Trade talk: Cuban not looking for 'big deal'...OR??? - Page 2 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Thomas86 · 02-01-2010, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

Excuse me? The LeBrons (minus LeBron) are godawful.

The samething can be said about most teams without there SuperStar player, just sayin.

LonghornDub · 02-01-2010, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Well one way to gauge the FO is their track record, which I must say speaks pretty poorly for them. The Marion deal was nice, but other than that, the FO has done a piss poor job since Nellie left in 2005.

We'll have to agree to disagree on your ultimate conclusion there. I'm not ready to hand them a gold star for the last 5 years, but I don't believe the body of work as a whole even remotely approaches "piss poor." It's somewhere in the middle, as far as I'm concerned.

Thespiralgoeson · 02-01-2010, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

We'll have to agree to disagree on your ultimate conclusion there. I'm not ready to hand them a gold star for the last 5 years, but I don't believe the body of work as a whole even remotely approaches "piss poor." It's somewhere in the middle, as far as I'm concerned.

Well I know following the 04/05 season, we desperately needed a shooting guard. It's now 2010, and we desperately need... a shooting guard. Now, yeah, maybe there was nobody available, but I really think 5 years is more than enough time to get something done.

Other than the Marion deal (which was very nice), it's really difficult for me to think of any transactions that have really helped this team. Of course everybody knows how I feel about the Kidd trade, so without getting into it again, suffice it to say that it does factor into my grade of the FO's performance. Wasting another year on Avery after the Golden State clusterf*ck, while Carlisle was sitting right there at ESPN, is another decision that still makes me angry to think about.

It just seems like I'm continuously frustrated every offseason. I remember going into the 07 season thinking that team would be unstoppable if only they could land a versatile 2. The biggest acquisition? Eddie Jones. It's just a pattern. Eddie Jones, Greg Buckner, Devean George, Juwan Howard, Antoine Wright, Trenton Hassell, Gerald Green etc... These are the names that fill the empty spots on our roster. Meanwhile Dirk gets another year older, and Howard's trade value plummets (admittedly not the FO's fault.) This past offseason was a good start, but unless they make that "big deal" Cuban insists he's not looking for, it's too little too late. "Piss poor" may be a bit harsh, "not good enough" seems more than fitting to me.

Edit: On that note, I really never thought I'd be pining for the days of Nellie, but here I am thinking about it. Say what you will about him as a coach, but the man was a very savvy GM.

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quietsavant · 02-01-2010, 05:03 AM

Quote:

ESPN Dallas
Monday means “The Come Up” – which normally means taking a look at Dallas’ opponents for the week. But instead of analyzing the current state of Utah, Golden State and Minnesota, we figured we’d look at what’s coming up on February 18th, the trade deadline, and how it’ll be impacted by what’s coming up in the summer of 2011. It’s most definitely some game-changing bidness, and it go a ‘lil summin’ like this:

Shakin’ It Up or Stayin’ Put

Fans and media are consumed with trade talk this time of year. It’s fun to work out all those fantasy trade scenarios in your head, and the NBA rumor mill is a blast to follow. But this year is a little different than most. The unbelievably star-studded potential free-agent pool this upcoming summer, combined with the notion that so many teams are hurting financially that the league is one giant strip-mall full of businesses having fire sales, makes for delicious fodder.

Maverick fans have had plenty of fun debating whether or not their team should utilize expiring contracts now to go get one of the talented wings supposedly available for financial relief. Would the Mavs be better off trading for Caron Butler or just keeping Josh Howard? Does Kevin Martin’s scoring ability make up for his injury issues and suspect “D?” Could Dallas land Jason Richardson from the cash-strapped Phoenix Suns for the right to overpay him for only one more year? Or why wouldn’t they just go get Andre Iguodala to be a 26-year old Robin to Dirk Nowitzki’s Batman?

ESPN’s Marc Stein is always on the case, and last Friday he wrote what some sources believe might be the Mavericks’ thinking in regards to trading before the deadline. This possible organizational opinion on Iguodala grabbed my attention:

One plugged-in source insisted this week that the Mavs have real reservations about trading Howard for Butler and are hesitant regarding Iguodala as well largely because of the four years and $56 million left on the Philly swingman’s contract after this season.

