Updates from Mark and Brian
Frank Ntlikina
Stein says Mavs expect to sign him. Very good defensive player. Good guard build — long and rugged. Can defend point guards. But, extremely limited offensively.
He spent his first three seasons playing a bench role for the Knicks. Then, last season, Thibs didn’t play him very much, in accordance with the coach's tendency of playing short rotations. In fact, Frank played only 33 games for an average 10mpg. Offensively, he has a history of very mediocre shooting. Last season, he unexpectedly shot 48% from three on 48 attempts, but only 19% on twos in 31 attempts. It remains to be seen whether that represented a trend or a fluke.
This signing should be essentially a no-risk move. The hope is that Kidd might be able to coach him up to a different level in his system, and that they can improve his shot a little. They want a guy who can get stops when they really need them in certain situations. They could also use a little more roster balance, since the Mavs have six bigs and only four ball-handling guards, two of which may be unlikely to earn many minutes in normal circumstances.
Who will have to make way? If it turns out to be a training camp invite, the Mavs have already cleared a spot by waiving Onu. If it’s a regular roster spot, as expected, then a space will have to be opened. Probably Moses Brown, as they have so many big guys and his deal is only partly guaranteed. But Terry is also a possibility as the fourth point guard, or even Burke, although he has two years left on his deal.
The proposed signing has not been announced, and there is no assurance that it will constitute anything more than an audition. But considering the overall situation, the podcasters will be surprised if Frank doesn’t make the team, assuming he is signed. If he is indeed signed, that will make seven international players on the Mavs’ 15-man roster.
John Wall
Houston is rebuilding, and is shopping Wall. He is owed $92M, and it may take a FRP for the Rox to get off him. Mark and Brian don’t see a fit here, even with a FRP, if we’re talking about a trade. The Mavs have only four players who make over $10M, and they would have to relinquish so much in the way of assets to salary-match that it wouldn’t make sense. Trading KP for Wall would be foolish, in the podcasters’ opinion. If there were a buyout, then the considerations would be be different, but even then, it would be a tough fit, perhaps producing negative synergy with Luka. Wall needs the ball too much, and still thinks he is “the guy.”
Dragic
Mavs are still strongly hopeful that Dragic will make his way on to the roster this season, but it may be weeks, and in all probability, will be months. Maybe around the trade deadline if the Raps can’t find a trade partner. Mavs really like Dragic for the playoffs and to be a Luka whisperer.
Roster-building
With Aaron Gordon’s recent signing, the marquee free agent class of 2022 is essentially gone. Any further big swings will need to be made via trade. However, the team also cannot afford to keep swinging and missing on smaller acquisitions, including the draft. The podcasters say that Nico is aware of this, and is looking forward to next season, where there will be time for a proper evaluation process. This summer, he had to leap into the deep end with only a few weeks to work, and it was a pretty tall order for a first-time GM.
Other
Other topics discussed include the COVID situation, the proposed mid-season tournament, and the status of a few other players that the Mavs have had interest in at one time or another (Gasol, DAJ, DSJ).
https://www.patreon.com/mavspod/posts
Frank Ntlikina
Stein says Mavs expect to sign him. Very good defensive player. Good guard build — long and rugged. Can defend point guards. But, extremely limited offensively.
He spent his first three seasons playing a bench role for the Knicks. Then, last season, Thibs didn’t play him very much, in accordance with the coach's tendency of playing short rotations. In fact, Frank played only 33 games for an average 10mpg. Offensively, he has a history of very mediocre shooting. Last season, he unexpectedly shot 48% from three on 48 attempts, but only 19% on twos in 31 attempts. It remains to be seen whether that represented a trend or a fluke.
This signing should be essentially a no-risk move. The hope is that Kidd might be able to coach him up to a different level in his system, and that they can improve his shot a little. They want a guy who can get stops when they really need them in certain situations. They could also use a little more roster balance, since the Mavs have six bigs and only four ball-handling guards, two of which may be unlikely to earn many minutes in normal circumstances.
Who will have to make way? If it turns out to be a training camp invite, the Mavs have already cleared a spot by waiving Onu. If it’s a regular roster spot, as expected, then a space will have to be opened. Probably Moses Brown, as they have so many big guys and his deal is only partly guaranteed. But Terry is also a possibility as the fourth point guard, or even Burke, although he has two years left on his deal.
The proposed signing has not been announced, and there is no assurance that it will constitute anything more than an audition. But considering the overall situation, the podcasters will be surprised if Frank doesn’t make the team, assuming he is signed. If he is indeed signed, that will make seven international players on the Mavs’ 15-man roster.
John Wall
Houston is rebuilding, and is shopping Wall. He is owed $92M, and it may take a FRP for the Rox to get off him. Mark and Brian don’t see a fit here, even with a FRP, if we’re talking about a trade. The Mavs have only four players who make over $10M, and they would have to relinquish so much in the way of assets to salary-match that it wouldn’t make sense. Trading KP for Wall would be foolish, in the podcasters’ opinion. If there were a buyout, then the considerations would be be different, but even then, it would be a tough fit, perhaps producing negative synergy with Luka. Wall needs the ball too much, and still thinks he is “the guy.”
Dragic
Mavs are still strongly hopeful that Dragic will make his way on to the roster this season, but it may be weeks, and in all probability, will be months. Maybe around the trade deadline if the Raps can’t find a trade partner. Mavs really like Dragic for the playoffs and to be a Luka whisperer.
Roster-building
With Aaron Gordon’s recent signing, the marquee free agent class of 2022 is essentially gone. Any further big swings will need to be made via trade. However, the team also cannot afford to keep swinging and missing on smaller acquisitions, including the draft. The podcasters say that Nico is aware of this, and is looking forward to next season, where there will be time for a proper evaluation process. This summer, he had to leap into the deep end with only a few weeks to work, and it was a pretty tall order for a first-time GM.
Other
Other topics discussed include the COVID situation, the proposed mid-season tournament, and the status of a few other players that the Mavs have had interest in at one time or another (Gasol, DAJ, DSJ).
https://www.patreon.com/mavspod/posts
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