ImageImageImage

Top 8 Teams in the West Today

Moderators: Dirk, HMFFL, Mavrelous

fuller4379
Assistant Coach
Posts: 4,441
And1: 1,486
Joined: May 05, 2014

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#21 » by fuller4379 » Fri Jul 19, 2019 2:12 pm

Read on Twitter
SOUNDCHASER
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,907
And1: 279
Joined: Feb 11, 2013

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#22 » by SOUNDCHASER » Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:54 pm

Nuggets
Jazz
Lakers
Rockets
Clippers
Trailblazers
Warriors
Mavericks
Kings
Spurs
Timber Wolves
Pelicans
Grizzlies
Suns
Thunder
HairyGOATee
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,897
And1: 424
Joined: Jun 07, 2019
         

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#23 » by HairyGOATee » Sun Jul 21, 2019 9:13 am

Mavs might be the 8th seed, but I think the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure, so that leaves Dallas competing with the likes of Sacramento, Portland, and GSW.
Teffer10
Head Coach
Posts: 6,841
And1: 832
Joined: Oct 06, 2006
     

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#24 » by Teffer10 » Sun Jul 21, 2019 10:09 pm

HairyGOATee wrote:Mavs might be the 8th seed, but I think the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure, so that leaves Dallas competing with the likes of Sacramento, Portland, and GSW.

I'm probably reaching here but I think the Pels could be competing for that final PO spot.
Holiday/Ingram/Favors/Zion/Hart is pretty solid but their bench could be pretty weak.
HairyGOATee
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,897
And1: 424
Joined: Jun 07, 2019
         

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#25 » by HairyGOATee » Mon Jul 22, 2019 12:53 pm

Teffer10 wrote:
HairyGOATee wrote:Mavs might be the 8th seed, but I think the Spurs will make the playoffs for sure, so that leaves Dallas competing with the likes of Sacramento, Portland, and GSW.

I'm probably reaching here but I think the Pels could be competing for that final PO spot.
Holiday/Ingram/Favors/Zion/Hart is pretty solid but their bench could be pretty weak.


They got Hayes too, but it's a young squad that will need to figure some stuff out as the season progresses.

But yeah, they could be up there, especially since they have Redick too.
HairyGOATee
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,897
And1: 424
Joined: Jun 07, 2019
         

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#26 » by HairyGOATee » Mon Jul 22, 2019 12:54 pm

Honestly, it's not looking good for the Mavs right now.
Darren
RealGM
Posts: 13,344
And1: 823
Joined: Nov 06, 2003

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#27 » by Darren » Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:52 am

I think the Mavs start Powell and Jackson and playing Broekhoff to tank from the start. Next year draft is full of PG prospects and a better Anthony Davis, Wiseman, on top of the draft board. I have no ideas what is going to be second round draft choices though. Next season, there's not much 3D players even on top of the draft board, it's more likely either 3 or D if the Mavs end up with 9-14 picks at the current projected position.
HairyGOATee
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,897
And1: 424
Joined: Jun 07, 2019
         

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#28 » by HairyGOATee » Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:16 am

fuller4379 wrote:In
1. Clippers
2. Nuggets
3. Jazz
4. Rockets
5. Blazers
6. Lakers

Maybe
7. Warriors (w/o Klay)
8. Kings
9. Spurs
10. Mavericks
11. Wolves

Out
12. Suns
13. Pelicans
14. Thunder
15. Grizzlies


I like it.
HairyGOATee
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,897
And1: 424
Joined: Jun 07, 2019
         

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#29 » by HairyGOATee » Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:18 am

Darren wrote:I think the Mavs start Powell and Jackson and playing Broekhoff to tank from the start. Next year draft is full of PG prospects and a better Anthony Davis, Wiseman, on top of the draft board. I have no ideas what is going to be second round draft choices though. Next season, there's not much 3D players even on top of the draft board, it's more likely either 3 or D if the Mavs end up with 9-14 picks at the current projected position.


Tanking this year would be good long-term I guess, but honestly, the Mavs could have come away with a young piece or two in free agency this year if they wanted to. Julius Randle would have been dope!
SOUNDCHASER
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,907
And1: 279
Joined: Feb 11, 2013

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#30 » by SOUNDCHASER » Thu Jul 25, 2019 3:49 pm

I think we are the 8th team this season when Luka and KP dominate the competition they are matched with. Howard as a S/W will probably want to come here were he can start and that even if he is hurt a big part of the time is an improvement.

Powell may be a better player and Boban as well so we have a platoon at center and KP with his rim protection is elite on D anyway so who among the centers will need to defend the rim?

Curry Boban and DeLon additions strengthen the team with role players at the critical positions of need. None is yet a star. They all have qualities that can allow them to dominate.

DeLon is a top athlete and has great defensive ability and size at PG so his contribution will be on D mostly.

