+- MavsBoard (https://www.mavsboard.com)
+-- Forum: Boards (https://www.mavsboard.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: Dallas Mavericks and the NBA (https://www.mavsboard.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=2)
+--- Thread: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 (/showthread.php?tid=339)
A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - mavsluvr - 01-01-2020
Mavs Lose Heartbreaker in OKC
The depleted Mavs lost a late-game lead again. I guess the good news is that they had an opportunity to win right down to the wire.
Game Story and Analytics
Ryan Broekhoff and Tim Hardaway were listed as out when the roster was submitted. Porzingis was a last-minute scratch with a sore knee. Roberson was missing for the Thunder.
The Mavs got off to a hot start, and built a 12-point lead by the end of the first quarter. In the second period, the Mavericks started injecting a little crazy into their game, taking super-long threes and flinging long passes. The Thunder ended the half with an 8-0 run, leaving Dallas with a 51-50 advantage. Danilo Gallinari messed with the Mavs' minds in the third, but the boys in blue hung in, entering the fourth with a 1-point edge. Our guys were up by 7 with 2:42 left in the game. Chris Paul was in the process of taking over the game, and scored 13 points in the last 4:40. In the last 2:42, OKC went on a 14-2 run. With ten seconds left, Maxi missed an open three, Seth grabbed the offensive board, and Luka missed another open three. Guess it just wasn't their night.
The Mavs were undone by very poor shooting (35%) and lukewarm rebounding, although they did have a presence on the offensive glass (17), especially toward the end of the game. They were +27 on points from threes, -2 on made free throws, and -30 on points from twos. I'm not sure what the deal is with the Mavericks and free throws, but they missed 7 of their 27 tries.
Players
Luka (40 min) had a monster night, with 35 points, 10 boards, and 7 assists. He had his usual array of spectacular plays, but in the end, it wasn't enough to get the team over the hump. I hate to critique the young superstar, but it did seem to me that he was taking an awful lot of very difficult shots -- very long threes, midrange attempts with one or more guys in his face, etc. I didn't go back and check to see how many of those were at the end of the shot clock, but it may be that he could be a little more patient in working for a better shot. Just a thought. He also had an unfortunate turnover at the end of the game. On the plus side, he nutmegged Steven Adams with a gorgeous pass, resulting in a Curry three in the middle of the fourth.
Maxi (35 min) had an excellent game, stepping in for KP. He had 14 points, including four threes, and a career-high 14 boards. He was the most effective Mav at defending the rim, and Steven Adams was limited to 10 points, being in foul trouble much of the game. Admirable performance by the young German.
Powell (29 min) and Brunson (23 min) were just okay. The bench was decimated by the advancement of Maxi and Brunson to the starting unit, and only managed to put 28 points on the board (compared to 40 from OKC's second unit). Seth was 3 of 13, but produced two threes and an offensive board in the fourth. Wright had three turnovers, including a critical lost ball down the stretch. Boban was sighted for 11 minutes. He grabbed 6 boards, and had a team-high plus-minus, at +8.
Remarks
Neither Ced nor Jet seemed particularly disturbed by the game, noting that the Mavs were on the road in front of a rambunctious crowd, and missing two starters and Broekhoff. Rick Carlisle was having none of these excuses. He noted that the team had not defended Paul well, and weren't consistent enough in any area of the game. It was a physical game, with a lot of dinged up guys, but they have to do better. Rebounding and penetration were problematic the whole game. The Thunder's playmaking was exceptional, and the Mavs didn't do a good enough job staying in front of them. Notwithstanding all that, the team was in position to win, but couldn't take advantage of their chances. Rick was clearly disappointed with the performance.
Jason Terry said he is a little discouraged by one thing. He is afraid that Luka is starting to wear down. He played a season-high 40 minutes, and Jet is of the opinion that his teammates need to give him more help.
It appeared to me that the Mavericks were clearly missing Porzingis and Hardaway. Each of those players is good for 10-20 points per night, and KP is the team's best rebounder. With the subs in, the team's rhythm seemed to be thrown off, and Luka had to shoulder a very heavy load. But even at that, they were seven points ahead with less than three minutes to go. I guess they are going to have to go through a certain number of these late-game struggles before they become proficient in clutch situations. It's not the worst loss in the world, but disappointing nonetheless. Hopefully, 2020 will bring better days.
Next. The Mavs begin a home stand against Brooklyn on Thursday.
Hope all you MFFLs have a very happy New Year!
