(10-12-2019, 12:23 PM)hakeemfan Wrote: I asked this question last year and a bunch of posters told me to get with the times, and that 3 & D is the new blueprint of the modern game.
That's fine, but I don't want Luka and KP jacking up a bunch of 3 pt shots every game. Luka's strength is breaking down defenses and his ball handling. KP is 7'3". Sure you want to keep defenses honest and a long distance shot is necessary these days. However, that's different from making that the bread and butter of your offense. Every team is not GS. Why not play to our strengths?
Plus having the 2 cornerstones jack up a ton of long distance shots freezes all the other guys. Again, just because it works for GS or some other teams, why do this? I think the Mavs played a lazy and inefficient brand of offensive basketball last year, and hope it doesn't continue this year.
The Mavs offense seems to play it the wrong way around. The 3pt shot is a by product of attacking the rim first. You try to score a lay-up/draw free throws and when the defense takes it away, you kick it out; and rotate the ball till you have an open three. The Mavs seem to run the offense with the whole intent to find a 3pt shot, and when the other team does not take away the lane (by their defensive set-up), they´ll still try to force up a 3pt shot. As a result it will be contested and therefore low percentage.
Sure the entertainment value of a long stepback three by Luka is awesome, but he can literally get an easy floater in the lane (or free throws) every time, as long as he´s defended one on one. He settles too often imho. He needs to start the offense, then kick it out and move it around to give guys like Jackson, Curry, THJ, DFS, Wright, Kleber uncontested 3pters.
Maybe they really do miss the lob-threat of Powell as their main avenue to attack the rim. Porzingis hasn´t done this at all in pre-season. He´s occupying the Dirk spaces, which also shrinks the court and operational space for others. I just hope this does not become a Dwight Howard situation, where Porzingis feels he´s marginalized, especially given his skill-set. Though in the "modern" NBA the simple lob threat might be the best utilisation of the C position.
As I type, I realize Dwight Powell might be the most important player to the Mavs eco system. Without him, the current offense doesn´t function, and the only way around it, might upset the delicate flower that is Kristaps Porzingis.
(10-12-2019, 07:35 PM)hakeemfan Wrote:(10-12-2019, 03:25 PM)j0Shi Wrote:(10-12-2019, 02:30 PM)WillE Wrote: You don't need to be elite in shooting to be successful
Pretty much this. What most people do not realize is that for any player shooting threes (and attempts close to the baskets, free throws) is the best option regardless of their percentages. Even bad shooters will get more efficiency out of their three point shots. It's really just simple math. There might be some weird exceptions, but overall, if a player indeed has a jumper, he can extend that jumper beyond the three point line. That's at the cost of accuracy, but usually the value of the shot outweighs the lower percentages.
Let's assume 47% on midrange shots, which is Dirk's career average. Means you're getting 0.94 PPS. To get the same value out of your three point attempts you only need 31.3%. It's highly unlikely that a 47% midrange shooter can't hit 31.3% of their threes (Dirk's career avg is 38.3%). And this doesn't even include the fact that your team is more likely to get a rebound off three point attempts etc. I bet there are little to no players who reliably shoot midrange shots, but are an absolute fail beyond the arc. Either you have a jumper or you don't. And if you have one, it's threes for you all day.
It's not that you're stating anything wrong, but these same stats have been thrown around for a few years now to justify the 3 pt offense. I don't have anything against 3 pt shots as such, but GS also moves beautifully without the ball and gets a lot of baskets near the rim. Plus they have 2 (3 when KD was there) of the greatest 3 pt shooters ever in the history of the game. Yet they didn't just hold the ball and jack up a 3.
Teams that play a lazy brand of offense, especially one that doesn't suit the personnel, will suffer sooner or later. The stats will bear that out too.
Next time I read, before I post.
You pretty much nailed it.