MAVS hire Masai Ujiri as new team President

[mvossman]

I start thinking about it at #10 if Brown, Burries, Flemings, Wagler and Acuff are all gone.

That would be absolute worst case for me.  Fortunately the odds are very slim, both for Mavs being 10 or later and for 5 guards going off the board in a row.

[Smitty]

Ament at 8 would be a real disappointment.

I was joking, mostly. I do think some teams, even the Mavs, will have Ament higher than the consensus or higher than fans. Even I think he would be the #1 pick next year, so being a year early isn’t going to hurt my feelings if that’s who the Mavs go with at 8/9/10, trade back.

[DallasMaverick]

What a story

https://x.com/draftexpress/status/205284...79287?s=46

It's a little reminiscent of Keith Grant.  Or Eric Spoelstra.

Good for him!

[Chicagojk]

If anyone else's mind immediately went to African prospects:

Nate Ament's mom is from Rwanda.  He grew up in the US, but has been to African multiple times leading youth basketball camps.  His Reebok shoe has the colors of the Rwandan flag.

Rueben Chinyelu, a rebounding machine defensive Center from Florida mocked at #45 is from Nigeria and came up through the NBA Academy Africa.

Yessoufou from Baylor currently mocked at #23 grew up in West Africa

Yessoufou who has been mocked a lot at 30 is one of my approved guys .   There is a lot of things not to like if you watched him this year, but I think a lot of it is he is raw, Baylor had an weird year and he was asked to do stuff he won't be asked to do in the pros.   It will take time, but he is a good name.  

I thought Chinyelu went back to school.   I think him and a few others will go back if they don't fall in the first round.   Chinyelu is really raw but a great rebounder and can really move his face.  Not a great rim runner currently despite having a 7'7 wingspan.  Should probably go back to school.

[F Gump]

Ament at 8 would be a real disappointment.

Picking in the top 4 will make that worry moot. Less than 2 days to ...

[DallasMaverick]

Picking in the top 4 will make that worry moot. Less than 2 days to ...

Luck and chance have nothing to do with the Mavs' pick.

It's all about the expertise of the GM.

...and the quality of the training staff!

[Smitty]

Yessoufou who has been mocked a lot at 30 is one of my approved guys .   There is a lot of things not to like if you watched him this year, but I think a lot of it is he is raw, Baylor had an weird year and he was asked to do stuff he won't be asked to do in the pros.   It will take time, but he is a good name.  

I thought Chinyelu went back to school.   I think him and a few others will go back if they don't fall in the first round.   Chinyelu is really raw but a great rebounder and can really move his face.  Not a great rim runner currently despite having a 7'7 wingspan.  Should probably go back to school.

   

[cow]

Even as a Cowboy's fan you have to go back to the 1970s.

The Shotty era has started off really strong.

[windjc]

The Shotty era has started off really strong.

You are missing the point. The owner is still a turd.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

It's a little reminiscent of Keith Grant.  Or Eric Spoelstra.

Good for him!

Dear, Barbara!!! Let's hope he’s nothing like that idiot, Grant! That guy could teach a master class on GM f---ery!

[cow]

You are missing the point. The owner is still a turd.

No.  You are oblivious to the point that Jerry is allowing things to happen that are outside of his usual mode of operation.  See:  Christian Parker and his influence on player acquisition. Jerry will always be Jerry to a degree of course, but if we are willing to criticize, we should also be willing to praise.

[windjc]

No.  You are oblivious to the point that Jerry is allowing things to happen that are outside of his usual mode of operation.  See:  Christian Parker and his influence on player acquisition.  Jerry will always be Jerry to a degree of course, but if we are willing to criticize, we should also be willing to praise.

He hired Bill Parcels once. Were you born then? The ownership is second tier. That will never change. Or at least until something drastic were to happen.

[Winter]

From Hoopsrumors

"Schmitz’s arrival could lead to further changes to the Mavericks‘ front office. However, Matt Riccardi — who had been acting as co-interim GM alongside Michael Finley since November — will continue to be Dallas’ drawing room representative at Sunday’s draft lottery, Stein confirms (via Twitter). That seems to suggest Riccardi has a good chance of staying with the Mavs, though what his exact role might be has yet to be reported."

