2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[StepBackJay]

I know you've laid out your argument but you have to understand that while you're getting a center to address KPs issues defensively there, now you're taking Maxi's defense out of the lineup and asking KP to guard the following PFs in the West:

Utah - Bogdan/Royce O'Neal
Phoenix - Jae Crowder
Denver - Aaron Gordon
Clippers - Marcus Morris
Portland - Robert Covington 
Lakers - AD
Grizz - Jaren Jackson

Now if you get someone like Holmes, you could argue maybe he has the perimeter defense to handle those guys but it also goes against the argument that you're getting a defensive center because you aren't even playing him there if you did that.

Rick going to zone the first time we've ever seen KP at the 4 defensively all year tells you all you need to know about what Rick thinks of KP at the 4.  And he's right.

I honestly don't care about KP at the 4 or 5 on offense.  Him at the 5 is better for him but him at the 4 with a rim runner at 5 is better for Luka so perfect world is he's a floor spacer when Luka is with him and he takes over at the 5 when Luka's not but he's proven he gets easily bothered by wing defenders in the post and doesn't really have any actual...you know...moves which is why when everything was on the line Rick put baby in the corner.

So here is the thing. You don't have to run KP FT at either position. Last year was a shift to put KP close to FT at the 5 spot which I believe just didn't work. He did go back to 4 on offense late in the year but stayed defensively at the 5 until the playoffs when we had to run a gimmick defense.

KP just doesn't defend the paint well enough to be the 5 on defense. I think you put him next to an actual good paint defender then he will do well as a weak-side shot blocker. You will give up some perimeter shots but here's the thing WE ALREADY DO. Mavs will do a lot better defending the paint and getting rebounds (offensive too) with a real center. KP should be move better more after a full off-season.

The other thing is as I mentioned if a 2 big matchup isn't working one night Rick can pivot to a smaller lineup with KP at the 5. It doesn't have to be 100% one look or the other. Right now Mavs do not have a 'big' lineup other than Boban which as we saw was a total gimmick. Boban is not a guy you want playing important minutes in the playoffs. Substitute Boban with Holmes, Turner, or Adams and I think its a different story.