(02-11-2022, 10:05 PM)Kammrath Wrote: Actually the trade is a loss in the big picture. The Mavs paid WAY more for KP than they got back and their shot at star-KP was a fail. So if you think I am "defending" the Mavs you are dead wrong. The Mavs utterly failed the KP experiment.
But...
1) ...considering the circumstances (how KP's value was totally tanked) the Mavs (Nico) did well.
2) ...Bertans has the single most important skill in the NBA, shooting. There is nothing that makes me think it is not coming back. It is not that different as to when we were complaining about Luka early this year. He was sucking (for his standard and even by NBA standards in ways), but we had enough evidence to believe he would figure it out with time. And he did.
1) I completely disagree. I don't think there is a winner in this trade but I do consider the Mavs the bigger loser.
2) I think Bertans will bounce back. Change of scenery does a lot of people good. We might have enough defense to help disguise one of the worst defenders in the league. Even if he returns to his Latvian Laser form, his contract is still bad. He has an elite skill and brings nothing else to the table which makes that elite skill a lot less valuable. Pop loved him and still traded him. Wizards paid him and instantly regretted it. This is a terrible contract swap with both teams hoping to salvage some rotational minutes from each player. I know if I was coaching against the Mavericks in the playoffs, I'd go at Bertans ever second he is on the floor. He fouls, can't stay in front of people and is slow on rotations. 6'10" and averages 2.7 rebounds for his career. I don't expect any of that to magically change.