Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[Radical Mavs]

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.

I guess you are telling him... Don't let the door kick you on the butt on your way out.

OUCH

[KillerLeft]

I guess you are telling him... Don't let the door kick you on the butt on your way out.

OUCH

Not at all. He seems like a smart dude and we need more good, smart, passionate contributors around here. 

But not if that means we all have to police our opinions on certain topics. There is a decorum on all sorts of things… Language, attacking others, etc. but differing opinions on basketball players and basketball teams are what makes this place go. It’s not meant to be an echo chamber.

[SleepingHero]

In fact, while it is only my opinion, I would go so far as to say he’s not very likable.

You were cooking with everything in the post before this sentence. If I had to nitpick.

I think Luka is extremely likable and has a great personality as a leader. Many former teammates have echoed this. He's a goofy dude that does not take himself seriously at all. It is one of his greatest strengths and what has allowed him to waltz into opposing arena's in a game 7 situation and end the entire game in the first 6 minutes. 

With everything you've said before, I actually agree and can understand the reasoning. I am a biased Luka fan boy and will excuse his conditioning and general lack of seriousness when it comes to the beginning of the regular season to a certain extent because he has ALWAYS produced. Even when it's ugly, he has produced. I would argue actually the last 4 years the biggest cause of why the Mavs have started slow each year has been due to injuries. Sure Luka is out of shape, but he's still giving 28/9/9 on good efficiency 9 times out of 10. But often times he's had to drag g-league starters and inconsistent lineups for the first 3 months of the season. And in the past 2 years he himself has had to sit for various reasons. Hard to win games in the NBA with those circumstances.

And during those very ugly games, where you correctly point out his incessant whining, it's a byproduct of his passion of the game. The reason why he will constantly bark at officials is because he wants to win and needs an adversary. Its the same reason why he will do this shit randomly at a little kid in the game: 



because that type of attitude leads to this stuff:




Point is. Yes that passion can often times and HAS often times played the Mavs out of the game. Its very apparent when it happens. But it has also won the Mavs a shit ton of games they had no business of winning. The 60/20/10 game against NYK comes to mind. The 43/12/17 game against LAC in the bubble. etc. etc.

[audiosway]

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.

That was sort of a conundrum with him. His usage rate was among the highest the NBA has ever seen. He had no inclination to learn to play off the ball. I love his Moxi and the fact that he wants to take those late game shots. However, if the game is on the line I want Kyrie taking the shot. 

I've been concerned that he seems to be getting slower and more injured as time goes on. All you need to truly know is when a source with the Mavs was quoted as saying "Who gains weight during the season playing 40 minutes per night?"

I loved that he played through injury during the playoffs. But, why was he injured in the first place? He's not fast, he doesn't really jump, and he was 24/25. I was very concerned with that. He isn't lanky like Dirk was at that age. And Dirk was much more athletic than him at that age. How does a guy like that get hurt with soft tissue leg injuries? Lack of conditioning and poor diet.

So, he gets embarrassed in the finals and it doesn't drive him to do anything about it. Then again, in prior years they could have advanced in the playoffs but didn't due to poor free throw shooting. Yet he didn't improve his free throw shooting. If the franchise guy doesn't why would the rest of the squad?

Love Luka but don't love where he has been headed. I seriously hope that he can have LeBron rub off on him with that. But, I have a feeling he and LeBron are going to have issues. I don't think Luka will change. It's sad. With proper diet and conditioning he could be in the top 2-3 to ever play the game. With proper diet and conditioning he would have the energy to play on D. He's not bad on D. He just doesn't have the energy to do it. Anyone who has every played competitive basketball knows that Defense is 90% effort. Yes Skill will make you a great defender. But, just putting in the effort will get you a long way.

It's one thing to have attitude and be a dog on the court. But, you have to be a dog off the court too for it to work.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

He seems like an extremely nice guy off the court but on the court he’s one of the least likable players in the league.

IMO

This is from 4 years ago.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mavericks/comme...irritable/

That aligns 100% with my impression of him.

[audiosway]

He seems like an extremely nice guy off the court but on the court he’s one of the least likable players in the league.

IMO

This is from 4 years ago. This is exactly how I see him.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mavericks/comme...irritable/

Yeah. It's really true. People look at him like they do Harden. I've heard a lot of people say it. I never argued because it's true.

[cow]

The heliocentric thing really, really sucks when the guy with the ball is not efficient.

