11-14-2020, 09:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-14-2020, 09:40 PM by KillerLeft.)
(11-14-2020, 09:06 PM)DanSchwartzman Wrote: I realize you put the board on suicide watch for Rubio, but I LOVE him. Been fantasy trading for him for 5-6 years. I stopped with Luka here. My concern is both Rubio and Luka are magic with the ball in their hands. Rubio is also a good defender, but my worry is that off the ball you've taken away Ricky's superpower.
Then I dug deeper. Rubio/Booker lineups are great. So, he shares the spotlight just fine. And, his corner and C&S 3's are actually pretty good these days (it's all the other 3's that he's still not good at). He's also still a good on-the-ball defender. Phoenix is 6.0 pp100 better on O when Ricky is in and 3.7 pp100 better on D. That combined 9.7 is 7th best in the league (Millsap is #4 BTW).
So, let's take Paul out of this and just talk Phoenix and Dallas. DFS/Wright for Rubio saves them $4mm (cap room they could actually use...maybe FVV?). It gets them a rotation guy at the 3/4 behind Bridges and Johnson in DFS and a third guard in Wright. We know from the value charts that 18/31 is equal to about 13 or so. Is it so hard to believe $4 million in space, and two good bench players on reasonable contracts in positions of need aren't worth the other three spots from 13 to 10?
If Rubio is the target of such a deal (pick or no pick), it makes the Millsap thing more palatable. I don't think he comes here on a one year MLE. Maybe a two and he and Rubio expire simultaneously? Maybe cap room in 22 is a thing and we've taken on a couple of really good vets in Rubio and Millsap to transition us between now and then.
Now, we're talking. I like Rubio, too, and my insistence that we BE PREPARED was only meant to counteract the extremely negative reaction the board had to the idea. We know the Mavs like him, and if they thought Kemba Walker could work, it's not that far of a stretch to think they could talk themselves into Rubio.
Alternatively, there's no way in hell the white European is who the people in that LAC locker room want. I realize that I'm being reductive here, but I'm sorry - it's just my feeling.
The idea that #10 would be the VERY FIRST thing OKC would ask for is a no-brainer to the highest degree.
Add in the fact that Oubre is expiring, so much easier for OKC to swallow for a year, and also not really a typical Dallas player (this might be incorrect - they might like him just fine) and it just seems to me that Rubio is the tire that Dallas was kicking in this particular scenario.
For the record, I wouldn't be excited because it would mean some of the more exciting options had proven unsuccessful, but I DO think the player could be a fit here, and he's on a contract that's just fine, imo. I would be ok with it. It's a slightly less sexy version of the Gordon Hayward acquisition I got so excited about.
I've been tempted to pose the following Earth shattering question for a couple of weeks now, but have been too scared of backlash. I'm going to do so now, but please understand that this is me trying to figure out what THEY think, not making my own assertion:
Are we sure the Mavs want Luka to play PG? Are we even sure HE wants to do that?
Imo, we don't quiiiiiite have enough info to confidently answer in the affirmative. BE PREPARED.
In any event, I think it's EXTREMELY believable that the team who traded for 2008 Jason Kidd and carved out the role we saw him play well into his 30's would value that portion of Rubio's career more highly than other teams.
- great defender
- better catch and shoot guy than advertised and improving in his old age
- floor general type who doesn't need the ball in his hands for much of the possession to make an impact
It's like a carbon copy, imo.