(05-13-2025, 05:51 PM)Winter Wrote: Nico could stick around, but getting Cooper Flagg was nothing more that a lucky ping-pong ball. It has nothing to do with good GM-ing. This draft shouldn't earn Nico any points. All it does distract the public and gets the monkey off the back of the Front Office for awhile.

Nico could get back in the good graces of the owners with some decent trades, but I can't imagine him ever being in the good graces of fans. That doesn't mean he can't survive in Dallas, but if I were the owners I would really be watching the inter-action of the front office including medical personnel as CF's rookie season unfolds. Nothing as messy as last year should ever happen again... especially with a high profile 1st round pick.

(05-13-2025, 05:31 PM)OBX Maverick Wrote: Agreed, but if Austin Reaves had been included we very well may have made the tourney

(05-13-2025, 04:31 PM)RasheedsBigWhiteSpot Wrote: Sources: Mavericks plan to draft Cooper Flagg, won't trade No. 1 pick

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45130020/sources-mavericks-plan-draft-cooper-flagg-trade-no-1-pick

(05-14-2025, 06:37 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: FWIW, Brian Dameris on his podcast with Followill talked about Flagg being able to play WITH PJ, AD and a center.  In other words, at the two or as a secondary creator or even as your primary ball handler.  Flagg got 20% of Duke's offensive possessions as the PnR ball handler.  Everyone coming out of Duke is a system player and that system often holds down the stats for Duke's best players.  Dameris also pointed out that Flagg was 44% from 3 the last two months of the season.  Dameris thinks there is more to Flagg's offensive game than meets the eye.

The point here is if this proves true, we don't necessarily have to trade for PG help until Kyrie gets back.  Flagg can be part of the solution along with Naji, Williams and presumably Exum (assuming we can work with Kyrie to stay under the second apron).  Even when Kyrie returns, the suggestion was our best lineup might be Lively, AD, PJ, Flagg and Kyrie.  The D would be incredible.  PJ would be relegated to the corner 3 where he's a better shooter and most of the offense would run through Flagg, Kyrie and AD.

(05-14-2025, 06:37 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: FWIW, Brian Dameris on his podcast with Followill talked about Flagg being able to play WITH PJ, AD and a center.  In other words, at the two or as a secondary creator or even as your primary ball handler.  Flagg got 20% of Duke's offensive possessions as the PnR ball handler.  Everyone coming out of Duke is a system player and that system often holds down the stats for Duke's best players.  Dameris also pointed out that Flagg was 44% from 3 the last two months of the season.  Dameris thinks there is more to Flagg's offensive game than meets the eye.

The point here is if this proves true, we don't necessarily have to trade for PG help until Kyrie gets back.  Flagg can be part of the solution along with Naji, Williams and presumably Exum (assuming we can work with Kyrie to stay under the second apron).  Even when Kyrie returns, the suggestion was our best lineup might be Lively, AD, PJ, Flagg and Kyrie.  The D would be incredible.  PJ would be relegated to the corner 3 where he's a better shooter and most of the offense would run through Flagg, Kyrie and AD.

(05-14-2025, 09:04 AM)RoyTarpleysGhost Wrote: I predict that will be a huge failure.  Mavs will be the worst shooting team in the league.

(05-14-2025, 06:37 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: FWIW, Brian Dameris on his podcast with Followill talked about Flagg being able to play WITH PJ, AD and a center.  In other words, at the two or as a secondary creator or even as your primary ball handler.  Flagg got 20% of Duke's offensive possessions as the PnR ball handler.  Everyone coming out of Duke is a system player and that system often holds down the stats for Duke's best players.  Dameris also pointed out that Flagg was 44% from 3 the last two months of the season.  Dameris thinks there is more to Flagg's offensive game than meets the eye.

The point here is if this proves true, we don't necessarily have to trade for PG help until Kyrie gets back.  Flagg can be part of the solution along with Naji, Williams and presumably Exum (assuming we can work with Kyrie to stay under the second apron).  Even when Kyrie returns, the suggestion was our best lineup might be Lively, AD, PJ, Flagg and Kyrie.  The D would be incredible.  PJ would be relegated to the corner 3 where he's a better shooter and most of the offense would run through Flagg, Kyrie and AD.

(05-14-2025, 08:03 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: Really haven’t been interested in Chris  Paul.  Another old guy.  Although since the Flagg win, I am reconsidering.  San Antonio may be drafting another pt guard and pop has retired.  So if you keep the team together, maybe signing Paul as a starter in a 20-24 minute role may be a decent stop gap

(05-14-2025, 06:37 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: FWIW, Brian Dameris on his podcast with Followill talked about Flagg being able to play WITH PJ, AD and a center.  In other words, at the two or as a secondary creator or even as your primary ball handler.  Flagg got 20% of Duke's offensive possessions as the PnR ball handler.  Everyone coming out of Duke is a system player and that system often holds down the stats for Duke's best players.  Dameris also pointed out that Flagg was 44% from 3 the last two months of the season.  Dameris thinks there is more to Flagg's offensive game than meets the eye.

The point here is if this proves true, we don't necessarily have to trade for PG help until Kyrie gets back.  Flagg can be part of the solution along with Naji, Williams and presumably Exum (assuming we can work with Kyrie to stay under the second apron).  Even when Kyrie returns, the suggestion was our best lineup might be Lively, AD, PJ, Flagg and Kyrie.  The D would be incredible.  PJ would be relegated to the corner 3 where he's a better shooter and most of the offense would run through Flagg, Kyrie and AD.

(05-14-2025, 10:23 AM)cow Wrote: Fun fact: CP3 played in every game last year.  No idea how much money he wants, but if the team is serious about competing next year, he isn't the worst option.

(05-14-2025, 11:26 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: 100% agree. 

1) He's a PICK AND ROLL master, even at age 73, or whatever. 

2) He'd INSTANTLY make Gafford/Lively (whichever is left, or both) relevant again on offense. 

3) He's a very real, gettable option that the team can afford who'd go a long way towards keeping the team's head above water until the trade deadline, by which time they should know what they have here, how Flagg fits with the team, what they could potentially be down the stretch with Kyrie at (hopefully) 80-90%, who isn't fitting with Flagg and needs to go, etc. 

I know many will hate this idea - I think they could do much worse.

(05-14-2025, 11:21 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: I actually buy the potential ball-handling part of this point. I was wondering about that almost right away - can Flagg literally step into Luka's shoes, offensively, just (hopefully) not in such a heliocentric way, where the ball moves a lot more?

I do NOT think that combination holds up, defensively, no matter how good the individual defenders involved might be (and I admit, they're all very good). At some point, being too big just means you're too slow. I think Flagg's defense is one of the main points to get excited about with all of this - doesn't mean I think he should be on the perimeter trying to stay in front of Donovan Mitchell, lol. Davis, PJW and Flagg are ALL great defenders, but they're all great low HELP defenders. I suppose there's a high value in creating a lineup that can't be schemed out of low help defense, and that part is cool, but something tells me this lineup of Brian Dameris's wouldn't be effective against many teams. 

Either way, so nice to have something basketball-related to think out/debate around here again!