Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[audiosway]

Pre-trade I would watch the games, even on replay, just to see Luka's magic. Since the trade, I'm trying to look beyond the hoopla and apply some logic to whether this trade ends up good or bad for DAL.

Last night, against UTA, Luka played 23 minutes, went 6/13 (3/8) and 1-5 FTs for a team worst -19 on/off. I know he's probably still sanding the rust off, but this performance is similar to what we have debated for years on this board.

He made an AMAZING behind-the-back pass for a LAL 3pt assist. Also argued a no-call that gave UTA a free layup. So there are all-time highlights and embarrassing low lights. Sound familiar?

I guess he can use the free time during the ASB to get back in game shape. Laker culture has it's work cut out in changing his natural inclinations.

FWIW, I like the fight our smurfs are showing without any size currently available due to injuries. Truly position-less basketball.

Agreed. He looks really out of shape right now. He honestly looks like he's having trouble moving. It's really weird. Then, the complaining to the ref kicked in letting the Jazz run the floor. ugh. As much as I love the guy that's one that always got me. Well, that and missing free throws. How do you miss free throws when you are a great shooter?

[LukaMVP]

he also had 5 turnovers and 5 fouls, both of which were highest of the game, and he achieved all these in just 23 minutes.

[DallasMaverick]

Pre-trade I would watch the games, even on replay, just to see Luka's magic. Since the trade, I'm trying to look beyond the hoopla and apply some logic to whether this trade ends up good or bad for DAL.

Last night, against UTA, Luka played 23 minutes, went 6/13 (3/8) and 1-5 FTs for a team worst -19 on/off. I know he's probably still sanding the rust off, but this performance is similar to what we have debated for years on this board.

He made an AMAZING behind-the-back pass for a LAL 3pt assist. Also argued a no-call that gave UTA a free layup. So there are all-time highlights and embarrassing low lights. Sound familiar?

I guess he can use the free time during the ASB to get back in game shape. Laker culture has it's work cut out in changing his natural inclinations.

FWIW, I like the fight our smurfs are showing without any size currently available due to injuries. Truly position-less basketball.

I'll probably watch the Luka box scores and highlights for a long time.  He's just an entertaining player who can do amazing things.

But I'm not looking for ammo to "prove" that the Mavs "won" or "lost" the trade.  It's a meaningless exercise.  

We can't go back in time and undo anything.  The players that were formerly on the team don't really matter anymore.

What matters, going forward, is the current team.  And potential future players.

[F Gump]

1  I guess he can use the free time during the ASB to get back in game shape. Laker culture has it's work cut out in changing his natural inclinations.

2  FWIW, I like the fight our smurfs are showing without any size currently available due to injuries. Truly position-less basketball.

I would not have done the Luka trade. I think you keep the guy who has all the skills but won't work on conditioning etc, but who can take you to a high level as is, and hope at some point he will hunger for a title and make the sacrifices needed. And if forced to do it, I would have said no to the paltry return, and demanded what's fair for a mega-star. And then a bit more.

That having been said, since we are where we are, I'm willing to be real ....

1 Yes Luka now has time to work on conditioning. But will he? 

I have been thinking about all the discussions about Luka, and his conditioning off the court and his working on his game skills (especially such as shooting FTs and other shots at a better rate) off the court. None of that seems to have been a part of his life, has it? That's led me to wonder if his conditioning plan is "play NBA and other games, and work yourself into shape from the games" and his shooting-improvement plan "play NBA and other games, and use the games to try to practice making shots."

So if my theory is right, does he come back from a 7-day break as an improved Luka, or does he take a relaxing vacay and come back the same or even worse off, with no games to make him sweat or "practice" shots?

2 I agree that the scrappy team the Mavs have now is unexpected fun. Their competitiveness is impressive. Since the trade they are 3-2, and the 2 losses were squeakers (1 pt, 2 pts). It does make me wonder how good they might be able to be if they get to full strength and have better players who are also scrappy added to the mix.

[F Gump]

Well, that and missing free throws. How do you miss free throws when you are a great shooter?

Is he a great shooter? Over his career he's been under 35% on 3s, under 75% on FTs, and there's been no indication that's going to change where he's great at making shots. That was one of my big disappointments with him - every year there's been hope that he would do what it takes to bring his numbers up and become a knockdown shooter, but improvement is always minimal at best. Imagine what a difference it would make if he made a high percentage rather than a mediocre one. This year his shooting percentages have actually gone down, not up.

