Mark Cuban: “We’ve Gone Through A Rebuild In One Season”
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban discussed his team in a Q&A with Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The interview spanned a variety of subjects- even touching on politics toward the end- but Cuban was sure to praise the “reinvigorated” Dirk Nowitzki, as well as scrappy guards Yogi Ferrell and Seth Curry.
“This has reinvigorated Dirk. He sees the big picture,” Cuban said of Nowitzki’s choice to ‘ride it out’ in Dallas. “We’re in a win-win situation. We lose, we get a better draft pick, we win we get into the playoffs. It’s fun. It feels a lot more like 2000 when I first brought the team. All this young energy, exciting, fun to watch, we’re at a place where we’re not supposed to be.”
Cuban has reason to be pleased with Dallas’ season. Having gotten off to a 5-18 start in 2016/17, it looked as though the Mavs were in for a lost season. Several key contributors have helped right the ship, however. Ferrell and Curry have supplanted J.J. Barea and Devin Harris as Rick Carlisle‘s primary guards, Harrison Barnes has overcome a shaky start to the season, and Nerlens Noel looks like a stellar trade deadline pick-up.
“He has the most understated swag I’ve ever seen. His brother [Stephen] likes to dance. Seth will just kill you and then give you a little hand motion. He’s so non-demonstrative,” Cuban said. “To me, the more of a show you put on when you do something, the less swag you have. He doesn’t tell you, he scoreboards you, and to me, that’s the ultimate swag. We want him to be here forever. He’s our kind of guy.”
In Cuban’s mind, the team’s abbreviated rebuilding period has been a group effort.
“We’ve basically gone through a rebuild in one season. It’s a credit to Rick (Carlisle, the Mavericks coach) but also everyone on this team,” Cuban said. “There’s still a lot more to do. Nobody’s writing us in for The Finals this year. Our guys really worked hard, as hard or harder than any team in the league. Look at Miami. They’ve undergone a lot of changes too, much like we have, and they just play harder. I remember the Celtics after they traded off Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and they tried to find themselves and they did that by playing their asses off. That’s who we are now. Teams kind of look at our talent and don’t know what to expect but it’s hard to keep up with us when you go 15 deep with guys playing hard. It’s our calling card. I love it.”
How The Mavericks Build Around Dirk Nowitzki
Mark Cuban and the Mavericks have always been different. When everyone zigs, Cuban wants to zag—a practice that has contributed to his success in the business would. Dallas has employed that strategy with mixed results since he’s taken team control. However, the Shark Tank star is quick to tell people that the Mavs had a streak of 11 straight campaigns with at least 50 wins during his tenure as the owner of the franchise.
Simply winning often is not the goal; Cuban wants championships. During this year’s MIT Sloan Conference, which Hoops Rumors attended, Cuban was asked whether he would take a dominant three-year window where his team wins championships or a stretch of 10-15 years where his team has a slight chance of winning the championship every year. He quickly took the championships option with one caveat.
“If I knew I was going to get three rings and just be horrible the rest of the way, I’d probably take the three rings and then try to change the agreement,” Cuban said. “Rings are the thing. I want a really big ring.”
Dallas is extremely unlikely to win a championship this season and without a true Superstar in his prime, the Mavs have to be even more meticulous with their roster moves. They have to find contributors like Yogi Ferrell and Dorian Finney-Smith from the free agent scraps. This year, that task was slightly easier for those teams that are better at evaluating talent
The Celtics entered the 2016 draft with eight selections. The Suns had five, while the Nuggets had four. Those three teams plus Philadelphia (three selections) held one-third of the draft picks. The Mavs went into the draft knowing that those team couldn’t possibly roster that many rookies, so it would lead to teams reaching on international and draft-and-stash prospects or trading away picks. Some of those teams would end up taking the best available player willing to be a draft-and-stash prospect rather than selecting the the top remaining talent.
“To us, it was more of a 70-player draft than a 60-player draft,” Cuban said. “What happened after 60 was just as valuable as having [an early second-round draft pick]”
If the league redistributed the picks to mirror what teams would have in an average year, players like Ferrell and Finney-Smith are likely drafted. Ben Bentil is likely still on the team that drafted him. Yet, because of the unique distribution of picks, those players are available on the market.
Quinn Cook is another player who would merit consideration if the teams were drafting players for 60 immediate NBA roster spots. Cook’s 10-day deal with Dallas expires tonight, though Cuban recently told Hoops Rumors that the organization likes the guard’s game and he could have a future with the team beyond the current deal.
