(07-15-2024, 03:58 PM)RoyTarpleysGhost Wrote: Yea, I don't think PJ is quick enough to guard those type of guys.

And we'll see on Klay.  I don't see it as a motivational issue.  He's old and had multiple major surgeries.  He's similar to Luka...lacking lateral quickness to keep up with guards.  Him playing "forward" is a good thing except Luka is also a "forward" on defense.

Should be a fun season.  Offense should be better.  I still see a scenario where that trio does not work together in the closing lineup and someone has to swallow their pride.

(07-15-2024, 12:08 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: After our showing after trading for PJ and Gafford, both in the end of the regular season and in the playoffs, if we won less than 55 games, I'd be checking the season boxscore for extremely lengthy health absences for our top players. Short of that, 50 wins would be quite unacceptable, or at least gravely disappointing.

(07-15-2024, 05:51 PM)F Gump Wrote: You're right.

Cuban did such a spectacular job of wrecking a top team, the talent base that Nellie built, with no clue on how to really create another, that we've forgotten what one of those talented squads with a superstar is supposed to look like. It's so hard to get a superstar and then surround him with the players to get really good, which underscores how stupid to fritter away talent that's hard to obtain.

Dirk's teams won 53 in Dirk's 3rd year, and for another decade they won at least 50, with 3 seasons in the 60's. Only winning 50 was a BAD season. For those 11 seasons, they averaged 56.4 wins a year. Really good teams WILL win games by the bucketloads.

If this team is what we think they may be, 50 will be a BAD season. In Luka's 3rd year the Mavs won 52 but Cuban blundered away a key talent (Brunson) and set them back for a bit (shades of Steve Nash!). Yet if Luka is the talent we think, and the surrounding cast is as improved now as it has seemed, the win numbers should be above 55 as you say, and maybe even threatening 60.

(07-15-2024, 06:02 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Yeah, but you don´t play by yourself. When literally 12 of 15 teams are projected to be over 0.500 and the worst team in your division is projected at 34.5, it kind of eats into your bottom line.

(07-15-2024, 06:19 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: The western conference and especially the SW division was a just as strong (statistically even stronger) as it is today. When the Mavs won in 2011 the entire division had a winning record. Same in 14/15 (most wins all time by a division, 4x 50+ win teams).

I think the main difference between the teams of the 00s and 10s and todays Mavs is durability. Doncic is playing 65-70 games per season. Dirk's lowest prime number is 73 (in 10/11). Kyrie is playing even less games.
OKC had the best record last season because they suffered no relevant injuries. Healthy Wolves and Nuggets would have finished in front of them. Healthy post deadline Mavs as well.

And I don't think that the Mavs should change their approach. If the situation allows it they should load manage even more. 55 or 50 games in the regular season are nice to have but it is more important to have the best possible version of the team (Luka+Kyrie) in the playoffs.

(07-15-2024, 06:32 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: It has always been 5-8 teams under 0.500 in the West, since 2003. Last year was the first time it was only four, this season the projection is three.So this is unprecedented. Agreed with the rest.

(07-15-2024, 03:03 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: I don't see why PJ can't take that assumed role in guarding the Fox's and Morants of the NBA. Will he be as effective as DJJ? Probably not, but he is no slouch. He's still super athletic and can move his feet well. He only has to do it in 4-5 minute stretches opening the game and most likely closing.

(07-15-2024, 09:55 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: Nico

Q: You said re-signing Derrick Jones Jr. was priority 1A and 1B for this offseason. Why didn’t that happen and how much did his change of representation have to do with that?
HARRISON: “Honestly, it’s a better question for him to answer. I mean, I don’t know. I guess he liked LA better than Dallas.”
Related:Ex-Mavericks F Derrick Jones Jr. agrees to three-year deal with Clippers, reports say
Q: Were you surprised at his decision?
HARRISON: “Yeah. But honestly, we have Naji and I’m excited about Naji. I did say [Jones] was 1A and 1B, and that’s how we approached it. That’s how we approached him for the whole year, in terms of how we approached him with respect and the love that we showed him and also the play that he had with our guys. He deserved it too, but he made his own choice. And we have Naji. We’re excited about Naji.”

