2018 NBA Draft - Page 11 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Underdog · 02-04-2018, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

The more I watch Jaren Jackson Jr the more impressed I am with him. Tonight 10 pts 3 rebs 2 assts 7 blks 1 stl 1 trey

Yeah, I’m really starting to warm up to him.

mac222b · 02-04-2018, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

The more I watch Jaren Jackson Jr the more impressed I am with him. Tonight 10 pts 3 rebs 2 assts 7 blks 1 stl 1 trey

And he’s like 18 or something. I think I remember reading he’s the youngest legit draft eligible player?

Underdog · 02-04-2018, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac222b

And he’s like 18 or something. I think I remember reading he’s the youngest legit draft eligible player?

I don't know if he's the youngest eligible, but he's definitely the youngest being projected at the top of the draft.

EDIT: looks like Jontay Porter (Missouri) is actually younger -- some mocks have him going at the end of the first, some don't even have him getting picked.

EricaLubarsky · 02-04-2018, 05:14 PM

Lottery watch - Strength of remaining schedule

6) Nets +1.5 (16th hardest schedule)
6) Grizzlies +1.5 (24th hardest schedule)
6) Bulls +1.5 (4th hardest schedule)
5) Suns +0.5 (3rd hardest schedule)
4) Mavs === (23rd hardest schedule)
3) Kings -0.5 (14th hardest schedule)
1) Magic -1.0 (24th hardest schedule)
1) Hawks -1.0 (17th hardest schedule)

Mavs jump from 2nd to 4th with the win. Three teams breathing down our neck within 1.5 games

Edit, Suns about to lose too. They'll close the gap to 0.5

mac222b · 02-04-2018, 06:41 PM

8th pick here we come. Culture!

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-04-2018, 07:39 PM

Pisses me off so much. I just fired off an email to Mark Cuban about it.

Hawks won today too. If the Mavs had any common sense, they would of taken their L last night & today they'd be in a virtual tie for the worst record in the league.

Underdog · 02-04-2018, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

Pisses me off so much. I just fired off an email to Mark Cuban about it.

Hawks won today too. If the Mavs had any common sense, they would of taken their L last night & today they'd be in a virtual tie for the worst record in the league.

Mark Cuban can't do anything about players wanting to win... And why wouldn't they? They don't benefit from losing -- some of these guys are going to be FAs this summer, and none of them aside from Barnes/Powell/Dennis are guaranteed contracts past next season.

And it's not like you can bench all the vets without a good reason either -- their next payday depends on the minutes they play now. If you bench them, then no veteran FAs are gonna want to play here.

mac222b · 02-04-2018, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Mark Cuban can't do anything about players wanting to win... And why wouldn't they? They don't benefit from losing -- some of these guys are going to be FAs this summer, and none of them aside from Barnes/Powell/Dennis are guaranteed contracts past next season.

And it's not like you can bench all the vets without a good reason either -- their next payday depends on the minutes they play now. If you bench them, then no veteran FAs are gonna want to play here.

I don’t think it’s that black and white. Players aren’t going to not sign here because Harrison Barnes got some rest days or JJB didn’t play in the 2nd half of a meaningless February game. They likely wouldn’t even know the difference. Doing the right thing in their instance is almost like doing it in a vacuum. Our “culture” hasn’t tangibly benefited us in any significant way since 2011. What we’ve seen is that star players want to play with other star players. More significantly their buddies. Which made it harder for us to lure another star to play with Dirk. Do the players all know that RC is one of the best coaches and that Cuban is a “cool dude”. Of course. But these star types make their own rules. If Westbrook and George want Donovan gone he’s gone tmrw.

The best way to lure a future star FA is to lose this season as much as humanly possible and have two young foundation pieces for 2020 or 2022 or whenever it is that we have a legit shot at the superstar FA. That or have the assets to trade for him.

If everyone is on the same page there are subtle ways to tank. We don’t have to bench all the vets. I think they have to two strong personalities and a yes man in charge. It’s lead to a series of mistakes and half measures.

Underdog · 02-04-2018, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac222b

I don’t think it’s that black and white. Players aren’t going to not sign here because Harrison Barnes got some rest days or JJB didn’t play in the 2nd half of a meaningless February game. They likely wouldn’t even know the difference. Doing the right thing in their instance is almost like doing it in a vacuum. Our “culture” hasn’t tangibly benefited us in any significant way since 2011. What we’ve seen is that star players want to play with other star players. More significantly their buddies. Which made it harder for us to lure another star to play with Dirk. Do the players all know that RC is one of the best coaches and that Cuban is a “cool dude”. Of course. But these star types make their own rules. If Westbrook and George want Donovan gone he’s gone tmrw.

