(12-30-2022, 05:30 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: [ -> ]Seems the negotiation is between 2 plus 1 on the Wood side and 2 plus TO Third on the Dallas side.
I can live with either, tbh, and hooray that this is actually happening!
Now, just act like you're negotiating past the TDL instead of waiting to see if you want to trade him so he doesn't get offended and you'll have done right by this, MBT.
Absolutely need to keep Wood, this is essential. Fits very well alongside Luka. Wood a player with multi-skillset other than pure shooting, which lowers the doubling efficiency on Luka. SD is the only another one we have. We need to eliminate the pure 3&D players in this team, it is what leads to doubling and stalling slow offense.
The team needs to add one more player with that skillset, to really and fully eliminate the doubling, and then and only then will we be able to win the title. Offense will flow like a river when that occurs. it will explode. We need in that new player in addition to outside shooting: offensive IQ, ability to penetrate and finish around the rim in the paint in multitude of ways and passing. SD and Wood have that, and that's the skillset that eliminates/lowers doubling on Luka. No wonder Lukas and teams efficiency has increased after Wood starting. It was predictable! But there are still two other position in the lineup, and we need one additional player ala SD and Wood to take this team to another level. Collins fits that skillset, Lavine as well. Collins even adds another pick and roll dimension as well.
(12-30-2022, 05:30 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: [ -> ]Keith and others have suggested it might not be in Wood’s best interest to go four years. He’d be 31.5 at the end of that time. He might be better off hitting free agency in 2025 at 29. McMahon has suggested Dallas may not want to go four years (might not trust him or might want to keep options open). Seems the negotiation is between 2 plus 1 on the Wood side and 2 plus TO Third on the Dallas side.
That's one possible way to read the 2 year limit, as a negotiating stance where there's middle ground remaining. Thanks.
There's another possible way to read the 2 year limit, which is that it is NOT a negotiating stance, but rather the only possibility that fits their bigger picture at this time. As I consider how that item was worded, it feels more like the following thinking.
Say that, as with Brunson, they want to shop Wood up until the TDL. And by "shop" him, I don't just mean liquidate him for assets, but also using him as an important piece in a trade for a star (for Siakam? for Collins? etc). If so, giving him an extension longer than 2 years would mean he can't be traded. So, at this time, maybe their stance is they might be open to a 2 year extension -- leaving trade door ajar -- and left unsaid is that they wouldn't want to consider 4 years until TDL passes.
They might even prefer 4 years over 2, in general. But for a deal right now? Could be the limit is not a negotiation, but what's needed to leave the trade door ajar. Maybe they'd do the 2 year. But definitely not longer.
(12-30-2022, 03:36 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: [ -> ]My argument against your thought process is that the crazy losses were earlier in the season. They were still acclimating to the absence of Brunson and figuring things out. They seem to be righting the ship.
I have to hand it to the (this year) hated Jason Kidd - he has adjusted their style of play quite well to the absences of Green, DFS, and Maxi. And Wood's defense (!) has made it possible to continue to win with those three top defenders out.
I do agree that San Antonio is a major test as noted above.
I am officially triggered...you win.
This is the most ridiculous suggestion I have heard on here from a poster way more educated on bball than me. Ive been following the Mavs closely on this board for 3 years...I know who the "smart" posters are.
To try and cast this off as something to do with Brunson is just reaching for excuses. This team has done the same thing 3 year in a row now. Play dumb and unorganized the first half of the season only to show at 4th or 5th gear after All-Star break.
If I am getting to the revelation of seeing the patterns and posters having to dance around those revelations to the point of making outrageous claims to keep the secret alive...Im saddened.
This has nothing to do with Brunson. It has everything to do with the team "wanting to save the best for last". Its a war..."you cant show your whole hand at the beginning" non-sense.
Anyone that watches the Mavs knows that the first half of the season Luka or Brunson or Spencer will dribble the air out of the ball into lost games....only for the team to mysteriously learn how to pass the ball like an organized team after All-Star break.
Why do they mysteriously learn to play organized basketball...offensively and defensively...after All-Star break? Professionals...not guys learning to play basketball. Professionals. Why do we see organized ball movement after All-Star break, organized defense after All-Star break...but only a couple of times before?
Because we are getting acclimated? The excuses are becoming numbing. Its all fake. Just make an excuse whether good or bad and just run with it.
3 hours later and no one wants to touch it.
Pretty saddening.
I’m feeling a little more bullish on the Mavs too. Wood is now playing a more central role. The young guys are getting a little run. Kemba looks mostly spent, but just mostly. He seems to have 10-15 minutes per game left in that knee. The Mavs finally have some ball handlers available night in night out. Bullock is hopefully out of the rotation for awhile. And most importantly, no one in the west has separated at all, and Phoenix has to deal with a multi week injury to their best player. Hell, at this point, the Mavs have a realistic shot at the number 2 seed.
(12-30-2022, 02:08 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]That they'll make the playoffs?
Are you a friendly bet sort? Because I'll take that one.
@"cow", is this a no from you?
(12-31-2022, 12:02 AM)dynamicalVoid Wrote: [ -> ]3 hours later and no one wants to touch it.
Pretty saddening.
I'm really sorry for the entire performance of this board, and would like to apologize for all of us.
(12-31-2022, 12:13 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]@"cow", is this a no from you?
