At the time the Mavs' traded Doncic for AD, I didn't think it was that much of a big deal. My arugment was that Dallas was not going ot win a championship with Luka, and it wasn't necessarily the fault of Doncic nor that of the team's braintrust. They put a quality squad around him that more or less complemented his strengths. The biggest concern, imo, was Luka's durability in terms of venturing deep into the playoffs, like he could get you to the big dance but then prove unable to deliver the ring.
But since then, I've come to a couple of conclusions, respectively by observing the Mavs and the Lakers. One is, better to be a contender that never wins a championship than to be garbage. And second, players can in fact workout and get stronger type shit. Luka went from being your quintessential European girlie-man to now looking like he can last at least a good 4 out of 6 games(?). Furthermore, he seems to be expeditiously supplanting Lebron's stature as the face of the Lakers.
For the first time in years, LAL seems to have an identity, almost like Lakers' pride is back. Fans expect them to win just because they're the Lakers, and by golly, they're going to try their best to deliver.
Human beings, we're some funny creatures. It's now obvious Luka actually needed to get out of Dallas, for his own good type shit. He needed a bigger challenge, if you will. But Doncic never asked for a trade or tried to get out himself, rather being forced away all of a sudden, even his own surprise.
The Mavericks are easily the most disappointing team in the league, soemthing which I'll admit I wasn't expecting. When they won the no.1 pick, I was like 'the draft is rigged'. But now, you know, let's give Silver and co. some credit. Maybe they were able to perceive that, oh shit, despite having three future hall-of-famers plus a slew of quality role players, these guys really do suck.
I've been on Jason Kidd's ass for awhile, but it was utlimately Nico Harrison who took the bullet. Probably that's for the best, because the type of loons floating around these days, some jackass may be able to rationalize literally shooting him for being the main figure behind making the team suck.
And yes, dear reader, the Mavericks do in fact suck. Luka is gone, and there's no use crying over spilt milk. This team has enough quality pieces to at least, you know I'm saying, win sometimes type shit. So yeah, my prediction is that the sacking of Harrison is just the inevtiable lead up to Jason also getting the boot. Like Kidd is too popular or whatever for them to sack first, especially after losing Luka.
You've been dealt a weaker hand by the executive, but as a coach you have to make best with what you have. Forcing a traditionally-statured, newbie whiteboy to run-and-gun with a bunch of (average) Black players is not trying your best. That's a strategy that literally even a 12-year-old can come up with.
CONCLUSION
What we should also be looking forward to is LBJ evenutally coming back and totally fuckin up the chemistry this new iteration of LAL has built. I'm sure that I'll be writing one of those 'Los Angeles-would-be-better-if-Lebron-relegated-himself-to the-4' articles soon. But in the meatime yes, watching Luka drop 40 at will, spearheading a questionable roster to regular victories in the West even, while the Mavs went from making the Finals one season, getting the no.1 pick the next and now utterly sucking, you have to feel sorry for Dallas fans. I'm just now feeling for them, even tho they got sh*t on a whole like six months ago, and by the looks of things the pain is not going to go away anytime soon. Cooper may be a generational talent as far as American Whites go, but he obviulsy isn't a Luka.
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