MavsBoard

(07-27-2021, 10:09 AM)VintagePejav2 Wrote: [ -> ]Who knew that Forrest Gump was so well versed in the NBA’s CBA?

I mean, his life experiences have been quite varied. He could probably take Rick in ping pong. He knows the shrimp industry pretty well. He'll save your life if you fall in battle beside him. Quite a dude.

(07-27-2021, 10:20 AM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]Just thinking through (again) Nico's interview and all the Bob V. questions that everyone, including most of us, have had. 

Something that Nico said mixed with @F Gump's posts on the topic is finally clicking for me. Nico actually gave us the answer as clear as day. Nico is focused on the draft and free agency and isn't finalizing all his staff decisions until after all that. That's the answer! Apologies to those who saw this as obvious. I can be a little slow. 

So, some of the staff decisions needed to be made sooner, and we see those happening. But some staff decisions have to wait. Bob is one of those that has to wait.  

I'll say that if my contract was up soon, and I knew I'd have a meeting with the boss in a month or two that was essentially a job interview to determine if I was kept, and then I heard the boss refer to "all the chaos" that I had caused, I think I'd assume that I wasn't going to be invited back. I'd also assume that if i was an analytics guy, and I wasn't invited to the draft and free agency discussions, that I woudn't be invited back.

I don't buy it. Bob is not a low level pencil pushing management, he is Cubans friend. Cuban brought him in and only Cuban can take him out

RE: Jake Fischer

It would be nice to finally put to bed the idea that Jake Fischer is unconnected and has no sources.

(07-27-2021, 10:33 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]I don't buy it. Bob is not a low level pencil pushing management, he is Cubans friend. Cuban brought him in and only Cuban can take him out

you buy and sell whatever you want, pal

I think Nico's interview comments was just dancing around personnel questions.

Since Nico comes from a BB-adjacent business, but was not actually an insider with club operations, he likely does not have a cadre of former staff to bring with him to a new position. So he has to make some evaluation of the existing staff and decide whether they stay or go, which includes any pet cats his boss might have.

Oh, and he has to do all this right at the busiest time of the year for player personnel decisions. Not having a draft pick to debate/discuss/disagree over might be a blessing in disguise for the new MBT.

That said, if I was Bob (unless he has something guaranteed by MC) I'd be looking for a way to exit gracefully and evaluate options for my next opportunity.

"doesn't comment on non masthead hires"

Cuban once again saying that someone else is in charge of that

(07-27-2021, 10:44 AM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]"doesn't comment on non masthead hires"

Cuban once again saying that someone else is in charge of that

Yet he immediately commented that Keith Grant is still the man

(07-27-2021, 10:46 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]Yet he immediately commented that Keith Grant is still the man

Keith isn't a Nico hire. He's somone that was already here, and is still here. I'm sure Cuban would say the same thing if someone asked if Fin was still there. Obviously Nico agreed to keep Fin and Keith, at least for now. But if there is someone who is a holdover who Nico hasn't evalutated yet, or announced his decision about yet, then Cuban is staying in his lane and not stepping on his Pres/GM's toes.

(07-27-2021, 10:49 AM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]Keith isn't a Nico hire. He's somone that was already here, and is still here. I'm sure Cuban would say the same thing if someone asked if Fin was still there. But if there is someone who is a holdover who Nico hasn't evalutated yet, or announced his decision about yet, then Cuban is staying in his lane and not stepping on his Pres/GM's toes.

Bob is same as Keith, yet Cuban is not commenting on him

(07-27-2021, 10:51 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]Bob is same as Keith, yet Cuban is not commenting on him

First off, Bob was never the same as Keith. You don't know your Mavs history. 

Second, we're seeing that Bob obviously isn't on Keith's level in Nico's eyes. When asked about Keith, would Nico say, "I'm focused on the draft and free agency right now and will handle staff decisions after that"?

(07-27-2021, 10:54 AM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]First off, Bob was never the same as Keith. You don't know your Mavs history. 

Second, we're seeing that Bob obviously isn't on Keith's level in Nico's eyes. When asked about Keith, would Nico say, "I'm focused on the draft and free agency right now and will handle staff decisions after that"?

I never compared Bob and Keith. I compared Cuban response to non "masthead" (or whatever he called them) guys. 

1. Cuban said he doesn't comment about non "masthead" guys when asked about Bob
2. Cuban remembered that same line when asked about the new guy
3. Cuban forgot that line when asked about Keith

I have no idea what Nico would say about someone. 

What I am trying to say. In my opinion Cubans "I don't talk about non mastheads" line was just an excuse to avoid talking Bob. I think it doesn't show that he is not involved in stuff decisions. And about Bob, there is just no way that all of a sudden his buddy, who he personally brought in, would suddenly become a decision of a new hired guy. That is just no way. Not saying Bob is staying, just that it will not be Nico who will let him go. Imho

(07-27-2021, 11:00 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]I never compared Bob and Keith

Yes you did! 

