Game 42: Dallas Mavericks (24-17) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (20-21)

[GATA]

Need to trade Kyrie as soon as possible

[Chicagojk]

Just not their night. I don’t think this Laker team is very good but they are putting it on the mavs. Very little resistance.

Just really tough to get a gauge on this team. When they shoot well they seem active. When they don’t, they don’t do anything well.

[ThisIStheYear]

If any of you thought the Mavs would play hard after a huge win, even on national television, you haven’t been paying attention. Sloppy, lackadaisical game.

[donzingis38]

what a bad night. time for thj to come off the bench again.

at least the mavs still won the season series against the lakers 2-1

[GATA]

Cannot win with Kyrie in your lineup. Guy is a cancer

[MrGoat]

No shocker, the refs tried to hose us hard in both of the Pelicans games at home. You knew we were screwed here against the Lakers on the road

[Reunion Mav]

At one point I saw Lively Kleber and Powell with Luka and Kyrie. At least Kleber is back but the guys we were playing tonight had to reintroduce themselves to each other. They were way off out there and repeatedly did things that gave fast break advantages to the Lakers plus the Lakers got very hot.
Anthony Davis is really good this year against every team I’ve seen them play.

[ThisIStheYear]

At one point I saw Hardy, Curry, and Kleber on the floor with their respective true shooting percentages of 49%, 50%, and 42%. That’s practically unplayable unless you have an incredible floor game or defensive presence. Yet, there they were and that’s predictably when the Lakers run started in the 1st half. I don’t know what Kidd is doing sometimes. And why play Hardy, who has among the lowest TS% in the league among players with sufficient volume, at all? He’s just atrocious. We need more Lawson and way less, none at all, Hardy.

[omahen]

Mavs ball is ugly when threes are not falling.

[surfpuckmd]

Am I the only one who thinks the Lebron tackle on Kyrie was likely intentional and incredibly dangerous?  Kyrie jumps in the air to catch a pass and Lebron just happens to tackle him from the back with his shoulder down.  Had that happened in the NFL, it would have been a personal foul.  How many similar collisions have you seen in the NBA?  I think it's really rare.  Lebron was facing forward and Kyrie would have clearly been in his field of vision.  He didn't just graze him.  He hit him straight on.  From the back.  With Kyrie in the air.  

Is it just an unfortunate accident that Lebron violently took down one of our two superstars with one of the most violent tackles I've seen in the NBA?  

Had Draymond pulled the same shit, he would have been suspended for a long time.    

Kyrie had a bad game.  Maybe it's because he was violently tackled by one the NBA's most powerful athletes.

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

Am I the only one who thinks the Lebron tackle on Kyrie was likely intentional and incredibly dangerous?  
Kyrie had a bad game.  Maybe it's because he was violently tackled by one the NBA's most powerful athletes.

I don't think it's intentional, but IMHO, Lebron knew there would be contact, but probably not as hard as he intend it to be.

I also thought Kyrie was hurt by it, so much so that it affected his whole night.

[ThisIStheYear]

Just mentally hurt. Lebron up to his psychological tricks against his former sidekick.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

Mavs ball is ugly when threes are not falling.

That's how it usually is. They don't have ways to score inside unless it's Luka or Lively dives and rim runs.

---

Am I the only one who thinks the Lebron tackle on Kyrie was likely intentional and incredibly dangerous?  Kyrie jumps in the air to catch a pass and Lebron just happens to tackle him from the back with his shoulder down.  Had that happened in the NFL, it would have been a personal foul.  How many similar collisions have you seen in the NBA?  I think it's really rare.  Lebron was facing forward and Kyrie would have clearly been in his field of vision.  He didn't just graze him.  He hit him straight on.  From the back.  With Kyrie in the air.  

Is it just an unfortunate accident that Lebron violently took down one of our two superstars with one of the most violent tackles I've seen in the NBA?  

Had Draymond pulled the same shit, he would have been suspended for a long time.    

Kyrie had a bad game.  Maybe it's because he was violently tackled by one the NBA's most powerful athletes.

Kyrie was playing bad before the collision. He had been on heater lately. Just had a off night, it happens.

