Now what?

[EricaLubarsky]

Maybe lucked out with a Jazz team that hated each other
And a Suns team that got too cocky

Mavs made it to the WCF but no chance of taking even one game

Where do we go from here?

[Dallas41]

They need to start by not being so loyal to Powell

Even when KP was around dude was still the starting center which is ridiculous. They have had a few years to get a legit cheap big and instead they ignored the position.

Then you watch in the playoffs and teams punished us with backup big's on the floor.

Whiteside
Biyombo
McGee
Looney

That's how bad our center talent is when all those guys had their moments vs us.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by Dallas41

They need to start by not being so loyal to Powell

Even when KP was around dude was still the starting center which is ridiculous. They have had a few years to get a legit cheap big and instead they ignored the position.

Then you watch in the playoffs and teams punished us with backup big's on the floor.

Whiteside
Biyombo
McGee
Looney

That's how bad our center talent is when all those guys had their moments vs us.

It's almost as if the Mavs leadership didn't know Luka was going to be a superstar circa 2019. Not sure how we are going to add key pieces at this point other than signing then flipping Brunson for something we need more? Spilled milk but it seems like the time to have built a core around Luka was 7 million dollar a year Luka era.

[EricaLubarsky]

I don’t think our selections of centers were going to change the outcome of the last three days where the biggest guy to his the floor for the Warriors was 6’9”

[Dallas41]

Originally Posted by Zeus

It's almost as if the Mavs leadership didn't know Luka was going to be a superstar circa 2019. Not sure how we are going to add key pieces at this point other than signing then flipping Brunson for something we need more? Spilled milk but it seems like the time to have built a core around Luka was 7 million dollar a year Luka era.

I don't bring up Banes or Bey much but I must admit now that Dallas really screwed up by passing on several NBA ready prospects.

Then they had the FA process to add pieces and the best signing we got in the 3 years since Luka rookie season was Bullock.

They didn't really do a good job surrounding Dirk after that incredible 2011 season. I felt like he was still good enough with talent around him that he could have made some more noise for another year or two but the Mavs/Cuban neglected it.

I'm not 100% certain that I trust Cuban right now either.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

I don’t think our selections of centers were going to change the outcome of the last three days where the biggest guy to his the floor for the Warriors was 6’9”

Well at least this Warriors core will age out in the next 3 or 4 years. That will open things up for hopefully a Mavs based Luka as he enters his age 26-29 seasons.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I mean, even the worst center who will be drafted in this year's draft is better than Powell. So hopefully we can get one.

I hear Mo Bamba wants out. Dunno what Orlando would want for a S&T.

[MFFL]

Rarely does a team go from zero to hero in one year. And since this is year one of the Kidd coaching era AND the Nico front office era, I think patience is in order.

We need more defenders and more shooters. It seems like other than our big 3, nobody else could make a shot (only 5 shots made by the rest of the team).

Now that the team knows what Kidd wants and the front office can work some magic to acquire more talent, I think we'll wind up with 55 or so wins next season and a higher seed. And we have now seen what a true championship effort in the playoffs looks like - something we didn't see in the previous 2 rounds.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by Dallas41

I don't bring up Banes or Bey much but I must admit now that Dallas really screwed up by passing on several NBA ready prospects.

Then they had the FA process to add pieces and the best signing we got in the 3 years since Luka rookie season was Bullock.

They didn't really do a good job surrounding Dirk after that incredible 2011 season. I felt like he was still good enough with talent around him that he could have made some more noise for another year or two but the Mavs/Cuban neglected it.

I'm not 100% certain that I trust Cuban right now either.

Agree. After all of the excitement of unexpectedly making it this far the reality has smacked me straight in the face that I don't see a path forward to improve this team. If the answer is Luka now needs to become a 2-sigma defensive player to go with his 4 sigma offensive skills then forget it.

Let's see if we are over the Josh Green disaster anytime in the next 5 years

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I mean, even the worst center who will be drafted in this year's draft is better than Powell. So hopefully we can get one.

I hear Mo Bamba wants out. Dunno what Orlando would want for a S&T.

