05-14-2023, 07:41 PM
(05-14-2023, 09:08 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: spent a 20 minutes watching Kyrie, Hardy and Green highlights this year. Some fun moments in a dreadful season. If Kyrie is back, with Luka and Green (plus Hardy and maybe a draft pick who can create), having a bigger body who can finish (while also rebounding and defending) is important. With the floor spread with creators, that player should be able to get 12-14 points per game off easy looks & free throws.
Watching the highlights, the Mavs really need to try to play at a faster pace. Green and Hardy are much better in a quicker pace and Kyrie likes to play faster too. If the Mavs keep and make a lottery pick, that player will play better fast too. One thing you notice in most of the playoff games, is when a long rebound hits or a steal most teams make a sprint to the other hand and getting a basket at the rim. Dallas doesn't do that much. I really want to see this changed moving forward.
I agree about the pace thing. You can always settle back into the excellent half court offense if early offense isn't there.
I think the main takeaway from watching those highlights is that you don't trade either of the youngsters in any package that doesn't bring back an All NBA type. I know I've done it in the past with both players, but fairly regularly people will post trades including Josh where I think to myself Green is already as good as that guy. Green is almost the exact prototype of what you'd want here (only the 25 year old version instead of the 22 year old version). Hardy is a bit more of a projection still, but man the best of Hardy looks promising. Those guys aren't the problem. They are the solution.
The problem is we have so little else...especially when people take #10 off the table. #10 is a projection. We either get the last of the athletic wings/PF's, or a 3 point shooter who looks like a taller Tyler Herro or the team's third PG. All of those guys could turn out to be great, but man a lot of guys in the 5-10 range are busts each year. I kind of hope our scouts are in love with someone expected to go a few slots lower (maybe the other French kid) and we trade down to that and add some other bit of value.
I know we probably aren't on speaking terms with NY's front office right now, but is there a world in which #10 goes to them and we get a player of some kind and our 2024 pick back. I would think NY would want a player more than the pick, so a third team might need to be involved. I read recently that OKC gave 3 protected firsts for #11 last year. Why not our pick back and Obi Toppin (he's kind of a stud when he gets minutes). The angle here isn't as much about Toppin as it is freeing up 24 and 26 to trade for someone substantial.