(04-12-2021, 08:22 AM)StepBackJay Wrote: .

Starters would be: Luka, Demar, DFS, Maxi, KP
Key reserves: Brunson, J Rich (or replacement) and small MLE.

(04-11-2021, 06:39 PM)StepBackJay Wrote: I am not sure what you would base the 18 mil number on? Bogdan got 18 for pretty pedestrian numbers (having trouble finding more 2020 guard comps). DeRozan is 20/7/4 at almost 50% FG% and 7 FTA!! per game at 88%. The knocks on him are of course his 3% and defense but he is a very good player.

(04-12-2021, 08:59 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: The issue with that is you have no one to guard the point of attack.  Defensively, San Antonio uses DeRozan very much the same as we use Luka.  They hide him on stretch bigs and stationary shooters.  He spends much more time on PF’s and SF’s than he does on SG’s and especially PG’s.  

I think he is a reasonable target in free agency (I like how they put it on the podcast “after Dallas misses out on their primary target”).  He qualifies as a third star, but, he does create defensive issues.  If you are what you defend, then an 8 man rotation with DD would be two centers, Maxi/DFS/DD covering the SF/PF minutes with some help from a larger 9th man type and Luka/Brunson and someone covering the PG/SG minutes.  That “someone” has to defend the point of attack and probably has to start.

(04-12-2021, 07:25 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: And my response would be “so...”

They aren’t going to S/W him and his salary makes him untradeable for at least another year.  But, that doesn’t make him a “3rd string center”.  Also, if KP is playing big minutes, there isn’t a “serious contributor in extensive minutes” role to be had.  

Bottom line, we can complain about Powell’s salary, but it isn’t going to change anything.  Or, we can realize he’s become quite productive in the limited role he has and move on.  Unless someone has a magic wand I don’t know about, I don’t see the benefit of using the words “trade Powell” together in a sentence as the least bit helpful to off-season strategy discussions.  Very little of that was directed at you BTW.

(04-12-2021, 10:24 AM)Jason Terry Wrote: but how would he fit when he must have the ball in his hands to contribute?

(04-12-2021, 09:49 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: If he's become quite productive, why does his salary make him untradeable? I agree with you that Powell has certainly improved order of magnitudes since the season has started, but I'm getting mixed messages here. 

Either Powell has improved to the point where he can play serious rotational minutes on a playoff team which means he's an asset where his salary isn't a ballast, or he's still underwhelming to the point where he shouldn't be given minutes ergo he's untradeable at his salary point. 

I only say that because untradeable is colloquially used for a type of player that's fallen so far that no team in the NBA would ever want them unless they had their own untradeable guy. Not trying to throw semantics everywhere but if we're talking about Powell as an asset we need to be clear on what we truly think he is.

(04-12-2021, 10:24 AM)Jason Terry Wrote:  
Derozan obviously can do two things well(distribute and attack). Maybe someone can explain how it would work, but how would he fit when he must have the ball in his hands to contribute? There’s only one basketball. How do both Luka and Derozan have the ball in their hands?

We’re already a playoff team. Why would we take the ball out of Luka’s hands at all in the 4Q of a playoff game?  

(04-12-2021, 10:46 AM)cow Wrote: I think recent history has taught us that no contract is improvable.  Powell's production and contract to make him a positive asset and I think the Mavs value his leadership too much to pay to get rid of him.  

I don't hate or love the Derozan idea.    He'll be 32 to start the next season.  I don't think you lure him into a sixth man role, but if you gave him a 4-year contract, maybe he starts for you for a few years before transitioning into a super sixth man.  I just not sure his fit next to Luka on either end of the floor and his numbers are bound to take a dip playing with someone so ball dominant, especially in the assist category.  

The Derozan/Conley/CP3 ideas feel more like a win now move and I just don't think the roster is constructed this way, yet.

(04-12-2021, 11:15 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: If you watch closely, Dallas has been putting the ball in the hands of JRich and Brunson much more to initiate plays.  Often that ends up in a Luka post up, but not always.  They have other plays they run out of that action.  They absolutely have to take the ball out of Luka's hands some or we will forever be capped as the James Harden Rockets.  It is just too easy to game plan one guy at the end of games.  If you have other guys who can create (like DeRozan and Brunson) in late game situations, doubling Luka will get you killed.  Right now we don't have a great counter.

