(04-07-2022, 02:43 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Most people with a problem with Powell only notice him when he ends up guarding someone with the ball, too deep in the paint. Those possessions often don't go well, but they're also not supposed to happen in the first place, and are almost always the fault of someone else (prior to the part that gets noticed). I have no idea if you're in this category of viewer or not, but wanted to set the table with this idea.I'm already going to try and watch as many playoff games as I can this year (I haven't watched many non-Mav playoff games in recent years) to watch for the vanishing Big as you challenged me to earlier (Also, I know this is the case, but I do wonder to what extent and how close to what you're making it out to be when talking in terms of a vet min player that I'm proposing...so Drummond/Cousins/McGee are going to be must watch games for me and I hope their teams make it past the 1st round to test the theory more).
99% of the time, when someone writes what I'm about to write next, it's taken as an insult. Tone can be really difficult here, but I'm going to take a risk and write this anyway. I'm not meaning to suggest that anyone is "dumb" or "not watching" or "doesn't get it." I promise. Here goes:
If you want to see some of what I see about Powell's defense, whether you will ultimately agree with my assessment or not, I recommend spending about five straight games watching ONLY him on defense, regardless of where the BALL is. You will doubtlessly see what I have seen: that he does 2-5 things on each possession that take options away from the opposing offense - the options they want. Sometimes, these possessions are still successful, and sometimes he's the one who ends catching the ball as it drops through the net, even, but that doesn't always mean he's the guy who didn't hold his end of the bargain up.
This is a really difficult thing to do as a viewer. Much easier said than done. Like I said, I'm not meaning to suggest that you've never done this or thought of it, but I do think there are people around here who haven't.
I think guys like Powell fly under the radar a bit at times specially because they're at times such effective deterrents on defense that the plan they're foiling never becomes a shot attempt. Many people only seem to notice who's guarding the guy who gets the shot up. If it goes in they say "bad defense." If it bricks they say "nice job there." The truth is that success or failure comes way before the shot attempt in many cases, and often has nothing to do with the guy who ends up on ball.
EDIT: and dude, you didn't offend me earlier, don't worry.
I have tried to watch Powell mostly for spurts of games cause I wanted to see what you and Dan see in him, but I'll admit, I can get caught up in some of the greatness of what's going on around him at times and lose sight of my goal in watching Powell only. So inevitably I end up watching him at the beginning of games exclusively and that is why I've talked about starting specifically with Powell and how he basically must be playing the long game against opponents.
This is why I've actually started suggesting a good alternative to the sure upgrade to Powell in someone like Turner or Capela (I'm no longer completely sure Holmes is an upgrade to Powell, HOWEVER, I think he'd be at least a good side grade with different strengths to change things up against the opposition) would be to get a big body to bang in the beginning when the opposing big is fresh. Then Powell comes in and while playing the same minutes he is now, does his thing with more ease. Similar to what I think is happening in the playoffs with these big bodied players. It's not that the big bodies aren't being started, it's that as the stakes get higher, the big bodies get sat. So in essence, they are allowing the smaller C's, or small ball C's to not have to bang with those bigger bodies to stay fresh when the stakes get even higher.
(04-07-2022, 03:02 PM)fifteenth Wrote: Maybe you're right. But I think these things might actually take some talent.I mean, you very well could be right too. Only way to know is to be at every practice. Do the Mavs have any openings for like...ball boy? I'll gladly rebound and kick out for them!
Moses for example. When I heard Moses was going to work with Tyson I was excited.
Tyson Chandler was a foot work and foot speed expert, kind of like Powell. It's just the Tyson's foot work expertise were applied to in a system that allowed him to be a rim protector. He showed on the pnr and dropped to protect the rim so well that he was able to anchor a great defense.
But...the first time I watched Moses much at all I thought, "oh my goodness, his feet are all over the place! His footwork is awful". Can he learn to be a footwork expert? Maybe. But I actually think there is talent needed for that, not just hard work. could be wrong.