The Mavs have been planning for years for 2021 free agency. They have been building their roster with that free agency year in mind. It is no secret in NBA circles. It was what we were told going into free agency and everything has continued to play out with 2021 free agency in mind...the Mavs are poised to have a MAX slot to sign a superstar in 2021.
Is all of this work and planning just about Giannis? Are the Mavs that convinced he will look elsewhere and leave? Or are they just willing to build their roster for years for the pipe-dream 1% shot at Giannis?
There was heavy word around the league very recently that Giannis would sign the supermax in MIL this offseason, and YET the Mavs didn't change their course in team building so far this offseason. Did they not change course because Giannis changed his mind suddenly because MIL lost out on Bogdanovic?
OR
Is it possible that they didn't change course because 2021 free agency wasn't ONLY about Giannis? Wonder if there was always a back up plan? Or is it possible that there was always a different "Plan A" that the Mavs have always known was more realistic? Wonder if Rudy Gobert was the confident plan and target all along?
Why is Gobert probably more realistic than Giannis?
1) Gobert and Donovan have had a falling out.
https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba/statu...5221690368
2) Donovan just signed long term in UTA (today in fact). I think Gobert and Donovan are "co-existing" at best. How will Gobert react to this?
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1330559384070578178
3) Gobert is eligible for the supermax and IF UTA offered it I bet he would sign it because that is a lot of money to walk away from. But I do not see UTA offering him the full supermax. I bet they will negotiate with him and how will his attitude be in negotiations when he is already at odds with Donovan?
https://twitter.com/Clintonite33/status/...8099590144
4) Gobert admires Luka and I believe DAL in general. I bet he would love to in DAL for the long term.
https://twitter.com/rudygobert27/status/...6118972416
5) Luka admires Gobert and I bet would love to play with him rather than against him.
https://twitter.com/andyblarsen/status/1...9836641288
But many would say "KP is the center for the Mavs, Gobert is NOT a fit!" I fundamentally disagree that Gobert would not be a fit in DAL.
Why is Gobert a good fit?
1) KP is a VERY versatile big man who can seamlessly play the 4 or the 5 as needed. Gobert and KP could share the floor together with KP playing more of the 4 role (and on offense, KP on the perimeter has been very potent for the Mavs anyway).
2) KP probably needs to be on a minutes restriction to lengthen his career and keep him ready for the playoffs. Gobert affords DAL the opportunity to rest KP and not take a hug step back (or weather the loss of KP to injury).
3) The Mavs can either spend a few resources to trade for him THIS season OR if UTA won't bite, then wait it out and sign him outright in the upcoming offseason (they have the room now).
4) Gobert is a rim-rolling (72nd, 93rd, 87th, and 95th percentile) plus on offense, +6.5, +4.5, +2.2, +7.9 the last four seasons. He would slide into the role that DP had filled alongside KP so successfully.
5) Gobert is a 2 time DPOY who has anchored the UTA defense for years. He led the NBA in DRPM last year (and four years ago) with +4.85 and has been top 5 one other time in the last four years.
6) There is ALWAYS a fit with TALENT. If you don't have talent then yeah fit can be hard sometimes, but when you have tons of talent, the talented players will figure out how to make it work.
A few questions I would want any fan who doubts the fit to ask themselves?
1) Do you really think the Mavs defense would be WORSE for getting Gobert? Do you think adding someone like Bogdanovic would make the team D in DAL better than adding Gobert would? Who could the Mavs get (outside of Giannis) that would make the team D better than it would be with Gobert?
2) Do you really think the Mavs offense would be worse by adding Gobert as a rim-rolling threat next to KP? Do you think KP can't play offensively alongside a rim rolling big?
3) Do you really think RC wouldn't be able to figure out how to best utilize all this talent if given the time and chance? Do you really think the Mavs should pass on an All Star and All Defensive TALENT because of the perceived idea of "fit"?
The big complaint with Gobert has been the myth that he has been "exposed" in the playoffs. I would argue very strongly that was has been exposed in the playoffs with UTA is how much Gobert makes that entire defense run on his own. I think you could argue that he is the only true strength in their D (with the exception of maybe Ingles) and so when playoff teams have isolated him on the perimeter they have not exposed Gobert as being flawed, they have exposed the dark underbelly truth about UTA: they suck as a defensive team apart from Gobert, so if he can be pulled away from the rim you have checkmated UTA especially if you are an eilte playoff team.
With Gobert + KP on D, the Mavs would always have one rim protecting big backing up the other. Therefore KP or Gobert could close out confidently knowing the other one has his back.
![[Image: giphy.gif]](https://media.giphy.com/media/eBtn0emPSShub1O24u/giphy.gif)
TLDR: The Mavs should not only be hoping in the lottery ticket of Giannis not signing the supermax, they should be strongly pursuing Gobert (whether by trade now OR as a free agent signing in 2021).
