2021-2022 MAVS NEWS: 4th in West | WCF loss [ARCHIVED]

[Kammrath]

he leads the league in usage, but his true shooting percentage is barely above 52%, a horrid combination

Holy crap!

I had not been following his usage so far this season. It just felt like Luka's usage was down a lot and the Mavs were trying to be less Luka-centric....yet he has a usage of 35.7% only 0.3% less than last year. Ugh. That is so discouraging.

[Kammrath]

Luka is averaging the highest number of shots per game (21.2) of his career and highest number of potential assists per game (16.7).

[omahen]

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status...2514756610

[KillerLeft]

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status...2514756610

Why couldn't he have caught it yesterday????

[Moviemavguy]

It seems pretty clear, at least to me, that Luka is sick of having to do all of the playmaking and not getting much help.  

The FO consciously put an entire team of guys who basically can't dribble the ball outside of 101 dribbling.  That's a HUGE problem when everything rests on Luka and to a lesser extent Brunson to cover that up.  

Again, I'm not saying we need a team of John Stocktons, but most of the team is putrid at any amount of dribbling or playmaking.  And worse is guys like DFS or Bullock who can't hit wide open shots.

[chaparral]

Why couldn't he have caught it yesterday????

So, should we expect someone from the Mavs to test positive in the next week or so?  I read something earlier that said CHI just played 2 games against Philly prior to Embiid testing positive.  But I cant seem to find that same article on the web now.

[michaeltex]

So, should we expect someone from the Mavs to test positive in the next week or so?  I read something earlier that said CHI just played 2 games against Philly prior to Embiid testing positive.  But I cant seem to find that same article on the web now.

I had the same thought. I don't know how often they are tested, but going from negative to positive likely means that he was contagious at some point, maybe like the game last night?

Maybe I'm worrying about nothing, but I don't want another COVID decimation like last season. Guess that's what the vaccines are for.

[fifteenth]

Guess that's what the vaccines are for.

So 95% of the Mavs who hung out close to Vucevic should be fine?

[michaeltex]

Didn't say that, but I hope so. 

At least the vaccinated should be less likely to contract a case and have a shorter path to return to playing.

[fifteenth]

Didn't say that, but I hope so. 

At least the vaccinated should be less likely to contract a case and have a shorter path to return to playing.

I was just punching out 5 x 0.95 in my calculator 

---

[fifteenth]

[michaeltex]

[ClutchDirk]

https://media.giphy.com/media/XCfBFvZcs5lsc/giphy.gif

[Chicagojk]

Zach Lowe mentions Brunson and the Mavs in his 10 things column today.  Some good...some not so good.   Here is a passage that hit a button I have been on for two years.  Playing with force.  It really sticks out when the Mavs play an athletic team.    


But the Mavs aren't playing with force. They are last in shots at the rim, and the folks at Basketball-Reference say the Mavs' portion of attempts from the restricted area is the lowest ever in its database. Only 14% of Doncic's shots have come at the basket, by far the lowest mark of his career.

[Chicagojk]

Zach Lowe mentions Brunson and the Mavs in his 10 things column today.  Some good...some not so good.   Here is a passage that hit a button I have been on for two years.  Playing with force.  It really sticks out when the Mavs play an athletic team.    


But the Mavs aren't playing with force. They are last in shots at the rim, and the folks at Basketball-Reference say the Mavs' portion of attempts from the restricted area is the lowest ever in its database. Only 14% of Doncic's shots have come at the basket, by far the lowest mark of his career.