The best way to lure a future star FA is to lose this season as much as humanly possible and have two young foundation pieces for 2020 or 2022 or whenever it is that we have a legit shot at the superstar FA. That or have the assets to trade for him.

If everyone is on the same page there are subtle ways to tank. We don’t have to bench all the vets. I think they have to two strong personalities and a yes man in charge. It’s lead to a series of mistakes and half measures.

I just don't get how you guys can be so butthurt about winning 1 game to a team that's legitimately worse than us after a 5-game losing streak... How would we have lost this game? Sit Barea more?? He shot 2-12 and had 3 TOs... I mean, we STARTED Dwight Powell -- that's a strong tank move right there... Motley was a DNP, but I don't see how playing him would have hurt us... Literally the only thing we could have done to make ourselves worse would be to bench Barnes for McRoberts, and there's absolutely nothing subtle about that.

The truth is that there's not a damn thing the coach, owner, or GM could have done to drop that game... And if you don't think they're doing everything within their power to lose games this season, then ask yourself why Noel can't get any burn when he's the best center on the roster (we let Odom play through worse)... Or why Curry is STILL out when his injury was only supposed to sideline him for a couple weeks... Honestly, this team probably has no business getting a top-5 pick in the draft, but here we are at #4 with the ASB right around the corner.

We're gonna win a couple here and there, no point in getting bent out of shape about it -- it's not like we're gonna close out the season on a 30-game losing streak.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-04-2018, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

I just don't get how you guys can be so butthurt about winning 1 game to a team that's legitimately worse than us after a 5-game losing streak... How would we have lost this game? Sit Barea more?? He shot 2-12 and had 3 TOs... I mean, we STARTED Dwight Powell -- that's a strong tank move right there... Motley was a DNP, but I don't see how playing him would have hurt us... Literally the only thing we could have done to make ourselves worse would be to bench Barnes for McRoberts, and there's absolutely nothing subtle about that.

The truth is that there's not a damn thing the coach, owner, or GM could have done to drop that game... And if you don't think they're doing everything within their power to lose games this season, then ask yourself why Noel can't get any burn when he's the best center on the roster (we let Odom play through worse)... Or why Curry is STILL out when his injury was only supposed to sideline him for a couple weeks... Honestly, this team probably has no business getting a top-5 pick in the draft, but here we are at #4 with the ASB right around the corner.

We're gonna win a couple here and there, no point in getting bent out of shape about it -- it's not like we're gonna close out the season on a 30-game losing streak.

I'm starting to think you didn't watch last night's game. There's a reason I posted I hate Devin Harris, JJ Barea, and Yogi Ferrell. That loss was right there for the taking last night. Through 3 quarters we allow Sacramento to shoot 64%, we're on the road, we're down by 4 going into the 4th. Carlisle could of coached us to a loss from there. Geez. We go on a 16-0 run to start the 4th???

Call a timeout. Put Devin Harris on the bench. If you've watched any Mavs basketball the last 3-4 weeks, when the Mavs are struggling, he'll come in & score a bucket or two & get them back in it. I hate him. Yogi Ferrell. Cut Yogi Ferrell. Even as Sacramento was making a late push to get back into that game last night, Yogi outworks 3 Kings for a rebound and then finds an open Mav for the assist. I hate him.

Harris, Ferrell, and Barea spell BAD NEWS for the Mavs tanking efforts. Barea could of been sat for this game with a lingering oblique issue. He shouldn't of been on the court. When Dallas starts getting out ahead, call timeout and put Harris & Ferrell on the bench. Do something. Don't just sit there & win the game. That sucks.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-04-2018, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Mark Cuban can't do anything about players wanting to win...

And it's not like you can bench all the vets without a good reason either...

Cuban can force a trade, cut a guy, call up Motley. There's a ton that Mark Cuban can do.

"You can't bench vets without a good reason" So, what were the Kings doing 3 weeks ago when they sat 2 of the following players George Hill, Vince Carter, Zach Randolph, or Garrett Temple for every game?

"Or no veteran free agents will want to sign here" Maybe drafting Luka Doncic instead of Mikal Bridges is more valuable than veteran free agents.

