GAME 62: DAL (37-25) vs. LAL (27-34)| 109-104 WIN!

[KillerLeft]

Killerleft was never worried…

Not for a second!

[Paul Gasol]

What I don’t get is, for a man who likes to keep his hands in his pockets so much, why does JKidd wear his pants so high and tight?

He looks like he’s freezing most of the game. Just awkward all around…

[DanSchwartzgan]

Nothing too tricky about last night's rotation.  All numbers below slightly rounded:

3 PG's used up all of the 1 & 2 minutes (96)
RB and Green  used up all of the SF minutes (48)
DFS and Bertans used up all of the PF minutes (48)
Maxi and Powell used up all of the C minutes (48)

Reggie and Luka had the only negative +/- figures thanks largely to the bad start of the 3rd quarter (-12 in four minutes).  Luka's MVP case would be much stronger if the team was a net positive when he's in the game.  Finally made it to net zero as of last night.

No three point guard overlap last night.  Two of them on at all times except about 40 seconds in the second quarter.  Brunson sat to close the first half.  SD sat to close the second half.

Since the beginning of February, Dorian has had 8 games where he scored double digits and 3 games where he scored under that.  We won all eight of the double digit games and lost all three of the not double digit games (as Dorian goes, so goes the team).

Meanwhile Bullock has been a net negative in the last four games in a row.  He missed two games in the middle of that run (Miami win and NOP win).  Prior to the trade he had really found a rhythm.  Since the trade, not so much.

Bertans didn't do a thing last night, but was a net positive.  In his five games he's by far the Mav's top On-Off guy at +23.7.  3 Point Gravity is a real thing.

Did I mention it is nice to have a bench again.

[Chicagojk]

Fun game.   The Lakers mostly stink and the Knicks stink, but games just feel different in those arenas to me.  

The third quarter was rough.  Mavs got a tad out of rhythm on offense plus had a rash of turnovers.  Lakers D was also better in the third.  Lakers hit their shots in the third too.

Mavs did a nice job of realizing it is a long game and the other team was going to make a run.   I always felt like when Lebron was out the Mavs could make a run.   I was also hopeful late in the game that Lebron would be exhausted due to his workload.  

I am not a fan of our isolation late game offense but it worked last night.  I still think our last 5 minute offense and missing one good PF/C is going to hurt us in the playoffs.

[Kammrath]

Nothing too tricky about last night's rotation.  All numbers below slightly rounded:

3 PG's used up all of the 1 & 2 minutes (96)
RB and Green  used up all of the SF minutes (48)
DFS and Bertans used up all of the PF minutes (48)
Maxi and Powell used up all of the C minutes (48)

Reggie and Luka had the only negative +/- figures thanks largely to the bad start of the 3rd quarter (-12 in four minutes).  Luka's MVP case would be much stronger if the team was a net positive when he's in the game.  Finally made it to net zero as of last night.

No three point guard overlap last night.  Two of them on at all times except about 40 seconds in the second quarter.  Brunson sat to close the first half.  SD sat to close the second half.

Since the beginning of February, Dorian has had 8 games where he scored double digits and 3 games where he scored under that.  We won all eight of the double digit games and lost all three of the not double digit games (as Dorian goes, so goes the team).

Meanwhile Bullock has been a net negative in the last four games in a row.  He missed two games in the middle of that run (Miami win and NOP win).  Prior to the trade he had really found a rhythm.  Since the trade, not so much.

Bertans didn't do a thing last night, but was a net positive.  In his five games he's by far the Mav's top On-Off guy at +23.7.  3 Point Gravity is a real thing.

Did I mention it is nice to have a bench again.

Fantastic summary. 

And yes, DB's value will sadly continue to be downplayed. But with him being aggressive and getting the green light from Kidd, he WILL have a positive impact overall. He has helped the Mavs spacing so much in every single game he played in.

[Paul Gasol]

Fantastic summary. 

And yes, DB's value will sadly continue to be downplayed. But with him being aggressive and getting the green light from Kidd, he WILL have a positive impact overall. He has helped the Mavs spacing so much in every single game he played in.

You, my friend, need to make a “why can’t Davis Bertans be a superstar franchise player?” thread 

[MFFL]

Complaining isn´t Luka´s problem. Problem is that he is taking himself out of the game. He can complain all he want as long as he is at least getting back on defense. As long as he isn´t making bad decisions on offense.

I seem to remember (idk since I slept last night) but LeBron took himself out of a play on 3/1/22 because he was complaining to the refs. You know, one of the greatest players of all time.

So working the refs is an important job. Especially in the regular season where the games aren't as important.

[haveitall]

Dinwiddie is way better than I thought.  To get 9 assists on a new team is impressive.   He reminds me of prime Devin Harris.  I think the hardest role is Brunson.  He has to play off the ball.

[ItsGoTime]

I seem to remember (idk since I slept last night) but LeBron took himself out of a play on 3/1/22 because he was complaining to the refs. You know, one of the greatest players of all time.

So working the refs is an important job. Especially in the regular season where the games aren't as important.

So, LeBron taking 1 defensive play off to argue with the refs about something he thought was important enough is the justification for Luka to take many plays off to do similar?

