GAME 50: DAL (26-24) @ PHX (25-25) | 99-95 win

[IamDougieFresh]

Suns are charmin fucking soft

[SwisherPrice]

Yeah the Suns are done...Monty will get fired eventually. Maybe the next Mavs coach in 2 years

[Jym]

Hurry, trade Dinwiddie now!

Doing your best Cuban impression trying to get rid of all of our top players

[sterlingmallory]

Did you guys hear Powell say that Kidd told him to make the first free throw and miss the second? How many times does that have to backfire before he stops trying it? Just make the damn free throws.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

Defense looks a lot better with all 5 guys on the correct side of the court.

[Jym]

Did you guys hear Powell say that Kidd told him to make the first free throw and miss the second? How many times does that have to backfire before he stops trying it? Just make the damn free throws.

Chris Paul told him to do that

[Kammrath]

This is the most negative stretch in the history of Kammrath. I’m not complaining, just concerned for you.

It is.

1) I don't trust the front office. 

2) Luka is not fully capitalizing on his gifts.

3) The talent and assets overall suck.

4) The Mavs are stuck in no man's land.

[ItsGoTime]

Doing your best Cuban impression trying to get rid of all of our top players

Trying to get rid of all our old players when they are at their peak for the moment? You bet your lifesavers.

[Chicagojk]

I didn't see much of the game.   It looks like two teams struggling to find their groove, although the suns has been playing better lately.

While I will never be a fan of the heavy isolation offense with limited movement, it is quite apparent that Dinwiddie is not being used great when paired with Luka.   Maybe their defensive limitations will be too big to overcome, but he should have the ball more when he is on the court with Luka.   There needs to be a balance there.  When Luka has the ball he is going to cause all sorts of problems and get great looks.    I know it is hard to look for balance with how great he is.   But I think balance is going to be important if we want to become a serious contender moving forward.   

I wonder if an Ayton for OG trade with other stuff could be a sneaky deadline trade?   Or Siakem for Ayton?

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I didn't see much of the game.   It looks like two teams struggling to find their groove, although the suns has been playing better lately.

While I will never be a fan of the heavy isolation offense with limited movement, it is quite apparent that Dinwiddie is not being used great when paired with Luka.   Maybe their defensive limitations will be too big to overcome, but he should have the ball more when he is on the court with Luka.   There needs to be a balance there.  When Luka has the ball he is going to cause all sorts of problems and get great looks.    I know it is hard to look for balance with how great he is.   But I think balance is going to be important if we want to become a serious contender moving forward.   

I wonder if an Ayton for OG trade with other stuff could be a sneaky deadline trade?   Or Siakem for Ayton?

That's funny because that was what Chuck and the TNT crew said last night. Luka needs to learn how to play more off the ball, so he wouldn't get blitzed so much. But I don't think Kidd will be creative enough to make it happen.  Another thing that should be of concern is Luka logging these heavy minutes will cause more injuries.  You can tell by his gait sometimes up the court. He's constantly playing with these nagging injuries which is a sign that his body needs some rest. Hope that ankle won't keep him out long, they gutted out a win without him, that won't always be the case moving forward.

[Chicagojk]

That's funny because that was what Chuck and the TNT crew said last night. Luka needs to learn how to play more off the ball, so he wouldn't get blitzed so much. But I don't think Kidd will be creative enough to make it happen.  Another thing that should be of concern is Luka logging these heavy minutes will cause more injuries.  You can tell by his gait sometimes up the court. He's constantly playing with these nagging injuries which is a sign that his body needs some rest. Hope that ankle won't keep him out long, they gutted out a win without him, that won't always be the case moving forward.

It is a delicate balance due to Luka's brilliance.    Although, I think things are much more difficult to stop if we have two guys on the court at all times who can and will get to the rim off the dribble.    When one of these guys plays with Luka it can't be in a role where you don't touch the ball for several possessions and don't have the opportunity to create with Luka on the floor.

[omahen]

I wonder if an Ayton for OG trade with other stuff could be a sneaky deadline trade?   Or Siakem for Ayton?

I think Ayton has to agree with any trade this season. Or did I mix something with all the other options there were with his contract? Does he want to be in Toronto? He looked terrible against Mavs. He put up nice counting stats, but he missed a million of easy opportunities that basically costed Phoenix the win, imho.

[omahen]

it is quite apparent that Dinwiddie is not being used great when paired with Luka.   Maybe their defensive limitations will be too big to overcome, but he should have the ball more when he is on the court with Luka.   There needs to be a balance there.  When Luka has the ball he is going to cause all sorts of problems and get great looks.    I know it is hard to look for balance with how great he is.   But I think balance is going to be important if we want to become a serious contender moving forward.

