(05-18-2025, 06:36 AM)Winter Wrote: I don't disagree about your premise, but I should point out that very few teams understood who Luka was on draft night. No one saw him as "generational" then.

For the record, I don't like that term at all, and predicting that is silly in my opinion.

What I would say is that good players in college (especially Duke which is usually heavy with NBA players) or in a European league frequently find more opprtunities to score in the NBA. It's more wide open I think, and I suspect CF can easily be a 20+ ppg player. That said, I think CF's on-court value is probably more than every other prospect in the field - much more than just a ppg thing - and is what makes him the 1st pick.

An interesting comparison mught be someone like Kyrie - who is completely different than CF in regard to size and position - and yet when Kyrie came out he clearly had skills no one else had in the draft. He had advanced metrics everywhere and was the #1 pick. Kyrie scores in the mid 20s ppg as an average almost every year in his NBA career, but his value is clearly much greater than that. CF's value really shines when you add rebounding, defense, and rim protection - something Kyrie was never known for. I do think players like CF are really rare.

(05-17-2025, 12:34 PM)FireNicoHarrison Wrote: However compare Flagg to Luka is not a great idea...

(05-18-2025, 12:59 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Mavs Film Room
(@MavsFilmRoom)
Marc Stein reports that a Mavs source tells him there’s “no chance” they trade the #1 overall pick “not even for Giannis”

(05-18-2025, 01:10 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: I wasn't trying to make the comparison of Flagg v. Luka, but more so Flagg v. NBA execs, and Luka v. NBA execs, trying to draw parallels.

Flagg v. Luka is an unfair conversation. I was all in on Luka from day 1, but he still even exceeded my wildest expectations of him. I mean, who could've thought he'd make 5 1st All-NBA teams in his first 6 years along with as many all-star appearances. Plus they are just different players, with different games, and different expectations. 

Luka's feat has only ever happened 3 other times with it being Bird, Duncan, and Gervin too!

So no, I can't compare Flagg to that because it'd be unfair. That bar is unreasonably high. And I urge everyone to not do that.

Despite that, I am still so high on Flagg. I truly think he could be a big difference maker and become that level of player eventually. IF he could become that right out the gate like Luka, then the Mavs are the luckiest franchise to ever exist.

(05-18-2025, 02:00 PM)Knutsen Wrote: I know it hurts and is unrealistic because of so many reasons, but wouldn’t Luka be the perfect player next to Cooper on offense? 

And if Cooper becomes what he is projected to become - wouldn’t he be the perfect sidekick to Luka as well, as a more well rounded and less athletically freaky Giannis?

(05-18-2025, 01:10 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: I wasn't trying to make the comparison of Flagg v. Luka, but more so Flagg v. NBA execs, and Luka v. NBA execs, trying to draw parallels.

Flagg v. Luka is an unfair conversation. I was all in on Luka from day 1, but he still even exceeded my wildest expectations of him. I mean, who could've thought he'd make 5 1st All-NBA teams in his first 6 years along with as many all-star appearances. Plus they are just different players, with different games, and different expectations. 

Luka's feat has only ever happened 3 other times with it being Bird, Duncan, and Gervin too!

So no, I can't compare Flagg to that because it'd be unfair. That bar is unreasonably high. And I urge everyone to not do that.

Despite that, I am still so high on Flagg. I truly think he could be a big difference maker and become that level of player eventually. IF he could become that right out the gate like Luka, then the Mavs are the luckiest franchise to ever exist.

(05-15-2025, 07:07 AM)david75090 Wrote: In my opinion, if AD thinks he's a PF, and that's his preferred position, then he and CF are redundant. I'm fairly sure that's PJW's preferred position also. AD should be the most tradeable asset that's likely to bring the most in return in a trade. Also, AD fits the Flagg timeline the least. (Fire Nico) and have our next GM follow the Flagg timeline to maximize Flagg. Use AD's contract to bring in younger talent that fit positions of need. That's what this know-it-all amateur GM (me) is seeing.

(05-19-2025, 01:57 PM)Ghost of Podkolzin Wrote: Exactly.  I can see AD getting traded for a starting 2-way SF.

I like something like Franz/Suggs for AD/Klay.  Need to move more for $, but that's the core of it.

Kyrie, Hardy
Suggs, Christie
Franz, Naji, Martin
Flagg, PJ
Lively, Gafford

That's a top 5 roster, easily.  Would need to bolster backup PG.

(05-19-2025, 02:05 PM)BigDirk41 Wrote: There is zero chance and I mean zero chance Orlando even considers that trade. Only Nico would trade those guys for AD. Sign me up, but no chance.

(05-19-2025, 03:23 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: ESPN latest Mock:

Ace Bailey to Philly
Utah takes Fears at 5....with him and two former #1 in back to back years at PG, what does that say about Sexton
Kaspara Jakucionis goes 10th to Houston
Egor Demin goes 11 to Portland
Jase Richardson goes 16th to Orlando
Nolan Traoare goes 2oth to Miami
Walter Clayton goes 29th to PHX

Just some pt guard names in case you had an interest in trying to get a first roun pick.

(05-19-2025, 04:31 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: If I still cared, I´d consider Micic + #29 for Gafford an option, since Micic is a pure team option and Phoenix has no capspace or starting center.

(05-19-2025, 01:57 PM)Ghost of Podkolzin Wrote: Exactly.  I can see AD getting traded for a starting 2-way SF.

I like something like Franz/Suggs for AD/Klay.  Need to move more for $, but that's the core of it.

Kyrie, Hardy
Suggs, Christie
Franz, Naji, Martin
Flagg, PJ
Lively, Gafford

That's a top 5 roster, easily.  Would need to bolster backup PG.