(05-15-2022, 10:55 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]Small break from the celebrations.
https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears/status/1...8871941120
https://twitter.com/RobBuchananFOX/statu...8975626240
Sign and trade THJ + 2 first round picks for Ayton? Ayton getting 4/100 from the Mavs.
Do you really want him though? His best games are CP3 dependent. Luka could give him the same quality looks but are we going to run that type of offense. He was targeted by Luka and company on pick and roles. He also misses a lot of gimmies as evidenced tonight. For such a tall dude, he came up really small.
Mavs cannot take a player in a S&T next year.
(05-15-2022, 10:55 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]Sign and trade THJ + 2 first round picks for Ayton? Ayton getting 4/100 from the Mavs.
This also means you are letting Brunson walk (and some other salaries). While I would love Ayton, I don't think it is feasible.
If you keep Brunson, you need to dump/trade roughly 45 mil of salaries. This means THJ, Bertans and Powell, for example.
(05-15-2022, 11:06 PM)cow Wrote: [ -> ]Do you really want him though?
I would. I think he is a great player. Can play defense against the perimeter players decently (not every team has a Luka) and can punish small ball. Still very young.
Not a big Ayton fan. It's all about 3-pt shooting now and he's going to have to develop some range if he wants to take it to the next level. Mo Bamba would actually be a better fit for this team
We should close this thread after we win the Championship. All this talk about how to improve an already championship roster is reverse reverse mojoing the Mavs. But it won't work again next season.
So after this ring, let's shut this silly thread down? K?
(05-15-2022, 11:27 PM)SwisherPrice Wrote: [ -> ]Not a big Ayton fan. It's all about 3-pt shooting now and he's going to have to develop some range if he wants to take it to the next level. Mo Bamba would actually be a better fit for this team
This is a hot take. I would argue that mobile defense against P&R and perimeter (something Bamba does not do well) is more important than being able to shoot a three, especially if you are an elite P&R center who can punish small ball.
It does not really matter as we have no way to attain him and I'm not sure he would be worth the asset/cap to get him, but I think he would fit just fine.
It is interesting that the last two playoff teams we faced have an elite center that wants to leave his team after they lose to us. Especially since in both cases this was supposed to be our worst matchup.
Ayton was the next big thing in the last offseason. Playing great defense during the Suns playoff run. Including matchups like Jokic and Giannis. Also had a really good first round this year. And at least put up numbers against the Mavs.
Chemistry between him and the rest of the team was off. Looked like Gobert in the Jazz series. With teammates simply ignoring him in the paint. Even when he had position or a mismatch.
Defense is more interesting. I think overall he was doing a good job on switches. Staying in front of Luka, Brunson or SD and forcing them into contested pull ups. Team defense wasn´t great but I am not sure if he is responsible for the breakdown. Certainly looked like his man was open on the 3-point line more often than not. But that´s not always on the big.
(05-15-2022, 11:49 PM)windjc Wrote: [ -> ]We should close this thread after we win the Championship. All this talk about how to improve an already championship roster is reverse reverse mojoing the Mavs. But it won't work again next season.
So after this ring, let's shut this silly thread down? K?
The Warriors won 63 games and added Kevin Durant the next year. It's never the wrong time to think about getting better.
(05-16-2022, 12:12 AM)Branduil Wrote: [ -> ]The Warriors won 63 games and added Kevin Durant the next year. It's never the wrong time to think about getting better.
Yeah and got worse.
(05-16-2022, 12:12 AM)windjc Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah and got worse.
Okay well I hope the Mavs get "worse" by winning 2 consecutive titles.
(05-16-2022, 12:19 AM)Branduil Wrote: [ -> ]Okay well I hope the Mavs get "worse" by winning 2 consecutive titles.
They would have done that without Durant. And then it was downhill from there as chemistry was wrecked.
Full transparency, I picked Mavs in six before the series. I didn't predict Biyombo but I figured the Suns would play Ayton and McGee nearly 48 minutes and the Mavs would exploit the matchup.
As expected, Dallas generated open threes and once again, math won.
Consider this ... Ayton is the only player to average 15 points, 10 rebounds and shoot 65% in NBA postseason history. But it wasn't enough. When will the rest of the NBA (much less this board) catch on? News flash: there are no big centers left in the playoffs. MVP caliber bigs KAT, Jocic, Embiid were all exploited. I'll go so far as to say the Mavs won because Phoenix played Ayton, McGee and Biyombo.
Dallas certainly doesn't need to spend assets to go get Turner, Collins, Capela, Holmes or even Gobert or Ayton. Just keep doing what you're doing.
