05-23-2024, 01:50 PM
(05-23-2024, 01:44 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: The size is nice, but it's in the wrong spots, imo, at least relative to what Dallas tries to do.
I saw this drop coverage issue coming when they made the Gobert trade. I wasn't really thinking about Dallas at the time, because who even knew these teams would match up in the playoffs, but I think I said early this season that I wasn't worried about Minnesota at all. At some point, teams like Minnesota run into great, 3-level scoring ball-handlers (Dallas has TWO, lol) and Gobert, for all of his greatness, looks like he doesn't belong.
Now, to be clear, Minnesota did MUCH better this season than I expected, but to me that's more about how GREAT Edwards has been, and how impactful McDaniels can be, defensively (though not so much against Luka, so far).
And, there are adjustments that can be made to make Dallas' life much harder, so don't take this as me saying this will be an easy series or anything like that. Minnesota is a better team than they showed last night, for sure. But, I really think Dallas has a chance here. The trick will be containing Edwards (so far, so good) and not getting Gafford matched up with KAT (I was a little alarmed that PJ had so much trouble with him last night).
Like you, I wasn't so much worried about Gobert. I thought he'd eventually get played off the floor against Dallas. It's the KAT/Reid frontcourt that gave me nightmares (still does). It means Gafford becomes unplayable and if PJ gets in any kind of foul trouble then you're left with only DJJ at the 4. IF the Wolves go to that almost exclusively, I think they can win. If Gobert continues to play 38 minutes the rest of the way, I like the Mavs chances.