2020-2021 Dallas Mavericks Will Miss The Playoffs

[SwisherPrice]

So yeah...about those playoffs. The Warriors are not great but will still be in the mix powered by Curry. Despite the drama, the Rockets are not going anywhere and still have plenty of talent as long as they keep Harden for now. The Suns are one of the best teams. The Pelicans have the talent to win enough. The Blazers will always be in the hunt with their guards.

The playoffs are not guaranteed this season unless this team really starts playing lights out when KP returns...which is debatable

[jesusshuttlesworth82]

Lakers
Clippers
Suns
Blazers
Rockets
Jazz

all look pretty good

Nuggets should make it obv

Mavs should be glad Klay tore his achilles and hope the Pelicans arent actually any good.

[ThisIStheYear]

I don’t think they could miss, depending on your definition of playoffs. The better question is whether they can make the top six and avoid the play in madness. Top six is the minimal requirement for regular season success.

[khaled1987]

So yeah...about those playoffs. The Warriors are not great but will still be in the mix powered by Curry. Despite the drama, the Rockets are not going anywhere and still have plenty of talent as long as they keep Harden for now. The Suns are one of the best teams. The Pelicans have the talent to win enough. The Blazers will always be in the hunt with their guards.

The playoffs are not guaranteed this season unless this team really starts playing lights out when KP returns...which is debatable

I would argue that before KAT injury, the wolves were in the mix. He should be back soon too

I don’t think they could miss, depending on your definition of playoffs. The better question is whether they can make the top six and avoid the play in madness.  Top six is the minimal requirement for regular season success.

Honestly, this tournament thing might actually help us.
I can't see healthy Mavs losing to any team in such tournament games, and with injuries and bad start I won't rule out being 9-10 seed.
Double edged sword IMO, good if we are 9-10th, bad if we are 7th-8th 

Just praying we aren't giving Knicks a lottery pick, KP is really missed atm

[Reunion Mav Old]

I can't believe this is a thread. Stop being worry warts. It is way to early to even think about the playoffs. We could easily be a playoff team. We need to play better, but there is so much time for that. 

I refuse to even read this thread even though I know there are plenty of qualify posts.

[ClutchDirk]

https://media.giphy.com/media/3ohs4CSyyr.../giphy.gif

[Fuerza1]

https://media.giphy.com/media/3ohs4CSyyr.../giphy.gif

Was not really saying anything. I just smell trouble.

https://gph.is/2QPHbhG

[ThisIStheYear]

The Mavs should be contending this season not worrying about whether they can grab a ten seed and maybe get through a pre playoff play in tournament.

[KillerLeft]

The Mavs should be contending this season not worrying about whether they can grab a ten seed and maybe get through a pre playoff play in tournament.

Depends on what you mean by contending, imo, but we’re all agreed they should be better than this.

[SwisherPrice]

Congrats to the Knicks for getting a decent draft pick this year

[Fuerza1]

Rick Carlisle with a below .500 record in the last 10 seasons, can't get out of the first round. 

He was a choker when the target was on his back in DET/IND. When Mavs won it all, we flew heavily under the radar, no one outside of Mavs fandom gave us a chance. Now Mavs finally got the spotlight back on them w/ Luka and look what happens. Can't hack it.

Cuban rewarded this fraud to a lifetime contract. But it is not too late, we can move on!!! Real MFFL's, unite!!

[Fuerza1]

Congrats to the Knicks for getting a decent draft pick this year

Knicks currently have a better record than the Mavericks too.

[ThisIStheYear]

Mavs have a stretch of home games coming up. This is where they get the soft schedule. They need about eight wins, seven at minimum, in the next ten, or trouble.

[SleepingHero]

Rick Carlisle

I will say that this is the first time since the Mavs hired Carlisle that I genuinely feel that he's out of sorts and that there might need to be a coaching change.

