MavsBoard

Interview with Isaac Harris

Shedder was a Mavericks assistant coach for 15 years. 

How is this season’s team different from those of the past few years?

They’re taking more twos, and not getting the same quality threes that they did before. They have capable shooters who aren’t hitting. They have a good drive and kick game, and he loves what KP is giving them. Luka just needs to get healthy. He’s been playing more or less continuously for two seasons and a summer. 

Basically, this is the the same team as it has been for several years. Adding Bullock and Sterling didn’t fundamentally change the roster. 

How do coaches address shooting slumps?

When good shooters are missing good shots, there isn’t much the coaching staff can do. Ragging on the players doesn’t help. These Mavs are getting good looks, mostly off penetration, and they have good shooters, so they should start making them. 

To the extent that there are structural problems with shooting mechanics, those can’t be addressed in-season, except for the very simplest things. Normal fans don’t appreciate the extreme lack of instructional practice time in the season. Most practice time is devoted to preparing for the next game. All the coaches can do in-season is try to help the good shooters get good looks.

Is the new ball causing the shooting problems?

Doubt it. A brand-new ball (as in fresh out of the box) can be a little difficult, but they’re playing with broken-in balls. The refs identify game-worthy balls before the game. The Cuban-Bob debate was entertaining, but don’t think there’s much to it. 

Is TNT right about Luka’s conditioning being a big deal?

They’re not listing the good reasons that Luka isn’t in peak shape. He has  been playing for thirteen months. There is a huge load on him. He has been hurt. He can’t do cardio and ramp up his conditioning when he is hurt. He has to be able to play 36-38 minutes every game. 

Guys don’t come in at peak condition. They get there during the season. We’re not even into January, yet. Luka can get into shape very quickly. Doesn’t know what people want from Luka — he doesn’t have an Adonis kind of body, and he may never look ripped. 

The Mavs would probably like it if Luka would drop a few pounds, but they really don’t want him to lose a lot of weight. Skinny Luka wouldn’t help them. Luka is a hard worker and a pro, the training and conditioning staff in Dallas is excellent, and Mike is sure that nothing is being missed as far as Luka’s conditioning. Yes, he could stand to lose a few, but TNT is overhyping it, cuz that’s what they do. 

Are there benchmarks during the season to assess the necessity of big changes?

You go into the season with a certain idea about your rotations, but that can change as the games progress. You try to take several-game samples, but that can be interrupted when guys are out, or there is a particular matchup that you want to do whatever you have to do to win.  

Having a set rotation (subject to situational tweaks) is a good thing. Professional athletes usually perform better when they know what minutes they are going to get and when they’re going to get then. But it’s way too early to make a final decision on rotations now. You have to get 40-50 games into the season for that. 

Kidd is still trying to figure out who to play and when, based on who can help the team. For example, you don’t play Josh Green just because some of the guys who were drafted at the same time as he was are getting minutes — they were drafted into situations where it made more sense for them to play.  At any rate, you have to get closer to the playoffs before deciding on the final ten-man rotation. 

Why play two bigs?

Depends on what you’re looking for with a particular combo. KP-Maxi gives you two stretch fives. KP and one of the others gives you a designated rim threat, and KP can play the four. The non-shooting bigs are in for rim presence and rebounding. Sometimes you might want to go small with DFS and Maxi, or DFS and KP.  Shedd says there may be a certain stigma associated with being a center, and he’s not sure KP wants to be considered in that light. KP gives you more than the other centers do — he’s called the unicorn for a reason. 

How did KP get assigned a decoy role in the playoffs?

That was just where he was most effective — in the corners. Luka needed shooters in the corners for his PNR game. That might have resulted in limiting KP some, but that was the best offense for the team at the time, and KP didn’t have the legs he does now. They’re using him a little differently this season, with more elbow passes, getting him to the line, and such. He’s not having an all-star year, exactly, but he seems to be enjoying it more. 

How does the trade deadline affect morale?

