(03-21-2021, 11:56 PM)cow Wrote: [ -> ]Luka is great and all, but if I'm playing great and my co-star is struggling, I'd do my damnedest to get the guy involved.
Luka USED to do this last year and this year. Earlier this season he was calling post ups for KP just to get him the ball when RC didn't want that.
Something has changed and Luka is no longer going out of his way to get KP the ball like he used to.
(03-21-2021, 11:37 PM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]Portland is somehow not a KP cup of tea. But I think he had a good game. Didn't force it. Made a couple of nice passes.
Agreed. If we're going to hyper-analyze his body language on one play, it's only fair to also recognize his good team play on many others. I thought his passing was terrific tonight and he was a real defensive force around the rim. +30 don't lie.
I think KP was mad most of the game, with the refs and with himself. I don't mind a player being frustrated. Doesn't mean they dislike each other. I do agree they should have better on court chemistry and develop a dependable two man game.
![[Image: giphy.gif]](https://media.giphy.com/media/4Zs0GrlxCdEyF8tV7X/giphy.gif)
(03-21-2021, 11:56 PM)cow Wrote: [ -> ]Luka is great and all, but if I'm playing great and my co-star is struggling, I'd do my damnedest to get the guy involved. If not in a blow game, then when? And if not in that play, then when?
I agree with this, too, and this is one of the many reasons I’m always shocked people expect a team built around a 22 year old to contend for an NBA championship.
I don’t know how many 22-year-old men you guys are around, but I’m around a lot for work. Exceptional ones, kind of like Luka (though not quite that exceptional). Their brains and personalities aren’t even fully formed yet. In layman‘s terms, they are dumb and they constantly do and strongly believe dumb things.
My point is that in many ways, KP needs to be the guide for Luka. He is either unable or unwilling… Or he and Luka just don’t get along and so Luka is having none of it. Whatever the situation, it is definitely cause for concern. Not panic, but concern.
(03-21-2021, 11:58 PM)Tyler Wrote: [ -> ]one play
Your point is fair, but NO ONE would be making a deal out of this if there weren't dozens of other data points about chemistry issues this year.
I feel like recently Luka and KP have been very professional and even high fiving each other (when they weren't earlier in the year), but it feels forced. I don't feel like the rift is truly HEALED and I think this play demonstrated that there was a bandaid on a wound that requires something more.
(03-21-2021, 11:58 PM)Tyler Wrote: [ -> ]Agreed. If we're going to hyper-analyze his body language on one play, it's only fair to also recognize his good team play on many others. I thought his passing was terrific tonight and he was a real defensive force around the rim. +30 don't lie.
Thank god for the voice of reason :-)
(03-21-2021, 11:58 PM)Kammrath Wrote: [ -> ]Luka USED to do this last year and this year. Earlier this season he was calling post ups for KP just to get him the ball when RC didn't want that.
Something has changed and Luka is no longer going out of his way to get KP the ball like he used to.
It's mind boggling and that play is just a microcosm that encompasses everything that we've feared. It really sucks that this is the post game discussion. Granted we don't know the behind the scenes conversations that are being had but I'm seriously disappointed in Luka, KP and Carlisle. From the outside looking in, I'm most empathetic for KP.
(03-22-2021, 12:03 AM)cow Wrote: [ -> ]-Trade KP
-Coaching change
My current opinion is that these are the two options this off season. But as a fan with limited information I reserve the right to change my opinion.
(03-22-2021, 12:01 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]My point is that in many ways, KP needs to be the guide for Luka. He is either unable or unwilling… Or he and Luka just don’t get along and so Luka is having none of it. Whatever the situation, it is definitely cause for concern. Not panic, but concern.
To be fair, we don't know what their conversations are like behind closed doors.
(03-22-2021, 12:05 AM)Kammrath Wrote: [ -> ]My current opinion is that these are the two options this off season. But as a fan with limited information I reserve the right to change my opinion.
I deleted them as I was overacting a bit. Of course you deleted the most reasonable one.
Fun fact, the Mavs had a 39-7 run at one point in the game
Largest home loss for Portland in franchise history.
