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Mavs 130, Magic 124 - mavsluvr - 03-02-2021
OFFENSE HUMS IN ORLANDO
Your Dallas Mavericks played a crisp team game and put the Magic away, holding off a late Orlando rally.
NOTABLE ITEMS
GAME FLOW. The Magic had four players on the injured list -- Anthony, Fultz, Gordon, and Isaac. The Mavericks were at full strength to start the game.
The Mavs got off to a slow start and found themselves trailing for most of the last four minutes of the first quarter. Orlando led 33-29 after one. Luka kept the Mavs in it with 10 points in the beginning twelve minutes. Dallas was back in the lead at the 8:25 mark in the second period, and never trailed again. The visitors were up 61-58 at halftime.
About halfway through the third, our boys caught fire, with their star duo LD-KP combining for 19 of the team’s 34-point frame. They built a 13-point advantage during the quarter and led 95-86 after three. They maintained a double-digit lead for most of the fourth and were up by 18 points in the last five minutes. The Magic mounted a comeback attempt, closing the game on a 22-10 run, but the Mavericks held on for the win.
NUMBERS. Both teams had proficient offenses, shooting well (52%, 49%) and recording only 8 turnovers each. Orlando’s defense mostly consisted of fouling, and Dallas had a 23-14 advantage in free-throw attempts. The Magic stayed in the game with their hot three-point shooting (20-41, 49%). The Mavs had a balanced game, with six players in double figures.
DONCIC. The birthday boy turned 22 over the weekend and celebrated with a near triple-double (33/10/9). He hit five of his 10 three-point attempts and also feasted in the paint. He even lost a shoe at one point and did not let it faze him. Luka said after the game that he is still working on his leadership skills, and by all accounts, his efforts are paying off. Yet another outstanding night.
BRUNSON. Jalen dazzled in a bench-scoring role, putting up 24 points on 9-13 shooting to go with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Rick commented on how far the young point guard has come since his introduction to the league, making adjustments to his body and his game to adapt to the NBA. Coach said that Brunson is not only an effective scorer, but has become a solid defender, growing stronger and quicker over the seasons. Rick complimented Donnie for performing at his “phenomenal best” in the Luka-Brunson draft. I think we can second that. Devin Harris observed that JB has made great strides in mixing up his pace and in reading game situations. Great to see the young Mav making such progress!
PORZINGIS. It was a tale of two halves for KP, who was 1-9 from the floor with only two points in the first half. He sprang to life in the second half and ended up with a 17 and 10 night. In a highlight-reel moment, he stunned the Magic with a dash from nowhere for a ferocious put back flush in the third quarter. Rick complimented #6 on his “great floor game” and “big presence around the basket,” and commended Kristaps for the work he has been doing off the court.
KLEBER. Maxi had 13 points and 6 rebounds and won the DPOG award. The coach commented on the key defensive role the man from Wurzburg played, doing a “solid job” on Vucevic, and making some good help plays. Rick went on to observe that Maxi is a very valuable player in Rick’s system.
BENCH MENTIONS. The reserves were key in this win, scoring 50 points in the effort. Carlisle particularly singled out Powell and Burke, saying that looked ready to play and brought much-needed energy at the end of the road trip. Both made an impact in limited court time. Powell had 8 points and took a turn on Vucevic. The Orlando venue seemed to bring back Bubble Burke, with Trey scoring 11 points in 10 minutes, including an exciting 7-point burst in a one-minute stretch in the second quarter. WCS had to leave the game early with a sprained thumb.
MAGIC. The opponents were no pushovers in this contest, despite missing some of their key players. Vucevic put his defenders through their paces, putting up 29 points, 15 boards, and 8 assists. Fournier also had a good night, torching the Mavs for 26 points, including five threes. Carter-Williams and Terence Ross had 18 apiece, with MCW hitting 8-13 from the field. Although their offense was prolific, they offered little resistance on the defensive end.
OBSERVATIONS
Carlisle “loved” the game, especially admiring his team’s “wonderful” ball movement. This was a Rick Carlisle type of contest, with the ball popping, the scoring balanced, and the team exerting good energy on the glass.
