2024 Playoffs- 4th Round: Boston Celtics - Dallas Mavericks

[KillerLeft]

It's unfortunate this thread derailed a bit. I've enjoyed reading and responding to good basketball talk this week. A nice break from the usually busy offseason thread.

I haven't been able to listen/watch any podcasts yet but a lot of what's been covered here already is sure to be the main talking points. IMO, the biggest thing the Mavs can do in Game 1 is just dare KP to beat you. Attack him in the PnR on offense and make him the guy you rotate from on the defensive end. Test the knee and rust the first half. If he hits 5 threes then he might beat you. I'd just make him prove it!

This. 

I'm anxious to see if Porzingis is still as cement-footed as he was here in Dallas, and I sincerely hope Kidd's plan is to find out.

[Jmaciscool]

It's unfortunate this thread derailed a bit. I've enjoyed reading and responding to good basketball talk this week. A nice break from the usually busy offseason thread.

I haven't been able to listen/watch any podcasts yet but a lot of what's been covered here already is sure to be the main talking points. IMO, the biggest thing the Mavs can do in Game 1 is just dare KP to beat you. Attack him in the PnR on offense and make him the guy you rotate from on the defensive end. Test the knee and rust the first half. If he hits 5 threes then he might beat you. I'd just make him prove it!

I 100% agree with this strategy.  KP has less playoff experience than Lively and his first game back from being out a month is to be in Game 1 of the Finals?  Make him prove he's ready for the moment.

Also, when it comes to being ready for the moment, the Mavs have the top 2 guys. That's huge.

[Winter]

This video I posted from Jason at Hoops Tonight actually has quite a bit about Porzingas and how Luka may attack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofV6SvUCfT0

[KillerLeft]

This video I posted from Jason at Hoops Tonight actually has quite a bit about Porzingas and how Luka may attack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofV6SvUCfT0

Yes, it made me feel like the pick and pop with PJ (and Kleber) will be of the utmost importance. They tried that once against Minnesota (game 2, I think) and it didn't exactly go well. 

Let's hope PJ is up to it!

[Jym]

It's unfortunate this thread derailed a bit. I've enjoyed reading and responding to good basketball talk this week. A nice break from the usually busy offseason thread.

I haven't been able to listen/watch any podcasts yet but a lot of what's been covered here already is sure to be the main talking points. IMO, the biggest thing the Mavs can do in Game 1 is just dare KP to beat you. Attack him in the PnR on offense and make him the guy you rotate from on the defensive end. Test the knee and rust the first half. If he hits 5 threes then he might beat you. I'd just make him prove it!

Exactly what I'm thinking 
and I feel like people around here are way underrating how good Tatum can be. Only person in this series with multiple 50+ point games in the playoffs 
I hope we gear the defense around forcing him and Brown into tough shots. If the others (especially the centers) hit the 3's so be it

[Smitty]

Playoff Luka is finally healthy(ish)?!

Luka first 10 games:
26.7 ppg | 9.6 rbs | 8.8 ast
40.0 FG% | 26.0 3PT% | 77.3 FT%

Luka last 7 games:
31.7 ppg | 9.7 rbs | 8.9 ast
49.7 FG% | 45.7 3PT% | 85.7 FT%

[SleepingHero]

Playoff Luka is finally healthy(ish)?!

Luka first 10 games:
26.7 ppg | 9.6 rbs | 8.8 ast
40.0 FG% | 26.0 3PT% | 77.3 FT%

Luka last 7 games:
31.7 ppg | 9.7 rbs | 8.9 ast
49.7 FG% | 45.7 3PT% | 85.7 FT%

I was keying in on Luka's stats as well after the Minny series. He looked noticeably more "Luka" against Minny. The stats back it up as he basically averaged what he did in the regular season. 

He had some pretty bad games against OKC and LAC that are weighing his averages down but since game 5 against OKC Luka has looked significantly better.

We're gonna need him to be at his best against Boston. Need to see Luka go luklear at least more than once this series

[SleepingHero]

It is absolute cognitive dissonance to say your opponent is an all time top 10 team and say your team is going to beat them. If Boston is an all time great Dallas might as well not show up.

Boston is not as good as your cherry picked stats tell you they are. Most pundits agree btw.  No one is saying — except Boston fans and you and a few others in here - that Boston is great. You’re kinda on an island.

I'm used to being on islands. I was on KP Island until it sank. 

I was on Bernard "The Sarge" Island for what felt like an eternity. Don't get between me and my islands.

[windjc]

I'm used to being on islands. I was on KP Island until it sank. 

I was on Bernard "The Sarge" Island for what felt like an eternity. Don't get between me and my islands.

 Fair enough.

I apologize for calling you guys wussies. I don’t think anything I said about the matchup is controversial though. This forum seems to gravitate towards one side of the spectrum. I’d encourage people to not be so afraid of differing opinions. I’ve been a Mavs fan since the mid 80s. I think it’s awesome they have a chance to win and Luka has a chance to become an all-time great.

[KillerLeft]

 Fair enough.

I apologize for calling you guys wussies. I don’t think anything I said about the matchup is controversial though. This forum seems to gravitate towards one side of the spectrum. I’d encourage people to not be so afraid of differing opinions. I’ve been a Mavs fan since the mid 80s. I think it’s awesome they have a chance to win and Luka has a chance to become an all-time great.

We all feel that way. We are all excited. Most of us don’t begin posts with “this thread sucks.“ 

I think your encouragement to be more accepting of differing opinions is a good idea, and I would encourage you to apply that same energy to yourself. We want more people to passionately contribute in this community, but you have managed to rub a lot of people the wrong way in a very short amount of time, and from my seat, you did so mostly by not accepting other peoples’ opinions. We have differing opinions around here all the freaking time, my friend.

