12-26-2025, 01:51 AM
(12-25-2025, 11:35 PM)loki Wrote: I was just wondering this myself. You can't really send AD home if he's healthy. He's playing for his next contract extension. One thing they could do is to be overly cautious every time he has an injury. If he tweaks an ankle and needs a night off, give him the week off. If he strains his groan and needs a few weeks, give him a month. Also don't let him play any back to backs. That would probably take care of much of the season. When he is playing, keep him on a strict minutes limit. Ideally he would come out after a short stint in the 3rd quarter of every game and not return.
Between that and keeping Kyrie out for the year, I think they could successfully navigate a tank with him still on the roster. They're going to be walking a tightrope the entire way though. And the hardest part might be to keep their coach from opening his big mouth. The league tends to look the other way about this sort of thing unless you tell on yourself.
This whole idea that the Mavs play so much better with AD is BS anyway.
The main reasons Mavs get wins are
1) starting PG
2) Flagg´s improvement
3) firing Nico
4) homecourt
Mavs are 2-5 away from home without AD
Mavs are 1-5 away from home with AD
Mavs play 13 of the last 16 games away from home.
Mavs are 8-8 with AD.
Mavs are 9-12 since Nico got fired.
Mavs are 7-6 when Nembhard plays over 20 MPG.