Kristaps Porziņģis activated

[ARTjoMS]

It is obviously a high risk, high reward ballsy move, but if the potential reward is championship then who cares how bad is really bad.

It would obviously be ideal to sign big-time FA w/o giving up assets, but that was probably not too realistic. It also seems like KP is the guy whom they really wanted and mavs just waited for opportunity.

I think a lot of weight is put into perceived fit of KP next to Luka (could easily be the most crafted, unguardable pick-n-roll/pick-n-pop duo) and KP's ability and willingness to play system basketball.

[Ayt]

I pray that the Vucevic stuff is just Duffy trying to inflate his value using the connections he has with Dallas now due to Doncic

Why are you worried about Vucevic after this trade?

[daoneandonly]

We really shouldnt ignore the fact that we gave up 2 first round picks, one of which is unprotected, when you're taking on a guy with a serious injury history, terrible players on bad deals with him, and giving up first rounders, this is not some slam dunk Mavs win deal. Not to mention KP apparently wants to sign the QO and hit unrestricted FA

We could easily be in Brooklyn Nets territory with 3 picks owed in the coming years, such a shortsighted panic move as always for Cuban/Nelson

[jpengland]

We really shouldnt ignore the fact that we gave up 2 first round picks, one of which is unprotected, when you're taking on a guy with a serious injury history, terrible players on bad deals with him, and giving up first rounders, this is not some slam dunk Mavs win deal. Not to mention KP apparently wants to sign the QO and hit unrestricted FA

We could easily be in Brooklyn Nets territory with 3 picks owed in the coming years, such a shortsighted panic move as always for Cuban/Nelson

I think the difference is that we have Luka and Carlisle.

If we accept that Luka is the real deal (and we can. Be more and more confident of that every week that goes by) then this is a competitive team every year that Luka is here.

I don't like giving up the firsts, but im also very confident that from next year onwards, we are unlikely to finish bottom 10 in the next 5 years.

[UcanUwill]

Donnie Nelson executive of the year +++

Watch on YouTube

[J_T]

I was trying to find out more about KP's injury status and it seems that back in November KP and Fizdale had a bit of a clash.
Him doing sprints back in November gives a bit more credibility to the story about KP wanting to play while Knicks planning to tank entire season by sitting him out. There is even one report that KP is cleared to play, but I wouldn't buy that one just yet. But I think it's very probable that he is going to play this season already, at least limited minutes. It all comes down to whether he wants to play or not (Kawhi anyone?) and it seems that he does want to play.

[No-Man]

It's not only about giving a good pick or not, it's the inability now, to trade a pick in any deal that might come up or a player that might be better than KP, this what we have, period

[No-Man]

I pray that the Vucevic stuff is just Duffy trying to inflate his value using the connections he has with Dallas now due to Doncic

Why are you worried about Vucevic after this trade?

Because there was a real report about us wanting to sign him

I do want to dump Barnes to Sacramento for expirings and 2nds, we could get $32M in capspace this summer by doing so (including KP's, Maxi's and DFS's cap holds)

[fuller4379]

Admits to the fact that when I saw the subject of this thread I thought we were getting KCP from the Lakers for DSJ.

[XTraderXL]

We really shouldnt ignore the fact that we gave up 2 first round picks, one of which is unprotected, when you're taking on a guy with a serious injury history, terrible players on bad deals with him, and giving up first rounders, this is not some slam dunk Mavs win deal. Not to mention KP apparently wants to sign the QO and hit unrestricted FA

We could easily be in Brooklyn Nets territory with 3 picks owed in the coming years, such a shortsighted panic move as always for Cuban/Nelson

You were extremely pesimistic about Luka as well and it turned out great for the Mavs so if history is any indication, KP should be a very good aquisition

I think the Mavs will be fine if KP is able to play 65-70 games per year. They need to rest him from time to time to keep his body fresh and ready for the PO. First rounders will be in the 20s and if the Mavs are trying to be good, those picks will not mean much.

And KP will not sign QO, he would be crazy to do that.

[Dirk]

The idea that any player can single-handedly transform a team into a potential contender is a tricky one. It’s true that a handful of players would vault just about any team into championship contention. But the players who occupy this rarefied air do so by being more than just transcendent individual talents. They use their skills to dramatically improve those around them. While it’s true that a roster needs multiple star-level pieces to compete at the highest level, their mere presence isn’t always enough. The pieces need to be greater than the sum of their parts.

Just over halfway through his rookie season, it is exceedingly clear that Luka Doncic not only has the potential to be the best player on a title-winning team, but that he’ll forever make those around him better. This is what will make Dallas appealing to prospective free agents. And this is why Kristaps Porzingis will be Doncic’s teammate for a long, long time.

