Porzingis Postup Debate - Rick Carlisle vs TNT

[Dahlsim]

I just watched a perfect example of a team in the crunch of the game that had post up offense as an option in its offense vs a team that for the most part does not. 

The Mavericks, up 1 point had to defend a real post up player in Jokic and oddly chose to try and do it with a guy that is a very good defender but absolutely TOO small to go against a skilled BIG with post up skills.  

That winning basket by Denver over Dallas was SUPER high % while on the other end the Mavericks offense is trying to pass the ball around the perimeter and the defense is totally able to disrupt it. 

Denver spread the floor and because the post up was an option Dallas had to give up a good shot either outside or inside. Unfortunately they chose to give up the almost sure bucket in the post.

The thing is, if you put KP against DFS (hell, even small guards) on the same Jokic post, he can't get near the basket to have that high % shot. If he had the body strenght to push other guys, he would be lethal.

This is true.  If its going to be a bully ball post up play then Boban is the best BIG option on the Mavs roster.  For that matter Boban is an elite option period by any standard in that situation on offense.  

As far as KP, his body type is similar to another player which happens to be maybe the GOAT offensive weapon except maybe for the Wilt and that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.   KP hasn't developed a go-to post move that works for his body type.  He could, just like Kareem who had the ultimate weapon.  KP can shoot freely OVER almost anyone. 

The Unicorn just needs a go-to move and the proper footwork to get it off consistently.  A defender will be helpless to defend with goal tending it.  
They would just do their best and hope and pray the go-to Post move misses, exactly like they had to do against Kareem. 

That's the good news. KP could develop such a move, just like Dirk used to work to add to his game every year with his legendary coach Holger Geschwinder.  
The bad news is Porzingis isn't working with Holger, is he?  He's working with a coach that is telling him the Post Up is dead, so why develop a go-to move there?  

---

Luka or KP better ignore RC and develop a post-up/mid-range game or else there will be no championships in their future. The post-up/mid-range is outdated? Go tell that to the last two Finals MVPs.

The game may have changed in terms of style and pace but in the playoffs it still comes down to defense and efficient offense. When the game slows down in the playoffs, you need reliable offense and players who can get you high-percentage buckets. If you want to live and die with the three then you better have all-time great shooters like Steph and Klay to make it work. Otherwise, you're just the Rockets.

Luka is 20, he still has all the potential and his game can go in any direction but it's up to him and the coaching staff to decide what type of player he wants to be.

Excellent point.  The thing is, even before the playoffs, the games gets into playoff intensity and focus very similar to the playoffs during some regular season games.  This is what we're seeing at the end of games and against the better teams.  It's a taste of playoff basketball used to close the games and get W's.  

The post up and high percentage inside play of the big men no longer dominate the game, but the best teams have those options even this higher paced backcourt dominant NBA.  The Raptors went out and got not a only Kawhi Leonard, a player who includes post up as part of his arsenal but they also got Marc Gasol, a older slow dinosaur center.   Gasol was also critical to their championship success.