(10-09-2020, 11:56 AM)omahen Wrote: I think answer to all of these questions has to be yes. Mavs will mix a little bit of everything. We have to take into account KP was generally bad in the first part of the season, which is of course logical coming from his injury. I think too much is given into that playing with Powell was the most important factor for that.
I'm not saying that playing with Powell was the most important factor in why KP started slowly. My position is that we don't know what role playing with Powell had in KP's slow start, and that getting answers to whether or not KP and Powell can play well be a factor in determining Powell's role.
(10-09-2020, 11:58 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: Personally, NO, I don't think KP can become an initiator with Powell (or WCS) on the floor. Unless, of course, you stick Luka in the corner and run 4-5 pick and rolls (lolololololol).
One of the main reasons the Luka/Powell thing worked so well is because the Mavs have maybe THE best stretch big in the league on the floor with them. That's GREAT and all, but at that point you're using your most highly paid player in a role that Kleber could handle just fine. You really can't run the 2 man stuff as well with Luka/KP while Powell is out there, because he's just not a serious shooting threat. Nor is WCS, regardless of how many instagram stories we see of him shooting 3's. That, to me, is a crossroads. Ditto for the idea I presented a few weeks back about KP developing a Dirk like high post iso game. Even if he could do it, having Powell out there makes it tougher, spacing wise.
I tend to think the way present here about x's and o's as well. I'm waiting to see if the Mavs put something on the floor that's outside of my current paradigm, though.
One possibility may be someting like this. The Monte/Dirk/BWright/Tyson offense performed with record setting efficiency (before that Rondo showed up), and they did so by creating space. But the space they created was more about towards the basket gravity instead of primarliy shooting created gravity. I'm wondering if they want a KP/DP lineup to perform a bit like that. Maybe they scramble the defense because when Luka crosses center court the defense is trying to figure out which pnr they're about to attached with, Luka/KP or Luka/DP. Maybe the Mavs think Powell's 3 is coming along such that KP can hit 3's off of the DP pnr and DP can hit 3's off of the KP pnr. And imagine if we finally get that other ball handler, or that Seth is that other ball handler. You have endless pnr options with Luka and Seth both playing off of DP and KP, and additionally, something I'd love, Luka setting picks for KP and Seth. It could become a beautiful anti-Harden work of art. These are just my musings. I don't know how much reality is here.