(07-15-2024, 05:51 PM)F Gump Wrote:  
If this team is what we think they may be, 50 will be a BAD season. In Luka's 3rd year the Mavs won 52 but Cuban blundered away a key talent (Brunson) and set them back for a bit (shades of Steve Nash!). Yet if Luka is the talent we think, and the surrounding cast is as improved now as it has seemed, the win numbers should be above 55 as you say, and maybe even threatening 60.

(07-15-2024, 05:51 PM)F Gump Wrote:  In Luka's 3rd year the Mavs won 52 but Cuban blundered away a key talent (Brunson) and set them back for a bit (shades of Steve Nash!). Yet if Luka is the talent we think, and the surrounding cast is as improved now as it has seemed, the win numbers should be above 55 as you say, and maybe even threatening 60.

(07-15-2024, 09:55 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: Nico

Q: You said re-signing Derrick Jones Jr. was priority 1A and 1B for this offseason. Why didn’t that happen and how much did his change of representation have to do with that?
HARRISON: “Honestly, it’s a better question for him to answer. I mean, I don’t know. I guess he liked LA better than Dallas.”
Related:Ex-Mavericks F Derrick Jones Jr. agrees to three-year deal with Clippers, reports say
Q: Were you surprised at his decision?
HARRISON: “Yeah. But honestly, we have Naji and I’m excited about Naji. I did say [Jones] was 1A and 1B, and that’s how we approached it. That’s how we approached him for the whole year, in terms of how we approached him with respect and the love that we showed him and also the play that he had with our guys. He deserved it too, but he made his own choice. And we have Naji. We’re excited about Naji.”

(07-15-2024, 02:38 PM)RoyTarpleysGhost Wrote: Kyrie is gonna have to guard the Ja Morants and DeAaron Foxs with this starting lineup.  Luka and Klay have no shot staying in front of quick guards. Will be interesting if it's just for the first 5-6 minutes.  Also how much of a hit does his offense take exerting much more energy on defense?

(07-15-2024, 11:17 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: That basically screams to me that the Mavs were blindsided by DJJ not playing ball and he wanted way more money than what the Mavs were offering.

Mavs pivoted quickly, which took the wind out from DJJ's sails (pun intended here cause of the Clippers), and he lost all of his negotiating leverage. He panicked and took a slightly bigger deal from LAC, which at the end of the day should be less guaranteed money after taxes than what he would've gotten had he just stayed with the Mavs.

(07-16-2024, 06:19 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: I buy that Nico and the Mavs prioritzed bringing back DJJ.  I don't think there was any 3D chess there.  The agent change must have put a wrench in the hole thing.  Either the agent got into his head that there was more money out there or something turned DJJ off during the process before switching agents. 

Switching agents and then signing the 3 for 27 million or 3 for 30 million deal doesn't add up.  Maybe the agent got in his head that there was meat on the bone with the Mavs offer and he would get 2 or so million extra per year.    Maybe when this happened, Dallas changed gears quickly when Jones backed away from the earlier agreement.  This probably caught the agent off guard that he could use other teams as leverage against the Mavs.  As it turned out, only one team used the full MLE.  That was Golden State and for only one guaranteed year. 

Either way, playing in LA is not bad.  Although not for a very good team and one who will have a lot of changes the next couple of years.  He left a great situation for him too.  Either way, coming to Dallas really helped him.  If he continues to play well, he could very well finish his career near 100 million in earnings.  Not bad for a guy who had to accept a minimum last offseason.

(07-16-2024, 12:45 AM)audiosway Wrote: Don't listen to all of these fool talking heads. Klay has fallen off that much. People keep saying that he fell off a cliff. That's because he chose Dallas over LA. He's still an 80 out of 100 on defense. It's just that he was a 95 out of 100 in his prime. He can still defend very well. I only consider DJJ about an 85 on defense by comparison. 

Last year Klay was running guys like that into help defense. He never could stay in front of guys that were that fast. But, he can still slide them into help as well as block from the back side with his length.