MavsBoard

MAVS EMBARRASSED IN MEMPHIS
DALLAS FALLS TO SIXTH IN WEST

The Mavericks played an uninspired, lackluster game against a Memphis team missing some of its key players. SMH. 


GAME STORY

The Grizzly injury report showed Jonas Valunciunas, Jaren Jackson, Grayson Allen, and Sean McDermott out with various injuries. KP was still absent for the Mavs. Maxi returned to action, after missing a few games with Achilles soreness. 

Carlisle went with his recent starting lineup of Doncic-Richardson-Hardaway-DFS-Willie, perhaps wanting to re-integrate Maxi gradually. 

The Mavericks began by exchanging scores and misses for the first few minutes, then built an 8-point advantage with 3:37 to go in the first, but squandered it to an 11-2 Memphis closing run, and ended the period down 27-28.

Dallas continued to lag by a few points in the second quarter. They finally recovered the lead briefly at the 4:28 mark, only to surrender it again. The visiting Mavs trailed 57-60 at halftime. Hardaway led the second-period scoring with 10 points. Redick went off with an injury early in the quarter, and was ruled out of returning to the game. 

The Grizz got out to their biggest lead of the game at seven points in the third, and later stretched it to thirteen with a 12-2 run. The Mavs were turning the ball over right and left, and Kyle Anderson created separation with 10 points to add to Ja’s 11. Carlisle pushed the Boban button, and Bobi rewarded him with a basket and an assist right off. However, he took only one more shot, Memphis took advantage on the other end, and the Mavericks never got closer than 8 in the last 4:49. Your boys were staring at an 82-96 deficit after three. 

The Mavericks opened the fourth with a Flagrant Two foul, with Powell being ejected for laying some unnecessary and excessive contact on Brandon Clarke's face. Memphis quickly reached a 22-point lead, and were at 23 at 7:50. Rick unleashed the rookies and the third string, and that crowd closed out the game. 


STATISTICS

The Mavericks shot 50% from inside the arc, 32% from deep, and 95% from the line. Comparable percentages for the Grizz were 62/48/94. There's your game. Point differentials for the Mavs were -20 on points from twos, -12 on points from threes, and +3 on made free throws. The bright spot, if there is one, is that Dallas was 18-19 from the stripe. Memphis led 58-46 in PIP, and destroyed Dallas in the turnover department, with the Mavs giving up 23 points off giveaways and 21 fast-break points. There were sequences where the Mavericks looked like the three stooges -- inexplicable, really. 


PLAYERS

HARDAWAY. Timmy did his best to keep the Mavs in the game in his team-high 28 minutes, leading the squad with 19 points on 6-11 shooting, while also chipping in 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Coach Boucek said she was proud of the team for getting better at finding THJ and getting the ball to him in his sweet spots. She also liked it that Tim was mixing up his scoring, and not just taking threes. In the second quarter, he had a nice, leaderly play on a fast break, running the court and passing to Richardson under the basket when he had a shot himself. Not enough to carry the team for the full 48, but still a bright spot in a dark night. Shooting his 201st three, he became the first Mav in history, and the 22nd player in NBA history, to have multiple seasons with at least 200 threes. 

DONCIC. It was a very subpar night for Luka,  who was 4-16 from the field, had only 4 FTAs, and had as many turnovers as assists (5). He looked out of sorts from the beginning, and it probably didn’t help that he took a dive over an advertising board onto the concrete floor in the second quarter, landing on his hip with an alarming thud. Rick said he did not know why Luka didn’t play well in this game, but he didn’t think any of the other guys was happy with his own individual performance, either. Luka himself deemed this game one of the worst he has ever played, and took responsibility for the loss. 

WCS.  Willie had a career night, with 16 points and 8 minutes in 15 minutes of action. He was a demon in the paint, putting the ball back and dunking off passes from his teammates like there was no tomorrow. He and Timmy held the fort for a while, and both stepped up on the evening. Trill was the only Mav in positive figures, at +1. 

BRUNSON. Brunson did the best he could in a sixth-man role, putting up 15 points and 3 assists on 6-11 shooting in 25 minutes off the bench.  He had a exciting stretch at one point when he ended up dishing an assist from his back on the floor on one end of the court, and shortly afterward securing a steal in a similar position on the other end. Good hustle!

NINE-MAN ROTATION. Starters DFS and J Rich combined for 11 points and 2 rebounds in 50 minutes. Josh did have 4 steals. Maxi, Powell, and Burke totaled 12 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists in 47 minutes. Not gonna cut it. Powell was ejected after playing 11 minutes, and Maxi was eased in with 14. 

DEEP BENCH. Everyone who was suited up got to play, so at least fans longing to see the less-used players got an extended peek. Redick injured his heel after 2 minutes. He is out tomorrow, and will be monitored on a game-to-game basis thereafter. Melli and Green got some decent run. Nothing remarkable to report. 

GRIZZLIES. This team, whose signature is their dominance in the paint, bombed away from distance and pounded the Mavs with sixteen threes. Seven players on their short-handed team were in double figures, led by Ja Morant with 24 points and 8 assists. 