Earlier this season, it appeared that the Mavericks would be better served to scrap the winning objectives this season, tank, and try their luck next year with a top draft pick aboard. Such life is not an option when you have future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki on the team. The organization wants to build the team of the future around its aging superstar. The signing of Harrison Barnes along with the team’s influx of youth should allow Nowitzki to take on a lighter load as he creeps toward 40 years old. Cuban insinuated that the German big man will continue playing past that point.
“Dirk will be the Satchel Paige of the NBA,” Cuban told Nate Silver during the conference’s Shark Vs. Fox panel.
Paige famously played more seasons than any baseball player in history. He retired at the age of 47, though he made a special, three inning appearance at the age of 59 in which he only gave up one hit.
Could Nowitzki play more seasons than any player in NBA history? Kevin Willis currently owns that accomplishment with 21 seasons in the league, which means Nowitzki would need to play for three seasons beyond the 2016/17 campaign to have sole possession of the record. The man who became just the sixth player ever to score 30,000 points is going to end his career with multiple records and since he plays for such an innovative organization, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him add the longevity feat to his impressive resume.
Southwest Rumors: Parsons, Barea, Cuban, Gasol
Chandler Parsons is frustrated by his subpar play but Grizzlies coach David Fizdale indicated Thursday that the small forward will remain in the rotation, Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com reports. Parsons signed a four-year, $94MM free agent contract last summer but has battled knee injuries while averaging 6.1 PPG on 34.5% shooting in 19.5 MPG. Fitzdale said Parsons remains a big part of the team’s plans this season but admits Parsons is feeling the heat. “He feels like he’s letting his team down, he feels like he’s letting this city down, and he doesn’t want that,” Fizdale told the assembled media.
In other news around the Southwest Division:
- Point guard J.J. Barea hopes he can return to action during the Mavericks’ five-game homestand that begins on Friday, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Barea hasn’t played since January 20th after straining his left calf. Barea joined the team on their road trip to Atlanta on Wednesday to work out with team’s training staff, Sefko adds.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would like to see the team grab a playoff spot but doesn’t see a downside regardless of how the season plays out, Sefko writes in a separate story. Dallas currently trails the Nuggets by 3 1/2 games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. “To me, it’s a win-win,” Cuban told Sefko. “If we lose, we get a better draft pick. If we win, we get in the playoffs.”
- Spurs center Pau Gasol doesn’t mind coming off the bench, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com relays. Gasol found himself on the second unit this week after returning from a fractured finger on his left hand. Dewayne Dedmon started at center. “I think [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] is trying to do a good job of putting the best lineups and how they work together, and also maximizing everyone’s talents,” Gasol told Wright. “With the second unit, I have more opportunities to score, to play my game. With the first unit, it’s a little more limited, my options.”
Mavs Notes: Ferrell, Sanders, Bogut
After signing a 10-day contract with Dallas on January 27th, Yogi Ferrell has hit the ground running. The former Hoosier has averaged 37.8 MPG in four appearances and turned in a masterpiece last night, torching Portland for 32 points on nine 3-pointers in a 108-104 victory. Ferrell was cut loose by the Nets after playing in 10 games this season, but now looks to have found carved a role through the rest of 2016/17 in Dallas.
- Ferrell deserves to be the first player ever to win NBA player of the week honors while on a 10-day contract, Eddie Sefko of Dallas News writes. Ferrell’s nine 3-pointers is the highest total from a Mavericks rookie since Roddy Beaubois scored 40 points against the Warriors in 2010/11.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban indicated he will sign Ferrell for the rest of the season, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. GM Donnie Nelson praised Ferrell’s performance following Friday’s showing. “That’s exactly how we scripted it, step in and start against two of the top three teams in the league,” Nelson told Price. “It’s just really kind of a special moment in time and he put himself in a great position. It’s really very unique and he obviously was kind of the straw that stirred the drink for those two games against pretty formidable opponents. So let’s just hope the trend continues.”
- The Mavericks are among five teams interested in free agent Larry Sanders, according to Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’s Press Box. Sanders’ agent, Joel Bell, indicated a deal with one of the teams could come together soon. “By the end of next week, we should have a reasonably good handle on where this is going,’’ Bell said.
