04-15-2021, 09:18 AM
(04-15-2021, 03:27 AM)meistermatze Wrote: On Luka and KP:
Firstly, KP played his best basketball of the season in the last 3 games (that he played). After the failure to include him against Houston, I thought the KP-Luka-experiment was done. I was glad to see, they got him more involved in the 4th in the next games. I was also of the impression, that Luka showed more emotion and appreciation towards KP and him making shots (bumping his fist etc.).
What troubles me, is that KP seems pissed. And I totally get it, tbh. Luka can find ANYONE ANYTIME on the court, if he CHOSES to. Best example is Melli, whom he seems to really like. He was celebrating all his baskets and is visibly trying to involve him as much as he can. I think we saw something similar with Redick. We know Luka can dish out any pass. He sees everything. But somehow, he can't "find" KP on a consistent basis, even when he's hot. I just don't buy that.
I have seen KP make all the right plays in the last week or so. He was making all the right plays, not forcing it, not hunting shots. He's on fire numbers-wise. He's moving really well, hustling, blocking shots and rebounding like crazy. I think he's close to being 100% and we can see why he's dubbed the unicorn. I really enjoyed the way he played.
But still, Luka can't involve him on a consistent basis somehow. I mean KP's on fire every first quarter and then can't touch the ball for 12 minutes? I don't buy that at all. It seems to me, as if Luka is "rewarding" players he likes, like Powell (the alley-oop action), Melli (celebrating every play he makes because he knows and likes him from Europe), Redick (because he seems like a great teammate with the right attitude) and finds them with the craziest passes. And he "punished" KP by only finding him when he really can't ignore him (and sometimes even that, 4-5 games back, KP was standing wide open, literally a couple of feet away from Luka with his hands ready to receive the pass and Luka instead went dribble-dribble-stepback-3).
I don't know what the reason is. We speculated if it's Luka not thinking KP deserves special recognition. Which I don't get, especially the way KP plays right now. It got better, I know, but only to some extent. Also - does he think Melli deserves special attention because he's so good? I don't think so. So it has to be something personal.
Don't get me wrong, maybe Luka's right. Maybe KP is a little bitch and a team cancer, I could totally imagine this. I mean he seems disconnected, KP is the elast involved in the huddles, high-fiving and stuff. Maybe it's his nature, Idk.
But something is SO OFF between those two and it will be our downfall at some point.
Footnote: This, also, looked better in the Grizzlies game. They palyed more off each other and when Zinger went down, Luka ran up to him to help him up. KP was a little reluctant to celebrate Lukas game winner like the others did but a) this is just his nature and b) even I was reluctant because I could not believe it at first.
So I don't have a lot to add regarding Luka/KP, I think you covered it pretty well, but I will go back to the Houston game and how that has affected the huddles.
I commented on the Houston game that THJ was turning into Wes Matthews regarding passing to KP (There were accusations that Wes and DAJ specifically excluded passing to Doncic at times). It almost felt like the guards were hunting their shots as a group to the exclusion of KP. IF KP has the impression that he is getting selectively missed by the guards (you point out Luka), but I also contend that THJ and to a lesser extent Richardson are guilty of this, then it might explain why KP is a bit distanced from more than just Luka...