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - StepBackJay - 01-01-2020
To me we have a clear issue with bigs depth. KP was out and Boban remains a bit player you can't play except in certain spots.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - DanSchwartzgan - 01-01-2020
(01-01-2020, 08:54 AM)StepBackJay Wrote: To me we have a clear issue with bigs depth. KP was out and Boban remains a bit player you can't play except in certain spots.
Been saying this since the summer. The additional big doesn't have to be some stud necessarily...especially if we aren't giving up much to get him. But we need another body and six more fouls for those nights one of KP, Powell and Maxi can't go.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - BigDirk41 - 01-01-2020
I don't think Luka is wearing down. I think teams have figured out to play him physical and rough him up when they have the chance. This seems to result in frustration and bad shots from Luka. He can overcome this, but to me this seems to be what's going on at the moment. The refs are letting everyone bump and body Luka the length of the court. I've never seen a superstar more disrespected by the refs as Luka has been the last couple of games. For the record I'm not blaming the refs for any of these losses. This particular loss was on Luka imo. He settled too much and made poor decisions. For those not wanting to blame our "20 year old", if he gets all the praise for being a mvp candidate he should also get the blame when deserved. He didn't close out the game like a superstar is supposed to. With a 7 point lead with 2:30 in the game and a mvp candidate, we shouldn't lose that game. All the losses in close games is why I don't consider us a contender. I think we will be somewhere in the 4-6 seed range. I won't be mad however this season ends. We weren't supposed to be this good so fast so it's a good learning experience for the team regardless.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - DanSchwartzgan - 01-01-2020
(01-01-2020, 01:25 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: I guess they are going to have to go through a certain number of these late-game struggles before they become proficient in clutch situations.
82games.com publishes "Clutch" data. There really isn't anyone who is especially good in the clutch, but some of our starters are really bad.
Here are the FG%/3%'s for several players in Clutch situations this season:
Luka .337/.250
THJ .167/.200
KP .217.111
Powell is -18 and Wright is -37 in Clutch situations (the Toronto loss plays an oversized role here). But Luka is only +5 in the 13 games he's played that qualify as Clutch. If you comb through the data, Brunson is actually the only player who has excelled in Clutch situations. He has scored 25 points per 36 minutes of Clutch time on .500% FG% and .333 3%. I don't think the eye test would have told most of us that.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - mtrot - 01-01-2020
(01-01-2020, 01:25 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: Mavs Lose Heartbreaker in OKCTrue, but in light of their absence and the absence of those points, it seems to me that your guards cannot be turning the ball over and giving the opponent easy fast break opportunities. This is why I keep saying that Rick should give Barea some burn in these critical situations where you need an experienced point guard who knows how not to turn the ball over and also has demonstrated the ability to draw fouls on defenders when he's running the offense.
The depleted Mavs lost a late-game lead again. I guess the good news is that they had an opportunity to win right down to the wire.
Game Story and Analytics
Ryan Broekhoff and Tim Hardaway were listed as out when the roster was submitted. Porzingis was a last-minute scratch with a sore knee. Roberson was missing for the Thunder.
The Mavs got off to a hot start, and built a 12-point lead by the end of the first quarter. In the second period, the Mavericks started injecting a little crazy into their game, taking super-long threes and flinging long passes. The Thunder ended the half with an 8-0 run, leaving Dallas with a 51-50 advantage. Danilo Gallinari messed with the Mavs' minds in the third, but the boys in blue hung in, entering the fourth with a 1-point edge. Our guys were up by 7 with 2:42 left in the game. Chris Paul was in the process of taking over the game, and scored 13 points in the last 4:40. In the last 2:42, OKC went on a 14-2 run. With ten seconds left, Maxi missed an open three, Seth grabbed the offensive board, and Luka missed another open three. Guess it just wasn't their night.
The Mavs were undone by very poor shooting (35%) and lukewarm rebounding, although they did have a presence on the offensive glass (17), especially toward the end of the game. They were +27 on points from threes, -2 on made free throws, and -30 on points from twos. I'm not sure what the deal is with the Mavericks and free throws, but they missed 7 of their 27 tries.
Players
Luka (40 min) had a monster night, with 35 points, 10 boards, and 7 assists. He had his usual array of spectacular plays, but in the end, it wasn't enough to get the team over the hump. I hate to critique the young superstar, but it did seem to me that he was taking an awful lot of very difficult shots -- very long threes, midrange attempts with one or more guys in his face, etc. I didn't go back and check to see how many of those were at the end of the shot clock, but it may be that he could be a little more patient in working for a better shot. Just a thought. He also had an unfortunate turnover at the end of the game. On the plus side, he nutmegged Steven Adams with a gorgeous pass, resulting in a Curry three in the middle of the fourth.
