08-09-2021, 09:40 AM
I have held off trying to give the offseason a grade, trying to avoid giving a knee-jerk response. Also, of course, the offseason isn't over.
But, judging it as if they're rolling out the new season with what they now have (including players who have agreed to sign), I'm not getting many good vibes.
It's not catastrophic. Luka refusing to sign his next deal, or demanding to leave, would have been the nuclear disaster. We'll assume he's enthusiastic about sticking around, at least for, let's say three more years, with the Mavs on the clock for giving him a high-quality roster when he next has a decision to make.
It's not at a crisis point. If THJ had turned into a puff of smoke, that would probably trigger the immediate necessity to overpay someone -- anyone -- who can dependably score on most nights, and is expected to play almost all of the games. Just relying on KP and Luka, and hoping random other guys give you something from one night to the next would not cut it.
But I don't see much in the way of improvement here. Josh Richardson was a poor fit, and they got rid of him without giving up an asset. Okay. Doesn't especially matter if they don't replace him. Reggie isn't really a complete replacement for the guy Josh was supposed to be. JRich was supposed to be a playmaker, at least to an extent, and Reggie is advertised as another 3&D guy. An important role, and maybe you can't have too many of those players, but the cupboard was not empty on that sort of player.
The important needs weren't addressed. The team has a desperate need for another playmaker/scorer, and nothing has been done to address that. They need a big man who can protect the rim, rebound, set good screens and hopefully provide some rim-running. I don't think Moses Brown is that guy, and what limited reporting we have suggests that he may not even ever play. Zilch. The starting lineup needs upgrading, and they really haven't done much about that. They've mostly added depth in areas where they were already in a decent position.
Evaluation. I realize the offseason is not over, and changes can be made during the season. But judging on what we know now, they appear to be counting mostly on internal improvement, by virtue of player development and different coaching, to make the next leap. Some of that will happen, no doubt. But, short of KP getting to the level they hoped he would be on signing, I don't know that we're going to see anything dramatic.
Putting aside the limitation that we are grading in the middle of the semester, I don't know how you regard this as anything but a fail. Nico has never put a roster together in his life, so I wasn't expecting him to come up with some virtuoso performance in his first time out. But the hype bringing him here was that he would be able to recruit important free agents. The fail isn't all his fault. It's partly the fault of his predecessors and the situation he inherited. But, whoever the finger should be pointed at, it's still a disappointment. So far.
Would love to be convinced otherwise.
But, judging it as if they're rolling out the new season with what they now have (including players who have agreed to sign), I'm not getting many good vibes.
It's not catastrophic. Luka refusing to sign his next deal, or demanding to leave, would have been the nuclear disaster. We'll assume he's enthusiastic about sticking around, at least for, let's say three more years, with the Mavs on the clock for giving him a high-quality roster when he next has a decision to make.
It's not at a crisis point. If THJ had turned into a puff of smoke, that would probably trigger the immediate necessity to overpay someone -- anyone -- who can dependably score on most nights, and is expected to play almost all of the games. Just relying on KP and Luka, and hoping random other guys give you something from one night to the next would not cut it.
But I don't see much in the way of improvement here. Josh Richardson was a poor fit, and they got rid of him without giving up an asset. Okay. Doesn't especially matter if they don't replace him. Reggie isn't really a complete replacement for the guy Josh was supposed to be. JRich was supposed to be a playmaker, at least to an extent, and Reggie is advertised as another 3&D guy. An important role, and maybe you can't have too many of those players, but the cupboard was not empty on that sort of player.
The important needs weren't addressed. The team has a desperate need for another playmaker/scorer, and nothing has been done to address that. They need a big man who can protect the rim, rebound, set good screens and hopefully provide some rim-running. I don't think Moses Brown is that guy, and what limited reporting we have suggests that he may not even ever play. Zilch. The starting lineup needs upgrading, and they really haven't done much about that. They've mostly added depth in areas where they were already in a decent position.
Evaluation. I realize the offseason is not over, and changes can be made during the season. But judging on what we know now, they appear to be counting mostly on internal improvement, by virtue of player development and different coaching, to make the next leap. Some of that will happen, no doubt. But, short of KP getting to the level they hoped he would be on signing, I don't know that we're going to see anything dramatic.
Putting aside the limitation that we are grading in the middle of the semester, I don't know how you regard this as anything but a fail. Nico has never put a roster together in his life, so I wasn't expecting him to come up with some virtuoso performance in his first time out. But the hype bringing him here was that he would be able to recruit important free agents. The fail isn't all his fault. It's partly the fault of his predecessors and the situation he inherited. But, whoever the finger should be pointed at, it's still a disappointment. So far.
Would love to be convinced otherwise.
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