Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[SleepingHero]

Reading the excerpts of Dirk’s interview renewed my doubts about being a fan again. It just feels like we’ve been cheated on in a relationship and we want to leave but don’t really know how.

The only "out" is the Adelsons selling the team and Nico and the entirety of the organization is fired.

A literal restart.

There is no coming back from this. That's the only way I can feel comfortable moving forward.

[Chicagojk]

really nice plays. I think a lot of our frustration with our offense is the lack of off ball movement. I was also frustrated that we never put Luka in the Dirk free throw spot. We did it maybe once. It was a game against the Lakers I believe when Exum hit a ton of threes. They got Luka the ball free throw line area and gave the defense no easy answers. Double Luka and leave a shooter wide open for three. Or don't double and let Luka get into the lane for a paint shot or a lob if a big comes over. I don't think this ever was a part of our offense.

https://x.com/iztok_franko/status/1901963346624102432

[DallasMaverick]

I’m thinking maybe we should have named our Cat “Dirk” instead of “Luka”.

[Jym]

I’m thinking maybe we should have named our Cat “Dirk” instead of “Luka”.

Good thing the cat I got in January was a girl 
High chance it was going to be named something Mavs related if it was a boy

[WildArkieBoy]

So Nico has an IQ of what, 70? He’s the biggest idiot to ever run an NBA team. Grimes with 46 and 13 tonight. Nico traded him and a 2nd round pick for nothing. Grimes looks like a border line all star caliber player going into next year. I’ve never seen a GM get clowned by two peers so badly in the span of a few days. What a joke. Please leave the state and never come back.

When I complained about what appeared to be JKidd's under utilization of Grimes, I think it was F Gump who said it was because the Mavs had not reached a financial deal with Grimes, but I still viewed it as a misuse of assets.  Anyway, Nico/Dumont unwittingly did both Grimes and Luka a substantial favor in trading them.  Now, let's see how Gafford is viewed as he heads into free agency. 

wab

[audiosway]

really nice plays.  I think a lot of our frustration with our offense is the lack of off ball movement.    I was also frustrated that we never put Luka in the Dirk free throw spot.  We did it maybe once.  It was a game against the Lakers I believe when Exum hit a ton of threes.  They got Luka the ball free throw line area and gave the defense no easy answers.  Double Luka and leave a shooter wide open for three.  Or don't double and let Luka get into the lane for a paint shot or a lob if a big comes over.  I don't think this ever was a part of our offense. 

https://x.com/iztok_franko/status/1901963346624102432

JJ is using Luka beautifully. He is constantly in the Dirk spot. He had back to back lobs last night followed by getting tripled and Reeves got the wide open 3.

[Jym]

In a shocking turn of events, I've been watching a ton of basketball the past month
I thought this would be the death blow to my NBA fandom but I'm actually just watching more random games like I used to before becoming so Mavscentric

[burekemde]

I wrote earlier that I believed Luka had great positive effect on Kyrie, its evident his career took a very positive turn after starting playing with Luka. This is no coincidence IMO. Explanations are many, but most of all Luka has allowed Kyrie to face second best perimeter defenders. The best defender was always on Luka. In addition, Kyrie did not had to carry the ball up the court much, which is icredibly stamina intensive. Also, Luka is the most double teamed player in NBA, which allowed Kyrie free looks at the perimeter being wide open which he is not used to and will not get when playing with AD. This really gets you in a rythm to get some easier plays. Also with AD, Kyrie will still will face the best perimeter defenders, as AD takes the best inside defender and not the perimeter one. I knew there would be a Kyrie decline after Luka got traded. I just had no idea it would be that fast as this. Kyries efficiency went considerably down, evindent in the numbers, his minutes went up, and he ended up injured. You did not had to be genius to predict this! The effect of Luka was incredible on Kyrie, and it is clear the effect is now going to Lebron. It's clear that Nico and this organisation do not understand this at all. Not to say that it doest go both ways, absolutely it does, but end of the day, it is Luka that gets the best defender every time and it is Luka that carried the load more than any other player in the league, and being quiet durable at that. It's incredible that Lukas most important skill, his durability and taking load and punches from the best defender, season in and season out, was actually used as an argument to trade him away.

This is a historically bad trade. Everyone that trades or does not draft Luka has regretted it and if not will end up regret it. It is clear that Reaves (similar skill wise to Kyrie) and Lebron are the one that will get the space and energy lift playing along with Luka. And ultimately the Lakers.

I will not even go down to how much the center position was better when Luka was in the game. Both Lively and Gafford will not get the level of play they could with Luka, so trading Luka is trading a big part of these players as well. Its sad to see that this effect goes down to Hayes and the Lakers now. He looks instantly like an all star center.

Finally, the biggest loss is perhaps the void of this magic that Luka provided. There is nothing magical about this Mavs team unfortunately. You can just feel that the Lakers could beat anyone at the moment. This was a home grown player, every season MVP contender, every season all team NBA, and not even in his prime. Meaning he will get a lot better.