If the Mavericks think Iguodala has the talent to really add something to their lineup, why would they be concerned about paying a 17/7/6 guy who rarely misses games and will only be 30 when his contract expires? Isn’t he the type of two-way player Dallas really needs at off-guard?

Not if there’s a hard cap he’s not. If some of the predictions for the parameters of the next collective bargaining agreement are true, Iguodala will go from being a top-notch “second tier” talent to a contract that will absolutely torpedo a franchise.

Countdown to Armageddon

SI.com’s Ian Thomsen wrote a must-read, eye-opening piece last Friday that quotes a few GMs on what the next CBA will probably look like. The buzz phrase is most definitely “hard cap.” About the financial prospects for free agents such as Carlos Boozer, Amare' Stoudemire, and Rudy Gay with a hard cap on the horizon he writes:

... are you going to risk an eight-figure salary on a player who isn't likely to carry your team to the championship? If a hard cap is the new reality, then everyone in the league will be taking a new view of player salaries.

One GM Thomsen quotes sees $8 million as the new salary range for a star player, which is about the level I see Iggy. He’s not a superstar, but he’s certainly better than a really good player. So if he’s making $15 million for the Mavericks four years from now and Dirk is eating up another $15 million to $20 million of your hard cap space with another $9 million going to Shawn Marion, what’s the rest of that team looking like? Yikes!

Of course, there’s no guarantee that this doom and gloom will be the actual reality, but it’d be foolish not to take a somewhat conservative approach to what the future holds when making moves with only one year left on the current agreement. The good news is that if any owners have the stomach to go for it, it’s probably a very short list that includes Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

So if the trade deadline comes and goes without a major deal for the Mavs, remember this while you’re sharpening your sticks to storm the castle. The guy you do get when you make your major move better be the one to put you over the top. Because if he ain’t, you’re probably going to be stuck with him -- stuck between a rock and a hard cap.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks

DOOM?

MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs · 02-01-2010, 06:18 AM

The mentality is still flawed on that logic. So if Lebron is available this summer do you not pay him the max because of the future "hard cap" of course you do. So then you'll still have Lebron an out of prime Dirk, an older Marion + garbage in the future. Not neccessarily a guarentee to rack up championship rings even with the best player in the league. There's a 5% chance of that even happening as it's extremely unlikely we get Lebron or Wade or Bosh anyway. Thinking too far into the future is bad because Dirk's prime is ticking away, so be the Mark Cuban that got you in the position in the first place, have some balls and cease the moment by taking an A.I. and see what happens. Once you lose Dirk's prime you never know if this franchise will ever get that ring. To me praying for a miracle (Lebron, Wade etc...) or worrying about future salary caps is a huge disservice to Dirk and Dallas Maverick fans.

rabbitproof · 02-01-2010, 06:34 AM

How would a hard cap work? What if you are committed to over the hard cap already? Can you just not add salary?

FreshJive · 02-01-2010, 07:10 AM

Shouldn't you spend now while you're still allowed? I would rather go for it now, than worry about the ability to add an MLE type player in 2012-14.

Thespiralgoeson · 02-01-2010, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreshJive

Shouldn't you spend now while you're still allowed? I would rather go for it now, than worry about the ability to add an MLE type player in 2012-14.

No kidding. By then Dirk's in his mid 30's and it's time to start over anyway. The Mavericks can't be conservative and compete for a championship. If a player like Iguodala is too expensive, then they might as well just trade Dirk now. All that being said, if the Mavs were looking to cut payroll, then they never would've traded for Marion.

kg_veteran · 02-01-2010, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

No kidding. By then Dirk's in his mid 30's and it's time to start over anyway. The Mavericks can't be conservative and compete for a championship. If a player like Iguodala is too expensive, then they might as well just trade Dirk now. All that being said, if the Mavs were looking to cut payroll, then they never would've traded for Marion.

