GAME 52: OKC (16-34) @ DAL (29-23): 120-114 loss

[VintagePejav2]

Anyone know if the Thunder have a site like this one?

No Internet in Mobilehoma, so doubtful.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

We got pony whipped on the boards.  Good thing we are paying KP $30m a year.  Nice game by Bullock though.  If I hear "this team is close" as far as construction is concerned, I'm going to flip my lid.

They're no where near close. They potentially could lose 3 straight when  Embiid and the Sixers come to town Friday.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Green has to take the jumper if he wants to stay on the floor. They are leaving him wide open. Going under every single screen.

He's gotta learn how to shoot first. Should be a priority this summer.

[SleepingHero]

cjeter made a good point on the discord that I'm going to repeat here:

"Hear me out. Despite thj not playing good defense there’s some adjustments all around to the rotations increased minutes etc and it’s showing in the defense.
More minutes for everyone less energy for defense.
New rotations out of sync together"


Kind of a good explanation why the defense has been so bad the last 4 games.

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/NickVanExit/status/1...8857446400


https://twitter.com/coopmavs/status/1489109160872529922

[omahen]

I hope last stretch of games was enough of a reminder that this team is far from contending. That their 4th-6th place in a conference is where they are realistically. They had bad stretches, they had good stretches, just like last season. But bottomline is, they are somewhere in the 4-6 in the West. Sure, if absolutely everything goes right, they could make a run for it. But probability of something like that to happen is low. 

I heard someone said, I think it was on one of the podcasts so perhaps Stein or Dameris, that FO is expected to do something in at least once in two consecutive opportunities (summer, TDL). If not, owner starts asking questions, why are you there as GM. Mavs basically did nothing in 5 consecutive opportunities and it looks like this number will soon climb to six.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I hope last stretch of games was enough of a reminder that this team is far from contending.  

It should also be a reminder that there should be no sacred cows besides Luka.  Everything should be on the table if you can lose back to back to two of the worst teams in the league.

[burekemde]

https://twitter.com/NickVanExit/status/1...8857446400

In my view it correlates again when Luka has to take too high offensive load. He played great defense, but due to offensive load, he in this game had 4-5 plays on defense he didnt had air/energy enough to do as well as he can do (in games he doesnt need to do everything on offense).

Luka great defense recently has correlated well with rest of the team playing better, in particular Brunson, that we have seen in latest 15 games or so. This has made Luka more fresh on the defensive end.

In this game, Brunson played well and took some of the offensive duties, but rest of the team just didnt play well enough on offense. The only chance was Luka keeping us in the game and doing much of the offense.

Obviously the rest of the team behind Luka and Brunson is on much lower level than the two. We have seen Bullock produce on offense in one or two games, and that was it. Now that KP and THJ are out, there is not much offensive firepower left. Offense is a huge question behind Luka and Brunson, and the key is not to trade away Brunson, then we would be in a huge mess IMO.

[Chicagojk]

I think what frustrates me is last night and the Orlando game is how both teams seemed similar in talent to us.   The Mavs need to work so hard to get good shots when teams are really dialed in.  On the other hand, teams seem to get to the bucket easily on us and get open shots.   I am really hoping KP being out is a big factor in this.   This team really needs a 4 who can get baskets.    Easy buckets would be ideal.  You really feel how limited our front court is when KP is out.    The Mavs just lack that burst where they can run away from lesser talented teams.   Teams like PHX can play with their food and then come last 6 minutes of a game go on a 15-4 run and put the game away.  Dallas always seems like they are clawing all game long and then late in games is always an adventure with this team.  Not sure if better players are needed....change in philosophy.. or internal growth...or something else.   Just needs to change.  

I was really worried about the offense with Hardaway out.  Even with the Hardaway struggles.  So far, I think the offense has been solid.   They hit several rough spots last night.   But the defense has looked pretty bad since Hardaway has been out.   I am not saying this is due to Hardaway but I am just surprised how things have looked.

[ThisIStheYear]

I think the recent defensive struggles have more to do with KP being out than THJ. He’s been good on that side of the floor this year. Too bad he’s seemingly always hurt.

[hakeemfaan]

I think what frustrates me is last night and the Orlando game is how both teams seemed similar in talent to us.   The Mavs need to work so hard to get good shots when teams are really dialed in.  On the other hand, teams seem to get to the bucket easily on us and get open shots.   I am really hoping KP being out is a big factor in this.   This team really needs a 4 who can get baskets.    Easy buckets would be ideal.  You really feel how limited our front court is when KP is out.    The Mavs just lack that burst where they can run away from lesser talented teams.   Teams like PHX can play with their food and then come last 6 minutes of a game go on a 15-4 run and put the game away.  Dallas always seems like they are clawing all game long and then late in games is always an adventure with this team.  Not sure if better players are needed....change in philosophy.. or internal growth...or something else.   Just needs to change.  