The Mavs just did not understand how much he works on his skills in the offseason. Look at his improved FT and distribution and reading of the plays. He has become better and better every season and he will get a lot better. He is the only PG in the league that is a QB and not a PG. Much like Magic was before. He is the system and gives nightmares for the opposing coaches. I think this is also something that Mavs did not understood, the effect of Luka. Its not a coincidence that Mavs were instantly a playoff team with his arrival and so successful in postseason. A huge blunder by the Mavericks. In fact even bigger blunder than the one Suns, Kings, Hawks made! One thing is not being good in predicting how an europen player will do in NBA, you can make the mistake. But how in the world can you make the mistake in knowing who Luka is, after he was on your team for 6 years and made all the records that could be made in that span, and transforming you team from a losing culture every season to contender? How can you even fail like that?

[SleepingHero]

In a shocking turn of events, I've been watching a ton of basketball the past month
I thought this would be the death blow to my NBA fandom but I'm actually just watching more random games like I used to before becoming so Mavscentric

That sounds great.

To be honest I’m still not there yet. I’ve gone from watching every single Mavs game religiously no matter what to checking box scores. Literally never had that happen to me before.

I used to also have a game in the background while I worked and I passively watched. Have zero motivation to do that now either.

[meistermatze]

That sounds great.

To be honest I’m still not there yet. I’ve gone from watching every single Mavs game religiously no matter what to checking box scores. Literally never had that happen to me before.

I used to also have a game in the background while I worked and I passively watched. Have zero motivation to do that now either.

Same here. Everything feels wrong, still.

[KillerLeft]

That sounds great.

To be honest I’m still not there yet. I’ve gone from watching every single Mavs game religiously no matter what to checking box scores. Literally never had that happen to me before.

I used to also have a game in the background while I worked and I passively watched. Have zero motivation to do that now either.

I've seen two games since the trade. The big AD game and one other. I almost never think about the team unless I'm here.

[omahen]

Looks like MacMahon wrote a book and gave more insight in the Luka-Nico dynamics. These two guys are not enthusiastic about Nico

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Gh4afiCTk

[ThisIStheYear]

The Mavs are so bad, they’re hard to watch. Plus, the knowledge that Kidd and Nico basically nuked this team for no apparent reason is hard to swallow. It was right there with the right coach and GM for this team to become the Chicago Bulls of the late 2020s. But they practically destroyed this team overnight because of ego. Let’s trade Luka for dimes on the dollar because it’s against our culture to give anyone star treatment, mamba mentality blah, blah, blah. Let’s sabotage Grimes because he didn’t accept a low salary extension. These guys are certifiable morons.

[DL2RimRocker]

That sounds great.

To be honest I’m still not there yet. I’ve gone from watching every single Mavs game religiously no matter what to checking box scores. Literally never had that happen to me before.

I used to also have a game in the background while I worked and I passively watched. Have zero motivation to do that now either.

Always considered myself an avid Mavs fan since the day they drafted Ro.
For the first time since then I'm beginning to feel like a fair-weather Mavs fan.

Was an avid Cowboys fan until the day Jerry fired Landry and soon after became a hater and continue to be with passion.

There's a part of me that hopes they move this team to Vegas and change the name so Mavs fans can start fresh with draft picks and new ownership/management to give us a little hope. It's tough to see the ground approaching fast in this nose dive, knowing that Nico and Patrick will be the only ones at the controls.

Still can't believe this has happened and the QG trade only makes the nightmare worse.

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

The only way I'd be truly back as a Mav fan is for these 3 things to happen.

1. Nico needs to be out of the Mavs.
2. New ownership.
3. Get someone better than Jason Kidd.

Even if the Mavs suck for 10 more years and be mediocre for the rest of my existence, I'm okay with that. I just can't be a Mav fan right now with the way the franchise is being run.

I am a fair weather Jazz fan before and rooted for the Jazz instead of the Bulls in the finals, but I became a Mav fan when the Jazz faced them in the play-offs of 2001. Never supported any other team since... until now. Still not a Laker fan but.. I'm finding myself building a better roster for Luka Lakers in the ESPN trade machine. As for the Mavs, I do not care who the Mavs bring in or how they plan to assemble/disassemble their lineup. Even if they manage to get Giannis at this point -- still a NO. As long as Nico-Kidd-Dumont are the personalities behind the Mavs. I'd be excited for the Mavs if they get a pick who's going to be outstanding, but the thought of having Dumont-Nico-Kidd, there's this lingering feeling they'd mess this up at some point.

[ThisIStheYear]

Nico out. Kidd out. Cooper Flagg in. That’s what I need. I’ll settle for Cooper though as long as the Mavs hire someone to babysit Nico.

[cow]

This team doesn't deserve Flagg.

[audiosway]

Nico out.  Kidd out. Cooper Flagg in. That’s what I need. I’ll settle for Cooper though as long as the Mavs hire someone to babysit Nico.

I only check in because I enjoy chatting with you guys. I'm a Laker fan now. Not looking back. I could care less about what they Mavs do at this point. They burned me.

[burekemde]

I really hope that Pelinka at least payed for that coffee. That Nico at least got something in return.

[SleepingHero]

After a complete decimation of the Nuggets, a reporter asked Luka how he’s adjusting to living in LA. His answer:

@NationMffl
“Dallas was my home for seven years. Almost seven years. It really felt like home…”

— Luka Doncic