ATL - Embiid Out for the Season

blazza18 · Post #561 » by **blazza18** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 4:35 am

Orlando are by far the worst three point shooting team in the league. Their front office better be looking at improving that at the deadline.

jschligs · Post #562 » by **jschligs** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 4:42 am

drew881 wrote:Did anyone post this graphic:

https://www.facebook.com/share/15oiJSU4Qz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

If anyone thinks Horst is a bad GM they should just look at this (Edit: I'm not excusing Horst's bad moves FYI). Absolute travesty the last few years for Dallas. I would legit not be a fan anymore.

Plossum · Post #563 » by **Plossum** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 5:01 am

Orlando has been weirdly bad since Paolo and Franz came back. Only 1 win in last 10 if they drop this game to Dubs.

drone3 · Post #564 » by **drone3** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 6:02 am

Ayt wrote:
jakecronus8 wrote:Starting to get it more for Dallas. For all of Doncic’s talents he’s among the worst defenders in the league. And if he doesn’t take his fitness seriously, how serious does he take winning?

Could they have gotten more? Obviously yes. But I’m beginning to think Luka is pretty damn overrated.

ETA: when both are at their peaks, is AD not the more impactful player?

Have you ever watched Luka in the playoffs?

Kidd actually looked shocked. I don't think he knew.

Has Cubes commented yet? That's the info we need to hear

Post #565 » by **humanrefutation** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 6:17 am

drone3 wrote:
Ayt wrote:
jakecronus8 wrote:Starting to get it more for Dallas. For all of Doncic’s talents he’s among the worst defenders in the league. And if he doesn’t take his fitness seriously, how serious does he take winning?

Could they have gotten more? Obviously yes. But I’m beginning to think Luka is pretty damn overrated.

ETA: when both are at their peaks, is AD not the more impactful player?

Have you ever watched Luka in the playoffs?
Kidd actually looked shocked. I don't think he knew.

Has Cubes commented yet? That's the info we need to hear

He declined to do so when contacted by ESPN, saying it wasn't his team anymore. But I think we know what his feelings are. He once said that if he had to choose between Luka and his wife, he'd be at his lawyer's office signing divorce papers.

RiotPunch · Post #566 » by **RiotPunch** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 6:40 am

I thought the trade had Kidd written all over it initially, but I am fully bought into RS's (DB's) ownership conspiracy theory he posted. It makes way too much sense, which is completely **** from an integrity of the game perspective.

drone3 · Post #567 » by **drone3** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 11:20 am

After reading several more conspiracy theories around the Luka trade I'm even more confused...

Baddy Chuck · Post #568 » by **Baddy Chuck** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 12:24 pm

drone3 wrote:After reading several more conspiracy theories around the Luka trade I'm even more confused...

To me it just seems like a guy got too much power in the organization (Nico Harrison) and resented basically anything that he didn't bring in and systematically phased them out. The way he boasted about how the deal went down in the press conference next to Kidd who looked like a dog that someone jsut took his favorite toy away and talking about how he didn't know but knew he'd be happy was hilarious. Dudes a narcissist. And a dumbass.

PG Graveyard · Post #569 » by **PG Graveyard** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 12:29 pm

Baddy Chuck wrote:
drone3 wrote:After reading several more conspiracy theories around the Luka trade I'm even more confused...

To me it just seems like a guy got too much power in the organization (Nico Harrison) and resented basically anything that he didn't bring in and systematically phased them out. The way he boasted about how the deal went down in the press conference next to Kidd who looked like a dog that someone jsut took his favorite toy away and talking about how he didn't know but knew he'd be happy was hilarious. Dudes a narcissist. And a dumbass.

Certainly seems possible as well. Without Cuban to block his idiocy he had the opportunity. Pelinka then took advantage.

The league needs to make sure the Lakers aren’t allowed one on one trades like this. Even if it isn’t a conspiracy it certainly looks like it. You just can’t trade dudes like Doncic in this way. Stars around the league will never want to play there again either

ReddoverKobe · Post #570 » by **ReddoverKobe** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 2:07 pm

jakecronus8 wrote:Starting to get it more for Dallas. For all of Doncic’s talents he’s among the worst defenders in the league. And if he doesn’t take his fitness seriously, how serious does he take winning?

Could they have gotten more? Obviously yes. But I’m beginning to think Luka is pretty damn overrated.

