MavsBoard

Mavs back in the playoffs! The match up looks turrible but still, they're back.  Nice! 
So we Mavs fans at least get to vent a while longer in the face of annihilation while enjoying Luka/KP and the boyz in the bubble bowl. 

Vent open. 

https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1...8808226816

The Montrezl Harrell update reminds me of my recurring point, the Mavs only have ONE real advantage against the Clippers and that is size at the rim.  Harrell is a fantastic prototypical modern NBA big.  With that sad he's literally over his head guarding KP and Bobi near the rim.  Sure if its a time here or there he'll get away with a strip or an uncalled foul, but not if the advantage is pressed at the right times.  

It's not an advantage that can carry the team all game, not at all, but when Dallas is cooking and the team has a lead they will eventually hit a Clipper defensive wall and start struggling to score and hold a lead.   
Then what?   That is when they need an inside/out old fashioned set to turn to. 

Unfortunately, as brilliant as Coach Carlisle is, he's not brilliant in this area.  He thinks the Post up is virtually or completely dead, while other teams are still mixing it in adeptly even with slow bigs like Nurkic and Jokic  who aren't whole lot faster or better defensively than Boban. 

Having an "historically great offense" that repeatedly can't hold leads is proof of the issue I continue to vent on these Carlisle Mavs.  He doesn't have it in his play book when to press that advantage.  Mavs have a lot of fire.  Luka is incredible, the Unicorn is appearing, so I expect a competitive tilt  but not enough to fight with fire against The Claw, PG13, Doc and that cast of characters. 

The Mavs would have to have some counter that the Clippers really struggle against when they need to get stops.  Its kinda like the way D'Antoni and Houston decided they'd just go all in on their strengths, giving up a very good modern center in Clint Capela (and Nene) to just make other teams try and match up with them rather than a other way around. 

They'll need Westbrook back to find out if that gamble ever pays off, but they knew they didn't have enough fire power to match up the other way with the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets of the West. 

Coach C and his style of play really needs a WCS and Dwight Powell type to try and match up athlete for athlete with guys like Montrez and Zubac, but that won't work going small and frail against those guys when you're already playing at a disadvantage on the guards wings. 

Zubac shot 100% against the Mavs last game!  Ouch! 
Even if your guards and wings play super, you can't win getting decimated like that on the front line. 
Something isn't being done right there. 
You just can't keep giving up historic leads and then historic performances while expecting your hot shooters to make up the difference. 

Quote:Los Angeles Clippers big man Ivica Zubac finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, all while shooting a perfect 100 percent from the field. Zubac took and made 10 shots, joining a select few of players who have put up at least 20 points and 15 rebounds while not missing a shot during an NBA game.

 Now Harrell too? Coach C going up against Doc R is going to have to do something different. 
It probably won't be an inside attack at the right times like I harp on, so it probably won't work, but he at least has to do something different.  We know Luka and the guys are going to get beat on. 

Find a way to give the good guys a chance against a healthy star studded Clipper team. 
C'mon coach give us a wrinkle.

Vent closed.

Mavs defense was number 19 in the bubble. If they don't improve that, no offensive tweaks will make a difference.

(08-15-2020, 01:22 PM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]Mavs defense was number 19 in the bubble. If they don't improve that, no offensive tweaks will make a difference.

I agree with that too.  Two things defensively however are affected by what I'm suggesting here. 


1) Offense affects defense.  Symbiotic.  For example you're trying to hold on to a lead but you're shooting perimeter jumpers.  Long misses lead to long rebounds that lead to breaks without your defense being set.  Misses in general can lead to compromised defensive transitions more so than when the other team is always taking the ball out of the basket after you score. 
That's one reason even big leads can evaporate so quickly. 

If you're scoring well and pressuring the other defense and getting to the free throw line a lot on the other hand, you're able to set your defense. 

2) Rebounds.   If the Mavs front line rebounds better, that also helps their defense.

I think Rick has been saving Boban for the playoffs.

(08-16-2020, 09:05 PM)Benskix2 Wrote: [ -> ]I think Rick has been saving Boban for the playoffs.

From your lips to his ears ... 

I said that outside of the super play of Luka (offset by the super play of Kawhi and PG13) the one real advantage Dallas has with the superior Clipper team is their size advantage, namely with KP and Boban. 