Just feel like he's losing the locker room with all the vague comments players are saying and how the team is performing on the court. I don't think Cuban is ready to hit the "Nuke" button just yet though.

[KillerLeft]

Here’s my thinking re Carlisle: 

I think it’s possible that what we are seeing right now is an indication that he has had even more to do with the success in the last couple of years and then we previously understood. Follow my logic here, for a second.

Half of this board thinks nobody on the team except for Luka is any good, and they constantly tell us so after losses. What if, instead of those “meh” players getting hot last season, they were really made to look better than they were because of Dallas’ coaching advantage? 

If that’s the case, then wouldn’t it make sense how the lack of a proper training camp or in-season practice time this year, might hurt the Mavs a bit more than some other teams? I mean, they aren’t even doing shoot arounds most days.

Think about some of the other teams who are struggling… Toronto. Miami. Other teams with strong, detail oriented coaches.

Just a theory, and I definitely think Carlisle deserves some of the blame for not overcoming these circumstances better, so far. But, I do not think this is an indication that he is used up or too old. I think he’s just having trouble doing what he does in this new situation. Hopefully, it’s a temporary situation.

[Kammrath]

Half of this board thinks nobody on the team except for Luka is any good

So, if you take out all the other variables of this year, which other teams are all facing to a large extent as well, then the spectrum of the debate is this:


BAD TALENT, GOOD COACHING <---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> GOOD TALENT, BAD COACHING


I think people on this board vacillate (sometimes wildly and often irrationally) on this spectrum, trying to put their finger on whatever is happening. Folks will call for Donnie to be fired for incompetence at assembling talent, or RC to be fired for incompetence at getting the talent to play together.



@"KillerLeft" it seems like you might be about here:

BAD TALENT, GOOD COACHING <---------------X----------------------------------------------------------------------------> GOOD TALENT, BAD COACHING



I am probably here:

BAD TALENT, GOOD COACHING <-----------------------------------------------------------------------X---------------------> GOOD TALENT, BAD COACHING


I basically think Luka is so good that there is no way this should be an under 0.500 team. I think the players around Luka also aren't total scrubs. So I think more of the blame is on coaching rather than talent. It is important to note that I put chemistry issues squarely in the coaching column (which I know isn't always the coaches fault, but I still think that is generally where it should fall). I think a huge part of the task of NBA coaching is developing a chemistry like Quinn Snyder has developed in UTA, getting players to 1) buy in to the schemes/gameplan, 2) work together, and 3) give consistent effort.

[SleepingHero]

Just a theory, and I definitely think Carlisle deserves some of the blame for not overcoming these circumstances better, so far

I mean I don't think it's a surprise that year in and year out Dallas always seems to find guys that were once thought to be worthless or were unknowns.

Carlisle is great at getting the most out of his players. There is no denying that. But what is a coach worth if there is a seemingly new disconnect between him and the locker room? 

That's the only reason why I'm a bit antsy. Carlisle is a fantastic coach and there aren't really any clear cut better replacements for him on the market. But if the players have tuned him out then he can't coach.

The only question is who has tuned him out (if they have at all?)? Luka? KP? If it's Luka then Carlisle has to go, and I don't think that's a controversial statement. KP? Now things get a bit dicier.

[Mavs2019]

So to sum up

Mark Cuban: So here is the plan, Luka. I suck ass at asset management and top level player recruitment, but Donnie here will get you some cheap scrubs that Rick will make look better than they are, which means you have to average 30/10/10 for the next five years, so we can always win 45 games, lose in the 1st round and make a lot of money. You In? High five, bro.  

I think this is simply a new situation for

1.) Luka, who has been a winner in his whole career
2.) MBT, who have lived a cozy sheltered lifestyle with Jesus Dirk Superstar

It´s a rough welcome to the real NBA for both sides.