THJ and Powell for Bamba and Gary Harris.

[Budapest Maverick]

Honestly, I don't want to be a doom&gloomer, but there isn't much you can do without significant assets. The truth is that we should have tanked for another year or two, instead we did what the Pelicans did with Anthony Davis, and tried to instantly build a team around him, without any other significant young asset. Brunson turned out to be really, really nice, but he is not a championship Nr. 2 talent.

Because we tried to give the best short term team to Luka instead of the best long term team, the roster is inherently flawed, and this is about to come full circle when we give Brunson his 25 million this summer. We will be a perennial dark horse team in 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 too, and our next chance to do anything will probably be the summer of 2024 when Dinwiddie and Bertans are gone, and the cap have hopefully went up.

[Simon2]

Mavs need to get stronger mentally and physically. They just reached the point where they said to themselves that they can’t beat them. I vote for getting another veteran leader. Someone to provide leadership when times get tough. Someone that has been through wars. Resign Brunson. Trade THJ for a veteran leader or a big that can provide a presence down low. Just keep getting better. They need to have swagger all they way the finals.

[dirt_dobber]

1) sign and trade Brunson (I hate this) to the Knicks for Julius Randle - a strong scoring power forward. Randle has fallen out of favor with Knicks and they love Brunson.

2) Trade THJ to ? (Atlanta for a big; Heat for anyone?) gets us a bit of salary relief.

3) Cut Maxi, Powell, Boban

4) Luka start the season in better shape

The West is gonna be wild next year. The Clippers will be fully healthy. The Nuggets will be fully healthy. Pelicans are coming on strong and we still have to deal with everyone else.

[Budapest Maverick]

Originally Posted by dirt_dobber

1) sign and trade Brunson (I hate this) to the Knicks for Julius Randle - a strong scoring power forward. Randle has fallen out of favor with Knicks and they love Brunson.

2) Trade THJ to ? (Atlanta for a big; Heat for anyone?) gets us a bit of salary relief.

3) Cut Maxi, Powell, Boban

4) Luka start the season in better shape

The West is gonna be wild next year. The Clippers will be fully healthy. The Nuggets will be fully healthy. Pelicans are coming on strong and we still have to deal with everyone else.

Cut Maxi? Are you out of your mind? The guy is making 8 mill a year. Ideally he would not have to play more than 20 minutes per game, but he is a very solid playoff rotation player for what is pretty much a bargain contract.

[SMC0007]

Trade Luka for 3 all-stars and 1 superstar.

Hire DP into front office role. And I mean an admin/receptionist role.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Trade Luka for 3 all-stars and 1 superstar.

Hire DP into front office role. And I mean an admin/receptionist role.

I would rather trade the front office for new ownership than trade Luka. I take it you are just spitballing here.

[Budapest Maverick]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Trade Luka for 3 all-stars and 1 superstar.

Hire DP into front office role. And I mean an admin/receptionist role.

I know you are joking, but I don't think any GM would trade Luka for Steph, Klay, Draymond, Wiggins and Kuminga, nor would they trade him for Booker, Ayton and Bridges. I personally wouldn't trade him for the Grizzlies young core either. And I don't care that their GM wouldn't do it either, because they love their teams, none of the not directly involved GMs would trade Doncic for those packages either. He is, by far, the most valuable trade chip in the league.

[tap2390]

There have been two major difference between the Mavs and Warrior this series:

1) Our one-dimensional wings (DFS, Bull, Kleber) vs. their wings who can score at least at two different level (Wiggins, Poole, Klay).

2) Our lack of interior presence.


No easy solutions. I would start with selling/ fielding offers for SD or Brunson, Kleber, Powell, Green, Frankie, THJ, and Bullock.

We are going to tempted to fix our squad with continuity. What we have seen is that we are clearly outmatched 2-15, especially when threes aren't falling. We don't need more 3&D, we need guys who aren't scared to dribble and finish at the basket. We desperately need a PnR partner for Luka. I would pursue Capela hard.