Not a gambler, doubly so on things I have a vested interest in.
How much did Wood’s agent pay SVG to tweet that?
(12-31-2022, 03:33 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: [ -> ]So, can the front office be idiots and trade pennies for a near All-Star at the same time?
No, this would certainly be a notch in the "not idiots" column. But, as we know, these things are fluid and ongoing.
It's going to take
several winning transactions to wash this Brunson/McGee taste out of my mouth.
(12-31-2022, 03:33 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: [ -> ]So, can the front office be idiots and trade pennies for a near All-Star at the same time?
I raved about the Wood trade from day one. It was always an "A" move from a GM standpoint. What irked me was how he has been handled, spoken about, and placed behind clear underserving underperformers (like McGee). Now that Wood has been forced into the role that most of us thought he should be in from day one, it turns out he is performing exactly how most of us thought. I give the coaching ZERO credit for anything that has happened with Wood. The trade? GREAT move from day one.
(12-31-2022, 04:10 PM)Kammrath Wrote: [ -> ]I raved about the Wood trade from day one. It was always an "A" move from a GM standpoint. What irked me was how he has been handled, spoken about, and placed behind clear underserving underperformers (like McGee). Now that Wood has been forced into the role that most of us thought he should be in from day one, it turns out he is performing exactly how most of us thought. I give the coaching ZERO credit for anything that has happened with Wood. The trade? GREAT move from day one.
Has Kidd been forced to start and play Wood more minutes due to injuries? Since moving on from the McGee experiment, Powell was the starting center. Kidd could easily have continued starting Powell, giving him roughly 20 minutes and sticking with Wood coming off the bench and getting upper 20s minutes.
Wood had some serious defensive struggles in the early part of the season. I'm not so sure things would have gone nearly as well if Wood began the season as the starting center.
I feel like there is still a narrative out there that Kidd and the FO are not on the same page and Kidd has been trying to sabotage Wood. I think the evidence suggests its more likely that they have been on the same page from the beginning and that Kidd's purpose has always been to get Wood focused on the defensive end.
(01-01-2023, 04:35 PM)mvossman Wrote: [ -> ]Wood had some serious defensive struggles in the early part of the season. I'm not so sure things would have gone nearly as well if Wood began the season as the starting center.
I feel like there is still a narrative out there that Kidd and the FO are not on the same page and Kidd has been trying to sabotage Wood. I think the evidence suggests its more likely that they have been on the same page from the beginning and that Kidd's purpose has always been to get Wood focused on the defensive end.
Totally agree that he hasn't been trying to "sabotage" Wood. I think there's reason to wonder how things might have progressed differently had Wood gotten this chance earlier, and depending on where you fall in that argument, there might be room to wonder whether or not Kidd truly understands (understood, hopefully) the value of Wood.
You might be right - maybe he demonstrated better understanding and then got the chance. Others might be right - maybe he got the chance and demonstrated that he learned from it. Maybe a combination of both.
At this point, I care not. Just happy we're getting to see the experiment under the circumstances I feel are viable, regardless of how we got here.
(01-01-2023, 04:35 PM)mvossman Wrote: [ -> ]Has Kidd been forced to start and play Wood more minutes due to injuries? Since moving on from the McGee experiment, Powell was the starting center. Kidd could easily have continued starting Powell, giving him roughly 20 minutes and sticking with Wood coming off the bench and getting upper 20s minutes.
Wood had some serious defensive struggles in the early part of the season. I'm not so sure things would have gone nearly as well if Wood began the season as the starting center.
I feel like there is still a narrative out there that Kidd and the FO are not on the same page and Kidd has been trying to sabotage Wood. I think the evidence suggests its more likely that they have been on the same page from the beginning and that Kidd's purpose has always been to get Wood focused on the defensive end.
I think Kidd COULD have continued with starting DP, but the writing was on the wall. Kidd was backed into a corner IMO with the poor performance of the team overall and the good performance of Wood. The media had been hounding him about starting Wood for literally weeks and there was no way he could hold out IMO without sabotaging his own place in DAL to an extent.
This is what I still believe about Wood and Kidd:
1) I think it is clear Kidd wanted McGee and thought he was what this team needed and promised him the starting role (and a three year contract---absolutely embarrassing from every angle).
2) I think Kidd was not 100% behind the Wood trade and that he did not see Wood as a center or a long term fit for this team.
3) I think Kidd played his favorite players (I think there is a long track record of this being the case) to start the season in a way that ultimately hurt the win/loss record of this team.
4) I think Kidd finally changed up, only because of injuries and him realizing that he was sabotaging himself and the team.
5) I do not believe Kidd was trying to "sabotage" Wood, NOT ONE BIT. I just think Kidd truly believed he knew best on the personnel front and he was going to prove that to people. But time proved him to be wrong, REALLY wrong. Thankfully injuries happened and he adjusted and did not completely sink the ship with his ego.
6) I think this team would be about 26-11 (and top of the West) if Kidd would have played Wood like he is now off the bat. There would have been growing pains (of course!) but I think about 5 more wins were there for the taking.
7) I think Kidd is really poor in personnel evaluations overall. I think he is an average coach, having some strengths for sure, but some really clear weaknesses. I think his ego and his belief in his own rightness is his greatest weakness.
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