OBSERVATIONS

This was a very disappointing effort, needless to say. The post-game crew speculated that the Mavs may have seen all the Grizzlies parked on the bench with injuries and gotten a little too complacent about how much attention would be demanded of them. Coach Boucek said she hopes that no one on the team is taking these last games for granted, but to the extent anyone is, this match should be a learning experience about the dangers of relaxing. She admitted that her side had entered the game with the wrong disposition, and that the hungrier team won. She acknowledged that it might have been complacency, but it also could have been “just one of those nights.”

Carlisle allowed that, while the squad played well in stretches, the collective effort and will was not up to snuff. He thought that a key factor in the loss was the close of the first quarter, when the Mavericks surrendered their lead and never got the momentum back. 

It’s really hard to know what to expect from these Mavs from one night to the next. They face the Zion-less Pelicans tomorrow. The team is hopeful that KP will be back, so perhaps that will give them a boost. 

Mama said there’d be days like this. Yep. She did.

With all the missing Grizz, I never heard of half the guys they played tonight. Hopefully, the Mavs don’t see these guys again this season.

Well, the Knicks blew that game. I doubt if the Lakers lose again. The Mavs are back in the muck. They’ll need two wins in the next three.

(05-12-2021, 12:08 AM)ThisIStheYear Wrote: [ -> ]Well, the Knicks blew that game. I doubt if the Lakers lose again. The Mavs are back in the muck. They’ll need two wins in the next three.

In a perfect world the Mavs go 3-0 against NOP TOR MIN

But given how they always like to play down to their competition I'm seriously worried.

The Mavs' magic number to avoid the play-in tournament remains at 2, with both the Mavs and Lakers having three games left. 

Dallas will now need some help from Portland to recapture the fifth seed.

The effort to avoid the play in tournament has become a pre play in tournament.  Mavs are still in good shape all things considered.  

Mavs got their bad loss out of the way before the playoffs.  I expect them to bounce back.

Portland has the Jazz, Suns and Nuggets.  Maybe they win them all but I doubt it.

Really hope the Jazz and Suns bring their A-Game against POR. 

I'm pretty pissed how the Mavs gave the game away ... really might hurt them. They gotta get that 5th spot, the playoff pool of UTA, DEN, GSW/LAL/MEM looks so much better than PHX,LAC,LAL/GSW. With Lakers going 3-2 through the tough 5 game stretch, we have to worry about 7th bit, if we don't get our effort game straight.

I am not fretting much about the play in game.  This team has some strengths but is not a top tier contender.  In years like these I look at what positives can we take from the year. 

Luka has shown that despite not being in the best shape that he is a stud. DFS and THJ are keepers. Yes they can be inconsistent on offense but both play hard.  Mavs cannot grossly overpay but cannot cheap out either on THJ. Josh Green for all the early grief he took actually is turning into a NBA player.  Maxi and JRich are expendable 

Biggest disappointment is KP. Not just because of the injuries but because when you are trying to move to the next level of being a legit contender, the second most difficult thing is getting that secondary star.  Unless he has a magical playoffs, his regression, be it due to injuries or other things, puts a huge dampener on the overall season.

(05-12-2021, 07:05 AM)Hypermav Wrote: [ -> ]Mavs got their bad loss out of the way before the playoffs.  I expect them to bounce back.

This is what I was talking about last week. I would like to see them going into the playoffs with a 3 game win streak instead of an 8 game win streak if they were to win last night. I understand they need to win the next 3 games for that. Hopefully they do. I just think the 8 win streak being their best run of games all season, in my (probably flawed) memory lends to letdowns in the first round.

(05-12-2021, 08:32 AM)hakeemfaan Wrote: [ -> ]I am not fretting much about the play in game.

I am! This team needs rest in the worst way. I think they were as good as they were last year cause they went in fully rested. Having a week after playing so many games with so little time off in between HAS to be hard on the body.

I knew KP was going to be a huge ? mark, when he signed that max extension. He's never been healthy enough to justify it. AD is hurt a lot as well, but suffice it to say the Lakers get much more production out of him, then Dallas is getting from KP. At least he's playing through most of his nagging injuries, ( like last night) while KP sits.

(05-12-2021, 09:14 AM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: [ -> ]At least he's playing through most of his nagging injuries, ( like last night) while KP sits.

Pretty sure our medical staff are the ones forcing KP to sit over every small thing. Given how KP keeps reiterating he just wants to play I'm sure he'd be out there if he had his say.

(05-12-2021, 09:31 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: [ -> ]Pretty sure our medical staff are the ones forcing KP to sit over every small thing.

But is it really "small" when the medical staff intervenes for KP and not Luka? 

That would be SUPER concerning.

Tough game to watch.   They happen though.  It sucks it happened last night near the regular season finish line.

I thought that was one of Luka's worst performances of the year.   He looked like me running up and down the court.   Very labored.   Does he look a little bigger than even just a few weeks ago?   I thought the ball movement when he was out of the game was really good, but things slogged down when he was in the game.   

In the second half, The Grizz really took it to the Mavs.  They played well and I am sure they wanted some revenge from the previous game Luka magic.   

