06-05-2022, 03:27 AM
(06-04-2022, 07:56 PM)audiosway Wrote: Really? You do realize that Luka AVERAGED 32 Points, 9.2 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 1.6 Steals, and 1 Block PER GAME right?
Dallas just couldn't get enough scoring from the rest of the cast. That combined with not enough stopping power lost them the series.
No one got destroyed in that series. Actually the steals and blocks were right on par for both teams. The real killer was getting out-rebounded by an average of 11 per game and getting outscored by an average of 9 per game for Dallas. That will lose you the series every time.
If anyone got destroyed it was Wiggins shooting 8-28 from 3 for 29%.
I mean Luka went from leading on/off in the Suns series to being dead last from both teams in the Warriors series. Wiggins lead the Warriors by a large distance in the Warriors series. Klay/Draymond lowkey weren't even great in the Mavs series. Poole and Wiggins were more or less the x-factors. Usually a bad sign if the guy that is guarding you, has such a good impact and getting praised left and right everywhere.
Warriors got away with more or less single coverage, Kerr never had to adjust the defense. Luka cooked the Suns so much, that their defense went into full chaos mode. That never really happened in the Warriors series. And i don't think Wiggins is even better than Bridges. Luka had literally no legs anymore for the majority of the series. I bet Luka starts cooking Wiggins during the regular season next year again with more fresh legs.
That was probably Luka's worst playoff series by a distance in my opinion, including his 2 worst playoff games (game 6 and 7). Both Clippers series and the Jazz/Suns series were a tier higher.
Clippers series: Mavs without Luka: -37.2
Jazz series: Mavs without Luka: -4.5
Suns series: Mavs without Luka: -7.9
Warriors series: Mavs without Luka: +15.9
Luka got not help crowd fits the least in the Warriors series imo. People expected Luka to be the best player left in the playoffs, he didn't look like the undisputed best player in the series tho. Otherwise the series is probably way closer. Ok if the Mavs win game 2, it could get closer.
Luka's defense in 4th quarters (and the longer the game went) was lowkey one of the biggest problems in the series. Turned into a traffic cone. When the Mavs winning games with defense all year long. Including Jazz and Suns series.
104.8 DefRtg in 1st quarters
151.2 DefRtg in 4th quarters
Condition was more or less the overwhelming factor in the series. DFS/Bullock/Kleber showed some signs of fatigue. And Luka was looking dead tired nearly the entire series. Wiggins looked so good, because Luka couldn't beat him off the dribble half of the time. If Luka has trouble getting by people and has tired legs, his jumpshot getting way worse. Its pretty evident every time he has trouble with exhaustion.
Often the Mavs had games in the regular season where they starting defending better in the 4th or even locking up teams. Including Luka playing good defense. This was the opposite in the series.
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