TDL Archived: The 2nd Rnd Pick Yankee Swap

[DanSchwartzgan]

I would agree with this if the Mavs seemed to think Wood was in the mold of Collins/Tobias, but I don't think they do. Instead I think they classify Wood like Turner, Gobert, Capela, etc. I think they would classify Collins/Tobias as a "big wing" that would help ease the burden on DFS.

I think Wood will be the lone big a lot/most of the time (whereas playing JC as the lone "big" would not work most of the time). I think the Mavs would be prioritizing a big if they didn't think that. And all the tea leaves I see point to the Mavs not looking for a big and instead looking for a wing. 

I see JC and Wood being able to play alongside each other very well. They both can PnR and both can stretch the floor. But I see JC as a "big wing" and I see Wood as a "center/big."

I really think you are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole because you like Collins (as do I).  Not that it matters as we don't have the ammunition for Collins anyway.  Offensively, the things that make you like one are almost the same reasons to like the other.  Defensively, the pair would be a disaster.  Wood "may" be the solo-big much of the time if he can prove it defensively.  If he can't, the solution is not doubling down on similar offensive skills.  This player is going to get minutes with Dinwiddie, Hardaway and Maxi.  They have to be able to defend first and foremost.

As to tea leaves, those have provided us just about nothing in the recent past.  Basically no one here had us signing Bullock last summer.  Almost no one had positive things to say about Dinwiddie until the KP deal actually happened and Wood was well down the list of mentions at center around here until it actually happened.  Nico used the word "shot blocker" in one of the interviews I heard.  I trust that much more than I trust McMahon.  I think there are minutes for a 4/3 type like Otto Porter or a 4/5 type like Thaddeus Young, but I could also see spending money on a Hartenstein type and sliding Maxi into the "Thaddeus Young" role too.  I love me some Gary Payton, but that is the place I don't see the team going...smaller defensive wing.