Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[IamDougieFresh]

I think DJJ will receive most of those OMax minutes though

I think OMax is going to surprise basically everyone here. I get that I am biased. Yes I'm the dude who proclaimed that the Mavs must draft him in the pre draft thread. People are worried that he can't shoot well enough. I'm thinking something like 33% (DJJ is 30.4% for his career) year 1 and an improvement each year similar to DFS. 33% should be more than sufficient to have him on the court considering his defensive impact is going to be nutty.

and Dwight Powell will receive most of the Holmes minutes.  Holmes hasn't been the same since a serious eye injury.  I'm pulling for him though and if he does bounce back then that trade will look like a genius move.

This is my rotation after all and I'm simply not playing Dwight in a meaningful game. I believe Holmes is pretty much the same player he was before Sabonis arrived. At the same time that he was being replaced it looks like he was being falsely accused of domestic violence in a custody battle. Now that it's mostly behind him, I think we basically have a better version of Dwight who can shoot the push shot to punish drop coverage.
  

I would love to see Derrick Lively receive 18 mpg by the end of the season and I think it's possible.  He was the best defensive player in college basketball at the end of the season and can dunk the ball when he's within 3 feet of the rim.  I think that will have value for the Mavericks.  I don't buy the argument that it will be three years before he can contribute to the Mavericks.  We don't need excellence at the center position.  We need solid defense and rebounding.

I did NOT want to draft Lively, but now that I have watched much more of his tape I am a believer. His job is a lot harder than OMax so I expect him to come along slower. That being said, I don't see why he couldn't get 18 mpg this year. He can be propelled to another level if he develops the corner three. If he gets the trail 3 an some pick a pop going... watch out. Even if he never shoots a 3 in an NBA game he will still be an impact defender, rim protector, rebounder and lob threat.
  

I will also be very happy if Jaden Hardy plays 28 mpg.  If Kidd plays Seth Curry more than Jaden Hardy, I will be depressed and angry.

The only thing standing in Hardy's way is THJ and Kidd. He fell in the draft because he went to play against grown men in the G League and was given a PG role he wasn't ready for. He will excel playing off of Luka and Kyrie in a consistent role. People will think I'm crazy, but I'm already thinking about what to do when he exceeds expectations. With Kyrie and Luka it will be hard to get him over that 28 mpg mark without compromising our defense.