GAME 71: LAC (46-22) @ DAL (41-30) | 111-126 loss

[dirkfansince1998]

This team has absolutely no chance against Clippers. If they win one in playoffs, it will be a success. Defense is just bad, they can't stop anything. Especially PnR defense. I mean, an average center like Zubac went for 20 with mostly dunks, because of the bad PnR defense. 

On the other side, Clippers can just put too much pressure on Luka. Unless role players will have a perfect shooting night, it will be like today. And please mind Clippers were missing two very important players and Williams still has greasy hands from those chicken wings.

Luka and KP had good games, the rest were average or bad. Burke needed 15 shots for his 11 points. Wright is just lost. You already said enough about THJ. He was just abused today on defense. The irony - Wright and Jackson were the only two players with a positive +-

Same as always. No help defense. No pre rotations from the weak side defender. One screen is enough to get a layup or wide open shot every single time.
Mavs might want to study the Clippers defense. They are starting in man defense but switch to a ball orientated zone when an opposing player gets in the paint. They do not care about space for opposing shooters. Simply pressure the ball and close the passing lanes.
Mavs on the other hand are doing a great job of guarding the potential 3-point shot in the opposite corner. Most of the time the defender isn´t even watching the ball. Meanwhile the opponent is scoring easy layups at the rim.

[omahen]

At any point in this game was Boban anywhere near the 3pt line when he was in? No. No matter what he was around the basket getting rebounds and clogging up the paint. It was working, until Rick never went back to it.

Please rewatch Bobi 5 minutes. First bucket of the game was Zubac after PnR against Bobi. Second basket of the game for Clippers was Zubac against Bobi. Fourth offense Bobi was switched on Kawhi who missed open shot - Zubac grabed offensive rebound. 6th offense George-Zubac PnR (Bobi didn't come up) and George had a wide open 3 - missed. 7th attack was the only successful defense when Bobi made Kawhi miss a layup. 8th defense Zubac another offensive rebound against Bobi. Final offense against Bobi was George PnR who successfuly scored a layup against Bobi. Clippers attacked Bobi every single time and it lead to lay-ups, offensive rebounds or open shots in 8 out of 9 cases. Of course you can argue Clippers would continue to miss open shots with Bobi in.

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One screen is enough to get a layup or wide open shot every single time.

This!

[Dahlsim]

Luka with another 3! If only that was earlier...

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Boban's sheer size would stop Zubac getting these easy putbacks. That alone is a 6-8 point swing.

No it wouldn't, because he would be somewhere near three point line guarding George or Kawhi after a switch. Unless of course you prefer open shot for one of those guys.

At any point in this game was Boban anywhere near the 3pt line when he was in? No. No matter what he was around the basket getting rebounds and clogging up the paint. It was working, until Rick never went back to it.

 after a switch. Unless of course you prefer open shot for one of those guys.

Those guys or some other players are getting whatever they want on you anyway, with or without Boban. 
I agree that is the concern about defense such as PnR switching etc. that leads Carlisle to this sort of lunacy.  I call it coaching lunacy, ignoring the fact this same Boban destroyed the Clippers offensively and on the boards in the last game before season suspension. 

So you're worried about matching up on defense, but your defense is horrible anyway? 
Every team is scoring like crazy on you.  What do you have to lose?  You lose to clipper by 25 instead of 15?  
I don't think you do but even if you did, so what?  You're not competitive right now playing the way you are, so keep doing the same thing? 

By trying to matchup with teams like the Clippers and most of the other top teams, you're losing the matchups anyway after Doncic and KP.  
The point of not only playing bus USING Boban on offense more is making the other team's defense have to match up. 
Right now your defensive strategy  is giving some guys like Zubac a leisurely stroll to 21 pts and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes while shooting, get this, 100% from the field!!!     
Good thing they benched Bobi for that better defense.  
Locking the Clippers to down to 126 is at least something to feel good about moving forward. 

