Game 33 Dirkie thread: Josh Green

[ballsrchr]

Good game with several good options.

DJJ was a swiss knife player...but not to the level to earn a Dirkie.

Lively with a double double...14 rebounds (not points) and 12 points.

Luka with a pedestrian double double...8 rebounds, 10 assists, 39 points. The pedestrian quip is obviously a joke, but with greatness comes great expectations.

Exum? Well...he is close to getting bit by that high expectation bug as well.

Jaden Hardy...better than some nights...

Grant Williams. The minimum that he should be doing...

THJ...also at the minumum that he should be doing...

Josh Green? He still runs off and hides during much of the game, but he also showed up a little more on offense. I'm giving him my Dirke. Maybe this will encourage him to get more aggressive. I'm sure he reads this forum.

[Scott41theMavs]

Exum. Better not be out any games.

[KillerLeft]

Easily Exum for me.

[MrGoat]

Green's had a pretty rough season and considering where his current expectations are he gets my vote. He gave us a shot in the arm we needed.

Grant was productive in his limited minutes so honorable mention. Luka cost himself his chance when he missed that free throw and only finished with 39. Exum and Lively were good.

[ThisIStheYear]

Lively was really the non Luka key to the game allowing the Mavs to at least compete on the boards but my vote tonight is Green. He was super efficient and had a spectacular dunk.

[SleepingHero]

Just want to shoutout ballsrchr and MFFL for stepping up and making threads these last couple of weeks. It has been hectic to say the least for me and I've been unable to be online for a long time due to work. THANK YOU!

Hope everyone had great holidays and a very happy New Years!

[ballsrchr]

Just want to shoutout ballsrchr and MFFL for stepping up and making threads these last couple of weeks. It has been hectic to say the least for me and I've been unable to be online for a long time due to work. THANK YOU!

Hope everyone had great holidays and a very happy New Years!

Well...I hadn't realized what a persnickety lurker I had become.  It takes the participation of many people to have a good forum--and this is a really good forum.  So I'll try to do more of my part--at least until senility takes complete hold of me.  Thanks to you and all the admins.

At my age...every Christmas and New Years are great days.  Heck...every day I wake up is a good day...

[WildArkieBoy]

Lively was really the non Luka key to the game allowing the Mavs to at least compete on the boards but my vote tonight is Green. He was super efficient and had a spectacular dunk.

Yes, the award should probably be renamed the Non-Luka Dirkie

[Reunion Mav]

This retired older guy wants to shout out with pleasure at Luka’s improvement this year with free throws, defense, conditioning and efficient, non settling control of the game. His movement towards the basket, not traditional driving, is lethal. His passing and reduced turnovers may have improved as well. I give his whole years Dirkie or Most Improved. Wait Luka doesn’t want us to forget his spot up shooting and his work with Kyrie. Check.

For tonight I give my vote to Williams for playing one of his best games recently and giving me hope he might help more than he has been. Josh was a site for sore eyes as well.

[The Jom]

I voted Exum because I still can’t accept that he’s this good. But it really wasn’t that much of a departure from what he’s been doing all season.

This Warriors team, by the way, is so done.

[KillerLeft]

At this point, Exum is driving out of iso (not just attacking closeouts) and hitting pull-ups, turnarounds and floaters when he doesn't get to the rim, which he actually does pretty frequently. He's a grown ass man out there, and I literally cannot believe the Mavs got him for the minimum.

He might be the single best free agency addition of the entire summer for any team.

[SleepingHero]

I decided to go with Lively solely because of how well he defended without fouling. He forced the Warriors to blow so many missed layups and even the refs gave him the benefit of the doubt.

There was a moment in the 3rd (Edit: end of 2nd quarter actually) where Lively went to the bench and the Warriors racked up a quick 12-0 run in 2 minutes. Was this all on Powell? No. But it was obvious the Warriors were out rebounding, attacking the paint, and just generally picking the Mavs apart whenever he was in the game. Lively managed to assert his presence.

https://streamable.com/p91q4l <---- Video of what I was talking about with Powell

Honorable mention to the legend Luka, who by all means deserves it.

