PLAYOFF WCF GAME 2: DAL (0-2) vs. GSW (2-0) | 117-126 loss

[SwisherPrice]

The Warriors system is pretty to watch.  

Josh Green is in no way being stifled by the system he’s in.  He’s an exceedingly mediocre basketball player that has a solid motor which is helpful in the regular season….same exact thing you can say about Powell.

It's hard to judge Green when he's barely featured on offense at all during the season. The guy ranked like 10th on the team in shot attempts during the season and was just asked to be a role player so it's no surprise that he can't give them anything now. 

As a prospect, he actually had some good offensive potential but they just want him to be a 3 and D guy here...like everyone else on the supporting cast not named Luka and Brunson. I'm pretty sure if we had a player like Poole, he'd just be asked to stand in the corner every offensive possession too.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Green and Frank should be nailed to the bench for the rest of the series. Hell, put Burke out there, he can't be much worse. At least he can score.

[Smitty]

House money. Don’t forget to enjoy watching the Mavs in the WCF. First to 4!

[cow]

6 points from Bertans in six minutes.
7 points from the rest in 70 minutes.

Then look at the non big three (four if you count Wiggins) for the Dubs.  Massive contributions from Poole, Looney and Porter Jr.  They even got some solid minutes from Moody.

[Branduil]

Mavs just do not have the players. Looney did to us what I expected Ayton to do last series, which kind of reflects badly on Ayton. But ultimately the Mavs just do not have the players. We need a starting center. We need at least one more 3&D wing who won't be a complete zero on offense. We need Luka to understand better when to take over because guys are tight and bricking everything.

[Chicagojk]

That was the game we had to win imo.  I think this is a short series.  Mavs got good scoring games from Luka and Brunson.  Bullock hit his threes.  But non else showed up tonight.  Needed another guy.

The third quarter offense was brutal and the fourth quarter defense was awful.  GS just put their head down and got layup after layup.  Maxi was a complete zero today trying to be any resistance.  Although he wasn't the only one...very little resistance.   

Credit GS....they really came on strong.  They are not as good as the Mavs are making them look.

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Green and Frank should be nailed to the bench for the rest of the series. Hell, put Burke out there, he can't be much worse. At least he can score.

hmm maybe.   Maybe home court fixes some things.   Green looks a little frazzled.  I was worried the playoffs may be too big for him.  It may be.  It happens.   I think almost to be expected.  I am not sure if this is a good series for Frank.

[Chicagojk]

It is weird how styles make fights.  Maxi looked great when he gets open threes and use his quickness against bigger players.  When teams take away his wide open looks he is a completely different player.   

We really need Dinwiddie to arrive again.    For most of the playoffs he has been a non factor.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

It's hard to judge Green when he's barely featured on offense at all during the season. The guy ranked like 10th on the team in shot attempts during the season and was just asked to be a role player so it's no surprise that he can't give them anything now. 

As a prospect, he actually had some good offensive potential but they just want him to be a 3 and D guy here...like everyone else on the supporting cast not named Luka and Brunson. I'm pretty sure if we had a player like Poole, he'd just be asked to stand in the corner every offensive possession too.

Poole does more than stand in the corner. He drives to the cup, is a much better shooter and passer than given credit for. He would be a solid rotation player on any team including this one.

[ThisIStheYear]

Frank and Green were the least of the Mav’s problems. The big men were just horrible.  They are the Suns weakness. The Mavs need to win that matchup, not get annihilated like they’re playing against Shaq or Wilt.

[Mavs2021]

It's hard to judge Green when he's barely featured on offense at all during the season. The guy ranked like 10th on the team in shot attempts during the season and was just asked to be a role player so it's no surprise that he can't give them anything now. 

As a prospect, he actually had some good offensive potential but they just want him to be a 3 and D guy here...like everyone else on the supporting cast not named Luka and Brunson. I'm pretty sure if we had a player like Poole, he'd just be asked to stand in the corner every offensive possession too.

BS. That´s simply not true under Kidd anymore. He got roughly 17 MPG from January till the start of the play-offs.