[SleepingHero]

 Fair enough.

I apologize for calling you guys wussies. I don’t think anything I said about the matchup is controversial though. This forum seems to gravitate towards one side of the spectrum. I’d encourage people to not be so afraid of differing opinions. I’ve been a Mavs fan since the mid 80s. I think it’s awesome they have a chance to win and Luka has a chance to become an all-time great.

You're fine man. I've been called much worse from time to time and it didn't bother me then either. Thank you for apologizing though! 

I also encourage your headstrong differing opinion, even if it is at the expense of more in depth basketball talk. Not everything has to be 5 page essays! I sometimes like the blind homerism! It makes me hyped! THE EXCLAMATION POINTS ARE THERE FOR A REASON!!!!

We're all on the same side. I too want Luka to destroy the Celtics on his path to becoming an all-time great. The Kyrie revenge saga would be SO sweet. I want the Mavs to pull it off. That's why I've spent arguably WAY too much time trying to scout the Celtics to see where the Mavs can grab an edge. I was only trying to frame it in a way that respects the opponent while also highlighting their strengths. 

And when you see threads gravitate to one side of a spectrum, well we need someone to come and balance it out. Thanks for taking up the mantle this time, even if some of us went a bit loony for a second there... 

[KillerLeft]

[KillerLeft]

Porzingis spoke today. Apparently, he is trying to play in game one, but I would not say he is very confident about it.

[SleepingHero]

[MaxiThreeba]

I was keying in on Luka's stats as well after the Minny series. He looked noticeably more "Luka" against Minny. The stats back it up as he basically averaged what he did in the regular season. 

He had some pretty bad games against OKC and LAC that are weighing his averages down but since game 5 against OKC Luka has looked significantly better.

We're gonna need him to be at his best against Boston. Need to see Luka go luklear at least more than once this series

I take my Luklear royalty payments in the form of finals tickets.

[audiosway]

I think this is probably true.

Sorry for the bad news, pal! Get well quickly, audio!

Thanks Bud. I'm already starting to feel better. Thankfully the symptoms aren't bad.

I think the Mavs take this in 6. I seriously don't think KP is healthy. He pointed to that today with the press conference. He seemed really hesitant when asked if he was 100%. He is going to struggle against Gafford. It looks like Boston will try cross matching which is going to be interesting. Horford is going to struggle to stay on the floor. Lively is just too active for him and Gafford has too much size on him.

They will start trying to just let White and Jrue guard Luka. That won't last long. That's just going to get Luka going. Ky is going to get booed every time he gets the ball but he'll remain calm. I think that's going to fire Luka up. You guys know how much Luka enjoys taking the road crowd out of the game.

I look for Dallas to run Ky at Jrue constantly as well as try to force Jrue into running the team more on offense. That's going to wear on him.

With KP not being healthy Boston has been the worst team in the playoffs against the P&R. Luka is going to exploit that every time down the court.

The only players on Boston that can guard Luka enough to make him work a little are Tatum and Brown. But, does Boston want to wear down their two offensive stars? No. Jones Jr and PJ will likely guard Tatum and Brown for the most part. Boston will desperately try to switch out of that but I would fight over the screens and not let them do it. I have a feeling that's what Kidd will have them do.

I think another thing that will be huge in this series is that Boston has had such an easy path to the Finals. Yet, they have played down to their competition the entire time. They have had a ton of close games against opponents that were banged up and just weren't great defensively. Coming into this series will be a huge jump in competition and level of fight. Are they ready for that? Can they just flip the switch? History says no.

My final part of this is that Kidd has shown that he gets his team to just stay in the game. That way they don't wear themselves out. When you have the two best closers in the NBA that's all you have to do. Keep it close until closing time. Boston's achilles is late game execution. They don't close well. I think this series will look similar to the OKC series. Keep it close then close them out in the 4th.

I look for them to head back to Dallas 1-1. They will steal a game in Boston. If they take 2 in Boston it will be over in 5. I just think it's more likely that it will go to 6. I also expect Kidd to make this thing ugly. Boston lives and dies by the 3. They can NOT play ugly basketball. It will get ugly early and Dallas will benefit.

[Branduil]

Although Gafford might well play a lot less minutes in this series, I think he'll still have a vital role softening up KP/Horford up at the start of quarters. If the Mavs are going to win this series, a big part will be dominance inside. Defensively, I think it would be best to pre-switch Gafford onto whoever is the worst corner shooter in the Boston lineup instead of having him try to guard the pick-and-pop with KP.

[Winter]

From the Mavs practice yesterday...

Mavs work on "veer" switching. A two-man game develops at the top of the key, Mavs player switches, but when the ball is passed quickly switches again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjJWaD0Wf2E

[Chicagojk]

From the Mavs practice yesterday...

Mavs work on "veer" switching. A two-man game develops at the top of the key, Mavs player switches, but when the ball is passed quickly switches again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjJWaD0Wf2E

Thanks for sharing.  I think we all underestimate how much preparation and detail goes into every small thing.  I was watching and trying to figure out what they were talking to Gafford on his first rep.

[ballsrchr]

Careful, “Eeyore,” it has already been established that picking the Mavs in six isn’t positive enough around here. There are actually people siding with random strangers over smart guys like you who make this place great. You might want to quickly edit to say “Mavs in 4” and nothing else.

I also say Mavs in 6.  But everyone knows I'm not a basketball savant...and I don't care.  It will be Mavs in 6.