The coaching staff never spent much time talking about what players were available, or what Mavs they might be willing to let go. That’s the front office’s job. From a coaching perspective, big in-season moves aren’t ideal. They have a substantial impact on chemistry, and you have to try to rebuild that with little to no practice time. You don’t do an in-season trade lightly — it’s a huge thing for any organization. You can get better players and still end up with a worse locker room. 

Shedd imagines the Mavs are continuing to implement Donnie’s strategy, as far as internal trade communication. There are probably calls going on all the time, but for the most part, no one knew what the Mavs were doing until Woj announced it. 

How important is the coach-player relationship?

Very important. It’s not necessary for the coaches to hang out with the players or be buddies with them. But the players, from the point guard down to the deep bench, have to trust that the coach has their best interests at heart. Guys still want to be coached, but not just as a mechanism for building the coach’s resume. A good coach-player relationship, especially for one of the lead players, takes work. Compromise is involved on both sides.  Imagines that Kidd and Luka probably have a good rapport. 

Any thoughts on Jason Kidd?

Doubt if there is a more competitive person anywhere. His basketball IQ is next level. Very big on clamping down on defense in the last six minutes. 

Did Kidd or Luka ever yell at you?

Definitely. Shedd used to be the designated ref at practices, and Kidd and Luka were not shy about letting him know it when they didn’t like the way he was calling the “game.”


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6_uLdH...B6Ae_E4DjQ

Please let this squelch the Luka conditioning noise.

The need for Luka to lose 5 pounds to gain basically nothing on the defensive end isnt worth talking about.

The team wants him to have weight on him.

The reports are he came 30 lbs over his listed weight. That is not a few pounds. 

I keep reading by some on how players play into shape during the season. When did Kobe, LeBron, MJ play themselves into shape during the season?  That is the difference between elite talent that maximizes their potential vs a Harden type who does not. 

No matter how much you are in shape game conditioning is different from practice. So yes it takes some weeks before players get into the groove of game conditioning.  That is different from being out of shape. That means you have to first lose all that excess fat while trying to get into game condition as well which makes you more susceptible to injury as well. 

As for the offense, as I have said previously, the so called vaunted Mavs offense the past few years seemed to stall in the clutch against good teams. Then in the playoffs in the most important game this team has played in 5 years the team laid an offensive egg with the chance to win the series at home. During the series itself RC was throwing sht on the wall with his lineups with Burke and Boban suddenly getting a lot more minutes because the regular offense was not working. How can we just forget all that and romanticize the past?  

Yes we might be worse now, but that’s why I am willing to give Kidd a longer leash, because the previous offense got exposed in the clutch against good teams. Kidd wouldn’t have been my choice as a coach but I want to see what he can do.

(12-11-2021, 11:55 AM)hakeemfaan Wrote: [ -> ]The reports are he came 30 lbs over his listed weight. That is not a few pounds. 

I don't know how accurate those reports are, but Shedd mentioned 30 pounds as being more than they want him to lose. He did say, however, that if Luka would lose "a few" pounds, he might be a little less likely to suffer these lingering leg and ankle injuries. 

I keep reading by some on how players play into shape during the season. When did Kobe, LeBron, MJ play themselves into shape during the season?  That is the difference between elite talent that maximizes their potential vs a Harden type who does not. 

We might be having some internet-style communications issues here. I have been using the term "peak condition" to discuss Luka and his varying condition during the year. No one is in the exact same physical condition 365 days/year. "Peak" means better than usual, of course. LeBron prides himself on rounding into peak condition right before the playoffs. Kobe used to muscle up in the summer, so that he wouldn't have to worry as much about losing muscle and then having to replace it during the season. The Mavs try to get their players into peak condition toward the end of the season. Is this what you mean when you talk about game conditioning?

No matter how much you are in shape game conditioning is different from practice. So yes it takes some weeks before players get into the groove of game conditioning.  That is different from being out of shape. That means you have to first lose all that excess fat while trying to get into game condition as well which makes you more susceptible to injury as well. 

