DRAFT: #18 [Green] & #31 [Terry] & trade for #36 [Tyler Bey]

[Dundalis]

They would love a pure shooter/combo guard like Terry. Could be a long-term replacement for Seth. No defense though!

Seems like far better creation skills than Seth. Anyone see any of his namesake Jason Terry in him? Skillset seems similar, PnR and off ball heavy. He had a growth spurt and put on a bunch of weight apparently, so could be a lot of physical upside.

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I think that the need for a defensive "wing" could be met by a "four wing," which could involve a "big man" who can hit a three and successfully defend the perimeter. I think such a player would fit in the starting lineup much better than Powell would given KP's flourishing in what used to be Powell's role. I have said many times that the Mavs need another creator next to Luka (more than anything else, including that defensive wing), but I don't expect that guy to be available in the draft (unless we trade up for Haliburton, perhaps?), so I'm fine with Achiuwa, Reed, Tiger, Smith, et al.

Tyler Bey is a SF/PF, while Achiuwa, Reed and Smith are PF/C. I´m fine with taking one of them at #31, but at #18 such projected low-ceiling players would be disappointing. Of course if Achiuwa turns into Bam I always knew.

What do you expect to get at 18? I think if the Mavs keep their pick, when they have such a significant need to upgrade their roster, they should think in terms of the highest floor possible. They need someone who can be part of the rotation right away (even with some learning curve/growing pains), because our current rotation is Luka, KP, doesn't-really-fit-because-defense-and-creation THJ, can-be-your-fifth-best-starter DFS, and a bunch of bench players.

BTW, I consider T. Bey a clear-cut four.

What? I have no idea why people are stuck in win now mode. This team has one of the longest open windows in the league. The idea that we absolutely have to upgrade the roster to be in a spot of contention next season has no basis in the reality of the team. IMO that's just an emotional short term gratification fan response. Acquire assets so we can build over the next 2-3, even 4 seasons. This team is garbage at acquiring valuable trade assets (young players with upside and draft picks), and being in win now mode for so long is only a partial excuse, because other teams have done way better at it while also being winning teams. Not every player we bring in HAS to be able to fit seemlessly into the team, you can bring players or picks in because they are or will become valuable trade assets that you can then upgrade again later, or use in big trade moves. That's how good teams go about roster building (at least the teams that aren't FA destinations that can always attract the best FA's). So many of the up and coming teams have built rosters with way better tradeable assets than the Mavs, which you want, if you want to be able to manouver yourself into position to make trades for high level talent that becomes available (since that's our one area of strength as we have never proven a FA destination). When Dirk is at the back end of his relative prime between the age of about 30-35, it makes a bit more sense, but not now and not for a number of years. You can make all the excuses about why that's the case, but for me it starts at how garbage this team has treated the draft. Plenty of teams have done far better jobs at it than we have without having constantly great draft position. If you can bring in imediate help, great, but do it through trades or FA. This team almost always goes with supposed high floor type players with non lottery picks in the first round of the draft, and it almost never works out. We have what is effectively two low end first round picks. I'm not even saying Bey would necessarily be a bad pick (certainly not at 31), but let's not make the same dumb draft mistakes we've made in the past by purposefully not picking BPA.

We are in win now mode because we can win now. 
If you have a chance you go for it. 
We entered this stage one-and-a half years ago, when we gave away all possible draft picks. 

I don't say screw everything to win now. But to pick a wellfitting highfloor prospect instead of a boom-or-bust high potential high risk player is fine with me. 

If you don't even try to win because your time will come, then you will be the Sixers or the Timberwolves.

Yeah that's really not a very good reason. We are in win now mode because we can be? Nope. The only teams that can afford to be blase about long term roster building are teams like the Lakers that can attract almost any FA they want. Or desperate teams, with aging superstars. Being in win now mode is also a very easy way to handicap yourself into salary cap hell, stuck with bad contracts for low value, immoveable, average NBA players, or just having a constant rotation of recycled average players that don't move you forward much and don't give you much in the way of valuable assets to go out and upgrade if you aren't able to do anything in FA. Also there is a huge difference between the Sixers and Timberwolves. Don't even know what you are saying there. Sixers are a perennial playoff team with plenty of desirable assets they can use in trades to take the next step. They are not remotely in a bad position, but obviously if your GM isn't any good they can ruin any roster. The collection of tradeable assets the Sixers have built up is far, far superior to what we have. Yeah Luka is the best player, but we aren't trading him, we are trying to build around him. I'm not sure you understand about the concept of high value asset collection, because your statement about not even trying to win isn't really relevant at all. My post was not purely meant to be about who we specifically take with pick 18 anyway, more about the whole mindset of being in win now mode, the fact the Mavs have been for a long time, and the bad job they have done at asset collection, where other franchises have done it way better despite being consistent playoff teams.