Doncic’s individual statistics are absurd, even without the qualifiers “for a rookie” and “for a teenager.” He’s a lock for Rookie of the Year and was a borderline All-Star. We will continue to search for ways to put the masterpiece he is painting in its proper frame. For Mavs fans, Luka’s individual exploits still feel hallucinatory. But amidst the step-back threes, the late-clock heroics, and the captivation of NBA Twitter, there is an element of Doncic’s game that may still be somewhat underappreciated. This is understandable. Even after yesterday’s dizzying deal, it’s still exceedingly likely that Dallas misses the playoffs. Luka-mania at times feels narrowly focused on the player himself, as if he exists separately from the trajectory of the franchise. Part of this is on Luka, as his showmanship can be so blinding that you forget he has teammates. Part of this is a product of the Mavericks’ current roster, which compared to other teams with young superstars, could be regarded as largely forgettable.

The reality is that no player is poised to improve the play of those around him over the next 10 years than Luka Doncic. Porzingis knows this.

The Mavericks are on pace to win 38 games, but after winning 24 games last season, 2018-19 must be considered a success. However, their true transformation goes much deeper than their win percentage, and is entirely traceable to the gamble on Doncic. Dallas is currently 19th in offensive rating after finishing 24th last year. That’s a modest improvement, but it’s how they’ve achieved that increase that provides a window into Luka’s impact.



Synergy Sports credits the Mavericks with the third-highest percentage of catch-and-shoot jumpers categorized as “unguarded” this season. Granted, they’re not knocking them down at a prodigious rate; they’re average in terms of points created on these shots. But you can see the dramatic increase. In fact, Dallas has notched the third-highest jump from last season to the current one in the share of their catch-and shoot attempts with a defender more than four feet away (open).

Second Spectrum tracks “quantified shot quality,” which in the simplest sense attempts to measure the quality of looks a team is producing. If a league-average player took this shot, accounting for distance from the basket, proximity to a defender, etc., how likely is it that they would knock this shot down? Again, we see that Doncic has produced a significant increase in the sort of desired offense the Mavericks are creating this season.

You’re never not open.

These are not cases where off-ball action freed someone up and Luka anticipated their location based on the design. This is preternatural.

We see Luka’s mesmerizing cross-court passes, we see his vision, but sometimes it’s easy to forget how much simpler these skills make the game for those around him. He can make average players look good. He can make good players look great. And it stands to reason that he can team up with great players to be unstoppable. Wes Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr., Harrison Barnes, and Yogi Ferrell led the Mavs in minutes last year. Three of those players had the chance to play with Doncic this year, and all three saw their true shooting percentages increase. When free agents consider their options, these are the sort of things they concern themselves with (well, that and beaches, but I can’t help you there). When the Mavericks gamble on Kristaps Porzingis, a risk contingent upon him re-signing in Dallas, these are the reasons they’re willing to make that bet.

To be fair, it’s not like Luka was added to an already dynamic offense and just took it to the moon. Due to the personnel they had on hand, the Mavericks have been straight-up boring on the offensive end of the floor the last few years. They were making do with what they had, and what they had was veterans that could score in the post, on isolations, and from mid-range. Unless you’re the Spurs, however, this is not the way you want to build an offense.

The three-ball has been consistently present. Regardless of what you may think of his, um, interpersonal skills, Rick Carlisle is a wizard who understands his personnel. But in addition to generating more open jumpers, Luka’s gravity also makes life easier at the rim. Dallas has been last in the league in the share of their shots that have occurred at the rim in each of the last three years! They’re suddenly in the middle of the pack now. The addition of DeAndre Jordan mattered, as does the continued emergence of Dwight Powell. But Doncic has been transformational. Luka is already 19th in the league in drives per game (dead even with Lebron), which might seem underwhelming until you consider how much his role has fluctuated.

Most importantly, the Mavericks have gotten away from the mid-range shots. When you’re the Spurs or you have Prime Dirk, fire away. When you don’t, don’t. Luka is going to take some bad shots, but his gift with his limited curse is that he creates so many great chances for everyone else, it doesn’t matter. The Mavericks can take the same number of shots from three, but have them be far more open. More shots at the rim, and far fewer from the least-efficient area. This is all due to one player. Again, when you ponder whether Porzingis wants to be in Dallas, consider that.

Pace? There was a lot of talk before this season about how the Mavericks wanted to play faster. It certainly (in theory) seemed to fit their personnel. In reality, that has come and gone. They were 26th last season, and 18th overall this year. Dallas is largely an old, slow team when they play their (now RIP) starting lineup. But thanks to cleaningtheglass.com, we can quantify Luka’s impact on this particular play type. Doncic is 25th among all NBA players in the percentage of his team’s possessions that turn into transition attempts relative to other players. With Luka: the Mavs run, they run open, they run open at the rim. Essentially, he’s a free agent’s dream. Rookies shouldn’t do this.

It doesn’t have to be cross-court heroics. Kristaps can imagine slow-motion highlights too. Luka’s pick and roll acumen has now led to him being described as a savant by more than just MFFL’s. The Mavericks are currently first in the NBA in points created by the roll man in the NBA. Already.

I don’t know what the Mavericks are doing. But I know this: If your point guard is 6’8, your center is 7’3, and both can shoot and pass, you’re going to compete for titles.

Jake Kemp, The Athletic

[No-Man]

Who the **** was pesimistic about Luka?!

[Clyde Frazier]

Really having trouble processing this as a knick fan with the mavs being my second favorite team for 20+ years now...

