MAVS NEWS:

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Randomness from tonight's game:

-Flagg looks dejected tonight.

There isn't another player on the roster I feel good about outside of Flagg.

Max Christie and Nembhard were showing some signs early in the season they could be pieces but Christie doesn't look like a starting level player.  Nembhard might not be an NBA level player.  PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford dont look like starting level players either without Luka.  Lively is a walking injury.

They really need to get lucky again in the lottery and hope Lively can stay healthy.

[michaeltex]

FWIW, I'm thinking Bagley is a keeper. For now anyway. I really like his movement under the basket, he seems to have adequate passing skills and he shoots 45% on 3pters. I don't know that he's a defensive stopper, but the current set up doesn't seem to stop anybody lately. That said, he does bring effort and energy and seems to have some touch in the paint.

I thought I saw him playing some PF against POR a couple nights ago when he was on with DP, is that a new thing or have I been missing something? 6-10 shooter with range could open up the interior for Kyrie and Coop while creating some matchup problems for the opponents, ala KAT with the Knicks.

I think he's an UFA this summer. Which teams are going to have cap space enough to bid up his contract?

Also, if Cisse isn't a keeper, I'd be up for drafting a bruiser better able to stand up to some of the bigger 5's in the league. If we keep Bagley, does that put Gaff on the move? I think the consensus on this board is he's not as effective without a Luka-type PnR PG.

[cow]

Nembhard might not be an NBA level player. 

This x1000 and I was super excited about having him.

FWIW, I'm thinking Bagley is a keeper. For now anyway. I really like his movement under the basket, he seems to have adequate passing skills and he shoots 45% on 3pters. I don't know that he's a defensive stopper, but the current set up doesn't seem to stop anybody lately. That said, he does bring effort and energy and seems to have some touch in the paint.

I thought I saw him playing some PF against POR a couple nights ago when he was on with DP, is that a new thing or have I been missing something? 6-10 shooter with range could open up the interior for Kyrie and Coop while creating some matchup problems for the opponents, ala KAT with the Knicks.

I think he's an UFA this summer. Which teams are going to have cap space enough to bid up his contract?

Also, if Cisse isn't a keeper, I'd be up for drafting a bruiser better able to stand up to some of the bigger 5's in the league. If we keep Bagley, does that put Gaff on the move? I think the consensus on this board is he's not as effective without a Luka-type PnR PG.

I like Baglady too but I had super low expectations. I want to use him as my test bed for an Enes Kanter-like player that you run a second team through to get buckets. If he's cheap, and he should be, sign me up for some more years of his services.

[numnuts23]

This season needs to end ASAP. That last game was a very hard watch.

[Chicagojk]

https://x.com/kennybybee/status/20390290...27729?s=61

Quite remarkable how skillfully Kidd has shown pretty much being blame free. I never doubted he either knew or was extremely frustrated with Luka. No chance in hell he only found out a few minutes before the rest of the world did.

[cow]

I'm not a Coach Kidd fan, but he could have both known and been frustrated with Luka (both very likely) and still had no power to stop the trade from happening.

[Scott41theMavs]

There isn't another player on the roster I feel good about outside of Flagg.

Max Christie and Nembhard were showing some signs early in the season they could be pieces but Christie doesn't look like a starting level player.  Nembhard might not be an NBA level player.  PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford dont look like starting level players either without Luka.  Lively is a walking injury.

They really need to get lucky again in the lottery and hope Lively can stay healthy.

Disagree on Gafford. He has looked much better since they've started assaying pick and rolls with Coop and him.

But your general point remains. This roster is a mess. I believe they would have won a ton more games if Kyrie and Lively had been healthy (the whole year), but yeah, this is a roster full of "nice first guys off the bench" as well as out-and-out spares. 

