MAVS NEWS:

[KillerLeft]

KL, back to the discussion.

1 No response to the LONG outline by ESPN of what seems to be a renewed emphasis on bigs, and how that might bear on Mavs roster- building choices?

2 On Coby, to me I have doubts Mavs really would want him (or like whatever cost it would take). If they did, I dont think they would have added DR as the 7th or 8th guard on the 15-man. That's already close to excessive and leaves the other 3 positions thin. 

3 Re AD and his role, I recalled a thought I had weeks or months ago and if it still might look right. It was that Kidd's vision is to recreate Mavs title team. If true, DG/DL are intended to mirror Ty and Haywood, and he wants AD to be able to be Dirk. If true, it would also offer hints at what he will try to make happen with other players (fill in blanks). It's an interesting exercise to imagine Kidd planning w that model and what that makes the team look like.

1) Not really. I think teams are scared of Jokic, but I don't think "more size" is the only or possibly even the best way of meeting that fear. I think there's speculation from this past playoffs that the game will be officiated in such a way that allows more physicality, and I hope so...but I'm not so sure. I also think bigger players are becoming more skilled, but that the phenomenon hasn't become commonplace for 7-footers just yet. There are lots of Flaggs popping up these days, but we still haven't seen a Gafford who can move quite well enough (yet). I know Gafford isn't 7' tall - I'm referring to the build. In a general sense, I do like that the Mavs are big, and I don't mean to give the impression that I feel otherwise, but I think the name of the game is still skill. Give me a bunch of Flagg/PJW guys who can run and change directions. That's still the model that counts in my book. AD and Lively fit that vision. 

2) I agree that the Mavs seem not to have prioritized White. I'm not sure if it's because they didn't want him, or because they couldn't afford him. I like Gafford and I really like PJW, but if I were in Chicago's shoes, I'd not trade White for either. So, I guess we just don't know. I do think Russel at the tpMLE was a good get, but not enough. Although I guess I need to say that I'm not advocating for giving a good player away for a bad one just to assuage the roster imbalance. If we actually knew what was on the table in real life, I could tell you what I thought and we'd get to the bottom of this. Me, personally...I think they're short on creation. I'd have tried like heck to do Russell AND someone else, and Coby White happens to be the only shopped name out there that I think is worth the risk of giving up one of their front court players (but NOT the Lakers pick, which I think might be the real reason he's not here or anywhere besides Chicago for that matter). 

3) I think VERY highly of AD, but not of his ability to be Dirk in some sort of 2011 Mavs clone. I think he's much more like Duncan (the best center of a different generation, who also wanted everyone to realize he was really a 4). Even compared to Duncan I think his scoring game is limited. I think he's one of the best defenders EVER, if I'm being honest, and he'll have his moments on offense, but I think much of what makes him special evaporates when he's not bigger AND quicker than his opponent. At the 5, I think he's probably the 2nd best in the NBA. Some would say the best, if he could stay healthy. At the 4, I think he's below average, as he can't move or shoot quite well enough. Further, I am loathe to push everyone else out of position to accommodate this need to be uber big. I think it will look awesome against bad teams, and good teams will eviscerate this great defense we're all so keen on. 

I suspect after reading the last few pages that the conversation should be much simpler. I am frankly not a believer in Daniel Gafford to the level some people are. I don't dislike him, and I think he's very good at what he does well. I just don't value what he does well as much as some, particularly now that Luka is gone. He's basically an offense only player who's now very likely to get in the way on offense. He can't shoot, pass or handle the ball, and the team is no longer built on the spread pick and roll. On defense, while he'll have some "wow" moments when the ball happens to touch the paint at the same time he arrives there, there will be way more moments when his slow, lumbering feet are explored for easy pull up jumpers, as every team except the Mavs seems to have 2-3 guys on the court who can drain those at all times. He's the weak link on that end, in my mind, and now he's gotten paid. I worry that without Luka here, that will be the next contract they can't move if they don't do so soon. So, I suppose it's true that I don't view him as an asset quite as favorably as you do (though I don't feel like I'm trying to give him away, either). There were a lot of teams looking for centers this summer. Is that a trend, or an outlier? Will that need be there again at the deadline? Next summer? I worry about that.