RECORD PREDICTION: How many of the 72 games will the Mavs win this year?

[fifteenth]

I get that Powell bashing is not the right way to approach the situation but you are doing the reverse. There is no way to deny that Powell has been really bad in the three preseason games. Kleber on the other hand looked like the 2nd or 3rd best player. The sample size is obviously small and we can talk about Powells potential to improve in the coming weeks but that´s not the topic. Starting next week the Mavs need to win games. Meaning that the Mavs don´t have the time to wait for a potentially improved Powell. Do you really think that right now RC is doing Powell a favor when he asks him to defend KAT or Giannis?

If you want the cold hard facts:

Kleber 12/4 1.3blks, 63/67/100 shooting splits, +12.7 (lead all Mavs in the last 3 games)
Powell 6/5/2, 35/17/60 shooting splits, +1.3 (worst among the starters)

So far we haven´t seen Powell`s rim rolling gravity. The one thing that made him a perfect fit and high impact player next to Luka. The offense looked a lot better with Maxi as an additional floor spacer. Not to mention that he was way better on defense. His shooting splits are obviously not sustainable but his form looks better than ever. I think it is more likely that Kleber takes the next step and shoots 40+ % from 3 this season.

I think this is more about Kleber looking better than ever. Not to mention that he has a completly different skill set. I am okay with Kleber in a 6th man role. He doesn´t need to start the game. He needs to close it.
WCS is the one that could potentially replace Powell. Will be interesting to see what RC will do.

Your argument is based on 3 pre-season games.

The real question is, should the Mavs give Powell space to get his game back? I'm pretty sure the Mavs answer is yes.

I don't think WCS is on a "could replace a rotation player" level yet. He's at the "can he sustain rotation level play?" level, since he's never done it before. I'm cheering for him, but he's gotta prove he can get and keep his head right.

[kankka]

51. Mavs gonna surprise a lot of people this year. Luka will continue to make everyone better and we have better defensive pieces around him now. Our bench will win a some games for us as Covid hits the league this year.

[omahen]

Our bench will win a some games for us as Covid hits the league this year.

I guess you didn't watch the game yesterday

[dirkfansince1998]

Your argument is based on 3 pre-season games.

The real question is, should the Mavs give Powell space to get his game back? I'm pretty sure the Mavs answer is yes.

I don't think WCS is on a "could replace a rotation player" level yet. He's at the "can he sustain rotation level play?" level, since he's never done it before. I'm cheering for him, but he's gotta prove he can get and keep his head right.

And your argument is based on his performance before he suffered a career altering injury. We all watched the last three games and Powell was really bad.
It´s not easy to balance the proposed space for Powell with an attempt to win as many games as possible. Usually that´s something teams do for franchise players. Not a role player. I understand that KP needed time and reps because he is a franchise changing talent. Not sure if it is worth it in Powells case.

[JamesConway]

Not quite sure why Powell has to start instead of being eased into the season off the bench. He played awful basketball these first few games and didn’t look like his old self. The starting program will be rough, I’d feel much better with Kleber/WCS starting games.

The season is less than a week away. Just play it safe and start the guys who aren’t fighting their own issues. We’re not tanking anymore.

[fifteenth]

And your argument is based on his performance before he suffered a career altering injury.

Of course it is. That's the context of the whole discussion (his injury). I don't know how much rope DP has, but it's certainly more than 3 preseason games.

[dirkfansince1998]

Of course it is. That's the context of the whole discussion (his injury).  I don't know how much rope DP has, but it's certainly more than 3 preseason games.

Any proposals? Personally I think that RC isn´t helping Powell or the Mavs when he asks him to defend Giannis or Towns right now (or ever). Powell won´t improve overnight.
He will face Ayton, Ibaka/Zubac and AD/Gasol next week. Not to mention that CP3/Booker, Kawhi/PG and LeBron will happily attack him in the pick and roll. It´s not like opponents don´t know that he is struggling. They won´t go easy on him.

[KillerLeft]

He will face Ayton, Ibaka/Zubac and AD/Gasol next week. Not to mention that CP3/Booker, Kawhi/PG and LeBron will happily attack him in the pick and roll. It´s not like opponents don´t know that he is struggling. They won´t go easy on him.

Maybe we should wait and see how these situations are handled when the games matter before freaking out.

[omahen]

Not quite sure why Powell has to start instead of being eased into the season off the bench. He played awful basketball these first few games and didn’t look like his old self. The starting program will be rough, I’d feel much better with Kleber/WCS starting games.

The season is less than a week away. Just play it safe and start the guys who aren’t fighting their own issues. We’re not tanking anymore.

The goal is a deep offseason. So perhaps the goal of Mavs is to have the guys who they think are best ready then. Even if that means dropping a few games in the regular season. It is so difficult to be smart about the situation.

[DallasMaverick]

49. Hope springs eternal.

[dirkfansince1998]

Maybe we should wait and see how these situations are handled when the games matter before freaking out.

Will revisit the topic after the first road trip. Maybe we should start a new thread for Powell talk. Right now we have three threads discussing the same player.

[JamesConway]

Hard to tell, we got a bit younger in the parts further down the depth chart but that should not matter too much. JRich looks like a stud and I like to think that Johnson is still a decent rotation caliber player but we also lost Seth, KP will have to work his way back and so does Powell.

I‘d expect a 4-6 seed season, hopefully closer to 4. Homecourt needs to be the goal Imo.

Gotta say the frontcourt to start the year worries me a lot. I don’t like the DFS / DP duo at all, at least right now. In theory it should not be that bad of a fit but a lot comes down to the vertical spacing. So far the starters had none of that in the first games.

[ClutchDirk]

https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/posts/nb...esgyym8axh

Mavs #8

[ThisIStheYear]

49. Will compete for top record in West,

[DrMav]

47 + 16

[Kammrath]

@"aguiar95"@"david75090" @"HIMAV" @"Derek Nowitzki"@"juanc"

Look to be our winners if they Mavs lose tonight...

[Kammrath]

@"BigDirk41" @"BolsDamols" @"dirkfansince1998" @"Scott41theMavs" @"Kammrath" @"Flipper" @"ItsGoTime" @"Jannemann2"

Are the winners if the Mavs win tonight....

[ItsGoTime]

@"BigDirk41" @"BolsDamols" @"dirkfansince1998" @"Scott41theMavs" @"Kammrath" @"Flipper" @"ItsGoTime" @"Jannemann2"

Are the winners if the Mavs win tonight....

Let’s go Mavs!

[DrMav]

47 + 16

While I'm disappointed in my regular season prediction, I'm still planning for a comeback in the 2nd half.

[Jommybone]

Is it too late to vote? I’m going with 72!