At this point my offseason plan is resign Brunson, draft the best player available and keep developing Green & Ntilikina. Maybe you offload some salary and add another versatile wing defender like Taurean Prince, but I'm honestly curious how THJ will look when he comes back. He'll fit into the five-out concept perfectly if he just commits to the defensive end and knocks down open threes.
(05-16-2022, 09:01 AM)vfromlmf Wrote: [ -> ]Full transparency, I picked Mavs in six before the series. I didn't predict Biyombo but I figured the Suns would play Ayton and McGee nearly 48 minutes and the Mavs would exploit the matchup.
As expected, Dallas generated open threes and once again, math won.
Consider this ... Ayton is the only player to average 15 points, 10 rebounds and shoot 65% in NBA postseason history. But it wasn't enough. When will the rest of the NBA (much less this board) catch on? News flash: there are no big centers left in the playoffs. MVP caliber bigs KAT, Jocic, Embiid were all exploited. I'll go so far as to say the Mavs won because Phoenix played Ayton, McGee and Biyombo.
Dallas certainly doesn't need to spend assets to go get Turner, Collins, Capela, Holmes or even Gobert or Ayton. Just keep doing what you're doing.
At this point my offseason plan is resign Brunson, draft the best player available and keep developing Green & Ntilikina. Maybe you offload some salary and add another versatile wing defender like Taurean Prince, but I'm honestly curious how THJ will look when he comes back. He'll fit into the five-out concept perfectly if he just commits to the defensive end and knocks down open threes.
I feel like this is overstating things. This is a team game. KAT has always been exposed on defense. Jokic and Embiid were let down by teammates (through injury or terrible play).
I don't think the Suns lost because they played Ayton, but I do think they failed to take advantage of him going against "small ball". I think Utah and Gobert had the same failure. I believe a large part of that failure is due to Maxi. You take Maxi out of the equation and those series go very differently, especially the Suns.
But Maxi is on the wrong side of 30 and has struggled to stay healthy, especially with higher minutes. You make a strong argument for going after another Maxi, but not really staying pat. Guys like Turner or Collins would make a lot of sense in your model, but you could make the argument that with Maxi it would make more sense to go after a younger Maxi who would cost less resources (like maybe a PJ Washington).
Turner and Collins can't defend the perimeter or shoot the three like Kleber. Turner and Collins are targets for apex predators like Luka.
Kleber is so valuable because he defends like a wing and is a real threat as a catch & shoot marksman.
So, yes, if you can find "another Kleber" that's ideal ...but I'm not sure who that player might be. A more realistic option might be another long wing with a 6' 11" wingspan, who defends 3, 4, 5 and is a deadeye catch & shooter who should be available for something close to the MLE. Prince or similar.
(05-16-2022, 10:00 AM)vfromlmf Wrote: [ -> ]Turner and Collins can't defend the perimeter or shoot the three like Kleber. Turner and Collins are targets for apex predators like Luka.
Kleber is so valuable because he defends like a wing and is a real threat as a catch & shoot marksman.
So, yes, if you can find "another Kleber" that's ideal ...but I'm not sure who that player might be. A more realistic option might be another long wing with a 6' 11" wingspan, who defends 3, 4, 5 and is a deadeye catch & shooter who should be available for something close to the MLE. Prince or similar.
I think Turner and Collins are more mobile than you are making them out to be (at least as much as Powell) and Collins is a better perimeter shooter than Maxi.
Prince would be a Dorian/Bullock backup. I don't see him playing the 5. I don't think we want to completely ignore rebounding and rim protection.
If we want to lean into this team's current identity and get some depth in our front court, then a name that I think needs to be talked about more is PJ Washington.
He's been on the trade block already because the Hornets have to pay Bridges and is basically a Maxi clone. He is also probably gettable without giving up anyone in our current playoff rotation and without giving up significant draft assets.
(05-16-2022, 10:00 AM)vfromlmf Wrote: [ -> ]Turner and Collins are targets for apex predators like Luka.
So are Maxi and Powell. And DFS. And RB. Etc.
Luka is going to prey on ANYONE. You don't NOT acquire someone because Luka could exploit that person.
Maxi is not some "god" at defending the perimeter. He is REALLY great sometimes. Other times he gets burned. What is most important is the way the Mavs as a TEAM are playing D right now. They are rotating and sliding over to help each other and doing it as a harmonious and in-sync unit of five men. It is great.
Luka is on our team, we don't need to worry about getting players who can defend him(there aren't any)