05-23-2025, 04:48 PM
(05-23-2025, 12:07 PM)F Gump Wrote: I didnt have the stats, but that was my sense of things in my ideas for Flagg, that they might consider slotting him at a starting "G" aka point-forward aka primary offense creator (until Kyrie returns). While a different skill set than Luka, he's been creating offense at every level, even though he's big, and has built his game like that.
The Mavs didnt quite see Luka as a PG at first. Was he going to be in the ilk of Bird, or Magic, all around players who could each do many things, some very flashy, but like Luka were both the size of a PF?
It's that KNOWN capacity and track record at his size that has had NBA teams eagerly awaiting the chance to get him since he was in HS.
I don't think the Mavs even want a heliocentric offense like Luka is, and would see starting players like AD, Klay, and even PJ at times as capable in starting and/or creating offense too... which means its now going to be a much easier load to fill for whoever is the primary guy.
CF obviously wouldn't have to play all 30 or so minutes in that role -- as they bring in backups, he can then be secondary creator alongside someone like Williams or Exum (or even Hardy, if for some reason he isn't traded?).
We also have to consider that presumably during the season this is NOT necessarily needing to be a TOP playoff-ready lineup (although that would be an intent) since Kyrie will be back well before the playoffs.
I'm not stuck on CF as the point forward necessarily, but I think the Mavs will be very flexible in how they approach things and seems like an intriguing possibility. And they are building multiple lineups - this season without Kyrie, then with- as well as lineups that do or dont include PJ and Gaff in future years, so imo we should EXPECT to see a whole slew of unexpected.
I think that probably won’t be the most successful line-up, but could be the most beneficial one long term because it would give Cooper the steepest learning curve in the first couple of months. Not unlike Lively was thrown into the fire. And everything points to Cooper being a really fast learner, so if he improves his handling, decision making and playmaking in the first couple of months because of an exaggerated guard or point forward role he‘ll be even more lethal as soon as Kyrie returns.