The official 2015-2016 Dallas Mavericks season watch thread

[SCeltic34]

Am I the only one that wants Dallas in the 8 spot?  We'd be guaranteed 15th/16th rather than if they missed the playoffs and had a chance (however minuscule) of jumping into the top 3 and costing us that pick this year.

Probably, because if it does so happen that they miss the playoffs and the pick lands in the top 3, the 1st rounder carries on into next year, where it's top 7 protected again.

I want Dallas' pick to be as good as possible.  I want Utah to push them out of the playoffs.

[SCeltic34]

There's also no guarantee that the Mavs will be better next year.  Lots of question marks about their future.  We'd additionally get to root against them for another year with a new season watch thread.

[moiso]

There's also no guarantee that the Mavs will be better next year.  Lots of question marks about their future.  We'd additionally get to root against them for another year with a new season watch thread.

Yeah, and despite being a supposed great destination for players they never seem to get who they want in free agency.  It seems like every year a big name player disappoints them.

[RockinRyA]

Is it worth it to move up from 15 to 12 and then have a 2.5% chance of losing out on the pick if the Mavs strike lotto gold?  I'm not sure I know the answer to that question myself.  If they get 15, at least there won't be added stress on lotto night.

I definitely think it's worth it.

Easily worth it, it's not as if we will lose the pick, it will just be a dream deferred. Give us the best possible pick Mavs! How long does Dirk's career last after this season? Mavs will probably be in this area next season too if he doesn't retire. I'd chance it for 12th even if it means next seasons pick will be 18th or so if it rolls. The pick is gravy on Jae, I want to play dice with 12! Yes, I know if Mavs jump up it could mean we/bkn jump back but I'm not worried, what will be will be! I'll be happy with 15 too because that's what I think it will be, Utah fell off too much after ASB.

I worry about Dallas getting better next year as they are always an attractive FA destination due to no state income taxes and first rate facilities - Cuban treats the players like kings. I'd like to get the pick this year.

Read that ESPN article.  Cuban bashes building through the draft when his whole franchise (Dirk) was built through the draft.  FAs are rarely the answer.

I dunno about that, that Dallas champion team was full of FA acquisitions. Only Dirk and Barea were drafted by dallas in their championship rotation. All their other key pieces (chandler, marion, kidd, JET, stevenson) came from trades or FAs.

READ the article where Cuban himself talks about the struggle of "building" through FA.

You cannot rely on it, plain and simple.

Still, Dirk was the biggest single reason they were dominant and won a championship. The Cuban argument still has that contradiction.

You cannot "BUILD" using a solitary thing. When you build you need pieces. Dirk was the foundation that they built their team around, but the building process was mostly made through transactions. You really think Dirk alone was enough for them to win a championship? Dirk without Jet, Chandler and Marion couldnt.

[MattyIce]

great win by suns!  now on to utah up on cavs

[rondofan1255]

Utah won! Hope Hayward comes back healthy soon.

[Neurotic Guy]

Only hope is that Utah without Hayward gets one of those strange emotional lifts taking on the King at home -- and maybe Cleveland takes it more for granted than they should...

I'll quote myself on a good call.

A bad night for the Dallas pick saved in Utah.

[jmen788]

Great win by the Jazz, but the Mavs win likely stopped a possible complete and utter implosion on their part.

I agree with folks wanting the Mavs to finish 8th to 10th worst - gotta play (and like) the odds that they won't jump into the lottery. Plus it's unlikely that pick would ever get better than 8th to 12th in the future.

We need the Mavs to finish a few games under 500 for it to possibly be a top 10 pick, so them losing both GSW games and at best splitting with Portland is what we need. A part of me thinks the Blazers may crumble and lose both of those games, but I sure hope not...

[chambers]

Only hope is that Utah without Hayward gets one of those strange emotional lifts taking on the King at home -- and maybe Cleveland takes it more for granted than they should...

I'll quote myself on a good call.

A bad night for the Dallas pick saved in Utah.

Good call Nostradamas guy,
 TP

[chilidawg]

Great win by the Jazz, but the Mavs win likely stopped a possible complete and utter implosion on their part.

I agree with folks wanting the Mavs to finish 8th to 10th worst - gotta play (and like) the odds that they won't jump into the lottery. Plus it's unlikely that pick would ever get better than 8th to 12th in the future.

We need the Mavs to finish a few games under 500 for it to possibly be a top 10 pick, so them losing both GSW games and at best splitting with Portland is what we need. A part of me thinks the Blazers may crumble and lose both of those games, but I sure hope not...

Mavs currently tied with Houston Chicago at the 15/16/17 slot.  538's projection has them ending up lower though, with only a 39% chance of making the playoffs.  12 slot is a reasonable best outcome.  Hard to see them ending up behind the Bucks or Magic, which is what it would take to get lower than 12.

[Evantime34]

Great win by the Jazz, but the Mavs win likely stopped a possible complete and utter implosion on their part.

I agree with folks wanting the Mavs to finish 8th to 10th worst - gotta play (and like) the odds that they won't jump into the lottery. Plus it's unlikely that pick would ever get better than 8th to 12th in the future.

We need the Mavs to finish a few games under 500 for it to possibly be a top 10 pick, so them losing both GSW games and at best splitting with Portland is what we need. A part of me thinks the Blazers may crumble and lose both of those games, but I sure hope not...

Mavs currently tied with Houston Chicago at the 15/16/17 slot.  538's projection has them ending up lower though, with only a 39% chance of making the playoffs.  12 slot is a reasonable best outcome.  Hard to see them ending up behind the Bucks or Magic, which is what it would take to get lower than 12.