Least of all, Barea had an oblique injury. If the Mavs were smart, they would of kept him out of the Sacramento game.

Underdog · 02-04-2018, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

Cuban can force a trade, cut a guy, call up Motley. There's a ton that Mark Cuban can do.

"You can't bench vets without a good reason" So, what were the Kings doing 3 weeks ago when they sat 2 of the following players George Hill, Vince Carter, Zach Randolph, or Garrett Temple for every game?

"Or no veteran free agents will want to sign here" Maybe drafting Luka Doncic instead of Mikal Bridges is more valuable than veteran free agents.

Least of all, Barea had an oblique injury. If the Mavs were smart, they would of kept him out of the Sacramento game.

Motley did get called up, the Mavs are trying to make a trade, and who the hell are you going to cut? The players who are winning games for us aren't the guys you can or want to cut... Noel didn't win this for us... McRoberts didn't win this for us... And I keep hearing about Barea, but once again, he shot 2-12 and had 3 TOs -- he's not the reason we won this game.

And, yeah, Sacramento sits vets to tank -- that's why George Hill is trying to force his way out (like Boogie) and no FAs want to play for the Kings unless they're the only team left with cap space... If that's the franchise you want to model yourself after, then expect similar results.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-04-2018, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Motley did get called up, the Mavs are trying to make a trade, and who the hell are you going to cut? The players who are winning games for us aren't the guys you can or want to cut... Noel didn't win this for us... McRoberts didn't win this for us... And I keep hearing about Barea, but once again, he shot 2-12 and had 3 TOs -- he's not the reason we won this game.

And, yeah, Sacramento sits vets to tank -- that's why George Hill is trying to force his way out and no FAs want to play for the Kings unless they're the only team left with cap space... If that's the franchise you want to model yourself after, then expect similar results.

FAs don't care about whether or not the Mavs tanked to get a top pick. JJ Redick signed with Philly this year, and they wrote the book on tanking. That's a non-issue. What will impact signing free agents is the difference between the Mavs drafting DeAndre Ayton and Wendell Carter Jr. That'll have an impact on whether DSJ re-signs with the Mavs when the time comes too.

Also, Barea had 11 assists last night. He had a big part in the Mavs comeback. Did you see the #s they showed on the telecast last night about how Powell plays with & without Barea on the floor? Barea should of sat last night.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-05-2018, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

... I keep hearing about Barea, but once again, he shot 2-12 and had 3 TOs -- he's not the reason we won this game...

A couple notes I heard today about Saturday's game with the Kings:

1) Barea was +17 for the game. The highest total for any Mavs' player

2) With Barea & Powell on the floor together the Mavs outscored the Kings 46-27

Yeah, I'd say Barea is the reason the Mavs won the game, and it pisses me off that they didn't sit him another game with his oblique injury. That's totally inexcusable!

Robillion · 02-04-2018, 11:04 PM

I get the desire to tank as a fan, but no worthwhile coach or player ever plays to lose. In terms of the future, the Mavs have been lucky last year and this year that they've been bad and can bring in some young talent in the draft. We are also lucky though that we have a team that plays with heart and tries to win every game as that is a culture trait you want to nurture and keep as an organization.

Now, the front office beyond Carlisle can and should think more about what they can do to strategically tank IMO. And, maybe we'll see that in action this week.

DevinHarriswillstart · 02-05-2018, 10:36 AM

There really is no reason to freak out. This draft is about 7-8 deep in the elite prospect area, and I'm pretty sure the Mavs have one of those picks. It's going to be Ayton/Bagley at the 1 and 2, and then a choice of Young/Bamba/Doncic/Jackson jr/Porter. You really can't go wrong with any of those choices. Even Carter jr looks like a good pick. There will be more rising as the draft gets closer so we could be easily looking at 10 deep.

Mavs will be fine.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-05-2018, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

There really is no reason to freak out. This draft is about 7-8 deep in the elite prospect area, and I'm pretty sure the Mavs have one of those picks. It's going to be Ayton/Bagley at the 1 and 2, and then a choice of Young/Bamba/Doncic/Jackson jr/Porter. You really can't go wrong with any of those choices. Even Carter jr looks like a good pick. There will be more rising as the draft gets closer so we could be easily looking at 10 deep.

Mavs will be fine.

I tend to agree. However, Ayton and Doncic seem to really be separating themselves from the rest of the pack.

