Tank or try? - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

EricaLubarsky · 07-08-2015, 10:30 PM

Mavs now have two options. We have tons of cap space, but no big free agents to spend it on. Our current roster looks like this:

????/????/????
Dirk/Villanueva/Powell
Parsons/Jefferson/Evans
Matthews/Anderson/????
Harris/Barea/Felton

Without knowing who our center will be, would you rather shoot to win 20 games and try to win the draft (we keep our pick, if it's 1-7) or would you rather we give it our all, knowing that we probably won't exceed .400?

MFFL · 07-08-2015, 10:33 PM

Try

Injuries to other teams will play a huge role in the final standings. Who would have guessed the Thunder would have missed the playoffs before the start of the year

LSMF · 07-08-2015, 10:34 PM

Perhaps we should at least finish putting next season's team together? I think we'd have a better idea of where we're headed then.

Underdog · 07-08-2015, 10:38 PM

The FA market is dry -- there are no difference-makers left, and this team doesn't have enough talent to play for 8th seed in the West... HOW do we "try hard"??

EricaLubarsky · 07-08-2015, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

The FA market is dry -- there are no difference-makers left, and this team doesn't have enough talent to play for 8th seed in the West... HOW do we "try hard"??

I'm sure this team and whatever center is left (Serafin?) could probably put up at least 35-47. Dirk alone could get us 15-20 games. Do we want to do that or do we want to develop young guys, let Matthews/Parsons heal completely and look for a draft pick?

EricaLubarsky · 07-08-2015, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFFL

Try

Injuries to other teams will play a huge role in the final standings. Who would have guessed the Thunder would have missed the playoffs before the start of the year

There are ten teams in the West better than us. You think at least two of them will have enough injuries to bump us up to the 8th seed?

DevinHarriswillstart · 07-08-2015, 10:41 PM

Tank. You can tank and still have an entertaining team to watch. I mean, winning 50 games looks nice to say we've had so many of those, but I can't really recall any great wins last season. I just recall our pg quitting and losing to Houston in 5.

Just commit to playing the young guys, and let Parsons and Matthews take their time getting back.

Dirkadirkastan · 07-08-2015, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

There are ten teams in the West better than us. You think at least two of them will have enough injuries to bump us up to the 8th seed?

That would require three.

EricaLubarsky · 07-08-2015, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirkadirkastan

That would require three.

Oops, yes. Three teams would have to have injury bugs so bad that we'd surpass them in the standings. Seems even more unlikely and it would also mean that our pick would go to the Celtics and we'd be in the same boat for 16-17.

EastTxMFFL · 07-08-2015, 10:47 PM

Tank. The last thing we need is to be stuck in that average roster purgatory that so many teams arrive at sooner or later. We will have an insane amount of cap room as well.

DevinHarriswillstart · 07-08-2015, 10:48 PM

The owner of the team said he would tank if we didn't get Jordan. Hopefully he'll still to his word unlike some others...

MFFL · 07-08-2015, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

There are ten teams in the West better than us. You think at least two of them will have enough injuries to bump us up to the 8th seed?

Golden State
Houston
Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
San Antonio Spurs
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City
Phoenix Suns

Are better. That's eight.

Portland
Utah
Denver
Sacramento
Lakers
Minnesota

Are not better. Even with a merry min rotation at center

So we're 9th.

EricaLubarsky · 07-08-2015, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFFL

Golden State
Houston
Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
San Antonio Spurs
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City
Phoenix Suns

Are better. That's eight.

Portland
Utah
Denver
Sacramento
Lakers
Minnesota

Are not better. Even with a merry min rotation at center

So we're 9th.

Just keep telling yourself that. Utah, and Sacramento are already better. Portland still may be better. We got worse this offseason. Much worse. The rest got better. Only teams we will be better than are Lakers and Wolves.

MFFL · 07-08-2015, 10:57 PM

There are player that NBA teams want to dump and we have the cap room to absorb them now. Might not be good players anymore but that first rounder we get for a tip will be nice.

But Wes/Dirk/Chandler is as good as any of the teams not listed in the top 8

EricaLubarsky · 07-08-2015, 11:03 PM

Even if you buy that we can make the 8th seed (which I think is highly unlikely), why? We get destroyed in the first round. Wear down Dirk. Give our first rounder to Boston, and go into next offseason in the same boat. No trade resources. No franchise player. No hope of improving.