As for the offense, as I have said previously, the so called vaunted Mavs offense the past few years seemed to stall in the clutch against good teams. Then in the playoffs in the most important game this team has played in 5 years the team laid an offensive egg with the chance to win the series at home. During the series itself RC was throwing sht on the wall with his lineups with Burke and Boban suddenly getting a lot more minutes because the regular offense was not working. How can we just forget all that and romanticize the past?

Maybe you aren't addressing Shedd, but I didn't get any sense that he was romanticizing the past. If anything, I thought he seemed to be defending Kidd, especially with regard to shooting. All Kidd and his staff can do is make sure that the guys they want taking shots are getting good looks, and at that point, it's on the players to hit them.  

Yes we might be worse now, but that’s why I am willing to give Kidd a longer leash, because the previous offense got exposed in the clutch against good teams. Kidd wouldn’t have been my choice as a coach but I want to see what he can do.

Yes, it seems at the moment that Kidd's team is having the same issue, but there's still a long way to go. 

hakeem, like you, I hope for the best. 

But for the first time, it is really dawning on me in a serious way that there is nothing written in stone that says this group is going to turn things around. This really might just be who they are. This could really be just a lost season. I surely hope not. They have the pieces in place throughout the organization to at least make the playoffs, if everyone stays reasonably healthy. I think. I like to be optimistic, within reason, but it is seeming more to me like we're relying on, "They'll get better, just cuz."

mavsluvr. i totally agree with you that with the current personnel it looks bleak. Need some changes. A different coach might mask some things but ultimately it is putting lipstick on a pig. Let us also not forget that Luka was not on great terms with RC either or else RC probably would not have left here.  So whether Kidd is a good choice or not, we would have seen a change here. 

As for Luka’s conditioning, I have written in quite a few threads but if he griped less to the officials and got back consistently, I would have much less of a complaint that he is getting back in shape during the season. 
However it is not optimal for him either as it does put him at injury risk. 

My bigger problem with Luka all along has been his volume 3 pt shooting and the fact that a lot of them come at the expense of a good offensive flow, even when RC was the coach. 

To me Jokic is the gold standard on offense. Westbrook also averaged a triple double but IMO he didn’t have great court vision and his assists were based on dominating the ball. You can’t blame him because he doesn’t have the innate skill to play like a Jokic. Luka IMO does.  Score at certain stretches but don’t force bad shots or have the ball stick in your hands constantly. Even with this mismatched cast, IMO Luka can average 15 to 16 assists every night easily. That’s the change I want to see in him. Plus improve FT %  Everything else I can live with it. Don’t try to be Steph. No one can be that guy.

Luka is much more dangerous with the little extra weight. He is bullying defenders in the paint much more than he used to before. If one doesnt see this, one is not observing the details. He is playing amazing basketball at this moment. He has developed the mid range game, which he didnt had entering the league, a lot more versatile player now. I wouldn't try to change anything. He is better with this weight he has now. Also this style will be way more effective in playoffs, when toughness increases and one on one intensive matchups increase as well.

If someone doesn't like how he looks. All i have to say, this game is about what you do with the ball, not how you look.

He is tired from not having a proper offseason, and from injuries, that is a different issue. He is known to start slow as shooter and grow as the season goes. That is likely to happen again. There are areas he can improve, FTs, starting shooting better at the start of the seasons etc. But all in all he is producing superstar performances consistently. We have 99 other problems.

I love how Brunson and KP play also. The rest of the team, really is not up to the standard of a great NBA team. We need more consistent players. Basically we have 3 consistent players, that you know will produce every given game, that is Luka, KP and Brunson. You cant contain these guys. The rest, is just all over the place and inconsistent. The hallmark of a player not able to produce to a standard of a championship level team is inconsistency. One moment THJ can explode and look like Ray Allen, and the next he is lost in many games. Suddenly comes back again shooting well. You cant trust that. Same with Bullock, and to large extent also DFS. The core to keep and build around is Luka, KP, Brunson. In my view. Rest, I would be willing to make available for trades right now if the right, fourth player can become available.