I agree. If the "hard cap" is going to be put in place and be so prohibitive, then the Mavs are cooked anyway. But if the idea is that Cuban wants everything to expire along with the CBA so that he can start offering new contracts under the new parameters, then he made a really stupid move to trade for Marion.

quietsavant · 02-01-2010, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabbitproof

How would a hard cap work? What if you are committed to over the hard cap already? Can you just not add salary?

They would implement it and give about 3-4 years for it to work its effect. So, based on salaries at the time, they would implement it to count when most of those salaries expire.

dude1394 · 02-01-2010, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

No kidding. By then Dirk's in his mid 30's and it's time to start over anyway. The Mavericks can't be conservative and compete for a championship. If a player like Iguodala is too expensive, then they might as well just trade Dirk now. All that being said, if the Mavs were looking to cut payroll, then they never would've traded for Marion.

Agreed...They CANNOT be conservative or tentative as Dirks time is running out. They can no longer hope to hit lightning in the bottle but have to make something happen.

Usually Lurkin · 02-01-2010, 11:14 AM

"Now that we have that trade exception, if somebody else has a big deal go down, we can demand a talented young player to pop in there," Cuban said. "That might be our best opportunity."

what in the world does that mean?

There are no big deals, so we're not looking for a bargain. But if someone else has a big deal, we can demand a bargain?

I'm confused.

SMC0007 · 02-01-2010, 12:21 PM

Pretty sure he is too.

LSMF · 02-01-2010, 12:29 PM

Cuban must make a trade. Nuff said.

DevinHarriswillstart · 02-01-2010, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dude1394

Agreed...They CANNOT be conservative or tentative as Dirks time is running out. They can no longer hope to hit lightning in the bottle but have to make something happen.

It's a classic case of wanting your cake and eat it too. If the Mavs would turn down a Howard for Iggy trade (which is rumor of course), then this franchise has no hope of winning a championship this season. I don't see the Mavs getting a better than Howard caliber player without taking on a bad contract.

Kidd Karma · 02-01-2010, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas86

I wouldn't put to much stock into what Cuban says because I still remember him sayin the Mavs weren't interested in Jason Kidd or Shawn Marion and both guys are Mavs now, I remember saying I wasn't gonna get excited about the Mavs untill they won a Playoff series and they did last season but it's hard to get my hops up about them this season.

Dirk is not 25 years old anymore to carry this team on his back every game but Cuban thinks Dirk still can, it's hurt seeing the Lakers and Cavs getting players to help Kobe and Lebron and the Mavs getting players well past there prime to help Dirk, the Mavs are made some good deal but I remember when they would get steals in trades like Nick Van Exel or Antawn Jamison but since Don Nelson let the doesn't happen anymore.

This is exactly what Cuban is thinking and it's not going to happen any more. I mean, I look at Duncan, Pop is limiting him to 32. Sure Duncan's got 2 years on him, but Duncan has a reliable 2nd guy in Parker to alleviate some of the pressure for the past couple of seasons. Dirk has had no one, Jet, but, come on, Parker's now their leading scorer. I think we're riding Dirk into the ground, where he'll have games like Portland and Phoenix, the constant tripling even without the ball is wearing on him. Plus Cuban's got to start thinking post Dirk now, rather than after Dirk's done. Combine the 2 talents, maybe he's relying on the DUST Chip as the first key piece to his post Dirk era.

sefant77 · 02-01-2010, 01:16 PM

All that talking about the hardcap is BS.

No one know IF there will be a hardcap in the future and even if: They will introduce it slowly in a 4-5 years window AFTER all that crappy contracts now will run out. They wont introduce a hardcap in 4 years with all the teams having their Gasols or Iggys on the payroll.

And i dont get it, Iggys contract is 8-10mio too high, sure. But he is like the Gasol of the guards, the perfect second banana. I say he comes pretty close to a Scottie Pippen. So if that isnt a value trade i have no idea. Even with paying Dalembert next year 7-8mio more than he is worthy.

Cuban spent like crap the past decade if he gonna cheap out now on a Iggy/Dalembert trade because of 10-15mio i gonna kick his ***.

quietsavant · 02-01-2010, 02:36 PM

This seemed like a fitting enough thread for this. More news on Iggy or Butler, as it relates to the Rockets, this is from the Houston Chronicle

Quote:

There was some more trade buzz over the weekend. You know the drill. Say it with me. Nothing has changed.