ETA: when both are at their peaks, is AD not the more impactful player?

No. Luka at his peak has a claim to best player in the league. Luka lead a team to the WCF and finals. What has AD done as the number one option?

Ron Swanson · Post #571 » by **Ron Swanson** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 2:21 pm

"Peak" AD was a mirage because everyone thought that a 21-game sample size in the bubble where he shot like prime Dirk was somehow sustainable. We haven't seen the best version of Davis since he was in New Orleans.

jakecronus8 · Post #572 » by **jakecronus8** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 3:11 pm

ReddoverKobe wrote:
jakecronus8 wrote:Starting to get it more for Dallas. For all of Doncic’s talents he’s among the worst defenders in the league. And if he doesn’t take his fitness seriously, how serious does he take winning?

Could they have gotten more? Obviously yes. But I’m beginning to think Luka is pretty damn overrated.

ETA: when both are at their peaks, is AD not the more impactful player?

No. Luka at his peak has a claim to best player in the league. Luka lead a team to the WCF and finals. What has AD done as the number one option?

I just think Luka is such a net negative defensively it taints his overall impact whereas AD is a floor tilter defensively.

Sigra · Post #573 » by **Sigra** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 3:19 pm

Luka is great scorer and great passer in pick and roll game.

He is also terrible defender. He can only defend forwards really because guards are too much fast for him. Or SG that is not good at offense. So you need to have 3 guys who can defend PG, SG, SF and PF when needed and Mavs did great job last year in that regard. Derrick Jones Jr. who is 6-5 can defend SG and SF very well. PJ Washington who is 6-7 can defend SF and PF very well. And Irving in playoffs actually play great defense. So Mavs were able to hide Luka at SG/SF/PF - whoever is bad at offense- and most teams have at least one player who is not good at defense at one of those positions. In playoffs 1st round, the Mavs hid Luke on Mann. 2nd round they hid him on Dort. West finals they hid him on McDaniels. But then in Finals they couldn't hide him anymore. Each Celtic player could score on him. At defense Luke spent most time close to basket (to get def. rebound off course) while his teamates defend 4 on 5. Against Celtics it was disaster because all 5 Celtics hit 3s. Luka had to get out of paint and God is he bad when he defends out of paint.

He is also ego maniac, crybaby and truly selfish person. He has 36-37 USG% (in playoffs it can go to 40). I would hate to play with him if I am NBA player. That smile in combination with that cry? Oh God how much I hate him and I am not the person who hate usually.

2 years ago the Mavs missed playoffs with Luka playing 66 games (most since his rookie season at that time). They would miss playoffs last year too if they didnt make those trades to bring Washington and Gafford at trade deadline. Last year the Mavs had 29-24 record without Washington and Gafford. They had 21-8 record with Washington and Gafford. Yet, people credit Luka for they success last year :lol:

Lakers will not make playoffs this year and if healthy Mavs are favorites to win it all IMO.

jakecronus8 · Post #574 » by **jakecronus8** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 3:33 pm

What’s been the most interesting part of this fiasco is that based on the discourse I’m starting to realize how overrated Luka truly is.

Ron Swanson · Post #575 » by **Ron Swanson** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 3:54 pm

I think whether or not Luka is "overrated" is completely irrelevant here. Players of his stature/production/pedigree simply never get traded this early in their careers unless there's some sort of catastrophic legal issue or locker room cancer stuff. Being an extremely flawed defensive player doesn't warrant the kind of comical discount that the Mavs sold him for.

Matches Malone · Post #576 » by **Matches Malone** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 6:04 pm

Read on Twitter

Post #577 » by **humanrefutation** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 6:12 pm

Well, that's one addition we can cross off.

JayMKE · Post #578 » by **JayMKE** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 6:19 pm

Horst should be fired for the **** Jae Crowder trade alone

Post #579 » by **humanrefutation** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 6:37 pm

It is funny to think that to pretty much every Horst deadline deal has been a failure except for the PJ trade.

emunney · Post #580 » by **emunney** » Tue Feb 4, 2025 6:40 pm

humanrefutation wrote:It is funny to think that to pretty much every Horst deadline deal has been a failure except for the PJ trade.

Remember how when we traded for PJ, Horst kept talking about how key it was that we were also getting his bird rights, and then we reneged on our offer to him and he helped Miami get to the ECF?