_By Kevin Sherrington, The Dallas Morning News (TNS)_
DALLAS — Sarcasm doesn’t always translate well in print, so when a reader responded to my column about Nico Harrison’s undeserved good fortune by saying the Mavericks wouldn’t have ended up with Anthony Davis and the No. 1 pick without the fine work of their beleaguered general manager, I wasn’t sure if it was meant as a delicious slice of irony or the world’s biggest backhanded compliment.
Maybe he gave it away with “Hey, idiot.”
For the record, the reader has a point. Even if neither he nor Nico should get any credit for it. The crazy thing is, when Kyrie Irving comes back next year, the Mavs may be more talented than they’ve ever been.
Even without the services of Luka Doncic.
Never thought I’d type that.
Before your systolic number races like a Lamborghini, let me assure you this is in no way a make-up call for Nico. He’s not out of jail. The trade, on its own, remains the worst ever in Dallas sports and a contender in league history. Nothing locally is likely to surpass it, though we shouldn’t assume Nico won’t give it the old college try.
Nevertheless, one of the complaints about trading Luka — once you get past the psychological damage done to the fan base — was that, if he was so all-fire determined to get rid of the face of the franchise, why not get more in return?
Let me ask: Does Anthony Davis, Max Christie, a first-round pick and Cooper Flagg make you feel any better?
Look, you don’t have to give the former sneaker salesman any credit for the shoe that finally dropped, because he didn’t earn it. Flagg was a happy accident. Nico was Jed Clampett shooting at dinner and striking a fortune in oil instead.
After a blockbuster trade involving Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis is set to make his Dallas Mavericks debut today against the Houston Rockets. Find out how to watch this game for free. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)AP
The sequence of events would have been comical if not for the psychic injury. If Nico hadn’t traded Luka, chances are they wouldn’t have finished in the lottery. On Feb. 1, the day the deal was made, the Mavs were 26-23 and in eighth place. They went 14-19 without Luka, barely sneaking into a play-in game. Had Luka remained, he’d have picked up the scoring lost by Kyrie Irving’s season-ending injury and the team probably would have finished in the top eight.
Nico had no intention of tanking the Mavs with the trade and taking a shot at the top pick, if that’s what you were thinking. He thought they’d be better. He’s in win-now mode. He kept parroting that and “defense wins championships” because he didn’t want to say Luka was out of shape and endlessly hurt as a result. He also has an abiding affection for players he’s long known, such as Kyrie and Anthony Davis, which affects his critical thinking. He’s what I’d call a “true believer,” a dangerous thing outside a place of worship. He believes what he believes even if the facts may suggest otherwise.
Davis unquestionably made the Mavs better offensively and defensively upfront, but was it worth the price of Luka? No. Not in the short or long term.
But does Flagg added to a front line of Davis and Dereck Lively II tilt the lineup in favor of the future?
Consider the big picture: Flagg gives the Mavs the third star they’ve never had, one who’ll play defense on any player and won’t have to score more than 15, 16 points a game to make an impact, at least initially. A star whose motor never stops. A star they got on the cheap.
A star almost eight years younger even than Luka.
Will he be as good, as indefinable, as beloved as Luka? Too soon to say. But our Brad Townsend thinks he might be the best two-way talent to come out of the draft since LeBron James. Better even than Victor Wembanyama if the latter can’t remain upright.
Biggest question now, I suppose, is if Nico will actually draft Flagg. Some NBA analysts think he should use the pick to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo. An all-time great, no question, and the Mavs might have the resources to pull it off.
But, in doing so, Nico would be repeating the monumental mistake he made in February when he swapped a dynamic young talent for a center on the wrong side of 30.
Surely he wouldn’t do that twice, would he?
Luka Doncic , LeBron James and the Lakers take on the Rockets on NBA TV on Friday night. (AP Photo/LM Otero)AP
Before closing, here’s a shout-out to all the conspiracy mongers out there behind the grassy knoll: The fix isn’t in. Even if the Mavs only had a 1.8% chance at the first pick, you’ve got to admit, they were overdue some luck, no? Never improved themselves in the lottery. Not even once. Meanwhile, the Spurs, who finished second, have been the luckiest team in the history of the lottery, improving their position in the draft more times than any other team since 1985.
If the NBA really dictates outcomes, why would the suits care more about San Antonio than any other franchise? No market is more important than New York. If the league really has its thumb on the scale, why didn’t it fix the Knicks 20 years ago instead of waiting for Mark Cuban to do it?
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