GAME 7: UTA (6-3) @ DAL (4-3) | 103-100 win

[DanSchwartzgan]

I’m looking forward to the game flow in the morning, but several subtle changes tonight.

Powell’s extra minutes meant there was only one segment of Wood as solo-big.  It was a disaster.  But the rest of the game Wood was with either Maxi or Powell.  

THJ went in and out earlier in the first and third than usual.  Small tweak, but it meant fewer minutes stealing shots from Wood and Dinwiddie.  The result was predictable.  Wood and Dinwiddie were unlocked.  They don’t need another offensive player with them.  They need one of Maxi/Powell, Green and one of DFS/Bullock

Green’s minutes continue climbing.  Man his D was awesome in his second half run.  I’d recommend watching that segment again if you can.  His digs and help caused all sorts of problems for Utah.  Truly stuff that ‘doesn’t show up in a box score’ (unless you count +/-).  

Dinwiddie in the closing lineup is far superior to THJ.  I don’t think we win that game without the second creator to help out when the double comes at Luka.

Minutes for DFS and THJ were really low tonight.  Basically Powell got some of the DFS minutes and Green got some of the THJ minutes.  Dinwiddie playing 35 meant he had 22 minutes of overlap with Luka.

[Chicagojk]

Can we put Mcgee's name on the court and move his seat over by his name?  Kidding.  But seriously, when does Kidd have the conversation that his spot isn't working.   I mean, I am looking for just a morsel of hope, but there is nothing there so far yet this year.

[Smitty]

McGee will be replaced by Powell in the starting lineup. Just wait and see! What we all wanted will happen, after the arbitrary 10 games… but instead of Wood we get the Diamond.

[Mavs2021]

It´s a genius plan. All year we will start the game and the 2nd half down by 10 points each. The team has to fight back from a huge deficit every night. When the play-offs come around McGee is benched and the rest of the team will feel like they can do anything starting games from +/- 0 without a handicap.

[Smitty]

Also want to give Kidd credit for going to zone. It was really effective and kept Luka from getting his 4th.

[Hypermav]

Cue all the Nico/Cuban/Kidd interviews this summer fixing the center issue.  Someone failed.

---

Green>Tim
DP>McGee

So both of our "free agents" suck.

[Kammrath]

Minutes for DFS and THJ were really low tonight.

This needs to be the way IMO.

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

THJ went in and out earlier in the first and third than usual.  Small tweak, but it meant fewer minutes stealing shots from Wood and Dinwiddie.  The result was predictable.  Wood and Dinwiddie were unlocked.  They don’t need another offensive player with them.  They need one of Maxi/Powell, Green and one of DFS/Bullock

This.

[cow]

Green’s minutes continue climbing.  Man his D was awesome in his second half run.  I’d recommend watching that segment again if you can.  His digs and help caused all sorts of problems for Utah.  Truly stuff that ‘doesn’t show up in a box score’ (unless you count +/-).  

He had some nice spurts (that sequence with his block and three) but I'm not seeing it.  It's why I really don't like +/- as a stat for fringe players.  Clarkson blew a layup in the second quarter where Josh was his primary defender and he absolutely left Josh in the dust.  I also recall the silly over the back foul in the 4th quarter and not being able to use his athleticism on that lob.  Maybe I'm over critical on the guy but I really didn't see a ton of impact for the majority of the night.

I still wouldn't mind giving him THJ's minutes.

[mvossman]

McGee will be replaced by Powell in the starting lineup. Just wait and see! What we all wanted will happen, after the arbitrary 10 games… but instead of Wood we get the Diamond.

It would make more sense to start Maxi/Wood and bring Powell off the bench.  That is where he has always done his best work.

[BoredAssistant]

Nailed it.

Jazz vs Mavericks Prediction, Odds, Lines, Team Props - NBA, Nov. 2 (betmgm.com)

• The Mavericks (3-3) are -6.5 favorites vs. the Jazz (5-2)
  

Good call.

[SwisherPrice]

If Kidd just kept it simple against OKC, they would have won easily and been a respectable 5-2 right now. We'd all be feeling a little better even with all of the roster flaws

[cow]

If Kidd just kept it simple against OKC, they would have won easily and been a respectable 5-2 right now. We'd all be feeling a little better even with all of the roster flaws

They'd still need to wash the taste of that Suns loss out of my mouth.  Tonight is probably our best win though.

[ThisIStheYear]

It would make more sense to start Maxi/Wood and bring Powell off the bench.  That is where he has always done his best work.