[washedklean77]

First and foremost, they go out and play Game 4. They need to go out and play loosely and aggressively to show themselves and the league that they belong there. I think for most of the portion of the last 3 games the Mavs were both entirely too timid and out of gas. Because this is indeed new territory for every player on that roster.

They should absolutely give a kitchen sink effort in Game 4 and play to win. Because who knows... maybe Steph sprains an ankle in Game 4, Green gets suspended, etc. Never say never!

[saclare]

Dang, y'all. The series ain't over until it's over. I get it, being smacked 3-0 after a pretty incredible run is deflating. But anything can happen, still going to root extra for the guys in game 4.

All that said, even if they do somehow pull it all off and win it all, they still need significant chess moves in the offseason. Others have already mentioned most solutions out there, but I'd give more credit to the ideas of using THJ in a trade to get a better PNR roll big or utilizing Brunson in a SNT, though I'm not so sure that can be done given our cap situation. I think there's quality shooting and defense here, it's rebounding and penetration that have glaringly lacked in this series so far.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

I don’t think our selections of centers were going to change the outcome of the last three days where the biggest guy to his the floor for the Warriors was 6’9”

The Mavs lost the rebounding battle, 47-33, including 14-7 on the offensive end of the floor. That directly led to the Warriors outscoring them in second-chance points, 18-4.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

The Mavs lost the rebounding battle, 47-33, including 14-7 on the offensive end of the floor. That directly led to the Warriors outscoring them in second-chance points, 18-4.

Yeah, height is pretty irrelevant to just being good at something. That's why so many were high on drafting Oscar Tshiebwe before he decided to go back to school. He's 6'9 but is a historically good rebounder and a perfect fit for this team.

Mavs just need a big that can either rebound or defend the paint. Hopefully both. But it's not something that should be too difficult to get because they don't need to be a star player.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by tap2390

There have been two major difference between the Mavs and Warrior this series:

1) Our one-dimensional wings (DFS, Bull, Kleber) vs. their wings who can score at least at two different level (Wiggins, Poole, Klay).

2) Our lack of interior presence.


No easy solutions. I would start with selling/ fielding offers for SD or Brunson, Kleber, Powell, Green, Frankie, THJ, and Bullock.

We are going to tempted to fix our squad with continuity. What we have seen is that we are clearly outmatched 2-15, especially when threes aren't falling. We don't need more 3&D, we need guys who aren't scared to dribble and finish at the basket. We desperately need a PnR partner for Luka. I would pursue Capela hard.

Pretty spot on. One dimensional wings, especially "3&D" are a problem waiting to happen. They can't generate anything themselves ans if they aren't hitting at a really high clip, the whole thing unravels.
Even the basic ability to fake a shot, put their head down and drive hard to the rim is lacking.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Pretty spot on. One dimensional wings, especially "3&D" are a problem waiting to happen. They can't generate anything themselves ans if they aren't hitting at a really high clip, the whole thing unravels.
Even the basic ability to fake a shot, put their head down and drive hard to the rim is lacking.

If only we had drafted Maxey or Bane or Bey.

Everything that is wrong with this team has nothing to do with the players on it. It has to do with who put this team together and the previous FO mishaps.

But Powell is a unique one. He is to blame for the players who think he is their heart and soul, the coach who plays him, AND the FO who wouldn't trade him. Hard to get rid of a guy that has the backing of everyone. Someone needs to step up and have a reality check. Hopefully Nico can do it.

Good new is that Luka, Brunson, and Dinwiddie are good enough to get to you to the WCF. I think Spencer will do well having a full training camp and a more defined role.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

If only we had drafted Maxey or Bane or Bey.

Everything that is wrong with this team has nothing to do with the players on it. It has to do with who put this team together and the previous FO mishaps.

But Powell is a unique one. He is to blame for the players who think he is their heart and soul, the coach who plays him, AND the FO who wouldn't trade him. Hard to get rid of a guy that has the backing of everyone. Someone needs to step up and have a reality check. Hopefully Nico can do it.

Good new is that Luka, Brunson, and Dinwiddie are good enough to get to you to the WCF. I think Spencer will do well having a full training camp and a more defined role.

