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[Mavs2021]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/3875...-hierarchy

This is crazy! 

The Mavs, barely even a play-in team, according to many folks on this board, got all the way up to 7th in the league, according to a panel of NBA experts.

Now, it very well might be that they are a bunch of idiots, just like Jason Kidd.

But still, 7th….

Well if the well-liked McMahon and Bontemps rank the Mavs this highly, I´m sure the board will disagree with them....as usual.

[Nowitzki Way]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/3875...-hierarchy

This is crazy! 

The Mavs, barely even a play-in team, according to many folks on this board, got all the way up to 7th in the league, according to a panel of NBA experts.

Now, it very well might be that they are a bunch of idiots, just like Jason Kidd.

But still, 7th….

7th is an over reaction from them. Its only 3 games.  We are still a play-in team, at best.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/3875...-hierarchy

This is crazy! 

The Mavs, barely even a play-in team, according to many folks on this board, got all the way up to 7th in the league, according to a panel of NBA experts.

Now, it very well might be that they are a bunch of idiots, just like Jason Kidd.

But still, 7th….

I'm on the record for 52 wins

[DallasMaverick]

So…

Does anyone else see a problem with the ESPN headline?

Power Rankings: Did big early trades shake things up?
The Bucks, Celtics and Nuggets continue to top the rank as the only undefeated teams left in the league, while the Rockets and Grizzlies search for a first win.

[The Jom]

So…

Does anyone else see a problem with the ESPN headline?

Power Rankings: Did big early trades shake things up?
The Bucks, Celtics and Nuggets continue to top the rank as the only undefeated teams left in the league, while the Rockets and Grizzlies search for a first win.

Apparently they edited it cause that’s not what it says now.

[The Jom]

Through 3 games we are 2nd in Points per Game and first in O-Rating at 121.5.  JKidd was quoted the other night as saying we are comfortable playing these games in the 120's.

He better be because the Defense is giving up 116.3 per game (23rd) and the D-Rating is 112.8 (20th).

Pace is sixth and net rating is +8.7 (8th in the league).

Clutch record can make this work in the regular season (I think last night was another clutch game since we were up four until Josh put us up six at the 4:57 mark).  What we don't know yet is whether this is our best play or simply playing to the level of our opponents.  Need to see some games against better opponents to know.

Our opponents are shooting 40% from 3 on us. Poor D or just streaky shooting? Either way, hafta think that coming down to league average is a huge component of our formula for success.

[mvossman]

Our opponents are shooting 40% from 3 on us. Poor D or just streaky shooting? Either way, hafta think that coming down to league average is a huge component of our formula for success.

Its small sample streaky.  On the other hand, we are shooting over 40% from 3, which is also streaky.  both numbers will come down as the season progresses.

[mvossman]

7th is an over reaction from them. Its only 3 games.  We are still a play-in team, at best.

Its an overreaction to 3 games, but saying we are play-in at best is too far the other way.

[Jakeospikez]

Let´s not get carried away here. He did not take a team friendly deal. He took the best deal he could have gotten. So far has missed half the games and his play has been alright. 

Nah he wasn't completely out of options. It was about as drama free a FA as you could get. Salary is on the low end of what everyone was expecting. There were a few teams with cap space. Mostly rebuilding teams but on a 1-2 year deal they could use him as a mentor. No random agent leaks or leaks to woj/shams suggesting another team would do X or Y. No attempts to force a S&T or he'll leave for less money and the Mavs are left with air, etc. Definitely not the absolute best deal he could have gotten.

[ItsGoTime]

Nah he wasn't completely out of options. It was about as drama free a FA as you could get. Salary is on the low end of what everyone was expecting. There were a few teams with cap space. Mostly rebuilding teams but on a 1-2 year deal they could use him as a mentor. No random agent leaks or leaks to woj/shams suggesting another team would do X or Y. No attempts to force a S&T or he'll leave for less money and the Mavs are left with air, etc. Definitely not the absolute best deal he could have gotten.