[mvossman]

Is he a great shooter? Over his career he's been under 35% on 3s, under 75% on FTs, and there's been no indication that's going to change where he's great at making shots. That was one of my big disappointments with him - every year there's been hope that he would do what it takes to bring his numbers up and become a knockdown shooter, but improvement is always minimal at best. Imagine what a difference it would make if he made a high percentage rather than a mediocre one. This year his shooting percentages have actually gone down, not up.

He is at least a very good shooter.  Got to take into account the volume and level of difficulty.  Most of his 3s are self created pull ups as opposed to having somebody spoon feed him.  Can't compare his percentage to guys that stand in the corner.

I would also say that he showed significant shooting improvement last season.  He shot 38% from three and over 78% from the line, but it was a disappointing start to this season before he got hurt.

[mavsmagic]

I think people are underestimating the toll having your whole life unexpectedly flipped upside down takes. Add to that he’s coming off an injury and learning how to gel/play with a brand new team, it’s pretty understandable that he’d be off to a slow start. Even though the consensus here seems to be that the trade was bad, feels like people are nitpicking or looking for ways to downplay Luka’s skill and talent

[KillerLeft]

I think people are underestimating the toll having your whole life unexpectedly flipped upside down takes. Add to that he’s coming off an injury and learning how to gel/play with a brand new team, it’s pretty understandable that he’d be off to a slow start. Even though the consensus here seems to be that the trade was bad, feels like people are nitpicking or looking for ways to downplay Luka’s skill and talent

Are you sure they're "looking for ways?" Maybe some are as a means of coping, sure, that's fair, but you actually don't have to "look" very hard, and we've been having these same discussions about Luka for the past 2-3 years at least, which I think proves those opinions existed prior to the trade. I know mine did. 

Hoping and believing he'd get the conditioning and the ref thing figured out is one thing, but denying that those issues exist or brushing them off as "nitpicks" is another. For me, those are HUGE issues that were beating me down and starting to make following the Mavs less fun over time. Now, I didn't predict or want THIS as a solution, but I also didn't like the direction Luka or his game were heading. It was and still is a complicated situation for me. I love Luka, love the Mavs, but was finding his act harder and harder to stomach. 

Either way, you can't expect everyone just to talk nonstop about how great Luka is, especially not now. He's not even a Maverick anymore.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

 Even though the consensus here seems to be that the trade was bad, feels like people are nitpicking or looking for ways to downplay Luka’s skill and talent

Not a single person in the world is downplaying his skills and talent.  

We expect a professional athlete to not be 25lbs overweight during the season.  He must be on an IV drip of Cheetos and Heineken to get that fat that quick multiple times a season. Even if he misses a week with an injury, he comes back fat. It's impressive really. Last night was worse than he has looked at any point in his career.

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

For some, the appeal of the draft is the excitement that goes with having a chance to get a player that could be with the franchise for a long time. Dirk was that, Luka was that, and at some level, Devin Harris, Josh Howard and at some point RodyB was that. Fans love them because it felt like these players were home town kids, even though they aren't.

The Luka trade cuts deep partially because it's like setting your kid up for adoption. For some, this is like kidnapping.

Now... I hope the Mavs get lucky with the pick they have, if they get someone with Tyrese Maxey type of talent, then I'm pretty optimistic the old flame of being a Mavs fan will be ignited once again. Luka won't be forgotten, specially if he is winning rings and MVPs in LA, but the sting of it would be lessened a bit with someone new they can root for.

[F Gump]

He is at least a very good shooter.  Got to take into account the volume and level of difficulty.  Most of his 3s are self created pull ups as opposed to having somebody spoon feed him.  Can't compare his percentage to guys that stand in the corner.

I would also say that he showed significant shooting improvement last season.  He shot 38% from three and over 78% from the line, but it was a disappointing start to this season before he got hurt.

Respectfully, no.

The minimal rise one season and fall the next, and all in a meh range, does not bump him up the ladder. As for the level of difficulty, that lack of good shot selection is entirely on him - he chooses step-back 3's (harder to make, but easy to settle for) and logo 3's and the like when he feels like it

[mavsmagic]

Not a single person in the world is downplaying his skills and talent.  

We expect a professional athlete to not be 25lbs overweight during the season.  He must be on an IV drip of Cheetos and Heineken to get that fat that quick multiple times a season.  Even if he misses a week with an injury, he comes back fat.  It's impressive really.  Last night was worse than he has looked at any point in his career.

Well you certainly seem to time after time. 

