(06-04-2021, 10:19 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: Thanks for your observations.
I don't think we can fairly expect any of the players to have the same success as Luka, and that includes all the Mavs, all the Clippers, and most of the players in the league, large or small, tall or short.
I think maybe what you are saying is that Brunson and Richardson are too small to compete with the Clippers, and it is inevitable that they will get overwhelmed. I tend to agree with that, especially in the case of Brunson. By this point, I don't think JB is even really trying to run the offense, mostly just looking for a driving lane or taking a jump shot. Since the Mavs don't have another playmaker or distributor, the game tends to dissolve into a pick-up game style affair against a team with a plan.
I don't see much of a solution, was hoping someone did. Maybe Carlisle will push the Josh Green button if he has to. I have a tendency to shudder at the thought of asking a rookie who hasn't played much all season to come in and be a savior, but tbh I somewhat shuddered at Boban starting, so what do I know, lol?
All in with you on Luka ML, however I will point out that Luka actually wasn't great in the 4th quarter. He got into a a little too much hero ball which is understandable since he had been an absolute hero for 3 quarters so why not? He did say he made mistakes in his post game interview and I don't think it was false humility. Bad shooting in the 4th quarter from Wonderboy almost let the Clips come back and steal that game if not for a couple of missed bunnies at the end (I credit the fatigue factor a lot here).
As spectacular as Luka's overall game was, that was a team win. At winning time, in the end Dallas does not win that game without the rest of those Mavs making some key plays including DFS and the much maligned Kristaps Porzingis on a clutch 3 pointer.
On my man Boban. Even Rick Carlisle saw the light enough to play the Boban card which I admit I found shocking too but I definitely didn't shudder.
Why would Rick Carlisle or anyone else continue to do the same thing and expect a different result? The Mavs were spanked in Dallas as badly or worse than they had spanked the Clippers in LA. It was desperation they forced Coach C. to make the right move, finally.
Its harder for people out here in couch coach land like me to acknowledge the key role a guy like Boban can play but to his credit Carlisle and his coaching staff woke up and understood that if you can't match up all the time with your opponent then try and force them to match up to you. The question then becomes where do you have an advantage that your opponent might struggle to match?
KP + Boban was brilliant.
Let me say again one of the reasons why this move makes sense.
I"ve said before Boban has gravity in the paint, offensive gravity more than any player on the Mavs except for Luka. KP has gravity outside the paint. He may not shoot the best % from 3 but at his length you have to stay very close attached to have a chance to block his shot or else you are conceding what amounts to almost a wide open 3 point look. He's good enough to be a threat out there.
Gravity inside + Gravity outside = driving lanes and space for the midrange, agreed? Luka can take.
Is it bullet proof? Of course not, but what it did do is it forced Ty Lue and his staff to make adjustments because they could not play those 2 guys off the floor with their small ball strategy and in fact they were falling behind. They had to do something different because there was rebounding, defensive length and both an inside and outside offensive threat on the floor with those 2 BIGS that wasn't out there before.
Now after Lue adjusts, Carlise adjusts again and is able bring his fresh troops. Move / counter move wash and repeat. Great stuff and this time our Mavs came out on top.