(02-07-2023, 12:12 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: In terms of “absence of error”, yes, I believe Love has a better two months of stretch run, and one more playoffs in him that probably benefits the team more than Christian Wood. This year.
I have been one of Wood’s best defenders this year, so you know, I agree with your general starting assumptions. It is clearly time to face the fact that the Mavericks don’t see him the way you and I do. Dan was right about how they think, at least.
Where I think you and I might be having a disconnect is that the things that Wood has started to demonstrate an ability to help with on offense are quite frankly no longer needed, and might even get in the way a little. If they are not huddled around a chalkboard right now, redesigning their “trap breaking“ offense so that Irving, not Wood, gets the ball, I don’t know what the point of the trade was. The role of the screener on offense is now exclusively in the paint or above the three point line. This should be obvious, because the entire mid-range has to be free and clear for Irving and Dončić.
Wood would still have value as a bench player to play with either one of those two ball-handlers while the other one sits, but that gets us into Dan’s thinking of how much to PAY the guy in that role, and…here we are.
I honestly think he is gone at the deadline, and after the Irving trade, I can honestly almost agree with it.
And again, I believe Cuban values a plausible path out of the luxury tax next year, even if it’s not a given he’ll opt for it.
I just responded to a similar post on another thread, but even if the Mavs look at Wood as a quality bench big, if we can't get anything of significance for him in a trade, and Cuban is looking to avoid tax, wouldn't it make sense just to keep Wood in that capacity for win now this year and let him walk if necessary next? I feel like Kyrie changes the Wood situation from the standpoint that we don't have to make a decision on him right now.