Michaellam1987 wrote:It is what it is now. Our future may be a mess, but we are still a competitive team right now, and will continue to be competitive for a few years if Irving stays, and both him and Davis remains reasonably healthy.
Our 4/5 rotation is very strong with Lively/Gafford/PJ/Davis, and with such protection in the paint, our PG/SG/SF can be more aggressively to defend the 3 point line, which is always 1 of our weakness area. Of course, we may need PJ to be more consistent 3 point shooter.
We have shooter in Klay and Grimes, with Christie and Marshall as main perimeter defender for opposing guard/forward.
Irving is the leader on the court as PG, but he definitely needs a secondary ball handler to play with him or back up him for 10-15 minutes. We have been relying on Dinwiddie/Hardy to do this, but both of them are extremely inconsistent. Exum's condition seems okay, and he may help to solve part of the problem here, but we may need 1 more player with true ball handling ability, who can score and assist, preferably can shoot 3 ball or above average defense (bonus for these 2).
One feasible name is Clarkson, who can be the 6 man off the bench, like what Jason Terry has been doing for us in the past.
The biggest problem with this roster is, who will create for others? How will we play half court offense, which is what you're playing a vast majority in playoff, without Luka? Mavs looked good in playoffs mostly because Luka's system was made for playoffs, where pace is falling off the cliff. That's gone now. It will be Iso after Iso after Iso...
We have seen in last 20 games how Mavs are looking bad, playing mostly Iso, because Kyrie is not capable of playing anything else. Can AD really change anything in that regard? Not likely, especially if he's playing on 4, killing spacing with Lively/Gafford.
About D, they might be playing elite paint D, but what will that help against teams as Celtics with 5 perimeter shooters?
I doubt they will make playoffs, but even if they somehow make it, it will be first round exit. It would be better not making play-in, hoping for some lottery luck.