02-26-2021, 11:57 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-26-2021, 12:02 PM by KillerLeft.)
(02-26-2021, 11:43 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: New coach, new GM, having Tobias play most of his minutes at PF, and maybe a few other smallish rotation moves.
I am not saying the Mavs need a new coach, but that is the internal changes I was referencing.
Yeah, with Morey and Doc, Philly very quickly got onto a path of playing combinations that actually work well together. They decided which of their strengths to feature and made roster and lineup changes to complement those strengths. Basically, they made a plan. Brand and Brown were clearly in over their heads. So, that all checks out.
But, results aren't the ONLY way to judge a plan. The Mavs have a plan, too, and I think it's a good one. The offense was INCREDIBLE last year, and those wanting to change that system are off their rockers, imo.
The issues here are all tied to player(s) not holding up their ends of the bargain this season, for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons are due to the pandemic, shortened off-season, etc. Yes, every team faces obstacles, but not every team experiences them or handles them the same way. It's new territory for everyone, and I'm not shocked (in hindsight) that this YOUNG team with YOUNG leaders didn't handle it as well as some others.
Other teams are having "meh" seasons, too - it's not just the Mavs. In fact, there are literally only 6 good teams this year. 7, if you count PHX. From the rest of the pack, it's kind of arbitrary who's good and who's not from night to night. Boston and Miami fans are going through the same thing we are, and BOTH of those teams should be WAY better than Dallas. WAY better. They both have great coaching, too.
Now, Donnie should be blamed for not seeing some of these roster issues coming, to an extent. But, it doesn't mean he's incompetent. Coach Carlisle should be blamed for not better anticipating what needed to be done to better prepare the team for this crazy season, to an extent. But, it doesn't mean he's incompetent. This is was an experiment for everyone - some organizations did better than others, sure, but some of them got a bit lucky, I'd bet. It was everyone's first time to do this, and hopefully there will never be another season like this again.