Either way, I think the right tweak is to start Wood with either Maxi or Powell. Regular season Powell is a pretty good player, and Wood works with either. He can roll when Maxi is in and pop when he’s with Powell. McGee doesn’t seem like a fit for the modern game, but maybe he can be a positive matchup player. I just hope he still cares and wasn’t out for a final guaranteed contract to retire on.

[mvossman]

Either way, I think the right tweak is to start Wood with either Maxi or Powell. Regular season Powell is a pretty good player, and Wood works with either. He can roll when Maxi is in and pop when he’s with Powell. McGee doesn’t seem like a fit for the modern game, but maybe he can be a positive matchup player. I just hope he still cares and wasn’t out for a final guaranteed contract to retire on.

Powell is a good regular season player against second units.  I feel like he would have been less useless in the playoffs if he was played that way.  So far (small sample) we know that Maxi/Wood has worked really well, and Powell has worked really well as single big.  There is nothing to go on yet regarding Powell/Wood as they have hardly ever played together.  My guess is we will see some of that, but I think Maxi is a better fit with Wood both offensively and defensively and his defense is more valuable against starting units, while Powell's rim running is more valuable against second units.

[Branduil]

Honestly I would go with

Luka
Green
DFS
Maxi
Wood

As the starting lineup and see how that works.

[burekemde]

Honestly I would go with

Luka
Green
DFS
Maxi
Wood

As the starting lineup and see how that works.

Would be nice to see. Green just needs more minutes now to get some offensive rhythm, he is developing well.

---

McGee will be replaced by Powell in the starting lineup. Just wait and see! What we all wanted will happen, after the arbitrary 10 games… but instead of Wood we get the Diamond.

I agree with this. Powell moves twice as well as McGee. Our positioning on defense is light years ahead with Powell in the game.

Ultimately, I think its going to be Wood and Maxi starting. Disadvantage with Powell is always the lack of 3 point shot and defenses leaving him there alone. With Wood and Maxi, this is not feasible.

[SleepingHero]

It´s a genius plan. All year we will start the game and the 2nd half down by 10 points each. The team has to fight back from a huge deficit every night. When the play-offs come around McGee is benched and the rest of the team will feel like they can do anything starting games from +/- 0 without a handicap.

Not that bad of a strategy honestly...

[Smitty]

It would make more sense to start Maxi/Wood and bring Powell off the bench.  That is where he has always done his best work.

I agree 1000% but that’s why it won’t happen. Powell will start.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Powell is a good regular season player against second units.  I feel like he would have been less useless in the playoffs if he was played that way.  So far (small sample) we know that Maxi/Wood has worked really well, and Powell has worked really well as single big.  There is nothing to go on yet regarding Powell/Wood as they have hardly ever played together.  My guess is we will see some of that, but I think Maxi is a better fit with Wood both offensively and defensively and his defense is more valuable against starting units, while Powell's rim running is more valuable against second units.

NBA.com has the Wood/Maxi net rating at 12.5.  It is the 7th most used two man lineup.

All of the Powell combos are ridiculously good on the basis of net rating (in 3 games), so it is difficult to distinguish what works best (same applies to Green BTW).  We are just starting to see some Powell/Wood and some Powell/Maxi minutes.  In extremely small samples, both combos are fantastic.  In theory, any two man combo between Wood, Maxi and Powell should work.  I suspect you are correct that there are times in the game (against subs) where Powell as the solo-big would work.  I personally wouldn't start Powell as a solo big, but don't mind him doing it against subs if he has some defensive help.  The emergence of Green would help here as you could play any combo of DFS/Green or DFS/Bullock with Powell and a PG and probably steal some positive minutes.  Again, the Green net rating numbers are just ridiculous with everyone right now, so it is hard to know what would work best.

The thing I would point out to those who say Powell can only do this in the regular season we don't know that he can't do it in the playoffs if paired with a big like Wood or Maxi.  We were so thin up front that we didn't have the luxury last year of playing Powell with Maxi in the playoffs.  The year before, both the playoff Powell/KP and Powell/Maxi minutes were nicely positive.  Putting him with Wood or Maxi is just a dramatically different dynamic than asking him to hold down the paint by himself against playoff starters.  It would be nice if McGee would come down with a mysterious yet minor injury for a few weeks so Kidd could spend the next 10 game sample trying out some Wood/Maxi, Wood/Powell, Powell/Maxi and Powell/DFS lineups at various points in the game.