04-26-2021, 06:58 AM
(04-25-2021, 02:17 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: I think we can all agree that the team has a higher offensive ceiling with KP on the floor but personally I think the defensive ceiling is much higher without him.
Doesn´t even matter who replaces him as long as the Mavs aren´t going small (DFS, Green or Doncic playing PF).
Sample sizes without KP are really small but...
Powell-Melli: 88.2 D-Rating in 81 minutes
Powell-Kleber: 99.8 D-Rating in 249 minutes
WCS-Kleber: 101.9 D-Rating in 180 minutes
Without KP the Mavs can play a modern switch heavy defense. They can hide individual weaknesses on the perimeter with switches and rotations. This is a matter of scheme and coaching preferences.
Continue to build around KP as a more traditional rim protecting big. Play more drop defense in the pick and roll. Less switches. Less rotations. That approach would require some major upgrades on the perimeter. Not to mention that KP himself needs to get back to his pre injury level on defense.
Or move on and focus on the switch heavy scheme. Add fitting pieces that can offer both perimeter defense and rim protection.
Great stuff. You make a good point. Two questions...
1. How much is enough? What I mean is if KP/DP are 105ish like last year, do we really need 88 or 99 if it hurts the O (BTW, as others have mentioned, last year's KP/DP combo probably saw more time against starters than some of the combos above).
2. Who replaces KP. Seems to me you need some combo of rim protection and a 3 point shot. Myles Turner? Who else? If we want to switch everything, who is that forward that does that well AND protects the rim? And, if we are going to start someone like Powell/WCS/Holmes at one big, doesn't the other one need to be able to hit 3's? I get that the idea of KP has been better than the reality of KP this season (especially defensively). But no one is going to give us a better version of KP in a trade for KP.