Maxi (35 min) had an excellent game, stepping in for KP. He had 14 points, including four threes, and a career-high 14 boards. He was the most effective Mav at defending the rim, and Steven Adams was limited to 10 points, being in foul trouble much of the game. Admirable performance by the young German.
Powell (29 min) and Brunson (23 min) were just okay. The bench was decimated by the advancement of Maxi and Brunson to the starting unit, and only managed to put 28 points on the board (compared to 40 from OKC's second unit). Seth was 3 of 13, but produced two threes and an offensive board in the fourth. Wright had three turnovers, including a critical lost ball down the stretch. Boban was sighted for 11 minutes. He grabbed 6 boards, and had a team-high plus-minus, at +8.
Remarks
Neither Ced nor Jet seemed particularly disturbed by the game, noting that the Mavs were on the road in front of a rambunctious crowd, and missing two starters and Broekhoff. Rick Carlisle was having none of these excuses. He noted that the team had not defended Paul well, and weren't consistent enough in any area of the game. It was a physical game, with a lot of dinged up guys, but they have to do better. Rebounding and penetration were problematic the whole game. The Thunder's playmaking was exceptional, and the Mavs didn't do a good enough job staying in front of them. Notwithstanding all that, the team was in position to win, but couldn't take advantage of their chances. Rick was clearly disappointed with the performance.
Jason Terry said he is a little discouraged by one thing. He is afraid that Luka is starting to wear down. He played a season-high 40 minutes, and Jet is of the opinion that his teammates need to give him more help.
It appeared to me that the Mavericks were clearly missing Porzingis and Hardaway. Each of those players is good for 10-20 points per night, and KP is the team's best rebounder. With the subs in, the team's rhythm seemed to be thrown off, and Luka had to shoulder a very heavy load. But even at that, they were seven points ahead with less than three minutes to go. I guess they are going to have to go through a certain number of these late-game struggles before they become proficient in clutch situations. It's not the worst loss in the world, but disappointing nonetheless. Hopefully, 2020 will bring better days.
Next. The Mavs begin a home stand against Brooklyn on Thursday.
Hope all you MFFLs have a very happy New Year!
Yes, the younger guys need to get experience, as some posters here keep saying, but since we are in contention and not tanking this season, you have to win the freaking games when you have a fourth quarter lead. You just cannot have guards losing their handle and/or throwing ineffective passes.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - TXBamanut - 01-01-2020
What we are seeing is that the Mavs have a lot of players that are specialists that fit into certain roles like a puzzle, but when they lose one of the top three scorers, they can possibly win, but any 2 of the top 3, and it's going to be an issue, if all the "others" aren't hitting on all cylinders.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - Scott41theMavs - 01-01-2020
Look. Everyone blaming the coaching staff and style is nuts. They were just fine with things until Luka got hurt. Our roster consists of 1) a 20-year-old superstar who is banged up and whom the officials are evidently all too willing to permit getting far more banged up, 2) a struggling would-be star on a max contract who at least affects defense positively when he plays , 3) 4 situational guys who don't play enough (JJB, Bobi, Lee, and the now-injured RFA), 4) 3 youngsters not ready for prime time (Roby, Reeves, and Cleveland), 5) a streaky 3-and-sorta-D guy on a way-too-big contract, 6) a bust 10th man who looked earlier like he could be something special (Justin), and 7) 6 other guys (DFS, Maxi, Wright, Curry, Powell, and Brunson) who are more bench players than starter caliber.
I will beat the dead horse until every single poster here concedes the point: this offseason was unforgiveable, given the cap room and opportunity we had, and it becomes even worse if we don't use the Barnes exception. We're looking at a team that should have a far greater talent quotient than it does right now. It's a miracle of sorts (Luka magic, tbh, plus the coaching everyone likes to bash) that our record is as good as it is.
To prove my point: 15 PER is supposed to denote an average NBA player. Here are the PERs for the 8 dwarfs (the other 8 guys in the rotation with Luka and KP - JJB, Bobi, Lee, and Bro all have high PERs, but I don't care, cause they don't play):
1) Wright 19.39 (this is one of the things you could complain about the coaching staff legitimately - this guy doesn't play nearly enough. On the other hand, I get to hear all kinds of tools in the game threads bashing him, so oh well)
2) Brunson 15.95 (Brunson beats the living turd out of the eye test, not just with PER, but also with RPM and those clutch stats. Maybe stats are useless after all.)
