GAME 14: DAL (9-5) @ PHX (11-3) | 98-105 loss

[luka_skywalker_77]

Yeah, those Crowder 3's in the corner were scary open. 

But to be fair, the Mavs, with a first year coaching staff and players just learning to play together in a new system, were facing a team that went to the NBA finals last year with one of the best PG's of all-time. I think Kidd hoped the zone would confuse the Suns temporarily (as we see happen to teams from time to time) but it turned out that they knew how to break the zone more than Dallas knew how run it.

Yeah banking on CP3 not knowing how to break a zone might not have been a wise coaching decision, post game. Their spacing was immaculate.

[dirkfansince1998]

Yeah, those Crowder 3's in the corner were scary open. 

But to be fair, the Mavs, with a first year coaching staff and players just learning to play together in a new system, were facing a team that went to the NBA finals last year with one of the best PG's of all-time. I think Kidd hoped the zone would confuse the Suns temporarily (as we see happen to teams from time to time) but it turned out that they knew how to break the zone more than Dallas knew how run it.

This. Running a zone is not easy and it takes time to learn the different concepts. If we go back all the way to 2011 many Mavs fans wondered why the Mavs were running zone in the regular season. If I remember it correctly Casey forced the issue because he knew that at some point in the season they would need it. Kidd and Marion didn´t like it. They prefered to run man defense.

Found the article...

https://www.si.com/nba/2018/03/06/dwane-...tucky-ncaa

Casey landed in Dallas as a defensive coordinator, with more aging stars, and he wanted to devise a zone the Mavericks could use like an eephus pitch. P---y defense, players grumbled, and point guard Jason Kidd abandoned the zone if it allowed a basket. At training camp in ’10, Casey told the Mavs they were going to build the best zone in the league, and grousing continued. “I like to lock up, man-to-man,” Shawn Marion said.

“Trust me,” Casey replied. “We’re going to need this at some point.” The Mavericks spent 10 minutes on zone slides at every practice and deployed the zone for an entire preseason game in Chicago. Still, they used the zone sparing during the regular season, until the Finals against Miami. The Mavs had no one to match up with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Dallas was too old, too slow and too small in the backcourt. “It was finally time to whip out that f------ zone,” recalls former Mavs guard Jason Terry. Dallas alternated between a 2–3 and a man-to-man defense in which they sank guards to the elbows and bigs to the boxes. “Miami ran iso like 80% of the time with LeBron and D-Wade,” Terry recounts. “You beat me, here’s another guy waiting. You beat him, here’s Tyson Chandler waiting. There was nowhere to isolate and nowhere to kick out. Remember, they didn’t have Ray Allen then. LeBron had to shoot jump shots. And what was LeBron’s weakness at the time? Eighteen foot jump shots.”

Bottom line. A good zone defense isn´t created over night. Requires practice and in game reps.

[mavsluvr]

I may be off but I think early in the fourth when Powell was the lone big man that PHX really attacked the team.  Maybe that got them going.   I thought Powell was fine but the lineup when he was the only big is not a strong defensive lineup.   I may be not remembering correctly though.

That was a really funky lineup. Burke/Brunson-THJ-Bullock-DFS-Powell. I was somewhat confused when it appeared. With Burke in the unit, they were -2. With Brunson, -3. In approximately 3 minutes. Agree that these combinations are not exactly defensive stalwarts.  

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Yeah banking on CP3 not knowing how to break a zone might not have been a wise coaching decision, post game. Their spacing was immaculate.

LOL, I think you have something there. 

Although, tbf, I don't think Kidd really believed that CP3 didn't know how to break a zone. I think he was just desperately throwing whatever he could think of at the wall and hoping something would stick.

[michaeltex]

I might also question, in retrospect, the decision to run the offense through KP at the end. KP apparently said after the game that his legs were gone by that point. Don't know whether Kidd was aware of that, or whether he felt that he had a better option, in any case.

I recall one possession in the 4th where KP got the ball around the FT line with Booker on him. He looked around like he didn't really want it, but passing lanes were closed. He finally faced up and, with Bookers face in his chest, hit the shot. To my surprise.

My confidence was low when the play started, but he made it work. That's exactly where he should make his living, though.

[luka_skywalker_77]

(oh this thing auto updates gawd damn thats awesome)

[luka_skywalker_77]

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LOL, I think you have something there. 

Although, tbf, I don't think Kidd really believed that CP3 didn't know how to break a zone. I think he was just desperately throwing whatever he could think of at the wall and hoping something would stick.

I'd almost take my chances with CP3 and twos. That's the problem with having a big out there that doesn't move his feet well against a veteran PG. Still, the team has to provide more resistance at the point of attack than they are. They cant simply let CP3 force switches without some force being applied.

[mavsluvr]

I recall one possession in the 4th where KP got the ball around the FT line with Booker on him. He looked around like he didn't really want it, but passing lanes were closed. He finally faced up and, with Bookers face in his chest, hit the shot. To my surprise.

My confidence was low when the play started, but he made it work. That's exactly where he should make his living, though.

I thought he did many things well, considering the circumstances. 

His own assessment was that he should have played much better, and that the loss might be on him. Said he must have left his legs at the hotel.

[fifteenth]

tbf

"to be Frank" has new meaning this season

[mavsluvr]

"to be Frank" has new meaning this season

SMH, LOL

[Tyler]

"to be Frank" has new meaning this season

[ClutchDirk]

(oh this thing auto updates gawd damn thats awesome)

Thanks to Dan for suggesting this feature and getting me engaged in making live threads possible...and also for the Mods who activate as necessary the live threads for certain threads like the game and mega threads on busy news days...