Game 33: Mavs @ Kings

[KillerLeft]

Cooper's stats looked good last night, but I don't think he played particularly well. 

What I find interesting, is Cooper has been very efficient mostly.  You would think adding a player playing so well at such a young age that others would step up and really make this team better.  For the most part, that has not happened.  It seems like Cooper is carrying a group of old, tired horses.  That is surprising to me.  I would have thought adding a young, exciting, productive, efficient player that this would really rise the rest of the players.  It has not happened so far.

I think it's pretty easy to see what's not working. You only have to watch a few games. MOST of the Mavs' players want the ball with a live dribble, heading downhill, from about 17' in, very close to the basket. That's how Flagg plays...PJW, Marshall. Heck, even Williams, really, though he's more comfortable than those others starting above the break. This Mavericks offense has become about FORCING drives, even when the drives head straight into the teeth of the defense. The paint is always packed, and the guys I list above (plus cutters like AD, Powell, Gafford, Christie and anyone on the first list who happens not to have the ball) are all trying to get there anyway. Sometimes, they're able to force a situation that leads to them getting fouled, but not often enough to sustain offense that way. The team is doing absolutely nothing to generate 3's, and in fact most of the guys I mentioned above seem scared to shoot them. Consequently, there is no longer space for those drives/cuts the players mentioned want to create. Everyone seems to understand that to beat Dallas, you just have to pack the paint. 

I don't know if this is more a problem of the offensive system being run or the players they have running it, but either way, there is way too much overlap in skill sets on the offensive end for my liking. If I was running this team, I'd be desperate for ball-handling that was a threat to score, and a metric ton of SHOOTING. Give any TWO of those guys I mentioned (Flagg being one) space to operate, and this offense would be so much more fun to watch, and have a much better chance of finding success, imo.