2023 DRAFT: Mavs take Lively, OMP, sign Mike Miles to 2-way, sign Jordan Walker

[SleepingHero]

If Luka is on board 2023-2024 being a transition year, then so am I.

If he behaves like he did last year because the team has no shot to be a contender, then we're in for a long season.  Not to mention how Kyrie handles a transition year.

I forgot where I heard/read it, but it really resonated with me. When it comes to Luka, ever since he's come here he's always echoed the same sort of sentiment. We gotta win and we're going to win. Even in the improbable series against the Clippers he echoed the phrase "if you don't believe you shouldn't be here"

I truly believe that Luka is cut from the cloth that he can win with literally anyone on his roster. If the team doesn't win, he first thinks its because of his own short comings vs. issues with the team. That kind of mindset properly frames all of his quotes regarding team building and why he's generally just never cared or ever seem interested in it.

There isn't a transition year for Luka. Every year is win-now because Luka believes he can win with anyone. What happened last season I think was a combination of him being frustrated that he couldn't just will a team to victory like he's been able to so many times before, and probably annoyed that his teammates couldn't produce consistently even in his absence. 

Again, I'm trying to get into the mind of another person and interpret their motivations so I may be waayyyy off. But seeing Luka thinking this way makes sense to me. I agree last season he showed his emotions way more than ever. I think a lot of that had to do with him not having a proper running mate. After the Kyrie trade, his negative body language sort of dissipated even though they were losing even more.