This fanbase had better pray like crazy for the Mavs to move up in the draft, and there should be an official day of mourning throughout North Texas if we don't. The top five guys in the draft have a fairly clear path to becoming perennial all-stars, and Dybantsa and Wilson may even become superstars. If you're picking 6-9 in this draft, you're only going to get a multi-year all-star with a combination of GM genius and luck. If the Mavs don't move up to the top four, then 1) either they obtain Presti, or 2) they luck into a guy as good as Presti whom we don't know to be as good as Presti at this point, or 3) Flagg will have likely never made the playoffs by the time we control our picks again in 2031. My overall point is, if they don't rise into the top four, it's going to take a genius GM to build a solid team around Flagg over the next four years. Moreover, they'll still need a pretty good one even if they do move up. Thanks a lot, Nico.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

This fanbase had better pray like crazy for the Mavs to move up in the draft, and there should be an official day of mourning throughout North Texas if we don't. 

Yeah I'm pretty much done if we don't.  Wemby and the Spurs are going to be our daddies for the next decade.

[Knutsen]

Yeah I'm pretty much done if we don't.  Wemby and the Spurs are going to be our daddies for the next decade.

Best thing could be that we arise after 10+ years like back in the days with Dirk somehow overtaking Duncan and the Spurs for one or two seasons and capture a title like Dirk did.

I‘m still not sure about Wembys longtime health though, could be a big injury in his future - but let’s keep that out of the discussion because that would be an epic loss for the game of basketball.

[ThisIStheYear]

Based on Cuban’s remarks today and the performance of the team before they went into tank mode, it’s time to officially, and unequivocally get on the fire Jason Kidd bandwagon. I never thought he was a good coach anyways. He has to go. And, Damn!!! Cuban completely threw Kidd under the bus. Remarkable. That’s either orchestrated and Kidd will be fired or Cuban has a big ax to grind. Either way, I hope the fans fire up the fire Jason chants.

[ThisIStheYear]

There isn't another player on the roster I feel good about outside of Flagg.

Max Christie and Nembhard were showing some signs early in the season they could be pieces but Christie doesn't look like a starting level player.  Nembhard might not be an NBA level player.  PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford dont look like starting level players either without Luka.  Lively is a walking injury.

They really need to get lucky again in the lottery and hope Lively can stay healthy.

There’s a path without moving up. Someone in that 6-9 range will be an all star caliber player.  But I agree, unless Lively recovers there are exactly 0 keepers on this entire roster. What a shithole Nico and Kidd built. The Mavs must draft an all star and a legit rotation player in this draft.

[F Gump]

....or Cuban has a big ax to grind....

Whether or not there's any real merit to what he's saying, Cuban definitely is grinding axes against the Mavs (Dumont, and now Kidd who is a key person in Dumont's company). 

My analysis is that Cuban thought he was being given a seat at the table again, once Nico was finally booted out, but Dumont wasn't really interested in having Cuban in the mix. So Cuban has again found himself on the outside looking in, and because he's miffed, he's throwing rocks at those on the inside. I don't fully trust the content, because he clearly has an agenda.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

Whether or not there's any real merit to what he's saying, Cuban definitely is grinding axes against the Mavs (Dumont, and now Kidd who is a key person in Dumont's company). 

My analysis is that Cuban thought he was being given a seat at the table again, once Nico was finally booted out, but Dumont wasn't really interested in having Cuban in the mix. So Cuban has again found himself on the outside looking in, and because he's miffed, he's throwing rocks at those on the inside. I don't fully trust the content, because he clearly has an agenda.

Because of his arrogance and ignorance Cuban has found himself, soon to be, full circle, a fan screaming in the stands and posting on message boards. His screen name will be "Uncle Rico" and he'll be posting about how he once "shot the ball across them mountains".

[windjc]

Cuban is having a man-child meltdown equivalent to his decision making skills. It’s sad to watch. He is throwing Kidd under the bus for no reason. He is desperate to have influence and impact. He makes the excuse that he wasn’t rich enough to run a legitimate franchise. Think about the obscenity of that statement. Let me just put this out there. I’m an UHNW individual. UHNW people are privy to returns of 20% annual. To things others are not allowed in. If Cuban put even a billion into those investments his return is 200M a year. Now, even if it were true that it is somehow ultra expensive to be an owner (it’s not. NBA teams make profits + incredible value growth year over year) then he could have floated any loses.

The truth is Cuban is a nitwit and a coward and he became BORED with the Mavs. He’d rather lose money on Shark Tank.

Cuban is a clown. And now we are seeing more of his true colors. He’s rather hurt the team right now than help it. And he is digging his own grave.