- Matt Mosley of Dallas News was hesitant to list Deron Williams or Andrew Bogut as a viable trade chip, noting each player’s extensive injury history. Bogut, who has been recently sidelined with a hamstring injury, hasn’t carved out a role in Rick Carlisle‘s rotation, averaging a career-worst three points through 25 games in Dallas. Tim MacMahon of ESPN noted the possibility of Bogut’s contract being bought out after the trade deadline.
Mavs Notes: Bogut, Nowitzki, Cuban
The 2016/17 hasn’t gone well for either Andrew Bogut or the Mavs and the latest realization that Bogut’s lingering hamstring injury will keep him sidelined certainly doesn’t help. Earlier today, Rick Carlisle told the media that he will hold Bogut out of Sunday’s contest and “for the foreseeable near future”.
Already limited to just 22 of Dallas’ 39 games this season, Bogut hasn’t had much of an impact on a Mavs team that’s limped out of the gates to a 12-27 record.
Though a healthy Bogut wouldn’t necessarily change the Mavs’ fate, it could play a role in whether the team is able to trade him, and if so, what they could expect in return.
There’s more out of Dallas:
- A recent uptick in production has ESPN’s Tim MacMahon speculating that Dirk Nowitzki is close to returning to form following the strained right Achilles tendon issue that plagued him at the beginning of the season. Though his 13.2 points per game fall well short of his career numbers, that figure could soon rise if the 38-year-old is truly close to full strength for the Mavs.
- There are plenty of reasons why the 2016/17 campaign has been a disappointing one for Mavs fans. Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas News recently examined who might be to blame for the lost season. Cowlishaw feels ownership and management haven’t made the most of the draft, opting instead to pursue big fish via free agency.
- Vocal Mavs owner Mark Cuban would be in support of the NBA eventually expanding or relocating to Mexico City. “I like it down here,” he told Eddie Sefko of the Dallas News. “I would love a team down here.[…] It’s not all that far compared to Portland or Boston.”
And-Ones: PEDs, Cavs, Hawks, D-League, Cuban
Appearing in London this week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked to respond to comments former NBA head coach George Karl made in his book about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the NBA. Although Karl put forth no proof that PED use is common in the NBA, he wrote that “it’s obvious some of our players are doping.” Silver acknowledged that the league will treat any allegations seriously, but responded to Karl’s comments with some skepticism (link via USA Today).
“I’ll just say our testing is state of the art,” Silver said. “I have no reason to believe whatsoever that we have an issue, either as the result of testing or as the result of other information that comes to the league office. … I’d say that in most sports where there are issues, even when players do not test positive, usually there is some chatter that there is something going on. Other than what George Karl wrote in his book, there is no chatter whatsoever in the league.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- The Cavaliers are sending $750K in cash to the Hawks as part of the Kyle Korver trade, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. As our Salary Cap Snapshot for the Cavs shows, the team has now sent out cash in three separate trades during the 2016/17 league year. Cleveland is eligible to send out another $750K.
- The full details of the two-way NBA/D-League contracts introduced by the new Collective Bargaining Agreement aren’t yet known. However, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter link) hears from a source that those two-way deals are expected to worth up to approximately $275K in 2017/18.
- The National Basketball Referees Association is “aggressively asserting” that the NBA is turning a blind eye on misconduct by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. According to the referees’ union, the league has cowed to Cuban, allowing him to pursue a competitive advantage for his club “via threats and intimidation” and to wield “inappropriate influence” over referee employment decisions. Wojnarowski passes along several comments from the NBRA and from Cuban himself, and also provides several memos and other correspondence between the league and its referees’ union.
And-Ones: Jackson, Griffin, Bogut
Phil Jackson announced via Twitter that he and Lakers team president Jeanie Buss have decided to end their engagement, explaining how the distance between the two has made sustaining a relationship a difficult feat. Jackson is under contract with the Knicks for two more seasons after this one, but his contract contains a mutual option that would allow either side to opt out this upcoming summer. Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post speculates that the decision to part ways with Buss could mean that Jackson is planning on staying on as New York’s team president. The Zen Master will make $12MM if he returns to the Knicks next season.
Here’s more from around the league:
- When Jackson took the Knicks‘ job, the league made Jackson and Buss sign documents to ensure there would be no conflicts of interest between the two clubs, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com reports. Sources tell Shelburne that the documents included a provision that the duo inform the NBA and its owner should they ever decided to marry.
- Jackson had long been rumored to be a candidate for a role in the Lakers’ front office should Buss decide to make changes, though with the news of their break-up, it appears that door has closed, Bill Oram of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. Oram speculates that Jerry West return to the organization in some capacity should the team make organizational changes.