[Smitty]

From Hoopsrumors

"Schmitz’s arrival could lead to further changes to the Mavericks‘ front office. However, Matt Riccardi — who had been acting as co-interim GM alongside Michael Finley since November — will continue to be Dallas’ drawing room representative at Sunday’s draft lottery, Stein confirms (via Twitter). That seems to suggest Riccardi has a good chance of staying with the Mavs, though what his exact role might be has yet to be reported."

Staying on as Assistant GM makes sense to me. The trio of Masai, Schmitz, and Riccardi will likely lead to me never questioning their draft selections going forward.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Staying on as Assistant GM makes sense to me. The trio of Masai, Schmitz, and Riccardi will likely lead to me never questioning their draft selections going forward.

Agreed!  Easy enought to carve up the pro personnel side from the draft side.  We haven't heard much from or about Finley in a while.

Question...does the speed with which the Schmitz thing was done and the apparent lack of an open interview process further the idea that Masai has been on board for some time getting ready for this and just waiting for the Toronto season to end?  It is great to have Schmitz on board in time for the combine.  But, the suddenness feels like this didn't just happen Wednesday and Thursday.

[Winter]

Question...does the speed with which the Schmitz thing was done and the apparent lack of an open interview process further the idea that Masai has been on board for some time getting ready for this and just waiting for the Toronto season to end?  It is great to have Schmitz on board in time for the combine.  But, the suddenness feels like this didn't just happen Wednesday and Thursday.

I absolutely thought that when I read it yesterday.

In fact, there was another discussion on the Blazers website where they were "sad to see him go" etc etc which all felt very unsurprising the way the comment was crafted. I think it was just a few hours after the Schmitz announcement.

"Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin gave a brief statement to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian regarding Schmitz’s new job. “Today is a celebration,” Cronin told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “We’re very happy for Mike to get this great opportunity. It’s well deserved and we’re incredibly thankful for his contributions to the Trail Blazers organization.”

The Blazer FO may not have been fully read in yet, but I suspect they knew he had interviewed at least. It really feels like Schmitz and Ujiri have known all this for awhile.

Edit: Mavs Fim Room just posted that Masai knew he had the job 2 weeks ago.

[Chicagojk]

I absolutely thought that when I read it yesterday.

In fact, there was another discussion on the Blazers website where they were "sad to see him go" etc etc which all felt very unsurprising the way the comment was crafted. I think it was just a few hours after the Schmitz announcement.

"Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin gave a brief statement to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian regarding Schmitz’s new job. “Today is a celebration,” Cronin told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “We’re very happy for Mike to get this great opportunity. It’s well deserved and we’re incredibly thankful for his contributions to the Trail Blazers organization.”

The Blazer FO may not have been fully read in yet, but I suspect they knew he had interviewed at least. It really feels like Schmitz and Ujiri have known all this for awhile.

Edit: Mavs Fim Room just posted that Masai knew he had the job 2 weeks ago.

Yep.  Two weeks ago.  But I am sure he has been talking to people for a while about potential directions.  

It was reported Ricardo and Fin were notified last weekend they weren't getting the role.  I wonder if that is accurate 

https://x.com/mavsfilmroom/status/205312...73085?s=46

[Chicagojk]

https://x.com/mavsfilmroom/status/205468...43176?s=46

[mvossman]

https://x.com/mavsfilmroom/status/205468...43176?s=46

I would argue the closest thing to Shai in this draft is Flemings.  Both very quick and like to operate in the mid range.  Their college stats are very similar across the board.

[Chicagojk]

I would argue the closest thing to Shai in this draft is Flemings.  Both very quick and like to operate in the mid range.  Their college stats are very similar across the board.

I actually think Philon is the actually closest comparison to Shai in this draft class.  Not nearly as good but they sort of move similar.  

BTW, that comment from Schmitz is pretty great.    I wonder how many had SGA over Trae.   I really don't remember me having any thoughts of SGA in that draft.    If not Luka or Bagley, the other players I was looking at did not include SGA.    I saw another interview where Schmitz was talking about JDub at a game and praising him too.  Now him making a few good takes doesn't mean he will make good decisions moving forward.  We will see.