2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[Scott41theMavs]

I think SleepingHero and myself have made valid arguments why we have some concerns about Brunson. If you feel obliged to reply I would appreciate if you would actually reply to those arguments instead of calling names...

I regard it as a philosophical issue rather than an x's and o's issue. You have drafted and developed a player with that skill in scoring, that efficiency, that leadership, and that clutch ability, to the extent that even one among the naysayers (hint: making him trade bait is objective naysaying, unless you're trading him for a literally Giannis-level player) is willing to anoint him the second-best player on the team over a guy who averages 20 points, 9 rebounds, and a block and half a game. I find it analogous, as I said, to siding with the Three Stooges over Luka, which constituted a view of things not consequent with reality, behavior as a sports fan clearly in need of some sort of therapy to be unable to appreciate that your team had successfully drafted a generational talent. Perhaps it's not quite on that level, but it's the same sort of behavior. Brunson certainly isn't a generational talent, but he's a guy who's definitely as huge of a win for a second-round pick as Golden State fans, for example, should have viewed Draymond after season three of his career or so. He has far more trade value, if the Mavs chose to trade him, than KP (although I think KP is still the better player at this juncture, although I like Brunson quite a bit better) due to KP's intangibles, contract, and health history. But he's not a guy you trade if your goal is long-term success in building around a generational talent. I know there's the argument that we can't keep him unless we start him and pay him when the time comes, but 1) he *is* functionally a starter right now, in that he finishes all the games unless it's garbage time, and 2) of course you pay him when the time comes. 

I believe that 1) Brunson has already crept into the top 50 of NBA players, 2) he is far from a finished product and will grow even further, and 3) in spite of the "measurables" argument, his defense is already improving. He is statistically better than Luka on that end. His learning to get shots for others is not something I would bet against. I'm of the opinion that we already have our second playmaking option next to Luka. Why is the team so successful so far in spite of starting non-creators in DFS and Maxi and the rather shaky JRich? Because we're a team that has three stars, whether acknowledged by the media or not. Writing Brunson off with the reservations you, cow, and SH have against him brings to mind the saying, "People like you are the reason why we can't have nice things."