(10-24-2025, 11:32 PM)Smitty Wrote: Jason Kidd on P.J. Washington:

“I can’t play him 48 minutes. Played 40 tonight, and so we’re gonna go die before Christmas if we’re gonna have to rely on him to play 48 minutes…We can’t play him 48 minutes, that’s not fair to him. We’re a deep team, someone’s gotta pick up the baton. Would I like to play him more minutes? Yeah, I mean he’s doing everything for us from guarding to making plays to shooting the three…But 40 minutes, that’s a lot here in game two…”

(10-24-2025, 11:37 PM)hakeemfaan Wrote: Agreed, but Bron would be the example to use there. He is a PITA and an old school guy like Riley didn't know how best to put up with that type of a player, but Bron never came out of shape. He never played just one side of the ball.   Curry is another of those who has won a handful of titles recently.  He moves so well without the ball and is always in tremendous shape, even though he is not a great defensive player.

Which player in recent years has been a total PITA , come out of shape, ball hogged and still won a lot of titles? Which player ever has done that, thinking about it?

I'm not saying this to deny how great Luka is. I absolutely know that. I look at the Luka now with the Lakers and wish that bulb had come on when he was here before the shock of getting traded woke him up. However I have to be honest.  Win or lose here, his style of play in the final years here was not something i personally enjoyed. If you're asking me if I enjoy this more, I will say I can root for these type of players more. I've rooted for worse Mavs teams in the 90s.

(10-24-2025, 11:32 PM)Smitty Wrote: Jason Kidd on P.J. Washington:

“I can’t play him 48 minutes. Played 40 tonight, and so we’re gonna go die before Christmas if we’re gonna have to rely on him to play 48 minutes…We can’t play him 48 minutes, that’s not fair to him. We’re a deep team, someone’s gotta pick up the baton. Would I like to play him more minutes? Yeah, I mean he’s doing everything for us from guarding to making plays to shooting the three…But 40 minutes, that’s a lot here in game two…”

(10-24-2025, 11:50 PM)Jym Wrote: Im not sure how much it's a light bulb going off 
I think it's mainly him taking off a few months so his leg could heal up finally 
He can finally attack the paint again for the first time since a bit before the Kyrie trade 

The weightloss will be more of a factor towards the end of the season assuming he actually keeps it off

(10-24-2025, 11:32 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Well, I don’t hate Luka, but I do hate his game. HATE. 

I prefer the potential of winning any other way, yes, even if it’s just potential or theoretical, and again, I don’t think he’ll ever win a championship. Period. If I’m wrong, I’ll eat the crow, like I said. 

But…despite having said the above, I don’t think it’s either/or. I don’t think not liking the way. This team is put together is the same thing as declaring that there’s nothing wrong with Luka’s game, or a team built around it.

(10-24-2025, 11:38 PM)ThisIStheYear Wrote: There’s actually some stuff here I agree with, finally. But I had a hell of a good time two years ago watching Luka walk down the TWolves and even two years before that when an incredibly inferior team ruined the Phoenix franchise.  That was fun. But yes, Carlisle leaving may have cost this team a ring.  Luka probably bears some responsibility for that. Live and learn.

(10-25-2025, 01:13 AM)JamesConway912 Wrote: BTW a few weeks ago Davis has publicly confirmed that he is „ten to twelve pounds“ above his playing weight right now and that he is using the regular season to shed those pounds and reach his normal playing weight.

But I guess we only apply certain standards when it fits to the narrative…

(10-25-2025, 01:33 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: I don´t think so. Luka has never had any reported issue with coaches and he played for some hard-ass coaches. I think the main responsibility of who Carlisle became lies with Mark Cuban, whose utter shitshow of decade long failure (not just building a roster, but the sexual misconduct stuff etc.) just grinded Carlisle down to the point he took it out on some players like Salah Mejri. It took Indiana two years to build a sufficient roster for him. And nobody would argue it´s spectacular, but it´s not Trey Burke and Dwight Powell either. Happy Indiana is not Destructive Dallas.

(10-24-2025, 10:15 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I am, and with proud confidence. Progressively more so since Carlisle left.

(10-25-2025, 08:21 AM)I’m BigDirk41 Wrote: Absurdly ridiculous take Killer. I hope you stop commenting on Luka.

(10-25-2025, 08:17 AM)hakeemfaan Wrote: Luka ran RC out. You can say RC could be a jerk too and deserved some of the abuse that Luka gave him but it was still shocking to me that a player would openly taunt his coach. 

What about coming out of shape? What about hunting for bad 3 point shots when he is truly unstoppable in the paint and has a great mid range game?  Isn’t that reason that Donnie also had some words/advice for Luka the season before he was let go? It seemed like internally the team knew that despite all his great play there was another level that he could get to with some simple changes, but those changes never came here.  I would have still waited for it to come here and have accepted it if it never did than the terrible trade the Mavs made. However we cannot just pretend that trade happened for no reason at all and that Luka was perfectly fine here.

(10-25-2025, 08:37 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Unfortunately this is a players league. The question you should ask is how the Mavs organisation were incapable of doing what the Lakers (seemingly) and Real Madrid had no problems with. Clearly they failed to hit the right buttons in seven years. That´s their fault. I know that might not be fair, but it´s the truth.

But what´s done is done. Now it´s time for Dumont to f****** execute Nico publically, crawl in front of the fans and ask for forgiveness.

There is no healing until you remove the franchise killer from the arena. 

Pay the best GM money can buy and sell off AD/Klay. I don´t think a single fan will give a f***, if the new GM trades AD, cause....

AD does not have the skills, the charming personality, killer instinct or the physical fitness to EVER overcome being the guy traded for Luka. Every time he misses two free throws, jogs around midcourt and then falls asleep there to cause multiple amateurish turnovers the crowd will just moan and groan. He only instigates the crowd further.

The team will be bad this year. Klay Thompson is so finished it´s not even funny anymore. -36.1 on/off.

Start the Flagg era with Lively and PJ Washington. That´s three players that love Dallas and that the fans will love back.

(10-25-2025, 08:54 AM)vfromlmf Wrote: To be perfectly honest, the only time I’ve been impressed with AD was that first game. He puts up numbers but I never feel like he’s dominating in any way. It’s not like he’s drawing double teams on every possession. Feels like other teams play pretty straight up. AD gets his but it doesn’t lead to winning.