GAME 56: SAC (23-34) @ DAL (30-26) | 107-121 loss

[KillerLeft]

You should be able to get at least two starters and a project or pick for him. 

If that's true, the problems aren't so bad. I'm not sure it's true.

[dirkfansince1998]

I don't think this is who he was in New York and I don't think injuries have diminished him as severely as what his output is with the Mavs. 

Disagree. Just going by the numbers KP is actually having the best scoring efficiency of his career. First time in his career that his TS% is above league average. Best PER and BPM of his career. Big question. Why is his boxscore production not impacting the +/- numbers or win/loss column.

Big difference between the NY version and the current on is defense and that´s probably mostly about the injuries. Right now he really has no position on defense. Not strong enough to be an old school rim and post defender with great rebounding. Not quick enough to defend PFs or the perimeter. Pick and roll liability. Put a smaller and quicker guy next to him and opponents dominate the Mavs in the paint and on the boards. Put a more traditional big next to him and the perimeter and pick and roll defense collapses.

[Kammrath]

I do firmly believe that one or both of KP/Carlisle need to go.

[cow]

With no draft pick this year, limited draft capital to trade, limited trade assets all around, and a poor FA class coming up, the only way to kick start a rebuild is to trade KP. You should be able to get at least two starters and a project or pick for him. 

The Mavs just don't have the assets, cap room, and opportunity to build a team with a decent starting lineup and a little depth around Luka and KP. At least not for next year. I have now officially joined the sky-is-falling crowd who believe that 1) there's no freaking way the Mavs avoid the playin, and 2) there's no freaking way they survive the playin. It's going to be major egg on the franchise's face when we have the seventh seed and can't make the playoffs, and it's going to look even worse when the league uses our lottery pick to gift wrap a top pick to the Knicks. KP gotta go. Perhaps Donnie and/or Rick as well.

I don't have a lot of faith in the MBT executing either.  I've been doing a lot of thinking about last years team and this years team and which one I think is better.  Maybe it was just an outlier shooting season, but I'd take the previous years team.  Maybe it's a push but it's hard to argue against the MBT being stuck in the mud with this team.

I've been thinking about Jalen a lot lately.  He's made the biggest jump this season and is probably the lone bright spot beyond Lukamania.  Are we confident we can resign him after next year?  Would you consider trading him?  New York seems to have interest.  Though the Mavs and draft picks is nightmare fuel.

[Scott41theMavs]

Disagree. Just going by the numbers KP is actually having the best scoring efficiency of his career. First time in his career that his TS% is above league average. Best PER and BPM of his career. Big question. Why is his boxscore production not impacting the +/- numbers or win/loss column.

Big difference between the NY version and the current on is defense and that´s probably mostly about the injuries. Right now he really has no position on defense. Not strong enough to be an old school rim and post defender with great rebounding. Not quick enough to defend PFs or the perimeter. Pick and roll liability. Put a smaller and quicker guy next to him and opponents dominate the Mavs in the paint and on the boards. Put a more traditional big next to him and the perimeter and pick and roll defense collapses.

You're the only person I've seen in the past couple of months who has acknowledged the erroneousness of one of KL's major theses. KP wasn't always this bad on defense - he used to be a nail-to-hang-the-picture guy on defense. I'm not sure if it's a matter of other teams solving him, him playing scared, injuries affecting him physically, or the coaching staff using him wrong on that end. I'm thinking it's a combo of all four. In any event, he is simply done on that side of the floor. That makes me rather worried that KL is right with something he said much more recently (above, in fact) - we may not be able to get much at all back in trade for him. We can't just ride out his contract, though. That's a waste of the next three years of Luka.

---

I don't have a lot of faith in the MBT executing either.  I've been doing a lot of thinking about last years team and this years team and which one I think is better.  Maybe it was just an outlier shooting season, but I'd take the previous years team.  Maybe it's a push but it's hard to argue against the MBT being stuck in the mud with this team.