I was really worried about the offense with Hardaway out.  Even with the Hardaway struggles.  So far, I think the offense has been solid.   They hit several rough spots last night.   But the defense has looked pretty bad since Hardaway has been out.   I am not saying this is due to Hardaway but I am just surprised how things have looked.

This is why if you have a chance to get a Sabonis you do it. If you can get an Eric Gordon you do it. In the playoffs everyone ratchets up their defense.  You need guys who can score even when the defenses are focused on them. Luka is he only one in this team who can still score when defenses are keying on him.  Every great team has 2 or more players like that.

I know you are saying it is the defense, but you will have games like these in the playoffs whether the defense struggles or not, that it seems to come down to possession by possession. That’s where offense shines. We have had this problem for 3 years now. Good teams or bad we have struggled in close games because historic offense or not we have only one player on offense we can count upon.

[SleepingHero]

Is it also possible the Mavs have just been thoroughly scouted? I mean this is pretty much the same team as it was 3 years ago. Which means 29 teams have 3 years worth of data on the same 9 players (Luka, KP, DFS, Maxi, Powell, THJ, Burke, Brunson, and Boban) running basically the same offensive scheme.

I started to notice since last year that teams seem 1 step ahead of Luka at times and sit on the exact passes to the corner or out on the key. Which in turn started to make Luka do these dumb mid air passes out of shots because then teams don't expect it.

Well if the team had different players, able to do different things, there's no way the opponent could just magically know where to sit on passes like that. 

I'm still shocked at how little this team has changed since 2018-2019, Luka's rookie season.

[vfromlmf]

If you're ok with Luka getting 40 as long as you don't foul and it takes 33 shots to get there...

and if you're ok with Brunson taking midrange twos...

and if you're ok with everyone else taking jumpshots ....

you don't have anything else to worry about.

[SleepingHero]

If you're ok with Luka getting 40 as long as you don't foul and it takes 33 shots to get there...

I mean Luka got 40 in a pretty efficient manner. 48.5/38.5/75 splits is pretty damn good. But it was apparent he dominated the ball while mostly everyone else ball watched. I don't know if its an indictment on Luka for not getting others involved more (despite having 10 assists), or an indictment on JB/Maxi/DFS being unable to have the agency to create for themselves with Luka on the court (less so JB than Maxi/DFS).

[burekemde]

Is it also possible the Mavs have just been thoroughly scouted? I mean this is pretty much the same team as it was 3 years ago. Which means 29 teams have 3 years worth of data on the same 9 players (Luka, KP, DFS, Maxi, Powell, THJ, Burke, Brunson, and Boban) running basically the same offensive scheme.

I started to notice since last year that teams seem 1 step ahead of Luka at times and sit on the exact passes to the corner or out on the key. Which in turn started to make Luka do these dumb mid air passes out of shots because then teams don't expect it.

Well if the team had different players, able to do different things, there's no way the opponent could just magically know where to sit on passes like that. 

I'm still shocked at how little this team has changed since 2018-2019, Luka's rookie season.

Could be, its a good point. I feel that we are getting ton of open shots and with Lukas passes, they never get blocked, there is always an opening after his passes, where our players know they can get the shot of comfortably without defender able to catch up. They are just not being made. Yesterday nobody could make an open shot. Luka and Brunson were effective, the rest were terrible. It was very different in previous years with Curry and THJ in form that actually shot well. They both had the opening, and knocked down the 3s.

[SleepingHero]

Could be, its a good point. I feel that we are getting ton of open shots and with Lukas passes, they never get blocked, there is always an opening after his passes, where our players know they can get the shot of comfortably without defender able to catch up. They are just not being made. Yesterday nobody could make an open shot. Luka and Brunson were effective, the rest were terrible. It was very different in previous years with Curry and THJ in form that actually shot well. They both had the opening, and knocked down the 3s.

Want to know what's crazy to me? Luka is 3rd in the NBA in potential assists at 17.8 a game. Behind only CP3 (19.2) and Harden (18.3). So your point is valid. 

Further Luka has been top 5 in potential assists every year besides his rookie year. Always at around 17-18 a game.

[burekemde]

Want to know what's crazy to me? Luka is 3rd in the NBA in potential assists at 17.8 a game. Behind only CP3 (19.2) and Harden (18.3). So your point is valid. 