(03-22-2021, 12:00 AM)Hypermav Wrote: [ -> ]I think KP was mad most of the game, with the refs and with himself. I don't mind a player being frustrated. Doesn't mean they dislike each other. I do agree they should have better on court chemistry and develop a dependable two man game.
There was a play where I believe Derrick Jones Jr went underneath the basket, miss the layup, rebounded in front of KP and layup again but going in this time. KP got the ball and throw it up above the basket out of frustration. He did fall off a couple times, not by crossovers, but by tripping on himself. I only saw this from the highlights, but seeing the stat line, he didn't get too much usage from this game. Its mostly mental things cropping up to KP.
KP is a great player and does many good things for the team. His presence alone draws so much defensive attention that makes it much easier for everyone else.
But, it is not Luka or Mavs system fault that he can't use his height advantage against smaller players. Smaller players switching on guys like KP is basically what someone would want to happen offensively. KP couldn't convert against Lillard, twice. I am not sure how would some of you try to make him more involved until he is able to take advantage of that. Luka was guarded by RoCo and KP by Jones. Any PnR between the two of them would just result in a simple switch providing absolutely no difference. It was much easier to play Kleber-Doncic PnR as Kanter was on Kleber. Than Portland played small ball for half a game. Player guarding KP remained strictly on him. So when Luka created advantage it was not KP who was left all alone.
KP got three shots in first 5 minutes with Luka on court. Than Luka went to rest for three minutes and KP got just 1 shot. KP came back with 7 left in the second and played for three and a half minutes without Luka. He got zero shots in this time. When Luka came back KP got 1 shot and went to the line twice in three and a half minutes.
(03-22-2021, 12:46 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]KP is a great player and does many good things for the team. His presence alone draws so much defensive attention that makes it much easier for everyone else.
But, it is not Luka or Mavs system fault that he can't use his height advantage against smaller players. Smaller players switching on guys like KP is basically what someone would want to happen offensively. KP couldn't convert against Lillard, twice. I am not sure how would some of you try to make him more involved until he is able to take advantage of that. Luka was guarded by RoCo and KP by Jones. Any PnR between the two of them would just result in a simple switch providing absolutely no difference. It was much easier to play Kleber-Doncic PnR as Kanter was on Kleber. Than Portland played small ball for half a game. Player guarding KP remained strictly on him. So when Luka created advantage it was not KP who was left all alone.
KP got three shots in first 5 minutes with Luka on court. Than Luka went to rest for three minutes and KP got just 1 shot. KP came back with 7 left in the second and played for three and a half minutes without Luka. He got zero shots in this time. When Luka came back KP got 1 shot and went to the line twice in three and a half minutes.
I agree with all of this.
I just wish KP did, too. To be fair, we don't know that he doesn't, but there have been enough fishy things this season to prove that we also don't know that he does.
(03-22-2021, 12:50 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]To be fair, we don't know that he doesn't
I am really not into discussing something I have no possibility of knowing. Mavs are playing beautiful and successful basketball lately, that is all I care.
(03-22-2021, 12:58 AM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]I am really not into discussing something I have no possibility of knowing. Mavs are playing beautiful and successful basketball lately, that is all I care.
I agree, but there's still something missing. I never thought they'd contend this season, so I'm not experiencing the extreme lows that others are, even during the long losing streak. But, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think they'd be be better than this. Trying to figure out why that's happening is one of the points of this place, at least for me. I am very happy they're on a better stretch these days FOR SURE.
I respect your wish not to discuss things you don't want to discuss, but I can't block you from replying to those things. Only you have power over those choices.
(03-22-2021, 01:24 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]But, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think they'd be be better than this.
So you don't think:
- season starting early with close to zero training camp
- KP missing first part of the season and slowly catching up
- "half" a team gone for a couple of weeks due to Covid
- players feeling Covid consequences weeks after they returned
have something to do with a bad Mavs start? After those things got in order Mavs are playing great. Perhaps even better than we expected. I am really not sure what you are missing in the last 15 or so games. I think defense is very good and offense efficient. Even KP was great and I will never put much into small samples like last three games. There are games coming where he should feast (Minny, New Orleans) and other ones where he might have problemss (Indiana). The real problem they do have is short bench as they seem to be unable to replace production if one of the top 7 rotation guys is missing. Let alone more. I hope they will be able to address this by the end of the week.