(06-02-2021, 04:59 PM)TXBamanut Wrote: Yeah, I actually tried to delete that because I didn't look at the with Luka, but not KP numbers....the no Luka numbers made it look more even. I would say that the teams we played would factor in that as well.
I still think you are doing a 2+2=3 thing, because I sincerely doubt that if we played the Clipps 5 games with KP and 5 games without him (or any other playoff contender...maybe ESPECIALLY any other playoff contender) that we would say that we were better. I doubt if we just subbed in Davis Bertans (who's probably 70% of KP's talent) that we'd be better.
I think a good amount of you have made him the scapegoat and are on a search for any metric that could be stretched to make yourself think he's trash. That's cool. I'm a Mavs fan, so I'm a KP fan as long as he's a Mav....and while he is a Mav, I want him to play well.
I think that fans in general get the "grass is always greener" syndrome and underrate the players they hate, overrate the players they like and thank the Lord, we aren't GMs or we'd probably have the worst team ever.
There is no doubt that there are elements of what you are writing here. I think the reason he is scapegoat is a valid one, in the sense that he was supposed to play a lot a lot a lot a lot a lot (at least 5x fold) better than he is right now. What is even worse is that he indeed has played a lot a lot a lot (3x fold) better for the Mavs previously, even in the same scheme that is used now. He was previously protecting the paint as the best of them in the NBA. He was way better offensively, and much more importantly he gave a much better effort than he is now and looked a better part of the team chemistry wise. He also looked more healthy and athletic.
Hence, I think the criticism is valid. He was supposed to be an all star, but he doesnt play like one. He gets the money of one. He doesnt play like one. He doesnt have the impact that was supposed to have and that he is payed to create.
That being said, the other extreme is also not true. Yes, we are better with KP than Bertrans, Powell, Boban, etc. etc. He does make us better. It is just not enough to meet the rather big expectations.
The by far the worst thing is that he has regressed. In the same scheme surrounded by pretty much the same players. He has lost chemistry with the team, effort, athleticism, stats, basically everything has regressed in his game. Hence it is not due to change in scheme, but simply something to do with KP himself internally. It might be injury, it might be mental. But the fact is, he has regressed. I think its valid that many fans are not happy. There are other reasons if we dont win the title this season, even several or many. But this might easy be the biggest one, the regression of KP.
He is still one of our best players, but due to hin not meeting the expectations, it plays a huge role of us contending or not. Most other players have improved. Starting from Luka, THJ, DFS, Maxi (shooting) etc. We finished the season better position than last season. We give more fight against Clippers as a team. But one player that did actually regressed in the other direction, that is KP.