(06-23-2023, 01:58 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: I hate to say it, but the final-week tank turned out to be worth it.

(06-23-2023, 02:10 PM)Jmaciscool Wrote: I feel like I've seen a lot of comments to this effect from national media (especially the Ringer) where they act like Dallas tanking the last few games was some kind of egregious act.  If there's anything about the Mavs tanking to dunk on it's that they (Kidd) were dumb enough to talk about it and get fined, but the actual tanking wasn't something isolated to the Mavs.

But other than that I agree with Hollinger's analysis of their night

(06-23-2023, 02:07 PM)cow Wrote: I wish we could trade THJ for a useful big to assure Hardy gets into the top of the rotation.

(06-23-2023, 02:54 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I don't see THJ's minutes as being overly in Hardy's way. 

Could be wrong, but I think they see Hardy as a ball-handler. Maybe not a future MAIN ball-handler, but not a movement catch and shoot guy like THJ. Kyrie Irving is the guy blocking Hardy, from my POV. And you know that Hardy will get lots of time behind Luka and Kyrie. Both of those dudes will miss some games.

(06-23-2023, 03:45 PM)cow Wrote: Getting rid of THJ would necessitate Hardy taking on those minutes and scoring.

(06-23-2023, 03:48 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: .,,THJ is actually a usable, valuable player. 

(06-23-2023, 02:54 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I don't see THJ's minutes as being overly in Hardy's way. 

Could be wrong, but I think they see Hardy as a ball-handler. Maybe not a future MAIN ball-handler, but not a movement catch and shoot guy like THJ. Kyrie Irving is the guy blocking Hardy, from my POV. And you know that Hardy will get lots of time behind Luka and Kyrie. Both of those dudes will miss some games.

(06-23-2023, 04:18 PM)StrandedOnBeauboisHill Wrote: I think if this is true we would have seen a lot less of McKinley Wright last year.  I always saw that as "Hardy is a scorer and we don't trust him to run the offense".  I would like for them to view him as a ball handler because I think second unit minutes of Hardy/Green backcourt is fun but that is not how I interpreted rotations last year.  

(06-23-2023, 04:27 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Hard disagree (with you, at least, and them, I guess, if you're right about how they view him). I think there's a huge difference between "on-ball scorer" and "someone we can trust to run the offense." I think what pops with Hardy is his uncommonly high number of on-ball counters to defense and ability to get a variety of shots off after creative dribble moves. Sure, he could be an off-ball shooter, too, but that wouldn't excite me in the least. 

Further, what they allow him to do as a rookie and how they envision carving a role out for him within the structure of the team in the immediate to long term future could be drastically different things.

(06-23-2023, 04:37 PM)StrandedOnBeauboisHill Wrote: I think that his role is going to completely depend on who he is on the floor with honestly but...  

There's no reason he can't offer a healthy balance of off ball shooting with the on ball creativity you're talking about.  Putting him in the same sort of action as Hardaway today (flare screens, movement off the ball) would allow him to take his pick, he can catch and shoot or he can catch and attack.  I would argue that having someone playing the role as Hardaway who can do more than simply take contested threes (which is fine, it's his game) would really make our offense much more dangerous.  Hardaway doesn't do any on ball creation not because the offense doesn't ask him to, it's because he can't.

(06-23-2023, 07:08 PM)SkenfromLMF Wrote: My fear is that THJ and/or Bullock have to be moved for less in return salary wise because the Mavs are trying to make room to get Kyrie signed under the TAX/Apron 1...
Exactly the kind of move they took advantage of last night might come back and bite them in the assets.

(06-23-2023, 08:13 PM)F Gump Wrote: I think you are way off on sequence, and potential ramifications.

They will figure out Kyrie 1st. Then they will work with the options that remain. 

They may CHOOSE to trade players, but no reason to be backed into a corner. 

(06-23-2023, 11:07 PM)cow Wrote: If Houston lands Brook Lopez, I wonder if the Bucks would have any interest in McGee.

(06-23-2023, 11:51 PM)Jmaciscool Wrote: Fingers crossed they never watched Mavs games...

(06-23-2023, 10:25 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I'm trying to come up with all these fancy ways of adding to the Bertans deal and we don't really know whether Kyrie is coming back.  So, anything that takes on salary before he signs, removes flexibility should he bolt.

(06-24-2023, 02:35 AM)F Gump Wrote: Although my preferred add-on would be to take Gafford's 3 yr/40M off the WAS books, with McGee sent in return. Maybe the Wiz can add a pick for taking on all that money for them?

(06-24-2023, 08:35 AM)omahen Wrote: I am not really a fan of this for several reasons.
1. Adding another nothing special center on a multiyear deal doesn't make a lot of sense, imho. Only, if Holmes is going somewhere else (I don't think Holmes has any value, or Sacramento wouldn't be paying to get rid of him).
2. Wizards will likely be the hardest tanking team in the league. They don't have any cap issues and have to pay someone. I just don't see them paying anything to get rid of contracts. 

The player I like most on Wizards now is Morris. I think he would be perfect back-up PG, especially when either of Luka or Kyrie doesn't play. I think Mavs still need that third PG - I think Hardy can be great next to Luka or Irving, but will strugle as a single PG. But, Mavs don't have any smaller assets (his value is likely a couple of second rounders, lottery protected first at best).