Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[mvossman]

Yes but those injuries and illnesses are part of the season just like the salary cap is part of the game.  They had to calculate do we like our chances of having this roster healthy at the right time and what does our roster flexibility look like next year if we don't win it this year? 

What I said is I think Luka has a better chance, I meant sooner or later, than he did with this team this year and based on the way things were trending with this roster in the near future.  Yes the Mavs made an awesome run last year however as much as I despise what Nico did, he has a point about Luka's trending condition, the pending money trap and projecting the roster in the short term.  They got a guy like Klay for the near term run for example.  For a guy about to demand that massive supermax spot in your salary, repeat injuries to he calf has to concern a team.  
Look at the Sixers now with Embiid.    

If you're looking at Luka's chance at getting back to finals with this Mavs roster standing pat this year, you have to look at the improved OKC team which wasn't even full strength yet.  Did you favor this years Luka Mavs over the Western contenders this year?  I just don't see that with Luka's trending condition they would be favored over the top contenders in the West.   

Its also true that this team was going to need better defense. I think they made nice moves to improve it, but AD and the youngster they got with him make this a better defensive team, probably elite when healthy.  

Even if they somehow emerged from the West with Luka this year and Luka was able remain healthy (which he wasn't last season) did they really catch up to the best of the east, Boston, now CLE, Bucks, Knicks?   Not saying they didn't have a chance but I don't think they could feel good about their chances.

I mean they were underdogs in every series last season as well.  I think if Lively gets fully healthy by the playoffs the team would have been better than last years team.  I was not ready to claim OKC better than Dallas until they beat us in a playoff series.  We seemed to have their number (I believe after our last game we were responsible for 7 of their last 11 losses).  And I don't think Boston is the team it was last year.  Jrue seems to be falling off a cliff a bit, and they have age/injury concerns in the frontcourt.  

The thing that it feels like some people are forgetting is just how good Luka is in the playoffs.  They have been the underdog in every playoff series in the Luka era, and they have won every series that they were not completely outmatched talent wise.  As they increased the talent on this team, it seems like that was going to happen less and less.  With Luka in the playoffs, you didn't have to be the best team, you just had to be in the ballpark talent wise, and he could take you home.  We just gave that up and I don't think we will see it again in a Mavs uniform for a long, long time.