GAME 71: DAL(43-28) vs. CHA (36-35) | 108-129 loss

[DanSchwartzgan]

Luka was excellent. 

Everyone else was terrible for the most part aside for some flashes. We were REALLY hurting without Dinwiddie and Bullock. 

The fatigue of a 3rd game in 4 nights and the 2nd game of a back to back definitely showed. No one had their legs. 

Maxi's offense is really quite terrible. Have no idea what happened to him. He looks like how he plays in the playoffs. Incredibly timid and shrinks. Which is peculiar because he's the exact opposite on the defensive end.

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Brown, Burke, Frank are 3 dead roster spots. Boban is also technically a dead roster spot but if he's Luka's best friend he gets immunity. 

Have to find a way to turn those 3 guys into 1 serviceable 10th guy.

Not meaning to pick on you SH, but I think quite a few people here spend way too much time worrying about roster spots outside of the top 8.  7 to 8 players is all that will play in the playoffs.  Guys making around $3 million isn't enough over the minimum to matter that much. The roster spots have to be filled.  Does it really matter that Brown and the rest makes an extra million or so?  Heck, I've even read one guy who was complaining about Josh Green getting a $141,000 pay raise next season.

We have three ball handlers that matter.  We have four wings that matter and probably need three in the playoffs.  We have two bigs that matter.  That's 8 and we are paying Bertans as part of the price of moving on from KP or getting Dinwiddie depending how you interpret things.  Someone like Chriss and Burke are necessary for injuries and foul issues.  Unless Brown, Frank and Boban have enough value to upgrade one of the top 8, it just doesn't matter that they make $3 million instead of $1-point-something million.  

The real question is whether there is a realistic path in the near term that allows us to upgrade a spot without giving up too much.

Is it realistic to use a ball handler and other assets to upgrade something?  SD is the only one you can trade and get value back.

Is it realistic to use a wing and other assets to upgrade something?  This is the position of greatest excess in terms of a playoff rotation.  I HATE the idea of giving up Green, but it is certainly possible to combine him and a pick and our TPE to get something of value.  Bullock probably has slightly positive value and I'd guess THJ has neutral value.  Even neutral value is value as you might find someone who's neutral value better fits what you are trying to do.  BTW, paths to Holmes (if that is the guy) using any of those guys.  DFS is the only lock to stay as best as I can ell.

Is it realistic to use a big and other assets to upgrade something?  This is the position of greatest need.  Upgrading is tricky.  Send out Maxi and you'd better be getting back a defender who does somethings that Maxi doesn't.  Send out Powell and you better be getting back a superior roll man.  We REALLY need rebounding, but great rebounders don't tend to play the PnR as well as either Maxi or Powell.

Is it reasonable to use Bertans and other assets to upgrate something?  Probably not yet.

So, some wing to somewhere for some big.  Personally, I'd do Reggie for Holmes and move Powell to the bench and Maxi to the backup four.  I would keep my pick.  I could see a similar version of this using Green and the TPE or using THJ (which would require Sacrmento sending out another player.  I'd end up with something along the lines of what is below:  

Holmes/Powell     Chriss/Boban
DFS/Maxi            Bertans
Green/THJ          Brown
Brunson/SD        Frank
Luka/SD             Burke