Was it reported that he got another deal? I don’t remember that. If your argument is that the money was out there for him to get more, sure it was, but when more money went to FVV, I’d argue the interest in paying him more than he got was not there. In other words, I don’t think it’s as off to say he took the most money offered than to say he took a team friendly deal.

[The Jom]

Was it reported that he got another deal? I don’t remember that. If your argument is that the money was out there for him to get more, sure it was, but when more money went to FVV, I’d argue the interest in paying him more than he got was not there. In other words, I don’t think it’s as off to say he took the most money offered than to say he took a team friendly deal.

It was team friendly. No question. Could he have gotten a better deal? Hard to say. But Kyrie at 37 is a good deal. Guys making more:

Rudy Gobert
Brad Beal
Fred VV
Tobias Harris
Ben Simmons

[Mavs2021]

It was team friendly. No question. Could he have gotten a better deal? Hard to say. But Kyrie at 37 is a good deal. Guys making more:

Rudy Gobert
Brad Beal
Fred VV
Tobias Harris
Ben Simmons

Last two off-seasons three players (FVV, Brooks, Brunson) changed teams during the off-season on deals that exceeded 15M/year. Players are forcing trades all the time, cause there is almost no way to change teams on big money in free agency, unless you want to go to a rebuilding team like Houston. Once Houston decided they didn´t want him, he had no way to get paid. This was an Irving-friendly deal, if anything. 

Ask yourself this: 

Could Irving have gotten more elsewhere outright? Absolutely not.
Could the Mavs have offered less (90/3 with a team option) and still have by far the best offer available? Absolutely.

They just couldn´t risk pissing Luka and Kyrie off after the Brunson debacle.

Then Irving might still force a trade to the Lakers in three months, but I honestly do not care. 

I´m happy with Lively, Williams, Green and Hardy. If we can turn Irving into Hachimura, Russell, Christie and a pick, then use our assets to make a move for a Lavine, Siakam, Grant we are a better team in the long-run.

[The Jom]

Last two off-seasons three players (FVV, Brooks, Brunson) changed teams during the off-season on deals that exceeded 15M/year. Players are forcing trades all the time, cause there is almost no way to change teams on big money in free agency, unless you want to go to a rebuilding team like Houston. Once Houston decided they didn´t want him, he had no way to get paid. This was an Irving-friendly deal, if anything. 

Ask yourself this: 

Could Irving have gotten more elsewhere outright? Absolutely not.
Could the Mavs have offered less (90/3 with a team option) and still have by far the best offer available? Absolutely.

They just couldn´t risk pissing Luka and Kyrie off after the Brunson debacle.

Then Irving might still force a trade to the Lakers in three months, but I honestly do not care. 

I´m happy with Lively, Williams, Green and Hardy. If we can turn Irving into Hachimura, Russell, Christie and a pick, then use our assets to make a move for a Lavine, Siakam, Grant we are a better team in the long-run.

I get you. I just don’t agree with the what-teams-can-do analysis. If a quality player is available at below-market money, teams find ways to bid. You might remember NY was one of the teams that couldn’t afford Brunson at a near-30mm price. Until they could. 

Kyrie’s ongoing commentary likely got him blackballed in many parts of the country. No doubt there were teams that absolutely weren’t gonna be bidders. But no way was Dallas his only option.

[Mavs2021]

I get you. I just don’t agree with the what-teams-can-do analysis. If a quality player is available at below-market money, teams find ways to bid. You might remember NY was one of the teams that couldn’t afford Brunson at a near-30mm price. Until they could. 

Kyrie’s ongoing commentary likely got him blackballed in many parts of the country. No doubt there were teams that absolutely weren’t gonna be bidders. But no way was Dallas his only option.

Brunson is young with a record of spotless behaviour that would intrigue every team in the league and he signed for 26M/year. Which rebuilding team is bringing in Kyrie Irving to be it´s locker room leader.

Deal was fine, but for the love of god people need to stop pretending that Irving did the Mavs a favour or it was some brilliant negotiation plot. He´s sabotaged three championships contenders with his erratic behaviour and is injury-prone on the wrong side of 30. He was not getting anything better.