Not sure Luka, Brunson and Dinwiddie are good enough to get us this far again without a big retooling. We could be one and done with this core

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

If only we had drafted Maxey or Bane or Bey.

Everything that is wrong with this team has nothing to do with the players on it. It has to do with who put this team together and the previous FO mishaps.

But Powell is a unique one. He is to blame for the players who think he is their heart and soul, the coach who plays him, AND the FO who wouldn't trade him. Hard to get rid of a guy that has the backing of everyone. Someone needs to step up and have a reality check. Hopefully Nico can do it.

Good new is that Luka, Brunson, and Dinwiddie are good enough to get to you to the WCF. I think Spencer will do well having a full training camp and a more defined role.

Bane was a fn no brainer and the extent of my scouting was watching every TCU game that he played. I'm not sure how we justified actually selecting a raw JGreen when we needed a plug and play next to Luka. Bane was ready to sbe a starter right out of the box, especially here. He shot lights out, can floor it, can pass and was a fairly salty defender. But hey...his fn arms are short.

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Bane was a fn no brainer and the extent of my scouting was watching every TCU game that he played. I'm not sure how we justified actually selecting a raw JGreen when we needed a plug and play next to Luka. Bane was ready to sbe a starter right out of the box, especially here. He shot lights out, can floor it, can pass and was a fairly salty defender. But hey...his fn arms are short.

I thought they would run to the podium when Saddiq Bey was still available. 3&D player coming out of Villanova who has a history of developing talent (see Brunson). I remember reading a lot of people wanting Bane too. Instead we got Green who is again unplayable because he can’t shoot worth a shit.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by BPo001

I thought they would run to the podium when Saddiq Bey was still available. 3&D player coming out of Villanova who has a history of developing talent (see Brunson). I remember reading a lot of people wanting Bane too. Instead we got Green who is again unplayable because he can’t shoot worth a shit.

Bey or Bane could have potentially made this series a much more competitive matchup. Green will be out of the league soon.

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by Zeus

Bey or Bane could have potentially made this series a much more competitive matchup. Green will be out of the league soon.

He will be playing next to Shane Larkin and Justin Anderson.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by BPo001

I thought they would run to the podium when Saddiq Bey was still available. 3&D player coming out of Villanova who has a history of developing talent (see Brunson). I remember reading a lot of people wanting Bane too. Instead we got Green who is again unplayable because he can’t shoot worth a shit.

According to Bob V, Donnie was nowhere to be found when the pick was made.

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

If only we had drafted Maxey or Bane or Bey.

We could have easily had Maxey/Bey and then Bane (by trading our two high second rounders for the 30th pick). So instead of ZERO players from that draft we would have had TWO perfect fits for the team.

If we are getting greedy, lets get greedy.

[purplefrog]

Warriors are playing championship basketball and if they keep playing at this level (and I am not sure they will), then not many teams would beat them in a seven game series. That being said, they have exposed the #1 and #2 Mavs weaknesses, being they have no rim protector and are a poor rebounding team. We all knew this and it is not surprising that a smart, athletic team like the Warriors would exploit these deficiencies and create a huge mountain to climb for the Mavs.

I am going to go against the grain here a bit and say the Mavs can still make this a competitive series if they make can shoot the three-point shot at about a 40-45% clip. I realize they did this in game #2, but that was just weird they could go that cold in the second half after shooting so well in the first and second quarters. Sure, take the ball to the basket and do some post-ups with Luka. But, in the end this team lives and dies from beyond the arc, so I wouldn't imagine they could reinvent themselves at this point in time. If they shoot 20 something % from three, well that is just how the ball bounces.

Moving forward, it is obvious the MBT needs two or three players who can provide some interior defense and rebound. But, I am not sure what's the best path to get there (draft, trade, FA market). Otherwise, it's just throw up the threes and hope for the best.

Here is a maybe crazy idea to shake things up a bit. Start Boban for the first 4-6 minutes of the game instead of Powell. Do the same at the beginning of the third quarter if it works. You don't play him more than 10-12 minutes but his presence might be a head scratcher for the Warriors. Bobi strikes me as a smart player, so he might be able to get some rebounds and score a half dozen points in the post in that time (can Looney guard him?). I think Kidd needs to do something outside the box. This might be one step in that direction.

