Ben Simmons officially asks to be traded

[NYRaider]

Luka is such a special talent that even after hiring Nico Collins, the most well connected individual in the entire basketball community as their GM, an organization in the 5th biggest media market in the US was only able to recruit Reggie Bullock to come play with him. We heard all the reports about how Nico/Luka were going to make Dallas a destination, Lowry took $15M less to play in Miami. 

[Mox]

1 hour ago, NYRaider said:

Luka nearly did it by himself? He was terrible in clutch situations the entire series. And did you forget that Donovan missed like the last 1/3 of the season with an ankle injury? He was hurt in the playoffs. Donovan only had 13 3P attempts 1 game the entire regular season, but playing on a bad ankle he had to adjust his game and averaged over 13 3PA per game in the Clippers series. He averaged 6.0 3PM per game at a 46% clip. Steph Curry, the greatest shooter in the history of basketball, has only averaged 6+ 3PM in 1/23 career playoff series.

You can move the goal posts now but again none of those players were super highly touted before. Conley was never an All-Star in Memphis and we acquired him for a package centered around Ricky Rubio/Grayson Allen, he only got the nod this year after injuries. Rudy Gobert was the former 27th overall pick. We acquired Clarkson by trading Dante Exum mid-season and we signed Joe Ingles as a free agent after he failed to make the Clippers preseason roster. 

What's the one consistent thing about Bogdanovic, Clarkson, Conley, Ingles, and Gobert? They've all improved a ton playing with Donovan Mitchell. We had the best record in the league last season and made a major leap before injuries hampered us in the postseason. The Mavericks made a move for a max contract player in Porzingis and he has actually gotten worse playing with Luka. Has any player improved playing with him? The stats are great but Russell Westbrook also fills up the box score, your advanced analytics don't win games in the playoffs.

 

He had the 2nd most game 7 points ever, and the most points created ever in game 5. On top of a few other incredible performances. So yeah, it was about as close to a one man wrecking crew as it gets. The fact that he wore down late in some of those 4th's should be evident of how much he was carrying them. He did it with a neck injury too. We know he's clutch because we've seen him hit game winners in the playoffs 3 games into his postseason career.

There was no moving of the goalposts. All I did was lay out facts. You can try to downplay the cast all you'd like but it doesn't matter. If Luka had the Jazz cast he'd have a ring already. That's how large the difference in casts are. Porzingis was coming off injury, and has continued to get injured. The shooting stats of guys like DFS are night and day when Luka is in vs. when he's out. His ability to create open looks for others is incredbly impactful. Westbrook comparison isn't worthy of a response.

[NYRaider]

2 minutes ago, Bullet Club said:

He had the 2nd most game 7 points ever, and the most points created ever in game 5. On top of a few other incredible performances. So yeah, it was about as close to a one man wrecking crew as it gets. The fact that he wore down late in some of those 4th's should be evident of how much he was carrying them. He did it with a neck injury too. We know he's clutch because we've seen him hit game winners in the playoffs 3 games into his postseason career.

There was no moving of the goalposts. All I did was lay out facts. You can try to downplay the cast all you'd like but it doesn't matter. If Luka had the Jazz cast he'd have a ring already. That's how large the difference in casts are. Porzingis was coming off injury, and has continued to get injured. The shooting stats of guys like DFS are night and day when Luka is in vs. when he's out. His ability to create open looks for others is incredbly impactful. Westbrook comparison isn't worthy of a response.

He had the second most points yet still failed to deliver in the clutch and got sent home in the 1st round again. 

We can speak about hypothetical situations all day long, the reality is that the since the Jazz drafted Donovan Mitchell they've been a playoff team ever year and were the best team in the NBA last season. Since Dallas drafted Luka they've had 1 bad year and 2 years that they squeaked into the playoffs but were sent home in the 1st round. The team during that time has traded for another max contract, All-Star level player and hired one of the most influential individuals in basketball as their general manager. Yet this off-season with a ton of cap space, Luka already on the roster, Nico/Kidd at the healm, the team still couldn't convince any great players to come play in Dallas, the 5th largest media market in the US. Huge market, superstar player, cap space, appealing coach, great/influential GM. Why don't other great players want to play in Dallas with Luka?

[NYRaider]

Quote

Maverick fans are all too familiar with the team swinging and flagrantly missing on nearly every offseason target they have pursued. This time around, Kyle Lowry is in Nico Harrison and the crew’s crosshairs. With several other potential suitors for the six-time All-Star, Dallas has to be prepared for the possibility they get their latest offseason rejection.

