Let's list all our favorite missed opportunities Cuban had to build around Luka in the past couple years. My biggest one:
Not going after Malcolm Brogdon two years ago. While Mark, Donnie, and Bob were massively fucking up a Miami trade and chasing scrubs like Delon Wright, a 20 PPG multi-level starting guard was available and not going to be re-signed by Milwaukee (they would also take that back now I think). Imagine how different the last two years would have gone with Brogdon as Luka's backcourt partner. We'd likely still be playing now.
And this isn't just hindsight, you can go back and see my posts wishing we'd go after Brogdon. His salary wouldn't even have stopped us from getting Curry as well, so we could have still had Brogdon, plus Curry/Brunson/THJ off the bench.
(06-24-2021, 04:29 AM)Branduil Wrote: [ -> ]Not going after Malcolm Brogdon two years ago.
How do you know they didn't went after him? How do you know he ever considered Mavs as an option? I fully agree 2019 offseason was a huge miss concept wise but you can't point out individual cases.
Pacers gave up a three picks (one 1st) in the sign and trade with Milwaukee. Mavs never would have done this and I never really got a good answer, as to why the Pacers did this.
Trading Seth. I think he would have made a world of difference to the Mavs offense. In connection with this one, would have liked Tyrell and Bey more playing time than what they had when they were available.
Christian Wood, Mavs could have thrown money at him.
Same goes to Randle, who reportedly wanted to play for the Mavs but the Mavs looked elsewhere.
Jordan Clarkson, there's your secondary playmaker and someone who can create his own shot.
I have a question about Mark/Scouting...
I know that Cuban is heavy on the math/analytics stuff...and its really hard to argue against math...especially over a long period...
But could there be a problem within on leaning too much on analytics? Example...chasing percentages. We go after some guy putting up good 3% numbers but he is not very skilled at basketball...when we should have gone after another player with similar shooting but passes the eye test on being able to play basketball. Are we chasing math too much and not basketball players?
Maybe Mark/Mavs have been heavy on analytics last couple of years and we have acquired some questionable talent short term but over a long period it will turn in our favor...I dont know. Just seems like we need more basketball players.
In Mark/Mavs defense...we had the most efficient offense in League history for a year and a half. Also...I dont know if writing was on the wall with Donnie and Rick...but some of the lineups and reluctance to do certain things during the season seemed off this year. Not saying Rick would sabotage anything....just that the teamed played different at times to the point that it didnt make sense.
Are we chasing math while other teams are chasing talent with which the math checks out?
While that offseason was a disaster, it is tough to rebound when you miss out on your prime target. I am sure the Mavs put months of work into securing Kemba (sometimes it is for the best when you miss out) and they got word very late he was going to Boston after they created the space. By then, I am sure most of the other top free agents were already committed to other teams.
Dallas mistake is even if you miss out on the top prospects, you need to make smart moves. You can have the Delon mistakes, the Iwundu wasted money, the trades that don't fit, etc. It appeared once we lost Kemba, we were scrambling and had to wait out Danny Green. I have PTSD of Mavs panic scrambling and it will be much worse this year if their Plan A goes up in smoke.
(06-24-2021, 05:59 AM)Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo Wrote: [ -> ]Jordan Clarkson, there's your secondary playmaker and someone who can create his own shot.
The question is, would Carlisle allow him to take 20-25 shots per game whether he has it going or not? Snyder has given him the green light to shoot as many times as he wants. I don't think that would fly in Carlisle's flow offense.
(06-24-2021, 09:25 AM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: [ -> ]The question is, would Carlisle allow him to take 20-25 shots per game whether he has it going or not? Snyder has given him the green light to shoot as many times as he wants. I don't think that would fly in Carlisle's flow offense.
20-25 shots? simply not true.
As for the green light? Who has the green light on the Mavs guards? JB sure, Burke a little bit, THJ and JR.
That's a sad bench as far as shot creation goes.
THJ is on the first team, JB has proven to be ineffective in the play-offs and against bigger guards, Burke doesn't play, and JR is JR (LOL).
I bet RC plays Clarkson a whole bunch of minutes in the play-offs.
The Heat trade debacle and miss on Kemba and then Green were setbacks for sure. Wright has been a very good role player before and after his stints with Dallas and wasn’t bad for a Plan D signing. Why he didn’t work in Dallas may have to do more with coaching and fit with Luka, but the Mavs certainly didn’t get reasonable value for him when they flipped his contract. In hindsight, because the Mavs struck out in free agency, trading Barnes also looks like a terrible decision. Maybe you take a do over on the Curry trade also (slight chance the Mavs could still turn that one around). So, all in all, it’s not really a single big missed opportunity, it’s just that the Mavs have failed on basically every small and middle sized decision they’ve made in the past two years. Pretty much every single one. That shit adds up. They need to start getting some decisions right. If I were Luka, I’d definitely be plotting an exit strategy after seeing how he’s now been left in the dust by his main draft class rivals, who are lesser talents, but who’s teams have already built championship contenders around.
Roby over Mann, although this is probably more on Donnie.
I think that a mistake that Donnie and/or Carlisle made last year was letting Barea go, he would have helped more than Burke did, and would have been a good veteran presence in the locker room. Might have kept Luka and Porzingis from becoming so distant too.
I would have given up whatever it takes to move up to get Haliburton. I know the Mavs tried, but I would have kept trying until I got a yes (short of including Luka).