[omahen]

So you're worried about matching up on defense, but your defense is horrible anyway? 

I was just arguing claims how Bobi would improve our defense. I didn't speak about the other side. However, I would certainly not put him in together with Porzingis. This made Clippers life easier as Zubac was on Bobi who he can guard instead on Porzingis, who he can't. Even when Bobi was out, Zubac was mostly not on KP. Bobi should go in against bench unit and feast on their smaller players.

[Dahlsim]

At any point in this game was Boban anywhere near the 3pt line when he was in? No. No matter what he was around the basket getting rebounds and clogging up the paint. It was working, until Rick never went back to it.

Please rewatch Bobi 5 minutes. First bucket of the game was Zubac after PnR against Bobi. Second basket of the game for Clippers was Zubac against Bobi. Fourth offense Bobi was switched on Kawhi who missed open shot - Zubac grabed offensive rebound. 6th offense George-Zubac PnR (Bobi didn't come up) and George had a wide open 3 - missed. 7th attack was the only successful defense when Bobi made Kawhi miss a layup. 8th defense Zubac another offensive rebound against Bobi. Final offense against Bobi was George PnR who successfuly scored a layup against Bobi. Clippers attacked Bobi every single time and it lead to lay-ups, offensive rebounds or open shots in 8 out of 9 cases. Of course you can argue Clippers would continue to miss open shots with Bobi in.

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One screen is enough to get a layup or wide open shot every single time.

This!

 

Clippers attacked Bobi every single time and it lead to lay-ups, offensive rebounds or open shots in 8 out of 9 cases.

This is true.  This is what good coaches do.  They exploit the obvious matchup potential and they try to force Boban off the floor. Remember this guy destroyed the Clippers, they know that its kill or be killed against him. 

Rick Carlisle has to be smarter than the other coach. 
The counter to that is not to take your advantage off the floor, but to attack them inside, repeatedly, forcing them to collapse inside or give up high % shots and foul trouble.   

We saw that some with the trouble they had defending against the size of KP. 
You can't matchup to them anyway on the wings can you? 
If you had Shaq, and they put his big body in the PnR over and over, would you go away from Shaq? 

[omahen]

Since Denver is also loosing, Mavs have about 10 days to prepare for the first round games against Clippers.

[Dahlsim]

So you're worried about matching up on defense, but your defense is horrible anyway? 

I was just arguing claims how Bobi would improve our defense. I didn't speak about the other side. However, I would certainly not put him in together with Porzingis. This made Clippers life easier as Zubac was on Bobi who he can guard instead on Porzingis, who he can't. Even when Bobi was out, Zubac was mostly not on KP. Bobi should go in against bench unit and feast on their smaller players.

I don't disagree with your basic point, basically its a defensive challenge to play a guy like Boban in todays NBA, but it would be a similar challenge to play most of the great centers of old like Shaq who were unstoppable forces inside but in no way could effectively chase all the small ball guys of today out to the 3 point line. 

Boban can feast on anyone, not just bench units.  In fact the Mavs have often been losing ground to bench units anyway, so its not like they have something that working consistently either way.  If you have an advantage you have to press your advantage against theirs, that's the only chance at being really competitive.   

Problem is, its not going to happen because Carlisle has an offensive scheme he loves, and its not an inside to out game.  Its high powered offense, except that it sputters consistently when the other team clamps down and its time to win games.

[Hypermav]

Maybe Rick is saving Bobi for a playoff wrinkle.   

[omahen]

Its high powered offense, except that it sputters consistently when the other team clamps down and its time to win games

I would say offense is just fine. Even today with all bad non Luka/KP performances they scored 111 points. Problem is on the other side of the court.

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status...7816022017

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https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1291548033616949249

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https://twitter.com/coopmavs/status/1291546825900593152

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https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1291546608778252288

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https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status...8263140353

[Hypermav]

KP 30/10 avg over 4 games
LD 32/11 avg over 4 games

JAG sucks/sucks avg over 4 games

[Dahlsim]

Its high powered offense, except that it sputters consistently when the other team clamps down and its time to win games

I would say offense is just fine. Even today with all bad non Luka/KP performances they scored 111 points. Problem is on the other side of the court.

