07-16-2026, 10:59 AM
(07-16-2026, 10:45 AM)mvossman Wrote: The superstar is the offensive engine. Every champion had one. Going down the list you have Brunson, Shai, Tatum, Jokic, Curry, Giannis, Labron, Kawhi, etc. None of those guys won a championship on their first contract because they were very young and started on a lottery team. Those examples provided show that its helpful to get a key contributor on a good contract. I don't disagree with that at all, but it has nothing to do with timeline.
If I had to guess the general board consensus on where this team will finish this season, I'm guessing it would be the play-in. Now take away Flagg and all of the offseason additions. That is essentially the team Flagg got drafted to. I think it would be really hard to argue that is not a bad team. On top of that, the Mavs gave away most of their assets in building around Luka. They are not only lacking in talent, they are also lacking in assets.
The OP suggested that our best window to contend is during Flagg first contract. I don't think that is the case. Historically it has been very rare and required a unique situation that I don't believe applies to the Mavs. Building a champion is a marathon, not a sprint. I don't think the right mindset for this FO is to hurry the process in fear of Flagg's extension.
I guess it depends on how you define contender. You are picking out the best player on the eventual Champs roster. I don't think the OP has the same definition of contention. LeBron, Luka, Wemby and many more have been on 'contenders' on their rookie deal. Making it to the Conference Finals/Finals is contending IMO.