It is still really early, but I have really liked what I have seen with Memphis. Ja is their star but their front office keeps on making solid moves. I thought Steven Adams was an odd move and thought it was a step back but gave them more flexibility moving forward. Adams has been very good over his first three games....at least stats wise. Desmond Bane also looks like he has made a jump. Not sure if he starts when Dillon Brooks is back, but he looks really good as well.
I wouldn't predict this, but it wouldn't shock me if they were the best team in the Mavs division. They are going to be a factor moving forward as they have made very few poor decisions and have a young, deep team.
The key to them, similar to Dallas, is if Jaren Jackson Jr can stay healthy and be a true # 2 to Ja.
Bulls 4-0. They haven't beat murderers row. DeRozen is plus in all four games and has shot 8 three pointers in 4 games. It will be interesting to see if a notoriously bad plus/minus player can change this narrative.
Looking at some of the teams getting off to slow starts: OKC, New Orleans, Orlando and Detroit. Wondering if anyone interests you for a salary dump into our trade exception as the year goes on? I think a guy like Terrance Ross will get some sort of asset back for him and not just a dump. Maybe a late first??? OKC doesn't really need to move anyone but they will move anyone if they get value back. Favors would be the only name that sticks out. For New Orleans, Jonas and Josh Hart sticks out if things get bad there. Although do you really want to pay 15 million for two years past this year. I have been a Josh Hart fan but does he move the needle enough for the type of guy we need?
One more thought, Dragic hasn't been lighting up Toronto so far. Toronto has been competitive in each game outside of the first game blowout. He could very well end up in Dallas, but it won't happen until after the trade deadline. It will be interesting to see if Toronto finds a trade partner that needs a backup guard.
(10-26-2021, 08:29 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: [ -> ]Looking at some of the teams getting off to slow starts: OKC, New Orleans, Orlando and Detroit. Wondering if anyone interests you for a salary dump into our trade exception as the year goes on?
With the exception of NO, these are projected tanking teams. What they will look for is sell there cap for assets and sell their vets for assets. NO is a bit of a question mark. Do they get desperate? I don't really see as an option for them to go into more rebuilding, if they want to keep their stars happy.
Based on this, I would not really see them as partners. The vets they have don't really move the needle and I think Dallas needs to save assets for one big move either in 2022 draft or in the summer of 2023.
I am dissapointed Dallas is not playing Green to increase his value. I think he should be in the top 8 rotation from the long term perspective. Mavs desperately need tradeable assets.
(10-26-2021, 08:46 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]With the exception of NO, these are projected tanking teams. What they will look for is sell there cap for assets and sell their vets for assets. NO is a bit of a question mark. Do they get desperate? I don't really see as an option for them to go into more rebuilding, if they want to keep their stars happy.
Based on this, I would not really see them as partners. The vets they have don't really move the needle and I think Dallas needs to save assets for one big move either in 2022 draft or in the summer of 2023.
I am dissapointed Dallas is not playing Green to increase his value. I think he should be in the top 8 rotation from the long term perspective. Mavs desperately need tradeable assets.
Because Green isn't good. He isn't going to get minutes when there aren't even enough for S. Brown and Bullock.
The 2020 draft will easily go down as one of the worst drafts in Mavs history.
(10-26-2021, 09:47 AM)Moviemavguy Wrote: [ -> ]Because Green isn't good.
He is young and can develop. He will never develop sitting on the bench. Point is - Mavs are not a contending team, they will need to make moves to become one. In order to make those moves, they need to build up asset base. If a team can't survive by giving ONE rookie 15-20 minutes per night, what more proof do we need that Mavs are not a contender. He should be before Brown in the pecking order for minutes.
(10-26-2021, 09:51 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]He is young and can develop. He will never develop sitting on the bench. Point is - Mavs are not a contending team, they will need to make moves to become one. In order to make those moves, they need to build up asset base. If a team can't survive by giving ONE rookie 15-20 minutes per night, what more proof do we need that Mavs are not a contender. He should be before Brown in the pecking order for minutes.
It's basically too late for that after whiffing on multiple FAs and the 2020 draft. And if Green became good, then they'd just keep him because they can't help themselves with overrating their own players.
(10-26-2021, 08:46 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]I am dissapointed Dallas is not playing Green to increase his value. I think he should be in the top 8 rotation from the long term perspective. Mavs desperately need tradeable assets.
This is assuming that playing Green more would increase his value. That is not necessarily a given. Nevertheless, take your overall point.
(10-26-2021, 10:56 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]This is assuming that playing Green more would increase his value. That is not necessarily a given.
I don't think it can get much lower than it is. I doubt Mavs could convince anyone he is an asset, since they don't believe enough in him to give him some minutes.
(10-26-2021, 10:59 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]I don't think it can get much lower than it is. I doubt Mavs could convince anyone he is an asset, since they don't believe enough in him to give him some minutes.