Curry is a great shooter one of the very best in the league so his dominant ability is on offense so he being paired next to DeLon is a natural fit.

Boban when he is in the game is a major force that dominates the paint only problem is his speed and his ability to play lots of minutes but for when he is in there he is unstoppable and a major game changer for anyone thinking of attacking the paint.

Bench is extremely deep with Powell Kleber Brunson Jackson THJ Barea DFS Boban. That is perhaps the deepest bench in the league allowing us to rest our starters so they can be fresh in the play offs. With a deep bench and the above starting rotation I d go ahead and pencil us in at #8. Injuries and sophomore slumps from last years crop of rooks is the only problem we could have that would make us miss out and that even if Howard is not Dallas bound.
Daddy 801
General Manager
Posts: 7,693
And1: 2,436
Joined: May 14, 2013
 

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#31 » by Daddy 801 » Sat Jul 27, 2019 5:45 am

Jazz fan here. Lived in Dallas as a kid for a bit and follow them from afar.

I think you guys will be fighting like hell between a few teams for the 7th-10th spot. Honestly it’s all going to come down to health, luck, and how well KP plays. Good luck and I’ll be watching some Dallas games this year.
HairyGOATee
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,897
And1: 424
Joined: Jun 07, 2019
         

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#32 » by HairyGOATee » Mon Jul 29, 2019 5:25 am

Daddy 801 wrote:Jazz fan here. Lived in Dallas as a kid for a bit and follow them from afar.

I think you guys will be fighting like hell between a few teams for the 7th-10th spot. Honestly it’s all going to come down to health, luck, and how well KP plays. Good luck and I’ll be watching some Dallas games this year.


Trades too. I think Dallas will be involved in some of those this year.
SOUNDCHASER
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,907
And1: 279
Joined: Feb 11, 2013

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#33 » by SOUNDCHASER » Mon Jul 29, 2019 3:58 pm

To me the whole season will hinge on improving our numbers on offense IE 3 point FG % and FT% and if Luka and others can draw more fouls. When that happens we win a lot more games.

Trades also happen and then boom everything changes for the better.

Howard could land here after he is bought out and bring a double double to the center position.

DeLon is the weak link among the starters with regard to 3 pointers and he actually had a 37% season so it is possible that he could develop into a decent shooter. If that happens this season then I expect we make the playoffs.

Our bench is far superior to any of the other teams who are fighting for those last few spots in the play offs. Jackson and Ryan are nice 3 point shooters at the 3, Seth is a 45% 3PFG% monster at the 2, Brunson and Barea are both decent even Boban is a 40% shooter from 3. Powell showed signs of developing more consistency from 3 and Kleber is also decent. THJ may learn to take shots he can make instead of chucking and Reaves looks like he could be good from 3.

Luka also needs to improve and KP needs to show he can take up right were he left off which is 40% from 3.

I expect these things to happen and the mavs will then make the play offs and shock the other teams in the league.

Luka and KP are potentially as great a duo as any other in the league in fact they could be the best of the duos if they develop as we think they will. Luka showed greater promise as a rookie than almost anyone in the history of the game so he is for sure a future top 5 player in the league. KP is perhaps the best PF in the game today. The other top duos Westbrook and Harden, Kawhi and George, LeBron and Davis, CJ and Damion, Steph and Klay/ Draymond, Jokic and Murray, Conley and Mitchell these guys have all accomplished great things numbers wise, but rings and leading the league are what matter.

TOR, GSW, SAN, MIA, CLE, are the only teams to win rings after we won our last and only championship. Clippers, Lakers and Warriors are the only teams with duos that have ring winners who pose a threat to our goal of winning it all and GSW took a hit this off season losing Durant. Houston looks like they could be a threat but the bench depth is questionable as it is with pretty much all the other contenders mentioned who stand in our way in the west.

How do the mavs compete in this group is what I want to find out this year. If Luka and KP have enough help to win against these teams, that is what matters, then its just a matter of developing the clutch play to take over in the last minute of games and getting respect from the refs.

KP has the height and skill advantage over the other top tier bigs and so he could become the master clutch moment player that dominates the league like Dirk did. Luka is able to be that do it all player who can take his game to the level beyond LeBron so it is within reach that we contend this year with our guys but realistically we are a season or 3 from doing that.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN DEVELOPMENT WISE TO CONTEND?
KP and Luka develop into the best duo in the league which honestly that is more than possible from what I see.
DeLon needs to develop into a top tier PG who fits next to Luka with a better 3 point shot.
Jackson needs to round out his game and break out this season or we need to find a better SF in trade.
Seth needs to become a far better defender or shoot so well it does not matter.
Boban and the rest of our bigs who play center need to rebound a whole lot better. Actually Boban is cool its just we need him to be able to play more minutes.
A 5th big that solves some of these issues would be nice to add (Howard).