3) Powell 15.26 (this guy always has an inflated PER)
4) THJ 14.13
5) Maxi 13.02
6) Seth 12.84
7) DFS 12.12
8) Justin 11.36
When you have two young stars and $30 mil in caproom (IIRC), you go out and get help. Infriggingexcuseable. Stop defending it.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - mavsluvr - 01-01-2020
(01-01-2020, 01:44 PM)TXBamanut Wrote: What we are seeing is that the Mavs have a lot of players that are specialists that fit into certain roles like a puzzle, but when they lose one of the top three scorers, they can possibly win, but any 2 of the top 3, and it's going to be an issue, if all the "others" aren't hitting on all cylinders.When you put it that way, I guess any team missing two of its top three scorers would have some difficulty.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - TXBamanut - 01-01-2020
(01-01-2020, 04:52 PM)mavsluvr Wrote:(01-01-2020, 01:44 PM)TXBamanut Wrote: What we are seeing is that the Mavs have a lot of players that are specialists that fit into certain roles like a puzzle, but when they lose one of the top three scorers, they can possibly win, but any 2 of the top 3, and it's going to be an issue, if all the "others" aren't hitting on all cylinders.When you put it that way, I guess any team missing two of its top three scorers would have some difficulty.
Pretty much. You take out any two of Lou Williams, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, and the Clipps might not beat the Thunder. We have a well-constructed team without a lot of redundancy.
It's frustrating to have a lead and just not protect it.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - mavsluvr - 01-01-2020
(01-01-2020, 04:01 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: Look. Everyone blaming the coaching staff and style is nuts. They were just fine with things until Luka got hurt. Our roster consists of 1) a 20-year-old superstar who is banged up and whom the officials are evidently all too willing to permit getting far more banged up, 2) a struggling would-be star on a max contract who at least affects defense positively when he plays , 3) 4 situational guys who don't play enough (JJB, Bobi, Lee, and the now-injured RFA), 4) 3 youngsters not ready for prime time (Roby, Reeves, and Cleveland), 5) a streaky 3-and-sorta-D guy on a way-too-big contract, 6) a bust 10th man who looked earlier like he could be something special (Justin), and 7) 6 other guys (DFS, Maxi, Wright, Curry, Powell, and Brunson) who are more bench players than starter caliber.Scott,
I will beat the dead horse until every single poster here concedes the point: this offseason was unforgiveable, given the cap room and opportunity we had, and it becomes even worse if we don't use the Barnes exception. We're looking at a team that should have a far greater talent quotient than it does right now. It's a miracle of sorts (Luka magic, tbh, plus the coaching everyone likes to bash) that our record is as good as it is.
To prove my point: 15 PER is supposed to denote an average NBA player. Here are the PERs for the 8 dwarfs (the other 8 guys in the rotation with Luka and KP - JJB, Bobi, Lee, and Bro all have high PERs, but I don't care, cause they don't play):
1) Wright 19.39 (this is one of the things you could complain about the coaching staff legitimately - this guy doesn't play nearly enough. On the other hand, I get to hear all kinds of tools in the game threads bashing him, so oh well)
2) Brunson 15.95 (Brunson beats the living turd out of the eye test, not just with PER, but also with RPM and those clutch stats. Maybe stats are useless after all.)
3) Powell 15.26 (this guy always has an inflated PER)
4) THJ 14.13
5) Maxi 13.02
6) Seth 12.84
7) DFS 12.12
8) Justin 11.36
When you have two young stars and $30 mil in caproom (IIRC), you go out and get help. Infriggingexcuseable. Stop defending it.
Thanks for digging up the stats. You make some interesting points, as usual. I appreciate your contributions.
If I may be so bold, one thing puzzles me a little. That is how important it seems to you that everyone agree with your opinions. We could all swear an oath in blood that the offseason was terrible (or wonderful, for that matter), and it wouldn't change a thing. It will always have happened exactly the way it did.
It seems to me that the point of a message board is that we can trade viewpoints and have discussions about a subject we all have an intense interest in, and learn from each other. If someone disagrees with you, or with me, that doesn't make them nuts, or ignorant, or stupid, or a bad fan, or a hater, or a gaslighter. Maybe they're just mistaken. Or, maybe they're just viewing the scene from a different window, and have something to offer that isn't visible from our vantage point.