He´s just not that good (yet). He´s played almost 10 MPG in the play-offs, despite shooting an abysmal 30/24/25.And if you take out that one Utah game, it drops to 18/16/25.  

Ntilikina is 1/3 for the whole play-offs from 2pt range, which is pretty much what you´d expect given his 37% career shooting number. Ntilikina is honestly the worst 2pt shooter off the dribble. I´d take f´n Powell over him in a game of horse.

[Chicagojk]

Frank and Green were the least of the Mav’s problems. The big men were just horrible.  They are the Suns weakness. The Mavs need to win that matchup, not get annihilated like they’re playing against Shaq or Wilt.

Yeah, I agree.  Give Looney credit he has shown up and looked great.  But he is pretty average.  Playing with GS helps imo.  But he is more Powell than Ayton.    Unfortunately he looks like peak Atyon against the Mavs so far.

[cow]

We really need Dinwiddie to arrive again.    For most of the playoffs he has been a non factor.

He's been bad a lot more often than he's been good. I noticed a time or two tonight were he swung a pass to a defended corner instead of taking the wing three. His playoff run has completely unsold me on him long term.

[cow]

Yeah, I agree.  Give Looney credit he has shown up and looked great.  But he is pretty average.  Playing with GS helps imo.  But he is more Powell than Ayton.    Unfortunately he looks like peak Atyon against the Mavs so far.

He's feasting because he gets the extra pass or for wide open looks or uncontested rebound after our perimeter defense breaks down and our defense has to help.  Warriors are smart to target Luka.  Looney is a good NBA player.   Good size, good rebounder, and moves really well on defense.  He also makes less than $5m a year.

[Kammrath]

Warriors are smart to target Luka.

Yep. Luka needs to take this personally again and bring full effort on the defensive end or this thing is over.

[Branduil]

If the Mavs' starting C is Looney and the Warriors' is Powell, the Mavs win this game. It's really that simple.

[Mavs2021]

Mavs just do not have the players. Looney did to us what I expected Ayton to do last series, which kind of reflects badly on Ayton. But ultimately the Mavs just do not have the players. We need a starting center. We need at least one more 3&D wing who won't be a complete zero on offense. We need Luka to understand better when to take over because guys are tight and bricking everything.

I think the biggest difference between this series and the previous two is the coaching level of the opposing coach. Kerr is just on another level to Williams/Snyder. We were able to overcome the other two teams due Doncic/Brunson, superior coaching and some timely overperformances by role players like Dinwiddie or Kleber. Talent-wise we should not have won either series (considering how many games Luka missed in round one). I specifically think Snyder is an awful play-off coach and that´s the reason the Jazz suck in the postseason every year.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I agree. Looney ain't no scrub. If you don't guard him ( like tonight) he'll hurt you.

[cow]

Yep. Luka needs to take this personally again and bring full effort on the defensive end or this thing is over.

Everything would look a whole lot better on defense is Luka could approach being an average defender.  The Warriors player and ball movement will just have their way if you first line of defense is so easily broken down.

[Kammrath]

The Warriors player and ball movement will just have their way if you first line of defense is so easily broken down.

And they make you play defense for three, four, five rotations. The Mavs at times did great on the first few rotations, but then eventually someone didn't give the right effort or execution and it led to an easy bucket. You have to play D the WHOLE possession against them.

[cow]

And they make you play defense for three, four, five rotations. The Mavs at times did great on the first few rotations, but then eventually someone didn't give the right effort or execution and it led to an easy bucket. You have to play D the WHOLE possession against them.

It's why I hope we reinvent our offense sooner than later.  Dribbling the air out of the ball just wears Luka down too much and he needs to spend more energy on the defensive end.  

I'm still confident we can win this series, but tonight hurts as this was a game we could have won.  I'd still bait Wiggins, Porter Jr and Green to shoot from outside.  Let them beat you and shake their hand if they do.  Granted, Wiggins and Porter Jr. have been pretty great thus far.