The talks are exactly what they have been all month.

The Rockets have focused on four teams — Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago and New York — with the Rockets willing to take back a long, heavy contract, but not two, and other teams trying to get one of the Rockets' young assets. (ESPN mentioned Luis Scola, but Washington and others are actually targeting Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry or Chase Budinger. Scola is a free agent this summer.)

This has been roughly the state of talks for nearly a month, with the sides determined to wait for the other to move off its demands closer to the trade deadline, and the Rockets' hoping that teams will be more compelled to make a deal than the Rockets are because they have something to gain long-term by doing nothing at all.

I can, however, share something from a friend who is a long-time scout and front office guy. I had come over thinking Andre Iguodala would be a better get than Caron Butler. He strongly disagreed, arguing that neither is a guy that carries a team, but Iguodala has the contract of one. Butler has one more year left on his deal. He said Butler "isn't a good guy, he's a great guy." Most of all, he said Butler is a better fit, giving the Rockets shooting they desperately need and that would work well next season with Yao Ming.

On the other hand, it's tough to know how much to make of Butler's struggles this season and if he can shake off the years of being a Wiz. A change of scenery helps some guys. Others get stuck in that sort of mode when playing too long for a mess of a team such as the Wizards. It is a condition known as Clipperitis.

My bet is that Butler is so competitive, such a tough-minded player, he would thrive if he can join a winner, particularly when Yao starts getting everyone open shots again next season.

Either way, it still seems like a long way to go to get to Feb. 18

dude1394 · 02-01-2010, 02:47 PM

As much as many disagree Cuban, Donnie, RC are not idiots. Only RC has a vested interest (his job) in playing dirk too many minutes. Cubes/Donnie know what is happening. Now they may still decide that the financial committment is too high or that there isn't enough ROI for a move now, but it's not because they are delusional.

And cuban has already said what his post-dirk plan was, tear it to the ground, all the way down. Be just like memphis is now and hope to hit on a sammy superstar or at least have a great young core that you can then trade for a superstar.

mac222b · 02-01-2010, 05:52 PM

i think they're gonna try and make a move but not if it means giving up Dust, Roddy, picks. we're saving those in case 'Bron or someone similar comes available which is smart. but Gooden, Carroll,JJ, Josh don't have any more trade value this summer. we'll move J-Ho if we can. but if it's just about expirings the Rockets have McGrady and Cleveland Big Z. the clincher may be our willingness to take on another bad contract, i.e. Dalembert. but it think they are extremely motivated to get something done. it's just posturing

SMC0007 · 02-01-2010, 06:34 PM

I would absolutely not give up Roddy. He has potential to lead this team into the future. We have that piece in him going forward, leave him alone and build around him. I fully expect him to be Cp3, Parker caliber player, a great penetrator, passer and scorer.

dalger · 02-01-2010, 06:45 PM

As far as the CBA after 2011 is concerned, we can't let that be a major factor in regards to our activities until this summer. We have this season and the next one under the current agreement, and our core won't be able to compete much longer anyway as Dirk will be 33 by then, Kidd 38, Marion 33 and JET 34. The time is now, if we really want to win a ring with Dirk and Kidd.

dude1394 · 02-01-2010, 07:30 PM

I would give up josh/roddy for iggy or kaman yesterday.

mavsfan1000 · 02-01-2010, 08:17 PM

I would rather give up Barea and Howard for Iggy. Kaman would probably require Beaubois though unfortunately. I really think we need Beaubois though. This team needs a spark plug.

dude1394 · 02-01-2010, 09:11 PM

Well I'd rather give up carroll but who would take him. So we think that iggy is that bad of a player?? Philly isn't going to just dump him, if they would they'd just take tmac.

Thespiralgoeson · 02-01-2010, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMC0007

I fully expect him to be Cp3, Parker caliber player

I don't.