![[Image: Rudy-Gobert-Mavs-Luka-Doncic-Kristaps-Porzingis.png]](https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Rudy-Gobert-Mavs-Luka-Doncic-Kristaps-Porzingis.png)
Is all of this work and planning just about Giannis? Are the Mavs that convinced he will look elsewhere and leave? Or are they just willing to build their roster for years for the pipe-dream 1% shot at Giannis?
There was heavy word around the league very recently that Giannis would sign the supermax in MIL this offseason, and YET the Mavs didn't change their course in team building so far this offseason. Did they not change course because Giannis changed his mind suddenly because MIL lost out on Bogdanovic?
OR
Is it possible that they didn't change course because 2021 free agency wasn't ONLY about Giannis? Wonder if there was always a back up plan? Or is it possible that there was always a different "Plan A" that the Mavs have always known was more realistic? Wonder if Rudy Gobert was the confident plan and target all along?
Why is Gobert probably more realistic than Giannis?
1) Gobert and Donovan have had a falling out.
https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba/statu...5221690368
2) Donovan just signed long term in UTA (today in fact). I think Gobert and Donovan are "co-existing" at best. How will Gobert react to this?
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1330559384070578178
3) Gobert is eligible for the supermax and IF UTA offered it I bet he would sign it because that is a lot of money to walk away from. But I do not see UTA offering him the full supermax. I bet they will negotiate with him and how will his attitude be in negotiations when he is already at odds with Donovan?
https://twitter.com/Clintonite33/status/...8099590144
4) Gobert admires Luka and I believe DAL in general. I bet he would love to in DAL for the long term.
https://twitter.com/rudygobert27/status/...6118972416
5) Luka admires Gobert and I bet would love to play with him rather than against him.
https://twitter.com/andyblarsen/status/1...9836641288
But many would say "KP is the center for the Mavs, Gobert is NOT a fit!" I fundamentally disagree that Gobert would not be a fit in DAL.
Why is Gobert a good fit?
1) KP is a VERY versatile big man who can seamlessly play the 4 or the 5 as needed. Gobert and KP could share the floor together with KP playing more of the 4 role (and on offense, KP on the perimeter has been very potent for the Mavs anyway).
2) KP probably needs to be on a minutes restriction to lengthen his career and keep him ready for the playoffs. Gobert affords DAL the opportunity to rest KP and not take a hug step back (or weather the loss of KP to injury).
3) The Mavs can either spend a few resources to trade for him THIS season OR if UTA won't bite, then wait it out and sign him outright in the upcoming offseason (they have the room now).
4) Gobert is a rim-rolling (72nd, 93rd, 87th, and 95th percentile) plus on offense, +6.5, +4.5, +2.2, +7.9 the last four seasons. He would slide into the role that DP had filled alongside KP so successfully.
5) Gobert is a 2 time DPOY who has anchored the UTA defense for years. He led the NBA in DRPM last year (and four years ago) with +4.85 and has been top 5 one other time in the last four years.
6) There is ALWAYS a fit with TALENT. If you don't have talent then yeah fit can be hard sometimes, but when you have tons of talent, the talented players will figure out how to make it work.
A few questions I would want any fan who doubts the fit to ask themselves?
1) Do you really think the Mavs defense would be WORSE for getting Gobert? Do you think adding someone like Bogdanovic would make the team D in DAL better than adding Gobert would? Who could the Mavs get (outside of Giannis) that would make the team D better than it would be with Gobert?
2) Do you really think the Mavs offense would be worse by adding Gobert as a rim-rolling threat next to KP? Do you think KP can't play offensively alongside a rim rolling big?
3) Do you really think RC wouldn't be able to figure out how to best utilize all this talent if given the time and chance? Do you really think the Mavs should pass on an All Star and All Defensive TALENT because of the perceived idea of "fit"?
The big complaint with Gobert has been the myth that he has been "exposed" in the playoffs. I would argue very strongly that was has been exposed in the playoffs with UTA is how much Gobert makes that entire defense run on his own. I think you could argue that he is the only true strength in their D (with the exception of maybe Ingles) and so when playoff teams have isolated him on the perimeter they have not exposed Gobert as being flawed, they have exposed the dark underbelly truth about UTA: they suck as a defensive team apart from Gobert, so if he can be pulled away from the rim you have checkmated UTA especially if you are an eilte playoff team.
With Gobert + KP on D, the Mavs would always have one rim protecting big backing up the other. Therefore KP or Gobert could close out confidently knowing the other one has his back.
TLDR: The Mavs should not only be hoping in the lottery ticket of Giannis not signing the supermax, they should be strongly pursuing Gobert (whether by trade now OR as a free agent signing in 2021).