(06-08-2021, 05:30 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I think every bad thing stems from his inability to move.

(06-08-2021, 08:04 PM)cow Wrote: Nah.  KP's best days in Dallas were without Luka.

(06-08-2021, 08:08 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Maybe, but the problem you're talking about isn't either/or with the problem I'm talking about. 

Can't move, can't play...with ANYONE. Last year's KP was way better than this year's KP, imo, despite bad chemistry with Luka in both.

(06-08-2021, 08:15 PM)cow Wrote: Moreover, it's a laundry list of issues so focusing on one is rather pointless.

(06-08-2021, 08:26 PM)fifteenth Wrote: One thing at a time is the way only way to get things done cowcow

(06-08-2021, 08:32 PM)cow Wrote: There is one thing that will get things done.  Everything else is ifs and buts and candy and nuts.

(06-08-2021, 06:10 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: That´s where we disagree. I am not sure about the attitude. Maybe there are some problems but I don´t really care about off court stuff. I see a skill/ability problem.  The shots he used to take on the Knicks aren´t an option because the Mavs want to have more success than the Knicks. If one of your two main scoring options shoots low 40s from the field, mid 30s from 3 and isn´t getting to the FT line he probably shouldn´t be one of the two main scoring options. That´s what KP used to be in a more featured role. On the Knicks and in his first Mavs season.
Listening to RCs exit interview he more or less confirmed what we saw in the season. Mentioned cuts, catch and shoot/spacing and some pick and roll as great offensive options for KP. No talk about post play or isos.
I am not the only one that looks at the numbers. The Mavs probably have way more data and they come to the same conclusion. KP as a creator on offense is not leading to positive results. This season they started to make adjustments and already changed his role in the regular season. Less isos and post ups. More catch and shoot, more cuts  and more attempts in the paint. And it worked. Maybe KP isn´t happy but he scored 20ppg on above league average efficiency (first time in his career).

(06-08-2021, 02:02 PM)omahen Wrote: He still is all what you say related to KP against other centers. The problem is teams have figured out the key is not to defend him with center but a random wing or guard, and he is more or less cooked. For me this is the biggest priority for his offseason. Learn how to punish small guys. This way he will force opponents to guard him with centers, which will allow Luka/KP PnR or PnP to feast on them. Just imagine how Clippers series would look like if they would be forced to play Zubac.

Let's be honest, his technique and footwork is extremely poor in the post. His only move is to turn around and shoot a contested fade away jumper. He doesn't see help defense coming, lowers the ball and consequently often turns it over. He needs to work on this, whole offseason. Of course I see physical training as mandatory part of any offseason.

(06-08-2021, 04:20 PM)StepBackJay Wrote: I agree with all of this. He really needs to just drop his post-game altogether honestly. It reminds me of Dwight Howard who wanted to post-up 10 times a game but wasn't actually good at it.

KP can punish wings pretty simply by just shooting over them. He has such a high release point it's hard to contest his shots. I feel like teams will eventually have to go back to guarding KP with bigger players if he can just focus on getting high quality shots over smaller players. Right now KP wants to back them down but he's not strong enough, he doesn't pass good out of double teams, high center of gravity, his footwork stinks, etc.. It's just a total waste and he could still be very effective as a jump shooter. Lots of talented offensive players don't have a post-up game. KP has yet to come to grips that he should drop it and focus on other areas.

(06-08-2021, 09:56 PM)ItsGoTime Wrote: Yes, SnT him for OPJ!

Quote:Marjanovic and Jokic first met when the Nuggets’ star was a teenager, and they spent time as teammates in the Adriatic League with Mega Leks.

“Nikola is [a] great guy. I know him, he show[ed] up and we basically played together on the same team,” Marjanovic said. “I played the 5, he played the 4. Back over there [in Serbia], that skill level that he has right now, he had that back over there. He was really good. All the potential, all the nice touches, all the movement, all the brain, all the passes was like what he’s doing right now in Denver. He’s amazing and I know everybody says, ‘I know he will be somebody someday.’ But I really knew it because you really know how Nikola is thinking, how he plays, how he makes great decisions in great moments. And he is my friend [laughs]. I am so proud of him. It would mean a lot for sure for Serbia. It mean[s] a lot for my country, but a lot for me. Nikola is my friend, one of my closest friends. We don’t talk every single day, but we are online very often. It mean[s] a lot for me and of course for him and of course for our country that we have the MVP of [the] NBA league, the best league in the world.

For him to win MVP it’s amazing, it’s great.”

(06-08-2021, 11:39 PM)DallasBasketball Wrote: I think the off-season could really be key in figuring it out. And if KP can be featured more in the post and produce, I think he’ll stay in rhythm better and be more of a contributor off the bounce and the catch n shoots. Or at least I hope.

(06-09-2021, 09:37 AM)StepBackJay Wrote: The post game isn't happening. This has been a KP, Rick battle since he got here. KP isn't good in the post even with mismatches. I think the ship has sailed on him becoming a Dirk like post assassin. Whether or not KP stays he needs to work on getting good looks as a jump shooter. Post ups and him trying to dribble the ball don't work most of the time. His game needs to be similar to a jump shooting wing player.

(06-09-2021, 04:03 AM)Dahlsim Wrote: Checking in to say I like Kristaps as PF at 4 with a good 5 to complement him.  This works well for Luka as well imo because as a Big guard his rotations now have good protection and length around him. 
Kleber playing well makes the front line rotation as is very strong, hopefully he gets fully back in offseason. 

In general the KP/Boban minutes were all very competitive against the Clippers in the playoffs. 
I saw Dallas fall behind really when Boban went off the floor and KP or someone else tried to hold it down. 
If KP hadn't missed all 5 3 pointers (on top of TJH's 1 for 9) that entire game 7 looks different and if Boban had been part of the offensive closing unit with KP still out there (Kawhi also had to help guard Boban) the Mavs could well have won in 6. 

I thought about this JUMBO 4/5 reading about Jokic and the Serbian players after Nikola takes the MVP home. 



If Porzingis plays the 4 as his primary off a good center the 5 then becomes a secondary role against some 2nd units but his length and skill level really only requires that he shoot the ball well to lock in an advantage against most any rotation.  

So yeah, give me a strong center performance with a revived Unicorn at 4, Luka Magic at 1.

(06-09-2021, 12:56 PM)DallasBasketball Wrote: I’m with you on how the team looked with the twin towers. We traded bad 3 point rotations for strong paint play on defense and offense and strong rebounding. Over 3 games the 3 point rotations proved insurmountable. I don’t know what the answer is but Carlisle does well with options. So I would like to see Mavs keep with a big strategy but try and improve it by replacing Boban with a more agile and more physical player.

(06-09-2021, 01:34 PM)StepBackJay Wrote: A guy like Adams is going to get a lot of offensive boards too. Just think of our rebounding if we had Adams + Luka and DFS who are already good rebounders for their positions.

(06-09-2021, 01:49 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Should I start a Steven Adams thread? 

I am totally onboard with him. ALL aboard the Adams hype train.

(06-09-2021, 08:53 PM)StepBackJay Wrote: BE PREPARED

(06-09-2021, 09:17 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I've been prepared for Kemba Walker to Dallas for like two months now. Wouldn't shock me a bit.