2024 Playoffs - 1st Round: Los Angeles Clippers - Dallas Mavericks- MAVS WIN 4-2!

[SleepingHero]

Well now Luka has an epic sick and hurt game.

Also a historic game!!!

[fifteenth]

That's not a bad list to keep company with

[SleepingHero]

@Hero_OfThe_Day

The #1 ranked one-on-one (isolation) defender in these playoffs, thus far, is none other than Luka Doncic.

Yes, despite being hampered by injury, he is allowing just .052ppp with opponents shooting just 22% with him as the primary defender.

Lockdown Luka Doncic has arrived!!

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/TheRea1DJones/status...1588832437

So DJJ had this great quote post game last night that the NBA tweeted out:

"I was undrafted. I went into situations where I wasn't supposed to be on the roster or playing... I fought my way into a roster spot and I fought my way into the rotation.

Derrick Jones Jr. reflects on his journey from being undrafted to a key rotational player."

Luka then quotes it and says:

@luka7doncic
Very very underrated!!

To which DJJ just replied and said:

@TheRea1DJones
Luv brother

Yeah, I don't think DJJ is going anywhere this summer.

[BigDirk41]

https://twitter.com/TheRea1DJones/status...1588832437

So DJJ had this great quote post game last night that the NBA tweeted out:

"I was undrafted. I went into situations where I wasn't supposed to be on the roster or playing... I fought my way into a roster spot and I fought my way into the rotation.

Derrick Jones Jr. reflects on his journey from being undrafted to a key rotational player."

Luka then quotes it and says:

@luka7doncic
Very very underrated!!

To which DJJ just replied and said:

@TheRea1DJones
Luv brother

Yeah, I don't think DJJ is going anywhere this summer.

What can we actually offer him to keep him? Do we have the mid level? I'm confused with all the new rules.

[F Gump]

What can we actually offer him to keep him? Do we have the mid level? I'm confused with all the new rules.

As they sit right now, the most they can offer him is Taxpayer MLE (2 yrs max, 1st yr salary of ~5.2M). Hypothetically they could increase that offer by making this move or that, but the feasibility of those ideas is unknown.

[mvossman]

As they sit right now, the most they can offer him is Taxpayer MLE (2 yrs max, 1st yr salary of ~5.2M). Hypothetically they could increase that offer by making this move or that, but the feasibility of those ideas is unknown.

Sending out Timmy for a cheaper player would be a good way to carve out some more room.  I'm getting a little bit of Datum vibe with DJJ.  That guy took the min from Clips when he could have gotten the MLE elsewhere because the revived his career.  I don't see DJJ going that far, but I'm thinking if we can get within a couple mil of MLE he might be willing to give the discount.

[Smitty]

I’d be interested to know how many players have went from signing a one year vet minimum and then MLE+ money.

I can’t remember who said it on a pod but once an NBA player signs a vet min, that becomes his reputation/value going forward, despite the level of play in most cases.

Going from ~2M to ~5M (Taxpayer MLE) is a significant raise really. There can’t be many 8/3/1 players getting 13M+/yr (Non-Taxpayer MLE) after a year of vet minimum pay (~2.8M)

[KillerLeft]

I’d be interested to know how many players have went from signing a one year vet minimum and then MLE+ money.

I can’t remember who said it on a pod but once an NBA player signs a vet min, that becomes his reputation/value going forward, despite the level of play in most cases.

Going from ~2M to ~5M (Taxpayer MLE) is a significant raise really. There can’t be many 8/3/1 players getting 13M+/yr (Non-Taxpayer MLE) after a year of vet minimum pay (~2.8M)

This is where my head is. I don’t think he is relegated to a minimum status, forever, regardless of how he plays. That’s too extreme. 

But, he is a minimum player now, really didn’t overtly win a starting job until the end of the season, isn’t really playing better than he has in the past – it’s just that what he does fits really well with this team. Shooting has been a bit of a surprise, but I don’t feel like it is sustainable, and I doubt the market will, either, unless he does it for a couple of years, consecutively. 

Mix all of that into the batter with the fact that the economics of the league are changing drastically, and I am honestly not sure that he’s in line for the payday people around here are assuming. I could be wrong, but I think he will count himself lucky if he gets the taxpayer MLE for a couple of years. Especially if that comes with the idea that he gets to continue on in his current role. This is a guy who has had to fight for a role every single year, so far.

