(10-24-2025, 10:41 PM)Branduil Wrote: The guy who won Euro MVP at 18 leading his team to a title is a loser sure.

I feel like if the Mavs had a competent, supportive GM instead of a deranged narcissist psycho moron there's a good chance they might have got motivated Luka instead of the Lakers having that guy

(10-24-2025, 10:34 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: https://x.com/sam_vecenie/status/1981926947329605868?s=61

(10-24-2025, 10:46 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Idk, man. It felt like he had a pretty damn good team around him during the finals run. 

A terrible coach, imo, so it’s tough to pin it all on Luka, but I for one thought he was underwhelming through most of that playoff run, especially in the finals. Even that is fine, if it’s a learning experience, but I just never got the feeling anything would be that for Luka. If I’m being honest, I was losing hope. 

Still wouldn’t have even occurred to me to trade him, to be clear.

(10-24-2025, 10:41 PM)Branduil Wrote: The guy who won Euro MVP at 18 leading his team to a title is a loser sure.

I feel like if the Mavs had a competent, supportive GM instead of a deranged narcissist psycho moron there's a good chance they might have got motivated Luka instead of the Lakers having that guy

(10-24-2025, 10:50 PM)Branduil Wrote: He was injured. A lot of that because of bad conditioning, but he still willed the Mavs to the Finals with his WCF performance.

Don't expect the Mavs to ever reach that point again in our lifetimes. A bad franchise run by bad, incompetent people, and is now known for being disastrously disloyal to its franchise players. Dirk was at the Lakers opener. It can't be overstated how over it is for this team.

(10-24-2025, 10:53 PM)hakeemfaan Wrote: I like many others are still angry at Nico, but Luka bears a lot of blame as well.  He consistently came out of shape at the start of the season. He didn't lose weight during the season. We know about his defense and constant whining and inability or unwillingness to move around without the ball.  We can say Kidd is bad, but Luka basically ran Carlisle out as well.  We can talk about Nico, but if you remember Donnie on his way out was hinting that Luka should be more of a team player (weird thing to say if you just focus on stats and Luka's superb passing/assists, but Donnie and all of us knew what he was pointing out).  

It's a testament to his superb ball handling skills , shot making skills and overall genius that he could still be such a dominant force, but no one can convince me that he put his best foot forward here the last few years even with the team making the Finals. That involves a lot more than just carrying the scoring load.  He has already lost weight in LA that he didn't here. He is playing off the ball to Austin Reaves.  There is no way he would have deferred to Austin Reaves if he were still in Dallas.  Unfortunately for us Mavs fans, that light bulb going off seems to have come only with the shock of getting traded.  Unfortunately for Luka, he might be putting his best foot forward now, but that team is not very good.

(10-24-2025, 11:02 PM)Branduil Wrote: Maybe that's true. But given the same thing happening with Nash, the same thing happening with Brunson, you have to ask the question of why this franchise is consistently unable to get the most from its best players. "They only wake up when they get traded" is an excuse, not an answer. Like if you're saying players will always be too comfortable here and never try their hardest then just fold up the franchise right now. Either put together a front office and staff that can get the most from generational and star talents, or get out of the league.

(10-24-2025, 11:02 PM)Branduil Wrote: Maybe that's true. But given the same thing happening with Nash, the same thing happening with Brunson, you have to ask the question of why this franchise is consistently unable to get the most from its best players. "They only wake up when they get traded" is an excuse, not an answer. Like if you're saying players will always be too comfortable here and never try their hardest then just fold up the franchise right now. Either put together a front office and staff that can get the most from generational and star talents, or get out of the league.

(10-24-2025, 11:10 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Next three opponents average roughly 130 points so far. I´d be surprised, if they are not 1-6 or 0-7 after the first seven games.

(10-24-2025, 11:19 PM)ThisIStheYear Wrote: In the meantime, since Luka left, this team loses a lot of games and is practically unwatchable. They had 18 turnovers from their 3 top players today. Brutal. But I guess that’s more entertaining for some reason than a finals run and a scoring champion?

(10-24-2025, 10:38 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: There’s more to it than that, however. His good games (like tonight) are great. His bad games are REALLY inefficient. The numbers normalize. 

And meanwhile, everyone else is relegated to watching him play, then have to read “get Luka help” the next day. 

I think he’s a loser. If he ever wins a ring, we can meet back here and I’ll apologize. I wouldn’t have traded him - he’s so talented that I thought the best move was to keep trying to teach him the right way to play, but now that he’s gone I feel relieved that I don’t have to worry about whether or not he’ll ever get it. 

I’m not going to change my opinion, nor will I stop responding. Feel free to be the bigger man!

(10-24-2025, 11:18 PM)hakeemfaan Wrote: The common factor in Nash , Brunson, Nico, Kidd is Cuban.  He was not a serious owner. He was more into social media and trying to be cool. 

However, Dirk was also part of that circus and never came out of shape.  Dirk had to go through more bad teams and more disappointments than Luka, but he never ran a GM or a coach out of town.  The guy even put up with Avery blaming him and trying to run him out, but you never heard him say anything.  You never heard any GM saying anything bad about Dirk. 

There is something called personal accountability as well.  You can't control what others do. You can control your own habits and behavior and be better.  Luka is doing that now with the Lakers.  Unfortunately for us Mavs fans, if he had done it here, maybe Nico and Drumond don't balk at a supermax and trade him abruptly.  Again, not excusing those 2 guys, but you can't just give a pass to Luka either.

(10-24-2025, 11:19 PM)ThisIStheYear Wrote: In the meantime, since Luka left, this team loses a lot of games and is practically unwatchable. They had 18 turnovers from their 3 top players today. Brutal. But I guess that’s more entertaining for some reason than a finals run and a scoring champion?

(10-24-2025, 11:22 PM)mvossman Wrote: I'm bummed you are this blinded by your Luka hate.  these views on his efficiency are so blatantly wrong its painful to read.

Do you really prefer this shit show we are watching now to the Luka days.

(10-24-2025, 11:24 PM)Branduil Wrote: Dirk was a unicorn in more ways than one. It's nice to want a franchise player and generational talent who is also uniquely unselfish and self-motivating. However, NBA franchises, and everyone really, have to operate in material reality, with the understanding that generational talent is usually accompanied by generational ego. You either learn how to operate within that reality and maximize that talent, or you end up in the cesspool of eternal mediocrity, forever bitterly complaining how your superstars wronged you for the crime of wanting to play for franchises that actually have a clue what they're doing and don't just pray to repeatedly luck into top 5 players.

(10-24-2025, 11:24 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: False dichotomy. 

They won more when Luka was here (though not enough in the regular season, honestly) because the team was built around him. And they were not fun to watch. 

They traded him - ok, whatever, but they haven’t replaced him at PG. Even a healthy Kyrie  isn’t going to be enough, imo. They are also not fun to watch now. 

The last Mavs team I enjoyed watching was either the bubble or the year after. For me, it all started to go south when Carlisle left.