The Mavericks fell to the Clippers in Game 7 on Sunday after holding leads of 2-0 and 3-2 in the first-round series. However, despite the disappointing finish to the 2020/21 season, Mavs owner Mark Cuban told Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link) that the team isn’t considering replacing head coach Rick Carlisle.
“Let me tell you how I look at coaching,” Cuban said. “You don’t make a change to make a change. Unless you have someone that you know is much, much, much better, the grass is rarely greener on the other side.”
Here’s more out of Dallas in the wake of the team’s first-round loss:
- Although Luka Doncic was good enough to beat the Clippers, the rest of the Mavericks’ roster wasn’t, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. Improving Doncic’s supporting cast will be the focus of the team’s offseason. “This is going to be an important offseason on many levels,” Carlisle said on Sunday, per Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. “We have a lot of guys who are free agents or who have opt-ins or opt-outs with their deals, so there’s a chance that there will be a lot of change, but we don’t know.”
- The Mavericks have difficult decisions forthcoming on players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson, and others, but their decision on Doncic will be an easy one, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) in his offseason preview. Doncic will be eligible for a maximum-salary rookie scale extension that starts at 30% of the salary cap in 2022/23, and Dallas will likely waste no time in signing him to that deal. It projects to be worth about $201.5MM over five years based on 3% cap increases in 2021 and 2022.
- The Mavericks acquired Kristaps Porzingis in the hopes that he’d complement Doncic as the team’s second star. However, it hasn’t worked out that way and it remains to be seen how Porzingis fits into the organization’s long-term plans, says Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who hears from sources that the big man has often felt “more like an afterthought than a co-star.” Porzingis spent much of the Mavs’ first-round series standing in the corner or on the wing as a floor-spacer and said after the series that it was a “mental battle” to play a role that wasn’t comfortable for him, MacMahon adds.
- In a column for The Dallas Morning News, Kevin Sherrington wonders if Carlisle needs to make changes to his offensive scheme to better accommodate Porzingis. As Sherrington writes, moving on from Porzingis is also an option the Mavs could explore, but it would be hard to get great value in a trade given the 25-year-old’s injury history and contract (three years, $101.5MM remaining).
Wiggins for Porzingis straight up?
Nope. Why?
When teams want to dump salary to upgrade, they have to attach rookie contracts and next 3 years draft picks
salary dump trade
Walker – injury prone
McCollum – not healthy
Porzingis – injury prone
Two options
1 upgrade
2 stay the same and doomed
Porting is 3 years, play 100 games
Trade to upgrade
Porzingis can’t do anything other than wait for spot up opportunities.
Like Phil Jackson said ‘he may be too tall for basketball’. He’s rail-thin, gets pushed over several times a game and just has too high a centre of gravity.
He has no post game, insufficient handle to take defenders off the dribble at his height and hasn’t the strength to be a dominant rebounder. He’s basically an ultra skilled Frank Kaminsky. A nice piece for sure but nothing more.
The narrative that he wants more touches is media driven I think, but I get the feeling Kristaps is only too aware of the size of his contract and resulting expectations. He seems to put pressure on himself too and has worked hard to get back from injury.
He’s a nice third or fourth option sure, but I think the easiest way to get him to accept that would be as a mid level contracted player on a team with two unquestionable alphas (like the Clippers!) I suspect he feels that it shouldn’t be a given he’d play second fiddle to such a young player in Doncic, but hey, what are you gonna do? Luka is heading for a long stretch of excellence and won’t stop carrying himself with that extreme confidence to make Kristaps feel better.
Luka seems to enjoy playing more with WCS and Powell, screen and rolling bigs who space vertically.
I see KP, Richardson, Melli and Kleber (much as I like his game) as expendable. Everyone else is giving you a lot on the cheap.
I’m not sure what or whom is going to shake loose this off-season, but a scoring 4 and more playmaking from the wings is what they need.
Mavs major weakness is bench
Josh Richardson, Kleber and Powell are very little but make big money
This was Porzingis’ best year, and he has improved every year…
Porzingis is almost the definition of a guy you have to watch. I think you nailed it. Because if you just look at his stats you could go, “Eh, 20 and 9 on 47/37/85, he’s not great, but he’s not BAD.”
But in practice he’s really just a 3 and D guy without the D. You’ll forget he’s on the floor for quarters at a time, and when Luka’s on the bench you can’t run anything through him.
The guy just hasn’t developed the skill set to be an efficient scorer on anything but spot up 3’s. Hard to be a second option of a playoff team when that’s the case.