Further Luka has been top 5 in potential assists every year besides his rookie year. Always at around 17-18 a game.

We need a top notch shooter that can take advantage of that space and time Lukas passes provide. Bane would have been nice in Lukas offense. I do think Brunson takes well advantage of that space, he uses that space with penetration much of the time, which then leads to mid range jumpers or assists. But we also badly need a consistent shooter to take advantage of that space from outside. That would keep defenses honest towards the 3 point line. We have seen recent games when either Bullock, DFS or Maxi gets going from 3, its hard to stop our offense. But when they all shoot bad, then we can lose to any team, Orlando or Thunder, or anyone else for that matter. Its hard to trust that for playoffs. Offense an issue that needs to be adressed.

EDIT: Also I noted so many plays where Powell can have and one. He doesn't finish well around the rim. Luka feeds him with so many inside potential assists, but he is not elite finisher around the rim Powell. He is great as roll player. I think that a player like Sabonis would get easy 6-10 points inside per game on the exact same plays as where Powell receives the ball around the rim.

[sefant]

Disagree. Jalen Brunson ineffectiveness against length lost us the game. Actually two in a row now. He’s not a $20 million a year player folks.

Bold statement when 3 of the 4 best lineups in the game had Brunson and no Luka. Brunson was +11 without Luka. The defense was comical bad with Luka on the floor.

One thing is for sure: Brunson is a questionable fit in the starting 5, if Luka decides to mimic Trae Young on defense. This was Hawks from the first 20 games. Luka = Trae Young, amazing on offense but complaining to the refs is back on full force and doesn't give a shit on defense.

The defense went back to criticial condition, where Luka single-handedly killing the entire team defense. It was just 6-8 weeks ago where Itzok questioned the entire defensive system of Kidd/Sweeney, if its even going to work with Luka.

Defense won the Mavs the majority of the games. And its been trash right now. Went from top 5 to bottom 5 against two lottery teams. If you can't even have a capable defense with Luka on the floor, you are not winning lots of games, unless you are scoring 130 pts. Doubt KP fixes anything. This is the same defense the starters played early in the season with KP. Where the starters net rating was on similar levels as the Pelicans starters.


- OffRtg was 114.0 overall (2nd best offense in the league)
- DefRtg was 117.6 overall (30th best defense in the league)
- Worst defense in the league: Rockets at 115
- DefRtg with Luka on the floor: 128.4


Luka was unplayable yesterday, unless paired with 4 plus defenders.

[Okstate819]

Bold statement when 3 of the 4 best lineups in the game had Brunson and no Luka. Brunson was +11 without Luka. The defense was comical bad with Luka on the floor.

One thing is for sure: Brunson is a questionable fit in the starting 5, if Luka decides to mimic Trae Young on defense. This was Hawks from the first 20 games. Luka = Trae Young, amazing on offense but complaining to the refs is back on full force and doesn't give a shit on defense.

The defense went back to criticial condition, where Luka single-handedly killing the entire team defense. It was just 6-8 weeks ago where Itzok questioned the entire defensive system of Kidd/Sweeney, if its even going to work with Luka.

Defense won the Mavs the majority of the games. And its been trash right now. Went from top 5 to bottom 5 against two lottery teams. If you can't even have a capable defense with Luka on the floor, you are not winning lots of games, unless you are scoring 130 pts. Doubt KP fixes anything. This is the same defense the starters played early in the season with KP. Where the starters net rating was on similar levels as the Pelicans starters.


- OffRtg was 114.0 overall (2nd best offense in the league)
- DefRtg was 117.6 overall (30th best defense in the league)
- Worst defense in the league: Rockets at 115
- DefRtg with Luka on the floor: 128.4


Luka was unplayable yesterday, unless paired with 4 plus defenders.

Its very much the same as the last two years in the playoffs. You cant expect Luka to create the entire offense on every possession and also have a decent energy level on defense. The Brunson appeal is that he can help alleviate this and in back to back games he has disappeared down the stretch and teams are starting to figure out his game is very much limited against length.

[michaeltex]

Could be, its a good point. I feel that we are getting ton of open shots and with Lukas passes, they never get blocked, there is always an opening after his passes, where our players know they can get the shot of comfortably without defender able to catch up. They are just not being made. Yesterday nobody could make an open shot. Luka and Brunson were effective, the rest were terrible. It was very different in previous years with Curry and THJ in form that actually shot well. They both had the opening, and knocked down the 3s.

This season in a nutshell.