LaMarcus Aldridge

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Plus, "win now" pretty much died for this team when Rondo quit on us in the playoffs -- we need to start thinking in 2-5 year terms and get a legitimate star who can lure other stars to Dallas... And there isn't a bigger lure on the market this summer than LaMarcus Aldridge (assuming that Marc Gasol can't be had).

I absolutely agree, but the problem for me is that Aldridge is 29, so I don't see him being much of a selling point to lure stars here in the future. I mean, he's about 75% the player Dirk was at 29, and Dirk's presence was never enough to lure a star here. Plus he's going to eat up tons of our cap room, which we'll need to rebuild the team over a 2-5 year period (even with the cap increasing, that's still significant), so I just don't see the point. The only appeal Aldridge has for me is if you somehow can manage to get major upgrades at both guard spots and put out a roster that can compete in the West, in which case we're back in "win now" mode.

If we've decided that the Dirk Nowitzki era is truly over in Dallas and it's time to rebuild completely rather than try to win another ring before Dirk retires (and I think we've all reached that consensus) then I think the only way to build a future contender is through the draft.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

I absolutely agree, but the problem for me is that Aldridge is 29, so I don't see him being much of a selling point to lure stars here in the future. I mean, he's about 75% the player Dirk was at 29, and Dirk's presence was never enough to lure a star here. Plus he's going to eat up tons of our cap room, which we'll need to rebuild the team over a 2-5 year period (even with the cap increasing, that's still significant), so I just don't see the point. The only appeal Aldridge has for me is if you somehow can manage to get major upgrades at both guard spots and put out a roster that can compete in the West, in which case we're back in "win now" mode.

If we've decided that the Dirk Nowitzki era is truly over in Dallas and it's time to rebuild completely rather than try to win another ring before Dirk retires (and I think we've all reached that consensus) then I think the only way to build a future contender is through the draft.

Completely agree! Aldridge at 26 would make sense, Aldridge at 30 (next month) doesn't.

We should be retooling with players around Parsons' age and younger so this team should go all out to get Jordan and keep Aminu. Then hopefully do well in the draft with someone like Hunter or Grant to set themselves up for a big catch the following season in free agency. Then grab all of the young potential late blooming lotto busts they can get their hands on this off-season and next and hope one sticks like Aminu and Wright did.

Jordan/Parsons/Aminu/Grant/Powell (along with Dirk) would be a nice young attractive supporting cast for a star player in 2017.

Aldridge at 31 puts us in the same boat we were in when Dirk was about the same age trying to attract star FAs which got us virtually nothing.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I still feel like we're in the same position as every summer where the Mavs don't have a selling point to big free agents. We've got Parsons coming off a major knee surgery and Dirk who is declining. Is that going to entice guys like Aldrige or Jordan to come here? Team needs do to a lot more than that to compete in the west. The guard position has to be seriously upgraded. I just don't see a way to do all of that this summer, but I hope I'm wrong.

This is the direction the NBA is headed too. Mavs need guards. But there arent a lot of guards right now the Mavs can get

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

This is the direction the NBA is headed too. Mavs need guards. But there arent a lot of guards right now the Mavs can get

So an alternative would be to stack your other positions and wait for all the quality guards to hit the market in the next few years... Then at least you'll have a team to lure them with.

[purplefrog]

One scenario that has been clunking around in my head is to make a sizable offer ($15M) to Brandon Knight. He is a restricted free agent coming off an injury, and I question whether the Suns will be willing to pay both Bledsoe and Knight long term. Is that really a $30M backcourt? I'm not sure the Suns would be willing to go with a two PG backcourt for such a high price tag.

In this scenario, the Mavs would hopefully re-sign Tyson for around $10-12M per and Aminu for $5M. A starting five of Knight, Parsons, Aminu, Dirk and Tyson would be competitive for a playoff spot and then you pray for good fortune once you get there. It would be slim pickins for a decent bench but that would be the target for the summer of 2016 along with a more traditional SG.

I think you need a mid/top tier PG (not necessarily elite) to be competitive in the West and I just don't see many options. Knight seems like he has the potential to be a very good two-way player and has shown good/very good 3 pt accuracy. Mavs might want to take a chance here and try another "Chandler Parsons" type deal, especially if the MBT sees him as a high character guy.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by purplefrog

One scenario that has been clunking around in my head is to make a sizable offer ($15M) to Brandon Knight. He is a restricted free agent coming off an injury, and I question whether the Suns will be willing to pay both Bledsoe and Knight long term. Is that really a $30M backcourt? I'm not sure the Suns would be willing to go with a two PG backcourt for such a high price tag.