Curious what you think of Devin Booker…
I’ve been pretty mixed on him as a whole tbh—great scorer, but not an elite playmaker, overall kind of undersized for where the league is heading, and pretty average from 3. I don’t know of many All-NBA candidates off the top of my head who have a -0.1 BPM for an entire season other than him.
Having said that, I think he’s proven a lot so far this postseason, 30/6/5 on 49/43/94 against LA, I have to respect that. Maybe this is his breakthrough, or maybe it’s another Jamal Murray thing.
I agree buttholesurfer, not that anyone asked but can’t stand it when he keeps shooting jumper after jumper after jumper and misses. He does get hot but it’s not enough for me to latch onto him as a favorite to follow.
Just wondering how that compares to Porzingis and where each guy is in usual narratives
Just wondering, do you think Booker’s performance has anything to do with the matchup, considering the Lakers were playing multiple bigs against Phoenix’s versatile lineups?
Seth Curry getting some open jumpers would have fit well on this team.
McCollum for Porzingis.
How about Covington, Jones Jr., Simons, and three future 1st round picks for Porzingis?
Dallas gets assets they can use to be active in the trade market in years to come, while Portland gets a solid shooting “big” that makes trading Nurkic a lot less painful.
I don’t love the trade for either team, but it seems like a win-win.
Dallas takes that deal in a heartbeat.
Portland says no faster.
McCollum may make lot, but Porzingis nearly a negative on court and has a minus5 on-off. CJM is plus7.
Let’s not forget Luka has work to do too. He’s not “in his prime being wasted” as is often the tone of much of the media’s reportage. He needs to work on his conditioning – first halves he drives, second halves he settles. He often passes the ball and then takes himself out of the play rather than cutting or relocating.
Spot up 3pt shooting will fatigue him less than his off-the-dribble 3 so learning some Curry routes will help.
The guy just turned 22 and put up 36/10/8 against a team with two of the best perimeter defenders of the last decade, and with no one else on his team that can create a shot.
He’s not in his prime, but Dallas is absolutely wasting his talent right now. Yes, he has work to do, but other than Jokic and LeBron when healthy, he’s the best offensive player in the league. Hard to put much of anything on him for Dallas’s exit.
Sorry, didn’t mean to infer it was Luka’s fault – more that there’s no need to panic and make changes for the sake of change. There probably should be some roster turnover but as we’ve seen with Denver – patience pays.
Trade Porzingis my god
Hard for Porzingis to be a second star when he can’t hit his 3s or grab rebounds in a tough playoff series. Then when he’s not getting it done, Luka takes on more of his share of shots and handling the rock.
Poor Kristaps is dumbfounded how he so quickly got overlooked as that series went on. Answer is simple. He shrinked away from the challenge and the opportunity was not going to be handed to him regardless of how he performed. Not when Doncic was ready to convince everyone he’s superhuman. And now he’s sulking to the media about it! Big guy needs a nice hug and a kick in the pants.
What’s your source for ‘sulking to the media’? Can’t find anything.
If you read my post, it’s not that he shrank from the challenge – he just doesn’t have much to offer other than floor spacing. His cutting was also good but too little too late.
What sulking? Going by what was written here, that Kristaps “said after the series that it was a “mental battle” to play a role that wasn’t comfortable for him, MacMahon adds.”
He blames the team and coaching for not setting him up for the success he wanted to have. Looked like he wasn’t up for the pressure to battle for rebounds and drain his shots under the great duress the Clippers brought.
You have to be pretty driven to succeed in the playoffs against good, hungry teams. For all the big guy can offer a team, he just doesn’t bring that excellence to the table.
Porzingis to okc for a couple second round picks and a slice of pineapple pizza.
