MAVS NEWS:

[Chicagojk]

The team is not healthy now, and I am not sure they are capable of being a champion contender again. I do look at the roster and would be intrigued if they are healthy and think they could be pretty good. I can see the type of roster they want to build. I get to that stage and then it hits me though....we had Luka f-ing Doncic. Tough place to be at.

[mvossman]

However, our hope was only hope, not a guarantee. Perhaps it turns out we already got what turns out to be Luka’s best years. Perhaps Luka’s extreme percentage of the luxury tax would have turned us into Phoenix. We will never know now. That in itself hurts. Fortunately we do have a lot of top level talent still to root for. PJ and Powell will be back soon. Yea. I guess.   But no roasting for seeing a silver lining that is actually quite nice to see.

If we are worried about turning into Phoenix, trading for KD doesn't make a lot of sense.

[Chicagojk]

What is more likely for this year?

AD doesn't make it back this year or AD comes back and Kyrie get injured? It has to be one of those two right?

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://archive.is/nPj7u

Here is the entire article without the paywall.

Thanks for the link.

[audiosway]

I’m not doing any roasting tonight. If we do get a reasonably healthy AD and Max continues his very welcome upward arc then we successfully use the first in a solid trade then we will have gotten a top 5-7 player, a solid 2 way wing starter and an upgrade through trade. That is a lot of value. Unfortunately we still probably lose the trade. Luka was that good and Maxi will look better with the no big men Lakers. Our problem is that we lost 10 years of hope for an annual contender that seemed pretty realistic. Hope is a huge loss!

However, our hope was only hope, not a guarantee. Perhaps it turns out we already got what turns out to be Luka’s best years. Perhaps Luka’s extreme percentage of the luxury tax would have turned us into Phoenix. We will never know now. That in itself hurts. Fortunately we do have a lot of top level talent still to root for. PJ and Powell will be back soon. Yea. I guess.   But no roasting for seeing a silver lining that is actually quite nice to see.

I'm right there with you. With Luka it always felt like you had a chance to win. And it was just cool having "that" guy on our team. I'm also not into going after KD. I'm not so sure they will honestly. I think it's just a smokescreen.

I'm really excited about the team getting healthy to see what they can do. They have OKC's number. With the way they have been playing I think that they can hang around that 8 seed if not jump up a couple of spots to allow time for guys to get healthy. This team has a chance to be a defensive juggernaut. With Kyrie, Klay, AD, and Max I'm not really worried so much about scoring. The ball movement will allow plenty of open opportunities.

[Smitty]

Out of boredom I made a rotation for after the break. With the news that Powell and Martin might be on track to return and the recent play of Edwards and Williams, I chose to leave out Omax and Dinwiddie..

   


Minutes:

Kyrie 36
PJW 36
Christie 30
Klay 26
Exum 22
Powell 22
Naji 22
Martin 22
Williams 12
Edwards 12


Bench:
Dinwiddie
Omax
Hardy
Kelly


Injured:
Davis
Lively
Gafford

[Winter]

It wouldn't surprise me if Edwards gets more minutes that Powell. That may say more about Powell's conditioning when he returns, but I think that center position may be an experiment that PJW and Edwards could fill just as well if not better.

[Smitty]

It wouldn't surprise me if Edwards gets more minutes that Powell. That may say more about Powell's conditioning when he returns, but I think that center position may be an experiment that PJW and Edwards could fill just as well if not better.

Interesting. I felt like Omax played more “Center” than Edwards in the stretch without any  Bigs. Either way, Edwards has really shown something and in my opinion is more NBA ready than Omax.

Powell has actually been pretty good this season. I’ve given him a lot of grief the last few years but if he comes back and plays like he had been, he definitely helps you at the center position. More so than Edwards or Omax. Just my 2 cents.

[Winter]

Interesting. I felt like Omax played more “Center” than Edwards in the stretch without any  Bigs. Either way, Edwards has really shown something and in my opinion is more NBA ready than Omax.

Powell has actually been pretty good this season. I’ve given him a lot of grief the last few years but if he comes back and plays like he had been, he definitely helps you at the center position. More so than Edwards or Omax. Just my 2 cents.

I don't dislike Powell in this lineup, it's just that I think PJW, are Kessler are offensive threats on the perimeter. Using them might be the smarter play to stretch the floor.

[LukaMVP]

even when lively and gafford are back healthy we may still try playing Edwards or omax at 5 every now and then in so-called 5 out lineups. Powell on the other hand doesn't provide no change compared to our two regular centers. Powell can help a bit at c when gafford and lively are out, but I'd rather see omax and Edwards more for a change of play style tbh.

[F Gump]

With the encouraging news that DP and Martin will be back soon, we lose sight of the bigger impact looming of PJW returning. They've been without any of their real PF's, as well as C's. And PJW is a starter.

FWIW, I think PJW will play his natural position of PF, the vast majority of the time. I think DP will start at C. After the 1st quarter, and how they handle the rest of the minutes at those 2 positions (perhaps another 35 or 40 that neither PJW nor DP will get?) will be a scramble. But I wouldn't be surprised if we see some periods of small ball, maybe with PJW at C --- or maybe not. They've been playing small with NEITHER and it wouldn't surprise me if they use some of those lineups again just because of all the smaller guys they want to use; and if Martin is back in the mix, that's yet another SG-sized player with talent that will DEFINITELY get minutes.

[Smitty]

With the encouraging news that DP and Martin will be back soon, we lose sight of the bigger impact looming of PJW returning. They've been without any of their real PF's, as well as C's. And PJW is a starter.

