GAME 39: LAC (26-16) @ DAL (21-18) | 105-89 win

[ItsGoTime]

DFS's baby gets the Dirkie?????

[ClutchDirk]

Mavs win...Clippers lose...

https://media.giphy.com/media/4riTUkdIKqV9u/giphy.gif

[SkenfromLMF]

You’re there?

Well, I was

[omahen]

Mavs showed phenomenal team defense, best of the season. Kept Clippers down to 89 points despite all the ref blunders. How many times can Kawhi and George get away with offensive foul? Not to mention a couple other mistakes, terrible officiating tonight. Luka was awesome offensively. They didn't get much from the bench tonight, Brunson had a really bad nght.

[omahen]

I guess these guys will hear some nice words from betting people

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/why-t...wednesday/

[HanspardShowerVoice]

In some ways this was my favorite KP game since his return, because his shot wasn't really falling and he still made huge impacts on the board and on defense.   He also had a nice stretch in the 3rd quarter where the Mavs were clearly trying to feed it to him on the elbow matched up on smaller wings and he went to work.    I missed the first half of the game, but Twitter was going crazy about how much Zubac was "dominating" in the paint and he finishes with the worst +/- on the Clips with -15.    Which shows a) even when the shot isn't falling for KP he has a huge effect on offense clearing out the paint for Luka because  you can't leave him alone  b)  people really get all up in their feelings over buckets by an opposing 5.

[DanSchwartzgan]

In some ways this was my favorite KP game since his return, because his shot wasn't really falling and he still made huge impacts on the board and on defense.   He also had a nice stretch in the 3rd quarter where the Mavs were clearly trying to feed it to him on the elbow matched up on smaller wings and he went to work.    I missed the first half of the game, but Twitter was going crazy about how much Zubac was "dominating" in the paint and he finishes with the worst +/- on the Clips with -15.    Which shows a) even when the shot isn't falling for KP he has a huge effect on offense clearing out the paint for Luka because  you can't leave him alone  b)  people really get all up in their feelings over buckets by an opposing 5.

BB-Ref hasn't updated last night onto KP's splits yet, but in the other six games in March his on-court effectiveness is beginning to turn around.  His rebounding is up to 10.5 per game (vs. 8.0 in Jan/Feb).  His shooting continues to improve (.522 FG% and .436 3% for the month), but the main thing is his D-Rating has improved dramatically to 105 (it was 114 in Jan and 118 in Feb).  His full season in 19/20 was 107, so March looks real and Jan/Feb appear to be the anomalies.

[HanspardShowerVoice]

And I think people get hung up on someone like Zubak getting cheap buckets on put backs and little alley oops and easy dunks off a dump pass from a penetrator, but that doesn't mean Dallas is playing soft and getting "dominated in the paint". It means that KP is being highly aggressive challenging penetration and that gives Zubak openings for cheap baskets, and over  the course of 48 minutes those two things tend to work out more in the Mavs favor if he's altering shots in the lane and near the rim.

[michaeltex]

This is the game energy I need.

https://twitter.com/bobbykaralla/status/...7025598464

I don't think of Luka as especially quick, most commentators talk about him as deliberate because they try to compare him with a typical point guard. I think there was a "slow Euro" stigma during his draft year, despite his successes.

But his ability to start from a dead stop and blow by PG, who is represented as a good defender, shows that you can't just pigeon-hole him. I think RC was talking about his ability to stop quickly as a skill that surprises defenders. So quick starts and quick starts (and the skill to do something creative) and maybe you don't need as much baseline speed.

[HanspardShowerVoice]

I don't think of Luka as especially quick, most commentators talk about him as deliberate because they try to compare him with a typical point guard. I think there was a "slow Euro" stigma during his draft year, despite his successes.

But his ability to start from a dead stop and blow by PG, who is represented as a good defender, shows that you can't just pigeon-hole him. I think RC was talking about his ability to stop quickly as a skill that surprises defenders. So quick starts and quick starts (and the skill to do something creative) and maybe you don't need as much baseline speed.

Also he's so strong you have to really commit to getting your entire body in front of him to stop his path, because just bumping him isn't going to push him off his line.    That causes defenders to over committ and vulnerable to a change of direction.  

Really think with modern floor spacing, strength has become really a premium offensive skillset and I think it's the main asset for elite guys like LeBron, Giannis, Harden, Zion and Luka.   It's fun to go back into the past and think about which players from previous eras would thrive in today's NBA, and I think the default is to think about former great shooters who would thrive in a 3 point dominated league.   But I also think someone like Hornet's era Larry Johnson would have just been an absolute beast with modern floor spacing concepts.

[michaeltex]

But I also think someone like Hornet's era Larry Johnson would have just been an absolute beast with modern floor spacing concepts.

You could probably start a whole thread on this topic, but I think you make an excellent point.

[StepBackJay]

And I think people get hung up on someone like Zubak getting cheap buckets on put backs and little alley oops and easy dunks off a dump pass from a penetrator, but that doesn't mean Dallas is playing soft and getting "dominated in the paint". It means that KP is being highly aggressive challenging penetration and that gives Zubak openings for cheap baskets, and over  the course of 48 minutes those two things tend to work out more in the Mavs favor if he's altering shots in the lane and near the rim.

Well the problem is the backside help was too late over and over to slow down Zubac. The Clippers benefit from spacing bc they have excellent shooters and also have good passers.

[mtrot]

Well the problem is the backside help was too late over and over to slow down Zubac. The Clippers benefit from spacing bc they have excellent shooters and also have good passers.

Yes, and IMO this is a coaching issue.  If KP is away from the rim guarding someone and, as a result, Zubac has a path to the rim, then some Mav player has to see that and get in front of Zubac, take a charge, if possible.  We just can't have Zubac enjoying an uncontested layup line.  The Mavs need to have a plan for this every time they play the Clippers.

[StepBackJay]

Yes, and IMO this is a coaching issue.  If KP is away from the rim guarding someone and, as a result, Zubac has a path to the rim, then some Mav player has to see that and get in front of Zubac, take a charge, if possible.  We just can't have Zubac enjoying an uncontested layup line.  The Mavs need to have a plan for this every time they play the Clippers.

Mavs otherwise played great on defense so its hard to criticize them too much.

[StepBackJay]

I think we are getting an idea what the playoff rotation will be. It's likely 6 guys including DFS playing upper 30's to low 40's with Brunson getting 20 or less and getting very little minutes from anyone else.

With such a tight rotation you can see the advantage of a guy like KP who is a big that can play up to 40 minutes. Some of these regular season bigs that give you good minutes are hard to play in the playoffs because teams go with tight rotations and their highest skill players.