^ I think people constantly get their timelines wrong kay Brunson or even some of the context.

Indeed, Mavs had the chance to extend him for "cheap" — but that was right after his atrocious NBA Playoffs in 2021. There's a reason why they kept on signing/trading for additional ballhandlers kahit ball-dominant pa si Luka/Brunson. Burke, Curry, J-Rich, Ntilikina, Wright, lahat yan because Brunson was unreliable as a backup. Of course by 2021-22, he blossomed into a good starter and backcourt partner to Luka... but by that time, they weren't willing to do an extension anymore na tama naman, kasi you can get more money in FA at that point.

Factor din yung pagiging close ni Jalen at Rick Brunson sa decision niya. It was his father's idea not to entertain an extension and surprise surprise he was hired as an assistant by the Knicks before JB went there (this is a fact - nakasuhan pa sila ng tampering ng NBA). After all, package deal din sila dapat nung college when Temple offered his dad an assistant job just so they could sign Jalen too, but it fell apart when he got arrested.

In the end, mas okay na fit si Kyrie kay JB next to Luka because he isn't as ball dominant. He can play off ball well as a shooter and cutter. He's a better defender - I doubt na pwede mo malagay si JB kay Harden or PG like Kai. He's a proven winner and has more playoff mileage despite being younger by only 4 years. Sure, mas mahal si Kai but it's not like Dallas is going to have cap space if they had Brunson.

At saka after next year, up na ulit contract ni JB. Knicks are going to break the bank and give him a 45-50++ million deal. He won't be a budget contract anymore and that affects yung cap flexibility nila considering he's a 1B player. Wala sila 1A or a no. 2, unless you believe Randle is that guy.

Toranaga tells Yabushige what’s going to happen in the future. We see a hazy version of a final battle, but we’re denied the actual battle. Was that a difficult decision at all?

MARKS: I think the book denies us this, too. And that’s what I really appreciate about the book is that you really, even turning the last page, you’re like, but what about…? And you realize it doesn’t matter if you’ve really understood what this story is trying to be. Never for a second in the writer’s room did we ever really say that we were after [a final battle]. Not because we couldn’t afford it — although we couldn’t. But because Clavell was not telling that kind of story.

KONDO: It’s that line from Toranaga: “Why is it always that the people who are so eager to go into battle are the ones who have never been in it?”