[ItsGoTime]

Bertans didn't do a thing last night, but was a net positive.  In his five games he's by far the Mav's top On-Off guy at +23.7.  3 Point Gravity is a real thing.

Did I mention it is nice to have a bench again.

First of all let me say, here’s to DFS being a double digit scorer for the rest of his career here!

As far as Bertans, a few things that have me taking some notice (after my immediate reaction to the trade I have gone back to wait and see, I myself will wait til the playoffs to fully assess who these guys might be with what probably will be a full season with the team next year):

1. The gravity is real. You can tell his defenders are told to stay with him anywhere half court or they won’t see playing time for the next 3 games.

2. The defense (so far) is not as advertised. He has that THJ hustle in him. Problem is guys like that are hard to play in crunch time cause the moment that lapse comes it can be a huge momentum changer.

3. Something I don’t fully have a read on, but have noticed. His two horrible shooting nights didn’t result in a loss, but his best shooting night did. I’m sure this is what contributes to him having such a good on/off. Want to keep an eye on that, cause this makes me feel meh about his ability to affect wins.

4. Other than gravity and the ability to score efficiently, like THJ, he brings little else to the table. Because of that, I’m hoping that Kidd uses last night as a template on how to use him. Let him get 10 mins of play every night. If he’s scoring, let him keep playing beyond that, if not, keep him out.

[Smitty]

Let him get 10 mins of play every night. If he’s scoring, let him keep playing beyond that, if not, keep him out.

I think this is the perfect approach, especially in the playoffs. The problem between him and THJ is that you can't do that with THJ (he's earned or expected to get his minutes on this team), whereas Bertans role is or can be defined as such moving forward. That's what makes me lean towards keeping Bertans over THJ in the offseason, if all things are equal.

[Kammrath]

That's what makes me lean towards keeping Bertans over THJ in the offseason, if all things are equal.

100 times out of 100 I choose DB over THJ for this team.

[DanSchwartzgan]

100 times out of 100 I choose DB over THJ for this team…

…As currently constructed for sure.  Right now, who is missing time when Bertans plays?  Basically Maxi and Powell getting some Two-Big run.  Not a great thing this year.

If THJ returns, he forces Bullock, Green or a PG to sit.  Those guys are all positive contributors to winning.

I don’t see that necessarily changing for THJ.  I could see myself wanting to see less of Bertans depending on the kinds of offseason moves we might make at the 4/5.

[omahen]

Let him get 10 mins of play every night. If he’s scoring, let him keep playing beyond that, if not, keep him out.

I agree that is the best apporach. I don't think someone could be convinced that Bertans is suited for a bigger role after plenty of years proving what he is. It is really difficult to find examples of such one dimensional players around the league. I think Forbes is a perfect example. Plays similar minutes and his main skill is three point shooting. Ellington or McGruder could be another two examples. Neither is paid over 5 million. Needless to say how overpaid Bertans is for that limited role. This alone basically makes it realistically impossible to include his many remaining years into any kind of deal. I also think Bertans will be targeted in the playoffs. 

THJ has been of course asked to do way more than Bertans is. He certainly has same gravity, people are guarding him. Clippers threw Kawhi on him to stop the bleeding last season. Problem is he is not really efficient in providing more than just pure catch and shoot shooting. But I hope some team could be convinced he could work as a starter in the right setting with other players doing most of creating and most of defending. He is great pushing the ball and can also get to the cup if there is enough space. 

I agree Mavs don't really have space for him, as they have plenty of guys who can't create but play better defense (DFS, Bullock). So if you replace THJ for one of them, the defense gets bad as main guys aren't great defenders as it is. If you replace one of the guys that can do some creating (JB, Dinwiddie), the offense becomes one dimensional Luka ball. 

So it is not really of Mavs choosing between Bertans or THJ. THJ has higher value and might be easier to be used in the right trade. Problem of course is, other teams know even better than we do, that Mavs can't really provide enough minutes to efficiently use THJ. How much will this lower his value? Can Mavs create any kind of bidding war for him?

[ItsGoTime]

I agree that is the best apporach. I don't think someone could be convinced that Bertans is suited for a bigger role after plenty of years proving what he is. It is really difficult to find examples of such one dimensional players around the league. I think Forbes is a perfect example. Plays similar minutes and his main skill is three point shooting. Ellington or McGruder could be another two examples. Neither is paid over 5 million. Needless to say how overpaid Bertans is for that limited role. This alone basically makes it realistically impossible to include his many remaining years into any kind of deal. I also think Bertans will be targeted in the playoffs. 

THJ has been of course asked to do way more than Bertans is. He certainly has same gravity, people are guarding him. Clippers threw Kawhi on him to stop the bleeding last season. Problem is he is not really efficient in providing more than just pure catch and shoot shooting. But I hope some team could be convinced he could work as a starter in the right setting with other players doing most of creating and most of defending. He is great pushing the ball and can also get to the cup if there is enough space. 

I agree Mavs don't really have space for him, as they have plenty of guys who can't create but play better defense (DFS, Bullock). So if you replace THJ for one of them, the defense gets bad as main guys aren't great defenders as it is. If you replace one of the guys that can do some creating (JB, Dinwiddie), the offense becomes one dimensional Luka ball. 