In this scenario, the Mavs would hopefully re-sign Tyson for around $10-12M per and Aminu for $5M. A starting five of Knight, Parsons, Aminu, Dirk and Tyson would be competitive for a playoff spot and then you pray for good fortune once you get there. It would be slim pickins for a decent bench but that would be the target for the summer of 2016 along with a more traditional SG.

I think you need a mid/top tier PG (not necessarily elite) to be competitive in the West and I just don't see many options. Knight seems like he has the potential to be a very good two-way player and has shown good/very good 3 pt accuracy. Mavs might want to take a chance here and try another "Chandler Parsons" type deal, especially if the MBT sees him as a high character guy.

Would that fall into the trap of undersized guards though? How good is his defense? I like that he's decent at 3s. I didnt watch him much with the Bucks but I knew they were doing well with him and thought they were better off trading him...at the all star break of all timing.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Underdog

So an alternative would be to stack your other positions and wait for all the quality guards to hit the market in the next few years... Then at least you'll have a team to lure them with.

So then since the championship season, the Mavs will have been on a seven year plan?

[Robillion]

I'm starting to believe the only chance we have to build a strong long-term team is to land another young talent that can be paired with Parsons for a long time (Jordan) + tank and get talent through the draft for a few years. Have a year or two of chemistry building, get to the WCF, then the next year we're rolling. 3-5 years from now we're back in the hunt realistically.

It would suck for Dirk to have to be around for anything like that, even just for a few years. But, it would be great to have veteran hall of fame leadership on a team filled with young studs that need development.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by Robillion

I'm starting to believe the only chance we have to build a strong long-term team is to land another young talent that can be paired with Parsons for a long time (Jordan) + tank and get talent through the draft for a few years. Have a year or two of chemistry building, get to the WCF, then the next year we're rolling. 3-5 years from now we're back in the hunt realistically.

It would suck for Dirk to have to be around for anything like that, even just for a few years. But, it would be great to have veteran hall of fame leadership on a team filled with young studs that need development.

That's where I'm at. Tank for a couple of years and try to land a star or two in the draft- while making smart, cost-effective free agent signings. On the one hand I feel like the franchise owes it to Dirk not to do that and to try to at least make the playoffs in his last years, but OTOH I think that would set the franchise back more years and make the rebuilding process even more painful.

[Robillion]

Well, hell, if that plan was started this summer/next season, we may actually have a worthy team put together for Dirk for the season before he retires. But - something tells me we aren't going to do anything of the sort. Even when Dirk is gone, I think Cuban values filling up the stadium too much to ever allow this franchise to be terrible. The FO will make the necessary moves to keep us hovering in mediocrity.

[mavs777]

When dirk was 31, the mavs did not have cap space.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by mavs777

When dirk was 31, the mavs did not have cap space.

That's true, but my problem is if you invest in Aldridge, the A: it's going to take up future cap space that could be used on younger, maybe even better players, and B: having Aldrige out there with Parsons and Tyson keeps us right where we are- not good enough to actually compete, but too good get high draft picks. It's really the worst place for any team to be in, and it's where the Mavs have been for years. I'm a firm believer that the only way to build a lasting contender is to be really terrible for a few years and land a superstar in the draft.

[mavs777]

The Mavs simply cannot say no to LMA if he wants to come (which I simply doubt). Is he the best PF in the NBA? Of course not? Is he as good as prime dirk? Of course not, but he is better than his efficiency suggests and would be used differently in Dallas and help a ton. Portland had a dark horse title contender last year with batum having a awful year by his standards before the awful wes injury. He helps the players around him a lot kind of like dirk does. It will make it easier to play Dirk 28 MPG or how much ever they want to play him. They would also have other options if Monta opts out and could still keep Tyson I believe. Aminu would be hard tho.

I love Tyson and while he stayed healthy for the most part games wise, his play defensively slipped after the hip issue, he really lost some explosiveness.

[mavs777]

The odds of getting a superstar in the draft are really small even if picking in top 10. The Mavs are in a pretty good place imo, and there were reasons to suggest they were a darkhorse title contender last year before rondo deal, and if they made a smarter deal would have been in thick of it (and no they didn't need a "star").