Many teams should be looking to okc for Horford. Well rested
As much as I think Rick Carlisle is one of the best coaches in the league, I questioned certain things at a lot of different points during the season. I would more question why they were so averse to using their young wings, why they didnt use Porzingis more at the 5, especially in this matchup, and then also I would actually say they arguably shouldnt have gone to either of their backup guards, and go more position less, with multiple guys that can playmake outside of Brunson and Burke. With that scenario, using someone like Powell as the main big off the bench is definitely a real consideration, although I think Boban could play in this matchup with more consistent touches off the bench, in shorter minutes. So with that rotation, 1 of Redick or Melli would have made sense for spacing/shooting reasons
Luka, Hardaway jr, Josh Green, DFS, Porzingis
Richardson, Tyler Bey, Powell, Redick/Melli, Boban, Brunson/Burke depending
Its weird b/c before the season I picked Dallas to beat them, but as the series approached I actually picked the Clippers to hold them off in 7 games b/c of Ibaka, and Terrence Mann, and obviously Kawhi, but then Ibaka didnt play, so it was interesting to see how it played out after the Clippers went small. That’s when I really thought Dallas would use those guys to try and matchup. It also brings up the question of moving James Johnson and Wes Iwundu for Redick and Meli and then not using them the same way they didnt use the other guys, and how they may have helped defensively in this series, especially if they didnt trust their young guys either
Obviously great performance by Kawhi. Luka was amazing in this series. I thought there might be a game or 2 where Kawhi might contain him, while I didnt think Dallas had enough to guard Kawhi, but they pretty much went at each other. With him taking so many possessions, I would question how much Luka’s freethrow percentage and turnovers hurt them, and if their other guys should have got more touches at times, especially in half court situations, which I guess goes back to some of the lineup stuff I mentioned b/c maybe it’s easier to get Porzingis more catches in the paint when there is more space on the floor for him
Obviously a lot could happen this offseason. I thought they did a really good job of adding toughness and defense last offseason in areas of need, with them having a historic offense last year and being really bad defensively. For that reason, I thought they would be a top 4 seed before the season, and potentially get to the WCF. This year was kind of weird in how they used their guys, and then where they kind of shifted back to more what they had last year with moves they made during the season. I personally want to see the young guys I mentioned more, but outside of those guys, I think it depends on who they bring back. Kyle Lowry is an obvious target for them, in my opinion, and Oladipo would have probably been as well, had he not been injured. They need another piece, outside of Richardson, that can guard the guard spots and play with Luka. I have to look at the free agent list, but another wing option probably is at least on their list. Should be interesting to see what happens with Hardaway jr. They also need another piece at the 4 that can potentially defend/knock down shots. Last year they brought in Iwundu and James Johnson, which as I mentioned didnt work out. Josh Green and Tyler Bey can provide some of what they need at the 3/4 spots, but if they dont want to rely on that jump, those are probably the main things they need to address in the offseason, as well as maybe another option offensively in the half court, outside of Boban, if they arent going to use Porzingis as anything more than a floor spacer
I think Richardson was a real wet blanket for them this year. That and trading for Redick then having him essentially no show. Both of those guys, in theory, should have helped them in this series – especially in game 7 when Carlisle started dusting off Trey Burke
Hardaway Jr will be very interesting – I think that he probably played himself into a lucrative new contract, especially when you look at the other FA’s this summer. Schroeder, Dinwiddie, Powell, DeRozan … you could argue Hardaway is the best FA after Kawhi and Collins AKA he’s the best that will be available.
Most of those guys will likely get overpaid, so not sure how great of an idea it is to determine how much he should get based on them…
Former are you aware that every one of your team reviews say the team should play their wings more? If everyone is doing it wrong, “averse to using their young wings”, then who is out of step? You might be right in general, but…
it does not look like a turnaround strategy in this case, pinning playoff hopes on raw mediocre rooks, or leaving Zinger alone in the middle.
KnickrbkrAl at least knows he is always in for more size. But you seem to surprise yourself with your findings.
Actually Bas.Ref says Zinger plays center all the time, presumably posting up unusually wide & high lol. But there is generally also Kleber & Powell on court too. The small wingy lineup is available but doing that for a yearlong grind… just ask Al.
I guess this was the short year to try that out, but Carlisle did not. Richardson, Hardaway & Porzingis are negative on-offs, despite okay PERs.
Tyler Bey has length and is super athletic and can guard multiple positions. He could arguably play small ball 5, although you would you him at the 4/3 next to their shooters and Porzingis at the 5. Josh Green was positive for them when he was on the floor, and he can shoot, and defend, and those guys arent ball stoppers, so they fit with their playmakers. It’s not just wings. Its skillset together and maximizing strengths of each other, as well as hifing certain guys deficiencies as best as possible to take advantage of potentially their advantageous skills that make them not as usable b/c of those deficient areas. Size is actually important, but across all the positions, relative to the 5 guys on the other side of the floor. You can generally tell who are the key players in matchups.
The regular season you’re generally trying to see how your team plays in different ways, learning to win in different ways, unless you need to win, where you need to change your rotation based on matchup, like some teams did the last few years…in the playoffs, you want to play your best rotation, but in certain matchups, which is what the playoffs are about, you want to use the guys that make the most sense against them b/c every possession matters, which is why sometimes you see those guys that perception people dont expect to play well come up huge
As for why I speak to the importance of wing players/versatile 4s, its b/c those are the hardest/most important positions to have right now in the NBA, and significantly effect team’s ability to defend the 3 point line, defend pick and roll, knock down shots themselves without being a ball stopper, put the ball on the floor themselves on closeouts, etc
Mavs need to get some more better 2 way players. Clippers shred their defense. Notice how all the teams built around offense first is out.