[SwisherPrice]

I thought Cuban and Kidd were tight but I guess not anymore! It doesn't matter though, Kidd is held in high regards with the ownership. They will side with him over Cuban when it comes down to it.

[cow]

Cuban is a clown.

Always has been.   He just had fortunate timing with the dotcom bubble and selling broadcast.com to Yahoo.  

I know it was during the Stern era, but I do wonder (or maybe wish) that if Cuban ever did try to get back into NBA ownership if he'd be rejected by the NBA Board of Governors.  That's assuming his minority stake in the Mavs gets wiped out.

[Mavs2021]

Whether or not there's any real merit to what he's saying, Cuban definitely is grinding axes against the Mavs (Dumont, and now Kidd who is a key person in Dumont's company). 

My analysis is that Cuban thought he was being given a seat at the table again, once Nico was finally booted out, but Dumont wasn't really interested in having Cuban in the mix. So Cuban has again found himself on the outside looking in, and because he's miffed, he's throwing rocks at those on the inside. I don't fully trust the content, because he clearly has an agenda.

There are too many traces going back to the Lakers championship team that make it clear Kidd was involved. The McGee signing, the Vogel hiring and the AD trade. There is no way Kidd was not involved in this. Kidd did not deny it either. 

That being said Cuban is responsible for all this crap. He hired Nico. He hired Kidd. He sold to Dumont. He lost Brunson for nothing. Seems the only thing he remembers from the last 15 years is that he drafted Luka. Not a surprise considering it´s the only good thing he has done in the last 15 years.

This also means Kidd will coach to win against the Lakers. He´s so petty to put his personal feelings above the tank job. I also wonder whether this means the new GM will fire Kidd. I can´t see a Presti or Stevens working with him at all.

[Chicagojk]

One thing that is pretty clear is Cuban is terrible at communication.    You remember the Dragic trade confusion?  Who was the GM who they hired who quickly resigned and went back to Houston?  I can guarantee you Nico did not know he was only brought in to be the relationship guy when hired.   Then you had the Donnie/Bob V mess.   All leads back to Cuban being a bad communicator.  If you look at a lot of the problems the last 20 years it starts with that.   

I like Cuban.   His act grew tired over the years, but he did love the team.    In a time where these teams are no being owned by conglomerates or just stupid money, you don't get that often anymore.   I am ready for a change and Cuban back in a decision making role is about the last thing I would want.   He gave that up though.   If he got tricked or thought he had another deal agreed upon, it falls back on him.   It sounds like he will eventually be bought down to 7% (at sale price, not current price) soon.   He is acting like an abused spouse still showing up at the games at his seat.   With his latest comments, I do wonder if his seats will be removed next year too.  

The game was so rough last night.  I have only seen a few of the last 5-6 games due to travel.  Cooper looks exhausted or going thru the motions, but he has been playing pretty meh lately.   A big difference from his play prior to his injury.  I hope this is the last year we need to see the stuff we have watched the last year and a half.   It is just brutal.  Necessary at the moment, but brutal.

[Chicagojk]

I am sticking by my guns, but I think we have no shot at either Presti or Stevens.  Either would be a dream.  Great they are setting their bar high, but that is just the beginning.  I don't care if the guy is known by everyone or known by no one.   They need to find the right person for now not win the press conference.   Do I trust Dumont to find that guy?  Not really.  Hopefully with some of the guys he has on staff and voices he has spoken that they can create a pool of 3-5 guys that Dumont can make the final decision on.   

I want someone who has much more say than Kidd.    I don't want someone tied to Kidd.   Maybe Kidd is here for 10 more years, but I want ultimately the new GM who has the say which direction he goes.   Not just to keep Kidd because he signed an extension last summer.

[Chicagojk]

Outside of Lindsey this has been the most potential direction. Dumont spoke with him last year and probably got to know him.

The biggest roadblocks are if Myers’s wants to be a GM again and that he currently has a big job. I don’t think the second thing is a huge issue after the season. Time will tell if he thinks a GM is in the past and has bigger plans now.

Also a role Myers would accept would be much more than GM. Therefore, Ricardo and/or Finley could still keep senior level basketball roles.

https://x.com/nationmffl/status/20393580...86806?s=61