Now I'm not saying the mavs are title contenders next year if they get LMA (they most likely aren't) but they certainly are better, LMA has significantly improved himself on the defensive end, especially as a pick n roll defender, and is good against stretch 4s. He isn't a very good rim protector, but he does a pretty good job helping with three point defense imo. Of course if the mavs do sign LMA and can fit Tyson also in (as Tim MacMahon) has been suggesting they will try the question becomes does Tyson not finish games? What happens with aminu? And who can they add on perimeter hopefully in sign and trade?

All in all I think this is all a bit of waste of time as I don't see LMA seriously considering Dallas, but I'd love to be wrong.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by mavs777

Now I'm not saying the mavs are title contenders next year if they get LMA (they most likely aren't) but they certainly are better,

That's exactly my problem. Unless we actually do have a shot at competing for a title, I think the Mavs should be getting worse if they want to build for the future, not better. If we bring in Aldridge, were only marginally better- good enough for the 8th seed and our usual first round ass-kicking, but nothing more. What's the point? It's not like he's a young guy that we can build a contender with over a 3-5 year period. He's turning 30 next month. By the time we could add the necessary pieces around him to be a respectable contender, he's already on the downside of his career and probably a shell of his former self. I agree that he's the best player available this offseason, but I don't see him is a good long-term investment.

And you're right that the odds of landing a superstar in the draft are very slim, but that's just the way the game is played. That's why only a tiny handful of teams ever have a real shot at a championship, and the rest are all just treading water at best. The NBA is possibly the least egalitarian American sports league in that respect (other than maybe MLB.) That's why I've spent the past couple of years emotionally preparing myself for the reality that I might not live to see the Mavs ever be title contenders again- that it might be DECADES before we have a player who's even 80% as good as Dirk was in his prime. The only thing we can do is just put ourselves in position to land a future star, and cross our fingers like everyone else.

EDIT: I might feel differently if Aldridge were at least a good two-way player, but he's flat-out bad defensively. And I might also feel differently even if only Parsons were a better defensive player. But the Mavs will NEVER be a good defensive team if both of our starting forwards are below average defenders. All things considered, I see Jordan as much better fit, and long term investment. Between him and Parsons, we'd have a couple of very talented players who are still fairly young and won't start to decline for a good 5 years- during which time we can try to get some real talent in the draft and make smart, bargain-bin free agent signings- or perhaps even sign a superstar outright (who the hell am I kidding with that one? It's Dallas we're talking about here.)

[mavs777]

The mavs have a much better shot being title contenders with a core of Parsons+LMA+Tyson+Dirk plus having cap space in 16 then hoping they magically get a superstar in draft like durant and blowing everything up. And starting in all likelihood a 5+ year rebuilding project. I think with LMA the mavs could build a legitimate contender in 16.

And I'd much rather be stuck in 50-55 win range with about a 5-8% title chance, than blow everything up and just magically hope they draft multiple super stars.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by mavs777

The mavs have a much better shot being title contenders with a core of Parsons+LMA+Tyson+Dirk plus having cap space in 16 then hoping they magically get a superstar in draft like durant and blowing everything up. And starting in all likelihood a 5+ year rebuilding project. I think with LMA the mavs could build a legitimate contender in 16.

And I'd much rather be stuck in 50-55 win range with about a 5-8% title chance, than blow everything up and just magically hope they draft multiple super stars.

It's going to be a multi-year rebuilding project either way, man. You sound like you're still in "win now" mode. You're thinking 2016, and I'm thinking 2020-2025. Aldridge is just putting band-aid on cancer. Contenders are built through the draft- unless the guy you get via trade or free agency is Kareem or Shaq (and even they had Magic and Kobe next to them- who were acquired through the draft.) Aldridge is a nice player, but a combo of him, parsons, Tyson and Dirk coming off the bench I don't even see as a "50-55 win range with about a 5-8% title chance." Unless we're getting MAJOR upgrades at both guard spots. That's less realistic, I think, than "magically" getting good players in the draft.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by mavs777

The mavs have a much better shot being title contenders with a core of Parsons+LMA+Tyson+Dirk plus having cap space in 16 then hoping they magically get a superstar in draft like durant and blowing everything up. And starting in all likelihood a 5+ year rebuilding project. I think with LMA the mavs could build a legitimate contender in 16.

