Game 10: Dallas Mavericks (5-4) vs. Denver Nuggets (6-3)

[Chicagojk]

Mavs are just wasting incredible Kyrie performances. The rest of the team has to up their game play

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Wasted really special efforts from Kyrie and Gafford tonight.

Klay Hardaway continues to struggle.

Klay isn't the same player. I said that when they signed him. He'll have his moments, but the consistent shooting and scoring is gone.

[GATA]

Irving -6

[Chicagojk]

Wow look at that Jokic line. Him and Kyrie put on a show.

Mavs aren’t doing the little stuff they did in their two playoff runs. Up and down play and entertaining at times, but not a long term strategy. Although some fun moments, not as much in as the tough team ee saw during the stretch

[Chicagojk]

Man, i am so mad at that possession where Luka took a long three. He has made them before but man was that a total bailout.

[KillerLeft]

They’re in 11th place. It’s going to take 56-57 wins or so to get in good playoff position (unless we’re counting on another fluke dark horse run). Luka looks washed. He’s been horrible. Tonight was rock bottom for him. What was that idiotic shot with a minute left?  He did the same thing last game. Klay looks like he’s barely breaking a sweat. Kidd is back to playing idiotic lineups. Management or the coaching staff are prioritizing strong arming a player into signing a team friendly contract over building a viable rotation. The refs are disgusted by the Mavs and are going to screw them all season long.  It’s looking bleak.

I don’t necessarily disagree with much of this, but it’s the most negative possible way to look at it all.

Of all the losses accrued, there have really only been two of them that I found truly disappointing. Are you prepared to bet against Luka getting better at some point soon? I’m not.

[Chicagojk]

So grimes didn’t play but the other two guys failed to do much. I loved Hardys energy in the first half but he just didn’t make any shots. He also had a traveling call in the fourth. din was not memorable, mavs still searching for anyone to take those minutes and run.

[KillerLeft]

Klay isn't the same player. I said that when they signed him. He'll have his moments, but the consistent shooting and scoring is gone.

I don’t think that’s really the point. The entire world said that when the Maverick signed him, including about 98% of this board. I think the lead here is that the way the Mavs play (heliocentric to a ridiculous fault), ANY shooter they bring in, prime or not, is going to look like Hardaway looked here.

I didn’t really speak up much in the past, because I was known as a Hardaway defender and it just wasn’t a very popular opinion, but I think Hardaway Sr was pretty right on target with everything he said over the years.

Playing with a ball hog makes everyone else’s game tough to get into rhythm. It’s great when the ball hog is playing like a top 3 to 5 player in the world, but when he’s not…

[KillerLeft]

So grimes didn’t play but the other two guys failed to do much.  I loved Hardys energy in the first half but he just didn’t make any shots.  He also had a traveling call in the fourth.  din was not memorable,  mavs still searching for anyone to take those minutes and run.

This has been one of the more interesting stories of the first 10 games, I think. Not sure I can predict how it will play out, but it sure does seem like the coaches aren’t into Quentin Grimes at the moment.

[Chicagojk]

Well it may be a tough stretch. May take a few more bumps. Just sucks we are wasting these Kyrie games. It would be nice to bank some wins. You know there is a decent chance he will miss 20 or so games. And how Luka’s looks, he looks prime to miss some games too. I thought the depth was good before the season, but i am not sure we can win many games now without Kyrie and Luka.

[Chicagojk]

This has been one of the more interesting stories of the first 10 games, I think. Not sure I can predict how it will play out, but it sure does seem like the coaches aren’t into Quentin Grimes at the moment.

I think his play has been pretty forgetful to be honest.  I would like to see him get some extended runs.  I am in favor of earning minutes though.  Kidd is in a tough spot now though because he doesn’t really have any trust in the guards.  So he is probably sticking what he has seen work in the past.  Just looking for someone to give a spark.  Probably not enough minutes for all three.  So maybe more run time with two will help decide a route.

[omahen]

What horrible ending to the game. Three forced threes was all they could come up with. Too bad, because they played a good game and were close despite Denver shooting 50 % from three and Mavs only 30 %. Another dissapointing performance by bench guards. Din and Hardy combined for 1 of 9 from three. On the other side, wow how bad Westbrook has become. He was singlehandidly keeping Mavs in the game. Doesn't look like a basketball player anymore, just an athlete running up and down the court.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

Was there last night. Expected an L with all the injuries against Jokic but ouch, that hurt. That Luka three was frustrating to watch, Hardy struggled after given another chance and lots of trouble defending the three again. Felt like there was nothing we could do against Jokic but that was expected.

Also, love Najis game but feels like he’s passing up shots and although he’s getting into the paint and finishing floaters I would like to see him getting the three ball going a little bit.

