Dallas Mavericks: Is Giannis Antetokounmpo worth the gamble?
By Reid Hanson
The Dallas Mavericks are expected to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo when he becomes a free agent in 2021 – is it worth the gamble?
According to the Lowe podcast which featured Jared Dudley, NBA executives are fearful of a Luka Doncic – Giannis Antetokounmpo pairing in Dallas next summer. The young duo is seen as a potentially unstoppable force forming a “nightmare scenario” for the rest of the NBA. To Dallas Mavericks fans, the idea of this is nothing new and it’s been a fantasy in Mavs land for quite a while.
Keeping the powder dry for Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021 sounds like a good idea, but considering the Dallas Mavericks track record of failure in free agency, successfully signing him seems like a massive long-shot. Especially since roughly 2/3 of the league is expected to also make a play for the reigning league MVP.
What’s the upside?
The upside to this whole thing is fairly obvious. Giannis is named “the Greek Freak” for a reason. Guys his size aren’t supposed to move like him. It’s an instant mismatch in his favor. He’s not just the best player in the NBA, but he’s historically great.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.0 PPG, 13.5 RPG and 5.8 APG this season.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 22, 2020
His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is 32.3. That’s on track to be the highest PER in NBA history.
Watch him and the Bucks take on the 76ers at 8:30 ET on ABC. pic.twitter.com/T97wLcH237
Pairing him with Luka Doncic, who’s also historically great, would make Dallas the odds-on favorite for the length of their relationship – regardless of who else rounds out the lineup.
What’s the risk?
The risk the Dallas Mavericks face is what happens if they save up all their energy and resources to sign Giannis, and then strike out? Did they waste an opportunity to build a contender around Luka and Kristaps Porzingis? Is it foolish if they pass up realistic upgrades in order to go for the home run signing?
These are the questions they have and will continue to ask themselves.
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The answer is yes
The Greek Freak is most definitely worth it. Even if Dallas only has a 10-20% chance of signing him (which I believe to be the odds). That’s because the Mavs aren’t giving up on much in order to keep the powder dry. Summer of 2021 is loaded with talent. There will be plenty of consolation prizes.
Giannis will likely decide quite quickly. In fact, he probably has a pretty good idea today where his top-2 destinations are (I’m guessing stay in Milwaukee or move to L.A.). The Dallas Mavericks can move on to Plan B and C fairly quickly.
Additionally, not many desirable free agents are hitting the market this coming summer so it shouldn’t be hard for Mark Cuban and the Mavs to resist temptation. Not to mention Luka and KP are both still ascending players learning to play the game (and learning to play the game together). Exhibiting patience with them is a smart idea as well.
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It may seem premature, and even a little mistimed to discuss the courtship of Giannis Antetokounmpo but since the rest of the league is talking about a Giannis-Luka pairing, we might as well. Even if it’s a long-shot it’s a shot worth taking for the Dallas Mavericks.
- Published on 02/27/2020 at 13:30 PM
- Last updated at 02/27/2020 at 16:43 PM