06-07-2021, 12:46 PM
(06-07-2021, 11:52 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: Sooo, we could have used both like we did in the regular season?
No. In the first 2-3 games Kawhi was guarding KP. Smart move from Lue because the Mavs don´t want to run pick and roll with the guy that Kawhi is guarding. Would be an easy switch. Obviously would be a different story if KP could set "real" screens or punish the mismatch against smaller guys. But based on everything we know that´s not the case and the Luka/KP pick and roll would result in a switch.
When the Mavs went big in the following games. The Mavs had a better inside option. Boban can do all the things that KP cannot do on offense. Set screens. Establish position inside. Take advantage of smaller defenders. This is the KP-Powell scenario from last season. KP wasn´t happy because the offense was build around the Doncic/Powell pick and roll. Turning the 2nd big into a spot up shooter /cutter.
Maybe KP could have pulled the trigger on some semi open catch and shoot opportunities. Maybe his teammates missed him on a few occasions. In the end it comes down to KP and his level of play (on both ends, haven´t even mentioned the biggest problem...defense). We can try to find excuses for him or question why a 7´3 guy cannot score over guards. Why he cannot set a screen. Why he cannot shoot better percentages from midrange and 3-point range.