I hope this does not offend you. I think you are a passionate fan who has a lot to contribute. As do most of the posters here. It's perfectly permissible to vent, but it's not helpful to label fellow posters. The offseason didn't turn out as well as you hoped. But, after all, while you're beating up on your dead horse and us fans, Cubes is out dancing.
In any event, thanks for your post, and I look forward to reading many more of them.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - Scott41theMavs - 01-01-2020
(01-01-2020, 05:45 PM)mavsluvr Wrote:(01-01-2020, 04:01 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: Look. Everyone blaming the coaching staff and style is nuts. They were just fine with things until Luka got hurt. Our roster consists of 1) a 20-year-old superstar who is banged up and whom the officials are evidently all too willing to permit getting far more banged up, 2) a struggling would-be star on a max contract who at least affects defense positively when he plays , 3) 4 situational guys who don't play enough (JJB, Bobi, Lee, and the now-injured RFA), 4) 3 youngsters not ready for prime time (Roby, Reeves, and Cleveland), 5) a streaky 3-and-sorta-D guy on a way-too-big contract, 6) a bust 10th man who looked earlier like he could be something special (Justin), and 7) 6 other guys (DFS, Maxi, Wright, Curry, Powell, and Brunson) who are more bench players than starter caliber.Scott,
I will beat the dead horse until every single poster here concedes the point: this offseason was unforgiveable, given the cap room and opportunity we had, and it becomes even worse if we don't use the Barnes exception. We're looking at a team that should have a far greater talent quotient than it does right now. It's a miracle of sorts (Luka magic, tbh, plus the coaching everyone likes to bash) that our record is as good as it is.
To prove my point: 15 PER is supposed to denote an average NBA player. Here are the PERs for the 8 dwarfs (the other 8 guys in the rotation with Luka and KP - JJB, Bobi, Lee, and Bro all have high PERs, but I don't care, cause they don't play):
1) Wright 19.39 (this is one of the things you could complain about the coaching staff legitimately - this guy doesn't play nearly enough. On the other hand, I get to hear all kinds of tools in the game threads bashing him, so oh well)
2) Brunson 15.95 (Brunson beats the living turd out of the eye test, not just with PER, but also with RPM and those clutch stats. Maybe stats are useless after all.)
3) Powell 15.26 (this guy always has an inflated PER)
4) THJ 14.13
5) Maxi 13.02
6) Seth 12.84
7) DFS 12.12
8) Justin 11.36
When you have two young stars and $30 mil in caproom (IIRC), you go out and get help. Infriggingexcuseable. Stop defending it.
Thanks for digging up the stats. You make some interesting points, as usual. I appreciate your contributions.
If I may be so bold, one thing puzzles me a little. That is how important it seems to you that everyone agree with your opinions. We could all swear an oath in blood that the offseason was terrible (or wonderful, for that matter), and it wouldn't change a thing. It will always have happened exactly the way it did.
It seems to me that the point of a message board is that we can trade viewpoints and have discussions about a subject we all have an intense interest in, and learn from each other. If someone disagrees with you, or with me, that doesn't make them nuts, or ignorant, or stupid, or a bad fan, or a hater, or a gaslighter. Maybe they're just mistaken. Or, maybe they're just viewing the scene from a different window, and have something to offer that isn't visible from our vantage point.
I hope this does not offend you. I think you are a passionate fan who has a lot to contribute. As do most of the posters here. It's perfectly permissible to vent, but it's not helpful to label fellow posters. The offseason didn't turn out as well as you hoped. But, after all, while you're beating up on your dead horse and us fans, Cubes is out dancing.
In any event, thanks for your post, and I look forward to reading many more of them.
Hey, thanks for the kudos and the critique. I tend to like consensus so that we all as fans have a common frame of reference. I understand that bartlettbear is always going to be an outlier on Carlisle, but there were a ton of guys in the game thread and here blaming coaching for the loss and criticizing the coaching philosophy. But Luka and the coaching philosophy are the precise reasons we have the (good) record we do. Why is it offensive to call a spade a spade and assert that a crazy opinion is crazy?
The offseason issue has gone quiet due to how well the team has done, but if you look back to around August, about 80% of the old board were calling for Mark and Donnie's heads. It was a big deal. It was like the 2011 and 2012 offseasons. It was like years of post-championship planned powder. And perhaps the offseason's biggest defender is one of the biggest opponents of planned powder!
