Where Do the Dallas Mavericks Go From Here…?
before we we really wrap up you know talking about the finals I want to ask you what do you think the Mavericks do from here do you think there’s any real changes they need to make um I I’ve heard mixed opinions on you know what they would need to do moving forward so I’m interested to hear your take on on where they go from here I just think they can’t be complacent uh I talked about this on pick a side yesterday I think if you look at the last two teams who represent the Eastern Conference Miami and Boston when Miami lost last last year there really wasn’t any changes to the roster they brought in ter Rosier you make draft picks of course but there wasn’t really any any drastic change to the Miami Heat team and I think you saw of course injuries on top of it but even if Jimmy Butler was healthy I don’t think they go back and definitely not win the championship then you have Boston who two years ago ran back the same team added Malcolm Brockton but it was 99% the same team they failed and they’re like okay we have to make drastic just to this team to win a championship and they got to the finals they’ve been going to ecfs the the formula they had was working enough to win but it wasn’t enough to win a championship and I think Dallas is in a similar situation where it’s very easy to sit on your hands this off season resign Derek Jones maybe add a bench piece or potential uh you know minor upgrade as a starter and say we got to the final here we have a top player in the world and LC the best Rob it’s very easy to do that but I think if they’re serious about trying to win the championship I think they have to make a not drastic but I think they need get get a considerable upgrade at the wing position especially offensively I think what Derrik Jones Jr did this season was amazing especially considering what he did uh on a rook not rookie on a minimum deal you know signing late in the in the off season and being such a huge contributing factor defensively he was great that okay C serious he shot really well but I think that’s a spot you can upgrade with and you can make in my opinion the the the most ideal move which I don’t know if it’s available is a guy like Mel Bridges someone who’s shown in the past that you could have him as your number a championship team he could lock in defensively and then he could also play with the ball or without the ball because you have Kyrie and Luca so someone that gives you an upgrade offensively while still not taking away a lot defensively listen every team in the in the NBA wants a wing that could guard and can score so we could say this every team in the NBA but I think it’s important for Dallas to look this roster and say we had a great run but we just can’t sit here and assume we’re going to do the same thing again because what happens if we run into what happens if we run into an OKC team next year who just shoots normal and not terrible for a series and they’re going to be a year further along with potentially upgrades in this off season so you can’t just look at the West in the NBA and say we’re just gonna do the same thing again I do think they need to make at least one pretty decently big move to get better uh get be just have a better starting five agreed I I think something that was evident to me in this series um additionally I think they’re missing another connecting piece whether that’s a wing um or we even see I was super impressed with Derrik live this entire postseason I thought his playmaking as a rookie in this whole run but even in the finals was well beyond what I thought it would be coming into his his first year coming out of Duke um so maybe he takes even more you know progression on that front but I think they’re they need another person and not to be a guy that can relieve additional ball pressure I think between Kyrie and Luca they have that pretty much settled but you need guys who are comfortable with the ball in their hand to be a decision maker and I think they have what they have currently where it’s like you have Derrick Jones you have PJ Washington or you’re bringing in a guy like Josh green or you know Maxi Cleo off the bench and it’s like they are not decision makers if they’re catching it it’s 99% of the time it’s just to shoot or they’re here to you know on a cut drive whatever um so it’s like if they could find another decision maker to add even more fluidity and more make their offense a little bit more Dynamic not even necessarily to say that the ball needs to get out of Lucas’s hands as much because I don’t think he’s as you know pound the ball dribble dribble dribble we’ve seen with a guy like Harden at times um but I I just think obviously having more um connectors on your offense to get everybody more involved make it more easier and even relieve some of the pressure off of Luca to have to always be the guy to find shots um would definitely be a step in the right direction and obviously like you said if they could find a way to get anybody remotely close to a Mel Bridges archetype that would be huge um because to be fair we saw what they were able to do with not saying that he is at the same level as Mel Bridges but a guy like Dorian finny Smith who could knock down threes at times but defensively would get so locked in on that side of the ball um and he was a huge part of them being able to make that Deep Run to the Western Conference Finals just a few years ago um so it would definitely be a huge upgrade for the Mavericks and when I think like you said would be needed because they can be complacent and the NBA as a whole I actually had one of my co-workers asked me this recently um he asked me about the state of of parody and competition in the NBA and I said I really think it’s probably in a place where it’s better than it’s ever been partially because you have a mix of guys coming in who are younger than ever more talented at a younger age than ever before and you could really make a case out west that there are 13 legitimate like let’s just say good teams obviously there’s going to be different teers right but outside of Utah and Portland you’re gonna get wem’s year two like whatever that’s going to look like potentially with you know two high lottery picks or any trades that San Antonio may make you’re going to get a Rockets team that was already almost a playing team this year the Warriors are going to obviously have to look to retool um but can’t ever count a team with Steph Curry out the uh the Grizzlies are going to be healthy next year like the West is going to be absurdly deep so to your point you can’t afford to just want to run it back because everybody around you is Young and getting better and going to be making moves to try to make that Championship push because um I think something that doesn’t necessarily get talked about enough and I think teams are starting to realize is this isn’t the same you know NBA where it’s we got uh Warriors Cavs year after year after year there is a ton of opportunity there to go up and have a year where you are able to go in and win a championship and so you’re gonna have so many more teams are going to look to be buyers instead of Sellers and always look to make that all in move um so you dare like to your point you cannot cannot be complacent if you’re Dallas but I don’t think they need to make any major changes I was definitely iffy on the the move to go and get a guy like Kyrie when it first happened me too yeah um yeah so I would say I I’m fully on board with that pairing now um you know after this season and I think a lot of it obviously just had to do with them retooling the defensive pieces around them and then obviously both of them buying in a little bit more on the defensive side of the ball so have to tip your cap to to Jason kit on that front but you know hopefully Nico Harrison out there doesn’t you know make too many drastic changes to this roster and just again like you said tries to retool you know with a wing um to to potentially boost them up and put them in a position where they could against continue to compete for finals here because you have a guy like Luca your Championship window is open as long as he’s on your roster playing like this yeah I just think the probably one like out not outl but like caveat is Kyrie Irving’s just not gonna be there forever like the Kyrie window is probably like two more seasons after this and then you’re approaching like 35 36 year old Kyrie and list he could still be great is he going to be the same level player we’ve seen this year uh I guess last year was kind of an off year because he got banged up but just you probably only have a couple more seasons of Kyrie being at like a great level where he could be the number two next to Luca until like eventually he’s gonna start falling off um and not having that same [Music] impact oh right [Music] oh right
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1 Comment
Well there goes that dream