If all of this comes together we do develop into a contender and the rest of the league has a problem they can't solve. Now free agents who want to win will be wanting to play here.
SOUNDCHASER
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,907
And1: 279
Joined: Feb 11, 2013

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#34 » by SOUNDCHASER » Mon Jul 29, 2019 4:10 pm

By the way going forward with Howard here, he is just a good stop gap till we find a better option and KAT may want to get out of MINN at some point if they fail to build the rest of the team.
Daddy 801
General Manager
Posts: 7,693
And1: 2,436
Joined: May 14, 2013
 

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#35 » by Daddy 801 » Tue Jul 30, 2019 7:38 am

HairyGOATee wrote:
Daddy 801 wrote:Jazz fan here. Lived in Dallas as a kid for a bit and follow them from afar.

I think you guys will be fighting like hell between a few teams for the 7th-10th spot. Honestly it’s all going to come down to health, luck, and how well KP plays. Good luck and I’ll be watching some Dallas games this year.


Trades too. I think Dallas will be involved in some of those this year.


Will the trades be to acquire assets like picks and young players? Or vets and established players to get them in the playoffs?
HairyGOATee
Sixth Man
Posts: 1,897
And1: 424
Joined: Jun 07, 2019
         

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#36 » by HairyGOATee » Tue Jul 30, 2019 8:14 am

Daddy 801 wrote:
HairyGOATee wrote:
Daddy 801 wrote:Jazz fan here. Lived in Dallas as a kid for a bit and follow them from afar.

I think you guys will be fighting like hell between a few teams for the 7th-10th spot. Honestly it’s all going to come down to health, luck, and how well KP plays. Good luck and I’ll be watching some Dallas games this year.


Trades too. I think Dallas will be involved in some of those this year.


Will the trades be to acquire assets like picks and young players? Or vets and established players to get them in the playoffs?


Whatever makes the team better, so probably vets. But hey, they did land a young KP in a trade last season, so let's see what happens this year.
User avatar
HMFFL
Global Mod
Global Mod
Posts: 49,751
And1: 7,902
Joined: Mar 10, 2004

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#37 » by HMFFL » Sat Aug 24, 2019 6:25 am

ESPN predicts the Mavs to finish 9th in the Western Conference

The Dallas Mavericks were predicted to finish ninth in the Western Conference with a 41-41 record by ESPN. Plus, why the Mavs will make the playoffs.

https://thesmokingcuban.com/2019/08/22/dallas-mavericks-2019-espn-predicts-mavs-9th-west/

Sent from my SM-N920P using RealGM mobile app
Darren
RealGM
Posts: 13,344
And1: 823
Joined: Nov 06, 2003

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#38 » by Darren » Sat Aug 24, 2019 9:13 am

How come so many fans consider OKC a playoff team? I'm not. I think it's more likely Spurs or Mavs for the last spot had the Mavs opts not to tank at all. To be sure, I'm still open to tank for an elite playmaking PG which is available at top-7
bobsquad
Rookie
Posts: 1,222
And1: 224
Joined: Jun 24, 2006
   

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#39 » by bobsquad » Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:34 pm

Darren wrote:How come so many fans consider OKC a playoff team? I'm not. I think it's more likely Spurs or Mavs for the last spot had the Mavs opts not to tank at all. To be sure, I'm still open to tank for an elite playmaking PG which is available at top-7

The biggest thing with that is PGs are NEVER good out of the draft. They generally take at least a couple years to get even to "replacement" level, and half a decade to get to "elite playmaking" level. From the past 5 drafts who is a top 20 point guard now? I'd say only De'Aaron Fox, maybe D-Lo.
Teffer10
Head Coach
Posts: 6,841
And1: 832
Joined: Oct 06, 2006
     

Re: Top 8 Teams in the West Today 

Post#40 » by Teffer10 » Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:54 pm

Darren wrote:How come so many fans consider OKC a playoff team? I'm not. I think it's more likely Spurs or Mavs for the last spot had the Mavs opts not to tank at all. To be sure, I'm still open to tank for an elite playmaking PG which is available at top-7

Paul/Adams/SGA/Gallinari/Schroder/Roberson/Ferguson/Diallo/Felton/Noel isn't a bad team and is actually kind of deep.

I don't understand why people think we are so desperate for an elite playmaking PG when we have one of the most promising in the league in Luka. And we have Wright, Brunson, JJB, Reaves and Seth who are all capable of playing the point. Why on earth are people so eager to take the ball out of Luka's hands? I just don't get it.

We have so many other gaping holes in this team that I wouldn't even consider drafting, trading for or signing another playmaker to play with Luka. We need strength in the front court and a legit 3-D wing more than anything.

Return to Dallas Mavericks