I've been thinking about Jalen a lot lately.  He's made the biggest jump this season and is probably the lone bright spot beyond Lukamania.  Are we confident we can resign him after next year?  Would you consider trading him?  New York seems to have interest.  Though the Mavs and draft picks is nightmare fuel.

I would trade him for this year's pick back, or as part of a deal for Brogdon (which I've said over and over again also involves KP). Those are about the only scenarios I can countenance that it would be good to trade him. 

I wouldn't mind seeing a whole new roster next year, top to bottom, with #77 being the only returning player.

[cow]

I've been with you guys for most of the season, unfortunately.  No offense, but how this has all turned out is just a bummer.  It's going to sting worse when we trade him and he flourishes for the team we trade him to.

[Kammrath]

Big difference between the NY version and the current on is defense

This is EVERYTHING in regard to the KP impact drop-off. 

The Mavs have a 113.9 DRating when he plays (worst on the entire team) which would be 26th in the league. The team is 5.6 pts WORSE on D when he plays. 

Lasy year KP was +1.1 in DRating and was one of the top 4 Mavs in that area. 

Is it injuries? Maybe.

You know what I think it is? I think it is "Idon'tgiveashitaboutthatendbecauseIknowIamnotinDallasnextyearitis."

[cow]

Disagree. Just going by the numbers KP is actually having the best scoring efficiency of his career. First time in his career that his TS% is above league average. Best PER and BPM of his career. Big question. Why is his boxscore production not impacting the +/- numbers or win/loss column.

I'm not sure we are disagreeing.  

---

You're the only person I've seen in the past couple of months who has acknowledged the erroneousness of one of KL's major theses. KP wasn't always this bad on defense - he used to be a nail-to-hang-the-picture guy on defense. I'm not sure if it's a matter of other teams solving him, him playing scared, injuries affecting him physically, or the coaching staff using him wrong on that end. I'm thinking it's a combo of all four. In any event, he is simply done on that side of the floor. That makes me rather worried that KL is right with something he said much more recently (above, in fact) - we may not be able to get much at all back in trade for him. We can't just ride out his contract, though. That's a waste of the next three years of Luka.

---

I would trade him for this year's pick back, or as part of a deal for Brogdon (which I've said over and over again also involves KP). Those are about the only scenarios I can countenance that it would be good to trade him. 

I wouldn't mind seeing a whole new roster next year, top to bottom, with #77 being the only returning player.

Any interest in Mitchell Robinson?

[KillerLeft]

I think it is "Idon'tgiveashitaboutthatendbecauseIknowIamnotinDallasnextyearitis."

Even if that's not the cause, it's certainly not helping anyone find the solution.

[SleepingHero]

The roster construction just feels broken and you are spot on with one dimensional players in the starting lineup.   I also really hate what our offense has become.  Drive to the basket (where we don't get calls) or kick for a brick (3PT).  I still have a hard time putting a ton of blame on KP.  I don't think this is who he was in New York and I don't think injuries have diminished him as severely as what his output is with the Mavs.  I do firmly believe that one or both of KP/Carlisle need to go.  This experiment isn't working and there should be ramifications.  As far as looking lost tonight, I agree but I just think it's hard to gain confidence with how he's being deployed.

The good news is that a heft portion of the KP tax will be paid this summer when that FRP convey and Timmy expires.  The bad news is we have a ton of spots to fill on this roster and only 2-3 players, depending at how you see Jalen, as starting caliber players.

I've been waffling back and forth with the idea that RC is just not the right coach for this team. He's been underperforming as a coach all season. The offense has sputtered. The defense has been so inconsistent. 

There are already cracks showing with Luka getting extremely frustrated at end of game choices. It's happened 3 times this year already where RC makes the wrong call and the Mavs lose at the buzzer, and Lula is standing at mid court swearing like a sailor. 

KP has voiced his frustrations with the coaching staff too this season. Saying he wants more minutes in the first to get a rhythm, more touches to feel involved, more movement on offense so he doesn't get shut out. 

