02-11-2021, 09:06 PM
(02-11-2021, 07:46 PM)omahen Wrote: Which is exactly why he has trade value... He is an asset Mavs can afford to lose as he is underused in Mavs system. And lets not forget there are two sides of the court.
I think Mavs have the luxury to trade one of THJ/JRich/Brunson to improve the big wing or secondary facilitator position where they are still the weakest. Despite his good plays I am still not convinced Brunson is best option next to Luka in the long term. He would have to improve defensively.
Let me tell you a story, kid (or respected elder). Once upon a time, Rick Carlisle used to have a 2-playmaker heavy minutes system. He used to say that we always need at least 2 playmakers on the floor together. And it led to some of the league's best ball movement from the offensive end.
But since Luka has been drafted, Carlisle has opted for Moreyball with an "all-for-one, one-for-all" Harden-esque personality. The only real attempt by Carlisle for a secondary playmaker next to Luka was Dennis Smith Jr., a guy who will be in China before long.
Fast forward to now, and you have an actual, capable "secondary playmaker" (who in many minds can start for several NBA teams) for Luka. In fact, this "secondary playmaker" (lets call him Brunson) is Luka's second best pairing in net rating this season at a +6.8! Despite this fact, Brunson ranks 8th in minutes played w/ Luka compared to his other teammates.
For perspective, Trey Burke (another guy who is a call away from China) has played more minutes w/ Luka than the Mavs' "second best playmaker" this season. Have we really given this potential 2-playmaker (Luka + Brunson) system a chance?
When Luka plays with Brunson, good things tend to happen, which is evident in their +6.8 net rating. The ball moves better, and hell, the defense is pretty good too. Luka + Brunson happens to be Luka's best DEFENSIVE pairing too.
Brunson is shooting 43% on catch 'n shoot 3's. He is an elite PnR player and rim attacker. IMO, his defense is actually pretty good (see: him stopping Huerter last night with 30 seconds to go, knows how to draw charges). Theoretically, this is the guy you want playing heavy minutes next to Luka but is not.
So yes, he is underused but it does not mean it has to stay that way forever. Everybody and their mom went LoCo 4 RoCo last season (a 30-year old bum putting up Great Depression shooting numbers right now) because "omg he's a perfect fit!"
Point being, sometimes the guy not wearing a Mavs jersey is not as great as he seems, and perhaps the best option for improvement is right under the coach's nose; IMO, we should give the bird in hand a more consistent shot before dumping him, but I realize that may never happen a la Jae Crowder.