Exum and Josh are tied for 3rd. I wanted to give it to Exum as he's slowly becoming an all-star, but I felt that there were moments in the game where he disappeared. Josh had an absolutely incredible shooting night and I loved to see his aggression, but I need to see more before I can believe in him.

[DanSchwartzgan]

 
There was a moment in the 3rd (Edit: end of 2nd quarter actually) where Lively went to the bench and the Warriors racked up a quick 12-0 run in 2 minutes. Was this all on Powell? No. But it was obvious the Warriors were out rebounding, attacking the paint, and just generally picking the Mavs apart whenever he was in the game. Lively managed to assert his presence.

https://streamable.com/p91q4l <---- Video of what I was talking about with Powell
 

I will never understand the need to continuously crap on Powell.  He is just off a 12/14 game with six assists and a +15 when Lively got into foul trouble.  

He wasn't in for the entire 12-0 run you are referencing.  He came in halfway through it after the GWill at center lineup gave up the first five points.  GS scored the next seven after Powell came in, but the Powell stint ended up -4.  The 12-0 run wasn't so much the result things GWill and Powell did.  It was a matter of Exum missed 3, Hardy missed 3, Lively missed 2, Exum missed 2, Luka missed 2, Luka missed 3, Green missed 2 and DJJ TO.  That's the nature of the "0" part of a 12-0 run. 

And your video examples don't tell us anything useful.  Powell came from behind his defender on the first one and got his hands on an offensive rebound (oh the humanity of it all).  On the next one, Powell and DJJ knock another offensive rebound out of each others hands.  Come on.  You can find a play that makes someone look bad anytime you want it.  Lively's TO late in the fourth because he wasn't aware CP was creeping up on him as an example.

Oh, and no mention of the 9-1 run in the third when Powell was in.    The team was +0 to end the third during the Powell minutes.  Isn't that kind of what you hope for?  Just hold your own when the young stud center is out.  In this game, he did.  Powell has laid some eggs this season.  Instead of trying to manufacture something on what was a decent night, just be patient.  You'll probably get your chance again soon.

[SleepingHero]

I will never understand the need to continuously crap on Powell.

Partly because I'm tired of watching T-Rex arms play for the Mavs. Partly because he injured Kyrie and cost this team multiple games this month alone. Partly because he can't rebound. Partly because he can't defend the rim. 

Lots of reasons to crap on Powell continuously. I understand the value he brings. I am fine with him as a 4th string center. He isn't a proper player anymore just based on his production and he should be playing the role Holmes is currently playing. 

We've even spoken last year (HA! How many "i haven't seen you since last year" jokes have you heard already?) how desperate this team is for a proper backup center. One that can allow the Mavs to continue to play the way they do with Lively on the court. One that can provide even a modicum of defensive effort. We've seen in the data if the Mavs hold their opponent to just a tick below league average, they win hard. 

Powell isn't that. And it makes my eyes burn watching him sprint up and down the court recklessly, hopelessly trying to rebound to no avail.

I wasn't trying to frustrate you with my comments, moreso just pointing out how Powell as a double edged sword hurts this team more often than it helps. And I really, really, want to be done with the dude.

[mvossman]

Partly because I'm tired of watching T-Rex arms play for the Mavs. Partly because he injured Kyrie and cost this team multiple games this month alone. Partly because he can't rebound. Partly because he can't defend the rim. 

Lots of reasons to crap on Powell continuously. I understand the value he brings. I am fine with him as a 4th string center. He isn't a proper player anymore just based on his production and he should be playing the role Holmes is currently playing. 

We've even spoken last year (HA! How many "i haven't seen you since last year" jokes have you heard already?) how desperate this team is for a proper backup center. One that can allow the Mavs to continue to play the way they do with Lively on the court. One that can provide even a modicum of defensive effort. We've seen in the data if the Mavs hold their opponent to just a tick below league average, they win hard. 

Powell isn't that. And it makes my eyes burn watching him sprint up and down the court recklessly, hopelessly trying to rebound to no avail.

