06-29-2022, 03:24 AM
(06-28-2022, 10:18 PM)Fuerza1 Wrote: In 2018-2019, Khris Middleton averaged 18/6/4 on 44/38/84 shooting splits. In the playoffs, he averaged 17/6/4 on 42/44/86 shooting splits. Bucks lost in the ECF. Middleton at age 28, got the max contract at $35M AAV. At the time, it was seen as a gross overpay.
"Can't win with Middleton as your #2!" Bucks figured, "hey this is the best we can do, we have no other choice, no one else is coming to sign in MIL." Keep chugging along and hope for the best.
Brunson averaged 18/4/5 on 50/39/85 shooting splits as a starter this season. In the playoffs, he averaged 22/5/4 on 47/35/80 shooting splits. Mavs lost in the WCF. Brunson at age 26, got offered $22M AAV from his incumbent team.
The Mavs made a stupid decision not locking up Brunson earlier on a cheaper contract. But this garbage takes the cake. Brunson isn't on the same level as a 6'7 two way wing who can handle the ball, I don't care what arbitrary numbers you want to throw up. He's not a superstar, he's not an all star. He's a well above average but not great player, who's undersized, highly exploitable on defense, and offensively, is at best an above average playmaker who doesn't make many advanced reads, and scoring wise lives in the mid range with only 3 attempts per game from 3, and only hits catch and shoot at a good percentage, meaning you can probably expect his percentages to drop when he gets less open 3's created for him and has to create them off the dribble himself, which he is just bad at.
I don't think he's a significant difference maker on the court, and his production can be pretty easily covered by Dinwiddie and Wood, if not Dinwiddie alone. If this team signs Dragic, Dinwiddie steps into his role and Dragic backfills, and at best I think we see a minor step back, but likely the teams performance doesn't miss a beat, maybe even continues the incline unhindered. We will see if that is the way it plays out, and if the team drops well down the rankings, I will admit I was wrong about his impact, but I don't think it will.
The biggest impact is losing Brunson the asset by far. I have no doubt that if the Mavs had done the right thing and signed Brunson to a reasonable contract when they could have, he would be the primary piece added in trade talks with teams for any impactful players that become available over the next few years. Because I think the Mavs rightly think his value is better used acquiring a player who would be a much better fit with Luka, than keeping Brunson long term (i.e. someone who plays well above average defense, or is not undersized and actually a true 3 level scorer). But they screwed that up, and they def deserve all the criticism thrown their way for it. But this overrating of Brunson the player is just over the top.