So it is not really of Mavs choosing between Bertans or THJ. THJ has higher value and might be easier to be used in the right trade. Problem of course is, other teams know even better than we do, that Mavs can't really provide enough minutes to efficiently use THJ. How much will this lower his value? Can Mavs create any kind of bidding war for him?

I think it’s wishful thinking to believe THJ has any kind of value around the league. If the reports are true that Nico was shopping him around the league and didn’t find a suitor, that’s mostly all you need to know. He’s a chucker who found his shot for 2 out of 9 seasons in his career. I honestly believe this is what other FO see him as. Moving him is gonna be hard IMO.

[SleepingHero]

I think it’s wishful thinking to believe THJ has any kind of value around the league. If the reports are true that Nico was shopping him around the league and didn’t find a suitor, that’s mostly all you need to know. He’s a chucker who found his shot for 2 out of 9 seasons in his career. I honestly believe this is what other FO see him as. Moving him is gonna be hard IMO.

I don't think it was that they couldn't find a THJ suitor, there is always a tanking team that will take a contract for assets (*cough OKC*). But rather, I think Nico couldn't find a suitable deal that satisfied what they were looking for which was more depth/flexibility. 

In the summer, THJ is now healthy and 1 year removed on his contract. That should change his perceived value from what it was on TDL considerably imo.

[Smitty]

I also want to give THJ is due credit. He has been a vocal leader, mentor for Luka, a great teammate and an overall positive person and player for the Mavs. He was the only other Maverick to show up in the playoffs last year and was voted as part of the leadership council. The Mavs (Cuban) will not "dump" him for nothing - and if he remains a Mav next year he will most definitely have a more significant role than Bertans (if he is also on the roster). I think its fun to fantasize about the what-if and the perfect trade or move that the Mavs must make but we must remember there are many factors to consider outside of a message board and stat sheet. I'm rooting for a THJ comeback for the Mavs playoff run this year or for next season, if he's still a Mav. 

But for the reasons others have stated, in a perfect world, I'd personally prefer Bertans going forward, when it comes to X's and O's.

[ItsGoTime]

I don't think it was that they couldn't find a THJ suitor, there is always a tanking team that will take a contract for assets (*cough OKC*). But rather, I think Nico couldn't find a suitable deal that satisfied what they were looking for which was more depth/flexibility. 

In the summer, THJ is now healthy and 1 year removed on his contract. That should change his perceived value from what it was on TDL considerably imo.

The team(s) still have to want him and the discussion was centered around team(s) dealing THJ as at least equal value. I think Nico was trying to get at least equal value when shopping him, of course there are teams that will take on contracts when they are incentivize to do so, that’s not this discussion, unless I misread Omahen’s thought.


If THJ comes back this season, it won’t be in time to recoup value, AND the question is legitimately raised as to IF he will be given the ability to recoup that value (ignoring the question of if he would if given the chance). The receiving team has to believe he would regain the form he had the last 2 years (not this one) in order to not hang up the phone. After that hurdle, there’s a question of how much value they place on that projection. That is the value you will get in a trade this offseason. 

I have large doubts a FO will see him as a want for their team given his history, let alone be actually looking for him as a missing piece. I think Det was a possibility but I have to believe they think of him as an addition to Grant (that’s why they offered him the big deal), not as in place of him.

[F Gump]

Nothing too tricky about last night's rotation.  All numbers below slightly rounded:

3 PG's used up all of the 1 & 2 minutes (96)
RB and Green  used up all of the SF minutes (48)
DFS and Bertans used up all of the PF minutes (48)
Maxi and Powell used up all of the C minutes (48)

Yep that's the setup. Very simple rotation. Players play in a pre-defined slot and rotate with the same player(s). But versatile switchable players, asked to play both ends and try to do everything they do well, when they are on the floor.

[Chicagojk]

I also want to give THJ is due credit. He has been a vocal leader, mentor for Luka, a great teammate and an overall positive person and player for the Mavs. He was the only other Maverick to show up in the playoffs last year and was voted as part of the leadership council. The Mavs (Cuban) will not "dump" him for nothing - and if he remains a Mav next year he will most definitely have a more significant role than Bertans (if he is also on the roster). I think its fun to fantasize about the what-if and the perfect trade or move that the Mavs must make but we must remember there are many factors to consider outside of a message board and stat sheet. I'm rooting for a THJ comeback for the Mavs playoff run this year or for next season, if he's still a Mav. 

But for the reasons others have stated, in a perfect world, I'd personally prefer Bertans going forward, when it comes to X's and O's.

I want to give THJ credit too.   He is engaged on the bench during the game and has been traveling with the team.    It would be easy now that he is paid to have a chip on his shoulder.  He is human and I am sure he heard the trade rumors.  Who knows how aggressive the Mavs really were in discussions.   He can also see there is a minute crunch there and his role he expected to have coming into the season may not be there moving forward.   So I wouldn't blame him if he was semi checked out while recovering, but he seems to be really engaged and deserves some credit for that.