Interestingly, the two Finals team are built differently than Dallas or Phoenix. Same with the Bucks last year and even the Lakers the year before. What's the common thread? They're bigger and much more talented.
I really like the identity Kidd build with the players on the roster but I think it's clear, as much as this team overachieved, this isn't the team that can win a title without a starting center and major improvement from some unlikely places.
The Mavs built their identity around two guards, two wings and a single forward and they were punished on the glass as a result.
I like to think about roles rather than positions to compare how Celtics and Warriors are constructed versus the Mavs
Primary initiator
GSW - Curry, All NBA
BOS - Smart, All Defense
DAL - Doncic, All NBA
So far, so good. Mavs arguably have the best creator, but GSW and BOS counter with their own argument
Two-way Wings
GSW - Wiggins, All Star - Klay, future HOFer
BOS - Tatum, All NBA - Brown, future All Star
DAL - DFS - Bullock
Welp. The Dallas wings aren't even legit two-way guys. They're good at what they do - and crucial to the Mavs success - but they're strictly 3&D guys. Bruce Bowen throwbacks from the way teams were built 15-20 years ago.
Two-way Forward
GSW - Draymond, All Defense
BOS - Horford, future HOFer
DAL - Kleber
Again, Kleber is an underrated defender but that's about the best thing you can say about him. He didn't even start at forward. Or center.
Rim Protector
GSW - Looney
BOS - Williams, All Defense
DAL - N/A
The Mavs don't even employ a rim protector. :-(
Obviously, the Mavs have Brunson who proved to be a starting quality scoring guard, and Dinwiddie (another scoring guard) and THJ (another scoring guard) but if Dallas is going to build a real contender they need to get bigger and much better players around Luka.
The low hanging fruit is to hire a rim protector. The bigger swing for the fence move is to use some combination of assets to upgrade elsewhere without turning this thing into a play-in team.
I really like the identity Kidd build with the players on the roster but I think it's clear, as much as this team overachieved, this isn't the team that can win a title without a starting center and major improvement from some unlikely places.
The Mavs built their identity around two guards, two wings and a single forward and they were punished on the glass as a result.
I like to think about roles rather than positions to compare how Celtics and Warriors are constructed versus the Mavs
Primary initiator
GSW - Curry, All NBA
BOS - Smart, All Defense
DAL - Doncic, All NBA
So far, so good. Mavs arguably have the best creator, but GSW and BOS counter with their own argument
Two-way Wings
GSW - Wiggins, All Star - Klay, future HOFer
BOS - Tatum, All NBA - Brown, future All Star
DAL - DFS - Bullock
Welp. The Dallas wings aren't even legit two-way guys. They're good at what they do - and crucial to the Mavs success - but they're strictly 3&D guys. Bruce Bowen throwbacks from the way teams were built 15-20 years ago.
Two-way Forward
GSW - Draymond, All Defense
BOS - Horford, future HOFer
DAL - Kleber
Again, Kleber is an underrated defender but that's about the best thing you can say about him. He didn't even start at forward. Or center.
Rim Protector
GSW - Looney
BOS - Williams, All Defense
DAL - N/A
The Mavs don't even employ a rim protector. :-(
Obviously, the Mavs have Brunson who proved to be a starting quality scoring guard, and Dinwiddie (another scoring guard) and THJ (another scoring guard) but if Dallas is going to build a real contender they need to get bigger and much better players around Luka.
The low hanging fruit is to hire a rim protector. The bigger swing for the fence move is to use some combination of assets to upgrade elsewhere without turning this thing into a play-in team.
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