Luka was good for a highlight or three per game, but in general his brand of basketball is really hard to watch.  It really makes you appreciate the movement from teams like Golden State.  One thing I love about Kyrie on the Mavs is how often he involves other players in bringing the ball up the court or initiating the offense.  That instills confidence in your teammates and has the side benefit of giving you an in game blow.  

I don't really think it is fair to lay that all on Luka due to a few factors like talent around him early on and coaching.  Carlisle was probably too curmudgeonly to deal with Luka's antics, but Kidd seemed to roll over.  I'm not sure that gets any better with him in LA with JJ, but maybe LeBron can help there as well as with the conditioning issues though it wouldn't surprise me if LeBron looks elsewhere for a few more good looks at a title.  I'm not even sure what the right coach would be for Luka...Pop?  Seems like a pretty lazy answer but I do think those two minds would pair well and have mutual respect. 

I think Luka is a really good dude and it always sounds like his teammates enjoy being around him.  I'm sure it can be frustrating to see someone so gifted not work harder and maximize their potential, so maybe he's more Shaq than he is Kobe.  

The timing of the trade still feels so odd and it catching Luka so off guard is very telling.  I'm starting to think a lot of people in the organization might have treated him with kid gloves when that might not have been necessary, let frustration build, and just overreacted from those frustrations.

[LukaMVP]

luka was used to playing with mediocre teammates like the situations he faced on Slovenian national team and in his earlier mavs years. but these teammates (oh sorry, former teammates) are far superior imho. luka's dominant style of play overshadowed his teammates' abilities in some way. now with luka traded to LA everyone seems more capable than they were thought to be, even kidd seems like a good coach now somehow. luka is still a great player though. while our team ball has been working so well recently, I hope we can continue to win games this way in the postseason. sometimes you do need some hero ball and I'm not sure if that can be as well replaced with excellent team work when it matters. we may count on Kyrie and davis though, but it seems to me that luka, when healthy and not so fat, belongs to another level.

[ThisIStheYear]

No one has done more with less than Luka (Lebron and Moses had similar successes with deficient teams) dragging the Mavs to two western conference finals and a finals. That’s tough to do. He led all players last year in the playoffs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. How many times has that been done? Anyone who thinks Luka was bad in the playoffs is certifiably dumb.

[audiosway]

So, for those questioning what I said yesterday about thinking that Klay and Kyrie complained about Luka's work ethic. Look no further than the presser after the GS game on the 12th.

Here is a quote from Ky.
"When you get called upon by your peers to be a leader of the team. They expect you to come in and work extremely hard and be a voice of reason, you know, lead by example. And sometimes lay out the steps that’s necessary to win at a high level. To be respected by others you gotta put your body on the line and prepare like it is a playoff series."

After 2.5 years of watching Luka NOT work off the court it's gotta be tough for a guy who knows what it takes to win. Adding Klay just added to it.

[KillerLeft]

No one has done more with less than Luka (Lebron and Moses had similar successes with deficient teams) dragging the Mavs to two western conference finals and a finals. That’s tough to do. He led all players last year in the playoffs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. How many times has that been done?  Anyone who thinks Luka was bad in the playoffs is certifiably dumb.

Guess I'm dumb, then, because I've seen him in multiple playoffs, and while he was AMAZING during past seasons, when the team wasn't quite ready to benefit, I was "certifiably" disappointed in he is performance last year. He looked slow and couldn't get by anyone (a persistently growing problem for him) and so he took a lot of bad shots, and not nearly enough of them went in. At no point did he ever look like he was moving right. Took a ton of bad shots as a result. 

I remember being pissed because the more casual national fans weren't seeing "the good Luka" and it was going to affect their opinions of him.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

It's early, as he's just coming back, but he still doesn't look right to me. His gait is slow, and he still gives up on a play, not hustling back on defense, putting his team in 4 on 5 situations. I would hope he gets better with conditioning, but this might be who he is for the rest of his career.

[Chicagojk]

I am not going to bet against him. We have seen him be one of the best in the league even when it is not ideal.

I will just say what I said earlier in the season. Watching him run and his shape earlier in the year, I said I see no way that he plays the whole year. Same thing now. Even more so looking 5-10 years out. He can certainly play at his own speed and be deadly but he really looks lumbering out there now. That needs to get fixed moving forward.