[ItsGoTime]

It was team friendly. No question. Could he have gotten a better deal? Hard to say. But Kyrie at 37 is a good deal. Guys making more:

Rudy Gobert
Brad Beal
Fred VV
Tobias Harris
Ben Simmons

Good deal? No one’s arguing that. Team-friendly deal as if he did us a favor? Nah. Closer to say we did him the favor by offering the most money of any team. I’m not saying that either, but it is closer to the truth. Teams that drop money to sign others is in offseasons where there is a lot more money to spend than there was last offseason. If Kyrie were to be a FA this upcoming offseason (or the previous one) and signed that type of deal? The truth would be closer to team-friendly.

[SleepingHero]

I think the fact we're going back and forth arguing as to who got the better end of the deal tells me both parties ended up right where they should have and the deal was fair.

Was it possible for Kyrie to be signed to a deal in the mid-20s given that there were no other realistic suitors? Maybe. Was it likely? I have my doubts. But I do know that the chance for him to resume his malcontent ways and foster a feeling of being disrespected (something that has played a role in both his Boston and Brooklyn departures) shoots up exponentially higher in that reality. And at that point Kyrie at any number is an albatross.

He's on a very good contract right now that could be considered team friendly through the lens of 1) how easy is he to move. 2) value for money. When Kyrie is on, he's an All-NBA talent. He's getting paid a significantly lower amount than other guys with his talent level and thats all that matters.

[Jakeospikez]

Kyrie's got friends and connections all over the league. If you want to be real about it, the extension was probably already agreed upon under the table before the trade even happened to begin with. Don't really care personally. FA was super chill when Mavs FA has always been a clusterfuck in the past. His biggest issue was missing games due to covid but that's not a problem anymore and was never an issue in Texas anyways. Agreed that all that matters is the all-nba talent that can go off for 50+ on any given night and likely at least once in a 7 game series on a reasonable contract. Never easy to find playmakers with elite handles.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Slow paced game last night moved us from 6th to 16th in pace for the season.  But, Net Rating of 8.9 moved up to 4th.  O is 2nd and D is 18th.

We are +19 when Lively is in the game.  We are 4th in blocked shots and his vertical gravity along with the attention paid to Luka has us 3rd in the league in 3% at .410.  We are getting calls believe it or not.  2nd in FT’s per FG Attempt.

The question is whether this is Fools Gold.  We are 30th in Strength of Schedule so far.

[Chicagojk]

The question is whether this is Fools Gold.  We are 30th in Strength of Schedule so far.

I think Strength of schedule has played a part in this.   Good teams who expect to be in the playoff need to beat the Bulls and Nets at home and get wins against San Antonio and a depleted Memphis team on the road.  Last year this team lost way to many of these games.   It really gives you little room for error if you lose 6-7 of these type of "win" games.   

While I am not sure the defense is good or not, I have seen more fight this year than all of last year imo.   Feels much like the previous year than last year.  

Lastly, this team never won when Luka was out to begin last year and they probably would not have won a game where Luka scored under 20.   Luka had to work really hard last night.   It would be nice if he could have those games where he could sort of coast and find a few parts of the game to dominate.   Jokic can do that in the regular season.  It certainly helps for the long season.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

Slow paced game last night moved us from 6th to 16th in pace for the season.  But, Net Rating of 8.9 moved up to 4th.  O is 2nd and D is 18th.

We are +19 when Lively is in the game.  We are 4th in blocked shots and his vertical gravity along with the attention paid to Luka has us 3rd in the league in 3% at .410.  We are getting calls believe it or not.  2nd in FT’s per FG Attempt.

The question is whether this is Fools Gold.  We are 30th in Strength of Schedule so far.

Certainly weak competition has helped, but it's just what the doctor ordered when placing 3 new players (Lively, GWill, DJJ) into the top 6 rotation.  It gives us confidence and allows us to gel without being too stressed by competition.

Dan, where do you get your advanced stats?