I hadn't even considered the possibility that they could slide all the way to 12. I really expect them to beat out the Jazz and end up as the 8th seed.

Two lottery picks was what I hoped for to end the season, but with how the Mavs started I thought there was no way. If we get 12 I think it would be pretty easy to package later picks with 12 to get into the top 10.

[slamtheking]

Great win by the Jazz, but the Mavs win likely stopped a possible complete and utter implosion on their part.

I agree with folks wanting the Mavs to finish 8th to 10th worst - gotta play (and like) the odds that they won't jump into the lottery. Plus it's unlikely that pick would ever get better than 8th to 12th in the future.

We need the Mavs to finish a few games under 500 for it to possibly be a top 10 pick, so them losing both GSW games and at best splitting with Portland is what we need. A part of me thinks the Blazers may crumble and lose both of those games, but I sure hope not...

Mavs currently tied with Houston Chicago at the 15/16/17 slot.  538's projection has them ending up lower though, with only a 39% chance of making the playoffs.  12 slot is a reasonable best outcome.  Hard to see them ending up behind the Bucks or Magic, which is what it would take to get lower than 12.

I hadn't even considered the possibility that they could slide all the way to 12. I really expect them to beat out the Jazz and end up as the 8th seed.

Two lottery picks was what I hoped for to end the season, but with how the Mavs started I thought there was no way. If we get 12 I think it would be pretty easy to package later picks with 12 to get into the top 10.

the question would be, Why?  outside of the top 2, is there really anyone worth trading up for in this draft? 
I'm not against consolidation or draft/stash or trading current for future picks or selling off the picks but to combine picks to move up just a few spots raises the question who's worth moving up just a few slots for?   

[Evantime34]

Great win by the Jazz, but the Mavs win likely stopped a possible complete and utter implosion on their part.

I agree with folks wanting the Mavs to finish 8th to 10th worst - gotta play (and like) the odds that they won't jump into the lottery. Plus it's unlikely that pick would ever get better than 8th to 12th in the future.

We need the Mavs to finish a few games under 500 for it to possibly be a top 10 pick, so them losing both GSW games and at best splitting with Portland is what we need. A part of me thinks the Blazers may crumble and lose both of those games, but I sure hope not...

Mavs currently tied with Houston Chicago at the 15/16/17 slot.  538's projection has them ending up lower though, with only a 39% chance of making the playoffs.  12 slot is a reasonable best outcome.  Hard to see them ending up behind the Bucks or Magic, which is what it would take to get lower than 12.

I hadn't even considered the possibility that they could slide all the way to 12. I really expect them to beat out the Jazz and end up as the 8th seed.

Two lottery picks was what I hoped for to end the season, but with how the Mavs started I thought there was no way. If we get 12 I think it would be pretty easy to package later picks with 12 to get into the top 10.

the question would be, Why?  outside of the top 2, is there really anyone worth trading up for in this draft? 
I'm not against consolidation or draft/stash or trading current for future picks or selling off the picks but to combine picks to move up just a few spots raises the question who's worth moving up just a few slots for?

I think there are absolutely people worth trading for in the back end of the top 10. Using the Draft Express rankings as an example Poeltl, Murray and Hield could be had if we trade up to the 8-10 range.

This team lacks quality 3 point shooters, Hield/Murray both help with that issue. This team lacks a true center to defend quality NBA 5's, Poeltl solves that problem.

[slamtheking]

Great win by the Jazz, but the Mavs win likely stopped a possible complete and utter implosion on their part.

I agree with folks wanting the Mavs to finish 8th to 10th worst - gotta play (and like) the odds that they won't jump into the lottery. Plus it's unlikely that pick would ever get better than 8th to 12th in the future.

We need the Mavs to finish a few games under 500 for it to possibly be a top 10 pick, so them losing both GSW games and at best splitting with Portland is what we need. A part of me thinks the Blazers may crumble and lose both of those games, but I sure hope not...

Mavs currently tied with Houston Chicago at the 15/16/17 slot.  538's projection has them ending up lower though, with only a 39% chance of making the playoffs.  12 slot is a reasonable best outcome.  Hard to see them ending up behind the Bucks or Magic, which is what it would take to get lower than 12.

I hadn't even considered the possibility that they could slide all the way to 12. I really expect them to beat out the Jazz and end up as the 8th seed.

Two lottery picks was what I hoped for to end the season, but with how the Mavs started I thought there was no way. If we get 12 I think it would be pretty easy to package later picks with 12 to get into the top 10.

the question would be, Why?  outside of the top 2, is there really anyone worth trading up for in this draft? 
I'm not against consolidation or draft/stash or trading current for future picks or selling off the picks but to combine picks to move up just a few spots raises the question who's worth moving up just a few slots for?

I think there are absolutely people worth trading for in the back end of the top 10. Using the Draft Express rankings as an example Poeltl, Murray and Hield could be had if we trade up to the 8-10 range.

This team lacks quality 3 point shooters, Hield/Murray both help with that issue. This team lacks a true center to defend quality NBA 5's, Poeltl solves that problem.

I don't disagree those are player types we could use but is there that much separation in talent from 8-10 and 12-14?  I'm not so sure.  I don't see anyone as the level of player who'll be able to step in next year and make an immediate (noticeable) contribution. 
I wouldn't be upset if Danny did make a move up to get one of those 3 while using the Brooklyn pick on one of the top players but I do wonder if that player ends up better than someone that's available without having to trade up.

[Ed Hollison]

I just realized the Mavs and Jazz play eachother on April 11th. That game could potentially be huge. 538 has them both projected to win 40 games, and that would be the 3rd time and last time the teams meet, and thus potentially the tiebreaker for the playoffs.