09-12-2020, 10:20 AM
(09-12-2020, 08:53 AM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote:I know it wasn´t luck.(09-11-2020, 11:23 PM)KillerLeft Wrote:(09-11-2020, 10:55 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: While I am at it. Smart deserved the DPOY award. He was just as good in the regular season. Today he was without a doubt the best player on the floor. One of the best (if not the best) defensive performances I have ever seen from a non big.
Tough to crucify them for that. He's clearly the type of player who's extremely valuable on a good team and would look overpaid and ineffective on a bad one. They knew way before we did that they weren't going anywhere with Smith Jr, and I doubt a dude like that would've signed here anyway.
Would love to have him NOW, don't get me wrong.
Smart was born and raised in Flower Mound (Dallas-Forth Worth). In 2018 his mother was battling cancer. She received treatment in a hospital in Dallas.
On top of it Smart was one of the last RFA to sign a contract. Initially Ainge wasn´t willing to pay him more than the MLE.
If the Mavs ever had the chance to sign a RFA it was Smart in 2018. Sadly they wasted the entire capspace on day one of free agency.
(09-12-2020, 02:51 AM)Mavs2019 Wrote: obody else did either, cause Ainge got lucky or correctly projected the 3pt shooting improvement.
It´s luck if you do it once or twice. Ainge has been incredible. Nailed the draft. Made big free agency signings. Robbed the Nets, Mavs and Hornets in trades.
Looking back at the discussions we had at the time I remember that many of us wanted to sign him. Same for the media. Smart to Dallas was a natural fit.
I´m just saying that the Mavs weren´t the only team to pass on Smart and that he made a very positive development afterwards. Generally it seems the Mavs NEVER ever use the vast Dallas connections of so many players (out of college, too). It seems they are actually completed opposed to it.
Julius Randle was basically begging us to make him an offer with his tattoo. I´m positive, he´d have accepted 45/3 from us instead of the Knicks 56/3 (40M guaranteed) he took eventually. His Knicks contract wouldn´t even interfer with our 2021 FA plan. And you can show me a million advanced stats that suggest Powell is better than Randle. He´s not.
Myles Turner was another Dallas native basically growing up idolizing Dirk. You can tell from his interviews that we´d still be one of his favourite trade destinations, when the Pacers eventually settle on Sabonis. A package of Kleber/Curry would probably get the job done.
You can´t complain that you virtually have to force players here in free agency, with an overpay, when you ignore the players that would give you some hometown discount.