(05-03-2022, 04:18 PM)cow Wrote: [ -> ]Not to diminish the first round win, but I think Utah is a lot more flawed than the recognizable names you see on the roster and that current construction has run its' course. An upgrade in the front court would help but if we use Gobert as an example since he's the popular point of discussion, it wouldn't change the outcome of this series. I still think there are multiple positions that need an upgrade as well as figuring out if JB is Robin or just a super 3rd option/sixth man. Maybe Robin can be the center upgrade, but there aren't a lot of those in the league.
As an aside and it's probably being trapped in the moment, but I may have come around on Ayton.
I'm not ready to give up on this series just yet, but if we had Gobert it would have a significant impact on our chances to win it.
(05-03-2022, 04:18 PM)cow Wrote: [ -> ]As an aside and it's probably being trapped in the moment, but I may have come around on Ayton.
I'm where you are, but do you pay JB or max out Ayton and dare Sarver to match? Seems like a binary decision to me, but our cap-ologists may see another path.
(05-04-2022, 08:29 AM)michaeltex Wrote: [ -> ]I'm where you are, but do you pay JB or max out Ayton and dare Sarver to match? Seems like a binary decision to me, but our cap-ologists may see another path.
I don't think there is a realistic path to Ayton save for trading him for Luka.
Myles Turner is a better version of JJJ.
Ayton (as well as any FA who will get more than 6M starting salary) is not possible, practically speaking. However much Mavs may want him, it doesn't matter. Look elsewhere for an answer.
(05-04-2022, 02:38 PM)F Gump Wrote: [ -> ]Ayton (as well as any FA who will get more than 6M starting salary) is not possible, practically speaking. However much Mavs may want him, it doesn't matter. Look elsewhere for an answer.
Look in the same place, just for his backup instead.
The issue with the offense is we have 4 guys that can dribble the basketball better than average (DFS has taken strides, but he’s not there…maybe yet? Burke is the 4th, but he never plays). Phoenix plays with at least 4 guys that can floor the ball on the court at all times. Kidd talked about bringing him basketball players, this is a basketball player skill that we don’t have much of. Not having that coming from both Bullock and DFS spots kinda kills our offense, and Luka quite honestly. Green has decent handles, but he has no vision for what he wants to do with the ball.
That’s where the “tear it all down” thought gains ground in my mind.
Ayton situation is quite complicated I think. Very likely, he will demand a max or very close to it and is probably worth it. Great guy, developed a lot, plays on both sides.
There are two basic scenarios:
1. Phoenix keeps him and pays the tax because the team is great (looks very likely at this point). Phoenix is a team that can offer most money to Ayton.
2. Ayton is SnT to somewhere else.
Number two is very complicated. Ayton needs to agree to sign with whoever wants him. Phoenix will match any offer from cap space teams (it would be really criminal to let him walk for nothing). SnT is the only realisctic option Phoenix lets him go. When discussing SnT, Phoenix will have a basic demand - give me back a good centre on a cost controlled contract, no other salaries (with the possible exception of a great young player on a rookie contract) and asset(s) for our troubles.
There are only a few teams with cap space that have a relatively easy avenue to offer contract to Ayton - you have to have cap space to make a formal offer, everything else is a three party trade agreement (Phoenix, buying team, Ayton). Indiana, Detroit, Portland, San Antonio and Orlando are teams with projected practical cap space next season. Other than perhaps Detroit, they could all offer an interesting centre to Phoenix. Orlando has WCj, Portland could do a Nurkic SnT, San Antonio has Poeltl and Indiana has Turner. Other than them there is a bunch of teams drooling at the idea of getting a star centre and could offer a package to Phoenix. New York could build around Robinson SnT, Atlanta has Capella,... The path for these teams is a bit more complicated and consequently more costly, but still possible. There are a lot of options for Phoenix and might be one or more of them would also be interesting for Ayton.
It is safe to say Mavs don't have a centre that would interest Phoenix one bit. So in order for Dallas to trade for Ayton, the following would be the cost:
- Brunson (because he would have to walk for Mavs to have realistic possibility to be under the apron)
- 30 mil of contracts going to a third team (needed to send away to be able to stay under the apron) - let's say this would be the cost of THJ and Powell
- assets to a team that would send a center to Phoenix and take some of that contracts from Mavs. Lets say they would take THJ (imagine this is Indiana and Turner - price would be roughly 2 FRP)
- assets to a team that would take remaining Dallas contract - a second rounder or two
- assets to Phoenix - at least a FRP
I don't think this cost is worth it.
(05-05-2022, 09:48 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: [ -> ]The issue with the offense is we have 4 guys that can dribble the basketball better than average (DFS has taken strides, but he’s not there…maybe yet? Burke is the 4th, but he never plays). Phoenix plays with at least 4 guys that can floor the ball on the court at all times. Kidd talked about bringing him basketball players, this is a basketball player skill that we don’t have much of. Not having that coming from both Bullock and DFS spots kinda kills our offense, and Luka quite honestly. Green has decent handles, but he has no vision for what he wants to do with the ball.
Very true. Bridges and Crowder had awesome games yesterday attacking closeouts and finding open teammates. Bridges had six assists (4 in attacking the close out - link below) and Crowder had three. DFS and Bullock had one assist combined and even that one wasn't from attacking the close out (second link below). Game 1 they had zero assists and Phoenix guys had 7.
Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com
Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com
(05-05-2022, 10:28 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]Although the piece below is technically about game 2 against Phoenix, it is more a big picture view of things and I think guys are spot on. Especially like Iztok part.
What We Saw, What It Felt Like: Mavs-Suns, Game 2 - D Magazine
Quote:Doncic, Brunson, and Dinwiddie all need the ball, time, and touches to set their attack, which makes things look very “your turn, my turn”-ish. Mavs fans occasionally get frustrated with Doncic’s ball-dominant style. The problem is that Brunson and Dinwiddie play the same style when he’s on the floor
This is exactly what I see with this offense and the players ("your turn, my turn").
I do think up til these 2 games JB has been mostly great in the offball set, if he can figure out how to be successful against that long defender (which I think he can), he's a good building block. He and Luka could be CP and Booker in a different way.
It's basically Dame Lillard or bust. You hope that the Nico Harrison connection is enough to get Dame to force his way out of Portland to Dallas at some point in the next 2 years. Maybe you have to re-sign Brunson for now in order to make that a possibility later.
This offense needs a GREAT second shot-creator, ISO scorer. The difference between CP3/Booker and Jordan Clarkson is so evident in this series. We all saw Clarkson get buckets any way he wanted in the Jazz series but it was fine as long as he wasn't going to get the other Jazz players going. He's purely a scorer. CP3 and Booker similarly can score any way they want (three, mid-range, attacking the rim) but they also know how to use that attention that they force onto defenses to move the ball and get Ayton, Bridges, Crowder, Cam Johnson, etc. going on offense.
Brunson and Dinwiddie are much closer to that Jordan Clarkson tier than CP3/Booker or even Paul George, who played well last year in the Clippers series.
You need multiple All-Star caliber perimeter scorers if you want to be a real contender
The Mavericks’ roster is getting stress-tested against the best team in the NBA, and Nico Harrison should take notes for what must happen this offseason. Until then, figuring out how to defeat the Suns at least once would be a good milestone in this team’s continued growth. —Iztok Franko
Most of the roster is not Nico's or Kidd's fault, but they are expected to make improvements going forward. Probably as good an evaluation as a team can get. No excuses, nobody significant injured, just our best against their best and learn where the performance gaps are to address in the offseason. I'd like to see DAL evolve enough to take at least a couple games to build on.
(05-05-2022, 11:06 AM)SwisherPrice Wrote: [ -> ]Brunson and Dinwiddie are much closer to that Jordan Clarkson tier than CP3/Booker or even Paul George, who played well last year in the Clippers series.
I think it's fine when Luka's assist% is at 46 to have JB and SD in the upper 20's/lower 30's, similar to Booker-to-Paul numbers. That does mean they need to bring their % up 4-8% which I think is doable. The nice thing with JB is he has so few turnovers, it makes me want him to pass closer to Luka's 46%, but a lot of the time when they're getting the ball, it's because Luka got them the space to get a shot off, so that's why it is much more acceptable.
I think offball movement is an area where things could improve though too, and would help immensely with attacking the close out. More chaos, less standing around is what the doctor is ordering.
(05-05-2022, 11:23 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: [ -> ]I think offball movement is an area where things could improve though too, and would help immensely with attacking the close out. More chaos, less standing around is what the doctor is ordering.
I did not that some of the PHX players were moving almost before they got the ball, blowing by the close out and putting stress on the rotations to cover, which sometimes didn't happen. Some of that is innate talent, but some of that is playing together enough to understand what to do without having to stop and think.
(05-05-2022, 11:35 AM)michaeltex Wrote: [ -> ]I did not that some of the PHX players were moving almost before they got the ball, blowing by the close out and putting stress on the rotations to cover, which sometimes didn't happen. Some of that is innate talent, but some of that is playing together enough to understand what to do without having to stop and think.
Totally saw that too, great point!
(05-05-2022, 11:35 AM)michaeltex Wrote: [ -> ]I did not that some of the PHX players were moving almost before they got the ball, blowing by the close out and putting stress on the rotations to cover, which sometimes didn't happen. Some of that is innate talent, but some of that is playing together enough to understand what to do without having to stop and think.
BTW, that also has to do with the passer. If the receiver has to jump or stretch for the ball, it makes it hard to move toward the basket.
(05-05-2022, 11:06 AM)SwisherPrice Wrote: [ -> ]It's basically Dame Lillard or bust. You hope that the Nico Harrison connection is enough to get Dame to force his way out of Portland to Dallas at some point in the next 2 years. Maybe you have to re-sign Brunson for now in order to make that a possibility later.
This seems like extreme overreaction to a really bad quarter of basketball. We should probably at least let the series play out before we claim Lillard as our only hope.
(05-05-2022, 11:35 AM)michaeltex Wrote: [ -> ]Some of that is innate talent, but some of that is playing together enough to understand what to do without having to stop and think.
PHX has by far the best chemistry and cohesion in the NBA, it is what makes them special. Their talent level (and advantage, even over the Mavs) isn't as overwhelming as some are making it out to be.
I loathe CP3 - and some of those guys are complete irritants in his mold. BUT Crowder hates Dallas and I can only blame Rajon Rondo for costing us the best pick we have made in the last 12 years sans Luka/Brunson. It is like Jae Crowder is still pissed about being traded to Boston and karma dictates we continue to pay the price for that shat-brained moment...
Ultimately 2 of the worst trades we have made in franchise history involved Boston, and we continue to overpay Powell which makes this series worse