Dear Forest Gump,
Your post kind of makes me want to sing the You’ll Be Back tune from Hamilton. Or maybe Chicago’s Hard Habit to Break. Either way, I feel your pain, and I expect the Mavs to have another run or 2 to bring back some of your joy yet this season. No guarantees. But that seems to be the NBA way.
Re the team, from my perspective, they don’t look as far off as your OP suggests. The hardest thing is always the second star. Now we have 2 efficient superstars who can deliver in crunch time? That’s what we’ve been longing for ever since Steve Nash departed 20 years ago, no? What we’re griping about this season is not having the right COMPLEMENTARY pieces. How many seasons would we have loved for THAT to be our chief complaint?
Next hardest hole to fill, it seems to me, is a center who can protect the rim without killing the offensive flow on the other end. Since I moved to town in 01, the Mavs have had that in exactly 3 seasons. 2011 (Tyson Chandler), 2015 (Tyson Chandler), 2024 (Derick Lively). And speaking of centers, this is Dwight’s 10th year as a Mav, and he’s a $4 million third stringer. How many of the previous 9 seasons would we have LOVED Dwight at that price and spot?
That leaves 2 complementary spots to fill, for which we have over-performing minimums (Exum, Jones), developing youth (Green, Prosper), and seasoned vets (Kleber, Hardaway).
Certainly better health and friendlier whistles would be welcome. So would a steal of a deal on the trade front. But more than anything else, the Mavs just need Josh and Omax to develop. That and Luka locking in on D makes this team a contender.
Your post kind of makes me want to sing the You’ll Be Back tune from Hamilton. Or maybe Chicago’s Hard Habit to Break. Either way, I feel your pain, and I expect the Mavs to have another run or 2 to bring back some of your joy yet this season. No guarantees. But that seems to be the NBA way.
Re the team, from my perspective, they don’t look as far off as your OP suggests. The hardest thing is always the second star. Now we have 2 efficient superstars who can deliver in crunch time? That’s what we’ve been longing for ever since Steve Nash departed 20 years ago, no? What we’re griping about this season is not having the right COMPLEMENTARY pieces. How many seasons would we have loved for THAT to be our chief complaint?
Next hardest hole to fill, it seems to me, is a center who can protect the rim without killing the offensive flow on the other end. Since I moved to town in 01, the Mavs have had that in exactly 3 seasons. 2011 (Tyson Chandler), 2015 (Tyson Chandler), 2024 (Derick Lively). And speaking of centers, this is Dwight’s 10th year as a Mav, and he’s a $4 million third stringer. How many of the previous 9 seasons would we have LOVED Dwight at that price and spot?
That leaves 2 complementary spots to fill, for which we have over-performing minimums (Exum, Jones), developing youth (Green, Prosper), and seasoned vets (Kleber, Hardaway).
Certainly better health and friendlier whistles would be welcome. So would a steal of a deal on the trade front. But more than anything else, the Mavs just need Josh and Omax to develop. That and Luka locking in on D makes this team a contender.
Pessimism doesn’t make you smart, just pessimistic.
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