Quote

I recently wrote about Dallas’s offseason in the context of Luka Dončić’s extension and how patience can be their friend and enemy. The Mavericks have not added another ballhandler (Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley and Chris Paul, let alone Spencer Dinwiddie, and even Dennis Schröder were technically available) but did beef up their wings with Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown, two players who complement Dončić in other ways. Things could’ve gone better. They also could’ve been a lot worse. Jason Kidd in as coach is a total wild card.

 

[Mox]

2 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

He had the second most points yet still failed to deliver in the clutch and got sent home in the 1st round again. 

We can speak about hypothetical situations all day long, the reality is that the since the Jazz drafted Donovan Mitchell they've been a playoff team ever year and were the best team in the NBA last season. Since Dallas drafted Luka they've had 1 bad year and 2 years that they squeaked into the playoffs but were sent home in the 1st round. The team during that time has traded for another max contract, All-Star level player and hired one of the most influential individuals in basketball as their general manager. Yet this off-season with a ton of cap space, Luka already on the roster, Nico/Kidd at the healm, the team still couldn't convince any great players to come play in Dallas, the 5th largest media market in the US. Huge market, superstar player, cap space, appealing coach, great/influential GM. Why don't other great players want to play in Dallas with Luka?

There is nothing hypothetical about Luka 1) Being better than Mitchell, 2) Carrying the Mavericks on his back in a way Mitchell doesn't (and can't), 3) Performing at a ridiculously high level in the post season. The rest, again, is nonsense. Dallas doesn't have cap space, they got a new GM literally this Summer, and Luka is 22, there is plenty of time for people to "want to play with him". He's a two time All NBA 1st team player and still younger than Larry Bird as a rookie.

[NYRaider]

3 minutes ago, Bullet Club said:

There is nothing hypothetical about Luka 1) Being better than Mitchell, 2) Carrying the Mavericks on his back in a way Mitchell doesn't (and can't), 3) Performing at a ridiculously high level in the post season. The rest, again, is nonsense. Dallas doesn't have cap space, they got a new GM literally this Summer, and Luka is 22, there is plenty of time for people to "want to play with him". He's a two time All NBA 1st team player and still younger than Larry Bird as a rookie.

There's reality to 1) Donovan Mitchell was the best player on the best team in the league last season 2) Donovan Mitchell has carried his team past the first round twice, Luka hasn't ever won a series. 

Dallas had $33M in cap space when the off-season started, they literally hired Nico Harrison (someone with 0 NBA front office experience) to be their GM because of his personal connections around the NBA from his time at Nike in order to be able to recruit talent to play with Luka in free agency. The Mavericks offered Lowry more money than any team in free agency and he took less to play in Miami. While Mike Conley took a significantly smaller deal than what CP3 or Lowry got to remain in small market Utah. Seems odd to me that Luka is so great but players are turning down more money to play in smaller markets with worse players around them. 

 

 

[Mox]

2 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

There's reality to 1) Donovan Mitchell was the best player on the best team in the league last season 2) Donovan Mitchell has carried his team past the first round twice, Luka hasn't ever won a series. 

Dallas had $33M in cap space when the off-season started, they literally hired Nico Harrison (someone with 0 NBA front office experience) to be their GM because of his personal connections around the NBA from his time at Nike in order to be able to recruit talent to play with Luka in free agency. The Mavericks offered Lowry more money than any team in free agency and he took less to play in Miami. While Mike Conley took a significantly smaller deal than what CP3 or Lowry got to remain in small market Utah. Seems odd to me that Luka is so great but players are turning down more money to play in smaller markets with worse players around them. 

 

 

They missed out on 35 year old Lowry who wanted to go to a team that's closer to contending than Dallas? So what? As soon as they resigned THJ they were out of meaningful space, and 33 million isn't even a max. Donovan Mitchell winning two series is cool, he's lucky his team is much better, yet he still has more black marks on his postseason record than Luka.

[NYRaider]

Just now, Bullet Club said:

They missed out on 35 year old Lowry who wanted to go to a team that's closer to contending than Dallas? So what? As soon as they resigned THJ they were out of meaningful space, and 33 million isn't even a max. Donovan Mitchell winning two series is cool, he's lucky his team is much better, yet he still has more black marks on his postseason record than Luka.

