07-05-2025, 01:46 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-05-2025, 01:48 PM by Scott41theMavs.)
(07-05-2025, 01:01 PM)DallasMaverick Wrote: Kidd has shown the willingness to tinker with lineups a lot, particularly early in the season, at the expense of wins. I fully expect the same this year, and he’s got a lot of quality parts to tinker with. Even without injuries, I expect lots of permutations.
If Kidd goes with this approach (being willing to experiment at the expense of wins) this year - with Kyrie rehabbing and Flagg testing his wings and "being made uncomfortable" - that increases my sense (amid all this optimism) that this is another stealth tank year. If the Mavs aren't clearing .400 by the 41-game point, I think that hypothesis will be gelling into a reality. We'll just have to see.
Overall, though, if AD and Lively (and to a lesser extent Exum) have any degree of health, and if Kyrie returns at a high level, I think this is likely about a sixth seed team that would be a few spots higher had Kyrie been healthy from the get-go. That's all, of course, because of one lucky ping-pong ball.