I agree that you have a point. He might improve his value more by playing. I'm just not sure it is crystal clear that he should be getting 20 minutes every night, despite not playing well.
I could be wrong, but I don't think the Mavs have given up on Josh yet, to the point of considering him primarily as a trade asset. I think they're still trying to develop him in practice, and they are probably as disappointed as any of us that he hasn't cracked the rotation based on merit.
If the primary goal is to increase the players' value regardless of current performance, then you could argue that the odds of success might be as great or greater trying to, for example, rehabilitate Trey Burke, or give Moses Brown some developmental minutes, or have DFS post up twenty times a game in hopes of convincing another team that he is is a diversified offensive player.
In Josh's particular case, I am not sure that increased minutes would necessarily result in improvement. In some areas, like defense and learning offensive schemes, playing is imperative to improving. Shooting, not as much. You really need to get in the gym and do those reps to develop a shot. Meanwhile, I just don't see them taking away twenty of Hardaway's minutes and giving them to Green. (Realize you aren't suggesting anything that extreme, but it is an example to acknowledge that more minutes for a developmental player come at the expense of players who are perhaps more deserving.)
Good subject for discussion. Thanks for calling attention it.
(10-26-2021, 11:18 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]I agree that you have a point. He might improve his value more by playing. I'm just not sure it is crystal clear that he should be getting 20 minutes every night, despite not playing well.
I could be wrong, but I don't think the Mavs have given up on Josh yet, to the point of considering him primarily as a trade asset. I think they're still trying to develop him in practice, and they are probably as disappointed as any of us that he hasn't cracked the rotation based on merit.
If the primary goal is to increase the players' value regardless of current performance, then you could argue that the odds of success might be as great or greater trying to, for example, rehabilitate Trey Burke, or give Moses Brown some developmental minutes, or have DFS post up twenty times a game in hopes of convincing another team that he is is a diversified offensive player.
In Josh's particular case, I am not sure that increased minutes would necessarily result in improvement. In some areas, like defense and learning offensive schemes, playing is imperative to improving. Shooting, not as much. You really need to get in the gym and do those reps to develop a shot. Meanwhile, I just don't see them taking away twenty of Hardaway's minutes and giving them to Green. (Realize you aren't suggesting anything that extreme, but it is an example to acknowledge that more minutes for a developmental player come at the expense of players who are perhaps more deserving.)
Good subject for discussion. Thanks for calling attention it.
I think Green has an NBA ready skill in his defense, he showed a couple of times he can provide it. There are several similar examples accross the league of such players, even on very competing teams. Thybulle in Philly, Dort in OKC. Those guys play defense at elite level while they mostly stand in the corner on the offensive side and if they can hit a three at approximately league average, they are great assets. I am sure Mavs know what Green is and what he is capable of doing, but I am not really convinced he would be such a negative in those limited minutes. He wasn't a bad shooter in the college. A good team should have enough good players to compensate for a minus offensive production from one.
I don't think bringing in a career role player like Brown to eat Green minutes (while we already have Burke in similar capabiliy) was a very long term looking move. I firmly believe a player needs minutes to develop and I also think Green has some ceiling to his game. I don't think that for S.Brown or DFS, they are what they are. As for M.Brown - the way WCS was playing last two games, I would certainly rather look at Brown, despite his obvious flaws.
Talking about Josh Green. I like him...a lot. But I just realized that he is just like one of my grandsons. My grandson drives fast. In the last six months he has totaled out 2 cars and had innumerable dents, scratches, broken windows, etc. He drives fast. So...I took him out to one of my favorite country drives. This little stretch of road is very windy, up and down, blind corners, beautiful scenery though, crosses and recrosses a little stream 4 times, but thankfully, wide open mowed aprons up to the fences. We took his car; certainly not mine.
I told him this was an exercise in driving slowly. In this little 7 mile country drive he ran off the road 11 times, and killed the engine once crossing the little stream. He said driving slow was Hard. He broke another window in his car yesterday...
Anyway...my wandering point being that JG is very fast and quick. He needs to learn some exercises in playing slowly...how to pace himself. Utilize that quickness and speed when needed...not all the time.
I am interesting to see how Sterling Brown fits in. It appears he won't be a heavy minute player so he is a guy who just needs to know how to play. Do the simple things really well. Hit open shots. I think he can be pretty solid in that role. We will see though.
I do hope Josh Green eventually beats him out. They are totally different players. I hope they find minutes for Green. Maybe not every game, but give him some minutes to grow. I said this offseason that if Green was not getting consistent minutes this year than it is a bad sign. I still believe that, but it is what it is.
I am really curious how hard of a worker he is. He plays hard on the court every time he gets playing time, but I really hope he is one of those guys you need to kick out of the gym. I may try to ask Cato in one of those chat things he does. Some guys never get better. But the league is filled with guys who did. Look at Desmond Bane. Couldn't shoot as a freshman and made himself into a great shooter and now one of the better young shooters in the NBA.
