2020-2021 MAVS NEWS: Archived

[Hogmelon]

https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1393650854255808518

I don't know why Brad Townsend cluttered the third line.

Mavs secure #5 seed with ...

1.  A Mavs win vs. Minnesota; OR
2.  A Nuggets win vs. Portland; OR
3.  A Lakers win vs. New Orleans.

[StepBackJay]

At this point the 5th seed doesn't matter because the Nuggets will be tanking their last game and the Clips might also try to out-tank the Thunder. The latter could be hard to do. So if Mavs rest their guys, the Clips win, Nuggets lose then Mavs a 6, Clips are 3 and that is the matchup. I don't think the Mavs will go out of their way to try to avoid the Clippers so in my view why not just rest your guys or at least rest your heavy minutes players (Luka, DFS most notably). KP needs to play some to get rhythm, you could even feature him.

I think just get ready to play the Clips. Mavs will go Luka, THJ, DFS, Maxi or Rich and KP. Maxi would probably be a lock over Rich if he were healthy. He might not be healthy enough to contribute for the playoffs honestly which would mean more J Rich.

[Hogmelon]

At this point the 5th seed doesn't matter because the Nuggets will be tanking their last game and the Clips might also try to out-tank the Thunder. The latter could be hard to do. So if Mavs rest their guys, the Clips win, Nuggets lose then Mavs a 6, Clips are 3 and that is the matchup. I don't think the Mavs will go out of their way to try to avoid the Clippers so in my view why not just rest your guys or at least rest your heavy minutes players (Luka, DFS most notably). KP needs to play some to get rhythm, you could even feature him.

I think just get ready to play the Clips. Mavs will go Luka, THJ, DFS, Maxi or Rich and KP. Maxi would probably be a lock over Rich if he were healthy. He might not be healthy enough to contribute for the playoffs honestly which would mean more J Rich.

If, as you suggest, "the Clips win [not unlikely], Nuggets lose [also not unlikely]," then the Mavs will play the Nuggets in the first round if either  the Mavs win against Minnesota [not unlikely] or  the Lakers win against New Orleans [not unlikely].

The Mavs can rest on Monday.  And Tuesday.  And Wednesday.  And Thursday.  And Friday.

[ItsGoTime]

I don't know why Brad Townsend cluttered the third line.

I don’t know why either of you clutter the message with so many words.


Mavs secure the 5th seed!!!!!

[StepBackJay]

If, as you suggest, "the Clips win [not unlikely], Nuggets lose [also not unlikely]," then the Mavs will play the Nuggets in the first round if either  the Mavs win against Minnesota [not unlikely] or  the Lakers win against New Orleans [not unlikely].

The Mavs can rest on Monday.  And Tuesday.  And Wednesday.  And Thursday.  And Friday.

It just seems like everything is lining up for the Mavs to play the Nuggets which I am excited about and I would love the Mavs to rest Luka, DFS and others as needed. Get KP some practice time to get in a rhythm. The Mavs might even still win that last game, who knows.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

It just seems like everything is lining up for the Mavs to play the Nuggets which I am excited about and I would love the Mavs to rest Luka, DFS and others as needed. Get KP some practice time to get in a rhythm. The Mavs might even still win that last game, who knows.

I know Murray isn't there, but why are you excited to play Denver?  Depends on how they approach the Portland game if they rest players.  I mean do you think they're going to lay down because Murray isn't playing?   I get the Nuggets are probably the lesser of two evils between them and the Clippers who I believe are deeper and give the Mavs matchup problems.   I think you guys are kinda disrespecting them for the absence of one key player.  Beating a team 4 times ain't easy no matter who it is.

[TurkishMFFL]

I know Murray isn't there, but why are you excited to play Denver?  Depends on how they approach the Portland game if they rest players.  I mean do you think they're going to lay down because Murray isn't playing?   I get the Nuggets are probably the lesser of two evils between them and the Clippers who I believe are deeper and give the Mavs matchup problems.   I think you guys are kinda disrespecting them for the absence of one key player.  Beating a team 4 times ain't easy no matter who it is.

I don’t think anybody is disrespecting the Nuggets. They still have the league MVP and they are a pretty good team. It is just picking their opponent which the Mavs fans think will be relatively easier compared to the Clippers. All the playoff games are tough. But a little luck can help go from a better way. Here the luck is Murray’s being out.

[ItsGoTime]

I don’t think anybody is disrespecting the Nuggets. They still have the league MVP and they are a pretty good team. It is just picking their opponent which the Mavs fans think will be relatively easier compared to the Clippers. All the playoff games are tough. But a little luck can help go from a better way. Here the luck is Murray’s being out.

I get that and think Den MIGHT be the easier matchup, but I’m not of the opinion that this is their year to get out of the first round either way. Both teams are VERY familiar with playoff basketball, our team is still working those kinks out.

If they do make it out, I’ll be extremely happy and kinda surprised. Some act as though it’s a foregone conclusion and a dark spot if they don’t. I hope for a hard fought 7 game series, unless we win, then I hope for as few games as possible. 

