Trade & FA 2023-24: Sexton On the Market? | ORL Likes Hartenstein?

[F Gump]

The Mavs, despite adding all of this size that everyone is so excited about with Gafford, are about to get killed on the glass in this series.

 
Duly noted.

Let me add - my major area of disagreement with your thoughts is that that I think you completely fail to credit the importance of Gafford to both the Mavs in general, and also to Lively. I'm seeing a Mavs team that overall is now turning games into a war, and wear down the opponent. Even one as big as Minny. It's a different style but one in which the net effect works in the playoffs (think Miami, as a good example), where there are fewer whistles, and it also complements Luka's ability to be a physical force on offense and consistently create half-court offense when games are in grind-it-out mode.

Gafford is more physical than Lively, which you see as a negative, but I think that it instead is a positive, and not just while Gafford is on the floor but for the full 48 minutes. The physicality of Gafford, banging on the opponent big men when Lively is not in the game, softens them up. How long have we been wishing for a physical presence? If you take Gafford out of the equation, there is no longer the same 48-minute grind wearing down the other team. What you see as easily dispensible, replaceable, and an unneeded luxury is something I believe is integral to the overall product and priced reasonably.

In addition, I think your mindset that Gafford is somehow holding Lively back is the opposite of the truth. Not only does Gafford's play make Lively's more effective, it also allows Lively to play with more freedom (fouls), with more than enough talent on deck should either have issues with fouls or injury. Minutes can be adjusted as needed. I agree that Lively is the better and more impactful center, but part of what is making him that good is the ability to spell him and help him with Gafford as needed. And Gafford hasn't even been through camp with the team, which is a path to even bigger things for team-player, and is young enough to grow his game as well.

As for where Kleber fits, it's hard to depend on him, but he's a great piece when he's healthy. His versatility is valuable, as a potential change-of-pace center when one might be needed, but also a great solution to spell PJW at PF. But all of that works way better when there is plenty of talent to man C in a strong way without him (which is Gafford, not Powell!). If only he can be healthy.