Critical and Fundamental Statistical Observations

[LukaMagic]

I love our centers. They're super important. I'm not sure that their scoring output is a nightly "critical and fundamental." The Mavs have a lot of players who can score. I'll agree that their general play is critical.

The point made in the opening post is about the balance of things and not to say that Gafford and Lively are somehow more important than Luka, Kyrie, Klay and others on the outside. Whether the inside game via Lively and/or Gafford works against a particular team fundamentally and critically affects how Luka, Kyrie, Klay and others on the outside can and must play. Such things limit and open outside options and opportunities. They make things different. Easier or more difficult. That's the point behind the opening post.

Consider what Luka says here which was after the Suns game:

https://youtu.be/ZgyzM9Nqh4A?t=54

"Different covers. Different teams are gonna give us... Sometimes they're gonna take away the lob. But then there are more layups for me." But sometimes teams strongly collapse into the paint so that Luka has to dish it to the outside. How Mavs play depends upon what different teams give them. When a team cannot protect the paint then there are lobs. When the teams protect the paint very well then other things become more important. There are other options for Luka to score and/or more outside 3-point options that must be used and converted. It's about the balance of those things.