RS 21/22 - Mavs @ Nuggets (Friday. 10PM EST, ESPN)

[Mr B]

Without Luka? No way. It's very questionable, if they will be playoff team playing full strength, not with playing like that.

You’re not going to sit Luka and he’s not going to agree with tanking the season.

Yeah. The tank job for a top pick is what's needed. It's not gonna happen with Luka starting though. And he won't agree to sit either.

Getting a Zion type of top pick with trading Powell and the cast for expirings would turn the team around 180 degrees. Maybe trade Porzingis to Minnesota for their pick so Dallas has 2 picks in the top 8 if they plan to tank.

No one is trading a top pick for KP or especially not for Powell. I honestly have no idea how they are going to attain more talent but that’s why Nico was hired. Let’s see what he can do over the next couple of seasons as Powell and KP come off the books.

[Mr B]

]

You’re not going to sit Luka and he’s not going to agree with tanking the season.

Which was exactly my point. The Mavs can't tank with Luka and they won't sit him, it's a moot point.

If they wanted to build through the draft, then they had to
tank better in Luka's rookie season to keep that pick and they had to not trade for KP. It's too late now.

They were arguably 1 loss away from keeping that pick in 2019 and 4 loss away from the Hawks who got the 4th pick and Hunter. It was, again, a lack of forward thinking to not get rid of the starters sooner and to finish the season 4-3 (a game won in OT).

The Mavs mishandled another situation, which is all they've been doing since drafting Luka and Brunson.

To this day, it still surprises me how Donnie was able to keep his job for 20 years. Mafia boss level of zero accountsbilty

Especially since he never had an official contract with Cuban to be the GM.

[jpengland]

Carlisle was overperforming. Anyone with an ounce of basketball sense knew that.

Kidd isn't showing signs of being able to acheive the same, despite the upgrade in bench wing depth (which was a huge hole last year).

This season is going to get messy. Very messy. The off court decisions this summer (both forced and unforced) have been tragic IMO.

I have been very bullish on Luka having no desire to leave, that's starting to wane, now. He's surely not happy with this **** show.

[jpengland]

As for tanking. GTFO.

You want to push Doncic out the door to have a shot at drafting a guy who may, or may not, pan out and will take likely 3-5 years before they are capable and of being a top 3 guy on a contender? (Go on, count the percentage of top 5 picks who firstly work out and secondly can seriously contribute right away...).

Now could it be trade bait? Maybe. But even then, Doncic wants to win now, not waste a year with a vague hope of lotto success.

[41Dirk41]

Doncic was ready to win 2 years ago, i don't know how he can support this mediocrity. Best wishes.

[Bob8]

I dont think the current core is enough to win a championship. It should however be enough to enter the playoffs.

So from there Cuban can see if these are aligned with his goals for this year.

Current core is more or less the same as last year, so it's proven to be enough for playoffs. But watching them this year, it's very doubtful that will be enough with new coach. Playing like in first matches for sure not.

The problem is that the coach is much worse than last year. So same team, worse coach and a McDoncic at the start of the season. Thats not a good combination.

That's exactly my point. Same team, new coach and 97 offensive rating.

[arkuo]

Luka and conpany all signed off on the Jason Kidd hiring. I wonder what they saw there.

He had nothing to do with Kidd hiring. People just make assumptions. He even said he stays away from front office stuff. Maybe they sent him a text during Olympics that they are thinking of hiring him and he quickly said sure. I mean what's he suppose to do? He doesn't have the knowledge who's a great coach in the league, he's too young and inexperienced.

But anyway, i think that the FO messed up again, just like with the players and now with the coach.

The Kidd hiring came before Luka signing his supermax. I would like to believe Cuban consulted his star player first prior to the hiring so he doesn't risk flying to Europe with a contract that Luka won't sign and fly back home to Dallas with their dlicks in their hands.

When you have an owner and his entourage flying to Europe to sign a contract with all the ceremonial shenanigans and photo ops, you can be sure that player that caused all the fuss will at least be consulted on who his head coach should be. At the very least, Cuban would at least have the courtesy to ask Luka if he liked Kidd. At the very least. That's for sure.

[arkuo]

As for tanking. GTFO.

You want to push Doncic out the door to have a shot at drafting a guy who may, or may not, pan out and will take likely 3-5 years before they are capable and of being a top 3 guy on a contender? (Go on, count the percentage of top 5 picks who firstly work out and secondly can seriously contribute right away...).

Now could it be trade bait? Maybe. But even then, Doncic wants to win now, not waste a year with a vague hope of lotto success.

We all get the "wanting to win now" messaging. Everyone in the NBA wants to win now. It's the degree of "can you win it now" that varies because 28 teams don't make the NBA finals every year.

Luka seems like a smart kid. Im pretty sure he knows this current squad won't cut it all the way to the NBA finals. At least not his early in his career. Something's gotta give. Either you sacrifice wins now to get talent in, or risk running the treadmill and get 1st round exits every year. This is not LA. This is not New York or Miami. He's old enough to figure that out by now. But if you truly believe a squad with Dwight Powell and Dorian Finney Smith or similar players playing heavy starter minutes is enough to win a ring, then I respect your opinion.

[Archx]

Luka and conpany all signed off on the Jason Kidd hiring. I wonder what they saw there.

He had nothing to do with Kidd hiring. People just make assumptions. He even said he stays away from front office stuff. Maybe they sent him a text during Olympics that they are thinking of hiring him and he quickly said sure. I mean what's he suppose to do? He doesn't have the knowledge who's a great coach in the league, he's too young and inexperienced.

But anyway, i think that the FO messed up again, just like with the players and now with the coach.

The Kidd hiring came before Luka signing his supermax. I would like to believe Cuban consulted his star player first prior to the hiring so he doesn't risk flying to Europe with a contract that Luka won't sign and fly back home to Dallas with their dlicks in their hands.

When you have an owner and his entourage flying to Europe to sign a contract with all the ceremonial shenanigans and photo ops, you can be sure that player that caused all the fuss will at least be consulted on who his head coach should be. At the very least, Cuban would at least have the courtesy to ask Luka if he liked Kidd. At the very least. That's for sure.

If you understand german language i suggest you read the lastest interview from Dirk (it's on Mavs reddit). He went more into details how they hired Kidd. He did admit they were thinking about Luka a lot but he never mentioned that Luka had any input in it. Like i said, maybe they quickly asked him but Luka wasn't involved in the search, like he had nothing to do with the fact that Rick and Donnie were let go, like some people said.