Trade & FA 2024-25:

[KillerLeft]

Maybe the plan is to play 48 minutes of DJJ and Thybulle at the 3 kinda like they do with Lively and Gafford at the 5. All defense and intensity all the time. Just a thought.

Maybe, and I think that might be cool in some ways. 

But, that's not going to fix what Boston just exposed as their weakness. 

We ALL like the defensive identity. None of us WANT to throw that out in the wash. But, the offense was BAD in the finals, and to Jason Timpf's point, which sent a cold chill down my spine, the entire NBA is about to game plan for Dallas the exact, same way. Obviously, not all of them will be successful in neutralizing that 1-5 screen and roll, but I'm pretty convinced, from him, other analysts and just my own reflection on what we've seen since Kidd got here, that the Mavericks need an adjustment to their offensive system to keep moving forward. 

I think there's untapped offensive potential already on the roster, but I also think they need at least one forward (in a rotation of at least 3) who can actually threaten the defense from the high-screen area. Two would be even better, so hopefully either DJJ or PJ (or BOTH) have some improvement on their minds this summer. And, the hardest part is that we now KNOW that BOTH forwards on the floor basically at all times MUST be good defenders.

I've said this a thousand times, but it has never been more true than it is now: Every time you lock a player into a consistent role, the target for which other players fit next to the team gets smaller and more difficult to hit. When the team sucks, you're just looking to add talent, no matter who, how, or from where. But on a good team, you're looking to fit players into the mold of what your rotation needs to improve in some areas without losing momentum you've gained in others. Identifying the right guy is just as difficult at that point, if not MORE difficult, than figuring out how to get him.