And I'd much rather be stuck in 50-55 win range with about a 5-8% title chance, than blow everything up and just magically hope they draft multiple super stars.

+1

With the cap shooting up over the next several years, NOW is the time for our front office to do what they do best -- wheel & deal in the free agent and trade markets... Tanking to get lucky in the draft plays to our FO's biggest weakness, not their strength.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by Underdog

+1

With the cap shooting up over the next several years, NOW is the time for our front office to do what they do best -- wheel & deal in the free agent and trade markets... Tanking to get lucky in the draft plays to our FO's biggest weakness, not their strength.

Is that really our best strength? It seems to me like we've been pretty terrible in trying to land free agents over the years. Completely ignoring the draft so you can land aging veterans is a pretty bad strategy, I think. And if THAT is our strength and the draft is our biggest weakness, then that tells me we need to replace our FO- not play to their "strength."

[Wang Zhi Zhi]

Originally Posted by mavs777

And I'd much rather be stuck in 50-55 win range with about a 5-8% title chance, than blow everything up and just magically hope they draft multiple super stars.

Amen to that.

[Thespiralgoeson]

^^ And again, even if that IS the strategy- just get the best pieces we can now so we can take one more run at the title in the next 2-3 years and just say "f*ck it" to the draft- I still think Jordan is a better fit than Aldridge.

[mavs777]

I don't agree, especially if you can fit lma/Tyson both. Agree to disagree I guess

[GermanStandard]

Forget that Pipedream LMA isnt coming here.

What i do agree is that you build through the Draft. But not if Dirk is still able to play and your Drafting Guys absolutely suck at drafting.

They will put the best team around Dirk aslong as he plays and i highly doubt he plays more than two.

He turned 37 yesterday.

[rimrocker]

I agree mostly with TSGO but one difference is that I don't think we have to tank...just take a step back.
We can start "retooling" with players around the age of Parsons or younger and still remain competitive but have an upside. TSGO is right, if we land LMA we are only marginally better with very little upside for the future and our backcourt would be a complete mess.
And LMA/Chandler/Dirk/Parsons is not attracting any star FAs...they'll see that as an aging team on the decline like the recent past.

I'd rather just go after young supporting pieces that will give a star FA some hope.
Jordan should be our #1 target as he is 3 years younger than LMA (almost to the day) and is a better fit in terms of age and style of play with Parsons (and Dirk). Then draft a guy like RJ Hunter or Grant and then go after some former lotto busts with min contracts. And of course resign Aminu.

And closing games with LMA along with a 37 yo Dirk would be a nightmare on defense. RC would be in one hell of a predicament trying to make that work.

Signing LMA would only perpetuate mediocrity.

[Robillion]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

I agree mostly with TSGO but one difference is that I don't think we have to tank...just take a step back.
We can start "retooling" with players around the age of Parsons or younger and still remain competitive but have an upside. TSGO is right, if we land LMA we are only marginally better with very little upside for the future and our backcourt would be a complete mess.
And LMA/Chandler/Dirk/Parsons is not attracting any star FAs...they'll see that as an aging team on the decline like the recent past.

I'd rather just go after young supporting pieces that will give a star FA some hope.
Jordan should be our #1 target as he is 3 years younger than LMA (almost to the day) and is a better fit in terms of age and style of play with Parsons (and Dirk). Then draft a guy like RJ Hunter or Grant and then go after some former lotto busts with min contracts. And of course resign Aminu.

And closing games with LMA along with a 37 yo Dirk would be a nightmare on defense. RC would be in one hell of a predicament trying to make that work.

Signing LMA would only perpetuate mediocrity.

I agree completely with this.

LMA is just too old to build for the future, and doesn't really help the team out too much in the present where it really needs help anyways: defense and guard play. We were the top ranked offense last season before the Rondo trade, if we kept the same group minus Rondo, we'd probably be right up there again. But, we won't be anywhere near a championship because of our lack of defense and quality guards/shooting. LMA isn't gonna help there.

One thing for everyone to keep in mind, we sent a 1st round draft pick to Boston. It is protected 1-7. So, I guess if we do suck next season, then yeah, let's start to reeeally suck. Otherwise, we don't have a pick. Though we can stay competitive and still go younger and build for the not-too-distant future through trade/free agency.

[Underdog]

Once again: tanking to get picks sooner does not ensure that you'll become a contender any sooner... It could take 5 years... Or 10... Or 20... Why is anybody in a hurry to find out?

