Must Win Game 49: Mavs (28-21) @ Portland (20-28). 132-112 WIN!

[SleepingHero]

I have given up on the idea that he can be an elite shooter but with the threat to drive or cut that´s not necessary. He just needs to get back to an acceptable percentage. It´s not about him taking those shots. It´s about the way the defense plays him.

100% agree. Just trying to understand why a large percentage of players are shooting several standard deviations below their career average from 3 this year. The only thing I can think of is the feel of the ball when they catch it being significantly different than the Spalding ball. Still that's a stretch.

---

When Bullock doesn't think and just flings it up I feel like he shoots +10% better on his threes.

[SleepingHero]

Concerning as soon as Brunson goes to the bench the Luka solo lineup puts up an 18-4 run. 

KP also not being helps as well since he's been playing terribly after the first. Sticks with the trend that Dan has been pointing out that Luka+Brunson lineups aren't particularly special despite the Mavs winning a lot

[dirkfansince1998]

100% agree. Just trying to understand why a large percentage of players are shooting several standard deviations below their career average from 3 this year. The only thing I can think of is the feel of the ball when they catch it being significantly different than the Spalding ball. Still that's a stretch.

New ball. No empty arenas. Plenty of reasons that would explain the decline. Thing is that other teams are doing a better job. Maybe because they always had better shooters. Maybe because they made the right adjustments.

Mavs are minus 3.5% from compared to last season. League is minus 1.9%.

Makes a big difference. Tonights game is a great example. Easy to put up nearly 100pts in three quarters on a good shooting night.

[OBX Maverick]

I have given up on the idea that he can be an elite shooter but with the threat to drive or cut that´s not necessary. He just needs to get back to an acceptable percentage. It´s not about him taking those shots. It´s about the way the defense plays him.

Is it just me (and this goes for his post game as well), or does it seem that if he just took a split second longer to gather himself, he would be a lot more accurate with his shot? Everything alway seems so rushed when he receives the ball in a shooting situation. I thought earlier this season that he might be doing a better job slowing himself down, especially down in the block, but he seems to be back to the same old same old.

[SleepingHero]

Offense has looked so bad in the 3 possessions since Luka has sat. Frank also falling asleep in back to back possessions letting Mclemore get 2 relatively open threes.

---

KP has looked so bad since the 2nd quarter. I don't know if it's exhaustion or something but he's been playing so poorly.

---

Franky Smokes filling those THJ minutes nicely tonight.

[SleepingHero]

Powell took KP's powers from the first quarter and is now playing like Shaq

[SleepingHero]

JOSH GREEN SHEEESH

---

Concerning as soon as Brunson goes to the bench the Luka solo lineup puts up an 18-4 run. 

KP also not being helps as well since he's been playing terribly after the first. Sticks with the trend that Dan has been pointing out that Luka+Brunson lineups aren't particularly special despite the Mavs winning a lot

And now the solo Brunson lineup starts destroying....

[dirkfansince1998]

Night and day for Brunson. Really struggled against long and athletic defenders last night. Today he is doing whatever he wants against Simmons, McCollum and McLemore.

[SleepingHero]

Maxi has been benched since he missed a defensive rotation early in the third. 


Just noticed it now.


Luka throwing no-look lobs and then cross court passes. 15 assists and he made it look easy. Crazy stuff.

[dirkfansince1998]

Luka´s Ast/FGA rato is a good indicator for the overall flow of the Mavs offense. When the ball is moving and players are making shots the Mavs don´t need him to iso chuck as much.

[Mavs2021]

Maxi has been benched since he missed a defensive rotation early in the third. 

Or Harrison Barnes´d mid-game.

[KillerLeft]

I can’t believe I gave up on Green like one month before he figured everything out. My dude is blossoming right in front of our eyes.

[Chicagojk]

That was the game I was wondering if Luka had in his bag forever.  Loved it.   I wanted to see a game with him with under 10 shot attempts (he had 11), 15-17 assists, good rebounds but everyone knows who the best player on the court.   That was Luka last night.  We won't see that type of game often and plus our other guys typically miss their threes anyway.   But it was nice to see him throw a game like that out there.   I was worried with his heavy first half minutes though.

I really liked Powell and Bullocks games.   If Bullock can play like he did last night, that is the type of player Mavs wanted to sign.  Hopefully the increased minutes allows him to get into a flow.   KP was great to start the game, but I thought in the second half the team appeared much more in a groove when Powell was at center.

I liked getting KP involved in the first and third quarters.   It looked great in the first quarter.   It was rough in the third.   Just had trouble going after his great start.   We have seen this in the past.  He gets going early, but sort of disappears as the game goes on.

Portland is a mess and shorthanded, but I really liked Simons last night.    He has a beautiful shot.  I wonder what Portland does if a team like Detroit throws a boatload of $ at him.   He is an RFA.   And why wouldn't Detroit look to give him a brinks truck and pair him with Cade?

[Chicagojk]

I believe these two plays show Powell's value.  Both him and Green are always active and cutting.  That puts stress on a defense.   On one, the defender hedges to Powell that leaves Bullock wide open from three and Luka makes a great pass.   

The other one, the defender is in no mans land and it leads to another great pass and Powell Dunk.   

I like this much better than having four guys waiting on the perimeter for Luka to create and find them.

https://twitter.com/iztok_franko/status/...4338521092

https://twitter.com/iztok_franko/status/...1510484998