I think SD gets the ball enough. He is just rarely as great as he was against Phoenix. He had just one season in his career that he took more shots and his usage is basicaly at his career average.

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

Ayton on that contract… I don’t see Toronto wanting any part of that. Phoenix would have to add picks for OG or Siakam. Really enjoying seeing Phoenix flounder, for now. Hard to say what will happen after the new ownership takes over. I’m sure they will want to make a splash. Hopefully they are stuck with over paid Ayton. And Crowder kind of screwed them over. Hate Crowder but happy to see it. I think there may be something to the Lebron rumors. They’ll be good for many years just with Booker, Bridges, Cam, Ayton alone. But here’s hoping their championship window, for now, is closing.

[KillerLeft]

It is.

1) I don't trust the front office. 

2) Luka is not fully capitalizing on his gifts.

3) The talent and assets overall suck.

4) The Mavs are stuck in no man's land.

I honestly think we're (collectively) making a little too much of #3, but it's far from a positive, I'll give you that. Right there with you on the other points. But, it's all fixable. Have to have some hope.

[Kammrath]

I honestly think we're (collectively) making a little too much of #3, but it's far from a positive, I'll give you that. Right there with you on the other points. But, it's all fixable. Have to have some hope.

I have very little hope mostly because of Kidd and how much power I think he has over everything. 

I don't think Cuban is really a true alpha personality and so he is easily influenced by alpha personalities around him (see Chandler Parsons). I think Nico isn't an alpha. I think Kidd is. I think Kidd is dominating the front office dynamics right now. And that gives me basically no hope. 

I truly think Cuban is a big underlying issue, BUT if the right alpha personality was in the front office I think Cuban and his issues could be overcome.

[audiosway]

I honestly think we're (collectively) making a little too much of #3, but it's far from a positive, I'll give you that. Right there with you on the other points. But, it's all fixable. Have to have some hope.

That's what I was alluding to the other night when I posted about Luka needing to find ways to be motivated every night. This team isn't terrible or they wouldn't have gotten as far as they did last year. Luka is just being overutilized to an extent. Last night showed what the team looks like with a motivated vet out there running the show in SD. I had a feeling that's why Brunson wanted out. He didn't like never getting the ball.

They won't win playing hero ball. Yes Luka is a franchise altering player but they need one of two things with him out there.

1. Either a group of 3&D players that run and cut non stop looking for spot ups or layups.
2. Take the ball out of Luka's hand a little more.

You don't have to bring it out of his hand much. Just a little bit to get the other team worried about more than just Luka. Role players need to be involved to get their stroke going. SD is every bit as good as Brunson. He just needs the ball more. Teams take on the attitude of their leader. Granted, the Suns are as soft as Charmin and Booker wasn't out there. But, they still showed that they were fighting to win. Luka just has nights where he isn't motivated. Usually against bad teams. That's when the team comes out slow and lacking energy. He has to set the tone. Just going to take time for him to grow up a little.

I would take a serious look at how Luka's championship Real Madrid team was constructed and go from there.

That said I do feel like Wood is one of the pieces that can help out big time. Just need to keep building toward that.

[KillerLeft]

I truly think Cuban is a big underlying issue, BUT if the right alpha personality was in the front office I think Cuban and his issues could be overcome.

Yeah, when you word it this way, I can see where you've been coming from all this time. 

I think he might be the type who overcompensates by trying to come off as super confident all the time, regardless of what he really knows/understands. Or, maybe he's just that way about sports. You can definitely tell that deep down he's just a dork hoping for approval from all the athletes.

[omahen]

Last night showed what the team looks like with a motivated vet out there running the show in SD.

This was not the first game Luka missed this season...

[Kammrath]

Yeah, when you word it this way, I can see where you've been coming from all this time. 

I think he might be the type who overcompensates by trying to come off as super confident all the time, regardless of what he really knows/understands. Or, maybe he's just that way about sports. You can definitely tell that deep down he's just a dork hoping for approval from all the athletes.

I've held out hope previously, because I always felt like Cuban could be influenced in the right direction if he had a strong enough and good enough personality next to him. 

If I thought Cuban was beyond hope (as many on here to seem to think), then I would have walked away from Mavs fandom long ago.

But right now is the closest I have come to walking away because I am not sure how long Kidd is going to be around. Watching games has become a chore and not fun with Kidd coaching. AND it feels like front office decisions are being guided by him as well.