What a show by Kyrie though.

[ballsrchr]

Interesting game but perhaps not for the right reasons.

Jokic is the best overall player--in the world--right now. His skills were on grand display, but something I hadn't paid any attention to was also there. That was his Leadership and on court and bench coaching. This is quite something from a man who says he'd rather be home tending his ponies.

I'm not sure what the offensive scheme is for the Mavericks. Sometimes it looks like "give the ball to Luka and see what falls out." Other times it's "Give the ball to Kyrie and hope he'll bail us out." Well...Kyrie has been doing his job, but the supporting cast has been lacking. Most of the times the offense looks like any playground free for all.

Klay has not been playing well as a starter. Time to make a change.

Other than those few complaints...the Mavs are a good team...

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

For those calling to bench Klay already, there’s not really an alternative. At least with Grimes in the doghouse. You cannot start Naji/PJ together, it would be a spacing nightmare.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I don’t think that’s really the point. The entire world said that when the Maverick signed him, including about 98% of this board. I think the lead here is that the way the Mavs play (heliocentric to a ridiculous fault), ANY shooter they bring in, prime or not, is going to look like Hardaway looked here.

I didn’t really speak up much in the past, because I was known as a Hardaway defender and it just wasn’t a very popular opinion, but I think Hardaway Sr was pretty right on target with everything he said over the years.

Playing with a ball hog makes everyone else’s game tough to get into rhythm. It’s great when the ball hog is playing like a top 3 to 5 player in the world, but when he’s not…

Well... you answered your own question. Luka is very unlikely to play off the ball for not more than a few plays per game.  He feels he has to be the hero in clutch time situations because that's who he is and has been. He's always going to be the one with the ball in his hand at the end of games with the possible exception of maybe Kyrie. Even if it might result in a few losses, he needs to trust others in those scenarios instead of himself. That's how you build confidence in your teammates.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Man...it's too early in the season for my annual I cant stand Luka Doncic post. As good as locked in Luka can be, bad Luka sucks all the joy out of watching basketball.

[Mavs2021]

For those calling to bench Klay already, there’s not really an alternative. At least with Grimes in the doghouse. You cannot start Naji/PJ together, it would be a spacing nightmare.

It´s no different than starting PJ/DJJ last year.

Our whole team outside of Kyrie is shooting like sh*t. Thompson is our 2nd best 3pt shooter at 35.4%.

This current configuration is not working.

[omahen]

Well... you answered your own question. Luka is very unlikely to play off the ball for not more than a few plays per game.  He feels he has to be the hero in clutch time situations because that's who he is and has been. He's always going to be the one with the ball in his hand at the end of games with the possible exception of maybe Kyrie. Even if it might result in a few losses, he needs to trust others in those scenarios instead of himself. That's how you build confidence in your teammates.

This is not about taking away responsibility for that awful offense in the last minute. No idea what was the idea there, dribbling the ball for 20 seconds and than jacking a contested three from logo. 

But, taking responsibility in clutch is exactly what stars are. That is why they are paid a lot, not because they hide in the corner and watch others trying to do something. However, there were also plenty of situations in the past where Luka passed the ball to an open teammate in clutch. I think this is way exaggerated.

Its kind of interesting that no one mentions two threes from Ky in last two Mavs offenses, that were equally bad shots as the Luka one. Sure Kyrie was phenomenal till then, but all of those last three offenses were pure garbage.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

It´s no different than starting PJ/DJJ last year.

Our whole team outside of Kyrie is shooting like sh*t. Thompson is our 2nd best 3pt shooter at 35.4%.

This current configuration is not working.

Right now Naji isn't the shooter that DJJ was last year which isn't a very hard bar to pass.  Denver was leaving him to double Luka last night and even when Luka found him he didn't even really look at the rim when he was open.  He's currently on pace to shoot 90 less threes than DJJ did last year which is a pretty wide gap, he needs to show more willingness to shoot.  DJJ shot well enough to make defenses pay for leaving him, Naji hasn't shown that yet.

Before the season I assumed that if Klay struggled that everyone would be asking for Grimes to start because of the way he would address last year's concerns of not having enough shooting alongside Luka and Kyrie in the starting lineup paired up with point of attach defense that we've lost since DJJ left which makes him being in the doghouse even more frustrating.  He could potentially help with bench scoring or with starting lineup defense without completely losing the outside shooting threat when moving Klay to the bench.  He is currently out best bet at shaking up the rotations (that and just getting frickin healthy).

I really like Naji but Naji/PJ are combining for like 6 threes a game at around 20%.  I hope they turn it around because I love that pairing defensively but I want to see it first.