Not really.  The offense isn't just fine.   Sure they scored 111 but when the other team scores 126, you can win by trying to shut them down (how's that working for you so far) or you can score 130 to their 126, that works too.    Its also true that if you score more points, they take the ball out of the basket while you setup your defense more and they probably don't score 126 anyway.  They score off your misses at a high efficiency. 

You don't have a great enough defense to beat these teams you're losing too.  Sure you have to play defense but at the end you just need more points than the other guy, no matter how you do it. 

If the offense were just fine it wouldn't consistently get shut down into cold spells when they need to hold a lead and win a game, would it?

[SwisherPrice]

Just not good enough. Hanging with one of the best teams in the league for 3 quarters is as much as you can ask this team

[MrGoat]

What a garbage performance, aside from Luka and KP our lack of talent acquisition over the years was painfully obvious here, we look headed to an ugly first round exit and I'm madder than ever about our failed offseason. As long as Luka and KP show out in the first round that's still something to build on, if somehow Donnie can pull out another magical trade that would be nice

[Hypermav]

if somehow Donnie can pull out another magical trade that would be nice

[FunkBoreland]

Keep in mind, the present teams makeup is different than the early season team.

Your missing rim rolling, high energy Dwight Powell and playmaking, drive to basket Jalen Brunson. Lacking a guard thats familiar with your bench and an extra big man in Dwight (mind you Cauley-Stein) has stymied the line ups. 

Don't write off Maxi, his been the Mavs iron man in playing every game so far. The team can become far worse without his contributions.

[ClutchDirk]

Keep in mind, the present teams makeup is different than the early season team.

Your missing rim rolling, high energy Dwight Powell and playmaking, drive to basket Jalen Brunson. Lacking a guard thats familiar with your bench and an extra big man in Dwight (mind you Cauley-Stein) has stymied the line ups. 

Don't write off Maxi, his been the Mavs iron man in playing every game so far. The team can become far worse without his contributions.

Nailed it...

[Scott41theMavs]

Keep in mind, the present teams makeup is different than the early season team.

Your missing rim rolling, high energy Dwight Powell and playmaking, drive to basket Jalen Brunson. Lacking a guard thats familiar with your bench and an extra big man in Dwight (mind you Cauley-Stein) has stymied the line ups.

Don't write off Maxi, his been the Mavs iron man in playing every game so far. The team can become far worse without his contributions.

Nailed it...

At this point, those four he mentioned (plus maybe Curry, if we can get him back to the bench) are the only Mavs not named Luka and KP whom I would want to see back next year. No THJ, DFS, JJB, Wright, or Jackson please.

[luka_skywalker_77]

If it hasn't been mentioned already--Jackson is absolute garbage.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Keep in mind, the present teams makeup is different than the early season team.

Your missing rim rolling, high energy Dwight Powell and playmaking, drive to basket Jalen Brunson. Lacking a guard thats familiar with your bench and an extra big man in Dwight (mind you Cauley-Stein) has stymied the line ups. 

Don't write off Maxi, his been the Mavs iron man in playing every game so far. The team can become far worse without his contributions.

Absolutely.  Burke's once in a lifetime outburst against Houston gave us hope that he was something besides what he's always been.  And, as much as everyone loves playing 5-out, there are certain teams that are going to crush that approach.  Zubac destroyed us.  How is it that LAC can play a non three point threat like him and still hit 45% of their 3's, but for us, someone like that would clog the lane?

There is a reason we were trying to avoid the Clippers.  We are not in their class.  Tonight's outcome shouldn't come as any surprise.   Brunson and Powell are important (and certainly imperfect) elements to this lineup.  Without them (and Curry tonight), lesser players are forced to fight above their weight.