2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[KillerLeft]

OPJ actually makes a lot of sense for us. Porter can easily play PF, plays good defense and can shoot it. Mavs get additional flexibility for FA.

If OPJ works as a 4 (I think he would, too, but was told a couple months back he had to play the 3) then yes. Luka/Richardson (or THJ)/DFS/OPJ/KP, in theory, should work on both sides of the ball. You bring either Richardson or THJ off the bench to replace DFS to go smaller. You bring Kleber off the bench to replace either OPJ or DFS to go a little bigger. OPJ, Kleber, DFS could all easily play with WCS when KP sits. I think it's worth a shot, and not a pipe dream as far as availability. If the plan is to get him and replace DFS with him in the starting lineup, I think I'm out. 

Oladipo might be gettable.

Let's say Oladipo is everything his fans want him to be here. To me, the problem is this: I HATE his fit with Richardson. I agree that he's a better secondary creator than Richardson, but to me, that means Richardson becomes a fish out of water here. He just doesn't seem like a shooter to me, so far. This has nothing to do with his percentages, it's just my observation of what he seems to WANT to do on the court (in a very limited sample size). 

Ideally, the Mavs need two perimeter creators and one big who can create a little. They at least need two of those three, for sure. Once those creators are in place, the team owes it to them to give them the best chance of succeeding by surrounding them with SHOOTERS. Space = success for ball-handlers. On offense, Luka/Oladipo/THJ makes sense to me, but Luka/Oladipo/Richardson does NOT. Don't get me wrong, this is just about synergy of skillsets, and not a player ranking. And, I actually have hope that Richardson can do SOME of what we hope Oladipo can do on offense with the ball in his hands, while simultaneously providing better defense, more consistently hard play and (most importantly) being available all the time.