[Dallas41]

Originally Posted by purplefrog

Warriors are playing championship basketball and if they keep playing at this level (and I am not sure they will), then not many teams would beat them in a seven game series. That being said, they have exposed the #1 and #2 Mavs weaknesses, being they have no rim protector and are a poor rebounding team. We all knew this and it is not surprising that a smart, athletic team like the Warriors would exploit these deficiencies and create a huge mountain to climb for the Mavs.

I am going to go against the grain here a bit and say the Mavs can still make this a competitive series if they make can shoot the three-point shot at about a 40-45% clip. I realize they did this in game #2, but that was just weird they could go that cold in the second half after shooting so well in the first and second quarters. Sure, take the ball to the basket and do some post-ups with Luka. But, in the end this team lives and dies from beyond the arc, so I wouldn't imagine they could reinvent themselves at this point in time. If they shoot 20 something % from three, well that is just how the ball bounces.

Moving forward, it is obvious the MBT needs two or three players who can provide some interior defense and rebound. But, I am not sure what's the best path to get there (draft, trade, FA market). Otherwise, it's just throw up the threes and hope for the best.

Here is a maybe crazy idea to shake things up a bit. Start Boban for the first 4-6 minutes of the game instead of Powell. Do the same at the beginning of the third quarter if it works. You don't play him more than 10-12 minutes but his presence might be a head scratcher for the Warriors. Bobi strikes me as a smart player, so he might be able to get some rebounds and score a half dozen points in the post in that time (can Looney guard him?). I think Kidd needs to do something outside the box. This might be one step in that direction.

Anytime someone mentions Boban half the boards frown upon it.

But IMO that move made more sense in the 3rd Qtr of game 2 when you literally couldn't score a single bucket from outside.

Boban would have allowed you to throw the ball in post and score on the Small Warriors easily or draw a foul.

But the real reason why you go with Boban is because Dwight Powell for all the non-sense about him an energy guy and able to switch on defense hasn't provided any of that shit in 3 playoff series now.

Boban gets this unfair criticism about not being able to play long stretches without wearing down. But go back and watch that Clippers series last year he proved to dismiss that theory partly because the Mavs actually used a combination of zone defense doing his 10-12 minutes on the floor each game.

Luka and JJB could honestly save their legs a little if they had someone to actually throw the ball into the post to that score inside a little bit. I also think Boban's size would allow the Mavs to grab more offensive rebounds if not anything else.

I just don't understand the logic of living and dying with Powell as your starting center. I don't care if he's only getting 8-10 minutes per game that is still 8-10 minutes of unproductive play at center and it's 8-10 minutes of poor rebounding and defense in the paint that your automatically giving to the Warriors because you feel like this dude deserves loyalty.

At the end of the day Boban gives you offense and rebounding that Powell doesn't provide and the defense is a wash IMO because Powell is a traffic cone defender.

[BPo001]

I guess worst case in 2 years we should have max cap space and all our draft picks. Luka will be 25. Assuming we don’t trade a bunch of picks this summer for Gobert, Turner, or someone else.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Dallas41

Anytime someone mentions Boban half the boards frown upon it.

But IMO that move made more sense in the 3rd Qtr of game 2 when you literally couldn't score a single bucket from outside.

Boban would have allowed you to throw the ball in post and score on the Small Warriors easily or draw a foul.

But the real reason why you go with Boban is because Dwight Powell for all the non-sense about him an energy guy and able to switch on defense hasn't provided any of that shit in 3 playoff series now.

Boban gets this unfair criticism about not being able to play long stretches without wearing down. But go back and watch that Clippers series last year he proved to dismiss that theory partly because the Mavs actually used a combination of zone defense doing his 10-12 minutes on the floor each game.

Luka and JJB could honestly save their legs a little if they had someone to actually throw the ball into the post to that score inside a little bit. I also think Boban's size would allow the Mavs to grab more offensive rebounds if not anything else.

