(12-07-2022, 11:08 AM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: Before we give the FO too many passes due to the recent successes, don't forget we functionally traded KP and JB (two near all-stars this year) for SD (6th man) and DB (most expensive bench-warmer ever). Seems our talent evaluation needs to improve.

(12-09-2022, 03:52 AM)F Gump Wrote: This is a very accurate observation about the Mavs ongoing desperate need for EXPERT Evaluation, and it goes hand-in-hand with the need for Expert Negotiation. It's not enough to know the worth to you of Player X or Y, but you also need to be able to excel in the way you navigate the competitive waters whether acquiring or disposing of them.

KP is a good example. He was holding the Mavs back. So the decision to get rid of him was good evaluation.

But their ability to get his value back in return? Not good at all. That accurate evaluation was negated by their negotiating ineptness.

What they got wasn't just a happenstance of opportunity, but rather a failure to know how to win a deal. The fact that they took on 2 bad contracts that the Wiz badly wanted to move AND had to give the best player in the deal AND had to sweeten the deal with a pick, rather than getting a pick and some commensurate talent to make up for all that bad salary, that was getting pantsed -- an outcome that's not anything new for Cuban in doing deals.

The excellence in competitive negotiation is what allows a team to efficiently acquire player assets, and turn them into more assets when they aren't the answer for this team. The Mavs tend to suck at the latter. Some of that is tied into poor evaluation skills beforehand, either in getting the player in the first place or in figuring out what he should be worth on the market, but there's also a lack of skill in playing good old fashioned poker with 29 other front offices. (And Cuban's NBA and Shark Tank go-to tactic of simply paying more than the competition doesn't work in the NBA, where every owner is a billionaire and where league cap rules tend to punish those who lose negotiations.)

(12-09-2022, 07:25 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: Interesting topic on the 77th Heaven Pod this morning.  Cato and his co-host did a draft of "most important" players to the success of the team for the entire season and potentially the playoffs”.  This is based not only on what they've done so far, but for the role you envision them taking as the year progresses.  Here is the order they came up with:

1. Luka (obviously)
2. Dinwiddie (when you only have two guys who can dribble and create...)
3. Maxi (indispensable skill set.  Closes, but also plays with Wood which makes his contribution to the team work)
4. DFS (Good at both the 3 part and the D part plus a little bounce off the dribble.  Best wing defender)
5. Green (almost went 4th.  Has become important with D, 3 and especially ability to get to the rim and score or create)
6. THJ (could have been Wood, The Mav’s style needs a good volume shooter.  Good Tim makes this team good).
7. Wood (great production offensively.  Adds dimensions that we didn't have.  Not a star, but adds a lot) 
8. Powell (Slightly above replacement level big.  Has limitations, but he maxes out what the team tries to do both ends)
9. Bullock  (as bad as he's been, it is important to the Team that he figure it out eventually in order to get his D on the court).
10. Hardy  (Changes the ceiling if things go well.  They think he will get some opportunity before the year is out)
11. Kemba (probably behind Hardy in terms of impact he might have.  They don't have a strong feeling about his contribution)
12. Bertans (if we are going to shoot tons of 3's, then he probably gets minutes here and there)
13. McGee (He can't be this bad and sooner or later they will need him to do something)

Like we do a lot here, this was a bit of a love-fest for the potential of Green and Hardy.  It was also an acknowledgement of the importance of the roles Maxi and DFS play.  Not stars, but valuable contributions that Dallas can't live without.

They think Green has secured at least a 25 minutes a night bench role.  He makes the minutes when one of Luka or Dinwiddie are out more dynamic.  Not a primary ball handler, but who else can touch the paint on a drive and score on their own or make a great pass as the D collapses on him.  The team's pace is up to league average the last five games and they think Josh getting more minutes has been a factor.

(12-09-2022, 01:23 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: Murray is not young.

(12-09-2022, 11:10 AM)mvossman Wrote: He was 25 when he got traded.  I would consider that young.

(12-10-2022, 12:10 PM)Kammrath Wrote: https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1601477283759681536

(12-10-2022, 01:04 PM)ItsGoTime Wrote: And the game was the coach’s fault.

(12-10-2022, 01:12 PM)Kammrath Wrote: It is not mutually exclusive. 

With better coaching the Mavs would have won the game...they were severely outcoached, especially situationally. 

With better free throw shooting the Mavs would have won the game. 

They are BOTH true.

(12-10-2022, 01:12 PM)Kammrath Wrote: It is not mutually exclusive. 

With better coaching the Mavs would have won the game...they were severely outcoached, especially situationally. 

With better free throw shooting the Mavs would have won the game. 

They are BOTH true.

(12-10-2022, 04:05 PM)ItsGoTime Wrote: Yes the coaching was poor during the game (but was good enough to win), but the FT shooting is completely inexcusable

(12-10-2022, 09:38 PM)cow Wrote: Luka can drag a team past terrible coaching but not in conjunction with historically terrible FT shooting.  Players are going to have off nights, probably not to the extreme we saw but there is no excuse for the coaching.  We've seen these terrible inbounds sets time and time again.  It's still amazing that one of the greatest point guards ever is devoid of creativeness on the offensive end.

(12-10-2022, 09:42 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: Kidd´s calling cards as a player were defense and transition. If you want a half court offense mastermind Steve Nash is on the market...

(12-10-2022, 09:38 PM)cow Wrote: Players are going to have off nights, probably not to the extreme we saw

(12-10-2022, 10:00 PM)ItsGoTime Wrote: Nobody has seen it in 25 YEARS!

(12-10-2022, 09:47 PM)cow Wrote: From bad to worse, no thanks.  Bring someone in who will coach Luka and make our offense far less Harden like.

(12-10-2022, 10:20 PM)cow Wrote: Like I said, extreme and rare.  Weird shit happens on the court.  Offensive coaching is bottom of the barrel and inexcusable.

(12-10-2022, 11:16 PM)ItsGoTime Wrote: Change the coach and maybe they win. Make the FTs and they definitely win.