01-24-2023, 09:16 AM
Cato had an article in the Athletic about the prioritize now or the future. some parts below
https://theathletic.com/4115589/2023/01/...ka-doncic/
“If it’s with this personnel, then you’ve got to keep asking or demanding for those guys to play defense,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said afterward. “It’s not just the offensive end.”
Kidd’s quote stood out for its harsh assessment of the team’s performance. But those first few words — “if it’s with this personnel” — feel even more notable to the bigger picture because Kidd often references Twitter discourse or hints at current storylines when he speaks to the media. If Dončić desires to see the team’s roster change in the coming weeks, he likely wouldn’t be the only one within the Mavericks organization.
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It’s difficult to find balance between a future-focused approach and the pressures of the season that remains. Tim Hardaway Jr., a player who the Mavericks openly looked to trade last year prior to his season-ending injury, is an example of that. (my note, I wasn't aware they were trying to trade prior to his injury as well)
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Reggie Bullock can be viewed in a similar situation as Hardaway: someone who has been crucial to the team’s success in the past, but almost certainly isn’t a long-term participant in the team’s future. Both him and Hardaway, if traded, might cause the team to be worse this season even if it helps the long-term vision of the front office’s attempts to build a title contender around Dončić.
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Yes, LeVert is obviously talented, but he’s been an inefficient scorer for most of his career. Dallas could trade Hardaway for a 30-game look at whether LeVert fits better next to Dončić than he has at previous stops of his career. But if he doesn’t, Dallas has a real chance to be a worse team in its final 30 games, and LeVert’s expiring contract means he leaves the team this summer for nothing.
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There are infinite combinations of players and trade structures that the Mavericks could and have already considered – which we’ll continuing talking more about later this week. But while the need for change might be obvious to any fan or Hollywood movie director watching this team, the actual decisions this team must make are complicated by this present-future conundrum.
And if the team doesn’t feel like moves exist that would help now and later, it might have to choose just one.
https://theathletic.com/4115589/2023/01/...ka-doncic/
“If it’s with this personnel, then you’ve got to keep asking or demanding for those guys to play defense,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said afterward. “It’s not just the offensive end.”
Kidd’s quote stood out for its harsh assessment of the team’s performance. But those first few words — “if it’s with this personnel” — feel even more notable to the bigger picture because Kidd often references Twitter discourse or hints at current storylines when he speaks to the media. If Dončić desires to see the team’s roster change in the coming weeks, he likely wouldn’t be the only one within the Mavericks organization.
*****************
It’s difficult to find balance between a future-focused approach and the pressures of the season that remains. Tim Hardaway Jr., a player who the Mavericks openly looked to trade last year prior to his season-ending injury, is an example of that. (my note, I wasn't aware they were trying to trade prior to his injury as well)
***************
Reggie Bullock can be viewed in a similar situation as Hardaway: someone who has been crucial to the team’s success in the past, but almost certainly isn’t a long-term participant in the team’s future. Both him and Hardaway, if traded, might cause the team to be worse this season even if it helps the long-term vision of the front office’s attempts to build a title contender around Dončić.
*********************
Yes, LeVert is obviously talented, but he’s been an inefficient scorer for most of his career. Dallas could trade Hardaway for a 30-game look at whether LeVert fits better next to Dončić than he has at previous stops of his career. But if he doesn’t, Dallas has a real chance to be a worse team in its final 30 games, and LeVert’s expiring contract means he leaves the team this summer for nothing.
************************
There are infinite combinations of players and trade structures that the Mavericks could and have already considered – which we’ll continuing talking more about later this week. But while the need for change might be obvious to any fan or Hollywood movie director watching this team, the actual decisions this team must make are complicated by this present-future conundrum.
And if the team doesn’t feel like moves exist that would help now and later, it might have to choose just one.