Dallas was offering that same 35 year old $90M+ to come play with Luka but instead landed Sterling Brown and Reggie Bullock. Donovan Mitchell is the best player on one of the best teams in the league and has a legitimate chance to win a ring this season. The Mavericks are a fringe playoff team in the West that hasn't seen the second round at any point with Luka. Stat padding and analytics are cool, I like to watch my team win basketball games. 

[NYRaider]

Luka is essentially James Harden, Mitchell is Dwayne Wade. One dude is stat padding, the other is winning.

[Mox]

1 minute ago, NYRaider said:

Dallas was offering that same 35 year old $90M+ to come play with Luka but instead landed Sterling Brown and Reggie Bullock. Donovan Mitchell is the best player on one of the best teams in the league and has a legitimate chance to win a ring this season. The Mavericks are a fringe playoff team in the West that hasn't seen the second round at any point with Luka. Stat padding and analytics are cool, I like to watch my team win basketball games. 

I mean yeah it would've been cool to have him but I don't blame Lowry for going to a team one year removed from the finals in Miami. That's not shocking. Luka is one of the best players in the league period, and there is nothing fringe about them making the playoffs. The West got worse, and Dallas is slightly better (unless Kidd sabotages the team...which is possible).

The winning bias stuff doesn't move me at all. It's inconsistent and lazy. If Luka was performing like Mitchell against Houston and losing that would be one thing. Instead he's dueling and out-dueling a guy some thought was the best player in the NBA in his first two postseasons, and pushing them to the brink, something Utah couldn't even do with home court advantage.

[NYRaider]

Just now, Bullet Club said:

Instead he's dueling and out-dueling a guy some thought was the best player in the NBA in his first two postseasons, and pushing them to the brink, something Utah couldn't even do with home court advantage.

Donovan totally didn't beat the reigning league MVP + Paul George in the playoffs as a rookie...

 

[NYRaider]

1 minute ago, Bullet Club said:

Luka is one of the best players in the league period, and there is nothing fringe about them making the playoffs. The West got worse, and Dallas is slightly better (unless Kidd sabotages the team...which is possible).

The Mavericks were the 5th seed last season but had the same record as the 7th seeded Lakers who had to participate in the play in tournament, the previous season they were the 7th seed. The Warriors could surpass them this year as could the Timberwolves if they trade for Ben Simmons. 

[Mox]

1 minute ago, NYRaider said:

Donovan totally didn't beat the reigning league MVP + Paul George in the playoffs as a rookie...

 

That'd mean more if he outplayed said MVP. He didn't. Really good series though, and he played well. Not Luka well but still great.

Just now, NYRaider said:

The Mavericks were the 5th seed last season but had the same record as the 7th seeded Lakers who had to participate in the play in tournament, the previous season they were the 7th seed. The Warriors could surpass them this year as could the Timberwolves if they trade for Ben Simmons. 

🤣🤣🤣

[NYRaider]

Projected win totals according to Vegas:

1. Utah: 51.5 

2. LA Lakers: 51.5

3. Phoenix: 50.5

4. Golden State: 49.5 

5. Denver: 47.5

6. Dallas: 47.5

7. LA Clippers: 45.5

8. Portland: 44.5 

I think you can make a pretty strong case that the Clippers, Mavericks, and Blazers could all potentially miss the playoffs this season. With Ben Simmons being the biggest X-Factor. If he lands in Minnesota, Portland, or Sacramento they will be significantly better. The Pelicans could also make a significant leap depending on Zion/Ingram. 

[NYRaider]

1 minute ago, Bullet Club said:

That'd mean more if he outplayed said MVP. He didn't. Really good series though, and he played well. Not Luka well but still great.

🤣🤣🤣

Donovan Mitchell: 28.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists on .555 TS% 

Russell Westbrook: 29.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists on .493 TS%

In the series clinching game Donovan Mitchell had 38 points (26 shots), Westbrook had 46 points (43 shots). Russell was the reining MVP at the time, Mitchell was a rookie. Westbrook played better?

If Minnesota is able to land Ben Simmons without giving up any of their core 3 players, they're going to be good. Russell/Edwards/Simmons/KAT could 100% be better than Dallas this season. What has Minnesota's biggest issue been? Defense. What has Ben Simmons biggest issue been? Lack of shooting around him and a weird fit with the other star players. 

KAT is one of the best shooters in the league regardless of position. Russell is also one of the best 3P shooters in the league. Edwards was just the #1 pick and averaged 23.8 ppg on 45% FG the second half of the season.