Great piece from Cato (as always). If you can’t access it, he basically talks about how it’s easy to boil last night’s result down to simple narratives (Kyrie > Brunson, Kyrie is a better fit, Brunson wouldn’t be all-star level if he stayed in Dallas, etc). While there may be some truth to these narratives, in the end they primarily serve to deflect from the pain of losing Brunson.
I think the overall implication is that it’s best to let bygones be bygones and accept that both dudes are in really good situations for their respective playstyles, and that it’s a bit silly to harshly compare two guys just because they played for the same team with the same co-star. There’s a bit more to the piece but that’s my basic reading.
FarMobile4219
> Brunson has the ball for an average of eight minutes every game, more than every player in the league except Trae Young (8.6) and Dončić (8.5).
Jalen is a great player, but not as good a fit next to Luka as Kyrie. He would not have reached this level playing in Dallas. Losing him the way we did absolutely sucked, but it led us to Kyrie, Lively and OMax. I think it’s worked out
LevelDry5807
Absolutely. Free agency. No ones fault. Ultimately is has worked out for both. Jalen wanted to run a team. There was nothing the Mavs could do to satisfy that sans trading it’s franchise player
sando2606
If Brunson signed with the Mavs, he would have been flipped for Kyrie anyways. Would have only saved the Mavs Dinwiddie.
remarkable_in_argyle
JB really does have a huge head.
AshyCheekss
Kyrie serves as a better 1B option to Luka than Brunson.
Brunson got his bag and got the reigns to a team. He’s the offensive initiator. He wouldn’t have been that here.
Kyrie is a big reason why we’ve flipped from the bottom of the league to the top of the league in pace. Brunson plays that same half court pace we used to; we still would have been in the bottom of the league in pace had Brunson still been here.
Brunson here we have no Lively.
Lastly: Brunson had his whole squad (sans Mitchell. Anybody else?) and was getting whooped my Kyrie minus Luka, Exum and Lively for 3.5 quarters.
Kyrie > Brunson.
MajesticPossibility8
Kai is on a team he doesn’t have to be the main guy all the time and he doesn’t have to deal with media as much as in New York or Boston, or when playing with LeBron. This was his best shot to just play and not be over analyze for any little thing he did off court. He seems happy here too unlike in Boston and New York
7 Comments
Great piece from Cato (as always). If you can’t access it, he basically talks about how it’s easy to boil last night’s result down to simple narratives (Kyrie > Brunson, Kyrie is a better fit, Brunson wouldn’t be all-star level if he stayed in Dallas, etc). While there may be some truth to these narratives, in the end they primarily serve to deflect from the pain of losing Brunson.
I think the overall implication is that it’s best to let bygones be bygones and accept that both dudes are in really good situations for their respective playstyles, and that it’s a bit silly to harshly compare two guys just because they played for the same team with the same co-star. There’s a bit more to the piece but that’s my basic reading.
> Brunson has the ball for an average of eight minutes every game, more than every player in the league except Trae Young (8.6) and Dončić (8.5).
Jalen is a great player, but not as good a fit next to Luka as Kyrie. He would not have reached this level playing in Dallas. Losing him the way we did absolutely sucked, but it led us to Kyrie, Lively and OMax. I think it’s worked out
Absolutely. Free agency. No ones fault. Ultimately is has worked out for both. Jalen wanted to run a team. There was nothing the Mavs could do to satisfy that sans trading it’s franchise player
If Brunson signed with the Mavs, he would have been flipped for Kyrie anyways. Would have only saved the Mavs Dinwiddie.
JB really does have a huge head.
Kyrie serves as a better 1B option to Luka than Brunson.
Brunson got his bag and got the reigns to a team. He’s the offensive initiator. He wouldn’t have been that here.
Kyrie is a big reason why we’ve flipped from the bottom of the league to the top of the league in pace. Brunson plays that same half court pace we used to; we still would have been in the bottom of the league in pace had Brunson still been here.
Brunson here we have no Lively.
Lastly: Brunson had his whole squad (sans Mitchell. Anybody else?) and was getting whooped my Kyrie minus Luka, Exum and Lively for 3.5 quarters.
Kyrie > Brunson.
Kai is on a team he doesn’t have to be the main guy all the time and he doesn’t have to deal with media as much as in New York or Boston, or when playing with LeBron. This was his best shot to just play and not be over analyze for any little thing he did off court. He seems happy here too unlike in Boston and New York