HALLELUKA: Luka Clinches All-NBA 1st team. 4th in 5 years

[Jym]

I honestly still think the Clippers will win it all, though my confidence is wavering.

Maybe they can pull it out based on pure talent but they always had such a structural disadvantage not having a real playmaker or interior defense (beyond the 15 minutes Zubac plays) 
I was so glad when they cashed in their assets for Morris instead of addresses their actual concerns. 

Such an annoyingly wide open season 
With a full commit salarywise to this year, we could have realistically won even with the injury bug biting us. The MBT were just treating it as growing/learning year which I considered a huge mistake from the beginning.

[Mavs2019]

Poor Luka going to end up 2nd or 3rd in Slovenian athlete of the year poll. #Motivation

[KillerLeft]

I honestly still think the Clippers will win it all, though my confidence is wavering.

Maybe they can pull it out based on pure talent but they always had such a structural disadvantage not having a real playmaker or interior defense (beyond the 15 minutes Zubac plays) 
I was so glad when they cashed in their assets for Morris instead of addresses their actual concerns. 

I think Kawhi's ability (much like Luka's) to get into the paint any time he wants (literally) and apply a wide variety of those one handed running hooks, turnaround jumpers, etc, is quite possibly the closest thing to prime Shaq offense in the league right now. I don't mean that he's posting up, obvs, but he scores from inside(ish) much more frequently than the vast majority of scorers, and physically, he's so dominant that there's not much, if anything, the defense can do about it. To me, that's Shaq like, in a way. While I wouldn't necessarily call him a "playmaker" the way you're using that term, his basketball IQ is through the roof, and he's more than capable of making over aggressive defenses pay with the pass. 

That's germane in two ways: 

1) When they have that at their disposal, the absence of the type of playmaker you're talking about isn't nearly as glaring, imo. I think he could play more like Lebron if he wanted to, but if you can hit from close to midrange pretty much anytime you want against even great defense, what's the point? I've only seen one game in the playoffs where a defender was able to bother him into inefficiency, so far. 

2) I agree about the rim protection, but honestly, I'm not sure anyone besides Luka is truly able to take advantage, provided their help defense is good enough. Players today are conditioned to pass out of the paint when they draw multiple defenders, and the fact that the Clippers are set up with like sizes to switch so frequently should make GETTING to the paint much tougher (at least, when they're engaged). Kawhi could exploit that, but he's on their team! 

Lebron is much more dangerous going to the rim in transition than he is in half court, imo, though I'm sure that's a concern. There's a chance that Davis knuckles up and gets into the paint more, but I doubt that's going to happen, since I feel strongly that the idiot Vogal is going right back to the two worthless centers he has in the next series. I can't believe it took him all the way to the 2nd half of game 3 to figure out they were hurting him against Houston. Like, I found that shocking. 

The only team left that I think has a chance against them is Boston, and I'm not sure they'll even make it to the finals. 

IF Vogal continues to play Davis at center, like a qualified coach would, the Lakers have a chance, but he won't, and even if he did they'd still need guys like Rondo to take and make catch and shoot opportunities, which doesn't seem likely.

[Hypermav]

https://www.essentiallysports.com/nba-ne...asketball/

[Tyler]

https://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/1306307743167455232

[KillerLeft]

https://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/1306307743167455232

Wow!

That's pretty baller in year 2!!!!

[BigDirk41]

I'm glad Luka is getting the respect he deserves. It took Dirk some time to get the respect he deserved and I'm not sure he really ever got what he truly deserved. Props to Luka. He's the future of the NBA!

[omahen]

Wow, amazing. I was expecting Kawhi in the first, but very glad press guys thought differently. Well deserved!

[Kammrath]

[KillerLeft]

Wow, amazing. I was expecting Kawhi in the first, but very glad press guys thought differently. Well deserved!

I guess they took "load management" into account.

[ClutchDirk]

https://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/1306307743167455232

https://media.giphy.com/media/Tf9YUe7UMF.../giphy.gif

[Hypermav]

Trae better 

Congrats to Luka.

Westbrook over Beal or Young seems pretty shaky for 3rd team.

---

If the Mavs could get Beal, Young or Westbrook, who would you choose?  Not Westbrick.

Beal would be perfect btw.

[DrMav]

Boom. Next year MVP and a ring.

Congrats Luka!

[DanSchwartzgan]

https://streamable.com/zde2f0

Where are all the Dragic naysayers from last offseason?

[Scott41theMavs]

https://streamable.com/zde2f0

Where are all the Dragic naysayers from last offseason?

Would be nice to get Dragic this offseason, but I don't think he would leave the Heat at this point. I don't think the Celtics can beat them. If they do, it's going to be via amazing coaching wizardry from Stevens.

[dirkfansince1998]

https://streamable.com/zde2f0

Where are all the Dragic naysayers from last offseason?

Was not the biggest fan of a potential Dragic trade. Especially because he mentioned that he does not want to leave Miami last summer. He likes Miami and wants continuity for his family. Don´t think that changed.

[KillerLeft]

All this Dragic talk has me remembering Miles. He was always a Dragic fan. Did he ever make it here? I liked that dude.

---

What were the specifics of the trade that almost happened? Can someone remind me?

---

Honestly, I can't remember if it was here (db.com) or at the other board, but I remember talking up Jimmy Butler and getting shut down HARD. I think that dude is a winner, and I always have. I know he wouldn't have come here, but I thought it was shocking to learn that Mavs fans didn't want him. 

He's exactly the kind of edgy personality everyone's screaming for right now.

[ClutchDirk]

https://streamable.com/zde2f0

Where are all the Dragic naysayers from last offseason?

I've looked under a thousand rocks so far and have not found any of them yet... 

[omahen]

Where are all the Dragic naysayers from last offseason?

We can be honest, that average opinion was that Dragic is old, overpaid, bad defender and we can do much better with our cap space. I also wasn't really enthusiastic and thought we can sign better players.  Mavs read the board and agreed, cancelled the agreed deal with Heat and looked elsewhere  

So Dragic stayed in Miami and is playing in conference finals and Mavs saved that cap space for Green drama and finally signed Wright with it.

[ClutchDirk]

https://twitter.com/IsaacLHarris/status/...1486643200