FA: Spencer Dinwiddie Heads to DAL | 1 yr/vet min

[F Gump]

The emboldened has been my rallying cry for years, so always assume that it's my goal. 

I don't think your memory of Dinwiddie is an accurate one. He's a ball stopper, not a ball mover. The one time since Kidd came here the ball moved, even just a little, was during this past post-season. Not during the regular season, mostly, but the ball started to move just a little down the stretch and then the movement increased with each playoff round until Boston's defense completely befuddled the Mavs' "system" (which I use loosely). 

The ball moved LESS during the '22 run, not MORE. It was "my turn, your turn" and didn't work, particularly when they reached GS, a real playoff team at the time. Maybe you feel differently, but I felt better about this past playoff team in many ways than I did after that post-season. This one felt more sustainable to me, as if it could be built upon as a predictor of future success. Judging by what the Mavs are doing, I'm not so sure they felt that way. 

This signing (if it means what I think, in terms of playing time, which it might not, to be fair) is a step AWAY from ball movement, not towards. 

Plus, you totally discounted my point about the additions of Grimes, Marshall and Thompson, ALL of whom represent an uptick in TEAM offensive play (AKA ball movement) relative to the players they're replacing. Dinwiddie, by comparison, has only ever been effective in situations wherein he A) has the ball in his hands and B) has been allowed to create shots for himself basically at will. The year before coming here (coming off of major injury) he started his season in Washington as the focal point of their offense, to some successful effect, actually, and then was asked to stop playing that way. That's when his "bad" stretch of that season in Washington began. When he got here to Dallas, they let him play that way again, and he responded with a pretty effective stretch of play - but, at the expense of ball movement and especially defense. 

All of that to say: two-way players who move the ball from DIFFERENT POSITIONS ON OFFENSE (like the ones in Boston) are what's needed. If ONLY your GUARDS are handling the ball, you haven't actually added ball-handling unless they're going to play a lot together (3 or even 4 at a time) which is exactly what I'm afraid of.

Yeah, I disagree on pretty much all of what you wrote here.
1 I don't accept your characterization of the play of the 2022 team, nor do I agree with your assertion of why they fell short. They had ball handlers, who did handle the ball, but they moved the ball to players who needed it (lots of open 3's). Their weakness wasn't lack of ball movement, but rather that the team's limited number of 2-way talent (that had some ability to be usable on both ends) was thin. By the time they got to GS, some had been too overworked, and one-way players had to be played in shifts (which then weakened them on one end or the other). Just not enough talent.
2 I don't see the additions (Klay, Naji, or Grimes) as offense-only players that would signal abandoning a desire for defense. In fact, I see them as players whose appeal to the Mavs was because they do play defense -- but they also can help on the other end too. Closer to 2-way players.
3 So I see the Mavs trying to move from players who are EXTREMELY one platoon (with very limited ability on the other end of the floor -- THJ, Green, DJJ - to players who can contribute a lot on BOTH ends.

And I think that's smart.

As for SD, I do agree he is one-dimensional (offense only) and for that reason, I think his potential role here will be to sub for Luka or Kyrie, if needed. Or sit. But I think Kidd is very focused on defense, and his minutes (other than Luka and Ky) will be rewarded to whoever defends (with an eye to who can also play some some offense, while offering good defense). I suspect that those getting minutes subbing for Luka/Ky will have the same criteria.

I don't think that's an offense-first approach at all.

Why did they sign SD, if defense is important? Because they wanted to be sure that the ball-handling, offense-creating part of the whole, the engine driving them, is adequately stocked. Do you have enough of that if Luka or Ky get nicked and sit for a time? You can't afford for your offense to collapse. There are no good 2-way players willing to take a 3rd-string job and very limited minutes. Thus SD, not DSJ.

But generally they are working with the approach that it's a two-way game, and while you can get by with one-platoon players during the regular season, you have an issue in the playoffs. Boston had a whole team full of two way players, and Mavs need that type of roster too. imo