MAVS NEWS:

[Smitty]

I think the regular season is more than a prelude to the post-season that you can just yawn your way through.

IMO it's the prep for the post-season. It's where coaches have to figure out their best-of-the-best players, lineups, rotations, etc. Who can they trust. Who is valuable against this type of opposition or that, and who sucks?

It's also where players have to get ready.

If Luka is going to play long stretches in the playoffs, he has to prepare in the regular season. Not every game, but on a semi-regular basis -- like games against the better teams. He can't play lightly in the 82 and then be ready for playing through fatigue in what follows.

I'd also note that Luka isn't playing heavy minutes for a star player, in historical terms including recent history. Star players tend to like to play, and play a lot. They don't want to sit, or have lesser players mess a game up. Last season 35-year-old KD played more minutes than Luka, and about the same number of mpg. That's just how it goes.

For a point of reference, J Kidd (who was a similar type of player in a similar situation in NJ at a similar age) played a very similar number of minutes and mpg as we see Luka playing now. And Kidd was effective in carrying that team, including 2 Finals runs that no one expected from them.

That's my 2c.

Luka will no doubt continue to play 36+ MPG / 2,400-2,700 total minutes. That's why I highlighted his usage percentage as a way to reduce the wear and tear of an 82-game season. I think most of us agree that the Mavs have to do something to get him through the season healthier. At the rate he's at, he may not play past the age 30.