Just watching game 1.  KP was great until he was victimized by some poor refereeing decisions.  He was too tall for them to stop and was playing great. 

Boban wasn't bad but as I expected, he was still used primarily in a very limited role by Carlisle and that role is primarily as a screener out in space rather than a consistent inside out option.   He was still amazing getting, EIGHT rebounds in twelve minutes of play! 

Keep in mind, Dallas was killed on the boards and in the paint. 

Honestly, my takeaway is the opposite: despite having a 6'8 PG and two out of the three tallest players in the league, our clutch line-up was simply too small...

We desperately need Wings for next season.

(08-18-2020, 06:22 PM)Davevoid Wrote: [ -> ]Honestly, my takeaway is the opposite: despite having a 6'8 PG and two out of the three tallest players in the league, our clutch line-up was simply too small...

We desperately need Wings for next season.

Your 6'8 PG was fantastic!    Your 2 of 3 tallest players in the league were not there in the Clutch.  One was ejected and other was on bench getting only 12 minutes total. 

Better wings is something you don't have.  You always want better players, period, but I'm only talking about what the roster actually has and how it might work. 

Good luck getting better wings than Kawhi Leonard and Paul George though. 

Uhm, ok.

So be it.

(08-18-2020, 08:57 PM)Davevoid Wrote: [ -> ]Uhm, ok.

So be it.

Thanks for your thoughts Davevoid.  It'd be great to see the wings get stronger.  In fact DFS and now adding MKG is looking pretty decent.  I'm just thinking it's not likely Dallas beats the top teams in the league purely on wing play when they have tandems like Kawhi Leonard & Paul George to match up with.    

I'm watching Portland go up against Lebron & Anthony Davis by counter punching with both Nurkic & Whiteside supporting their guards.  Its working pretty well so far.   Thinking the Mavs could also try to get some teams to try and matchup with them sometimes. 

Cheers! 

(08-18-2020, 06:22 PM)Davevoid Wrote: [ -> ]We desperately need Wings for next season.

I hadn't thought of that. 


Those are some bad-assed ladies, though.

(08-19-2020, 12:31 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-18-2020, 06:22 PM)Davevoid Wrote: [ -> ]We desperately need Wings for next season.

I hadn't thought of that. 


Those are some bad-assed ladies, though.

Nice work on Dallas Wings ML!  Took me a minute to catch up with you. 

---

Back to the point of the thread, Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle may not see the point of countering BIG sometimes to exploit a SIZE mismatch instead of always countering small and seed, but former Carlisle/Mavs assistant now successful head coach Terry Stotts looks like he gets it very well. 

I mentioned this NBA coaching counter strategy using BIG men, in line with what I've been harping on in this thread and for quite a while about forcing teams to match up with you rather than always trying to match up with them. 

Jusuf Nurkic, Hassan Whiteside show out vs. Lakers... and seal it with a kiss 

Watching a good bit of the 1 vs 8 Underdog Blazers up against the Mighty Lakers was a real show. 
Like the Mavs, the Stott's Blazers are big underdogs but they also have a All Star 1-2 punch in Dame/CJ to give them a chance against the Lakers star studded roster. 

To support the Star Guards and Capable Wings, Coach Stotts used just the sort of smart injections of BIG man, even Twin Tower mismatching to throw off the Lakers rotations and game plans at key points in the game. 

Quote:Portland was rolling with its size and it worked.
The Blazers defeated the Lakers 100-93. 
1-0, Portland. 
Along with Damian Lillard’s spectacular 4th quarter finish, Portland also had a huge boost from its bigs.  

In line with what I've said the Mavs have the potential to do, Portland used the mismatch in spurts, throwing off the Lakers rotations.  Its not like the Lakers don't have strong bigs.  McGee and Howard are tough for anyone to deal with, but Portland can go bigger and stronger with Nurkic and Whiteside minutes. 

Quote:The Blazers did roll with Whiteside and Nurkic on the floor together in spurts

Its a fascinating observation for me.  As a Mavs fans I hate to say it but I think Stotts is more diverse in his strategic thinking than our own Coach C, as good as Rick is.  Stotts is throwing in the wrinkles, just enough to force the Lakers to make adjustments, which he then readjusts to.  
Terry Stotts is using both small and big rotations alongside normal ones and switching up what is working. 