CadBane · 02-01-2010, 11:39 PM

We like our team.

twistaeffect2004 · 02-01-2010, 11:47 PM

I think the Mavs are going to do everything they can to improve their team. Whether they can "Pau Gasol" somebody is a whole different story though. They have the expirings but they certainly don't have the young cheap talent (outside of Roddy) to offer. It's all up to whether the opposing team wants to give up really good talent to save money. If that's their goal then the Mavs have a good shot to get an Iggy, Martin, etc. If not, then they will have to work out a multiple team deal, or they acquire a minor piece hoping this team can shape up somehow. Or just play out the rest of this season, hope for some luck and then go into the FA period with some bullets in the chamber to possibly get a franchise type player.

One thing is this. If the Mavericks don't take back a Kevin Martin or Andre Iguodala because they don't want to accept bad contracts with it, I'll be livid. It's this simple, we're running out of time. You have to do everything you can while we have Dirk to put the best team around him. Screw 3-4 years from now, because more than likely it'll be close to rebuilding time for this franchise. It's time to win now. Dirk, Kidd, Jet, Marion, Damp are not getting any younger.

SMC0007 · 02-02-2010, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

I don't.

Yeah maybe you don't, but he did leave the court with a leg injury. At least he and Cp3 have that in common.

Dtownsfinest · 02-02-2010, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quietsavant

This seemed like a fitting enough thread for this. More news on Iggy or Butler, as it relates to the Rockets, this is from the Houston Chronicle

Are we hoping for Bosh to come to Dallas to replace Dirk as he gets older or to make a run at a title? Because a lineup of Dirk and Bosh defensively is going to cause problems for the Mavs. And offensively they are basically the same player. I believe he's in his mid 20's though so it wouldn't be a bad option to have a guy here who can eventually replace Dirk and still be in his prime when Dirk is on his way out of the league.

Dtownsfinest · 02-02-2010, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMC0007

I would absolutely not give up Roddy. He has potential to lead this team into the future. We have that piece in him going forward, leave him alone and build around him. I fully expect him to be Cp3, Parker caliber player, a great penetrator, passer and scorer.

I'd give up Roddy for a chance at a title now. I won't give him away but if there's a deal out there that will make the Mavs legit contenders? I'm for it. Roddy is some years away and by the time he actually develops into the player we HOPE he will be Dirk will be in his late 30's and I don't even know who will be surrounding him at that point. At one point I had hoped it would be Josh but he can't leave soon enough.

dalger · 02-02-2010, 03:35 AM

Fish wrote the following in today's recap:

Quote:

The Mavs too often float away from Nowitzki-as-centerpiece, the owner apparently is telling our pal Gina Miller that the team "got bored'' last month, and Dear Reader, if you think this club isn't trying to make a tide-turning trade, you do not possess the intellectual capacity required to be a visitor to DallasBasketball.com. (That's all I can say right now but is my meaning clear enough?)

Even though the paragraph doesn't say whether or not they're trying to make that tide-turning trade now, meaning within the next three weeks until the deadline, I think it does put Cuban's comments into perspective. Perhaps, he's indeed actively pursuing a big trade.

I'm not sure why our team "got bored" (maybe it isn't or "bored" is just the wrong term), but I do believe that this apparent state of mind makes a (useful) trade even more important. We're looking worse than we actually are right now, but it's safe to say that our main guys like Dirk and Kidd start to realize that we're not good enough to beat the Lakers and maybe even the Nuggets. If they don't see that possibility, there's not much these guys are playing for. 10x50? I'm sure Dirk and Kidd couldn't care less. A first-round success in the playoffs? Not really exciting.

They both want to win a title at this stage in their career and know that they can't get it done with their current team. That very certainty could be quite detrimental to their motivation, their game and eventually the entire team's success. Needless to say that it would be difficult to change that without external help, for example a new player.

quietsavant · 02-02-2010, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dtownsfinest

Are we hoping for Bosh to come to Dallas to replace Dirk as he gets older or to make a run at a title? Because a lineup of Dirk and Bosh defensively is going to cause problems for the Mavs. And offensively they are basically the same player. I believe he's in his mid 20's though so it wouldn't be a bad option to have a guy here who can eventually replace Dirk and still be in his prime when Dirk is on his way out of the league.

