Scattershooting some current thoughts about the draft ...
1 Acuff's total apathy on the defensive end is something I don't think will be "fixed" in the NBA. He is who he is.
2 I don't trust the reliability of the NJ-based writer who tells us the Mavs have "trade-up interest in Acuff." I suspect there are lots of exploratory calls being made by many teams as to the possibility and price to move up or down, but as they make those calls, no team is going to broadcast their actual preferences in such a potential move.
3 I can see a theoretical scenario I like in which Mavs would swap 9 for 12+17, but that scenario happening would be a real longshot. In it the teams ahead of them have picked a run of players they don't actually want, and there would still be at least 3 players still on the board they would love. On my board, that would have 5-8 used on players like Acuff, Mara, Yaxel, Flemings, Ament, Lopez, and OKC wanting to pick another.
4 But even if it fell like that, would OKC be sitting by the phone hoping for that deal?
5 Yes I would love another shot at a GOOD player in addition to 9, but I think adding that takes getting a pick in the top 20 by trade. Unfortunately I don't see any teams picking in the 10-20 range who would be chasing a win-now addition like the Mavs could be providing in a trade. Teams chasing a win-now addition have picks in the mid 20s or so, and I think the choices there will be way too iffy. The Mavs can already pick long shots at 30 and 48. Save the talent for something better.
6 The name that most intrigues me at 30 is de Larrea, but what we know of him is limited. From those snippets, I see him as Wagler-like.
1 Acuff's total apathy on the defensive end is something I don't think will be "fixed" in the NBA. He is who he is.
2 I don't trust the reliability of the NJ-based writer who tells us the Mavs have "trade-up interest in Acuff." I suspect there are lots of exploratory calls being made by many teams as to the possibility and price to move up or down, but as they make those calls, no team is going to broadcast their actual preferences in such a potential move.
3 I can see a theoretical scenario I like in which Mavs would swap 9 for 12+17, but that scenario happening would be a real longshot. In it the teams ahead of them have picked a run of players they don't actually want, and there would still be at least 3 players still on the board they would love. On my board, that would have 5-8 used on players like Acuff, Mara, Yaxel, Flemings, Ament, Lopez, and OKC wanting to pick another.
4 But even if it fell like that, would OKC be sitting by the phone hoping for that deal?
5 Yes I would love another shot at a GOOD player in addition to 9, but I think adding that takes getting a pick in the top 20 by trade. Unfortunately I don't see any teams picking in the 10-20 range who would be chasing a win-now addition like the Mavs could be providing in a trade. Teams chasing a win-now addition have picks in the mid 20s or so, and I think the choices there will be way too iffy. The Mavs can already pick long shots at 30 and 48. Save the talent for something better.
6 The name that most intrigues me at 30 is de Larrea, but what we know of him is limited. From those snippets, I see him as Wagler-like.