The coach was asked to comment on how the team has improved to such an extent at this point in the season. He acknowledged that it is much easier to cope without having to deal directly with COVID. More generally, he admitted that the squad was not in very good condition entering the season, which affected their ability to play well. He said that his players still have work to do, but they have been playing “an excellent brand of basketball,” and he sees “good signs.” Encouraging developments!
This win, their eighth in the last ten, put the Mavs over .500 for the first time since January. If they can defeat OKC on Wednesday, they will enter the All-Star Break with momentum on their side. The coach called the upcoming Thunder match “a trap game at all levels,” so hopefully the Mavs will bring the appropriate energy and focus.
Good times, Mavs fans!
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - omahen - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 04:28 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: This win, their eighth in the last ten, put the Mavs over .500 for the first time since January. If they can defeat OKC on Wednesday, they will enter the All-Star Break with momentum on their side. The coach called the upcoming Thunder match “a trap game at all levels,” so hopefully the Mavs will bring the appropriate energy and focus.
Great recap. I think we can be pleased at this point as complete Mavs team is playing nice basketball and (I think) improving as games go by. Perrhaps, just perhaps, the early troubles were nothing more than a consequence of guys missing games, tough schedule and overall strange season. Of course Mavs are still far from their season expectations and they absolutely need to continue on current path. No excuses in games against the OKCs of the world. Personally, I expect them to continue on average 7-3 pace for the remainder of the season, baring some major injuries of course.
I really like our guard/small wing rotation. We have Luka and three capable guys. JRich is not a star, but consistent enough. If only his 3 pt shot would fall, otherwise he is great. THJ and Brunson are able to score a lot and coach can decide on nightly basis who to play more based on daily form. DFS and Kleber can play good defense but are very limited offensively. It is yet to be seen if that is enough to be starting for a contender.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - meistermatze - 03-02-2021
I think the most outstanding thing besides our usual collapse near the end is, that this game was KP in a nutshell. Watch the first half and you know why people see him as an overrated shot-hunter, watch the second half and you see why some pople call him the unicorn. I think the key for him is just to play in the flow of the game and let the game come to him.
I think it was visible that he did this in the second half and once he did, it came together for him. I hope he can make this his approach to the game and inseatd of chucking up threes, he should be more aggressive and get inside. I also think he showed improvements on the defensive end and looked more mobile than before.
Lukas looks like from a video game and Brunson was, yet again, outstanding. Great game, going into the break 18-16 would be big. You can start see things coming together. I hope we cann stay healthy and keep improving. Let's go Mavs!
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - DanSchwartzgan - 03-02-2021
Rare second half Burke sighting. Minutes came at the expense of THJ.
I'd feel better about this 8 of 10 run we are on if I felt like we actually beat a good team at full strength. It beats the alternative, but I'm not convinced we are anywhere near back to ourselves yet.
Wednesday is definitely a trap game. We don't tend to play well the first home game after a road trip (not to mention looking forward to a short break).
If you had your druthers, would you use space next summer on retaining JRich or signing Fournier. They are by reputation the opposite sides of the same coin. Fournier is getting more opportunities to run the O this season with a career high Asst % and Usage (Asst./TO is steady compared to his career at 2/1). The Orlando D is 5.7 pp48 worse when he's in the game, but the O is 9.5 points better (82games.com).
JRich has the better defensive reputation, but the Mav's are 5.5 pp48 worse defensively when he is in the game. The O is 1.8 points better (nowhere near the 9.5 Fournier is putting up). JRich has a 1/1 Asst/TO ratio and is shooting 3's much worse than Fournier. If given the chance, would you take a guard rotation of Luka/JB/Fournier over Luka/JB/JRich?
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - HanspardShowerVoice - 03-02-2021
Quote:JRich has the better defensive reputation, but the Mav's are 5.5 pp48 worse defensively when he is in the game. The O is 1.8 points better (nowhere near the 9.5 Fournier is putting up). JRich has a 1/1 Asst/TO ratio and is shooting 3's much worse than Fournier. If given the chance, would you take a guard rotation of Luka/JB/Fournier over Luka/JB/JRich?
Yeah, one of the big disappointments to me of this season is that our "defensive specialists" Richardson and DFS just really aren't that good at defense ... at least not enough to counter balance their lack of offense for the minutes they play. 3D guys who can't shoot 3s better be pretty elite at D, and both of them are pretty far from elite. I would actually be fairly disappointed if we resigned JRich, and would signal a lack of imagination in the front office as to how to get better production bang for the salary buck. Peal away the mystique of having been formerly associated with "Heat Culture", and underneath is not a player I'm paying a premium for.