I believe in acquiring talent firsty. However they need to make the pieces fit, a great coach will work that out. No one thought gooden and Dirk would work. granted its not consistent, but it works

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twelli · 02-02-2010, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony320

"great. another mediocre season" - I've said it before and I'll say it again, folks in this town have gotten SPOILED by the Mavs winning 50 games every year. 50 wins is and EXCELLENT season, not "mediocre". The Mavs CONSISTENTLY put out a high quality product - let's enjoy it before it disappears for several years at a time like the rest of the teams in this league.

Not necessarily, you have teams that never seem to get near or to the top, like the Clippers or Milwaukee, at least for the last 20 years or so, and then you have teams like the Lakers who always seem to be up there somewhere, and then you have teams that play good for a few years and then suck for a few years, like Sacramento, and then you have teams that are really good, then really bad, and then winning it all in a short span of time, like Miami or Boston. All depends on the right trades at the right time. I want Dirk to win it all this season, before it is too late. Get him some help, NOW!

sefant77 · 02-02-2010, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twistaeffect2004

Whether they can "Pau Gasol" somebody is a whole different story though.

Just use the verb "to gasol" - stealing a great player with expierings/crap.

On a german board we use this verb since that trade..."damn we need to gasol (gasolen in german) someone blabla"

Well, at least thats now the best moment for a losing streak so close to the deadline. Better now than winning now, trading for no one and start losing after it.

MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs · 02-02-2010, 07:03 AM

What if Dirk just decides screw this shit I'm not winnining a championship here and leaves after the season for nothing in return? That's the kind of possibility the MBT are leaving open here. We assume Dirk will stay, but you just never know he's obviously getting more and more pissed off having no help from teammates and now it appears to be no help from the F.O. to improve the situation. This could become an all or nothing type situation this summer where we land a huge star to pair with the one we got or lose our main star, leaving our team in complete shambles. I can't believe they're even willing to let him consider it by doing nothing. ANY MAVS FAN should be a little nervous if the TDL passes with no major moves taking place. Of course there's still the other side of the coin that it may not be Cubes/Donnie's fault. It's possible no teams are willing to take Josh and that's why they're ACTING like "we may just keep Josh" to gain interest, but I believe it's more likely that it comes down to something like our head guys saying "we don't want Dalembert with Iggy" but of course that's all speculation. What Cuban's saying about pairing Josh with the DUST chip this summer makes little sense because say by some miracle we land Lebron Damp/Iggy for example would be a crapload better than Damp/Josh.

bobatundi · 02-02-2010, 09:55 AM

I don't get the unwillingness to take on Iggy & Dalembert. Ok, Iggy is overpaid by a few million...guess what, with all the teams clearing cap space for this summer, and the Mavs only able to get someone through S&T, they're going to have to overpay to get anyone (see: Marcin Gortat offer). Besides, I'm becoming increasingly convinced that every dollar paid to JJ Barea is a dollar of overpay.

Dalembert's contract expires after next season. So while it's a big dollar commitment for that one season...it's only for one season! And, depending how the world shakes out, he's an expiring next year that could be really valuable. Oh, and he's not a half-bad young center.

dalmations202 · 02-02-2010, 10:42 AM

I don't understand lots when it comes to BBall people. Of course, it isn't my money, and I don't really know what is and isn't being offered either.

With that said, all these cool trades, still run you into a problem in the end.
What trade makes you as good as the frontline of the Lakers? Bynum, Gasol, Odom are all 6'10" and above, long armed, and skilled. Any of them can go off for 20+ on any given night. They can even run the floor.

Add to that Kobe -- who is one of two players (him and Lebron) that I think are definitely ahead of Dirk in the league. All the rest I think I can argue Dirk and at least break even on the argument, but Lebron and Kobe are in a class by themselves, IMO.

The weakest link of the Lakers is an ultra quick PG (if you can spread the floor), and RC refuses to develop Frenchy since he is a rook. So I don't think Dallas has much of a chance to win it all this year anyway.

I think Mark and Donnie realize this, and are trying to hold a few more eggs in the basket to see how the landscape unfolds next year.

I just don't see how this team as presently constructed can beat the Lakers in 7 without a better frontline, and without a better SG to help spread the floor.