[KillerLeft]

So, if you take out all the other variables of this year, which other teams are all facing to a large extent as well, then the spectrum of the debate is this:


BAD TALENT, GOOD COACHING <---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> GOOD TALENT, BAD COACHING


I think people on this board vacillate (sometimes wildly and often irrationally) on this spectrum, trying to put their finger on whatever is happening. Folks will call for Donnie to be fired for incompetence at assembling talent, or RC to be fired for incompetence at getting the talent to play together.



@"KillerLeft" it seems like you might be about here:

BAD TALENT, GOOD COACHING <---------------X----------------------------------------------------------------------------> GOOD TALENT, BAD COACHING



I am probably here:

BAD TALENT, GOOD COACHING <-----------------------------------------------------------------------X---------------------> GOOD TALENT, BAD COACHING


I basically think Luka is so good that there is no way this should be an under 0.500 team. I think the players around Luka also aren't total scrubs. So I think more of the blame is on coaching rather than talent. It is important to note that I put chemistry issues squarely in the coaching column (which I know isn't always the coaches fault, but I still think that is generally where it should fall). I think a huge part of the task of NBA coaching is developing a chemistry like Quinn Snyder has developed in UTA, getting players to 1) buy in to the schemes/gameplan, 2) work together, and 3) give consistent effort.

Great post. 

I'm not sure where I am on that line, tbh. Like you, I don't subscribe to the idea that the role players here are total scrubs, but I definitely give the coaching a lot of credit for developing them and building a system that fits their talents. I suppose that would put me pretty close to the dead center. 

I'm simply suggesting that what made the team successful last season MIGHT have had a lot to do with the Mavs' coaching staff doing more with their practice time than other teams. Some credit for that, if true, would belong to the players, too, btw. They're the ones accepting the coaching and working hard. 

Especially for YOUNG teams, I think it's possible that coaching and the consistency of reinforcing things on a daily basis matters quite a bit. Guys like Durrant, James, Harden, etc, might even be BETTER off with less practice at their age, in some ways.

As someone involved with teaching young, world class performers as a career, I can tell you that once you find something that works, you build a method around it. It becomes part of the foundation of what you do to get results. I can totally see how the combination of an OLD coach, used to doing what works for him,  a YOUNG team and the moved goal posts of a pandemic season might be a troubling mix. I think we're seeing that now. 

I agree that the chemistry issues fall on the coaching staff and GM at the end of the day. I don't think it's even possible that the coaches CAUSED them, but the front office (coaches included) had damn well better be proactive about solving them, if in fact that's what's going on. 

There are so many things going on right now that it's tough to put your finger on just what THE problem might be. And, maybe there isn't just one major problem. 

I am definitely on board with the idea that Carlisle needs to be integral in pulling them out of this, as are Luka, KP (lol) and Nelson. Should the season keep traveling down this disappointing path, I'm certainly aware of who is most likely to fall scapegoat at the end of it.

[Fuerza1]

Last season was a step in the right direction but I remember elite offenses with suspect defenses like the Nash-led PHX Suns or Harden-led Rockets grab high seeds and be formidable contenders year-in-and-year-out. 

Yet the Mavs had the "best offense ever" with an "elite coach", are only good enough for 7th seed plus 1st round exit? Hmmm.. 

I am with @"Kammrath" that the Mavs have the talent to do legit damage this season. I was not aware of being accused as a Rockets fan when I made this thread a while back (lmao) but before the season I made glowing remarks about the MBT moves and had high hopes. 

But again Carlisle is trying the same BS wannabe-Moreyball offense and expects better results. Luka is putting up a similar stat line to prime Russell Westbrook, which is fine. However, wasn't the entire NBA world saying last year how Westbrook was a disaster fit in HOU + Moreyball? Is this offense playing to your best player's strength? 

Luka is supposed to be in the LeBron conversation yet LeBron has never gotten lower than the 4th seed in the playoffs and has never lost in the first round. We are fighting for the 7-8th seed with a top 5 NBA player. Something is up.