I would feel better about Green's future if I see some growth in his ball creation scoring game. I want to see one pick and role or dribble breakdown where he gets by his man and scores in the lane. Green is an athletic freak who is young and a good passer, but trying to score off the dribble looks so raw right now.
What I also have seen with Green especially last season was he moved around the court on offense instead of camping at the 3 point line and waiting for a pass...
(10-26-2021, 01:28 PM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]I think Green has an NBA ready skill in his defense, he showed a couple of times he can provide it. There are several similar examples accross the league of such players, even on very competing teams. Thybulle in Philly, Dort in OKC. Those guys play defense at elite level while they mostly stand in the corner on the offensive side and if they can hit a three at approximately league average, they are great assets. I am sure Mavs know what Green is and what he is capable of doing, but I am not really convinced he would be such a negative in those limited minutes. He wasn't a bad shooter in the college. A good team should have enough good players to compensate for a minus offensive production from one.
I don't think bringing in a career role player like Brown to eat Green minutes (while we already have Burke in similar capabiliy) was a very long term looking move. I firmly believe a player needs minutes to develop and I also think Green has some ceiling to his game. I don't think that for S.Brown or DFS, they are what they are. As for M.Brown - the way WCS was playing last two games, I would certainly rather look at Brown, despite his obvious flaws.
I am not trying to say that you are wrong. Far from it. There are 240 minutes in each regulation game, and there is an argument to be made that 15-20 of those minutes should be taken away from the other guys and given to Green. You have made that argument well.
My point is that I may not think it is quite as much of no-brainer decision as all that. I agree that it is a shame that Green has not broken the rotation. I think that the team also feels that way, and that they have no reason to keep him down if he can play. If they thought he could contribute, I think they would be playing him. They also have reasons to give more minutes to guys like Reggie Bullock, Sterling Brown, etc., and it looks like those guys are winning out for the time being.
It has occurred to me that, while the players are learning the new systems and adjusting to the new officiating policies, there may just not be much room for developmental minutes, particularly in games that they are losing or in danger of losing. You probably saw how upset Luka was after six quarters of abysmal play. Maybe sending in a learner at that point would have only made him angrier. It may be that we see more of Green once they get their identity established and their chemistry in place. I hope so!
Maybe if there was a confidence that the other 4 could carry a learner while he gets experience, then Green would play more. Right now it feels like everybody is a learner, so you go with your best players until it is apparent there is room for him to play.
(10-26-2021, 03:20 PM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]It has occurred to me that, while the players are learning the new systems and adjusting to the new officiating policies, there may just not be much room for developmental minutes, particularly in games that they are losing or in danger of losing. You probably saw how upset Luka was after six quarters of abysmal play. Maybe sending in a learner at that point would have only made him angrier. It may be that we see more of Green once they get their identity established and their chemistry in place. I hope so!
Well put.
Especially to your first point about how players are adjusting big time right now. That's why I'm trying to hold off on making any sweeping conclusions in the meantime.
Some way to early observations.
Are the new rules (including more contact in the paint) helping some of the better FIBA guards?
Rubio (14/4/9) and Mills (15/2/2) looked great in the first couple of games. Both don´t rely on athleticism to get to their spots. Don´t rely on their drive to score/create.
Are the Bulls for real?
4-0 start against an easy schedule. Next few games against better teams will probably answer the question. It looks like they nailed the offseason. Lonzo Ball is my early favorite for DPOY. DeRozan is still doing his thing. Averaging 20+ pts on solid efficiency. Caruso is the perfect glue guy (can shoot, moves the ball, above average defender).
Are the Hornets for real?
You know. The same team that lost by a record margin against the Mavs in preseason. Lamelo Ball looks like a legit superstar playmaker. Miles Bridges is averaging 25ppg. And Rozier only played one game. They should get even better as the season progresses.
What´s up with the Nets and Lakers?
Both teams look old and slow. I expect them to get going at some point in the season but right now it isn´t looking pretty. Nets are getting carried by Durant. Harden has been beyond bad (lost his biggest weapon in the summer, no more cheap FTs). So far Mills and Aldridge look like the only veteran role players that have anything left in the tank.
On paper the Lakers should have more talent but we already mentioned the terrible fit in another thread. Turning LeBron into a spot up shooter cannot be the solution. He averages 9.7 3PA and to his credit shoots 45% from 3. But that doesn´t solve the problem. Westbrook is not (and never has been) good enough to be the primary ballhandler for a contender. Sub 40% TS. Nearly 6tov. And an even bigger liability when he is playing off ball.
We are complaining about the Mavs spacing issues but the Mavs roster offers solutions. On paper the Mavs have enough shooting. Right now the Lakers are relying on Carmelo Anthony. Hoping for the return of Ellington and Ariza. That´s depressing.
(10-26-2021, 06:45 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]Rubio (14/4/9)
BE PREPARED