It hasn't helped that once RC actually implemented the exact changes KP asked, he's looked 100x better. 

RC is a very good coach. His X's and O's are top tier. But it's evident to me that he's become a bit stale. The offense looks terrible. I hope he's saving some magical shit for the playoffs but I fear the Mavs may not even make it there at this rate.

[cow]

I've been waffling back and forth with the idea that RC is just not the right coach for this team. He's been underperforming as a coach all season. The offense has sputtered. The defense has been so inconsistent. 

There are already cracks showing with Luka getting extremely frustrated at end of game choices. It's happened 3 times this year already where RC makes the wrong call and the Mavs lose at the buzzer, and Lula is standing at mid court swearing like a sailor. 

KP has voiced his frustrations with the coaching staff too this season. Saying he wants more minutes in the first to get a rhythm, more touches to feel involved, more movement on offense so he doesn't get shut out. 

It hasn't helped that once RC actually implemented the exact changes KP asked, he's looked 100x better. 

RC is a very good coach. His X's and O's are top tier. But it's evident to me that he's become a bit stale. The offense looks terrible. I hope he's saving some magical shit for the playoffs but I fear the Mavs may not even make it there at this rate.

If KP ends up getting traded, it would be pretty damning for Carlisle.  Even more so if KP goes to another team and flourishes, say GSW for example. We could write off the Rondo trade as a clash of personalities (guess who was a major component to the Lakers chip this year and seems to be turning around the Clippers this year?), but when two of the largest acquisitions in the last ten years don't work out?  

I think Carlisle is a great coach but I'd never want him on a rebuild or on a young roster.  He's far too finicky for the players he'll give minutes too in order to develop them.  And I do think he and the team have gotten a little too caught up in the analytics craze.  "The 2PT jumper is a bad shot" or whatever his line was.   Stats and analytics are great but you have to use your eyes too.

Lastly, I've noticed the Luka stuff too.  I think Carlisle made somewhat of a tactical error when he handed over the keys to Luka and showered him with otherworldly praise.  I'm not sure he knows how to reel Luka back in and our "Luka create everything on offense" has hurt the team offensively as a whole, especially when he's not in the game and especially with how the roster is constructed (one dimensional offensive player, a lot of whom you end up praying once they start dribbling the ball).

All that said, I don't expect Carlisle to be replaced, nor Donnie.  Or KP to be traded.  I fully expect that we'll chase a big name RFA and fail to land them.  It will be interesting to see what Cuban's excuse will be this time.  He recently said "they've never had cap space" to land big time free agents.

[ThisIStheYear]

Watching this game I just kept saying, when are they going to take Maxi out? That may have been the worst game I’ve seen an individual play this season. He was annihilated on defense, provided no offense, and generally fumbled and stumbled around. Maxi will eventually find his way back, but this has been a brutal stretch of games for him.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe it’s time to give Powell a chance.

As for the team, what can you say. The main discussion on the broadcast was the tendency of the Mavs to get off to slow starts.  The answers given veered toward ridiculous pop psychology.  The real reason is simple. The Mavs just don’t have the right people starting the game. You need at least three good offensive players; the Mavs start with two. It’s time to make a change and move Brunson up and the flop to the bench. That’s the only card left to play in this disappointing season. JRich is gone anyway, so I really wouldn’t worry about his ego. My only hope left for the season is that the Mavs don’t end up ceding a lottery pick to the Knicks. That would be the ultimate disaster—until free agency allows Luka to join a team that knows how to put a respectable team around a transcendent player. The Mavs obviously haven’t figured that out in this era of basketball with two completely wasted offseasons in a row. I count zero useful players from those offseasons. 

The Mavs need to get their stuff together, fast.  That starts with moving Powell and Brunson into the starting lineup and Maxi and JRich to the bench.

[SleepingHero]

The real reason is simple. The Mavs just don’t have the right people starting the game. You need at least three good offensive players; the Mavs start with two. It’s time to make a change and move Brunson up and the flop to the bench. That’s the only card left to play in this disappointing season. JRich is gone anyway, so I really wouldn’t worry about his ego. My only hope left for the season is that the Mavs don’t end up ceding a lottery pick to the Knicks.