Sorry, I'm a crusader on that particular issue. I want it kept on the frontburner. By failing to acquire far more talent this offseason, whether as foundation pieces or trade capital, in the prime opportunity to do so, the MBT hurt the Mavs for many years to come. If Luka ever leaves the Mavs, cherche 2019.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - mavsluvr - 01-01-2020
(01-01-2020, 06:41 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: Hey, thanks for the kudos and the critique. I tend to like consensus so that we all as fans have a common frame of reference. I understand that bartlettbear is always going to be an outlier on Carlisle, but there were a ton of guys in the game thread and here blaming coaching for the loss and criticizing the coaching philosophy. But Luka and the coaching philosophy are the precise reasons we have the (good) record we do. Why is it offensive to call a spade a spade and assert that a crazy opinion is crazy?Thanks for the reply, Scott.
The offseason issue has gone quiet due to how well the team has done, but if you look back to around August, about 80% of the old board were calling for Mark and Donnie's heads. It was a big deal. It was like the 2011 and 2012 offseasons. It was like years of post-championship planned powder. And perhaps the offseason's biggest defender is one of the biggest opponents of planned powder!
Sorry, I'm a crusader on that particular issue. I want it kept on the frontburner. By failing to acquire far more talent this offseason, whether as foundation pieces or trade capital, in the prime opportunity to do so, the MBT hurt the Mavs for many years to come. If Luka ever leaves the Mavs, cherche 2019
It appears to me that the goal of your crusade is to convince every poster that the Mavs squandered their opportunities in the offseason. If I have misunderstood that, maybe you can set me straight.
First, I think most comments in the game thread can be more or less disregarded after the moment passes. There is a ton of knee-jerking there. And while that is not really my thing, I have come to believe that overreacting is just part of the fun of watching a game for a lot of people. Secondly, you didn't call opinions crazy -- you called the posters crazy. Thirdly, "crazy" is just a meaningless label, it doesn't add anything to your argument.
Okay, back to your goal. Name-calling is not an effective persuasive tool. If anything, it can alienate people, or at best, cause them not to take you seriously. You're better than that. You often provide a logical basis for your opinions, and that is what will ultimately convince. I actually think your crusade would be more likely to succeed without the personal attacks.
I think the offseason is an interesting topic, and there will be much to be learned from it as time goes by. So it should remain in the conversation. I would view the discussion as an exercise in determining what lessons are in it, moreso than just agreeing to keep our fingers pointed. But people approach these things differently, and I respect that.
Thanks again for the thoughts.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - Dahlsim - 01-02-2020
(01-01-2020, 08:54 AM)StepBackJay Wrote: To me we have a clear issue with bigs depth. KP was out and Boban remains a bit player you can't play except in certain spots.
Huh?
What am I missing here? From the OP.
Quote: Boban was sighted for 11 minutes. He grabbed 6 boards, and had a team-high plus-minus, at +8.
Is it that he can't play more than bit player or that they won't play him, making him a system fit casualty?
Carlisle doesn't play certain player types much even if they play well when they get minutes. Salah Mejri was one of those bigs last year. Have a big game and still won't fit. Javale McGee was that guy a few years ago. He would get in the game and have some very nice minutes then get glued to the bench. Of course he went to GSW and contributed to a couple of NBA championships and now he's still doing quality work for the Lakers. In Dallas he was a system casualty.
Can't see how a trade or any move bringing in another BIG that looks like they could help on paper but in reality won't get system fit minutes will fix anything.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - mavsluvr - 01-02-2020
(01-01-2020, 09:35 AM)DanSchwartzman Wrote:Thanks for finding those stats. Sobering.(01-01-2020, 01:25 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: I guess they are going to have to go through a certain number of these late-game struggles before they become proficient in clutch situations.
82games.com publishes "Clutch" data. There really isn't anyone who is especially good in the clutch, but some of our starters are really bad.
Here are the FG%/3%'s for several players in Clutch situations this season:
Luka .337/.250
THJ .167/.200
KP .217.111
Powell is -18 and Wright is -37 in Clutch situations (the Toronto loss plays an oversized role here). But Luka is only +5 in the 13 games he's played that qualify as Clutch. If you comb through the data, Brunson is actually the only player who has excelled in Clutch situations. He has scored 25 points per 36 minutes of Clutch time on .500% FG% and .333 3%. I don't think the eye test would have told most of us that.
RE: A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106 - duboh7 - 01-02-2020
I guess my takeaway was.... Yes. Shooting percentage is the most important stat in bb! 35% & 29%(3s) just won't get it. Bad shot decisions, rough play & other factors do affect shooting percentage.