07-05-2022, 01:13 PM
(07-05-2022, 12:22 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: I think that's a good question. And it really boils down to what did the Mavs need the most heading into the offseason? Of course most of us were under the assumption that Brunson was going to return and we needn't focus on adding another ball handler....
However, ignoring that misstep, the most obvious need was adequate center play. Mavs essentially had only Maxi in the playoffs. Taking the POV that the Mavs needed a big man the most, then the best player within our price range was McGee, and the Mavs got him. He specifically specializes in the two areas the Mavs lacked with rim protection and rebounding. And the fact he was in our price range is the key. I like Hartenstein a lot. I don't think Hartenstein is worth an extra 2 million + whatever assets we needed to shed to be able to offer him that contract over McGee. And it fits with the theory that Nico wanted better big man play as he targeted Wood before anyone.
Taking a flier on a young guy like Jalen Smith would've been interesting, but usually going after young inexperienced guys doesn't equate to winning.
All the other guys you mentioned I don't think are that much better than McGee at their position, and I'd rather be cheap at center than somewhere else.
I agree with you that losing out on Dragic was the real stinger. I'm still taking a wait and see approach on how they address vacancy left by Brunson, as that basically makes or breaks the offseason. But to me the McGee signing independently was a good signing and a proper use of the TP-MLE, regardless of what else has happened.
There is no question that getting a rotational big was the top priority heading into the offseason, but that was accomplished by getting Wood. With a Wood/Maxi/Powell center rotation I would suggest our biggest need (as stated by the FO) was a big wing. Once we shit the bed on both Brunson and Dragic, then it quickly shifted to adding another playmaker.
Taking a flyer on Jalen Smith would have made sense after Wood assuming we held onto Brunson. Supposedly we knew holding onto Brunson was in question for weeks, in which case I have no idea why we were focusing on getting a backup center instead of addressing the gaping whole in the roster left by Brunson.