I wasn't trying to frustrate you with my comments, moreso just pointing out how Powell as a double edged sword hurts this team more often than it helps. And I really, really, want to be done with the dude.

I get the frustration with the injury to Kyrie, but he is just not that bad of a player.  He is not a great rebounder, but he is averaging nearly 4 offensive rebounds per 36 (a stat more attributed to individual than defensive rebounds) which is 92 percentile in the league.  He has TS of 79% (99 percentile) and a better than 3 to 1 assist to turnover ratio, which is great for a center.

Early in the season a lot was made of his terrible net rating even though historically he has had a positive impact on the court.  Flash forward to the 33 game mark and he is back to a net positive and higher than some of the regulars (DJJ and Willians) and his primary competition (Holmes).    

He is an undersized center playing with undersized forwards, which is a problem.  We need to get bigger in the second unit, and Kidd is playing a defensive style not suited to Powell, but he is still providing value.  It just seems strange there is so much hate for a player making 4 mil a year and contributing, even when the fit is not ideal.

[Chicagojk]

I will never understand the need to continuously crap on Powell.  He is just off a 12/14 game with six assists and a +15 when Lively got into foul trouble.  

He wasn't in for the entire 12-0 run you are referencing.  He came in halfway through it after the GWill at center lineup gave up the first five points.  GS scored the next seven after Powell came in, but the Powell stint ended up -4.  The 12-0 run wasn't so much the result things GWill and Powell did.  It was a matter of Exum missed 3, Hardy missed 3, Lively missed 2, Exum missed 2, Luka missed 2, Luka missed 3, Green missed 2 and DJJ TO.  That's the nature of the "0" part of a 12-0 run. 

And your video examples don't tell us anything useful.  Powell came from behind his defender on the first one and got his hands on an offensive rebound (oh the humanity of it all).  On the next one, Powell and DJJ knock another offensive rebound out of each others hands.  Come on.  You can find a play that makes someone look bad anytime you want it.  Lively's TO late in the fourth because he wasn't aware CP was creeping up on him as an example.

Oh, and no mention of the 9-1 run in the third when Powell was in.    The team was +0 to end the third during the Powell minutes.  Isn't that kind of what you hope for?  Just hold your own when the young stud center is out.  In this game, he did.  Powell has laid some eggs this season.  Instead of trying to manufacture something on what was a decent night, just be patient.  You'll probably get your chance again soon.

Ideally he is a guy just out of the normal rotation.    The last two games he has been good/solid.    I think he is fine playing backup minutes here (for a good team, not a great team).  We can get by with him or Holmes or ? as the backup if Lively is playing well.   I think the issue arises when Lively is out or not playing well.   This is where the issues start imo.

I am not saying he can't be upgraded either. For me, I hope we ideally find a higher quality upgrade for him this offseason and he is our third center/morale guy.

[dirkfansince1998]

I get the frustration with the injury to Kyrie, but he is just not that bad of a player.  He is not a great rebounder, but he is averaging nearly 4 offensive rebounds per 36 (a stat more attributed to individual than defensive rebounds) which is 92 percentile in the league.  He has TS of 79% (99 percentile) and a better than 3 to 1 assist to turnover ratio, which is great for a center.

Early in the season a lot was made of his terrible net rating even though historically he has had a positive impact on the court.  Flash forward to the 33 game mark and he is back to a net positive and higher than some of the regulars (DJJ and Willians) and his primary competition (Holmes).    

He is an undersized center playing with undersized forwards, which is a problem.  We need to get bigger in the second unit, and Kidd is playing a defensive style not suited to Powell, but he is still providing value.  It just seems strange there is so much hate for a player making 4 mil a year and contributing, even when the fit is not ideal.

A rational response rarely works when emotions/gut feelings are the driving force of the other side.

[SleepingHero]

A rational response rarely works when emotions/gut feelings are the driving force of the other side.

Who's calling someone emotional??????????????!?!!?!?!?!?!?? IM NOT EMOTIONAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Also me when I see Powell volleyball a rebound into the 5th row while simultaneously taking out 6 players with his diamond hands: