GAME 63: IND (28-35) vs. DAL (32-31) | 124-122 loss

[BigDirk41]

He is a spoiled little princes, who thinks he knows everything. As all modern players, he has all the right answers, to make him look cute, but actions tell a different story.
He will be humbled in the next few years, due to Mavs sucking because of their FO. Maybe he learns something.
If we go on personality traits (if I would be a player on a team and have a option to choose) I am going with Giannis or Jokič 10 out of 10 times. He might by better on certain days, but his talent doesnt outweigh whining, crying, complaining and entitlement.

And I am writing this as a Slovenian, and it hurts. He is a bad representation of what we appreciate in this country.
Hopefully he has a hard look in the mirror one day (soon, dude is 24!) and grows up. Wish him all the best, but if you take a neutral stance its hard to see past it.
We all played with dudes like this. Personally I prefer a "dog" with less talent, than a dude who whines on calls, refuses to play when he thinks he knows better etc. You know what I am talking about, we all have a friend like that, and for me it ruins a game when we play. I prefer 5 dogs, who run, shoot and keep their mouth shut. Even if we loose.

Its one of those...I am not mad, just disappointed...

I'm glad some people are finally coming around to Luka being as much to blame as anyone for this teams faults. Luka is an amazing talent and outstanding offensive player in the 1st and 3rd quarters. He's average in the 2nd and pretty much sucks in the 4th due to lack of conditioning. He's not clutch anymore either. He was so clutch when he came into the league. I'm not sure what changed there. His constant whining makes it really hard to enjoy watching him play and put his team in 4v5 possessions. I don't know the answers other than Luka growing up or a coach that will actually coach him hard. I also have legit concerns about Luka being able to coexist with another star with this short Kyrie stint. I truly hope he and the team can figure it out because the on court product is pretty bad right now.

[LukaMVP]

luka shares a similar play style as lebron but in other aspects he resembles melo more, offensive elite who plays poor D. the kyrie and luka combo looks more like the melo/iverson that Denver featured, and it didn't work out well, as we all know.

[Jason Terry]

luka shares a similar play style as lebron but in other aspects he resembles melo more, offensive elite who plays poor D. the kyrie and luka combo looks more like the melo/iverson that Denver featured, and it didn't work out well, as we all know.

I think the “Luka floor” is a combo of Harden-Nash-Melo. He has that Lebron-Magic-Bird in him too but he’s not there and no guarantee he will get there. I can’t think of any all time great that couldn’t play defense. That’s a ceiling lowering factor

[omahen]

He is a spoiled little princes, who thinks he knows everything. As all modern players, he has all the right answers, to make him look cute, but actions tell a different story.
He will be humbled in the next few years, due to Mavs sucking because of their FO. Maybe he learns something.
If we go on personality traits (if I would be a player on a team and have a option to choose) I am going with Giannis or Jokič 10 out of 10 times. He might by better on certain days, but his talent doesnt outweigh whining, crying, complaining and entitlement.

And I am writing this as a Slovenian, and it hurts. He is a bad representation of what we appreciate in this country.
Hopefully he has a hard look in the mirror one day (soon, dude is 24!) and grows up. Wish him all the best, but if you take a neutral stance its hard to see past it.
We all played with dudes like this. Personally I prefer a "dog" with less talent, than a dude who whines on calls, refuses to play when he thinks he knows better etc. You know what I am talking about, we all have a friend like that, and for me it ruins a game when we play. I prefer 5 dogs, who run, shoot and keep their mouth shut. Even if we loose.

Its one of those...I am not mad, just disappointed...

I am Slovenian too and I love Luka. Where I don't agree with you, "spoiled little princess" or not, he has proven he can win. This is why I like him. I also think this "spoiled little princess" take is hugely exaggerated. He doesn't act like a star off the court, he seeks no special star priviliges, he is loved by teammates off the court. 

By no means I think he is perfect, no one is. What I resent to this FO is that they are totally incapable of building around him. Identify his weaknesses and put players next to him that will help with them, either that being leadership or weaker defense. A lot of you also want Luka to change instead of building correct complementary pieces.

[omahen]

I can’t think of any all time great that couldn’t play defense. That’s a ceiling lowering factor

Curry is very limited defensively, especially because he is small and not very strong. GSW put correct team and system around him. 

Besides - Luka is far from the only one to be blamed for Mavs defense. He is not helping, true. But it is not like the opponents are attacking Luka. They absolutely don't need to. Their prime player runs a play and scores or creates on most of possessions. No matter who is guarding him. In the game against Indy, it was mostly Haliburton/Turner against Bullock/Powell. Against Lakers it was LeBron and AD one on one against smaller and weaker Mavs (Timmy and Powell mostly).

[omahen]

I also have legit concerns about Luka being able to coexist with another star with this short Kyrie stint. I truly hope he and the team can figure it out because the on court product is pretty bad right now.

I don't understand this take. Offense is not a problem at all. Luka deferred to Kyrie twice out of three klutch situations they were in. Of course everything can be better, but from the big picture, offense is not the problem. Defense is. 

I have zero doubts Luka can coexist with another star. The big question is, if Kyrie is the right star as he is also not a great defender. I guess we will not know that until Dallas puts some elite defenders around them.

[omahen]

And just a final nugget. Mavs defense with Luka for the season has a 115.5 rating, without Luka it is 113.4. Basically neglectable difference. This alone should tell you, Mavs defensive issues are far deeper than just Luka.

[SleepingHero]

Curry is very limited defensively, especially because he is small and not very strong. GSW put correct team and system around him

While I do agree with your general sentiment that this FO hasn't been building correctly around Luka...

you can't win games when your star player doesn't get back and instead complains 20+ possessions a game. Luka isn't a good defender but the fact he willingly gives up 4v5's in transition at least 15 times a game makes a horrible defender into the worst defender in the NBA. 

He has to grow up. No way around it. Doesn't matter who the Mavs put around Luka if that's how he's going to play.

[cow]

While I do agree with your general sentiment that this FO hasn't been building correctly around Luka...

you can't win games when your star player doesn't get back and instead complains 20+ possessions a game. Luka isn't a good defender but the fact he willingly gives up 4v5's in transition at least 15 times a game makes a horrible defender into the worst defender in the NBA. 

He has to grow up. No way around it. Doesn't matter who the Mavs put around Luka if that's how he's going to play.

Even more frustrating that he's shown to be a serviceable defender when he puts effort it on that end.  Teams will always have to hide him on the weaker offensive players but with his size and IQ, he could be more disruptive.

That goes back to another feeling I've had for a while that we should cut down his minutes to start halves and he needs to get his butt chewed on for his lack of effort.  I've given up hope that he'll ever be in the greatest of cardio shape and maybe that's just too much to ask for someone his size.  At least being worn down at the end of games is "solved" with the addition of Kyrie.

[omahen]

you can't win games when your star player doesn't get back and instead complains 20+ possessions a game. Luka isn't a good defender but the fact he willingly gives up 4v5's in transition at least 15 times a game makes a horrible defender into the worst defender in the NBA. 

This is a huge exaggeration...

[omahen]

This is a huge exaggeration...

In all of baskets below there was exactly one instance of Indy scoring with Luka not getting back. 

Primary defenders on Haliburton baskets:
1. Holiday
2. Timmy and Maxi
3. Powell (I also think Haliburton travelled in this one)
4. Bullock
5. Bullock
6. Maxi and Irving
7. Luka and Maxi
8. Bullock (increadibly easy for Haliburton and even more increadibly stupid foul for and one by Bullock)
9. No one

Turner:
1. Holiday (tough shot, decent defense)
2. Powell
3. Wood (PnR)
4. Wood
5. Powell and Luka as no help defender (PnR)
6. Luka as no help defender (PnR)
7. Maxi
8. Wood
9. Luka
10. Maxi

Mavs biggest problem is increadibly bad PnR defense. This is where they miss a big defensive wing. Luka is too slow to help. He can either cover the roller or the three pointer. Can't help with the roller and recover fast enough to his guy on the three point line.

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

On Nesmith:
1. Luka (helped in the paint, didn't recover to the three point line)
2. fast break
3. transition, Luka on the floor and complaining
4. Luka
5. Maxi

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

1. Luka
2. Maxi
3. transition
4. transition
5. Powell (helped in PnR Holiday screwed up)
6. Luka

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

Jalen Smith
1. Maxi
2. Morris
3. Morris
4. Wood

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

McConnel
1. Irving
2. Morris (PnR switch)
3. THJ (PnR switch)
4. Kleber (PnR switch)

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Luka was playing defense to start the Pacers game.  This is him 3.5 minutes into the game.  At this point, he quit playing D.

[SleepingHero]

This is a huge exaggeration...

