Mavs Fire Nico

[greg683x]

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison placed Jrue Holiday in the same talent tier as Nikola Jokic in an internal evaluation document, according to a team source.

The unconventional assessment of a multi-time MVP compared to one of the NBA's better two-way players exemplifies broader concerns about Harrison's front office capabilities that have persisted throughout his tenure with the Mavericks until his dismissal on Tuesday nine months after trading Luka Doncic.

So Nico doesn?t think much of Euros.  Either that or he?s just completely off the reservation.

I can respect prioritizing defense but that?s just wild

[Kernewek]

The simplest explanation, which was put forward by many of us at the time of the trade, is that the guy is an idiot.

Nothing that has transpired over the last nine months seems to challenge that assessment.

[ozgod]

The simplest explanation, which was put forward by many of us at the time of the trade, is that the guy is an idiot.

Nothing that has transpired over the last nine months seems to challenge that assessment.

Says a lot about the folk/s who put him in such an important position, doesn't it.

[Neurotic Guy]

And of course the biggest (by a landslide) beneficiary of this GMs stupidity is LAL.   Btw, I don?t buy at all that the league conspired to get Dallas the number 1 pick - that was pure luck.  The blatant ignorance of that trade is something that will eat at me for many years. The Lakers will contend now for the foreseeable future - will easily land a 2nd superstar when LBJ is done. 

[michigan adam]

I think Luka is a better player than jrue, but it is close.  Luka is way overrated as a player as he plays no defense. None. If he costs his team as many points as he creates how can he be a top 5 player. The current popularity of players is solely offense driven. It is a mistake. Players like Luka and kyrie are rarely champions despite being top or near to the top offensive players. Defense matters alot, it is just not flashy. I value 2 things most in a player. Availability, and balance between offense and defense. Now any player can get injured occadionally(jt).  When it is more often than not( embiid, davis) how valuable are they as players? 

[Moranis]

I think Luka is a better player than jrue, but it is close.  Luka is way overrated as a player as he plays no defense. None. If he costs his team as many points as he creates how can he be a top 5 player. The current popularity of players is solely offense driven. It is a mistake. Players like Luka and kyrie are rarely champions despite being top or near to the top offensive players. Defense matters alot, it is just not flashy. I value 2 things most in a player. Availability, and balance between offense and defense. Now any player can get injured occadionally(jt).  When it is more often than not( embiid, davis) how valuable are they as players?

because your assessment is wrong. Luka doesn't cost the team as many points as he creates. He generates significantly more points than he gives up. Not even close. Whatever metric you want to use supports that. 

[Goldstar88]

And of course the biggest (by a landslide) beneficiary of this GMs stupidity is LAL.   Btw, I don?t buy at all that the league conspired to get Dallas the number 1 pick - that was pure luck.  The blatant ignorance of that trade is something that will eat at me for many years. The Lakers will contend now for the foreseeable future - will easily land a 2nd superstar when LBJ is done.

So arguably the worst trade in league history. Lakers get a top 5 player which will keep them relevant for the next 8-10 years. Huge for league revenue.  Dallas had a 1% chance of getting the #1 pick and they miraculously get it. All a big coincidence? I doubt it.

[Kernewek]

The simplest explanation, which was put forward by many of us at the time of the trade, is that the guy is an idiot.

Nothing that has transpired over the last nine months seems to challenge that assessment.

Says a lot about the folk/s who put him in such an important position, doesn't it.

I think his tenure as a GM is about as perfect an example of the Peter Principle as you can find - but anyone who has spent a significant amount of time inside-or-around large businesses like Nike can testify to the fact that climbing within the organisation is a special type of competence entirely untethered to intelligence.

For ex, I know a head of brand for a not-quite-Nike sized corp who can barely string two sentences together in an email; he comes across very well when he speaks in public, he's a connections fiend, and he doesn't get rattled, but - in some very important ways - he's clearly a Harrison-style idiot.

[Moranis]

I still for the life of me haven't figured out how the Mavs didn't get every available Laker 1st in that trade. Had they done that it would have still been a bad trade, but not a totally indefensible one.  It still just astonishes me. 

[Neurotic Guy]

And of course the biggest (by a landslide) beneficiary of this GMs stupidity is LAL.   Btw, I don?t buy at all that the league conspired to get Dallas the number 1 pick - that was pure luck.  The blatant ignorance of that trade is something that will eat at me for many years. The Lakers will contend now for the foreseeable future - will easily land a 2nd superstar when LBJ is done.

So arguably the worst trade in league history. Lakers get a top 5 player which will keep them relevant for the next 8-10 years. Huge for league revenue.  Dallas had a 1% chance of getting the #1 pick and they miraculously get it. All a big coincidence? I doubt it.

The proof of conspiracy is often only the unlikelihood of coincidence. While that raises eyebrows and questions, it is not proof.  To me, it would be a huge deal if there was an actual conspiracy to get Luka to LA and to compensate the team that made it happen.  Huge as in FBI investigations or congressional hearings. NBA is big business and has to be held accountable if it is manipulating outcomes.  This imo would be far worse than the betting scandals. 

[Donoghus]

I know the hot speculation/conspiracy is that Nico will simply land on his feet with the Lakers but I do wonder if Luka would want that guy anywhere near him after everything that went down.

[Kernewek]

The proof of conspiracy is often only the unlikelihood of coincidence.

Not related to the thread, but this is beautifully put, NG.


To the above discussion re: Harrison's relative smarts, here's an article from a former Mav's employee, Jeremias Engelmann, probably most famous in nerd circles for inventing Real Plus Minus:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-178616086

The day after the Mavericks lost their final game to the Golden state Warriors in the 2022 Western Conference Finals, I met with Nico to formally quit my position with the Mavericks, and to have an exit interview.

There, I warned Nico about some of the developments I had witnessed during his first year in office: In particular, that he did not have a good grasp of who he should trust and who, among those under him, were simply kissing ass.

Nico had drowned out many of the voices who could provide perspective, including those of the department where I was an analyst. Instead of being willing to hear critical input, Nico had empowered people who had little basketball knowledge ? and these tended to be people, such as attorneys, who had worked their way up the ladder thanks to Nico himself.

[Goldstar88]

And of course the biggest (by a landslide) beneficiary of this GMs stupidity is LAL.   Btw, I don?t buy at all that the league conspired to get Dallas the number 1 pick - that was pure luck.  The blatant ignorance of that trade is something that will eat at me for many years. The Lakers will contend now for the foreseeable future - will easily land a 2nd superstar when LBJ is done.

So arguably the worst trade in league history. Lakers get a top 5 player which will keep them relevant for the next 8-10 years. Huge for league revenue.  Dallas had a 1% chance of getting the #1 pick and they miraculously get it. All a big coincidence? I doubt it.

The proof of conspiracy is often only the unlikelihood of coincidence. While that raises eyebrows and questions, it is not proof.  To me, it would be a huge deal if there was an actual conspiracy to get Luka to LA and to compensate the team that made it happen.  Huge as in FBI investigations or congressional hearings. NBA is big business and has to be held accountable if it is manipulating outcomes.  This imo would be far worse than the betting scandals.

I?m not saying it?s proof. Just seems like it?s way too convenient. The whole thing stinks.

We also have no proof that the league slants games to extend series or that officials call a game a certain way so that a star player or a big market team advances in the playoffs. Sure seems like they do it, though.