05-30-2022, 08:05 PM
(05-30-2022, 11:27 AM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: Perhaps you're right as to Timmy. I just think the Mavs have way too many salary issues not to resolve one of them using the draft.
My comment on the draft wasn't that past drafting woes should be of concern, but rather that Nico's inexperience with drafting should be. We don't know how good or bad our scouting team is at this point.
I understand that the center position has declined in worth in recent years, but I hope you aren't saying they're going to draft a "legit starting center" with the 26th pick. That would be some Nellie-type magic. I assume you mean, rather, that they should trade it for that guy if they can - which is going to require some salary ballast.
His efforts in the time before his injury do not give reason for optimism. SD, never known as an adequate defender before coming here, did a far better job of acclimating to Kidd's defense within his first few games - i.e., a far shorter time than it took THJ to fail to do so.
I'm not suggesting they can get immediate help in the draft for the frontcourt. If they are using the pick for immediate center help, it would have to be in a trade. We have a ton of potential salary ballast, and contracts like Powell, Burke and Brown make the most sense in that capacity given they are all expiring. Timmy salary is actually too high for many of the center targets discussed, and he provides more immediate value and potential future asset value than any of those others.
As for fixing our salary problem, we have roughly 20 mil coming off the books after next season (Powell, Burke, Brown, Boban). If there is a way to send out Timmy or Bertans to address a current need then I am all for that (either a starting center or an over priced big wing like Tobias or Hayward). But I don't think it makes sense to use an asset to simply dump them.
As for the likelihood that Timmy leans how to play defense well in Kidd's system, I share your pessimism. Dinwiddie is historically a better defender than Timmy and it does not look like that will be any different here.