Game 67: Dallas Mavericks (38-28) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (45-20)

[Chicagojk]

How about getting a coach intelligent enough to know how to use any player?

It is one of my frustrations with Kidd the coach and honestly something Luka hasn't really mastered yet.   Kidd was great as a player about feeding the hot hand or getting good looks for guys who are struggling.  He may have been one of the best ever doing it.   Luka really doesn't do it.  He makes the best play on how the defense is playing him.  He is a savant like that.   

I love when Luka starts a game and reads the room and can begin games getting others involved.  Personally I believe early game rim runs and non Luka threes are great ways to get the team off to good starts.  I would like to see more complex plays run that leads to PJ curling in the lane or something like that to get him in the paint looks.  We will do this for Hardaway to get him a good look at three, but I would like to see Kidd develop some plays where the main focus is getting a player like PJ, who is struggling shooting, some decent looks and realize plays are being run for him.   For instance, we are going to run two plays for PJ in the first 5 minutes of a game to get him going a little.   


BTW, the more I thought of it, that lose may have been more impressive than any of the games in the recent stretch.   I expect this team to lose more games.    It was nice to see them fight against OKC.  The Mavs were down their best player and lost a key reserve early.  They were coming off a tough game the previous night and played a healthy, good OKC team.   OKC played well too.   And the Mavs were in the game and it may have been much closer if they didn't turn the ball over as much.   Two months ago, this game is probably a 20 point game where Dallas just runs out of steam.   I guess Indy and Boston this to them recently too.  Let's hope they continue to fight even if they may lose some of these fights.