I would have liked to see Josh Green in the first half, but it is a tricky situation with a full roster.    I would have preferred him over Burke, but Burke has played well recently too.   With Maxi back, there is another mouth to feed.  Maxi was bad, but he needs to regain his rhythm prior to the playoffs.  

It is fitting that the regular season is going to come down whether the Mavs can beat three under 500 teams to escape the play in.    Mavs vs under 500 teams is scary stuff.

(05-12-2021, 09:43 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: [ -> ]Does he look a little bigger than even just a few weeks ago? 

Yes, I also think Luka has been putting on weight in the last couple months. 

I am pretty concerned about his long term weight and conditioning (diet).

(05-12-2021, 09:36 AM)Kammrath Wrote: [ -> ]But is it really "small" when the medical staff intervenes for KP and not Luka? 

That would be SUPER concerning.

I mean small is relative. What is small for Luka is a bigger issue for KP. There's no getting around KP's injury concerns and it's why I think the medical staff is more cautious around KP than Luka. Which I believe is the correct move. 

Is the medical staff making the wrong choice?

(05-12-2021, 08:32 AM)hakeemfaan Wrote: [ -> ]I am not fretting much about the play in game.  This team has some strengths but is not a top tier contender.  In years like these I look at what positives can we take from the year. 

Luka has shown that despite not being in the best shape that he is a stud. DFS and THJ are keepers. Yes they can be inconsistent on offense but both play hard.  Mavs cannot grossly overpay but cannot cheap out either on THJ. Josh Green for all the early grief he took actually is turning into a NBA player.  Maxi and JRich are expendable 

Biggest disappointment is KP. Not just because of the injuries but because when you are trying to move to the next level of being a legit contender, the second most difficult thing is getting that secondary star.  Unless he has a magical playoffs, his regression, be it due to injuries or other things, puts a huge dampener on the overall season.

I agree with all of this except the part about the play in game. Sending a lottery pick to the Knicks would be a significant psychological blow to the franchise and would increase the odds that Luka walks when his contract is up.  I don’t have great confidence the Mavs would prevail against Golden State or a healthy Memphis team in the play in tournament.

(05-12-2021, 08:32 AM)hakeemfaan Wrote: [ -> ]I am not fretting much about the play in game.  This team has some strengths but is not a top tier contender.  In years like these I look at what positives can we take from the year. 

Luka has shown that despite not being in the best shape that he is a stud. DFS and THJ are keepers. Yes they can be inconsistent on offense but both play hard.  Mavs cannot grossly overpay but cannot cheap out either on THJ. Josh Green for all the early grief he took actually is turning into a NBA player.  Maxi and JRich are expendable 

Biggest disappointment is KP. Not just because of the injuries but because when you are trying to move to the next level of being a legit contender, the second most difficult thing is getting that secondary star.  Unless he has a magical playoffs, his regression, be it due to injuries or other things, puts a huge dampener on the overall season.

I'll also agree with almost everything here.  The team would probably do much better with the rest than with a play in game (or 2). But I also won't fret until they lose one of those play in games. There is, of course, some chance that they stay hot from 3 long enough to win a first round series, which would be super exciting.  But I don't know if I trust the FO enough to make better or worse decisions if that were to happen. 
Primary take away is definitely how to build for next year.  This game (in contrast to the previous few) highlights the season's strengths and weaknesses.  1) If they hit the 3, they win. If they miss they lose 2) Sometimes they play tough for a whole game, sometimes they don't 3) KP is hurt. If they fix 1 and 2, they can win a series or 2.  If they fix all 3, they can be contenders.  

The one thing I'll disagree with is that I think Maxi is a keeper.  6'10 players who play hard, play defense, hit the three pointer, and are friendly with Luka are important.  We don't have anyone else that does that, so he's only expendable if we get someone just like him in return.

(05-12-2021, 11:18 AM)U_L Wrote: [ -> ]The one thing I'll disagree with is that I think Maxi is a keeper.  6'10 players who play hard, play defense, hit the three pointer, and are friendly with Luka are important.  We don't have anyone else that does that, so he's only expendable if we get someone just like him in return.

Maxi and all of our players are expendable because they are best used as bench players (maaaaaybe sans DFS, but to me, in the right deal, he’s expendable). If we can get players that are best used as starters for our players that are best used as bench players, we win that trade and the team is better set up for the future.

The game vs Memphis was one of four games we had to win in order to secure the 5th place. But the team looked flat, tired and unmotivated. There was absolutely 0 fight or fire to win. Sorry but motivating the team is the coach's responsibility although I don't understand why the players weren't naturally motivated by the standings... Luka was jogging up and down the court like a 50-year-old and had several just terrible and sloppy turnovers. Many players followed his example...Luka has to show more fight and play with more intensity. He has to lead by example.

However, I want to point out that I seriously question RC's ability to appropriately motivate this team first and foremost. It happens too often against bad and mediocre teams.

After some of the losses against the Kings this was another Mavs loss I am really angry about because I had the impression the players weren't interested in playing this game in the first place.