04-04-2023, 11:32 AM
(04-04-2023, 02:56 AM)omahen Wrote: The thing I don't understand is, why Mavs are playing drop coverage in PnR. Drop coverage is a problem in itself and rare teams can survive it. Example are Milwaukee with Lopez, but they have elite PF help defender as well as elite wing defenders. Mavs have none of that. Modern basketball is about having switchable defenders. Powell and Kleber are actually quite good at that. If only they would use them this way...
With undersized and non rim protecting centers (and elite wings to fight over screens), drop coverage is just a recipe for failure imho. Just look at made baskets from Murray from the game against Atlanta (or Butler-Zeller demolition of Mavs defense a game before that) in the link below. Half of them are because of drop coverage leaving Murray so wide open, he seems to be surprised a couple of times, how much space he has. McGee is way longer and much better suited for drop coverage, that is why he offers a bit more resistance. Centers like Powell and Kleber should just switch every screen. This is their strength. No idea why Mavs play the way they do. It makes no sense and it is obviously not working.
Video and Shotcharts | Stats | NBA.com
If you can load up with elite switchable defenders and at the same time be a better 2-way team than all the other teams loading up with elite switchable defenders then by all means, do so. Most modern NBA teams try and load up with 5 of those including the 5 position now.
If however your elite talent includes a body in the form of a Brook Lopez or a Nikola Jokic that take back from the opponent more than they give up, can you win with that ?