(12-11-2021, 02:34 PM)burekemde Wrote: [ -> ]Luka is much more dangerous with the little extra weight. He is bullying defenders in the paint much more than he used to before. If one doesnt see this, one is not observing the details. He is playing amazing basketball at this moment. He has developed the mid range game, which he didnt had entering the league, a lot more versatile player now. I wouldn't try to change anything. He is better with this weight he has now. Also this style will be way more effective in playoffs, when toughness increases and one on one intensive matchups increase as well.

If someone doesn't like how he looks. All i have to say, this game is about what you do with the ball, not how you look.

(12-11-2021, 02:34 PM)burekemde Wrote: [ -> ]He is bullying defenders in the paint much more than he used to before. If one doesnt see this, one is not observing the details.

He was doing that during his first two seasons and the portion of last season after he played himself into shape, too. Nobody is wanting to let that part of his game go.

(12-11-2021, 01:53 PM)hakeemfaan Wrote: [ -> ]totally agree with you that with the current personnel it looks bleak. Need some changes. A different coach might mask some things but ultimately it is putting lipstick on a pig. Let us also not forget that Luka was not on great terms with RC either or else RC probably would not have left here.  So whether Kidd is a good choice or not, we would have seen a change here

Yeah. Luka can lose a little weight or not, he can take more or fewer shots, different guys can get a few minutes more or less than their teammates, the schemes can be tinkered with, etc. 


I'm not saying any of that is not important, of course it all is. But at this point, it is more and more seeming to me like so much shuffling of deck chairs. 

It seems like this KP-era roster was put together at the flea market, it hasn't changed much over three seasons, and it's just not good enough, no matter how much duct tape and baling wire they try to shore it up with.

(12-12-2021, 01:16 PM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah. Luka can lose a little weight or not, he can take more or fewer shots, different guys can get a few minutes more or less than their teammates, the schemes can be tinkered with, etc. 


I'm not saying any of that is not important, of course it all is. But at this point, it is more and more seeming to me like so much shuffling of deck chairs. 

It seems like this KP-era roster was put together at the flea market, it hasn't changed much over three seasons, and it's just not good enough, no matter how much duct tape and baling wire they try to shore it up with.

Not disagreeing for the most partl. At the same time that argument cuts both ways The franchise player has to stay ready. Else you can get even another top tier star and the team won’t win any titles 

Luka cannot control what the front office does. He can control being the best version of Luka that he currently can. Being in shape; Not hogging the ball for bad shots; Getting back on defense; Working on his FT %.  We can and should hold him accountable for those things.

(12-13-2021, 11:11 AM)hakeemfaan Wrote: [ -> ]Not disagreeing for the most partl. At the same time that argument cuts both ways The franchise player has to stay ready. Else you can get even another top tier star and the team won’t win any titles 

Luka cannot control what the front office does. He can control being the best version of Luka that he currently can. Being in shape; Not hogging the ball for bad shots; Getting back on defense; Working on his FT %.  We can and should hold him accountable for those things.

Did it seem like I was trying to make the point that Luka shouldn't have to do his best? If so, I really need to sharpen up my writing skills. (Not a bad idea every so often in any case, I guess.)

Of course, Luka should do the best he can. I think he has been playing on that bad ankle for a long while now, and I might add to your list to consider not to keep trying to play hurt on an injury that isn't healing. I suppose that would also involve the coach and the training staff. 

Here is the point I was trying to make. Yes, all the players should keep their bodies in shape and keep working on their craft, and the coach should still try to tinker with the lineups and the systems, etc., because that's all any of them can do in the short term. 

