GAME 50 DIRKIE: Winner KP (93%) & Runner-up DFS (7%)

[Kammrath]

Who was the "player of the game" that elevated his game to help the team win?

[fifteenth]

The Unicorn is finding his game

[Jym]

[MrGoat]

Kristaps. Another 35+ outing. Played well enough again I'm starting to get concerned that he has chemistry issues with Luka that need to be worked out when Luka returns

[ballsrchr]

Kristaps. Another 35+ outing. Played well enough again I'm starting to get concerned that he has chemistry issues with Luka that need to be worked out when Luka returns

This is a legitimate concern...but it's always going to happen when you have two alphas on the team.  One of them has to take a back seat.  Up till now it has been KP--for a variety of real reasons--but will he be willing to do this long term?  This is reminiscent of Kevin Love and Chris Bosh taking a back seat to LeBron James.  Love and Bosh always looked better when played as THE alpha.

Without Luka...or KP...the team plays more as a team.  Integrating two alphas in a TEAM is a coaching challenge.  We just have to hope the coaches are up to it.  But...I'm one of those who sometimes scratch my head over what Carlisle does.  THJ has shown signs that he can be a team player.  Having a good team with alpha integration problems is much better than having nothing to integrate.  The last 3 or more piss poor years proves that.

[omahen]

I'm starting to get concerned that he has chemistry issues with Luka

Based on an outsider look without any realy information, I wouldn't say there are chemistry issues. He gets the ball, he gets his shots, he is just awful at it when playing with Luka. This would lead me to think it is a pshycological thing. He plays well when he is alpha but worse when he is "beta". Sort of like THJ being horrible as a 6th man and excellent as a starter.

[Hypermav]

Looking forward to a stretch of games where he and Luka are consistent with their shots together.  Luka will feed him if he is hitting his shots.  KP said after the game he is putting in the work.  It may be the rust is really/finally coming off and the potential growth for KP and Luka may be even better than we hoped.  DP being out will force those two to work out the kinks imo.

[SleepingHero]

Kristaps was unstoppable. 

Back to back 35+ point games. Averaging 28ppg and 13 rpg while Luka is out.


Now if only Carlisle can figure out how to get both of these guys clicking when they're on the floor together.

[ItsGoTime]

Now if only Carlisle can figure out how to get both of these guys clicking when they're on the floor together.

I'd like to see that as well. In the beginning of the year RC split Luka and KP to ensure one of them was on the court throughout most of the game. If he can get them playing at the same level when in together, and KP to play at this level when they're apart, this is the dangerous duo we were talking about them being.

[Scott41theMavs]

Now if only Carlisle can figure out how to get both of these guys clicking when they're on the floor together.

I'd like to see that as well. In the beginning of the year RC split Luka and KP to ensure one of them was on the court throughout most of the game. If he can get them playing at the same level when in together, and KP to play at this level when they're apart, this is the dangerous duo we were talking about them being.

As I said in the Mavs news thread, I think a lot of the burden is actually on Luka. I want him to watch how KP and the others play without him. It's excellent basketball. If he can learn how to play that style as the lead facilitator and scorer, it raises the team's quality and ceiling big-time.

Moreover, if he learns to trust his teammates more, he can expend more energy on defense, which will also serve to raise the team's ceiling.

[fifteenth]

As I said in the Mavs news thread, I think a lot of the burden is actually on Luka. I want him to watch how KP and the others play without him. It's excellent basketball. If he can learn how to play that style as the lead facilitator and scorer, it raises the team's quality and ceiling big-time.

Moreover, if he learns to trust his teammates more, he can expend more energy on defense, which will also serve to raise the team's ceiling.

It's a bit of a puzzle to solve, right? Luka scores and assists at such a high rate of efficiency based on his drives to the basket that it makes sense for that to be a lynch pin of the offense. It may be that his toward the basket game can be merged somehow with the motion offense that the supporting cast has been running. However, I don't think I have a big enough basketball brain to speculate on the nuts and bolts of that merging. I sure would love for Rick to write us an essay on it though.

[omahen]

In the beginning of the year RC split Luka and KP to ensure one of them was on the court throughout most of the game.

That was initial idea. But if you remember, KP part was not working, so he started playing them together all the time and KP did better. We are all operating on very small samples. Might be KP just shaked some rust off. Might be just lucky stretch. Let's wait a few more games before passing judgement

It may be that his toward the basket game can be merged somehow with the motion offense that the supporting cast has been running.

I think it is pretty simple. Both styles are efficient and working, so just mix it up a bit. It does not need to be Luka iso every single time. Let him rest in the corner here and there. His numbers will dip a bit but that is not really what we are here for, is it. We want wins and rings  Having less obligations on the offense will also leave Luka more energy on the other side of the floor.

[ItsGoTime]

That was initial idea. But if you remember, KP part was not working, so he started playing them together all the time and KP did better. We are all operating on very small samples. Might be KP just shaked some rust off. Might be just lucky stretch. Let's wait a few more games before passing judgement

I remember it all well, in the small sample size we saw that too. Might be that KP and the rest of the team was not ready to make it happen the way RC envisioned. Might be that they are all ready for that now. Would just love to see something consistent we can all count on to emerge soon and stick.

[Jommybone]

They’re figuring it out. I’m just thrilled to see KP capable (again) of posting such a night. Playing against the Houston littles doesn’t count. Turner and Sabonis? At their house? Yeah. Last night counts for sure.