[Jmaciscool]

Luka was good for a highlight or three per game but in general, but his brand of basketball is really hard to watch.  It really makes you appreciate the movement from teams like Golden State.  One thing I love about Kyrie on the Mavs is how often he involves other players in bringing the ball up the court or initiating the offense.  That instills confidence in your teammates and has the side benefit of giving you in an game blow.  

I don't really think it is fair to lay that all on Luka due to a few factors like talent around him early on and coaching.  Carlisle was probably too curmudgeonly to deal with Luka's antics, but Kidd seemed to roll over.  I'm not sure that gets any better with him in LA with JJ, but maybe LeBron can help there as well as with the conditioning issues though it wouldn't surprise me if LeBron looks elsewhere for a few more good looks at a title.  I'm not even sure what the right coach would be for Luka...Pop?  Seems like a pretty lazy answer but I do think those two minds would pair well and have mutual respect. 

I think Luka is a really good dude and it always sounds like his teammates enjoy being around him.  I'm sure it can be frustrating to see someone so gifted not work harder and maximize their potential, so maybe he's more Shaq than he is Kobe.  

The timing of the trade still feels so odd and it catching Luka so off guard is very telling.  I'm starting to think a lot of people in the organization might have treated him with kid gloves when that might not have been necessary, let frustration build, and just overrated from those frustrations.

Not sure what you mean here, I listened to Dumont and was under the impression that Shaq was one of the hardest workers in NBA history...

[michaeltex]

So, for those questioning what I said yesterday about thinking that Klay and Kyrie complained about Luka's work ethic. Look no further than the presser after the GS game on the 12th.

Here is a quote from Ky.
"When you get called upon by your peers to be a leader of the team. They expect you to come in and work extremely hard and be a voice of reason, you know, lead by example. And sometimes lay out the steps that’s necessary to win at a high level. To be respected by others you gotta put your body on the line and prepare like it is a playoff series."

After 2.5 years of watching Luka NOT work off the court it's gotta be tough for a guy who knows what it takes to win. Adding Klay just added to it.

I think this is very telling, especially from someone of Kyrie's talent. 

I'll always remember the sh*t-eating grin he gave Booker and the barking at Gobert. But, in the last few years, even with an improved roster, it was more about his Luka-centric game which often limited contributions by other players. Honestly felt like watching Harden MkII sometimes. 

Everyone agrees that Luka has the ability to generate a WOW moment every time he touches the ball. That's why a lot (most?) of us tuned in. But because he was "our guy" it was difficult to try and air any criticism on this board. To the point that some very significant contributors left rather than deal with the crap sent their way. Now, since he's now "their guy" it's OK to try and be realistic about his strengths and weaknesses. Not to delight in his failings, but to take off the rose-colored glasses and try and see him objectively. I honestly hope he gets the message, and I'll continue to look forward to those WOW plays, but pulling for the Lakers to win just isn't going to happen for me.

[Winter]

It's going to be interesting to watch LA formulate a Luka-centric team. Will they?

How do you use Luka if you decrease his ball usage? Is he the same player he was here? Are we assuming too much from a team built for LeBron, and being coached by a rookie coach?

[mvossman]

It's going to be interesting to watch LA formulate a Luka-centric team. Will they?

How do you use Luka if you decrease his ball usage? Is he the same player he was here? Are we assuming too much from a team built for LeBron, and being coached by a rookie coach?

They already tried to.  That Mark Williams trade screamed Luka.  It seems clear they will get a defensive, rim running center in the offseason.  After that they eventually will want to get more guys like Dorian.  Not sure how its going to work with LeBron, but he is 40.  In the long run I figure they are going to basically aim to build the Mavs roster.

[Smitty]

If Mark Williams was worth all of that to the Lakers, can we assume Gafford would be too? How would we feel about getting that ‘31 FRP and ‘30 pick swap from the Lakers for Gaff this summer?

[mvossman]

If Mark Williams was worth all of that to the Lakers, can we assume Gafford would be too? How would we feel about getting that ‘31 FRP and ‘30 pick swap from the Lakers for Gaff this summer?

What salary would be coming back?  It would be annoying to give up Gaff for assets that we should already have, and the return will probably not be nearly that good given Nico bargaining skills.

[KillerLeft]

If Mark Williams was worth all of that to the Lakers, can we assume Gafford would be too? How would we feel about getting that ‘31 FRP and ‘30 pick swap from the Lakers for Gaff this summer?

Feels like the opportunity to do THAT would've been in the deal, itself. Either they didn't want Gafford or Harrison really didn't want to give him up.