Speaking of bang for the buck production, Jalen Brunson's bang for the buck production is off the charts. Are people aware of what a 17.5 PER player who is 24 years old and can QB your offense could fetch at open market value? People eager to ship him off should question where they're replacing that production and how much they're willing to pay for it.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - Chicagojk - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 08:05 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: Rare second half Burke sighting. Minutes came at the expense of THJ.
I'd feel better about this 8 of 10 run we are on if I felt like we actually beat a good team at full strength. It beats the alternative, but I'm not convinced we are anywhere near back to ourselves yet.
Wednesday is definitely a trap game. We don't tend to play well the first home game after a road trip (not to mention looking forward to a short break).
If you had your druthers, would you use space next summer on retaining JRich or signing Fournier. They are by reputation the opposite sides of the same coin. Fournier is getting more opportunities to run the O this season with a career high Asst % and Usage (Asst./TO is steady compared to his career at 2/1). The Orlando D is 5.7 pp48 worse when he's in the game, but the O is 9.5 points better (82games.com).
JRich has the better defensive reputation, but the Mav's are 5.5 pp48 worse defensively when he is in the game. The O is 1.8 points better (nowhere near the 9.5 Fournier is putting up). JRich has a 1/1 Asst/TO ratio and is shooting 3's much worse than Fournier. If given the chance, would you take a guard rotation of Luka/JB/Fournier over Luka/JB/JRich?
I can't make my mind up on Richardson yet. The whole covid thing makes it even tougher. I think the threes he makes to me are typically the harder ones he takes. He seems to miss most of the wide open threes. To me, his offensive game is some good, some bad, but when I look at the final numbers I am underwhelmed.
Quick question: Would you rather have Fournier or DeRozen if the Mavs moved on from Richardson?
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - omahen - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 08:05 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: JRich has the better defensive reputation, but the Mav's are 5.5 pp48 worse defensively when he is in the game. The O is 1.8 points better (nowhere near the 9.5 Fournier is putting up). JRich has a 1/1 Asst/TO ratio and is shooting 3's much worse than Fournier. If given the chance, would you take a guard rotation of Luka/JB/Fournier over Luka/JB/JRich?
I think Fournier basically replicates what THJ is. If we want to have any defense, he is not the answer. The way JB and THJ are playing, I just don't see him as improvement, assuming we keep both. Even if JRich is bad defensively, Fournier is not the answer.
As for JRich. Watching him more closely lately I just don't understand that defensive number. He definitely is a good defender by eye test. How much is that number influenced by playing next to KP?
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - juanc - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 08:05 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I'd feel better about this 8 of 10 run we are on if I felt like we actually beat a good team at full strength. It beats the alternative, but I'm not convinced we are anywhere near back to ourselves yet.
Let me also remind you that almost all games that the Mavs lost, they weren't at full strenght...
But I agree, they still aren't playing at 100%, but the curve is trending upwards and that's a great sign
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - DanSchwartzgan - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 08:27 AM)omahen Wrote: As for JRich. Watching him more closely lately I just don't understand that defensive number. He definitely is a good defender by eye test. How much is that number influenced by playing next to KP?
Good point. JRich has only played 12 games with KP this season. Net rating is -0.1. HOWEVER, D-Rating is by far the worst of any other pairing with a regular at 124.
Interestingly, KP has an even worse D-Rating when playing next to DFS at 128, but pretty much all of his pairings with regulars have a D-Rating that is worse than team average of 114.4.
Back to JRich, it would take some math, but he is probably nicely net positive to team D in the minutes he isn't playing with KP. He's 10 over with KP at 124 which is about 1/3 of his total minutes this season. So, he's probably about 5 under at 109 in the other 2/3's without KP.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - michaeltex - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 08:05 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I'd feel better about this 8 of 10 run we are on if I felt like we actually beat a good team at full strength. It beats the alternative, but I'm not convinced we are anywhere near back to ourselves yet.No doubt. But wins do contribute to a winning culture, although that's probably a cyclical argument.
