(08-16-2024, 08:27 AM)F Gump Wrote: " I think most of us agree that the Mavs have to do something to get him through the season healthier. " ... I don't. Not in that "we will ensure it happens" way, at least. 

Until Luka himself makes his personal conditioning the priority (and I don't see evidence that he has), it's a fools errand for anyone to think there's an answer available to the Mavs. You can't fix someone - you can only help someone who had seen the need and is personally committed to do what it takes.

Luka will DEMAND to play. A lot. In a screw you sort of mindset. Not wanting to be benched. It's up to him to make and keep a commitment to have his body in optimal physical shape for the rigors of the competition.

(08-16-2024, 09:17 AM)Smitty Wrote: The argument I’m making is that minutes and usage are two different things. The Mavs have to find more ways to get the ball out of Luka’s hands while still being effective. To this point, they’ve never had the personnel to be competitive without Luka initiating nearly every half court possession with high PnR or ISO. I don’t think anyone in the history of the NBA could play 37+ mpg with a usage rate of 37% year after year.

Even Harden, who Luka is compared to often, has a career usage rate of 29%. It’d be one thing of it were for a season, but I think there’s no way he can keep it up and stay healthy for an entire season, let alone a career.

(08-16-2024, 09:17 AM)Smitty Wrote: The argument I’m making is that minutes and usage are two different things. The Mavs have to find more ways to get the ball out of Luka’s hands while still being effective. To this point, they’ve never had the personnel to be competitive without Luka initiating nearly every half court possession with high PnR or ISO. I don’t think anyone in the history of the NBA could play 37+ mpg with a usage rate of 37% year after year.

Even Harden, who Luka is compared to often, has a career usage rate of 29%. It’d be one thing of it were for a season, but I think there’s no way he can keep it up and stay healthy for an entire season, let alone a career.

(08-16-2024, 12:19 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: @GrantAfseth
The Dallas Mavericks will hold training camp in Las Vegas on the UNLV campus from Oct. 1-4 before returning to Dallas on Oct. 5.

(08-16-2024, 12:24 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: The new super rich owners want to show off their new toy to their friends. Not sure how I feel about this just yet. Might be nothing, and a change of scenery could be a good thing. But, it could also be a Jerry Jones type of move.

(08-16-2024, 12:33 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: It could be the new owners making this move but I think more likely the coaching staff saw how a group trip before the season helped the team gel and might thinking a neutral training ground could provide something similar.

What better place than Vegas where the new owners have connections and can provide an area where players are familiar with?

(08-16-2024, 12:32 PM)SleepingHero Wrote:

(08-16-2024, 12:33 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: It could be the new owners making this move but I think more likely the coaching staff saw how a group trip before the season helped the team gel and might thinking a neutral training ground could provide something similar.

What better place than Vegas where the new owners have connections and can provide an area where players are familiar with?

(08-16-2024, 12:33 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: It could be the new owners making this move but I think more likely the coaching staff saw how a group trip before the season helped the team gel and might thinking a neutral training ground could provide something similar.

What better place than Vegas where the new owners have connections and can provide an area where players are familiar with?

(08-16-2024, 02:40 PM)DallasMaverick Wrote: Yeah, Vegas seems like a place without distractions, where some 20-25-year olds can really focus.

(08-17-2024, 04:14 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: @MarcJSpears
Word on the street is the Dallas Mavericks are hiring former Knicks scout Makhtar Ndiaye as director of pro personnel and international scouting. The former Vancouver Grizzlies big man was with the Knicks as a scout for nine years.

(08-16-2024, 08:27 AM)F Gump Wrote: " I think most of us agree that the Mavs have to do something to get him through the season healthier. " ... I don't. Not in that "we will ensure it happens" way, at least. 

Until Luka himself makes his personal conditioning the priority (and I don't see evidence that he has), it's a fools errand for anyone to think there's an answer available to the Mavs. You can't fix someone - you can only help someone who had seen the need and is personally committed to do what it takes.

Luka will DEMAND to play. A lot. In a screw you sort of mindset. Not wanting to be benched. It's up to him to make and keep a commitment to have his body in optimal physical shape for the rigors of the competition.

(08-19-2024, 09:52 AM)Ghost of Podkolzin Wrote: There have been many superstars who struggled with their conditioning.  Moses Malone.  Barkley.  Shaq.  You can't simply say it's up to Luka and the team can't do anything about it.  Luka's never going to be Giannis, but you have to manage his minutes.  I think having Din will help.  I also think Luka needs to play off the ball more when Kyrie is on the court.  The level of energy he gives on offense with the enormous usage just isn't sustainable as he gets older.

Luka is at the point in his career that championships are the only goal.

(08-19-2024, 11:24 AM)F Gump Wrote: Your examples don't really support your point.

If the standard is Malone, Barkley, Shaq, those players played similar and even MORE minutes/mpg than Luka is playing, year after year. And they were all beasts, playing a VERY physical game that was way more brutal than today's version.

It's on Luka to perceive if he thinks he has a need, and then condition himself to go to war. If he doesn't, he doesn't -- but you aren't going to get him to sit, when the previous and current all-time greats didn't sit. They expect to play a lot.

If Luka wants to be in better condition, the Mavs can't do it for him. Putting him in bubble wrap won't fix the issue either. It's his career, his legacy, his shot at titles, and how he pursues it (or doesn't) will be up to him.

(08-19-2024, 11:24 AM)F Gump Wrote: Your examples don't really support your point.

If the standard is Malone, Barkley, Shaq, those players played similar and even MORE minutes/mpg than Luka is playing, year after year. And they were all beasts, playing a VERY physical game that was way more brutal than today's version.

It's on Luka to perceive if he thinks he has a need, and then condition himself to go to war. If he doesn't, he doesn't -- but you aren't going to get him to sit, when the previous and current all-time greats didn't sit. They expect to play a lot.

If Luka wants to be in better condition, the Mavs can't do it for him. Putting him in bubble wrap won't fix the issue either. It's his career, his legacy, his shot at titles, and how he pursues it (or doesn't) will be up to him.