I expect the Lakers to bounce back.  Like the Clippers, they're too talented to just outsmart them, but that 1st game 'L' indicates the strategic battle won't be easy.

(08-19-2020, 11:58 AM)Dahlsim Wrote: [ -> ]... and seal it with a kiss

Well, Lakers shot 15 % from three and scored 93 points against "no defense" Portland. Green was 2-8, KCP 0-5 and so on. I doubt the bigs were the most important factor in this win. Although they did play well. LA defense successfully limited Portland to 100 points, which is great considering how hot they were in the bubble. If the shooting comes to respectable percentage, they will have no problem winning this.

(08-19-2020, 12:31 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-18-2020, 06:22 PM)Davevoid Wrote: [ -> ]We desperately need Wings for next season.

I hadn't thought of that. 


Those are some bad-assed ladies, though.

Way better than some Barenaked Ladies.

We also need some Heart in the locker room.

(08-19-2020, 04:12 PM)Davevoid Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-19-2020, 12:31 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-18-2020, 06:22 PM)Davevoid Wrote: [ -> ]We desperately need Wings for next season.

I hadn't thought of that. 


Those are some bad-assed ladies, though.

Way better than some Barenaked Ladies.

We also need some Heart in the locker room.

haha

When you capitalized Wings, I thought you might be making a sly joke about our desperation for wings, wrapped in a serious comment.

(08-19-2020, 02:56 PM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]

(08-19-2020, 11:58 AM)Dahlsim Wrote: [ -> ]... and seal it with a kiss

Well, Lakers shot 15 % from three and scored 93 points against "no defense" Portland. Green was 2-8, KCP 0-5 and so on. I doubt the bigs were the most important factor in this win. Although they did play well. LA defense successfully limited Portland to 100 points, which is great considering how hot they were in the bubble. If the shooting comes to respectable percentage, they will have no problem winning this.

Right, no disagreement with you there.  The story here is not about the bigs being the most important factor.  The stars are the most important factor, pretty much always.  They have to perform well to give their team a chance to win.  Damien played like a star, CJ played like a star.  Lillard said in the article though, they don't win that game without what their bigs did vs. the Laker bigs. 

For the Mavs Doncic played every bit like the star he is.  Porzingis did the same when he was allowed to play. 

This is about the other things that make the difference in support of the stars. 
Mavs have a great all time offense.  Portland has a great offense.   This is about what are the other strategies making the difference in winning vs. losing games.  

Its only takes 1 point difference to win the game. 

(08-19-2020, 05:37 PM)mavsluvr Wrote: [ -> ]haha

When you capitalized Wings, I thought you might be making a sly joke about our desperation for wings, wrapped in a serious comment.

Exactly! Something like that.

Wow! Ok Coach C! The almost chance to use Dallas SIZE actually showed up in Clippers game 2.   Good job playing the matchup game against Doc Rivers.  

Bobi minutes were still a little lower than deserved, but well used.  Mavs actually pressed their size very effectively against the Clippers this time.  It all starts with Dallas's BiG superstar guard, Luka Wonderboy of course but then the Unicorn and You Rang were just too big for the skilled but smaller Clips. 

KP and Bobi !   KP was a real force in game 2, staying in the game helps.  Then Boban as the sub for KP made the Mavs BIG on the floor for a longer time with 9 spectacular minutes, +12, 13 points and 9 boards on 75% shooting!  Almost a Double Double in Single digit minutes? 
Are you kidding me?    


Shaq said on the post game Inside The NBA show that he thought Boban was really the 3rd potential Maverick star after Luka and KP.   Per minute played, Seth & THJ have a case, but only given their greater minutes.   Seth shooting Curry like, Tim Hardaway Jr looking like Sr. and then Bobi actually unleashed against a small modern NBA defense.  Who is the 3rd star? 
Considering rebounding and the paint effect of Bobi, its close I think.  

Great game Mavs! 

Luka crazy good overtime win!  But. Up 12 in the 4th and 8 with a couple of minutes left, Bobi could have helped seal the game with just a couple of high % looks at the rim or plays off of the inside threat.  
Luka ended up doing it the hard way.  
We'll take the more dramatic Wonderboy win though.