10-08-2021, 02:17 PM
Brian and Mark give their first pre-season update.
Biggest takeaway so far is that Luka appears to have arrived in great shape. That’s a big deal.
In other bodily news, Maxi (who had become very ground down by the end of last season) looks leaner and healthier, and all of the players look ready to go.
Rotations
1-5 JK has already announced the starting five: Luka, THJ, DFS, KP, and Powell. Kidd says he took the decision to start Powell to his “board” — the Kidd/Dirk/Finley/whoever group set up after the restructure. This is indicative of their effort to institute a more collaborative decision-making approach with better communication, to try to avoid some of the problems that led to the restructure.
6-10 Looks like Maxi, Brunson, Bullock, Sterling Brown, and Willie.
11-12
Boban. Will probably play situationally, similar to his role last season.
Green. You would like to see Green in the regular rotation, but he doesn’t seem to be making it. Sterling Brown is preferred in that role, due to his ability to shoot. Their new developmental coaches are expected to work with Green to help him crack the rotation.
13-16
Terry. According to Brian, don’t be surprised if we see very little of Terry this year. He is a possible candidate to be cut, as he continues to struggle with personal problems.
Burke. Brian predicts that Burke is not long for this roster. The team will continue to try to trade him, and if they can’t, they’ll have to make a decision that could cost them some money. Burke has not played well, Frankie was brought in to compete for his spot, and he is the only player who refuses to get vaccinated. Although he is still eligible to play, the team has to use a whole different protocol for him, making arrangements for him to travel separately, eat separately, and otherwise stay away from the team if he is not involved in a team activity.
Frank. JK has said several times that Ntilikina was brought in for purposes of “friendly competition” in training camp. We haven’t seen him yet, so it is hard to know what to expect, or if he will indeed make the team.
Moses Brown. Another candidate to be cut, since he doesn’t have much guaranteed money at stake. However, he has looked intriguing so far. If the Mavs choose to keep him now, they wouldn’t have to make a final decision on him until his contract becomes guaranteed.
Schemes
Offensively, very similar to RC’s system. A lot of PNR. A little more tolerance for mid-range shots. Emphasis on including a rim-roller.
Defensively, also pretty similar. Look for the team to become a little more aggressive defensively as the season wears on. JK prefers to play with a center who can help protect the rim, as opposed to just KP.
KP’s role. JK is accommodating KP’s desire to play more inside. That isn’t always easy with a non-shooting center also in the lineup, and so far, the plan appears to be a work in progress. They still appear to be force-feeding him, and he is still exhibiting a tendency to fall down and/or lose the ball when he is trying to play inside. But, it’s still very early, and the team will be instituting new wrinkles throughout the season, not just in training camp. Although he has only played with Luka so far this pre-season, look for him to anchor some second units as the season opens.
Other. The podcast also discusses some interesting statistics, and examines the recent GM survey.
https://www.patreon.com/mavspod/posts
Biggest takeaway so far is that Luka appears to have arrived in great shape. That’s a big deal.
In other bodily news, Maxi (who had become very ground down by the end of last season) looks leaner and healthier, and all of the players look ready to go.
Rotations
1-5 JK has already announced the starting five: Luka, THJ, DFS, KP, and Powell. Kidd says he took the decision to start Powell to his “board” — the Kidd/Dirk/Finley/whoever group set up after the restructure. This is indicative of their effort to institute a more collaborative decision-making approach with better communication, to try to avoid some of the problems that led to the restructure.
6-10 Looks like Maxi, Brunson, Bullock, Sterling Brown, and Willie.
11-12
Boban. Will probably play situationally, similar to his role last season.
Green. You would like to see Green in the regular rotation, but he doesn’t seem to be making it. Sterling Brown is preferred in that role, due to his ability to shoot. Their new developmental coaches are expected to work with Green to help him crack the rotation.
13-16
Terry. According to Brian, don’t be surprised if we see very little of Terry this year. He is a possible candidate to be cut, as he continues to struggle with personal problems.
Burke. Brian predicts that Burke is not long for this roster. The team will continue to try to trade him, and if they can’t, they’ll have to make a decision that could cost them some money. Burke has not played well, Frankie was brought in to compete for his spot, and he is the only player who refuses to get vaccinated. Although he is still eligible to play, the team has to use a whole different protocol for him, making arrangements for him to travel separately, eat separately, and otherwise stay away from the team if he is not involved in a team activity.
Frank. JK has said several times that Ntilikina was brought in for purposes of “friendly competition” in training camp. We haven’t seen him yet, so it is hard to know what to expect, or if he will indeed make the team.
Moses Brown. Another candidate to be cut, since he doesn’t have much guaranteed money at stake. However, he has looked intriguing so far. If the Mavs choose to keep him now, they wouldn’t have to make a final decision on him until his contract becomes guaranteed.
Schemes
Offensively, very similar to RC’s system. A lot of PNR. A little more tolerance for mid-range shots. Emphasis on including a rim-roller.
Defensively, also pretty similar. Look for the team to become a little more aggressive defensively as the season wears on. JK prefers to play with a center who can help protect the rim, as opposed to just KP.
KP’s role. JK is accommodating KP’s desire to play more inside. That isn’t always easy with a non-shooting center also in the lineup, and so far, the plan appears to be a work in progress. They still appear to be force-feeding him, and he is still exhibiting a tendency to fall down and/or lose the ball when he is trying to play inside. But, it’s still very early, and the team will be instituting new wrinkles throughout the season, not just in training camp. Although he has only played with Luka so far this pre-season, look for him to anchor some second units as the season opens.
Other. The podcast also discusses some interesting statistics, and examines the recent GM survey.
https://www.patreon.com/mavspod/posts
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