I've heard Ayton described as better than Embiid. A guy who's body is NBA ready from day 1, can shoot from the mid range & who people think will be able to develop an NBA 3 point shot quickly. I heard one scout say the best thing about Ayton is how he can defend the pick 'n roll. He can jump out ahead of ball screens and is quick enough to recover and defend the rim. The scout called it a special skill you don't see often from very many big men & said it's a skill that makes him NBA ready right now. (Fwiw, he also said Jaren Jackson Jr excels in this area too).

Doncic is being described basically as everything Jerry Krause dreamed Toni Kukoc would be. I just can't ignore how young he is, the kind of #s he's putting up in the 2nd best league in the world at his age. It's unprecedented.

I think Ayton & Doncic are definitely worth tanking for.

Will we be able to look back at this draft 5 years from now & see several other guys teams should be "happy" with. Sure. I have a feeling Ayton & Doncic will still separate themselves. I won't be upset if we land Jaren Jackson Jr or maybe even Mo Bamba, or maybe even Trae Young. I'm not sure how I'll feel if we wind up with anyone else. Like if we get Mikal Bridges, I'll be happy that we added a usable part, a guy who provides a missing piece to the puzzle, but I'll be disappointed that a few more losses this year could of landed us a bigger piece to the puzzle.

mac222b · 02-05-2018, 12:58 PM

I wouldn't call it butthurt. I'm not taking their loss personally. Just disappointed. As an isolated event, no, its not a big deal to lose a game to Sac. But its part of an overall pattern in my view. We were lucky to wind up with Junior at #9. They did a terrible job tanking last season. Why believe this season will be any different? As everyone here often says, maybe we just suck. Thats fine. But if you're gonna suck, really suck.

The best way to get DSJ to buy in is to get him a star sidekick. You can cultivate his growth and a winning culture whether you win 25 games. Or 29 games. You're just more likely to get another star to pair with Junior with less wins and better pick. No one will remember the meaningless wins even a month from now. Players included.

saclare · 02-05-2018, 11:49 PM

Orlando with a win tonight. You run into a win every now and then...

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-05-2018, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saclare

Orlando with a win tonight. You run into a win every now and then...

Huge win tonight by ORL! Especially with Aaron Gordon out. Somehow they held onto a 2 pt lead with 90 secs left in the 4th qtr vs a playoff team with all their key players healthy. Very, very nice

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-05-2018, 11:58 PM

Bobby Portis is in beast mode tonight vs SAC. He's been playing well since Mirotic was moved (in particular on the boards, which we could really use the help). Disappointing we couldn't work something out to acquire him. Unfortunately, I don't think we had anything to offer CHI that would of gotten us Portis in return. Not to mention, I don't think the Bulls are one of the teams we have a relationship with for making moves.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 12:06 AM

Speaking of CHI vs SAC. It's SAC 89 CHI 87 with 5:45 left in the 4th qtr. With the Mavs dropping that game in SAC on Sat, I'm not even sure who to root for. I think CHI because it's more likely the Mavs fall behind SAC for worst record & might fall behind CHI too. Still really wanna root for that worst record in the league, but the Mavs seem comatose from the neck up. Doubt I can depend on them to do the smart thing anymore.

Underdog · 02-06-2018, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

Speaking of CHI vs SAC. It's SAC 89 CHI 87 with 5:45 left in the 4th qtr. With the Mavs dropping that game in SAC on Sat, I'm not even sure who to root for. I think CHI because it's more likely the Mavs fall behind SAC for worst record & might fall behind CHI too. Still really wanna root for that worst record in the league, but the Mavs seem comatose from the neck up. Doubt I can depend on them to do the smart thing anymore.

Sacramento won.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Sacramento won.

Let's just hope the Mavs don't join them in the Win column tonight.

Underdog · 02-06-2018, 01:09 AM

Much ado about nothing...

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 02:02 AM

Wow! I'm just now realizing the Lakers beat the Thunder on Sunday. I still think the Nets are in the conversation with us (they'll probably only win 1 or 2 games in February)

Nice to see that it's basically down to just a pool of 8 teams now and not 9. Makes losing to the Lakers on Saturday even more critical just to solidify the Lakers spot outside the bottom 8.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 02:14 AM

Tues: MEM @ ATL
Thurs: ATL @ ORL
Mon: ORL @ CHI

Who are we rooting for in these games? I kinda feel like ATL sweeping their 2 games would be pretty sweet. Also, as bad as the Cavs have been it's not inconceivable ATL could knock them off at home on Fri (although that's the 2nd night of a back to back for the Hawks). On the other hand, ORL sweeping their 2 games would be just as sweet!