The Mavs also have a top tier historically all-time knockdown 3pt shooter waiting on the bench as well. Mavs need Brunson+THJ to provide that spark. Moving Brunson up to start all but assures a weak bench.

Redick on the other hand can hit 2-3 threes just by standing around, and the spacing he provides should only make lives easier. 

I don't know why Carlisle hasn't switched yet. The answer is clear as day for me.

[TXBamanut]

Bama. I usually agree totally with you. A lot of heroball by Luka and fans using KP as the whipping boy. 

However if you saw that game today, KP looked lost. He was not playing assertively at all. The lead was not dwindling and everyone including KP were just mindlessly passing the ball without any attempt to break down Sac. Luka then finally decided to do the heroball stuff.

Fair enough, but I'm going to call this ACCUMULATIVE drift.  Look, I'm no pro by any stretch, but I have played in games where I knew I was going to be open and another guy just shot it a million times and I just lost interest.   I'd run off picks and have the cold shot and he looks me off and dribble dribble jack up a fadeaway and at some point, I'm not running hard off that screen or wasting my life pinning a guy under the goal when the balls not coming anyway.  

That's what I see.  Several times, I saw KP in the mid post setting up and then the step back 3 goes, and he just starts trotting down the court with the ball in the air and a "hope it goes in" look on his face.  I don't really fault him for that after this becoming the norm.

Honestly, the best post entry passer on the team is KP because he gets it quick and to Luka's hand every time.  It boggles my mind that Luka and the other guards on the team can't figure that out.  If we met at a diner and JRich and Luka had a few and started bragging about how they were going to get this cat out of here by doing that stuff, I honestly wouldn't be surprised (AND I know that's not happening...seriously).  But still, the way they do it...I'm just like, come on, man.

It looks like a snotty war sometimes.  They don't pass him the ball, he floats right into their driving lanes to try to force the pass, it's stupid.

If I was getting 12 clear mismatches a game, and putting up the stats KP was putting up, and 3 quarters through the game, they've found me for like 4 of them and took crappy shots on the others, I'd have an issue...even if I was being the good soldier and whatever, because I know, that's going to get us nowhere later.

Look...the only guy shooting worse than KP at the half...LUKA.  Kp was 3-10 and Luka was 3-11.  Luka finished the game with 27 shots to KP's 14.  He can late liberty and shoot himself out of any funk he's in, because he's got the ball, KP can't.

Every NON-guard that has ever existed in basketball from the dawn of time, especially 5s, have depended on the PG and the offensive set to get them to ball in a position to score.  None of them bring it up and just launch into a series of one on one moves consistently and produce well, except maybe Giannis, but he's unique.  That is a fact.

So this is on Luka and Carlisle and BRUNSON who can't pass his way out of a paper sack, in NBA context.

I'm astounded at the complete inability to just throw the ball to KP's hand on an entry pass at 7'3".  Why must we have the bounce pass at his knees, when he's holding his hand up high?  Seriously...that's like Basketball 101 in my opinion...of course, they are in the advanced Calculus of basketball to me, so all that may have changed, but I was taught different...which is fine.

[Mavs2021]

Fair enough, but I'm going to call this ACCUMULATIVE drift.  Look, I'm no pro by any stretch, but I have played in games where I knew I was going to be open and another guy just shot it a million times and I just lost interest.   I'd run off picks and have the cold shot and he looks me off and dribble dribble jack up a fadeaway and at some point, I'm not running hard off that screen or wasting my life pinning a guy under the goal when the balls not coming anyway.  

That's what I see.  Several times, I saw KP in the mid post setting up and then the step back 3 goes, and he just starts trotting down the court with the ball in the air and a "hope it goes in" look on his face.  I don't really fault him for that after this becoming the norm.

