The Official NBA Season Thread: NBA Cup Night

[ballinsam23]

Add the Knicks to the no excuse list. MVP Brunson. It’s only right.

Let’s get it.

 

[getback]

 

[nick.]

Hold on, team led by Luka Doncic & Kyrie Irving has zero expectations? None?

How's that work?

 

[lawdog1]

I’d like to shoot around with her, stroke-for-stroke.

Spoiler

Heeeeyyyyyoooooo

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Is Cuban the worst owner in the league when Luka walks?

 

[MIKE LOWERY]

Hold on, team led by Luka Doncic & Kyrie Irving has zero expectations? None?

How's that work?

"Leaders"?

Spoiler

 

[N41D]

Hold on, team led by Luka Doncic & Kyrie Irving has zero expectations? None?

How's that work?

They just electively whiffed the play-in and yall been saying for years the roster sucked.

Why should I have expectations moving into this season? Wasn't ever gonna be a one-year turnaround.

That doesn't mean Cuban ain't on the hook for some bad decisions and holding onto Donnie Nelson til this thing was cooked.. Also doesn't mean Luka deserves a pass for some of his shortcomings being a holdup on potential progress. Only expectation for Kyrie is some fun hoops when he's on the court and some inevitable goofiness.

But I got no expectations of anything on the court til they can prove it.

They're about to heavy-rotation minute 6 or 7 guys under 25. Nobody wins that way.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Mavs should make the playoffs. They really should

They should at least expect to make the second round if they don’t face off with Denver or Phoenix

 

[pmatic]

Mavs should make the playoffs. They really should

They should at least expect to make the second round if they don’t face off with Denver or Phoenix

Wut. They might have the weakest 3-10 in the west among the playoff contenders and one of the weakest coaches. IDK.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Luka/kyrie not better than Kd/kyrie? No excuse not to make the offs

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Wut. They might have the weakest 3-10 in the west among the playoff contenders and one of the weakest coaches. IDK.

If they can’t make the playoffs with two all stars (arguably two all nbaers) that’s an indictment

But cool, now everyone wants to say the roster sucks and the coach sucks

Cool

 

[B Sox]

Mavs should make the playoffs. They really should

They should at least expect to make the second round if they don’t face off with Denver or Phoenix

I think they could absolutely be in like the 5-6 range if things went right.

They definitely aren’t better than the Lakers, in addition to the teams you named. Probably another team or two as well.

 

[N41D]

Luka/kyrie not better than Kd/kyrie? No excuse not to make the offs

This is some straight up simpleton nonsense... Is it better than KD/Kyrie that also had Harden? Man, come on

They're a play-in team, as is, I think - They gotta have more than a few things break right to be in the Top 6.

Kyrie or Luka misses any real time, they're lottery bound.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

I think they could absolutely be in like the 5-6 range if things went right.

They definitely aren’t better than the Lakers, in addition to the teams you named. Probably another team or two as well.

Right

I agree with you, they should be able to compete any of the west teams outside of Denver and Phoenix

They’re not more talented but they have two supposed elite players who can create off the dribble and pass

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

I’ve been saying luka has had no help since brunson days and now after they get Kyrie everyone want to agree all of a sudden

Smh

 

[B Sox]

Other teams loaded up, and the Mavs went backwards an asset when Brunson left for nothing.

 

[tay1]

 

[pmatic]

If they can’t make the playoffs with two all stars (arguably two all nbaers) that’s an indictment

But cool, now everyone wants to say the roster sucks and the coach sucks

Cool

Don't think you can get away with just having two top 15 talents anymore. Talent is so spread out now.

And the previous Mavs teams had an identity and weren't banking on 19-22 yr olds like this season's Mavs appears to be.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

This is some straight up simpleton nonsense... Is it better than KD/Kyrie that also had Harden? Man, come on

They're a play-in team, as is, I think - They gotta have more than a few things break right to be in the Top 6.

Kyrie or Luka misses any real time, they're lottery bound.

I didn't say anything about Harden. He wasn't with them the whole time. They're both top 10 guards at worst. Don't know any other duo like that with no expectations

 

[waukeganwill]

The reigning champs and the entire pacific division should all make the offs out west.

That leaves 2 spots left. Im hard pressed to think dallas can lock in one of those 2 spots. If health can stay on the pelicans side they should get in (big if).

Ja missin hella games but the grizz have shown they can stay afloat without him during the season. Can dallas be better than okc, Memphis, or Minnesota? Idk man…

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Don't think you can get away with just having two top 15 talents anymore. Talent is so spread out now.

And the previous Mavs teams had an identity and weren't banking on 19-22 yr olds like this season's teams appear to be.

They have Holmes, maxi, Powell, hardaway, green, curry and Williams

They don’t need to depend on those kids at all

They shouldn’t have drafted a center if they were going to depend on him to start. As I said at draft time

When one of those top 15 is like arguably a top 3 or better- I’d say that should be enough

 

[tay1]

How many games until we see another "Luka's not having fun" storyline?

 

[toneboi76]

Mavs been depending on dudes like Maxi Klieber, Dwight Powell and Reggie Bullock for years. Yuck. They should be fighting with Memphis for 7-8 this year IMO.

 

[N41D]

I didn't say anything about Harden. He wasn't with them the whole time. They're both top 10 guards at worst. Don't know any other duo like that with no expectations

They got two elite guards that don't defend, a rookie center, and one real wing defender on the roster.

Out of their 4 best defenders, two are rookies, one plays the same position as the two stars, and the other is Grant Williams. Prime Maxi was a damn near elite role player defender - but they burnt that man's legs out over a few years of chasing around Kawhi and other wings cuz they had no other options.

That thing ain't built for success this year.

For my money, they're pretty firmly in a tier with OKC, Minnesota, New Orleans and (IMO) Sacramento in whatever order you wanna parse them out.

 

[N41D]

How many games until we see another "Luka's not having fun" storyline?

Go listen to those goobers on Hoop Collective. They're already starting.

The Mavs axed damn near every Luka enabler in the org this offseason.