FreshJive · 07-08-2015, 11:05 PM

Utah is far superior at this point. Gobert turned that team into a defensive monster over the second half of the season.

Dnowit41 · 07-08-2015, 11:09 PM

We are royally fucked

MFFL · 07-08-2015, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Even if you buy that we can make the 8th seed (which I think is highly unlikely), why?

The franchise owes Dirk to make an EFFORT to win

Do you want him to go out like a punk-ass Kobe? Not even sniffing the playoffs the last few years of his career?

Dirk has given his all - the franchise should do the same

Bryan_Wilson · 07-08-2015, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFFL

The franchise owes Dirk to make an EFFORT to win

Do you want him to go out like a punk-ass Kobe? Not even sniffing the playoffs the last few years of his career?

Dirk has given his all - the franchise should do the same

The mavs have emptied their barrels and you suggest they pick up rocks as ammunition? I doubt Dirk would want you are suggesting tbh.

Underdog · 07-08-2015, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFFL

The franchise owes Dirk to make an EFFORT to win

Do you want him to go out like a punk-ass Kobe? Not even sniffing the playoffs the last few years of his career?

Dirk has given his all - the franchise should do the same

I think we should trade him to the Warriors or the Spurs and let him win a couple rings... Make this clusterf*ck worth his time.

MFFL · 07-08-2015, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

I think we should trade him to the Warriors or the Spurs and let him win a couple rings... Make this clusterf*ck worth his time.

I think we should do it IF DIRK WANTS TO

I think he has his heart set on being THE lifetime Mav like Reggie Miller was to the Pacers

Underdog · 07-08-2015, 11:42 PM

EricaLubarsky · 07-09-2015, 12:01 AM

Why does everyone want to trade Dirk? Dirk doesn't want it. I want what Dirk wants.

Evilmav2 · 07-09-2015, 12:14 AM

At this stage of his career, I doubt Dirk would allow any trade to a team that wasn't a sure fire contender, unless he felt like he was being forced out and wanted to show the Mav's brain trust that they were foolish to have entertained the idea. It's much more likely that Dirk will play for 2-4 more years in Dallas and end with a feel good legacy that both Cuban and the city of Dallas will hold very dear for decades to come. Of course, I'm assuming that Dallas is able to keep bringing in good veteran FA pieces in to plug our ever leaky rotation holes over the next 2-4 years, and that hopefully we will be able to capitalize on the Super Cap 2016-17 free agency bonanza, and that will keep Dirk interested and motivated, but I think and hope that we will...

ocelot_ark · 07-09-2015, 12:18 AM

I don't WANT to trade Dirk, but we owe it to him to ask if he wants out. He probably doesn't, but I'm really not looking forward to watching him sit through a bunch of double digit losses or potentially play spot 5 duty.

j0Shi · 07-09-2015, 12:45 AM

We have to tank now. Have to.

sike · 07-09-2015, 12:53 AM

This is a Dark Day in Mavsland.

I fear there are MANY more to come before things look bright again.

bobatundi · 07-09-2015, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Even if you buy that we can make the 8th seed (which I think is highly unlikely), why? We get destroyed in the first round. Wear down Dirk. Give our first rounder to Boston, and go into next offseason in the same boat. No trade resources. No franchise player. No hope of improving.

This.

The Mavs could try, and could potentially sneak into the playoffs, only to be run out in the first round AGAIN.

Better to take a year off, get a top 7 pick, use cap room to grab up some other assets (as in, take on a bad contract if it comes with a young talent and/or a 1st rounter), and try to rebuild the right way--through the draft. This free agency thing clearly isn't working and isn't going to.

Budapest Maverick · 07-09-2015, 02:02 AM

Let's get Ben Simmons.

FreshJive · 07-09-2015, 02:34 AM

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/maver...y-not-a-choice

If we got shut out, we weren't just going to try to fill out the roster," Cuban said on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas. "We literally had the discussions that if we couldn't get a serious free agent, whether it's one of the other guys that are still out there or any of the early ones that went, that it was a time to step back."

After further explanation, including reasoning that the "race to the bottom" had become less crowded, Cuban concluded, "Fortunately, it didn't happen."