Of course it's an exaggeration. The problem and the point everyone is trying to highlight is that the fact Luka is even okay with giving up 1 of these possessions by not getting back. 


It's an obvious problem. One that no matter what the Mavs do, Luka will never win playing that kind of basketball.

[omahen]

It's an obvious problem. One that no matter what the Mavs do, Luka will never win playing that kind of basketball.

Luka has plenty of trophies to show playing his kind of basketball. FO is 95 % of the problems Mavs have, Luka is 5 %. Solving part or all of this 5 % will not change anything. Discussion here lately is 70 % Luka, 30 % FO...

---

This is him 3.5 minutes into the game.  At this point, he quit playing D.

Wow... Yet he scored like 30 points afterwards, despite being completely tired as you seem to imply... You can watch the videos of Indies baskets (I only left out guys that made 1 shot) to see the quality of Mavs defense and how much of it is on Luka. He is not great, but he is far from sole problem.

[cow]

In all of baskets below there was exactly one instance of Indy scoring with Luka not getting back. 

Primary defenders on Haliburton baskets:
1. Holiday
2. Timmy and Maxi
3. Powell (I also think Haliburton travelled in this one)
4. Bullock
5. Bullock
6. Maxi and Irving
7. Luka and Maxi
8. Bullock (increadibly easy for Haliburton and even more increadibly stupid foul for and one by Bullock)
9. No one

Turner:
1. Holiday (tough shot, decent defense)
2. Powell
3. Wood (PnR)
4. Wood
5. Powell and Luka as no help defender (PnR)
6. Luka as no help defender (PnR)
7. Maxi
8. Wood
9. Luka
10. Maxi

Mavs biggest problem is increadibly bad PnR defense. This is where they miss a big defensive wing. Luka is too slow to help. He can either cover the roller or the three pointer. Can't help with the roller and recover fast enough to his guy on the three point line.

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

On Nesmith:
1. Luka (helped in the paint, didn't recover to the three point line)
2. fast break
3. transition, Luka on the floor and complaining
4. Luka
5. Maxi

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

1. Luka
2. Maxi
3. transition
4. transition
5. Powell (helped in PnR Holiday screwed up)
6. Luka

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

Jalen Smith
1. Maxi
2. Morris
3. Morris
4. Wood

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

McConnel
1. Irving
2. Morris (PnR switch)
3. THJ (PnR switch)
4. Kleber (PnR switch)

Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com

I don't care about success rate which has a luck element.  Just give me data on the times Luka allowed his team to play 4v5 on the defensive end that allowed the team to get an advantaged shot.  That's a far more meaningful metric.

[omahen]

I don't care about success rate which has a luck element.  Just give me data on the times Luka allowed his team to play 4v5 on the defensive end that allowed the team to get an advantaged shot.  That's a far more meaningful metric.

I gave you that info. You can also check the videos to see how great non Luka Mavs play defense.  Success rate

[audiosway]

I agree with Omahen. It's not Luka that's the main problem. The Mavs have some serious defensive deficiencies right now. Holiday is helping. But, they need and have needed for some time a big defensive minded wing.

While DFS was a player I really liked a lot he was a good one on one defender and tended to disappear on the offensive end. Marion provided that big defensive wing for a long time for the Mavs. They need a guy like that.

Despite how bad it looks that they didn't resign Brunson...he was gone long before the Knicks offer was made. I honestly think that the Mavs could have offered $125/4 and he still leaves. He wanted his own team and knew that was impossible in Dallas. Their chance to lock him up was the 4/$55 deal. That was Cuban's fault to not get that done.

This is a team in flux. They still need more players. They have needed more players. Nothing has changed. It's not going to happen overnight.

[Jym]

I honestly think that the Mavs could have offered $125/4 and he still leaves.

Which I could live with him leaving if we did offer a deal that the Knicks couldn't beat
Hell I would have went for a 5 year deal closer to his max without much hesitation after that Jazz series. He proved his worth.
110/5 was just a stupidly disrespective offer

[omahen]

110/5 was just a stupidly disrespective offer

Sadly, even that wasn't offered, if I remember correctly

[ItsGoTime]

While I agree that Luka has some fatal flaws, I think winning and getting back to having fun while playing would clean up a lot of the ills. The roster as a whole is for sure at least 30% of the problems, the owner is at least 50%, the coach is about 30% and Mavrello is 80%. Yes, we have more than 100% worth of problems!