it. I don't disagree with your suggestion about how that might've come to be, but man...that sure is a specific way to get it wrong, know what I mean?

It is. I think it was the kind of thing where they were out of options and decided they couldn't go wrong with more 3&D guys, rather than a successful pursuit of guys ideally suited for a certain Mavs-specific role. Ntilikina might have been a nod in the playmaker direction, but I think that was considered mostly a flyer when the signing was made. 

Good points, Killer. Maybe they really were still using a roster construction plan based on Carlisle's offense. Or, maybe they just ended up not getting whatever guys they really wanted and taking a couple of consolation prizes that they thought might be plug-and-play options on most any team. I could see it happening either way.