Unfortunately, yeah, it did.

mavsjunkie · 07-09-2015, 03:01 AM

Time to tank. The only way you get a true super star is to draft one. All others will go to truly contending teams.

Sportstudi · 07-09-2015, 06:03 AM

Let's tank. Even if we try hard and by some miracle get the 7th or 8th spot, with that team we won't survive the first round anyway. No chance. So, tank and keep that pick away from Boston.

Thespiralgoeson · 07-09-2015, 06:16 AM

Tank to the very bottom. When you tear something down, you tear it all the way down. I hope the Mavs go 0-82 next year. Also, I'd like to see if we can't manage to trade whatever pieces we have left for more picks. Load up on picks and and cap space for the near future, hope we get very lucky in the draft, and if we play all of our cards right, MAYBE we can relevant again in 3-5 years.

I hate that we can't make one last push before Dirk retires, but we don't have a choice anymore. This is the moment we've all dreaded for years. It's time for the Mavs to wake up and face reality.

Thebo · 07-09-2015, 06:21 AM

I don't think there's even a question. Invest everything into scouting and don't mess with free agency until you have a draft pick like Anthony Davis. Sign young dudes who may have an upside and don't overspend next summer.

I actually plan to watch Mavs next season. That is if Koponen proves to be at least slightly above average (and does enter NBA). I want to see what Parsons is able to do.

dirt_dobber · 07-09-2015, 06:41 AM

never been a fan of tanking. Always try your best - win or lose.

Thespiralgoeson · 07-09-2015, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirt_dobber

never been a fan of tanking. Always try your best - win or lose.

How do you even go about "trying" at this point, though? The Mavs have NOTHING to work with. We've got a roster that is light years away from being competitive in the West, basically no trade assets, and cap space but nobody to spend it on. I'm not a "fan" of tanking either, but I think the Mavs are gonna be tanking whether they want to or not.

Thebo · 07-09-2015, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

How do you even go about "trying" at this point, though? The Mavs have NOTHING to work with. We've got a roster that is light years away from being competitive in the West, basically no trade assets, and cap space but nobody to spend it on. I'm not a "fan" of tanking either, but I think the Mavs are gonna be tanking whether they want to or not.

I've even argued here against tanking but it isn't like Mavs have a choice. If you can't make it to the playoffs - so that Boston would get lowest pick possible - it's better to full tank so you can get out of the bottomless pit before that 1st round pick in Boston becomes unprotected.

I still see positives in this situation though. This proved Jalen Rose and his Grantland channel wrong - they really love to brag about their correct predictions but failed with Jordan to Mavs like some others before. Sadly I'm becoming to hate Boston because of their media - that 1st round to Boston is becoming even bigger news than Jordan to LAC.

But best of all for me - Parsons will have the ball. We can finally see why Cuban gave him that fat paycheck. We already know that he's a great recruiter. If he's able to take a step forward and become 'the man' then Mavs may have a bright future ahead. There's no Ellis in the team to demand ball 100% of the time and Parsons isn't limited to spot up shooter like Rick uses all his SFs.

Maybe it's even worth to call Scott Brooks to develop Parsons and some other talents Mavs can sign. He had his experience with Durant so he could be useful with Parsons. Brooks isn't going to win you a title but he seemed good at developing young talent. Even though I can never forgive Wade/LeBron that infamous cough to mock Dirk, we could let Rick go and join Cavs. I would be fine with that, although awkward. Sad that Cavs don't have any good picks to offer for him but perhaps something could be worked out.

sphincs · 07-09-2015, 07:13 AM

I think no tank!!!! We could try to trade Ty Lawson and to add a Centre and let's play our chances!!!!! We have not to dismiss only because DJ has changed is decision.

tap2390 · 07-09-2015, 07:40 AM

Trade Dirk to the Rockets for fillers and two first round picks (if he wants). It's time to learn from our mistakes. No matter how you slice it we will not be competing next year. We do not have enough assets to go get somebody in a rade, and there's nobody left in free agency.

While disappointing, it's also exciting to wait and wonder who our next franchise cornerstone will be. It's just time we found him in the draft.

Twenty4sevenn · 07-09-2015, 07:43 AM

What's the point in tanking if our front office can't draft? If we get a top 5 pick, there's a 100% chance that Cuban and Donnie choose the retard out of the bunch.

Instead of tanking, let's just learn how to evaluate and develop talent.