[KillerLeft]

That's how it usually is. They don't have ways to score inside unless it's Luka or Lively dives and rim runs.

No they don’t, and that has nothing to do with the roster. It’s because they have abandoned the awesome offensive system that used to provide space for guys like Luka and Kyrie to get in the paint anytime they wanted.

I actually like the personnel decisions being made lately and I acknowledge that Kidd might be a part of that. Also, I feel we must give him credit for getting everyone to buy into their role this year, which he has clearly done.

But man, would I love to see this team coached by Rick Carlisle with an offensive system in his place.

[youzigizag]

Havent read this thread so I dont know what has been discussed...

Lakers are a big team assuming they were at full strength and didnt play some unusual small ball game last night as an excersize...

Maxi...1 rebound in 21 minutes? Got to do better than that. I dont know what his assignments are and if they hurt his chances at securing a missed rock. I know on Offense he might be out near the 3 point line so its harder to get rebounds...but on defense?

DJJ...do they stagger this guys minutes with the worst line up to try and secure those "less than ideal" lineups? I know he starts a lot. I ask because...and it could be just coincidence...but in the past two weeks I have looked at his +/- and it was by far the worst on the team. Last night was same thing. Coincidence? It jumped out at me that the only two times I checked box scores recently DJJ's +/- was the worst on the team and by a decent amount.

Why did Green not play last night?

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

Havent read this thread so I dont know what has been discussed...

Lakers are a big team assuming they were at full strength and didnt play some unusual small ball game last night as an excersize...

Maxi...1 rebound in 21 minutes?  Got to do better than that.  I dont know what his assignments are and if they hurt his chances at securing a missed rock.  I know on Offense he might be out near the 3 point line so its harder to get rebounds...but on defense?

DJJ...do they stagger this guys minutes with the worst line up to try and secure those "less than ideal" lineups?  I know he starts a lot.  I ask because...and it could be just coincidence...but in the past two weeks I have looked at his +/- and it was by far the worst on the team.  Last night was same thing.  Coincidence?  It jumped out at me that the only two times I checked box scores recently DJJ's +/- was the worst on the team and by a decent amount.

Why did Green not play last night?

Green was listed as illness. DJJ has been a little banged up, in his defense. But I agree, he has come back to earth. His defense has not been as impactful. I thought Maxi battled pretty well on the glass. AD was allowed to get away with murder last night. There was one play where he went over Luka’s back, shoved someone off to collect the rebound and then they called a foul on a Dallas player when he went up. He played well. But they allowed him to push and hold on nearly every rebound it seemed.

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

There was also the play where Vanderbilt clearly smacked the backboard (it was audibly loud) and Luka’s layup barely rimmed out. The broadcast team also didn’t notice or pretended not to as well as Doc said “there was no foul.” No shit. Not excuses, we were out of sorts and they outplayed us the entire evening. But there were some horrible officiating by the officials.

[mvossman]

Cannot win with Kyrie in your lineup.  Guy is a cancer

Great, another troll.

[youzigizag]

Green was listed as illness. DJJ has been a little banged up, in his defense. But I agree, he has come back to earth. His defense has not been as impactful. I thought Maxi battled pretty well on the glass. AD was allowed to get away with murder last night. There was one play where he went over Luka’s back, shoved someone off to collect the rebound and then they called a foul on a Dallas player when he went up. He played well. But they allowed him to push and hold on nearly every rebound it seemed.

I will say this...in the Bubble playoffs...when Dallas needed defense late and rebounds late...Maxi showed up.   So I dont know if situationally, like late game Playoffs, if we need boards Maxi is told to crash harder than rest of game?   Maybe normal scheme doesnt have him crashing as hard?

Its just disappointing that we have a spry, quick footed 6'10 guy that cant procure boards.   Or...1 in 21 minutes last night.

Maybe I am overreacting to one game.

DJJ' play seems fine with me for the most part.  Its just odd the two times I randomly check box scores in past two weeks there were huge issues with DJJ's +/-.   They both jumped out at me.  Enough to make a post about.

[SleepingHero]

Great, another troll.

He only appears when the Mavs lose badly and blames Kyrie, THJ, and Kidd.