I tried to post the hole section, but couldn't.  Here is a little more:

Powell doesn't do enough on either end. Dorian Finney-Smith is shooting 26% from deep, and is skittish working his pump-and-go game. Porzingis doesn't look ready to anchor a good defense as solo big man. Put it all together, and it's hard right now to see a Mavs team with enough two-way balance to win three playoff series. It's in there, somewhere, but not accessible tod

[Chicagojk]

I tried to post the hole section, but couldn't.  Here is a little more:

Powell doesn't do enough on either end. Dorian Finney-Smith is shooting 26% from deep, and is skittish working his pump-and-go game. Porzingis doesn't look ready to anchor a good defense as solo big man. Put it all together, and it's hard right now to see a Mavs team with enough two-way balance to win three playoff series. It's in there, somewhere, but not accessible tod

I think the short term fix is look for a center who can be had for our TPE.   Ibaka, Favors, Thomas Bryant, or someone else that will allow Powell to be your fourth big who comes in the game when things are lose and can use his energy to cause problems (15 minutes per night).

Then hope a Dragic type is bought out and have him play 20 minutes a night off the bench.

Nothing sexy but I think two additions like that could help us around the edges as we get near the playoffs.

[mvossman]

I think the short term fix is look for a center who can be had for our TPE.   Ibaka, Favors, Thomas Bryant, or someone else that will allow Powell to be your fourth big who comes in the game when things are lose and can use his energy to cause problems (15 minutes per night).

Then hope a Dragic type is bought out and have him play 20 minutes a night off the bench.

Nothing sexy but I think two additions like that could help us around the edges as we get near the playoffs.

Just posted basically the same thing on another thread, only I suggested Theis as the big.  There are a lot of options that fit the TPE (it would be really nice if we did not waste it).  At this point I would be good with giving up WCS + Green as I look at Frank as our Green replacement.

[MaxiThreeba]

There's also a sentiment I see among some on this board that:

Any decision Cuban makes is bad.
Any decision that Nico makes is good (or, at least, not as bad as a Cuban decision).

I'd venture to say that many, many decisions that Mark has made have been good.  And bad.  As will Nico's.  

Mark waited 20+ years before deciding that the sum total of Donnie's decisions wasn't good enough, and canned him.  Perhaps you, gentle reader, have decided that Mark's decisions also aren't good enough, and you're ready to replace him with a new owner.  Who do you have in mind? Rob Sarver?  Jeanie Buss?

Maybe there are some who actually look at Cuban and Nico that way.

My feelings toward Cuban is that there was a vision (or lack thereof) cast following the 2011 Championship run and it failed miserably.  That vision was 100% spearheaded by Cuban and driven by his need to be the smartest person in the room and his genuine belief that he is just that...no matter who else is in the room.

As a result of that colossal failure and the decision to double, triple and quadruple down on Cuban's vision the Mavs wandered in NBA purgatory until they went and got Luka.

The roster failure(s) that have continued since that point were/are amplified by the Cuban vision and the complete void of talent that is a direct result of that vision.

The KP trade ruined the chance to build organically through drafting and trades but that is a deal that most any NBA GM would have made.  It hasn't worked out and is a big reason for the subpar roster the Mavs are stuck with now.  The bigger failure was the 2019 offseason.  That offseason was the last real chance to add impact talent and/or assets to the war chest.  The 2020 draft was the final gut punch of terrible roster building.

This roster is now stuck and it's hard to have any faith that the TPE is even used given the Mavs recent history.  The blame for this, in my opinion, falls squarely at the feet of Cuban.  He can't allow himself to fade into the background and no doubt still believes he is the smartest person in the room no matter how much evidence stacks up to the contrary.  

So here the Mavs sit; stuck once again with a Franchise player that they are too inept to surround with the right pieces.

[ClutchDirk]

https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/11/12/j-j...and-trade/

[fifteenth]

Zach Lowe mentions Brunson and the Mavs in his 10 things column today.  Some good...some not so good.   Here is a passage that hit a button I have been on for two years.  Playing with force.  It really sticks out when the Mavs play an athletic team.    


But the Mavs aren't playing with force. They are last in shots at the rim, and the folks at Basketball-Reference say the Mavs' portion of attempts from the restricted area is the lowest ever in its database. Only 14% of Doncic's shots have come at the basket, by far the lowest mark of his career.

yuck