12-16-2019, 03:33 PM
(12-16-2019, 03:23 PM)StepBackJay Wrote: @"Scott41theMavs" what you say makes some sense but we also need to look at Doncic as a top 5 player in the league with potential to be an all time great. For all that is said of KP I think he does enough things that contribute to winning basketball that he doesn't necessarily need to return to NYK KP to be part of a championship roster imo. I honestly think the Mavs need a stud defensive player to be a real contender. Luka is so good on his own I think Mavs as constituted even have a chance to get past any team in the West in a 7 game series except the Clippers. The caveat with the Lakers is that they have an excellent chance to make a couple more moves to also be virtually unstoppable. This includes trading Kuzma and picking up a buyout guy or two. Those are the only two teams to me that are clearly better in the West. Mavs also have at least one move they could make even if it's a smaller one to get better this year. Next year I think GSW gets back to top 3 status so if really like to see the Mavs make a push this season to get deep into the playoffs. The other thing we benefit from is that the LA teams are both newly formed and their stars are injury prone (save LeBron who is older but not necessarily prone to injury).
I think Luka's injury means we aren't going to have homecourt. Two things could happen - he and the team could struggle with execution in his return, losing all the momentum we had going into the Miami game, or the team could grow and gel without him and be ready to wreck shop with him when he's back 100%. But I think that, without first round homecourt, and without upgrades to at least two of THJ, DFS, and DP (which the Mavs probably don't have enough assets to accomplish by the TDL), the Mavs will be a first round out. As fif says, I'd loved to be proved wrong. But that would be a wrong of not having enough faith in Luka's dominance and KP's resurgence rather than not having faith in a crew of 15 good bench players/poor starters.