But after 26 games, it seems to me that in the big picture this is all just amounting to taking a ball of string and some Elmer's glue to a fundamentally broken old clunker. This is not how I was viewing the season before it happened, but I am reluctantly coming to that conclusion now. Yes, they should keep doing whatever they can, but I think their efforts are pretty much an exercise in futility without a significant upgrade to the roster. Maybe an upgrade to the coaching too, although I am willing to say the jury is still out on that. 

Maybe this isn't even a point worth making, since there probably isn't anything to be done about it today or tomorrow. I just get the feeling sometimes, listening to Cuban talk about how they're still adjusting to the ball and all, that whoever is running the show at the Mavs is focusing on a few lightly singed trees and missing the fact that the forest is burning down around them. Hope I'm wrong, of course.

(12-13-2021, 11:58 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]Maybe this isn't even a point worth making, since there probably isn't anything to be done about it today or tomorrow. I just get the feeling sometimes, listen to Cuban talk about how they're still adjusting to the ball and all that, that whoever is running the show at the Mavs is focusing on a few lightly singed trees and missing the fact that the forest is burning down around them. Hope I'm wrong, of course.

Yeah, I agree with this. It's clear that many things are not going according to plan. Even the plan, itself, must be questioned at times like that. Cuban is a joke, of course, but that's nothing new.

(12-11-2021, 11:07 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]Is TNT right about Luka’s conditioning being a big deal?

They’re not listing the good reasons that Luka isn’t in peak shape. He has  been playing for thirteen months. There is a huge load on him. He has been hurt. He can’t do cardio and ramp up his conditioning when he is hurt. He has to be able to play 36-38 minutes every game.

This response is troublesome. The coaching staff response is that we need to know the excuses Luka isn’t in peak shape, rather than admit the issue exists and is worthy of concern. The fact that they try to downplay it indicates they probably see it as a much bigger deal than we know.

In fact, many of the excuses he offers are really RESULTS of bad conditioning, or reasons for him to prioritize top condition, rather than a real justification. He's playing a lot of games, he's getting hurt, he has a huge load, being out of shape makes it hard to rebound, he's playing heavy minutes - all of those demand that conditioning is a priority, not an afterthought. IOW, looks like TNT is correct.

(12-13-2021, 12:24 PM)F Gump Wrote: [ -> ]This response is troublesome. The coaching staff response is that we need to know the excuses Luka isn’t in peak shape, rather than admit the issue exists and is worthy of concern. The fact that they try to downplay it indicates they probably see it as a much bigger deal than we know.

In fact, many of the excuses he offers are really RESULTS of bad conditioning, or reasons for him to prioritize top condition, rather than a real justification. He's playing a lot of games, he's getting hurt, he has a huge load, being out of shape makes it hard to rebound, he's playing heavy minutes - all of those demand that conditioning is a priority, not an afterthought. IOW, looks like TNT is correct.

This comment is fantastic. It is absolutely concerning that the Mavs are downplaying something that has become so incredibly obvious. They are probably internally panicking and terrified in some ways.

(12-13-2021, 12:24 PM)F Gump Wrote: [ -> ]
This response is troublesome. The coaching staff response is that we need to know the excuses Luka isn’t in peak shape, rather than admit the issue exists and is worthy of concern. The fact that they try to downplay it indicates they probably see it as a much bigger deal than we know.

In fact, many of the excuses he offers are really RESULTS of bad conditioning, or reasons for him to prioritize top condition, rather than a real justification. He's playing a lot of games, he's getting hurt, he has a huge load, being out of shape makes it hard to rebound, he's playing heavy minutes - all of those demand that conditioning is a priority, not an afterthought. IOW, looks like TNT is correct.

I don't take anything Reggie and Charles say very seriously, but I guess there are some who think they are the fount of all wisdom, so whatever floats your boat in that regard. 

