ARTICLE: "Luka Doncic and Rick Carlisle: The dissolution of their relationship"

[mavsluvr]

Is a high-level starter not one of your best players? DSJ was drafted in the hope he becomes a borderline allstar, which would have made him a conerstone but the team (myself and other DSJ fans) was wrong. He was not drafter to give us 15 minutes off the bench. We can agree to disagree on the definition of "cornerstone", but I am curious, how do yall view THJ, what we paid him, and what his role on the team is? THJ got paid to be a high-level contributor on a winning team for years to come. Was JET not a cornerstone either?

I think we may just be dealing with a semantics issue here. 

You seem to be using "franchise cornerstone" to mean "solid starter." Whereas, I think some others of us are using the term in the more usual sense of a truly exceptional talent on whom the success of the franchise is primarily built. 

In this meaning of the word, borderline all-stars are not franchise cornerstones. I think THJ is a high-quality player worthy of a starting position in the league, but I don't consider him a franchise cornerstone. I think Dirk was the cornerstone of the championship era team, but I think a case is easily made for Jet as a very important building block (much more critical than just a competent starter). 

If DSJ was really expected to be that sort of talent, I don't think he would have been available at the ninth pick. And the TOT apparently weren't in agreement that he was the best candidate even at nine. 

I don't say any of this to trash DSJ. If DSJ's departing Dallas was indeed a significant factor in Luka's supposedly becoming disaffected with the organization, then it's good to know why that was the case, whether DSJ was a franchise cornerstone or a competent starter or a guy who rarely saw minutes. I see this story as one more about Luka and Carlisle than DSJ, although I agree that a quick read could result in its being interpreted as a story about the Mavs having done DSJ wrong.