My point is that, in piling up wins, the expectation going into (most) games is that the Mavs will win or at least have a chance of winning, which then impacts the quality of play.
I think it's also, finally, building trust in the team and the system. Some of Luka's unbelievable passes last night would not have happened a few weeks ago. Which speaks to the improved mental competitiveness of the team.
As the great philosopher Ty Webb said: "See the ball....be...be the ball!"
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - ItsGoTime - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 09:22 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: Good point. JRich has only played 12 games with KP this season. Net rating is -0.1. HOWEVER, D-Rating is by far the worst of any other pairing with a regular at 124.Man, this makes me wonder. Is JRich more confident in hounding his player when KP is in the game cause he believes his shot blocker will cover the mistakes?
Interestingly, KP has an even worse D-Rating when playing next to DFS at 128, but pretty much all of his pairings with regulars have a D-Rating that is worse than team average of 114.4.
Back to JRich, it would take some math, but he is probably nicely net positive to team D in the minutes he isn't playing with KP. He's 10 over with KP at 124 which is about 1/3 of his total minutes this season. So, he's probably about 5 under at 109 in the other 2/3's without KP.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - HanspardShowerVoice - 03-02-2021
The main thing is that this team has a severe lack of preperation, conditioning and playing time together in this weird one off season for a variety of idiosyncratic reasons and have had to work on these things in regular season games that count in the standings rather than a setting of training camp, preseason games and practice. So any chance they get to work out these issues and come out with a win, regardless of competition, I'll take as a positive going forward.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - michaeltex - 03-02-2021
Personally, I think the downtime during the Texas Snowmageddon really helped the team find some synergies and role definitions. JB is looking stronger and stronger, Luka seems to be having more fun playing, KP seems to be putting more pressure on himself to deliver on both ends, Powell is showing a little bit.
Maybe they can get to addressing some of the finishing problems during the ASB.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - KillerLeft - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 09:41 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: Man, this makes me wonder. Is JRich more confident in hounding his player when KP is in the game cause he believes his shot blocker will cover the mistakes?
I think it's probably simpler. Whoever is in the game instead of KP has (so far) gotten into help position to help cut off drives much more frequently.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - Kammrath - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 08:27 AM)omahen Wrote: How much is that number influenced by playing next to KP?
Here is a chart to try and dig in to the mystery of JR's poor on/off numbers....
![[Image: Screenshot-2021-03-02-at-9.40.55-AM.png]](http://stlukeskck.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot-2021-03-02-at-9.40.55-AM.png)
- The whole team is ORating 113.0, DRating 113.5
- Maxi is the only player JR has a positive net rating with.
- JB is the player he has the best defensive rating with.
- Him playing alongside KP is absolutely killing his defensive numbers.
- Without KP his DRating is 3.6 pts better than the team's baseline.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - KillerLeft - 03-02-2021
Great stuff, @"mavsluvr". Here's a few thoughts I had that I couldn't beat people in the discord with (had to watch very late):
1) I'm sure there was and will be today a lot of talk about the Mavs' defense in this one because of the high scoring quarters they gave up, but I actually thought they played REALLY hard on that end, and well, mostly. Orlando had a great offensive night, and I know that sounds like a copout, but I really think it's legit in this case. The pace of this game was quite frenetic - it felt like Orlando wanted badly to end their losing streak. To their credit, I thought Dallas matched their energy nicely and even surpassed it. Both teams played HARD.
2) The only thing the Dallas defense didn't handle well, imo, was that they gave off-ball Fournier too much room as he popped around pin downs in the first quarter. I thought the coaching staff and Porzingis did a nice job of adjusting in the 2nd quarter, having the center predict those sets a little more aggressively and take away more of that shooting space. Orlando didn't have a counter inside (on those specific actions) to which Fournier could pass and make Porzingis pay for coming out so far. I thought it was a great adjustment, and credit to KP. Fournier still hit some shots, but this tactic slowed Orlando down enough to retake the lead, and they never looked back.
