arkuo wrote:JJP wrote:JD45 wrote:If there were any good free agents to lure this year, I could understand this strategy, but there really aren't.
Playing for future cap space has more chance of losing games and Luka than getting another superstar. They really needed ability to evaluate and develop players along with maximizing their on court performance.
This just looks like Cuban trying to get himself a seat with the "cool kids."
Yes, the Cuban thing about a seat with the "cool kids" seems accurate. This management group is a bit... chummy.
The other thing we haven't discussed, which is out there now, is how tone deaf this decision is to a lot of women. Kidd's sexual abuse stuff coupled with the Mavs history makes this look pretty bad. Hard to believe CEO Cynthia Marshal didn't bring this up - or likely she wasn't consulted.
The Mavs will weather that angle, I'm sure. But the lack of interviews for these positions makes it all the more glaring.
The Nike executive thing is a marketing thing and should be accurate. They need to look "cool" for American superstars to want to come play with a European kid. That's one of the challenges of having a European superstar with a lead role.
The Kidd thing is another story. While I agree the optics may be bad, but this was cleared by Dirk and endorsed ny Carlisle. Should Dirk be crucified the same as Cuban for this?
As with many things and industries, it's connections that get people high paying jobs here. And Kidd is pretty well connected all the way to the top it seems. It will blow over.
Yeah, it looks especially bad with the Mavs past issues with sexual harassment. And makes Cuban's past public contrition look phony. Which is probably was.
As far as Dirk, he was a great basketball player. Always seemed to be a good guy. Nothing in that indicates he has any aptitude for building an organization. He was just a figure head in all this. He probably liked Kidd, so perhaps endorsed him as coach. Pretty much meaningless in reality. Just publicity.
I wonder if this wasn't set up all along. Lots of odd occurrences with Kidd publicly declining to pursue the Portland job, Carlisle recommending Kidd and Kidd being mentioned immediately as a Mavs coach candidate. The fix may have been in all along and this has just been theater for the last month.