ROSTER TALK: Mavs favs for Vogel if no HC job exists. Kyrie handshake deal?

[Dundalis]

Sexton = Russell Westbrook starter kit

False. Sexton can shoot, and doesn't have a TS hovering around 50%. If Westbrook could actually shoot he wouldn't be spoken about in meme fashion like he is.

I think that is a key point and one that you are ignoring.  As we sit around here, acting like our thoughts on Mavs roster building matters, we ARE commenting on specific trades and whether or not we would do them.  Or if those are the type of players that we would target.  We have blown through countless names just this offseason.  It isn't so much that "we" are blinded by our own players as we have opinions on roster building and some players don't fit into that vision - for any number of reasons.  Cost to acquire, skillset, off court considerations...  they all come into play.  You are complaining about the PROCESS of debate on this board rather than discussing actual players and making cases for/against them.  There are going to be differences in opinion - that's kind of the point.

The second bold is an example where I STRONGLY disagree with you... I think that our defense is being held together at times by smoke and mirrors and relying WAY too heavily on the precious few that can execute it.  The guys you label as "role" players are holding our playoff lives in their hands.  We don't get to where we do without their skillsets.  Individually, they may not be "stars".  But in the team concept that the Mavs employ, our core players have much more value and are greater than the the mere sum of there individual worth.  They have more value because of Luka - and Luka has more value because of them.  You can't just replace them with "better" players and hope for same results. Thybulle is a good example.  Is he a better defender than DFS?  The league would say so, since he is making All-D teams.  If you replaced DFS with Thybulle, are the Mavs a better team?  I don't think it is close.  DFS shooting nearly 40% from 3 the last two seasons is a HUGE part of our team concept and is a way that Luka is able to do what he does.  A reason Din has amazing driving lanes.  That their pnr game is so deadly.  It MATTERS who those players are and what they can do.  

As for me, I think our defense needs help - much more than our offense.  I would love to pick up an additional creator.  I think we need one.  Suggest some stuff.  Let's discuss it.  I see people discussing it all the time and making arguments for/against.  I just don't buy when someone comes in and says that it is all about the boys in blue.  I am not that invested on any of the players.  I root for the name on the front of the jersey - as do most people here.  I grow fond of players that I see giving it all for the team, but I don't have to let that cloud objectivity.  I think our defense needs help and want to see us CONTINUE to acquire and keep 2 way players, unless there is too much value to overlook a trade.  That is how teams do it too when 2 contenders trade.  Everyone would want most of the top players in the league - what are you going to prioritize.

My responses have been directly responding to comments about how untouchable our role players are. That there are comments specifically about trade scenario's we have come up with is neither here nor there.

As for the second part, there are exceptions to every rule. But by and large, yes, you can replace existing players with 'better' players and very much expect to see better results. That's literally what happens in a game where only 5 players control your fortunes at any time. I get there are issues with fit. I didn't want Gobert here or any non shooting big, even though as soon as the season finished every Mavs fan and his dog was screaming for a paint defending big, pretty much like every year since Dirk was drafted with the exception of maybe when Dampier was first signed and when we had Tyson. I was opposed to that cacophony from the start. I'd take Harris for anyone not named Luka for example, certainly including Bullock or DFS. Any downgrade on defense (Harris is an above avg defender IMO) is more than made up by shot creation.

Our offense was middle of the pack last year. Our defense was top 10. Say you reversed that through trades. Top 10 offense, middle of the pack defense. Effectively our standing doesn't change. That obviously isn't apples for apples comparison, but all I'm highlighting is that this team has some serious weaknesses, and if you fill those weaknesses but weaken another area, that doesn't automatically translate to us being a worse team.

Bottom line is I was mostly responding directly to specific comments about the importance of role players in our team that I thought were over the top and not particularly objective. It's been absolutely rampant, not just here, but on reddit and every other Mavs forum around to a level I've not seen having been around Mavs forums for a good 20 years. It is not confined to just discussing specific trade scenario's, I literally responded directly to comments saying guys like Bullock and DFS are irreplaceable. That is a definitive statement that has nothing to do with specific trade scenarios.