2) Porzingis had another good night, imo. I'm sure there was some hate in the discord over the bad shooting in the first half, but I actually don't remember a single shot I hated - he just missed them. On the defensive end, I thought he was moving well again last night, and he was GREAT in the paint, especially against Vucevic, who was absolutely destroying everyone else down there. This might have been the best post defense I've seen from KP since coming here. That was a welcome sight. And, though this certainly wasn't a pick and roll team (KP's huge weakness), it was a RUNNING game, and I feel that KP more than held his own getting up and down the floor. To my eye, this is two games in a row for the "keep KP" crowd to count in their evidence column. Love to see it.
3) Kleber absolutely could not handle Vucevic in the post, but it was his best game of the season last night, by far. He was moving soooo much better. Quicker and more aggressive. I voted him for the Dirkie, and I think Dallas is a different team with him playing well on defense. He's letting those open catch and shoot opportunities go without hesitation, too.
4) Luka was playing with more joy than I think he has in quite some time. He actually pushed the ball (like, fast) on 3-4 possessions, getting to the rim before the backpedalling defense could even get set. First time I've seen him do this all season. I'm getting to a point now where I feel like every one of his 3's are going in. Some tried to downplay his early-season conditioning and others might have overhyped it, but last night I thought he definitively looked in shape. Can't wait to see what this kid does next.
5) Burke should sign his next contract with Orlando, so that he can play most of his games there.
6) OMG, Vucevic is good. Like, I can't believe how well rounded and lethal his offensive game is. Great post game, and his release on shots off the catch is even quicker than KP's. He's a special player, offensively.
7) Fournier, I thought, looked like he was auditioning to come here. We all remember the tweet "the Mavericks make me dream" from the bubble. I just really think he wants to be here, but I don't think Dallas needs him. Still, he's a good player who had a great night. Underrated, imo.
8) I thought Richardson had kind of a rough night, defensively. He guarded MCW, who can't shoot, he can only drive. You can go under on every screen (which Richardson did), and somehow MCW was still beating Rich to the paint on many possessions. I'm really not feeling him here yet, but my mind is still open.
9) Brunson is a treasure. Beautiful to see when a player gets developed so effectively and arrives into his own right when the team needs him.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - StepBackJay - 03-02-2021
I thought I was watching KP pretty closely and I just didn't see that much defensively that stood out to me. I do remember Vuc missing shots that inside that he makes a lot.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - KillerLeft - 03-02-2021
(03-02-2021, 12:03 PM)StepBackJay Wrote: I thought I was watching KP pretty closely and I just didn't see that much defensively that stood out to me. I do remember Vuc missing shots that inside that he makes a lot.
I'm rewatching the game right now and I'm telling you, when matched up against Vuc in the paint, KP used his length very effectively to affect the shots without fouling. It's basically the only solid defense anyone played against Vuc down there all night. The matchup only happened a handful of times because Carlisle had KP on Aminu and Kleber on Vuc, I assume to keep KP from having to contest shots on the outside.
KP was a plus in the +/- again, and on a night when most of his shots weren't falling. I really think he had a good defensive night, overall.
Having said that, I've already noticed on this rewatch at least one MCW drive and score that I blamed on Richardson last night that was really just KP not taking the correct help angle. So, it wasn't perfect. Idk...this is two games in a row where he has looked playable on defense to me. The needle on my hope meter is starting to wiggle a little.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - HanspardShowerVoice - 03-02-2021
Yeah, the Magic commentators made a comment that KP's length was bothering Vuc. And Magic really made a few high degree of difficulty shots that KP contested at the rim. I agree KP did have a couple of moment where he got exploited in space, but I also believe that he still has some conditioning issues he is working through. One play in particular he got badly beat around the corner, and Carlisle immediate subed him out to give him a rest. IMHO, he's still not where he need him to be, but there's noticable improvement from where he was 2 weeks ago.
RE: Mavs 130, Magic 124 - StepBackJay - 03-02-2021
I will say this, I think we have wrongly attributed KP's slow start defensively to his knee surgery instead of his conditioning that was related to the timing of the surgery against the fast start to the new season.
KP's knee surgery was a super common, relatively minor procedure that should not cause any permanent damage to his athleticism. I am actually optimistic now that KP can and should return to form eventually whether its this season or next.
My concern with KP isn't that he has slowed down and isn't recovering. The concern I have is a) that he's injury prone which means more injuries to come and b) that he's going to be high maintenance and not happy with his role on offense. Those two things combined which may or may not come true are why I would trade KP for the right deal.