Honestly, the best post entry passer on the team is KP because he gets it quick and to Luka's hand every time.  It boggles my mind that Luka and the other guards on the team can't figure that out.  If we met at a diner and JRich and Luka had a few and started bragging about how they were going to get this cat out of here by doing that stuff, I honestly wouldn't be surprised (AND I know that's not happening...seriously).  But still, the way they do it...I'm just like, come on, man.

It looks like a snotty war sometimes.  They don't pass him the ball, he floats right into their driving lanes to try to force the pass, it's stupid.

If I was getting 12 clear mismatches a game, and putting up the stats KP was putting up, and 3 quarters through the game, they've found me for like 4 of them and took crappy shots on the others, I'd have an issue...even if I was being the good soldier and whatever, because I know, that's going to get us nowhere later.

Look...the only guy shooting worse than KP at the half...LUKA.  Kp was 3-10 and Luka was 3-11.  Luka finished the game with 27 shots to KP's 14.  He can late liberty and shoot himself out of any funk he's in, because he's got the ball, KP can't.

Every NON-guard that has ever existed in basketball from the dawn of time, especially 5s, have depended on the PG and the offensive set to get them to ball in a position to score.  None of them bring it up and just launch into a series of one on one moves consistently and produce well, except maybe Giannis, but he's unique.  That is a fact.

So this is on Luka and Carlisle and BRUNSON who can't pass his way out of a paper sack, in NBA context.

I'm astounded at the complete inability to just throw the ball to KP's hand on an entry pass at 7'3".  Why must we have the bounce pass at his knees, when he's holding his hand up high?  Seriously...that's like Basketball 101 in my opinion...of course, they are in the advanced Calculus of basketball to me, so all that may have changed, but I was taught different...which is fine.

Porzingis ranks 36th in FGA per game (so a high end 2nd option), 66th in FG%, 115th in 3pt FG%, tied 145th in APG.

Porzingis gets the ball, it´s a shot attempt or a turnover. So who is the blackhole here? How many shots is he entitled to based on his performances?

Here is an idea: If you want the ball even more, make your shots.

Kleber, Brunson, THJ, DFS shoot a much higher percentage from three.

[KillerLeft]

Here is an idea: If you want the ball even more, make your shots.

I agree with this, especially in the the elbow, post areas. He has just been terribly inefficient all year, imo, and I see no reason to continue forcing the ball to him in those situations. 

I do agree with @"TXBamanut" to a certain point on this, however, when he says the team can't carry ANYONE. I mean, when DFS's defender leaves, the ball has to go to him and he has to put the shot up without hesitation. Otherwise, the offensive system just doesn't work. Regardless of how we, Luka or anyone else feels about KP, the same is true of him. I do think there's something to the notion that the ball doesn't always find KP in a timely, rhythmic fashion when he pops open. I'll stop short of claiming this is an intentional overlooking of him by Luka, because there's no way we could even know that, but I do think the pairing has shown VERY little on court chemistry at the very least.

[TXBamanut]

Porzingis ranks 36th in FGA per game (so a high end 2nd option), 66th in FG%, 115th in 3pt FG%, tied 145th in APG.

Porzingis gets the ball, it´s a shot attempt or a turnover. So who is the blackhole here? How many shots is he entitled to based on his performances?

Here is an idea: If you want the ball even more, make your shots.

Kleber, Brunson, THJ, DFS shoot a much higher percentage from three.

These were 4 possessions I believe late in the 4th in a close game and none of them resulted in a shot for the guy that is our second best player and who is wide open.  On what planet is that smart basketball?

At the half last night, KP (3-10) was shooting a better percentage than Luka (3-11)...and yet, we didn't move away from Luka...he just kept taking shots.

For the year.
Kristapps Porzingis -- 35.9% from 3 at 6 attempts per game
Luka Doncic -- 35.9% from 3 at 8 attempts per game
https://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/na...t/dir/desc

So should Luka stop taking threes if KP is supposed to?  He is literally shooting the same percentage from 3.  Last night, when they stopped giving him the ball, he was shooting better than Luka, but Luka gets to shoot his way out of that... so your "make your shots" is a mic drop that fell down a hole and hasn't hit yet.

