Yesterday, 08:56 AM
(Yesterday, 07:31 AM)F Gump Wrote: I agree that the Mavs botched the tank job, which is a big black eye on the GM types who set the priorities. That was really important, to get a top talent from this abysmal year, their golden chance to get a top running mate for Flagg. Did they? Nope. Instead, they settled for a path that will yield a low top-10 pick, in all likelihood, which gives them leftovers. Very inferior GMing.
But the idea that the Mavs "barely played any young guys all season" is so off base.
They had 3 starters 22 or younger (Flagg, Christie, Nemby) and also gave tons of minutes to Williams, Cisse, Hardy, Kelly, Poulakidis, Johnson, Smith, Bagley to try to assess their future and perhaps help them grow as a player. Whether these were the right players or not, probably those spots need to be (and will be) upgraded next season, but there were lots of minutes allotted to youngsters. Those players got close to HALF of the total playing time this season.
At the same time, the Mavs played some veterans too, who will be headed into their prime and need to be good next season. Flagg needed that to allow his game to grow.
Why exactly do those vets need to be good next season? I think that is what plenty of us are complaining about. It's not one year with a botched tank job. It's the refusal to actually rebuild with a longterm plan. They don't need to be good next season. They need to have all the available assets and young talent in 2-3 years.
Only reason to play vets next year should be to increase/recover their trade value.
You want Presti as the next GM but you seemingly aren't a big fan of his approach. But it's the approach that matters. Accumulating assets in all possible ways instead trying to win as many games as possible next season. Ignoring the record even in a year where the Mavs don't have their own first round pick. Offering a young team the opportunity to play as competitive as they can with no real pressure/expectations.
And yes compared to other "tanking" teams the Mavs are way too old. Even players in their mid/late 20s aren't all that relevant for a potential rebuild around Flagg. Flagg is 19. Meaning that PJ, Gafford, Marshall and co will be on the wrong side of 30 before he signs his rookie extension. You don't need to have all players on the exact same timeline but at least need a core of young players that can develop together (individually and chemistry).