MavsBoard

https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/...0442919937

https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/...8893101062

https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/...3189843970

Not surprised...Cuban knows his reputation isn't the best in the NBA community so he has to go get Dirk in his corner ASAP. I expect JJB to be involved too and maybe even Devin Harris.

(06-18-2021, 11:22 AM)SwisherPrice Wrote: [ -> ]Not surprised...Cuban knows his reputation isn't the best in the NBA community so he has to go get Dirk in his corner ASAP. I expect JJB to be involved too and maybe even Devin Harris.

So  Dirk is just Cuban's weak willed puppet, willing to jump whenever Cuban snaps his fingers, and doesn't mind to be trotted out in a PR dog and pony show?   You got a pretty low opinion of Dirk.

(06-18-2021, 11:23 AM)HanspardsShowerVoice Wrote: [ -> ]So  Dirk is just Cuban's weak willed puppet, willing to jump whenever Cuban snaps his fingers, and doesn't mind to be trotted out in a PR dog and pony show?   You got a pretty low opinion of Dirk.

Nope. But this is Cuban's first go-around in 20+ years without the luxury of having a Nelson in the front office. Nellie and Donnie were well-respected and had connections around the league that Cuban couldn't dream of having, no matter how involved he tried to be over the years. Add RC to that (head of the NBA Coaches Association). Now that they're gone, Cuban will have to surround himself with any former players/staff who can vouch for him and give him credibility in those circles.

(06-18-2021, 11:31 AM)SwisherPrice Wrote: [ -> ] Nellie and Donnie were well-respected and had connections around the league that Cuban couldn't dream of having, no matter how involved he tried to be over the years.

The great thing is the market will tell us objectively if Donnie is really that highly respected around the league as a General Manager or if he's just held a gig this long because he was Cuban's pet and Cuban is loyal (to a fault).   He's available, so if he's that highly respected then NBA Owners should be lining up to offer him GM and Team President gigs right now.

Thank you Dirk. Mark needs your help.

Dirk always coming through when we need him most.  He's too good for this world.  Thank you, Dirk!

(06-18-2021, 11:18 AM)Kammrath Wrote: [ -> ]https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status...4066328579

That's how I picture Mark in that meeting.

I imagine Mark is now alone at sea. But he’s not without help.

(06-18-2021, 11:34 AM)HanspardsShowerVoice Wrote: [ -> ]The great thing is the market will tell us objectively if Donnie is really that highly respected around the league as a General Manager or if he's just held a gig this long because he was Cuban's pet and Cuban is loyal (to a fault).   He's available, so if he's that highly respected then NBA Owners should be lining up to offer him GM and Team President gigs right now.

Oh, I have no trouble believing that Donnie has been overrated in Dallas. I've felt like that pretty much the entire time, and whether he gets a new job or not, my opinion isn't going to change. 

What I just can't wrap my head around is WHY people who didn't like him think that things are about to be BETTER. This has been a situation wherein a "meh" guy like Donnie felt comfortable and thrived for over 20 years. Think about that. 

The situation isn't changing - it will have a new "meh" guy when this dust clears, but the problem is still the problem.

(06-18-2021, 12:01 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]Oh, I have no trouble believing that Donnie has been overrated in Dallas. I've felt like that pretty much the entire time, and whether he gets a new job or not, my opinion isn't going to change. 

What I just can't wrap my head around is WHY people who didn't like him think that things are about to be BETTER. This has been a situation wherein a "meh" guy like Donnie felt comfortable and thrived for over 20 years. Think about that. 

The situation isn't changing - it will have a new "meh" guy when this dust clears, but the problem is still the problem.

I hate to join the Debbie Downer crew, but it seems that the unanimous consensus is that, for the franchise to move forward, Cuban has to change his ways. 

Do we have any indication from Cuban that he has any inclination or intention to change his MO? I don't see hiring a search firm as a sign -- that doesn't portend anything one way or another.

(06-18-2021, 12:01 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]Oh, I have no trouble believing that Donnie has been overrated in Dallas. I've felt like that pretty much the entire time, and whether he gets a new job or not, my opinion isn't going to change. 

What I just can't wrap my head around is WHY people who didn't like him think that things are about to be BETTER. This has been a situation wherein a "meh" guy like Donnie felt comfortable and thrived for over 20 years. Think about that. 

The situation isn't changing - it will have a new "meh" guy when this dust clears, but the problem is still the problem.

Thank you, God...we needed this today.  "No matter what Dirk does do, he do it better than me and you."



The Return.  Need a Front Office version of this.  Management...the German West

(06-18-2021, 12:01 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]What I just can't wrap my head around is WHY people who didn't like him think that things are about to be BETTER.

I'll do my best to try to explain my view.

It all starts and ends with Cuban to me. The buck obviously stops with him and he makes all the final calls. However, this is NOT "doom and gloom" because repeatedly the reporting has been that even though Cuban makes the final call, he is doing what he is being ADVISED to do. Cuban isn't just going rogue, trusting his own basketball instincts. He is trusting someone who has his ear and has convinced him that a particular direction is the best. 

