MAVS NEWS:

[Smitty]

I mentioned this yesterday, but the guys at DLLS were just salivating over the frontcourt lineup possibility of Morez, Adama, and Flagg (which I had never considered).

Yeah, that 3-man frontcourt will get some run for sure. Probably the best offensive group. The best defensive group is probably PJ-Flagg-Lively.

I really like the frontcourt. We’ll need one or both of Sasser/Sergio to surprise us this season. It’s possible.

[windjc]

Saw it now. That did look like a 80 year old man with a broken back, two titanium hips, knew replacements and ten screws in his foot. You see Dirk or McHale walk you can tell the foot/ankle is a mess, but the rest of their body moves fairly fine. Looking at the footage, I´d have guessed he wrecked his back in a car crash. Now I´m actually thinking the Mavs will let him go and pay him some money under the table. I mean why make it count against the CBA. If that is his new normal, his basketball career is over and he is just fighting to live a normal life.  I feel so bad for Lively.

Lively and a bunch of people that have see him dispelled this garbage already. Typical social media overreaction.

I know you’re scared but it’s going to be ok.

[Dirknows]

Yeah, that 3-man frontcourt will get some run for sure. Probably the best offensive group. The best defensive group is probably PJ-Flagg-Lively.

I really like the frontcourt. We’ll need one or both of Sasser/Sergio to surprise us this season. It’s possible.

We have a ton of front court options, excited to see which one turns out to be the best. Flagg needs his 3-ball to improve obviously to optimize any of the lineups.

[mvossman]

Yeah, that 3-man frontcourt will get some run for sure. Probably the best offensive group. The best defensive group is probably PJ-Flagg-Lively.

I really like the frontcourt. We’ll need one or both of Sasser/Sergio to surprise us this season. It’s possible.

unpopular opinion but their best offensive front court is probably Rez/Flagg/Klay.

[Smitty]

unpopular opinion but their best offensive front court is probably Rez/Flagg/Klay.

Strong disagree. I think Aldama > Klay by quite a lot. Aldama can do way more than launch from 3. He’s a big that plays like a Wing. Put the ball on the deck some. Finish inside. Better passer. Better at everything really… except 3PT shooting.

[mvossman]

Strong disagree. I think Aldama > Klay by quite a lot. Aldama can do way more than launch from 3. He’s a big that plays like a Wing. Put the ball on the deck some. Finish inside. Better passer. Better at everything really… except 3PT shooting.

Aldama offensive skills are uniquely valuable at the 5, but not nearly as much when there is another big on the floor. He does everything else on the court better than Klay, but probably not enough to make up the difference in shooting. Especially if you are playing a backcourt that can do all of those things.

[Winter]

A Rez, Flagg, and Klay is probably never going to happen. It wouldn't make much sense. If Klay wasn't hitting his 3's he would be a total detriment.

[BigDirk41]

I don't even expect Klay to be here at the start of the season but Aldama is a better player at this stage of Klay's career.

[mvossman]

A Rez, Flagg, and Klay is probably never going to happen. It wouldn't make much sense. If Klay wasn't hitting his 3's he would be a total detriment.

Don’t think that is true at all. He shoots 3 with massive volume and good percentage. He is the best floor spacer on the team. He would give Flagg more room to operate in the paint than anybody else.

[mvossman]

I don't even expect Klay to be here at the start of the season but Aldama is a better player at this stage of Klay's career.

I don’t disagree with either of these statements, but I think there are lineups where Klay makes more sense

[Winter]

Don’t think that is true at all. He shoots 3 with massive volume and good percentage. He is the best floor spacer on the team. He would give Flagg more room to operate in the paint than anybody else.

So your argument is that you'd rather have Rez, Flagg, and Klay?

I think you're right in your first comment. That would be "unpopular".

[Mavs2021]

The way the Mavs have moved in terms of roster construction so far, makes it highly unlikely that they are done. 

To me this screams Thompson + Gafford + Martin + Nembhard for any big expiring contracts. 

That creates roster slots for Cisse and Ishchenko and would take the Mavs to like 117M in committed salary including a team option for Aldama and a player option for Kyrie next summer.

Irving / DeLarrea / Sasser
Lavine / Christie / Ishchenko
Flagg / Marshall / Biberovic
Washington / Aldama / MLE?
Johnson / Lively / Cisse

[mvossman]

So your argument is that you'd rather have Rez, Flagg, and Klay?

I think you're right in your first comment. That would be "unpopular".

My argument was that is probably a more effective offensive front court than the ones listed. My goal was to put a starting quality small forward in that lineup, but this roster doesn’t really have one.   There is not a forward on this roster that I would expect to shoot better than 35% from 3 with the exception of Klay

[Winter]

The way the Mavs have moved in terms of roster construction so far, makes it highly unlikely that they are done. 