You keep saying how bad he looks and calling him a fatass, but conveniently ignore everything that he’s dealing with at the moment. And yeah the conditioning was & is an issue, but show me a superstar without any flaws. And despite those flaws, you can never accuse him of not delivering and working hard. He played through multiple injuries and took the team to the playoffs when they were the underdogs in each matchup series. 

Disappointing how quick some are to turn on him, although I guess even before the trade that was happening so guess I shouldn’t be so surprised.

[mavsmagic]

Are you sure they're "looking for ways?" Maybe some are as a means of coping, sure, that's fair, but you actually don't have to "look" very hard, and we've been having these same discussions about Luka for the past 2-3 years at least, which I think proves those opinions existed prior to the trade. I know mine did. 

Hoping and believing he'd get the conditioning and the ref thing figured out is one thing, but denying that those issues exist or brushing them off as "nitpicks" is another. For me, those are HUGE issues that were beating me down and starting to make following the Mavs less fun over time. Now, I didn't predict or want THIS as a solution, but I also didn't like the direction Luka or his game were heading. It was and still is a complicated situation for me. I love Luka, love the Mavs, but was finding his act harder and harder to stomach. 

Either way, you can't expect everyone just to talk nonstop about how great Luka is, especially not now. He's not even a Maverick anymore.

They are absolutely nitpicks in my opinion. It’s not like he’s 30 and still has these issues. The kid is 25 for crying out loud. There’s still plenty of time for him to grow and learn.

Just because he’s no longer a Maverick doesn’t mean we have to trash him. No one is saying he’s perfect, but sure feels like a lot are following in the footsteps of Nico and the FO

[KillerLeft]

Well you certainly seem to time after time. 

You keep saying how bad he looks and calling him a fatass, but conveniently ignore everything that he’s dealing with at the moment. And yeah the conditioning was & is an issue, but show me a superstar without any flaws. And despite those flaws, you can never accuse him of not delivering and working hard. He played through multiple injuries and took the team to the playoffs when they were the underdogs in each matchup series. 

Disappointing how quick some are to turn on him, although I guess even before the trade that was happening so guess I shouldn’t be so surprised.

Yes, he is dealing with a lot at the moment, but he is always dealing with a lot, and a higher and higher percentage of what he’s dealing with seems to be self-inflicted as we move through his career.

Yes, all players have flaws, even superstars, but very few of them have the flaw of not understanding what a professional athlete is supposed to do during the off-season to keep his body in shape. Embiid and Jokić come to mind, as does Shaq, but the vast majority of players who don’t understand this never become superstars in the first place. I could make an argument that Hedo Türkoğlu could’ve been a star for a long time had he not had habits similar to Luka’s. Are we sure Luka’s next few years are gonna go the way you think? I hope they do because I am a fan of his, but I also understand someone thinking they might not. In the worst case scenario I could see his career simply fizzling out, much like Hedo’s. 

Actually, I can and will accuse Luka of not delivering, because for two or three off-seasons in a row he has not delivered himself ready to play when training camp starts. This has had a noticeable effect on how he has started seasons, and lately it has affected how he has ended seasons. I do not care about the numbers he put up in the playoffs last season - he was BAD. And Maverick fans are more aware of that than anyone, because he didn’t look like himself. He was hurt, yes, and full respect to him for playing through it, but these accumulating injuries seem more effect than cause to me.

The thing you are not mentioning is the ridiculous way he interacts with the referees, even when his team needs him to play through what he perceives to be an unfriendly whistle. At best, it is shockingly immature, and at worst it’s indicative of an entitled, selfish asshole. We have danced around that around here for far too long. To this point, Luka has just not been a very good leader or role model for his team, which is a problem when you’re building around him. In fact, while it is only my opinion, I would go so far as to say he’s not very likable.

And again, no one has really turned on him. The same people who were saying this stuff before the trade are still saying it now, that’s all. I do not understand why it is bothering you so much. We are here to offer our differing opinions on these topics. It is the entire reason this community exists, for discussion.

[LukaMVP]

luka has his flaws of course but still trading him away was a crime and only Nico and fuck know the whole logic behind it. defense wins championships but when the words come out of nico's anus they sound more like a stinky pretext tbh.

[KillerLeft]

They are absolutely nitpicks in my opinion. It’s not like he’s 30 and still has these issues. The kid is 25 for crying out loud. There’s still plenty of time for him to grow and learn.

Just because he’s no longer a Maverick doesn’t mean we have to trash him. No one is saying he’s perfect, but sure feels like a lot are following in the footsteps of Nico and the FO

We’ve been saying these things since he was 20. How long do you expect it to take? Would he have figured it out before or after playing off his next $345 million contract?

