GAME 3: POR (2-1) @ DAL (2-1) | 119-121 loss

[michaeltex]

Still maintain that....

KP
???
Luka
Delon
Seth

...is your best lineup for closing most nights. I like Brunson a lot, but I prefer Seth and Wright at this point.

I wasn't a fan of the way Wright and Brunson were used last night.  Their time off the court should have probably been swapped.  If Brunson can run the second unit against a good team, then Luka wouldn't have to play nearly 38 minutes.  Wright's D is supposed to be better and his 2-man lineups with Luka are +11 while Brunson's 2-man lineups with Luka are -1.  Wright should have closed the game and there is certainly an argument he should start.  But, Wright's best game came as a backup.  At this early stage, we might have two guards who are best used off the bench (Wright and Brunson).  Getting the whole Wright/Curry/Brunson rotation right is an early challenge.  I agree that Curry deserves a bigger role.  

Another issue is that among the non-big/non-ball handlers (DFS, Jackson and THJ), DFS is CLEARLY outplaying the others.  Good for him, but will he get those PF minutes once Powell returns?  Who will sit?  Powell would have helped move the offense closer to the basket if he had played last night.  I'm starting to lean toward Powell as the leader of the bench mob and Maxi starting.

Right now we have plenty of bench players, but we don't have a bench.  One of Luka and KP played all but 1:30 last night (we were +9 in that 1:30).  In years past we have been able to survive (in fact thrive) with only bench guys on the floor.  Powell coming back should help that.  But, there has to be some spacing for Powell to work.  If Curry is a starter, it may be that DFS joins him rather than Wright and Wright/Brunson/Powell/THJ and Jackson is your bench.  I could also see Wright and DFS swapping out starting on a nightly basis depending on the size of the other team's best player.

I agree that Powell could have helped. It seemed like we were missing something when Maxi went to the bench. I'm not saying he's the reason we lost, but it seemed like POR was able to get an inside-out game going once he went to the bench. KP was getting pushed around under the basket and not getting calls, resulting in being out of position for a lot of rebounds.

All the comments about efficiency and shot selection (especially in the 2nd half) were on the money. They seemed content to bail out to 3pters on a lot of possessions. More drives, especially once you were in the bonus, were a missing element.

 All that said, POR is a helluva team that made the WC finals last summer. I don't know how sustainable the big minutes are that CJ and Dame play, but this is definitely their year to go for it. Apart from remarkable shooting, they have a cohesiveness from a core playing together for a while. They should be what the Mavs aspire to, once this team has a chance to grow together. It will be a good measuring stick through the season to see how the Mavs fare against POR.