MAVS NEWS:

[Scott41theMavs]

I heard the Riccardi interview on the Ticket and he also did one today (probably for a pregame). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS-UC77cx_w  He comes off as smart and a guy with good plans, but there was a ton of smarmy praise in that interview by the Mavs TV team (Harper, Larson) so it also feels like maybe the Mavs as a franchise are trying to sell him (or the Finley/Riccardi package) to us as the answer to a need for an actual proven EXPERT in charge. Ugh.

I do see him adding value by bringing a much better focus and process to the scouting and development. But he has been here since 2022, and I am very wary that their results are still mediocre. The OMax miss was on his watch. Whether it was poor evaluation in the first place, or poor development method, or impatience, or poor roster planning, he was in charge of it, and they really needed to hit on that 1st rounder. The Martin misevaluation was also on his watch. And was he the one who made the decision to re-sign Exum? He was in charge of player personnel, so it's possible.

More than that, negotiation is a MAJOR part of the job to fill, and I don't think that's what he's been doing. Mavs negotiation has sucked for years. They badly need a proven pro at that job.

I really want a PROVEN EXPERT in the big seat. Keeping Riccardi/Finley is fine, in their jobs from before Nico being fired -- but as the leader, I want a guy who is the best, rather than just being competent. (Presti, please.)

With all due respect (and you deserve a lot), OMax wasn't a miss as seen with his play this year. They just didn't develop him correctly, which is on Kidd, not the front office. The miss was dumping him instead of Exum, but even I would have done that at the time.