(10-30-2024, 02:12 PM)fifteenth Wrote: 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.
I don't disagree with what you wrote here. And Mavs backcourt is now certainly even stronger with the addition of Klay Thompson. But the numbers from last year's playoffs and from so far this season do appear to suggest that Lively and Gafford are critically important indeed.
Perhaps something like this. Mavs can sure win when Lively and Gafford do not put up strong numbers. But perhaps Mavs become or get close to becoming unbeatable when they do.