Riight. That’s why Denver, Atlanta, and Brooklyn are at home right now, and the Lakers, Knicks, and Heat are all still playing.
“Defense wins championships” is a tired old saw.
Can’t these media people find a better question to ask the owners whose teams lost in the first round than, “Are you going to replace the coach?” That is rumor-mongering, not good reporting!
Hopefully, Cuban is not even considering it, and here says he isn’t. You can’t just go out and actually replace a coach like Rick Carlisle. He’s been an NBA coach since 1989 and has been Dallas’ HC for 12 years.
In general, though, how do you guys think Carlisle did in this series?
IDK who stands for what. Coach has a tough star/PG to deal with, or at least, Doncic does not prioritize compliance, and Carlisle did or does. Not that Carlisle can complain too much!
Things went beautifully for Doncic in Europe. Either things get covered up in Dallas, or HR cannot put down the NY Post.
Mavs need a secondary play maker and need to keep Hardaway Jr. Brunson is a good bench guy. The major problem is Porzingis and the money they r paying Powell to play 10 mins a night.
Surround Doncic with actual shooters. Keep THJ and Brunson. They got Josh Green and Terry coming into 2nd seasons who will contribute. But they need some athletic bigs who can finish lobs. And SHOOTERS. If they could somehow get Duncan Robinson that would help.
Luka, Hardaway Jr, Brunson, DFS, Green and Terry. The rest of the roster needs overhauled.
Porzingis and Markannen should get together and talk about how they are under appreciated underachievers, and too tall for basketball, and other excuses.
KP looked better physically in this series than I’ve seen all year. It reminded me of how little basketball he’s played the last 3.5 seasons. Talent-wise, he can definitely play a larger and more diverse role, but a team would have to commit time and resources to provide it, and no team is going to do that (max deal or not) for a part time player. Next year is a big one for him. He has to stay healthy, if he can, and focus on developing the aspects of this game that he can bring every night, even when his legs might not be 100%. If not, he needs to realize that the league will pass him by, as “what he can” be will quickly become “what he could have been”, and that’s just a discussion point, and not a particularly meaningful one.
You’re saying that the Mavs did not “commit time and resources to provide a larger role”? Or maybe they did but have given up on the project. They should not.
I have always thought him mentally awry and inappropriate to be NYC’s “godzingis” or unicorn; IDK Dallas but cmon.
His PERs have actually steadily rising, and this year saw his first minus on-off.
Dallas isn’t in quite the dire straights that Portland finds itself in, but it’s dilemma is essentially the same. Both teams have top 10 talents and have invested heavily in 2nd options that are probably 3rd options.
Also, neither team has the type of young talent to attach to their lackluster 2nd option to make a provocative trade offer. So assuming a Bradley Beal or a KAT or a [insert potentially disgruntled star here] become available, it’s almost impossible to imagine a deal structured around KP or CJM would be the best deal on the table.
So they’re left with two options:
A) Make moves around the edges, ignore the elephant in the room, and just hope things magically reverse course.
B) Swap KP and CJM for an equivalent player (for each other?) and hope “the improved fit” makes up for the talent deficiency.
Dallas at least has Luka’s age in its favor. But Luka also doesn’t strike me as the type of player who will tolerate playoff exits to the degree Dame has in PDX. Will be an interesting offseason.
It’s nice to have reasonable and logical people on the board to talk hoops with. Most seem like petulant three-year-olds.
I think Dallas would be glad to trade away KP for future assets.
They don’t really *need* him – they’ve been able to find serviceable players other ways – so why not get rid of him for a good haul of assets? Luka is going to sign up for 5 more years, and I bet he’d be just as glad to see KP go as anyone.
Not to mention, Dallas has almost nothing to trade away for the next few years. Picks would give them a way to be active at the trade deadline again.
Meanwhile, Portland is desperate for a big that can make a difference. KP is probably the best option out there.
Wow look at all the KP love now. Where are all the Knicks lost that trade big time, NOW. Wagoneers….
KP has to play center to be the most effective. Needs 25-35 LBs. Needs a physical big 4 next to him to help protect him. He will always be an inside outside center. He will always be able to shoot. But you need the girth to protect yourself. Doesn’t mean you become a banger. At 7’3” he can only be a center. So wake up and start eating steak n potatoes. Dallas wants to keep him get a Thompson or Harrell next to him. Even Robert Williams next to him. That’s how you make it work. But he has to gain weight.
The Knicks DID lose the KP trade – they gave up Hardaway Jr!