HOLY KRISTAPS: All Things Porzingis | TRADED to WAS

[vg2011]

This doesn’t sound like anything is being left out. When Powell was in the game, he was the C, which is the position that mostly sets screens. Doesn’t sound like that has changed. What am I missing?

Just sounds too plug and play to me. No adaptation to the skillsets of the players on the team. Is this how all coaches do things?

This makes me think RC isn’t trying to put the best team out on the court, he’s trying to put the team that best fits his way of doing things on the court. There is a difference, and it seems weird to me that that is what is happening, if indeed that is what is happening.

The position names are irrelevant. Powell was the pick setter. He's gone. It opened up opportunity for KP to be the pick setter, and it turns out that it's keeping him more involved and he's playing better because of it. The timing might be coinciding a bit with KP finally shaking off rust from his year+ time off. 

My response to your assertion is that Powell wasn't setting picks because he had C beside his name on a line-up card, it was because he was really good at setting picks and rolling to the basket, and because the Mavs had visions of a powerful Luka/KP/Powell partnership. 

The best pnr guy in the league got injured, it opened up opportunity for KP, and he's playing better by being in the middle of the action. 

I guess now we're in danger of just both repeating ourselves. 

If you want to add this to the "Rick sucks because" list, then have at it, but I won't join you.

I think the problem is thinking of terms like center or power forwards in their traditional meanings.

When an offense is put on paper everyone is assigned a number between 1 and 5. Out of habit we call a 5 a center but the term center doesn't really mean much in Rick's offense. What matters is what the 5 does. It would almost be better to replace 1-5 with A-E to avoid confusion.

The one thing Powell does at an elite level is roll which is what a 5/E does. But he can't shoot threes.

One of the many things KP does well is shoot threes. Which is what a 4/D does. But coming off injury he was not an option to roll.

So initially while KP is shaking off the rust Rick took advantage of Powell and KP's strengths.

Now that Powell is out and KP can occasionally roll because he has more confidence in his knee the logical position for KP is the 5/E.