This game is literally the absolute worst game to pull out the "make your shots" take.  KP was literally having one of his worst games of the season and he was still shooting better halfway through the game than Luka, and Luka just gets to shoot his way out of it and ignore KP.

[mtrot]

These were 4 possessions I believe late in the 4th in a close game and none of them resulted in a shot for the guy that is our second best player and who is wide open.  On what planet is that smart basketball?

At the half last night, KP (3-10) was shooting a better percentage than Luka (3-11)...and yet, we didn't move away from Luka...he just kept taking shots.

For the year.
Kristapps Porzingis -- 35.9% from 3 at 6 attempts per game
Luka Doncic -- 35.9% from 3 at 8 attempts per game
https://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/na...t/dir/desc

So should Luka stop taking threes if KP is supposed to?  He is literally shooting the same percentage from 3.  Last night, when they stopped giving him the ball, he was shooting better than Luka, but Luka gets to shoot his way out of that... so your "make your shots" is a mic drop that fell down a hole and hasn't hit yet.

This game is literally the absolute worst game to pull out the "make your shots" take.  KP was literally having one of his worst games of the season and he was still shooting better halfway through the game than Luka, and Luka just gets to shoot his way out of it and ignore KP.

And, also, most of Luka's threes seem to be much more difficult shots and under more duress, compared to KP's threes.

[omahen]

These were 4 possessions

About these four possessions that you keep posting whole day:
Picture 1: Luka made basket. 
Picture 2: Pass to open Brunson for made 3PT. 
Picture 3: Pass to open DFS, missed 3. 
Picture 4: Luka stepback. But KP was in that post up position for like 0,2 seconds, not like he was standing there whole offense.

And, also, most of Luka's threes seem to be much more difficult shots and under more duress, compared to KP's threes.

Of course they are. Because Luka creates his own shots, while KP doesn't. It's not like defenses are just leaving KP open whole day. The facts remain, KP is getting his shots and he is not really very efficient with them. I am so fed up with this...

KP started playing the season like crap. Bad on offense and bad on defense. He was rushing his shots and explaining it is because of his rotation minutes. Team obliges and changes their rotation minutes. There was no impact on team results. Than complaining about not being involved begins which culminated in the Houston game. Team is obviously involving KP much more since then, yet Mavs are 2-5 since than. So how much is it really justified for all KP-stans to complain? Team is constantly trying to adapt to KP yet fans keep producing conspiracy theories. 

I really like KP, have stated that many times. But this Luka bashing is not really justified. KP has his own limitations and Luka is not the one guilty for that. As people shouldn't expect a 22 year old to be most mature guy, people should also accept KP as a player he is, with his limitations.

[ThisIStheYear]

The Mavs also have a top tier historically all-time knockdown 3pt shooter waiting on the bench as well. Mavs need Brunson+THJ to provide that spark. Moving Brunson up to start all but assures a weak bench.

Redick on the other hand can hit 2-3 threes just by standing around, and the spacing he provides should only make lives easier. 

I don't know why Carlisle hasn't switched yet. The answer is clear as day for me.

I’m not against this idea either. He actually looks fairly spry right now but I do have some concerns about his basketball fitness and all around capabilities at this point. But he’d give Luka exactly what he most needs.  A shooter.

---

The Mavs also have a top tier historically all-time knockdown 3pt shooter waiting on the bench as well. Mavs need Brunson+THJ to provide that spark. Moving Brunson up to start all but assures a weak bench.

Redick on the other hand can hit 2-3 threes just by standing around, and the spacing he provides should only make lives easier. 

I don't know why Carlisle hasn't switched yet. The answer is clear as day for me.

I’m not against this idea either. He actually looks fairly spry right now but I do have some concerns about his basketball fitness and all around capabilities at this point. But he’d give Luka exactly what he most needs.  A shooter. The JRich experiment with Luka has run its course though.