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer details how the Clippers are finding success without Blake Griffin in the lineup and the scribe wonders if the team should trade the oft-injured power forward. O’Connor notes that Griffin’s contract, which expires after this season, could dissuade rival teams from giving up valuable assets for the him, as he could simply walk in free agency.
- Despite owner Mark Cuban‘s declaration that the team isn’t interested in tanking, the Mavericks would be wise to trade Andrew Bogut with the future in mind, O’Connor argues in the same piece. O’Connor lists several teams, including the Blazers and the Celtics, that could use the big man’s defense.
And-Ones: Kenyon Martin, Will Bynum, 2017 NBA Draft
There have been plenty of headlines about George Karl‘s pending book release, but lost in the Carmelo Anthony barbs that have been heavily discussed in the media of late is the seemingly reignited feud between the ex-Nuggets head coach and his former power forward Kenyon Martin.
Marc Spears of The Undefeated explored the intricacies of the hostile relationship between Karl and Martin.
- Will Bynum has signed a D-League contract with the Windy City Bulls, the 33-year-old last suited it up in the NBA for the Wizards back in April 2015. In 2006, prior to his six-year stint with the Pistons, Bynum won the D-League Rookie of the Year Award.
- Justin Dentmon has signed a contract with the Shandong Bulls. The 31-year-old point guard has served brief stints with the Spurs, Raptors and Mavericks.
- Dallas Morning News beat writer Eddie Sefko explores the various ways the Mavericks could go about acquiring a superstar – and just how badly Mark Cuban wants to get one.
- There could be as many as 10-15 All-Stars in this summer’s draft class, writes Chad Ford for ESPN Insider (subscription required). The group is headlined by Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball.
Mavericks Notes: Curry, Nowitzki, Bogut, Cuban
Injuries to Dirk Nowitzki and Andrew Bogut have depleted the Mavericks’ front line, but at least their backcourt is getting healthy, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Seth Curry returned to the lineup and played 25 minutes Friday night. Deron Williams no longer has a minutes restriction, while Devin Harris is playing, although he is still limited to 20 minutes per game. “I was a little careful with [Curry] with the minutes in his first game back,” said coach Rick Carlisle. “I thought considering he’d been out nine days, he did fine. Having that extra guy at the guard position really alleviates a minutes crunch. And it helps Devin’s situation, too.”
There’s more news out of Dallas:
Mavericks Notes: Acy, Gibson, Nowitzki, Barnes
The Mavericks’ release of Quincy Acy may not be permanent, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas waived the well-traveled forward on Friday after injuries left the team with a depleted backcourt. A roster spot was needed to bring back guard Jonathan Gibson, and Acy, who had appeared in just six games and was averaging 8.0 minutes per night, was let go. “We tried to get a medical exception, but we didn’t have enough guys injured,” said owner Mark Cuban. “He [Acy] is the best. I told him I’ve paid guys twice and three times in a season before, so be ready. I was heartbroken. We needed point guards. It was just a numbers game.”
There’s more this morning out of Dallas:
- Gibson’s 26-point performance Saturday night was the most by an undrafted player in his first or second NBA game in 24 years, posts Tim MacMahon on ESPN Now. Gibson, 29, had been playing overseas since being going undrafted in 2010.
- Cuban believesHarrison Barnes is poised to take over as the face of the franchise once Dirk Nowitzki retires, writes Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Nowitzki, 38, has been limited by Achilles soreness and has gotten into just three games this season. He signed a new deal over the summer paying him $50MM for two years. Barnes, who received more than $94MM over four seasons, has become the team’s leading scorer in his absence. “That happens to every franchise,” Cuban said. “Father Time is undefeated and we’ll have to deal with it. I think Harrison [Barnes] is showing a lot of signs that he can be that person. Not to try to put too much pressure on him, but it’s a job he wants and he’s willing to work for it. Hopefully, we’ll be able to add other pieces that are on the same plain.”
- The team has no plans to shut down Nowitzki for an extended period because of the injury, Sefko writes in a separate piece. “We’re just playing it safe with Dirk,” Cuban said. “With so many guys out, there’s no reason to rush him back. The old, ‘If this was a playoff game, he’d be playing.’ But when you’re missing three of your other top six or seven, that puts too much pressure on him.”
- With the Mavericks looking like a lottery team after a league-worst 2-10 start, Adam Grosbard of The Dallas Morning News examines some of the players expected to go early in the 2017 draft.