To me this screams Thompson + Gafford + Martin + Nembhard for any big expiring contracts. 

That creates roster slots for Cisse and Ishchenko and would take the Mavs to like 117M in committed salary including a team option for Aldama and a player option for Kyrie next summer.

Irving / DeLarrea / Sasser
Lavine / Christie / Ishchenko
Flagg / Marshall / Biberovic
Washington / Aldama / MLE?
Johnson / Lively / Cisse

Nembhard has become somewhat awkward now. Sasser was pushed down in minutes in Detroit because Jenkins turns out to be the same guy as Sasser but 3" taller - so he's gobbling up Sasser's minutes. But the reality is that Sasser has better stats almost everywhere compared to Nemhard and will likely take Nembhard's minutes because of his shooting and defense. Nembhard will have no advanatges outside of possibly being a better floor general - which he may be.

So the roster there may be redundant now, and they may have to give some thought to keeping him.

Edit: And I agree, it doesn't feel "done."

[OldMavsFan]

Should Dejounte Murray someone that the Mavs should trade for?  With Mavs cap space it is easy to come up with a trade that the Mavs take on money or to break even on the salaries.  He is making 32 mil this year and has a player option for next year and in truth I have no clue what the Pelicans are even trying to do going forward. There just aren't many name brand PGs that might be available or that is how I see it and he is 29 and a PG.  I would guess that it will take PJW to start the talks.  So I am just asking, if it even is possible a path the Mavs might be interested in.

[Chicagojk]

I don't have a good feel for this new front office yet.  I do think they will continue to look opportunistic but I feel they will shy away from a lateral type move just to balance the roster out.   I think they will feel less pressure to fix the roster now, while if a lesser known GM was hired that pressure would have been higher.  

 While I disagree, I think they may believe they are closer to a good team than most of us think and may be looking for a bigger trade sooner rather than later.  Not the 60 million dollar player but the all star caliber player.   I would prefer taking a longer term approach but with the role players they have signed (mid 20's and not trading Kyrie) makes me think they may have a quicker roadmap.  Would they be right?  It would take a lot of Ifs.    If Lively can stay healthy, If Kyrie can get back to his previous level, If Morez is a plus player early in his career.   If Flagg makes the second year jump.  Etc.

[windjc]

Cisse sucks. He will never be an important part of any championship level team.

[windjc]

I don't have a good feel for this new front office yet.  I do think they will continue to look opportunistic but I feel they will shy away from a lateral type move just to balance the roster out.   I think they will feel less pressure to fix the roster now, while if a lesser known GM was hired that pressure would have been higher.  

 While I disagree, I think they may believe they are closer to a good team than most of us think and may be looking for a bigger trade sooner rather than later.  Not the 60 million dollar player but the all star caliber player.   I would prefer taking a longer term approach but with the role players they have signed (mid 20's and not trading Kyrie) makes me think they may have a quicker roadmap.  Would they be right?  It would take a lot of Ifs.    If Lively can stay healthy, If Kyrie can get back to his previous level, If Morez is a plus player early in his career.   If Flagg makes the second year jump.  Etc.

May is thinking championship in year two. That means playoffs this year as a warm up.

I think the most likely scenario this season, assuming no major injuries, is the Mavs start out real slow. This board freaks out and panics. Then somewhere in first half of season they figure out how to win. They peak at about game 60. This board is in ecstasy. Then young legs grow tired. They go out first or second round of playoffs. This board cries about the players they think let them down.

[mvossman]

Should Dejounte Murray someone that the Mavs should trade for?  With Mavs cap space it is easy to come up with a trade that the Mavs take on money or to break even on the salaries.  He is making 32 mil this year and has a player option for next year and in truth I have no clue what the Pelicans are even trying to do going forward. There just aren't many name brand PGs that might be available or that is how I see it and he is 29 and a PG.  I would guess that it will take PJW to start the talks.  So I am just asking, if it even is possible a path the Mavs might be interested in.

If the goal was to land a starting level vet guard then he would make some sense. It just doesn’t seem like that is in Mavs plans. The focus seems to be youth and there hasn’t even been a rumor of a player like that in their radar.

[KillerLeft]

My argument was that is probably a more effective offensive front court than the ones listed. My goal was to put a starting quality small forward in that lineup, but this roster doesn’t really have one.   There is not a forward on this roster that I would expect to shoot better than 35% from 3 with the exception of Klay

I think people can’t get past the specific use of Thompson to see the point you’re making. I agree with it. 

I doubt Biberovic will get super heavy minutes right away, but I think he’ll be the guy you’d use to make this point by the end of the year. I hope so, anyway.