I'd rather take our chances re-tooling as the cap skyrockets than go into hibernation mode while the money is flowing freely... Some of you need to look past our current roster and realize that blowing this thing up makes absolutely zero sense with a Cuban-friendly fiscal climate looming on the horizon.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Once again: tanking to get picks sooner does not ensure that you'll become a contender any sooner... It could take 5 years... Or 10... Or 20... Why is anybody in a hurry to find out?

I'd rather take our chances re-tooling as the cap skyrockets than go into hibernation mode while the money is flowing freely... Some of you need to look past our current roster and realize that blowing this thing up makes absolutely zero sense with a Cuban-friendly fiscal climate looming on the horizon.

I don't see Cuban ever tanking but there is no reason we can't retool with youth.
At some point you have to sacrifice to get ahead and the Mavs have to come to the reality the best player in Mavs history is no longer a star.

We aren't winning anything without some type of star so the question is what is the best way to get one?

1. Tank and rebuild from scratch through the draft and hope we get lucky.
2. Trade for a one.
3. Sign young potential stars.
4. Keep signing former stars for value that may still have something left in the tank.
5. Take a chance on head-cases or injured players who are trying to come back.
6. Sign one in free agency.

I still think the best thing we could do is focus on 2016 this off season and put together a great supporting cast to lure a FA which would also allow us to be a legit contender while Dirk is still around.
We give ourselves the best shot by leveraging through the draft this year (Grant or Hunter), signing a young FA who has had some success but still an upside (Jordan), and bringing in some guys who have struggled but still have potential (guys like Aminu).

Ideally I'd like to see this happen this off-season:

Sign Jordan
Draft Grant
Resign Aminu
Sign Cole Aldrich
Sign Wes Matthews

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

Ideally I'd like to see this happen this off-season:

Sign Jordan
Draft Grant
Resign Aminu
Sign Cole Aldrich
Sign Wes Matthews

You forgot: Have Parsons heal fully and take a huge leap as an All-Star scorer.

Otherwise you're not going to put enough points on the board to be competitive in the West with those moves... And noncompetitive teams (outside of NY and LA) aren't going to land any big name free agents when the cap goes up.

[FreshJive]

I think some of you are underrating LMA, or over emphasizing his age. He's only 29. There shouldn't be any major regression in his game over the length of his next contract. It would be a move to get younger. It is a departure from stacking around Dirk as the centerpiece.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by FreshJive

I think some of you are underrating LMA, or over emphasizing his age. He's only 29. There shouldn't be any major regression in his game over the length if his next contract. It would be a move to get younger. It is a departure from stacking around Dirk as the centerpiece.

He'll be 30 soon... But I agree that he'll probably be one of the better players in the league for the next 3-5 years, which is plenty of time to build a contender around him. Plus, he'll always have value in a trade if we need a better fit.

I mean, I like DeAndre Jordan a lot, but I think Aldridge is probably going to be more of a draw for free agents... LMA is a franchise player (maybe borderline, but inside the border), whereas DJ isn't.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by Underdog

And noncompetitive teams (outside of NY and LA) aren't going to land any big name free agents when the cap goes up.

Completely agree and that's why LMA/Dirk/Parsons and a disaster backcourt will have trouble competing next season and luring any decent FAs in 2016.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

Completely agree and that's why LMA/Dirk/Parsons and a disaster backcourt will have trouble competing next season and luring any decent FAs in 2016.

Thank you. This is where I'm at.

[Bryan_Wilson]

Dj is the 3rd best player on a team who has yet to make the conference finals. He has no offensive game outside of lobs, which he has arguably the best pg in the game for and a top pf playing next to him to draw the attention away. His positives are that he is an elite rebounder and rim protector entering the prime of his years and has a history of being healthy and on the court. If the cap was not going up I wouldn't pay him what he is likely going to get. Since the cap is going up though, it is what it is.

As far as LMA goes I don't see him coming to SA or Dallas. I just can't see him stepping into TD or Dirks shadow. Especially while they are still there. It's not like he is a 19-21yr old youngster drafted into some big shoes to fill. He would be choosing to leave a team that IMO.. had Matthews not been hurt was a legit dark horse team. His team has cap and assets to move and add pieces. All to be in someone's shadow and constantly be compared to Legends. And in our case, he would be on a team taking a step back. It's pretty obvious though that if he comes here he is a guy you can build around. He isn't old and last year he played hurt and was still outstanding.