FWIW, I think PJW will play his natural position of PF, the vast majority of the time. I think DP will start at C. After the 1st quarter, and how they handle the rest of the minutes at those 2 positions (perhaps another 35 or 40 that neither PJW nor DP will get?) will be a scramble. But I wouldn't be surprised if we see some periods of small ball, maybe with PJW at C --- or maybe not. They've been playing small with NEITHER and it wouldn't surprise me if they use some of those lineups again just because of all the smaller guys they want to use; and if Martin is back in the mix, that's yet another SG-sized player with talent that will DEFINITELY get minutes.

PJW will play ~36 minutes. Any time he’s not sharing the floor with Powell, he’ll be the teams “Center”. He’s played plenty of 5 in his career. He’s by far the best rebounder of the bunch. He has the size and physical strength. He fits the bill for small ball or 5-out just as Edwards or Omax would, with much better perimeter shooting. All that to say, he’s technically the 5, with no Powell, even if paired with Edwards or anyone else in the front court.

[LukaMVP]

with davis back we may try starting pj and davis at 4 and 5. that's 5-out lineup as well, and that means Christie may be promoted to the starting five alongside Klay and Irving. I think this starting five may work well for certain matchups.

[KillerLeft]

with davis back we may try starting pj and davis at 4 and 5. that's 5-out lineup as well, and that means Christie may be promoted to the starting five alongside Klay and Irving. I think this starting five may work well for certain matchups.

I think that lineup will be a good one, especially defensively, and will offer good offensive spacing at least.

[F Gump]

Any time he’s not sharing the floor with Powell, he’ll be the teams “Center”. He’s played plenty of 5 in his career.

Perhaps. That's logical, since DP is really the only true C they have (I'm not counting Kelley). 

OTOH if we see a lineup with PJW and Edwards (or OMax), wouldn't that be PJW at the 4 with the other being labeled the 5? Both are taller.

If he wanted to, Kidd could certainly fill all the C/PF minutes, with something like DP and PJW playing longer minutes, and the rest being manned by Edwards (with perhaps some left over for OMax). 

But I'm wondering if we may see lineups with smaller players instead, including some with neither DP nor PJW, using the rest of the roster (PG, SG, SF guys) to fill at least 4 positions and maybe 5, and that we would see that used fairly early (say, early 2nd quarter) and perhaps more? That set of PG, SG, SF guys is now the strength of this team, with at least 4 who are starter caliber, and I'm thinking JK will try to lean into it. FWIW it's an old Nellie-type move that often had surprisingly-effective results.

[Chicagojk]

I am expecting a rough 3 weeks after the all star break. I am sure they will play hard and maybe they continue to suprise. I just think after everyone comes back rested after the all star game that the lack of bigs is going to be a killer. I hope I am wrong.

4 games over .500 without Luka for a lot of the season and all the injuries is about as best you could have hoped. I just don't know if they can keep 4 games over .500 as the season moves forward.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I am expecting a rough 3 weeks after the all star break.  I am sure they will play hard and maybe they continue to suprise.  I just think after everyone comes back rested after the all star game that the lack of bigs is going to be a killer.  I hope I am wrong. 

4 games over .500 without Luka for a lot of the season and all the injuries is about as best you could have hoped.  I just don't know if they can keep 4 games over .500 as the season moves forward.

Agreed. As the schedule gets tougher and teams are jockeying for seeds, they're going to have to bring it every night until some of their injured players return. I have to admit, Kidd has done a good job with what's left on the roster, despite the circumstances.

[Smitty]

Perhaps. That's logical, since DP is really the only true C they have (I'm not counting Kelley). No one should.

OTOH if we see a lineup with PJW and Edwards (or OMax), wouldn't that be PJW at the 4 with the other being labeled the 5? Both are taller. No, not in my opinion. But again, it's semantics really.

If he wanted to, Kidd could certainly fill all the C/PF minutes, with something like DP and PJW playing longer minutes, and the rest being manned by Edwards (with perhaps some left over for OMax). I see it pretty clearly that Powell and PJ will get all 48 minutes at 5. Then PJ will get whatever's left at 4, that gets him to 36 minutes. In my breakdown it was Powell 22 minutes | PJW 26 minutes. That left 10 minutes (5 min each) at the start of the first and third for him to play the 4 alongside DP. I also think we'll consider Martin a 4 in this unique mix of players, at least defensively. He can guard up well, better than Naji and Klay.

But I'm wondering if we may see lineups with smaller players instead, including some with neither DP nor PJW, using the rest of the roster (PG, SG, SF guys) to fill at least 4 positions and maybe 5, and that we would see that used fairly early (say, early 2nd quarter) and perhaps more? That set of PG, SG, SF guys is now the strength of this team, with at least 4 who are starter caliber, and I'm thinking JK will try to lean into it. FWIW it's an old Nellie-type move that often had surprisingly-effective results. I think you're right. We'll definitely see different lineups throughout the next few weeks. I don't expect anything to be consistent or normal around here as they limp to the finish line. My attempt at a rotation was more or less showing how each player I thought worthy, could get real rotational minutes and offer some lineup combinations I thought would be effective until the Bigs come back, if ever. 

[DanSchwartzgan]

with davis back we may try starting pj and davis at 4 and 5. that's 5-out lineup as well, and that means Christie may be promoted to the starting five alongside Klay and Irving. I think this starting five may work well for certain matchups.

IF we happen to see this before Gafford comes back, it will give us a feel of how necessary Gafford it.  I think all agree Lively is untouchable (or as untouchable as a Dallas player can be).  Lively starting with AD swinging between PF and C would be the formula for a team that does a big trade that sends out Gafford.  There is a chance we get a preview of that.

[Chicagojk]

PJ has played 16 minutes in the last 7 games. We really need him back and healthy.

22 and 13, 25 and 14 and 19 and 9 were his totals the three games before this. We really need him to play really high level of ball coming up.