#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

Welcome back to our annual preseason press conference. It's been an interesting offseason here in Dallas.

We had a mediocre season last year. This was a reflection on our organization's poor management. I take full responsibility.

We struggled early out of the gate to maintain a .500 record. Then GM Fearthebrow went awol and took off to Portugal and France the second half of the season, running a Pistons-like recommended game plan for way too long. This was a recipe for failure.

We went into the offseason looking to improve our roster and also build for the future. George Hill departed via free agency. We bid him farewell. He played hard for us, but we didn't think he was a great fit with the other scorers on our team.

We got lucky in the draft with the second round pick Charles Tardiff. The Louisiana native had a nice camp and looks promising.

We brought back Bradley Beal on a nice contract. He could be an MIP candidate this season as he takes on a leadership role. Keep an eye on him.

We signed Zach Randolph in free agency. He solidifies our post game and brings a veteran presence to the club. He's a true professional, always the first player in the gym. What a great leader.

We also signed Mario Chalmers. The long-time Mav is excited to be back, and we're thrilled to have him. He will play a large role and looks to complement LMA and Beal with his 3 point shooting and defense.

We're working hard here in Dallas to bring a consistent, winning culture back to our club. More transactions may happen this year, but for now we're ready to get on the court with this group and win.

Questions anyone?

Craig Biggio - Houston Chronicle: You mentioned your 2nd round pick Charles Tardiff. Where does he fit into your rotation? Also do you feel like Chalmers is the answer at the point or do you think you may have to move some future assets to find an upgrade?

78# wrote: Wed Aug 23, 2017 9:56 pm Craig Biggio - Houston Chronicle: You mentioned your 2nd round pick Charles Tardiff. Where does he fit into your rotation? Also do you feel like Chalmers is the answer at the point or do you think you may have to move some future assets to find an upgrade?

Tardiff will come off the bench and play 10-20 minutes per game. Our post is relatively strong, so he will need to earn it. But one injury could mean a prominent role for him.

Chalmers is a serviceable vet in our eyes. There is certainly room for improvement at that position, but we feel comfortable with Mario at the helm. We're not itching to make a move, but we won't hesitate to pull the trigger if we receive an offer that we like.

GWR: Talk a little bit more about Beal. Do you see him as the cornerstone of an upcoming rebuild?

JNR wrote: Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:21 pm GWR: Talk a little bit more about Beal. Do you see him as the cornerstone of an upcoming rebuild?

Beal...where do I begin? Obviously, his talent speaks for itself. We were thrilled that we acquired him when we did. Then he floored us when he accepted our reasonable RFA contract offer.

We're all in on Beal. I expect him to be around for at least the next 8 years.

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: What are the Mavericks expectations this year? Are you looking to make transactions to help you win now, or do you prefer transactions to help you build towards the future?

On a scale of 0 to Chris Brown, how bad do you want to beat the Wolves?


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ballsohard wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2017 1:42 pm On a scale of 0 to Chris Brown, how bad do you want to beat the Wolves?


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The Wolves are no longer in our division, so we do not harbor any ill will towards them anymore. We wish them the best. With that being said, we always want to beat them to a pulp. On a scale of 0 to Chris Brown... we're at Ray Rice.

Jon Snow, WSN

Care to elaborate on the division this year? New Orleans is the defending champions but top to bottom it seems like itll be very close all around

garbageman wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2017 12:26 pm Sham Smith, Bulls.com: What are the Mavericks expectations this year? Are you looking to make transactions to help you win now, or do you prefer transactions to help you build towards the future?

We're cautiously optimistic that we can make some noise in our division and compete for a playoff spot. We're keeping our options open from a transaction standpoint.

We're fielding win-now offers and looking for ways to improve our team, but we've also received offers for a possible rebuild. Anything is on the table, but right now our plan is to stay focused and win games.

PaulyP wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2017 6:04 pm Jon Snow, WSN

Care to elaborate on the division this year? New Orleans is the defending champions but top to bottom it seems like itll be very close all around

First off, congrats to the Pelicans and to the city of New Orleans. Great job by their shrewd GM for putting that team together and leading them to the promised land.

The Southbest division will be one to watch. It's difficult to say who will come out on top. I think you'll see a balanced group of teams beat up on each other and make it so that no team has a stunning record. Come playoff time though, whoever does win the division will be a tough out and could make a championship run like the Pels did last year.

Do you feel the league office shortchanged you with only five preseason games instead of six like almost every other team?

Over the last few seasons, what is your biggest regret. If you could change one thing in the past few seasons, what would it be?

WigNosy wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:44 pm Do you feel the league office shortchanged you with only five preseason games instead of six like almost every other team?

We're ok with it. Less opportunity for injury. Our players got a few good games in, and we're geared up ready to go.

Bowtothebill23 wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:51 pm Over the last few seasons, what is your biggest regret. If you could change one thing in the past few seasons, what would it be?

I think you have to look at players like Tobias Harris and Hassan Whiteside and wonder what could have been. Those players' development was excrutiatingly slow, and we couldn't bear losing anymore. Today, they are doing very well.

Nick Melon; The Advocate: Mario Chalmers has always had a strong bond with Dallas. Do you think that plus the reigns to be THE starter at the point this year was the reason he signed? Are you searching for other options for a lead point guard to make a run for the playoffs?