PLAYOFFS ROUND 1: #4 DAL (4-2) vs #5 UTA (2-4) |

[ItsGoTime]

Green (and others) are the often overlooked part of the Luka injury.  We talk a lot about JB and SD needing to step up and someone among the other heavy minutes guys (DFS, RB, Powell, Maxi) having to have a big game.  But, it isn’t just Luka’s production.  There are 38 minutes to be soaked up.  The six guys named were already going to eat up some heavy minutes, so someone else has to step in.  

I imagine we’ll try to get a few minutes each half out of Burke.  We aren’t going to win a game in the 120’s without Luka.  So, Bertans probably isn’t the full answer unless someone gets into foul trouble.  Josh plays D and lately is hitting a high percent of his 3’s.  He’s also showing improvement at something Utah is bad at…attacking one on one.  If we somehow get a game without Luka, SD and Brunson will likely get the headlines, but someone like Green (filling in from the bottom) will likely play a huge role.

I think this is right. Some of the already going to be high minute guys are not really gonna get that many more minutes. For example, I’d suggest DFS was gonna get a couple breathers throughout the game and end up with minutes played in the 40’s. Don’t think that changes with Luka being out. Sure JB and SD will probably get a few more minutes than they were going to (more SD than JB), but the real step up I think gets put at the feet of Green and probably Bertans who were going to be in the 15 mpg range. I think we have to wear out DP and Maxi unless we’re gonna see Boban out there to match Gobert with size and strength a bit.