Also, while what he is doing is amazing and much needed on this team, I would personally be hesitant to overpay him until I had seen those threes drop for a couple of seasons, at least. My strategy to negotiate with him would be to get him to take another one year minimum in order for Dallas to get his bird rights. Do it again, and maybe we can talk about something close to the full MLE next summer. That might be too far on the other extreme, but I am definitely not walking into those negotiations assuming that he is an MLE player right now.

[Reunion Mav]

@Hero_OfThe_Day

The #1 ranked one-on-one (isolation) defender in these playoffs, thus far, is none other than Luka Doncic.

Yes, despite being hampered by injury, he is allowing just .052ppp with opponents shooting just 22% with him as the primary defender.

Lockdown Luka Doncic has arrived!!

I think if Luka loses the MVP this year that stat will win it for him next year. No defense has been a voter excuse. Complaining less would solve the other voter excuse.

[SleepingHero]

@GrantAfseth
Luka Doncic thrived attacking the paint in Game 5, so I asked him about it: "My shooting has not been great, not even good, very bad, actually. I was just getting downhill. The first four 3s I took felt great, they just didn't go in but then my mentality was going downhill."

[SleepingHero]

@GrantAfseth
After Game 5, Luka Doncic on playing through his knee injury: "I mean, it's not really good. But like I talk about the journey of a playoff game, once you get started, you want to do everything you can to help your team win. So I just try to keep going."


Luka is a monster man. Call him Baba Yaga.

[SleepingHero]

@GrantAfseth
After Game 5, Luka Doncic on if there are any limitations with his knee: "I mean, we'll see. Now it's a little bit worse, obviously, after the game, but I'm going to have to treat my knee, ice it down, everything I can to be ready to go."

[michaeltex]

This is where my head is. I don’t think he is relegated to a minimum status, forever, regardless of how he plays. That’s too extreme. 

But, he is a minimum player now, really didn’t overtly win a starting job until the end of the season, isn’t really playing better than he has in the past – it’s just that what he does fits really well with this team. Shooting has been a bit of a surprise, but I don’t feel like it is sustainable, and I doubt the market will, either, unless he does it for a couple of years, consecutively. 

Mix all of that into the batter with the fact that the economics of the league are changing drastically, and I am honestly not sure that he’s in line for the payday people around here are assuming. I could be wrong, but I think he will count himself lucky if he gets the taxpayer MLE for a couple of years. Especially if that comes with the idea that he gets to continue on in his current role. This is a guy who has had to fight for a role every single year, so far.

Also, while what he is doing is amazing and much needed on this team, I would personally be hesitant to overpay him until I had seen those threes drop for a couple of seasons, at least. My strategy to negotiate with him would be to get him to take another one year minimum in order for Dallas to get his bird rights. Do it again, and maybe we can talk about something close to the full MLE next summer. That might be too far on the other extreme, but I am definitely not walking into those negotiations assuming that he is an MLE player right now.

I think DJJ's value is how he fits with this team. He could possibly (probably?) find another team to pay him more, but he could then end up a bust because of fit. Hope he stays because next season could be a lot of fun if they run it back.

[SleepingHero]

NBA University (@NBA_University)
Clippers are shooting 9/28 (28.0%) within 6 feet against Dereck Lively this series. That is 31.4% lower than expected based on their FGA—largest differential of any player in the playoffs.

Tiny sample, but D-Live is making a monster impact around the rim as a rookie.

[Winter]

"According to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post (Twitter link), Harden now has 13 playoff games shooting 20% or worse on 10-plus shot attempts, which is the most in NBA history since the league implemented the three-pointer in 1979/80. Westbrook is third on the list with nine."

[Scott41theMavs]

"According to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post (Twitter link), Harden now has 13 playoff games shooting 20% or worse on 10-plus shot attempts, which is the most in NBA history since the league implemented the three-pointer in 1979/80. Westbrook is third on the list with nine."

Maybe having both on the same team isn't a recipe for playoff success.

[Chicagojk]

Finish them

https://x.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1786149248972833126

[DallasMaverick]

Maybe having both on the same team isn't a recipe for playoff success.

I’ll be rooting for Westbrook to take a lot more shots in game 6. Preferably threes.

[Winter]

To no one's surprise I guess.

Clippers All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard has already been ruled out for L.A.’s must-win Game 6 contest against the Mavericks on Friday, the team has announced.