I'll just comment on a few things:

- I don't think he's been cleared to play. We would've heard that by now if it was in some official capacity. If he eventually is cleared to play, play him. Only way you get back into NBA shape is by playing in real games. Get a little preview of how he fits with luka and the rest of the roster.

- The KP signing the QO came from Shams, so it's pretty reliable. I don't see the logic in it at all. You're really going to bet on yourself after coming off a major injury risking millions of dollars? Especially when you're already on the team you seemingly want to play for? Either it's just wrong or his brother (agent) is in his head.

[dirkforpres]

Really having trouble processing this as a knick fan with the mavs being my second favorite team for 20+ years now...

I'll just comment on a few things:

- I don't think he's been cleared to play. We would've heard that by now if it was in some official capacity. If he eventually is cleared to play, play him. Only way you get back into NBA shape is by playing in real games. Get a little preview of how he fits with luka and the rest of the roster.

- The KP signing the QO came from Shams, so it's pretty reliable. I don't see the logic in it at all. You're really going to bet on yourself after coming off a major injury risking millions of dollars? Especially when you're already on the team you seemingly want to play for? Either it's just wrong or his brother (agent) is in his head.

Woj kinda disputed Shams claim of him intending to sign the QO. It makes sense for him to get a feel for the franchise and the city before committing. I think he could probably come back after all star break if he really wanted to but Dallas shouldn’t rush it and neither should KP. This wasn’t a trade for this season anyway

[Jellybeans]

One thing to say.Dont read anything after the trade.There is so much lying and BS from NY reporters.Starting with KP's health and ending with reasoning to trade him.Dont believe about that QO too.I think he said he would take QO with NO since he hates that city and arena.
Does who arent dumb enough knows,thats KP is pretty much healthy/or even healthy.And he didnt force the trade.KP = scapegoat
Prob in a weak or so we will know everything
Congratz on getting KP

[J_T]

One thing to say.Dont read anything after the trade.There is so much lying and BS from NY reporters.Starting with KP's health and ending with reasoning to trade him.Dont believe about that QO too.I think he said he would take QO with NO since he hates that city and arena.
Does who arent dumb enough knows,thats KP is pretty much health/or even health.And he didnt force the trade.KP = scapegoat
Prob in a weak or so we will know everything
Congratz on getting KP

I believe everything S.A. Smith says. Most objective, legit insider in the league. Has a long track record of never being wrong.

[Jellybeans]

One thing to say.Dont read anything after the trade.There is so much lying and BS from NY reporters.Starting with KP's health and ending with reasoning to trade him.Dont believe about that QO too.I think he said he would take QO with NO since he hates that city and arena.
Does who arent dumb enough knows,thats KP is pretty much health/or even health.And he didnt force the trade.KP = scapegoat
Prob in a weak or so we will know everything
Congratz on getting KP

I believe everything S.A. Smith says. Most objective, legit insider in the league. Has a long track record of never being wrong.

[Clyde Frazier]

Really having trouble processing this as a knick fan with the mavs being my second favorite team for 20+ years now...

I'll just comment on a few things:

- I don't think he's been cleared to play. We would've heard that by now if it was in some official capacity. If he eventually is cleared to play, play him. Only way you get back into NBA shape is by playing in real games. Get a little preview of how he fits with luka and the rest of the roster.

- The KP signing the QO came from Shams, so it's pretty reliable. I don't see the logic in it at all. You're really going to bet on yourself after coming off a major injury risking millions of dollars? Especially when you're already on the team you seemingly want to play for? Either it's just wrong or his brother (agent) is in his head.

Woj kinda disputed Shams claim of him intending to sign the QO. It makes sense for him to get a feel for the franchise and the city before committing. I think he could probably come back after all star break if he really wanted to but Dallas shouldn’t rush it and neither should KP. This wasn’t a trade for this season anyway

I didn't say it was definitely true because it came from Shams, just that he's a reliable source. And of course you don't rush KP back. If he's cleared to play I think he should play, though even if it's very limited minutes.

[Context]

Mavs fans I come in peace...Assuming KP is on board long term- isnt it a good thing if he signs the QQ BEEEEcause that will put you in a position to sign a third star? I believe you would have 31 million in cap space (cap projected to be 109mil)

[Texas Chuck]

It's not only about giving a good pick or not, it's the inability now, to trade a pick in any deal that might come up or a player that might be better than KP, this what we have, period

yeah the loss of flexibility in trading our picks is going to hurt, no doubt. As is the potential opportunity cost if a better player becomes available.

They clearly targeted KP and if they are right, hard not to like these two young cornerstones and the price will seem a bargain. If they are wrong, we have to worry about Luka wanting out at the end of his rookie deal which would be worst case scenario.

Now I have a lot of faith in Donnie to get creative in adding pieces around those 2. This is what he did for a decade re-building teams around Dirk. I expect a lot of trading expiring deals for 2-year deals to get a talent upgrade over the next few years. Just keep rolling players through until they get the right mix.

Risky tho for sure. But I love the boom or bust approach.