03-17-2024, 08:53 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-17-2024, 09:01 PM by dirkfansince1998.)
(03-17-2024, 08:05 PM)Jason Terry Wrote: The rebounding and defense we now have post-changes raises the floor on a game to game basis. It allows us to not be so reliant on our 3’s falling. The entire team is responding well to this change in style
Kidd deserves credit. Numbers don’t lie. We’ve been terrific after timeouts and in clutch games. Getting a more physical starting 5 out there. Increasing minutes for Exum, Gafford and Jones. Decreasing minutes for Hardaway and Maxi (plus Powell not playing). They were feeling the heat. The right changes were made. That’s a good result. Maybe he does belong and we just don’t have the full picture(i.e. GWill being locker room cancer)
I didn’t like the super big lineup at the end with Gafford and Maxi. Maybe that could work in certain scenarios, but it’s not likely. I think the winning solution is a 3 headed monster at the 5. You have Gafford the traditional drop PnR big. Maxi the “small ball” switchable big. And Lively the unicorn who will eventually be able to do it all (we will see). PJ + Maxi is definitely a winning 4/5 combo. Gafford + Maxi is not. I do think that Lively + Maxi could be a winning combo one day
The 3 point shooting is a concern, but is it really that big of a deal if we’re winning all these games without it? I think we’re seeing a blueprint where we can make a deep run with simply being around league average. The hyper efficient PnR, put backs and lob plays are able to keep us in a game like today when we aren’t shooting well……….Hardaway losing minutes is part of this. It’s probably best to have only two main volume 3pt shooters that are Kyrie and Luka. Instead of a 3rd guy that’s streaky, i like the team approach. Feed the hot hand and the open man. PJ is the X factor. Exum has been good all year and will be fine once in a good groove after the injury. Jones has been better lately. Maxi will always be streaky(remember the end of season 0-for streak that ended with his hot shooting playing a big role in the WCF run?)
Things are clicking at the right time. Sky is the limit if we snap out of that bipolar-ness that’s been plaguing us all year
Problem is that the Mavs don't have the necessary consistency on defense. OKC was doing whatever it wanted against the Mavs two days ago. Looking at the bigger picture the Mavs rank 27th in D-Rating post allstar game. 25th in March. 9th over the last five games. It's hard to tell if things are trending in the right direction. Are the Mavs the team that gives up 120 to some of the worst teams in the league or the team that can hold elite teams like Denver to one of their worst offensive performances of the season.
Same for rebounding. Statistically the improvement isn't as big as many of us think but the Mavs are getting big rebounding performances in crucial games. Are they just coasting against worse teams?