05-10-2023, 01:46 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-10-2023, 01:48 PM by DanSchwartzgan.)
(05-10-2023, 11:22 AM)Reunion Mav Wrote: I just want to say I really enjoyed the last few pages of recent trade ideas and thinking. Thanks to all of you in lieu of the like button. It is refreshing to hear good attempts at basketball wisdom. I found several of the ideas to be actual possibilities and not just wishful. I also noticed a tone down of Cuban criticism which while true to an extent had gotten quite tiresome.
Let me add a small tidbit about THJ and others. If we do keep Kyrie, I expect a much larger positive benefit from playing with 2 super stars than we saw this year. We did not get much gravity effect from the stars for whatever reason during this past horrible year. I am very confident this will happen this year. THJ in particular if he is still here, will settle into a comfort zone as the 3rd best player (his view) where he lets the offense come to him and executes the easy play AND focuses on defense. This works as both a starter or bench player because of a clearly superior star on the floor.
Of course this gravity effect applies to numerous players who all have better chance to rise to their new role. This even includes Luka though his adjustments will be a difficult challenge for him which I hope he rises to. That dynamic may well determine our season.
Of course adding the right talent could not be any more important. I just want to add “more than expected internal improvement “ to the list of potential acquisitions.
I thought THJ played better D this season and have him staying in my base case. I tend to agree with your assessment, but not based on gravity in the traditional sense. I think THJ thrives in situations where it is clear he’s down a notch or two in the pecking order. When he’s not, he tends to decide it is his job to get off shots whether they are smart shots or not.
The problem is even if he’s playing super efficient offense (not trying to do too much) and average D, we have Luka, Kyrie, Hardy, THJ and Green splitting the minutes at the 1, 2 and 3. That’s about 29 minutes each and Green is the only plus defender from among the bunch. Maybe you call Luka a four. That may allow for another plus defender from among your 1, 2 and 3 (while weakening your D at the four). So keeping THJ seems likely to me with the conundrum being it keeps you from making substantial changes to your overall D.
(05-10-2023, 11:44 AM)surfpuckmd Wrote: New idea to use the 10th pick for a useful player. I believe this would solve a problem for each team.
Dallas trades the 10th pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves as well as Javale McGee in exchange for Jaden McDaniels and Nathan Knight.
Fundamentally, the trade is pick 10 for Jaden McDaniels. I included the McGee and Knight for salary matching purposes.
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