DeRozan has the same limitation playing next to Murray.  But, he doesn't appear to negatively impact the offense.  The SAS O is 7 points better when DeRozan is on the floor than when he isn't (82games.com).  The O-Rating is is 122 (it is 110 at all times) and was 118 last season.  If DeRozan and Murray can figure it out with all of DeRozan's flaws, then I imagine DeRozan and Luka can also.  I think the ball movement would be fantastic and we would be a nightmare match-up for defenses.  Frankly, I'm much more concerned about how we guard people than I am scoring.

(04-12-2021, 11:15 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: If you watch closely, Dallas has been putting the ball in the hands of JRich and Brunson much more to initiate plays.  Often that ends up in a Luka post up, but not always.  They have other plays they run out of that action.  They absolutely have to take the ball out of Luka's hands some or we will forever be capped as the James Harden Rockets.  It is just too easy to game plan one guy at the end of games.  If you have other guys who can create (like DeRozan and Brunson) in late game situations, doubling Luka will get you killed.  Right now we don't have a great counter.

(04-12-2021, 11:35 AM)Jason Terry Wrote: And you hit the nail on the head in regard to Brunson and JRich. Both have been more involved and could solve our problem for us. Brunson has been dishing out of the attack more.

(04-12-2021, 11:53 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: My current opinion is that the easiest and best way to make this "secondary creator" a reality is Brunson. I think he has room to improve still, and maybe a lot. 

He's already here, fits the culture, understands that it's Luka's team, and most importantly, he fits the team's timeline.

(04-12-2021, 11:48 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: Well said, and I 100% agree with every word here. 

However, I can't help but feel like the catch and shoot game (not at a Redick level, but hopefully better than DeRozan's) is a necessary component of this hypothetical added creator. Otherwise, you'll be making a new problem to solve the one you have now. Yes, on-ball Luka needs to be lessened some, for a variety of reasons, but I can't envision any scenario (that improves the team) in which it's not still the most often used approach.

I think a guy with DeRozan's game could help, but imho, not him, specifically, due to age, cost and his deserved feeling that he's an All-Star level player who should start and have the ball in his hands a LOT. I mean, if he wants to come here and play 25 minutes per, maybe even off the bench, AWESOME! But, I think he probably has his eyes on a role similar to Luka's, only on a team that doesn't have a Luka. Just my opinion, tho.

• CP3 - likely stays put
  
• Lowry - Likely Miami to compete for a championship again
  
• Conley - likely stays put
  
• Lonzo - will attract a lot of attention from NYK especially, could also stay or be in a S&T somewhere.
  
• Dinwiddie - no idea but prob on the Mavs list somewhere
  
• Fournier - Celtics will try to keep
  
• Kemba - not a FA but good chance he is dumped somewhere
  
• THJ - candidate to stay but teams always want shooters so he will have a market
  
• THT - likely stays put
  
• J Rich - could stay or go any number of places, will have a market
  
• Oladipo - no idea but starting to think some short deal in NYK as they have be doing that a lot recently
  
• Duncan Robinson - likely stays
  
• Normal Powell - will definitely be on Mavs shopping list but Blazers would be the favorite to keep him
  
• Derozan - Will likely want to go to a playoff team. NYK now qualfies as a "winning" team and with their ample cap space and history of missing out on top free agents they might be the most likely threat.
  

(04-12-2021, 11:53 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: My current opinion is that the easiest and best way to make this "secondary creator" a reality is Brunson. I think he has room to improve still, and maybe a lot. 

He's already here, fits the culture, understands that it's Luka's team, and most importantly, he fits the team's timeline.

(04-11-2021, 09:33 PM)StepBackJay Wrote: THJ 2 points, DR 33 and the game winner. I rest my case. Donnie make it happen please.

(04-12-2021, 12:40 PM)mvossman Wrote: While we are going with one game samples, DR was also a net -5 for the game.  It's a useless stat for a single game sample, but it's a microcosm of his career. 

(04-12-2021, 12:40 PM)mvossman Wrote: DR was also a net -5 for the game. It's a useless stat for a single game sample, but it's a microcosm of his career.