The rest thing also is something I don’t think people get. I don’t think a week fully clears up the tired, beat up feeling these guys have. It for sure helps, and I also don’t think a couple more days rest (by sitting them today) is a big help to that, but the more time resting the better for these guys...ESPECIALLY Luka.

[Hypermav]

I just want the best matchup, and in my mind that is Denver.  If Denver had Murray, either choice would be about the same.  

If the Mavs win the first quarter and shoot a better three point percentage in 16 playoff games, they are the champs.  It may take them 28 games to do that. 

If Hardaway is on fire during the playoffs, and Luka stays healthy, anything is possible.  I realize THJ could just as easily shoot us out of a series.

[ThisIStheYear]

There are too many variables in play for the Mavs to pick their playoff matchup.  I’m hoping for the five seed just because that would be some vindication the Mavs made progress this season.  But, I wouldn’t take any chances with any player’s health today — so sit KP and Brunson at the least.

[chaparral]

From 7th last season to 5th is good progress for this season.  A healthy KP coming out of these playoffs would be good progress as well.

[fifteenth]

From 7th last season to 5th is good progress for this season.  A healthy KP coming out of these playoffs would be good progress as well.

At the start of the season I thought 4th. But with early start,  Covid and injuries, and being in 14th place at one point,  I think 5th is outstanding!

[Scott41theMavs]

At the start of the season I thought 4th. But with early start,  Covid and injuries, and being in 14th place at one point,  I think 5th is outstanding!

That's my take as well. I look at it in terms of win totals. Iirc, last year's win totals were equivalent to 43 wins in an 82-game season. This year's will be 49 or 50 (depending on whether we win tonight or not). Not bad given how things looked earlier this season. I view this as a provisional roster a la the Jamison-Walker year (I don't expect anyone other than Luka and hopefully DFS as being here two seasons from now - maybe Bobi as Luka's big lil' buddy), so to deliver the 5th or 6th seed is pretty awesome. 

BTW, given Luka's status as a generational talent, presuming his health, anything less than 55 wins next year, and 60 wins the year after (and all of the subsequent years he's here) would be front office malpractice.

[jerryjohnson]

How did the Mavs wind up at 5th with the same record as Portland? Last week when they had the same record Portland was in 5th.

[Halfnir]

In the 3-way tie with Lakers, divisonal leader is the the first tie breaker. If the Lakers had lost their game, Mavs would be 6th due to losing the direct game comparison against POR.

[DanSchwartzgan]

That's my take as well. I look at it in terms of win totals. Iirc, last year's win totals were equivalent to 43 wins in an 82-game season. This year's will be 49 or 50 (depending on whether we win tonight or not). Not bad given how things looked earlier this season. I view this as a provisional roster a la the Jamison-Walker year (I don't expect anyone other than Luka and hopefully DFS as being here two seasons from now - maybe Bobi as Luka's big lil' buddy), so to deliver the 5th or 6th seed is pretty awesome. 

BTW, given Luka's status as a generational talent, presuming his health, anything less than 55 wins next year, and 60 wins the year after (and all of the subsequent years he's here) would be front office malpractice.

If you start counting February 6th (GS Win which began a 4 game winning streak post COVID), we won 67% of our games.  That is a 55 win pace in an 82 game schedule.  That would have been 3rd in the west this season and tied with Brooklyn for second in the east.  And it isn't like we didn't have any strangeness during the time since 2/6.  If you give everyone the benefit of the doubt and started everyone's season on 2/6 the overall standings and winning percent would have been:

.765   Phoenix
.708   Brooklyn
.694   Utah
.686   Denver
.673   Dallas
.673   Philly

During those final 49 games the D-Rating was 14th in the league at 112.3.  The O-Rating was 4th at 117.  The Net Rating was 6th, which lines up with the winning%.  Unfortunately, LAC had the 4th best Net Rating during this time.  I realize it doesn't feel like we've been this good (3 losses to Sacramento will do that to a team).  But, this playoff matchup pits two teams that have been among the best over the last 2/3's of the season.  The point being, I think if you look at the most normal part of the season, we already are that 55 win team and had a pretty clear path to more wins than we got.

[StepBackJay]

I know Mavs finished 21st on defense but I think its misleading bc they really put out poor effort against a lot of teams. Their defensive ceiling is higher than they showed over the course of a whole season. Defensively I would put them more like an average to above average defense in terms of what they will bring to the playoffs. We need to see if KP, Maxi, Rich in particular have an extra gear than can get to. We saw last year Doncic could play good defense in the playoffs.

[KillerLeft]

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/th...0522294822

One of the best Dirk interviews ever.

[Aussiebballer]

I listen to his podcast yesterday and the funny part was Bill assumed the Mavs were trying to deliberately lose the TWolves game for matchups ?

[dirkfansince1998]

"There is only one JJ in Dallas...RC calls him Redick"