GAME 57: LAC (27-30) vs. DAL (33-23) | 97-99 loss

[MaxiThreeba]

The Clips continue to be so easy to hate.

[KillerLeft]

Brunson has it going a lot better tonight. I hope he can keep it up.

[soog]

That's actually not bad against teams with a winning record, there's a reason those teams have a winning record. The 2011 Mavs were actually pretty bad in that category, in the regular season...

Just looked this up across the league.  Of the top 11 teams in the NBA, the Mavs are the only team with a losing record against +.500 teams.

Happy to see the Mavs are already turning that around

[KillerLeft]

Just looked this up across the league.  Of the top 11 teams in the NBA, the Mavs are the only team with a losing record against +.500 teams.

Happy to see the Mavs are already turning that around

No doubt. The first month of this season was brutal. Depressing. The last 20–25 games have been so much better that I’m getting more and more confident the slow start was just a matter of coaching staff turnover.

[BolsDamols]

I'm excited to see Bertans play, he will take all those shots that Maxi/others hesitate on, for better or for worse

[dirkfansince1998]

I don’t care if he ever quits barking at them or coming across to other teams’ fans like a prima donna. That stuff bothers me a little bit, but honestly not that much.

I just want him to stop letting it completely take his head out of the game. Maybe harden does that a little bit, but do you feel like LeBron does that?

Agreed. I think all players can get distracted by things like fouls, bad calls...but Luka is more susceptible than the mentioned guys.

[KillerLeft]

The other night, Luka realized that KP was finally gone and was so happy he put up 51.

Tonight, he realized Dinwiddie is here and is so depressed he can’t make a 3ft tear drop.

The season is a roller coaster.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Total bench points tonight - 2

A problem that will hopefully start to get better starting Tuesday.

[dirkfansince1998]

Credit to Ty Lue. He made great adjustments. Repeat of the playoff series. Taking away the roll man with the switch and forcing the Mavs into isos or perimeter shots.

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Luka´s catch and shoot motion is quicker than his usual step back motion. Shooting arc is flat.

[Jommybone]

If they continue to play Z, it’s just a matter of time. Luka’s gonna light him up.

[KillerLeft]

I’m a huge Kleber fan, but that last three from the corner was definitely “playoff open” and he had to speed up his release just to get it off. That’s why he missed it, I think.

I used to push back on the idea that he wasn’t a qualified starter, but I’m starting to get in line with that thinking.

[Chicagojk]

Basketball analytic departments across the country heads exploded during that Powell mid range jumper

[BolsDamols]

Tonight, he realized Dinwiddie is here and is so depressed he can’t make a 3ft tear drop.

It hit him that Goran is probably not walking through that door

[Jommybone]

Basketball analytic departments across the country heads exploded during that Powell mid range jumper

I don’t know what this sentence means. But that was one ugly ass jump shot.

[Kammrath]

I’m a huge Kleber fan, but that last three from the corner was definitely “playoff open” and he had to speed up his release just to get it off. That’s why he missed it, I think.

I used to push back on the idea that he wasn’t a qualified starter, but I’m starting to get in line with that thinking.

Bertans should be a big upgrade in this area.

[MaxiThreeba]

Luka was pretty uninspiring in that first half…and you look up and he’s filled up the stat sheet. In fact, uninspiring is probably unfair when you see things like DP pull ups, DFS trying to facilitate, Green turning down shot after shot and Maxi winding up (unlike the flagrant he got) to hoist his threes and remember how transcendent Luka has to be most of the time. 

That first half is also why I am at least intrigued to see what the two new guys bring to the bench. 

Outside of Luka and JB this rotation is just so offensively limited.  Bertrans is a one trick pony but when he’s right it’s a good trick.  Dinwiddie is the guy that has a chance to help with the stale minutes the Mavs seem to struggle through.  Of course, he could also play them right out of a game but I’m thinking positive right now.

[ItsGoTime]

I mean, with the amount of 3's we're already putting up, Bertans is just more of the same singular focused offense.

[KillerLeft]

Bertrans is a one trick pony but when he’s right it’s a good trick.

The best thing about Burtans’ trick is that it makes Luka’s, Brunson’s and Dinwiddie’s tricks easier to perform. When he’s right, as you say.

He won’t be at the elbow with his hand up, he will be outside of the perimeter and SO WILL HIS DEFENDER.

[KillerLeft]

I mean, with the amount of 3's we're already putting up, Bertans is just more of the same singular focused offense.

This is valid. There will be much less variation in the offensive approach. Except, I think the point is to get dribble penetration into the paint more, not create only threes. Obviously, you have to hit enough threes for the defense to acknowledge that weapon.

There will be no more post ups this season by anyone not named Luka. At least not very many. The spread offense is back (maybe with more off-ball cutting than in Carlisle’s version, idk). 

But, there are now going to be more people on the floor who are capable of attacking closeouts, in theory. That is what many of us thought was the way forward at the end of the season last year. But, I get how some people thought dumping the ball in to KP was a good development, and if I was in that camp and I would probably be pretty disappointed right now.

[KillerLeft]

Luka seems like he’s overthinking things a bit tonight. I don’t feel like I have seen him struggle in this exact way very often.

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Lots of really bad, unnecessary passes.