2020-2021 MAVS NEWS: Archived

[RDB]

I would like to think that they wouldn’t ask anything from Luka that they didn’t think he could handle...Rick is a smart guy and has experience as both a player and coach.  I think in a perfect world, they would like to see him take the reins sooner rather than later and while Luka is young from a maturity standpoint, he is much more seasoned from a basketball perspective.  Not saying it’s the right call but I know in my personal experiences, I have always learned from my challenges more than my successes.  I also think that while it could potentially destroy some young players, I don’t think that danger exists with Luka.

[Jason Terry]

It's like parenting....you can't set a boundary up or make a threat and then not follow through, otherwise you lose credibility with your kids. Once the Mavs chose this course they had to commit to it. They can't back down now and say Luka is not the leader. 

For the record, I think this was the right choice from my very limited perspective. I believe very strongly in growth through tribulation and am very grateful they aren't going to let Luka be a "child" for the next 4-5 years. As some Slovenian posters have observed, he is basically a spoiled rich kid who comes from a TON of privilege (which is unlike MANY NBA players) and I think the Mavs are approaching Luka with that in mind.

This sums it up perfect

[mavsluvr]

It's like parenting....you can't set a boundary up or make a threat and then not follow through, otherwise you lose credibility with your kids. Once the Mavs chose this course they had to commit to it. They can't back down now and say Luka is not the leader. 

Maybe. I'm not sure it's that simple. There is a lot more to being the leader of an NBA team than not pouting and other such maturity issue. If you compare Luka to team leaders like Chris Paul, LeBron, etc., those are guys who have been in the league for a long time, have many successful seasons under their belts, are middle-aged men, know how to win on the court and conduct themselves off the court, have been in leadership positions numerous times, etc. There is just no way that Luka has the age or experience to play that kind of role, although he certainly can start walking along that path. 

I get the parenting thing as far as saying like, make your bed or you're grounded. If the kid doesn't make his bed, you have to ground him. But you can drop the kid in the deep end and tell him to swim to shore or be grounded, and if he doesn't have the ability/knowledge to do it, you just end up with a drowned kid. It may be they thought they were going to ease him into this, but this season just turned out to be a way bigger challenge than they expected.

Even if they believe they are acting in loco parentis, they still need to know when they need to give him a helping hand. Of course, they can't say he's not the leader. They would have to handle it on a subtler basis. But it may be that, besides the James Johnson thing, they don't see any other options, at least for the short term.   

For the record, I think this was the right choice from my very limited perspective. I believe very strongly in growth through tribulation and am very grateful they aren't going to let Luka be a "child" for the next 4-5 years. As some Slovenian posters have observed, he is basically a spoiled rich kid who comes from a TON of privilege (which is unlike MANY NBA players) and I think the Mavs are approaching Luka with that in mind.

Yes, I've seen some of those comments, and I always enjoy hearing from the European contingent. I do have to say, though, that Luka has had a whole 24-hours-a-day life for 21 years, and we really don't know much about what he's been through or have any particular evidence that he approaches life with a sense of entitlement. Maybe he does, and I relish an armchair psychological evaluation as much as the next person, but when we're labelling people based on relatively little information, we do run a risk of being wildly wrong. He's not grown yet, for sure, but I actually think he's generally pretty mature, by the standards of a 21-year-old guy.  I could be wrong, of course. 

---

I would like to think that they wouldn’t ask anything from Luka that they didn’t think he could handle...Rick is a smart guy and has experience as both a player and coach.  I think in a perfect world, they would like to see him take the reins sooner rather than later and while Luka is young from a maturity standpoint, he is much more seasoned from a basketball perspective.  Not saying it’s the right call but I know in my personal experiences, I have always learned from my challenges more than my successes.  I also think that while it could potentially destroy some young players, I don’t think that danger exists with Luka.

I think McMahon's point was that, based on what the Mavs expected the season to be like, he should have been able to handle it. But, if they had known then what they know now, they may well have made a different decision. That's all.

[Kammrath]

But you can drop the kid in the deep end and tell him to swim to shore or be grounded, and if he doesn't have the ability/knowledge to do it, you just end up with a drowned kid.

So shift the drowning image to a metaphor. I think in this case it could be GOOD for Luka to "drown" and in the process find humility and the core of who he should be as a player and leader.

they still need to know when they need to give him a helping hand.

Absolutely, and I have no doubt they are coaching and working with Luka behind the scenes, but publicly and in front of the team backing him. 

labelling people based on relatively little information, we do run a risk of being wildly wrong. He's not grown yet, for sure, but I actually think he's generally pretty mature, by the standards of a 21-year-old guy. 

100% agree on both.

I am not suggesting we just "label" him, but I don't have much to go on other than people from Europe who have followed him more closely. 

I also think Luka is very polished and mature for a 21 year old and then in other ways I think he is like a 8 year old. Such is life for all of us. I am NOT picking on him by any means.

NOTE: I LOVED his last three post game interviews.... 1) where he said the team was terrible and wasn't giving the right effort and 2) and 3) where he said he loved the effort and was confident the right effort would get the right results and that this adversity would lead to great things.

[RDB]

---

I think McMahon's point was that, based on what the Mavs expected the season to be like, he should have been able to handle it. But, if they had known then what they know now, they may well have made a different decision. That's all.