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-07-2018, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

Tues: MEM @ ATL
Thurs: ATL @ ORL
Mon: ORL @ CHI

Who are we rooting for in these games? I kinda feel like ATL sweeping their 2 games would be pretty sweet. Also, as bad as the Cavs have been it's not inconceivable ATL could knock them off at home on Fri (although that's the 2nd night of a back to back for the Hawks). On the other hand, ORL sweeping their 2 games would be just as sweet!

ATL & ORL both won tonight!! So now somebody has to go on a 2 game winning streak Thurs. Not to mention, ATL hosts CLE on Fri, and even though it's the 2nd night of a back-to-back, it's right after the trade deadline. Well, first off the Cavs lost to ORL tonight & were blown out actually. CLE could lose to anyone at any time with how bad their defense is. But, if CLE makes a move at the deadline, then we could see CLE short-handed for Fri. Very similar to how the Pistons were short-handed their next game after the trade for Blake Griffin.

Also, ORL faces CHI on Monday, so if they beat ATL, it's plausible to see them get to 19 wins before the break. A number I don't see the Mavs matching. With any luck at all, the Mavs won't win another game before the break. *fingers crossed*

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 02:29 AM

Piggy-backing off what I said in the Mavs/LAC game thread. I really think this is going to be a tight race for worst record in the league. I eyeballed each of the bottom 8 team's remaining schedules and came up with the following projected win totals for each team:

ATL 22
SAC 24
MEM 25
PHX 25
DAL 25
ORL 26
BKN 26
CHI 28

Bryan_Wilson · 02-06-2018, 04:44 AM

I would feel a lot safer about where we end up if we would just trade jj. Love the guy, but I would rather he destroy second units for a contender than win us a handful of games that would take us out of the top 3-4 picks.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan_Wilson

I would feel a lot safer about where we end up if we would just trade jj. Love the guy, but I would rather he destroy second units for a contender than win us a handful of games that would take us out of the top 3-4 picks.

Definitely agree.

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 05:29 AM

I really feel like the comments Mark Cuban made, in the article linked in Underdog's post in the Mavs at the Trade Deadline thread, suggest the Mavs are very high on 1 or more prospects they think will be at the top of the draft.

I need some opinions on this because I did not follow the Mavs on a game-by-game basis late in last year's season. I only know that they finished higher in the standings. But, maybe they didn't go as hard into tank mode last year because they didn't see as big a difference between the prospects 1-5 and prospects 6-10.

With what some said in the Mavs game thread last night and Carlisle's comments after the game, plus Cuban's comments, it really seems like the Mavs are going into tank mode earlier this year. Doesn't that have to suggest they covet players at the top of this draft class?

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 07:00 AM

Man, this kid Jaren Jackson Jr.

He's playing 23.0 mpg this yr and averaging 3.6 bpg. Bamba is playing 30.5 mpg and averaging 4.4 bpg. If Jackson Jr were playing 30.5 mpg, he'd be averaging 4.8 bpg.

Jackson Jr's shooting percentages this year. 52.2% FG 43.3% 3PT (2.7 attempts) 78.8% FT (4.5 attempts). He gets into foul trouble too often & has too many turnovers for a big, but holy cow there's a lot to like; especially for a kid this young. You seriously gotta think he's got a real shot to be a much better prospect than Bagley III. His game is far more unique. He also could still grow!

Underdog · 02-06-2018, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

If he could somehow fall to the Mavs with their early 2nd round pick, I'd be really happy with him. Probably looking at a handful of other guys there too. Not really sure Bates-Diop falls much past 20th though. He's in store for Big Ten Player of the Year honors, but then again that didn't do much for Draymond Green & Bates-Diop does have that stress fracture in his past. Unlikely, but we can hope he's there for us in the 2nd round. I think he's NBA ready to come in score off the bench & probably can pick up the defense within a season. He seems mentally engaged & alert. I'd venture a guess he's fairly coachable.

I see Bates-Diop probably going in the 20-25 range, more of a guy to target if we end up trading for a late first... But if he's somehow there in the second, you draft him without hesitation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

Man, this kid Jaren Jackson Jr.

He's playing 23.0 mpg this yr and averaging 3.6 bpg. Bamba is playing 30.5 mpg and averaging 4.4 bpg. If Jackson Jr were playing 30.5 mpg, he'd be averaging 4.8 bpg.