We all know the Mavs have been "amateur hour" in a lot of ways for the last ten years. I am starting to think that this is NOT because Cuban has been ignoring RC and Donnie, but because he HAS been listening to them. If Cuban had been ignoring them for ten straight years this would NOT have all come to a head right now. This has come to a head in the last couple years as Cuban started to listen to other voices instead of RC and Donnie. 

Cuban is results oriented. He did NOT like the results of listening to RC and Donnie, but he still wanted them around and still respected their takes to some extent. So he brings in other guys like Voulgaris to try to get beyond both the failed GM decisions from Donnie and the failed coaching decisions from RC. He wants to use the data of someone like Voulgaris to INFORM both the decisions of Donnie and RC. Obviously Donnie and RC tried to make this work and could not handle it. Hence the blow up. 

So the way forward is BETTER voices. A GM who is better at his job than Donnie. A coach who is better with players than RC. I think both of those objectives are fairly easy to accomplish. By far the great loss will be RC's X's and O's, but beyond that I am struggling to see how things won't be at least a little better if not MUCH better very quickly. 

So in summary: I am hopeful because I think upgrading Donnie will be easy and getting a more player friendly coach will be easy. The two biggest pieces are already in place:

1) A generational talent in Luka....CHECK.

2) An owner who gives a shit and wants to win.....CHECK. 

Hence, I am very hopeful and believe very strongly things WILL get better.

Hope you're right...

Well there have been plenty of reasons for tears of sadness over the last few days, but at least having Dirk back in an official capacity is reason for a couple happy ones.

(06-18-2021, 12:06 PM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]I hate to join the Debbie Downer crew, but it seems that the unanimous consensus is that, for the franchise to move forward, Cuban has to change his ways. 

Do we have any indication from Cuban that he has any inclination or intention to change his MO? I don't see hiring a search firm as a sign -- that doesn't portend anything one way or another.

My hope is that Dirk is ruthless in this role.  He's certainly no dummy.  He's seen all the good, bad and in-between of the MBT and it certainly effected his career for both good and bad.  He knows what Luka is.  And he probably knows what a guy like Ujiri could do for Mark, Luka and the Mavs.  If anyone can tell Mark to "fuck off" and have Mark listen, it is Dirk.

(06-18-2021, 12:14 PM)Kammrath Wrote: [ -> ]I'll do my best to try to explain my view.

It all starts and ends with Cuban to me. The buck obviously stops with him and he makes all the final calls. However, this is NOT "doom and gloom" because repeatedly the reporting has been that even though Cuban makes the final call, he is doing what he is being ADVISED to do. Cuban isn't just going rogue, trusting his own basketball instincts. He is trusting someone who has his ear and has convinced him that a particular direction is the best. 

We all know the Mavs have been "amateur hour" in a lot of ways for the last ten years. I am starting to think that this is NOT because Cuban has been ignoring RC and Donnie, but because he HAS been listening to them. If Cuban had been ignoring them for ten straight years this would NOT have all come to a head right now. This has come to a head in the last couple years as Cuban started to listen to other voices instead of RC and Donnie. 

Cuban is results oriented. He did NOT like the results of listening to RC and Donnie, but he still wanted them around and still respected their takes to some extent. So he brings in other guys like Voulgaris to try to get beyond both the failed GM decisions from Donnie and the failed coaching decisions from RC. He wants to use the data of someone like Voulgaris to INFORM both the decisions of Donnie and RC. Obviously Donnie and RC tried to make this work and could not handle it. Hence the blow up. 

So the way forward is BETTER voices. A GM who is better at his job than Donnie. A coach who is better with players than RC. I think both of those objectives are fairly easy to accomplish. By far the great loss will be RC's X's and O's, but beyond that I am struggling to see how things won't be at least a little better if not MUCH better very quickly. 

So in summary: I am hopeful because I think upgrading Donnie will be easy and getting a more player friendly coach will be easy. The two biggest pieces are already in place:

1) A generational talent in Luka....CHECK.

2) An owner who gives a shit and wants to win.....CHECK. 

Hence, I am very hopeful and believe very strongly things WILL get better.

I would probably agree if this was a one time thing and he was simply disappointed with the results. But it has beent the same story with different characters for the last couple of years. Schwartz, Fegan, Parsons, now Voulgaris. According to the reports Voulgaris isn´t the first "shadow GM". In same cases Donnie probably was on board. In others RC. Sometimes even both.

(06-18-2021, 12:32 PM)cow Wrote: [ -> ]My hope is that Dirk is ruthless in this role.  He's certainly no dummy.  He's seen all the good, bad and in-between of the MBT and it certainly effected his career for both good and bad.  He knows what Luka is.  And he probably knows what a guy like Ujiri could do for Mark, Luka and the Mavs.  If anyone can tell Mark to "fuck off" and have Mark listen, it is Dirk.

Yeah, I don't really see Dirk in the ruthless, F off role, when it comes to something like this. 

Love Dirk, but tbh, I'm not sure what he brings to the table that isn't already there. There have been some comments by people with sources to the effect that most people don't fully appreciate how important Dirk is to Luka, so maybe it will give Luka comfort that Dirk is in the room. And fans will like it.

I wonder who the select group of staff members included. The two main guys are gone and the remaining long tenured staff members probably worked for/with them.