No I understand and he has much better insights than I.  I was just throwing out the possibility that maybe the decision wasn’t made based on their best case scenario but also included multiple possibilities and they felt like he could handle it and the upside outweighed the downside.

[mavsluvr]

I am not suggesting we just "label" him, but I don't have much to go on other than people from Europe who have followed him more closely. 

Well, in fairness, we do have him described as a spoiled rich kid. Do we really know whether he is spoiled or not? I know I don't have that kind of info. Maybe he is. But maybe he isn't. 

I also think Luka is very polished and mature for a 21 year old and then in other ways I think he is like a 8 year old. Such is life for all of us. I am NOT picking on him by any means.

Yeah, that's an issue. Human male brains don't fully mature until the man is about 25, so he's in the last phases, and sometimes, he'll act like a kid in the meantime. But overall, I think he shows the makings of a fine leader. And it would be important for the Mavs to have a realistic sense of his limitations and nurture his development. I think we are saying the same thing, here. 

NOTE: I LOVED his last three post game interviews.... 1) where he said the team was terrible and wasn't giving the right effort and 2) and 3) where he said he loved the effort and was confident the right effort would get the right results and that this adversity would lead to great things.

Agree. He has clearly had media training, and he is almost always very professional in his statements to the media. 

---

[Kammrath]

Do we really know whether he is spoiled or not? I know I don't have that kind of info.

I do not know for sure, but from what others have shared and what I know of him, it does seem he grew up with a lot of privilege and many things have come very easy for him. And the whining at the officials looks to fit that narrative to me. But absolutely, we are all making a lot of assumptions about a nuanced and complicated situation that the Mavs and Luka certainly know WAY more about.

[RDB]

I do not know for sure, but from what others have shared and what I know of him, it does seem he grew up with a lot of privilege and many things have come very easy for him. And the whining at the officials looks to fit that narrative to me. But absolutely, we are all making a lot of assumptions about a nuanced and complicated situation that the Mavs and Luka certainly know WAY more about.

He also seems to wear his emotions on his sleeve which could come off as spoiled.

[LukTheShadow]

As talking about mavs leadership there is 14days old article on Mavs web about that. I don't know if it was linked here already but if no it could add one more perspective to debate. If it was already debated, sorry.

https://www.mavs.com/how-luka-doncic-is-...-the-mavs/

[RDB]

As talking about mavs leadership there is 14days old article on Mavs web about that. I don't know if it was linked here already but if no it could add one more perspective to debate. If it was already debated, sorry.

https://www.mavs.com/how-luka-doncic-is-...-the-mavs/

Thanks for sharing...sounds like he is off to a good start.

I wonder if this could have anything to do with what others have speculated as being the issue with KP.  Maybe he came here thinking he was going to be 1A and with Luka taking the reins, he feels like he doesn’t have the voice he desires.  Just speculation.

[cow]

If the Heat continue to struggle, I wonder if they'd let Dragic go. Could solve a lot of the leadership issues among other things.

[mavsluvr]

As talking about mavs leadership there is 14days old article on Mavs web about that. I don't know if it was linked here already but if no it could add one more perspective to debate. If it was already debated, sorry.

https://www.mavs.com/how-luka-doncic-is-...-the-mavs/

Thanks for the article, Luk. Interesting. I think the fact that they put this article out there further indicates that they are conducting a PR campaign to promote the idea that this is Luka's team and that he is leading it. To what extent that is true may not matter all that much for their purposes.

[Mavs2019]

I don´t buy that at all as a primary reason, why this team stinks. Sorry.

Mavs had an awful summer. The four rookies couldn´t get to the league average in 3pt shooting, if you added up all their numbers. Throw in Iwundu and you are still not even at 50% 3pt shooting. Richardson has been a disappointment, too. Add the Porzingis injury, COVID and you got problems. Then there are other factors like leadership from JJB or Silas.

[LukTheShadow]

Thanks for the article, Luk. Interesting. I think the fact that they put this article out there further indicates that they are conducting a PR campaign to promote the idea that this is Luka's team and that he is leading it. To what extent that is true may not matter all that much for their purposes.

Agree. I am learning to avoid speculations as much as possible. Not easy task nowdays. Let them do their job as good as possible that we'll be able to watch good entertaining BB hopely on the path of the team's this year goal. But if I would speculate anyway I would say that main mavs challenges atm to become serious contender are fare awy from LD. Sand in the eyes?

[SleepingHero]

I wonder if they'd let Dragic go.

Considering how much Butler loves Dragic, I don't think they'd give him up just to shake thins up.

I think the Dragon would be perfect here. It'd might take THJ to get him though and that's a steep price.

[Derek Nowitzki]

Showing my age here, but I still miss Ortegal. I wouldn't be here if not for him...

Wait, what?! Bob Ortegal at some point saved your life?? That sounds like an incredible story I think we’d all like to hear...

[Kammrath]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vI04ScQAAE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1ah6XITKBk

[HanspardsShowerVoice]

Tim McMahon was the featured guest on Zach Lowe's podcast featuring the Mavs' woes.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5BUNDf4...qfgi-I1rRw

[bin610]

Wait, what?! Bob Ortegal at some point saved your life?? That sounds like an incredible story I think we’d all like to hear...

He can do that.

[Kammrath]