I just don't understand the logic of living and dying with Powell as your starting center. I don't care if he's only getting 8-10 minutes per game that is still 8-10 minutes of unproductive play at center and it's 8-10 minutes of poor rebounding and defense in the paint that your automatically giving to the Warriors because you feel like this dude deserves loyalty.

At the end of the day Boban gives you offense and rebounding that Powell doesn't provide and the defense is a wash IMO because Powell is a traffic cone defender.

I'm guessing Boban is finally over the hill, but he averaged 11/8 last playoffs. Even if it's a Chris Kaman 11/8, meaning no defense, it's more than Powell is giving us.

But why not Chriss? The guy PLAYED for the goddamn Warriors. This lack of making any lineup change is truly bizarre.

[SMC0007]

Kleber should start but then bring in Boban to get some better looks inside. He's not great but we are desperate.

[turin]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I'm guessing Boban is finally over the hill, but he averaged 11/8 last playoffs. Even if it's a Chris Kaman 11/8, meaning no defense, it's more than Powell is giving us.

But why not Chriss? The guy PLAYED for the goddamn Warriors. This lack of making any lineup change is truly bizarre.

What's bizarre is the mavs mult-year fetish with sticking with Powell - turnstile D, no rebounding, but he might get 2 lob dunks a game and look like an all-star in trash time against end of bench players. I have complained about him for so many years that I've finally been beaten down to the point of silence for the most part.

Anybody remember people on here defending him as a much improved 3-pt shooter several years ago and actually insisted that DP was one of the best 3-pt shooters on the team? LOL

[turin]

Originally Posted by Dallas41

Anytime someone mentions Boban half the boards frown upon it.

But IMO that move made more sense in the 3rd Qtr of game 2 when you literally couldn't score a single bucket from outside.

Boban would have allowed you to throw the ball in post and score on the Small Warriors easily or draw a foul.

But the real reason why you go with Boban is because Dwight Powell for all the non-sense about him an energy guy and able to switch on defense hasn't provided any of that shit in 3 playoff series now.

Boban gets this unfair criticism about not being able to play long stretches without wearing down. But go back and watch that Clippers series last year he proved to dismiss that theory partly because the Mavs actually used a combination of zone defense doing his 10-12 minutes on the floor each game.

Luka and JJB could honestly save their legs a little if they had someone to actually throw the ball into the post to that score inside a little bit. I also think Boban's size would allow the Mavs to grab more offensive rebounds if not anything else.

I just don't understand the logic of living and dying with Powell as your starting center. I don't care if he's only getting 8-10 minutes per game that is still 8-10 minutes of unproductive play at center and it's 8-10 minutes of poor rebounding and defense in the paint that your automatically giving to the Warriors because you feel like this dude deserves loyalty.

At the end of the day Boban gives you offense and rebounding that Powell doesn't provide and the defense is a wash IMO because Powell is a traffic cone defender.

I used to beat the drum for Boban to get minutes regularly. You can't coach size, and he presents a unique set of issues which teams have to adjust to, but there is always resistance.

I've never understood how the call to play Boban somehow means playing him starter minutes. LOL. 10-12 minutes of Boban in a zone is a nice change of pace with some options for inside scoring while slowing the pace down. People who think he's worse defensively than Powell must not be watching the same games I do.

Yes, if the coach insists in true RC fashion for Boban to play man and chase shooters out to the 3-pt line, then he's going to look worse than he should. As if intentionally exposing a player isn't at least partially on the coach. The next retort that usually follows is that we wouldn't win anyway even if we played Boban. It's as if one single adjustment is not worth implementing if it involves Boban unless it guarantees an NBA title. Heh

[BPo001]

I think Boban has to go. As much as everyone loves the guy he was basically unplayable (or his number wasn’t called) all playoffs. He’s taking up a roster space.

Pray someone wants Powell, THJ, or Bertans. Maybe move Spencer (assuming JB comes back) if you can get the right piece back.

[BPo001]

Barkley said we should SnT Brunson. He doesn’t think JB gets us over the hump. Kenny seems to agree because Luka is so ball dominant.