The argument of LMA breaking down before DJ is not correct imo. Centers/bigs who bang down low break down before a jump-shooting 4 does. and Jordan is undersized but extremely athletic. Athleticism is one of the first things to decline. A Jump-shot is one of the last things to go(if it ever does for some).

If we get either one of them I'll be happy. Gun to my head I'd prolly actually pick DJ since I see advantages to staying over the cap and I don't see LMA being a SnT deal if he came here. I wouldn't be concerned with the fit of LMA because I just trust RC would find a way to manage it well enough to compete. I won't be jumping in the air or anything but it will be cool to have one of them in conjunction with Parsons. Because the only way I see either of them bringing in top level FA's is if Parsons takes the next step.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

It seems both sides are in many ways arguing the same thing. This is now a multi-year rebuild whether through free agency or the draft. Either way, it looks like Rondo really screwed sh** up.

I'd be willing to rebuild through the draft if the Mavs actually tanked. Having the 21st pick isn't going to get you anywhere fast. But the idea of putting together young talent around Parsons is a sound one.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

It seems both sides are in many ways arguing the same thing. This is now a multi-year rebuild whether through free agency or the draft.

Yes, but rebuilding through trades and free agency is a 2-5 year process, whereas rebuilding through the draft (with a front office that sucks at drafting) can easily be a 5-20 year process.

Actually, I think that about sums up my point on this matter... I get why some people don't prefer Aldridge, but I can't understand why anyone would think that rebuilding through the draft is a better idea than doing it through free agency -- ESPECIALLY when the cap is expected to shoot up to $108m in the next 3 years. I mean, Mark Cuban sure as hell isn't going to roll over and become the 76ers when throwing money at a roster suddenly becomes a viable option to build a contender for the first time since the lockout.

[Vinsanity]

Aldridge is NOT exiting his prime by any means. He just had the best season of his career and he has the type of game that should age well, like Dirk. If we sign Aldridge to a 4 year deal, he'll be 33 in the last year of the deal... the same age Dirk was when we won the title. So his age shouldn't be a concern. If you think he just isn't a good enough player to build a contender around, that's one thing. But if we go into next season with a core of Dirk/Parsons/Tyson/Aldridge, I'll like our chances to compete with anyone.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by Vinsanity

But if we go into next season with a core of Dirk/Parsons/Tyson/Aldridge, I'll like our chances to compete with anyone.

And don't forget our superstar backcourt duo of Harris and Felton.

[FreshJive]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

And don't forget our superstar backcourt duo of Harris and Felton.

How does Jordan make this any different? Lots of opportunity to fix this in the next couple of years. Maybe the 21st pick can be a starting guard?

[mavs777]

Some points which are obviously in my opinion:
1. We are not a serious contender for LMA

2. Aldridge did not have best year in his career, but his efficiency has been hurt by how Stotts has used him

3. This years free agency is about positioning us to be a contender in 16-17 not next year and LMA puts us closer (especially if you can keep Tyson). Dirk is becoming more and more of a defensive liability, I love him but he's just not the big impact guy he once was.

4. People are severely severely underrating LMA and this is coming from a guy who is big into advanced stats, LMA's efficiency was actually at 56% TS which is very good before stotts came on board and was increasing yearly, then stotts changed his usage and it's hurt, but how stotts has used him has also made him a much better decoy and helped Portland get better three point looks.

5. LMA's not a great defender but he's improved on that end

6. The Mavs should target Demarre Carroll before Wes.

7. They are 3 really good point guards in this draft that fit for Carlisle and team and might be there at 21, Jerian Grant is a amazing pick n roll player and is perfect for Carlisle's offense, very athletic can play the 2 also, Tyus Jones is very smart and can shoot, Delon Wright is a terrific defender. All can come in and play spot minutes as rookies

[Thespiralgoeson]

Ugh, cross our fingers and hope we can get a 30-year old Lamarcus f*cking Aldridge (who is NOT a franchise player btw) so we can cross our fingers and hope he and Chandler f*cking Parsons are enough of draw to attract stars, so we can cross our fingers and hope some other big free agent signs here in Dallas. That's where we're at now?

F*cking shoot me.

And I really don't understand this idea that Aldridge being here is going to make Dallas an attractive destination for free agents. The combination of him Parsons I think is a recipe for mediocrity that I can't see any star player jumping at the chance to be with.