Omahen, I learned during Luka's rookie season not to argue with you, and I've mostly stayed away from it since then. I absolutely love your contrbution to the board, but arguing with you just results in a long thread full of this "I didn't compare Bob and Keith" kinda stuff. Your arguing technique is half brick wall, half slippery slope. So like I said, buy and sell whatever you want.

(07-27-2021, 08:21 AM)VintagePejav2 Wrote: [ -> ]https://twitter.com/washedmavsblog/statu...24614?s=21

This is important, and speaks to a point I've been making for a long time.

For quite some time, the Mavs have been so-so in some very important areas, namely evaluation, development, recruiting, negotiating, and cap management.

The first part of the solution was to admit the weaknesses. The second was to address them, by either becoming the best, or hiring the best. Cuban has seemed intent on proving he could do it himself, even though the results have said he can't keep up.

Fortunately, from what he has been saying and now doing, Nico doesn't have the same ego problem, and is hiring the top skills that are needed.

Cap creativity - knowing ways to manipulate the cap as needed - is vital, and the Mavs have had little of that since the 2011 CBA ended their "just be willing to spend more than the next guy" as a sustainable talent-gathering strategy. Since then, they have been limited to Roster-Building 101 cap ideas - clear cap room by waiting until contracts expire, and then see if you can find a free agent to fit.

That lack of creativity and understanding of the possibilities, as Cuban thought he already knew it all, has been a significant anchor on this team for a decade. It led to the roster tear-down after the title, as they failed to envision the MANY ways to sustain talent and keep key players while also being able to move on from players AFTER their skills started to erode. Later it cost them Giannis. Lots of moves have been very crude - pay whatever it takes (and overpay) if you want a guy, and pay to get someone else to take him if he doesn't fit perfectly. Players at the end of a contract who they didn't intend to re-sign have not been used to extract picks and talent from other teams. Even as recently as a month ago, there was no comprehension that it would have been easy to extract a pick from some team who wanted to hire RC, after he quit. The asset management has been basic, to say the least.

There are still other areas in which super skills are still needed, and not apparently present, in solving those shortcomings. But this is a start, and a really good sign that Nico has no problem in getting top skills where they are needed.

(07-27-2021, 11:07 AM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]Yes you did! 

Omahen, I learned during Luka's rookie season not to argue with you, and I've mostly stayed away from it since then. I absolutely love your contrbution to the board, but arguing with you just results in a long thread full of this "I didn't compare Bob and Keith" kinda stuff. Your arguing technique is half brick wall, half slippery slope. So like I said, buy and sell whatever you want.

"Bob is same as Keith" was said in a context that both are Mavs "non masthead" employees. So same Cuban policy of not commenting on non masthead guys should apply, if that was a real rule. Sorry if that wasn't clear enough.

(07-27-2021, 11:43 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]So same Cuban policy of not commenting on non masthead guys should apply, if that was a real rule.

I don't think so. Cuban declined to comment on Andrew Baker. Andrew Baker is a new (or potential new?) hire. Keith has been with the Mavs for 40 SEASONS!!! 

So Cuban declined to comment on a hire that Nico is making, but didn't see speaking about Keith, a 40 year Mav, proven part of the infrastructure, encyclopedia about everything Mavs who Nico had already agreed to keep, as being in the same category as speaking about a new hire.

The comparison shouldn't be Keith and Bob. The comparison should be Keith and Andrew Baker. One is a Nico hire, and one is a Mavs pillar that Nico was on board with keeping. 

Bob is irrelevant. Nico said so.

(07-27-2021, 10:33 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]I don't buy it. Bob is not a low level pencil pushing management, he is Cubans friend. Cuban brought him in and only Cuban can take him out

This may or may not be true, but I wonder who MC’s new bright shiny toy is now? Seems to me it’s Nico, even if MC kept Bob on the payroll, that doesn’t mean Nico will pay him any attention going forward. Leaving Bob on an island will soon get old for MC and I’d bet he goes with the bright new shiny toy’s direction if Nico does in fact not have the authority to reup Bob’s contract. 


We don’t hear about MC’s man crush Parsons anymore, if Nico doesn’t want Bob and isn’t given the authority to not reup that contract, he has avenues to make MC realize Bob is not gonna work out here.

(07-27-2021, 11:58 AM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]Bob is irrelevant. Nico said so.

I can totally agree with that. Bob is relevant as long as Cuban is making him relevant. The only thing we disagree is that you think Nico will take care of Bob while I think Cuban will take care of him.