01-02-2021, 04:23 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-02-2021, 05:15 PM by KillerLeft.)
(01-02-2021, 03:42 PM)ItsGoTime Wrote: This HAS been talked about and no one has answered WHY it's different for this group as opposed to all the other teams in the NBA who had the EXACT same information as the Mavs about the timing of the season. I mean, all the players in the NBA are well paid, world class athlete humans going through a rough time to get into a season's rhythm.
Quite right, the unusual circumstances are unusual for every team.
My thoughts are some combination of the following:
1) lots of teams besides the Mavs are also struggling. The standings are WEIRD right now. So, the circumstances are affecting other teams, too. We’re just hyper focused on our team. For example, Denver fans are probably WAY more freaked out than we are, and their star is playing WELL. Luka isn’t, so there’s reason to believe this is a temporary situation for the Mavs.
2) The Mavs got YOUNGER this off-season, and experience wasn’t their strong suit to being with. Mix in a different approach with more time spent on defense with that youth and less prep time than usual, and I can understand why they might be prone to a little early season funk. Someone mentioned the other day that they’re ALSO tangibly transitioning farther away from the Barea/Dirk Mavs from a leadership standpoint, which I think might be a bigger adjustment than we realize, especially with KP out and Powell not being himself yet (if he ever will be). If Luka really is the team’s leader, then, well...he’s 21. That’s going to be a work in progress.
3) sometimes, things just work. Point being, some of the teams who look prepared might have actually lucked into a mix of goals/personnel that just fit together more quickly. That doesn’t necessarily mean those teams did training camp any better than other teams (although it could mean that) and it doesn’t mean they will all look this good in a month.