Game 81: Detroit Pistons (13-67) vs. Dallas Mavericks (50-30)

[SwisherPrice]

OKC will definitely play their starters on Sunday to get the #1 seed. That game will be even worse than in Houston last December when the entire Mavs rotation was injured.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Pistons bench outplayed Mavs.

[Mavs2021]

If Metu only played against the Mavs/Powell, he´d have a max contract.

[ThisIStheYear]

What’s interesting about this game is how one of the worst teams in NBA history can dominate the bench of a good team on the road. People who think even a great college team could win a game in the NBA are certifiable.

Also, the Mavs deep bench is kind of overrated. Maybe Omax and Green (barely), but I don’t see a rotation player among any of the guys playing in the 2nd half.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

OKC will definitely play their starters on Sunday to get the #1 seed. That game will be even worse than in Houston last December when the entire Mavs rotation was injured.

Denver lost to the Spurs, OKC and Minny won. It's a 3 way tie for the 1 seed. You can bet they'll play their starters Sunday. If OKC wins Sunday they wrap up the 1 seed. They own the tiebreaker over Denver and Minnesota.

[Mavs2021]

What’s interesting about this game is how one of the worst teams in NBA history can dominate the bench of a good team on the road. People who think even a great college team could win a game in the NBA are certifiable.

Also, the Mavs deep bench is kind of overrated. Maybe Omax and Green (barely), but I don’t see a rotation player among any of the guys playing in the 2nd half.

Hardy had 25/7 on nearly 50% shooting. You just cannot let him dribble (in tight spaces). His handles are weak and he exposes the ball way too much. He´s a SG. Omax had a nice game. I thought Green was poor, but it´s just his 2nd game back.

[youzigizag]

Did anyone do an exclusive OMax eval?

I caught bits and pieces of the game and have to wait for game to replay of come up on youtube.

The few times I saw him on Defense one on one he was good, didnt get off his feet and into the air. Seems late on recognizing rotations on defense, gets into air unnecessarily on shooter around perimeter.

He is still a horse on roller skates but is cleaning it up. He has difference making potential...but you gotta iron some things out. I think playing time can iron those thing sout.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Hardy had 25/7 on nearly 50% shooting. You just cannot let him dribble (in tight spaces). His handles are weak and he exposes the ball way too much. He´s a SG. Omax had a nice game. I thought Green was poor, but it´s just his 2nd game back.

Detroit kinda exposed their bench. I thought for sure they'd win this game. Detroit is playing out the string. Sasser is a nice little player for them.

[WillE]

Also, the Mavs deep bench is kind of overrated. Maybe Omax and Green (barely), but I don’t see a rotation player among any of the guys playing in the 2nd half.

Well, "Mavs deep bench" includes Exum, Kleber, THJ. With OMax and Green plus Hardy if you like that's quite a number of playable players.

Williams and Lawson were constantly in a hurry.

Without a true PG, the offense was just wild. Good1value shots were hardly created. It seemed more like "I gotta get mine", but most of the times contested drives and little off ball movement. That's how you shoot only 43% and create 20 (!) TOs.

Can hardly imagine Williams and Lawson on the rostet next year...

[ThisIStheYear]

Well, "Mavs deep bench" includes Exum, Kleber, THJ. With OMax and Green plus Hardy if you like that's quite a number of playable players.

Williams and Lawson were constantly in a hurry.

Without a true PG, the offense was just wild. Good1value shots were hardly created. It seemed more like "I gotta get mine", but most of the times contested drives and little off ball movement. That's how you shoot only 43% and create 20 (!) TOs.

Can hardly imagine Williams and Lawson on the rostet next year...

Fair. The rotation bench is good.  Prosper has a future.  I’m just not sure about the other guys, even Hardy.

[GATA]

Clippers lost tonight. Makes zero sense why we gave this game away

[Branduil]

Clippers lost tonight.  Makes zero sense why we gave this game away

They already knew their game didn't matter. They probably would have put in more effort if they had to win it.

Also, rest is way more important than home court.

[GATA]

They already knew their game didn't matter. They probably would have put in more effort if they had to win it.

Also, rest is way more important than home court.

it absolutely mattered.   They were sitting out everyone 

[WillE]

The Clippers game tipped off 2 hours after ours. They pulled their rotation players only once our L was confirmed.

And either way, I'm sure the Mavs can do the math as well as you can and still chose not to pursue that small chance to rest instead. You may not like their decision, but you don't have to imply their incompetence just because they differ from your opinion.

[SleepingHero]

OMax looked pretty fantastic. I was encouraged by his 3pt shot. He hit a real long one above the break and it looked pure. He looked exhausted by the end. I felt like the refs missed 4-5 calls that should've resulted in FTs. His defense was great all night too. So much hustle and energy. If he can keep developing that 3pt shot and just get his stamina up, he could very well be in the rotation next year as a 25mpg guy.

Hardy looked pretty meh. He poured on the points in the 2nd half but he had no flow on the offensive end getting others involved. He also had some really sloppy turnovers. But I can see a role for him next year as the microwave scorer off the bench like Malik Monk.

I really don't care they lost tonight. Sit everyone against OKC again too and play Lawson/Brandon Williams/OMax/Greg Brown III/Fudge for 48 mins.

[SleepingHero]

Denver lost to the Spurs, OKC and Minny won. It's a 3 way tie for the 1 seed. You can bet they'll play their starters Sunday. If OKC wins Sunday they wrap up the 1 seed. They own the tiebreaker over Denver and Minnesota.

But does OKC even want the 1st seed? The path to finals is much harder vs. the 2nd or 3rd seed.

[Winter]

But does OKC even want the 1st seed? The path to finals is much harder vs. the 2nd or 3rd seed.

I think it would mean something to OKC's young players to win the West.

[dirkfansince1998]

Basically doing all the stuff that DJJ offers with even better on ball defense. Only issue is the off ball defense. He clearly wasn't as familar with the rotations/switches as the rest of the team.

[SleepingHero]

Basically doing all the stuff that DJJ offers with even better on ball defense. Only issue is the off ball defense. He clearly wasn't as familar with the rotations/switches as the rest of the team.

IF OMax can bring everything DJJ offers with better defense and shooting, then I'm not sure this team needs anything else at all. Really.

[Winter]

IF OMax can bring everything DJJ offers with better defense and shooting, then I'm not sure this team needs anything else at all. Really.

My feeling about this team is about the lack of a single sixth-man in the rotation who can score 17-20 PPG.  I actually like our rotation players, but it appears Hardaway is not that sixth-man type guy. The other players are fine, but none of them can score 15-20 PPG, and none have consistently showed up in the playoffs before.

I think there's going to be a lot of pressure on the Luca\Kyrie offense to get us deep.