Jackson Jr's shooting percentages this year. 52.2% FG 43.3% 3PT (2.7 attempts) 78.8% FT (4.5 attempts). He gets into foul trouble too often & has too many turnovers for a big, but holy cow there's a lot to like; especially for a kid this young. You seriously gotta think he's got a real shot to be a much better prospect than Bagley III. His game is far more unique. He also could still grow!

Yeah, Jaren Jackson Jr. is starting to muddle my rankings... Not sure where I'd list him, but he's probably edging out Bamba at this point. If anything, JJJ makes me a little more confident in getting a stud if we end up slipping a bit in the draft (either due to wins or bad lottery luck).

saclare · 02-06-2018, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Yeah, Jaren Jackson Jr. is starting to muddle my rankings... Not sure where I'd list him, but he's probably edging out Bamba at this point. If anything, JJJ makes me a little more confident in getting a stud if we end up slipping a bit in the draft (either due to wins or bad lottery luck).

Not to mention the exciting possibility of having two really good junior juniors to pair together.

Underdog · 02-06-2018, 11:31 AM

Jaren Jackson Jr. Is the Most Complete Big Man of the 2018 NBA Draft
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2...-big-man-draft

Quote:

He’s certainly the best two-way player of the bunch right now, better defensively than Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III and better offensively than Mohamed Bamba.

DevinHarriswillstart · 02-06-2018, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Jaren Jackson Jr. Is the Most Complete Big Man of the 2018 NBA Draft
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2...-big-man-draft

Yeah, give me Jackson all day long. Right now the Mavs are in gold land regarding the draft. The best deadline news we could receive will be hearing that the Mavs are tanking harder than ever. No deadline move can match this upcoming draft's top players.

EricaLubarsky · 02-06-2018, 10:05 AM

Lottery watch - Strength of remaining schedule

6) Nets +2.0 (14th hardest schedule)
6) Grizzlies +2.0 (25th hardest schedule)
6) Bulls +1.5 (4th hardest schedule)
5) Suns +1.0 (3rd hardest schedule)
4) Kings +0.5 (12th hardest schedule)
3) Mavs === (24th hardest schedule)
2) Magic -0.5 (23rd hardest schedule)
1) Hawks -1.0 (15th hardest schedule)

28 games left

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 10:14 AM

I can't remember exactly who said that note on... Oh yeah it was Seth Davis... I think on Chris Mannix's podcast. I usually listen to Zach Lowe & Adrian Wojnarowski's podcasts (looking forward to the next time Jonathan Givony from Draft Express is on). Anyways, Seth Davis had the note on Ayton and Jackson Jr being really exceptional at pick n roll defensive with their quickness & agility to jump out and handle guards if forced to switch but also the mobility & speed to recover on defense & protect the rim if not.

You usually don't get that kind of analysis. It's usually much more generic. Things like good rebounder, long arms plays the passing lanes, etc. But, the stuff that really matters is those little tidbits. Like if Bagley III can't do that, he'll spend a lot of time on the bench until he figures it out. Half the teams in this league are PnR offenses it seems like.

Anybody have some good recommendations for other podcasts/resources for more in-depth analysis?

Magnum_3_Ball · 02-06-2018, 10:24 AM

This was a really great read. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to have better context for what NBA front offices will be thinking at the trade deadline & next summer in free agency.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...-crunch-coming

Cliffs: Teams got crazy with the contracts they handed out 2 years ago, the salary cap hasn't increased as was expected, so now most teams are stuck with unmovable contracts & it's created a seller's market.

From a Mavs' perspective. A) and this should be said up front... Not just this article but everything I've heard recently says teams aren't giving up 1st round picks. Like DeAndre Jordan isn't returning a first round pick. In fact, Wojnarowski said on Zach Lowe's most recent podcast that he thinks the Clippers would rather just let Jordan walk this summer than take on salary & a 1st round pick. That's how serious this salary bubble is in the NBA right now. So, B) we probably shouldn't expect anything to happen for the Mavs. At most maybe we sneak out a mid 2nd round pick. But, C) One of the last things said in this article (quoting a GM in the league) "... it will be hard to offload salary, and if you want to, the teams with space will probably charge high prices to take money from your books." Which means there is hope the Mavs can pull off something major because there might be a team out there desperate enough to unload salary & avoid the luxury tax next year. The Mavs are one of the few teams with plenty of salary cap space, so we might find ourselves in the rare position of getting a team to overpay to take on salary.