No, no one has to trash him, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna walk on eggshells about him anymore, (which many of us have felt obliged to do for years), seeing as he isn’t even on the team now. These are legit complaints, imho.

[KillerLeft]

And for the record, count me among those who will not be shocked if he finds a second wind in Los Angeles, due to the fuel this wake up call could potentially give him, combined with being exposed to LeBron James for a couple of years, as he is the apex predator of taking care of his body.

But even if that happens, I’m not sure that will mean that it would have happened here.

Someone said something the other day about how getting embarrassed in the finals and losing badly did not motivate him to make a change this summer, and I think that is the bottom line. Not sure what it would have taken, but it was getting tiresome waiting to find out.

[mvossman]

Respectfully, no.

The minimal rise one season and fall the next, and all in a meh range, does not bump him up the ladder. As for the level of difficulty, that lack of good shot selection is entirely on him - he chooses step-back 3's (harder to make, but easy to settle for) and logo 3's and the like when he feels like it

I would argue its a career trend.  First two seasons were low 30s, next three seasons were mid 30s and last season was upper 30s.  Maybe the last season was an outlier, but not sure the small sample from this season is enough to come to that conclusion.

I'm not saying Luka has the best shot selection but he is heavily depended on for shot creation and some of those shots help to open up the rest of his game.  Regardless, I don't think its accurate to compare percentages of a guy who takes a high volume and creates their own shot and a guy who takes a small volume of wide open looks.

[mavsmagic]

Yes, he is dealing with a lot at the moment, but he is always dealing with a lot, and a higher and higher percentage of what he’s dealing with seems to be self-inflicted as we move through his career.

Yes, all players have flaws, even superstars, but very few of them have the flaw of not understanding what a professional athlete is supposed to do during the off-season to keep his body in shape. Embiid and Jokić come to mind, as does Shaq, but the vast majority of players who don’t understand this never become superstars in the first place. I could make an argument that Hedo Türkoğlu could’ve been a star for a long time had he not had habits similar to Luka’s. Are we sure Luca’s next few years are gonna go the way you think? I hope they do because I am a fan of his, but I also understand someone thinking they might not. In the worst case scenario I could see his career simply fizzling out, much like Hedo’s. 

Actually, I can and will accuse Luka of not delivering, because for two or three off-seasons in a row he has not delivered himself ready to play when training camp starts. This has had a noticeable effect on how he has started seasons, and lately it has affected how he has ended seasons. I do not care about the numbers he put up in the playoffs last season - he was BAD. And Maverick fans are more aware of that than anyone, because he didn’t look like himself. He was hurt, yes, and full respect to him for playing through it, but these accumulating injuries seem more effect than cause to me.

The thing you are not mentioning is the ridiculous way he interacts with the referees, even when his team needs him to play through what he perceives to be an unfriendly whistle. At best, it is shockingly immature, and at worst it’s indicative of an entitled, selfish asshole. We have danced around that around here for far too long. To this point, Luka has just not been a very good leader or role model for his team, which is a problem when you’re building around him. In fact, while it is only my opinion, I would go so far as to say he’s not very likable.

And again, no one has really turned on him. The same people who were saying this stuff before the trade are still saying it now, that’s all. I do not understand why it is bothering you so much. We are here to offer our differing opinions on these topics. It is the entire reason this community exists, for discussion.

For you to say he was bad in the playoffs tells me all I need to know. He was bad on defense against the Celtics, but he was one of the only players who was doing anything on offensive end. He also played outstandingly against the timberwolves

It won’t be until when the Mavs struggle to find and get another generational talent that you’ll see just how nitpicky you and others are being about a 25 year old superstar.

Done with you and done with this largely negative board.

[KillerLeft]

For you to say he was bad in the playoffs tells me all I need to know. He was bad on defense against the Celtics, but he was one of the only players who was doing anything on offensive end. He also played outstandingly against the timberwolves

It won’t be until when the Mavs struggle to find and get another generational talent that you’ll see just how nitpicky you and others are being about a 25 year old superstar.

Done with you and done with this largely negative board.

Yeah, I think he was pretty bad in the playoffs. He had a few really good games, and the game winner against Gobert was awesome. The stuff of legend. But efficiency wise? Yuck.

And was he the only person doing anything, or was he the only one allowed to touch the ball? The heliocentric thing really, really sucks when the guy with the ball is not efficient.