I think there are two fundamentally different points of view being circulated about Luka. There seems to be some general consensus that he could stand to be in better condition. One point of view regarding that appears to be that he is in fact working as hard as he can on his conditioning, consistent with having to play hurt for 35+ mpg and all the rest. The other seems to be that he doesn't care, is a lazy, selfish oaf, and that the team would be better off without Luka the Loser dragging them down. 

If the second point of view is correct, I could sort of understand the lack of motivation from Luka, considering the situation. The harder and faster you run on the treadmill of mediocrity, the more times you end up in exactly the same place. But, I don't really buy that the second view accurately represents the facts. All the "inside" reports are to the contrary, and Luka has been a pro for such a long time, I doubt that he has thrown his professionalism to the wind at this point. 

Of course, I don't have the personal information to say with assurance which of these competing views is true, or if the facts are somewhere between the two extremes. I respectfully doubt that you do, either. I hope the situation gets resolved soon, now that he is getting some treatment and rest.

(12-13-2021, 12:43 PM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]I think there are two fundamentally different points of view being circulated about Luka. There seems to be some general consensus that he could stand to be in better condition. One point of view regarding that appears to be that he is in fact working as hard as he can on his conditioning, consistent with having to play hurt for 35+ mpg and all the rest. The other seems to be that he doesn't care, is a lazy, selfish oaf, and that the team would be better off without Luka the Loser dragging them down. 

Do you think this is a fair summary of the two POV's, or were you hyperbolizing for some type of illuminating effect?

(12-13-2021, 12:47 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]Do you think this is a fair summary of the two POV's, or were you hyperbolizing for some type of illuminating effect?

Expressing the dichotomy in terms of the outer limits of each point of view. 

I suspect that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Exactly where, is of course unknown at this point, although I lean more to the first reference point than the second.

(12-13-2021, 12:56 PM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]Expressing the dichotomy in terms of the outer limits of each point of view. 

I suspect that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Exactly where, is of course unknown at this point, although I lean more to the first reference point than the second.

I think the truth lies between the two POV's, too, but I don't think either of them was particularly well represented by your phrasing that I quoted. 

I don't think anyone believes Luka is "working as hard as he can," though I think it's fairly logical that a 22 year old might not understand (yet) just how hard he should be working to reach his potential. I'm sure he believes he is working extremely hard, it's just a matter of him learning how to calibrate those expectations for himself. 

I also don't think anyone believes he is is an "lazy oaf." I think the term lazy has been used to describe specific instances of his play, and while the language is harsh, I can't take issue with the commentary, having seen those instances of play for myself. 

I think the divergence of these two generalized opinions is actually about the extent to which this Luka conditioning thing is causing the disappointing results of this season, so far. On that point, I think the truth is likely somewhere in between the two POV's, as you say.

(12-13-2021, 12:43 PM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]I don't take anything Reggie and Charles say very seriously, but I guess there are some who think they are the fount of all wisdom, so whatever floats your boat in that regard.

"I don't take anything Reggie and Charles say very seriously."...So what?

There was nothing in what is being said here that blindly endorses the TNT crew's comments just because they said it. (But if they - in the middle of their entertainment - got it right, then right is right.)

My observation and response was actually based on what the coaching staff (Mike Shedd) is telling us. There have been many opinions speculated from afar with no info, but the info from the staff is a better answer and guide to the truth of the situation -- and reading between the lines, it sounds like they see a problem. Whether they have a way to get it fixed remains to be seen.

You want to focus on whether Luka cares and is trying to change the situation. I don't think anyone besides Luka can answer that. But as to whether something needs to change, and is a concern, that we can know, and the answer is apparently yes.

(12-13-2021, 01:07 PM)F Gump Wrote: [ -> ]My observation and response was actually based on what the coaching staff (Mike Shedd) is telling us.

This isn't really central to your point, which I think is an interesting contribution and well worth adding to the conversation, but to be technical, Mike is a former member of the coaching staff, which might have a little bit of bearing on how seriously we can read into his comments, either way. I'm sure he still has more access than we do, but then again, he has no pressing need to defend the team, I don't think.