(01-02-2021, 05:06 AM)cow Wrote: I'm starting to wonder if Luka has more Shaq in him than he does Kobe. 


If I'm coaching against Dallas, I'm going to pack the paint and dare Luka to shoot from the outside.

(01-02-2021, 05:06 AM)cow Wrote: I'm starting to wonder if Luka has more Shaq in him than he does Kobe.

(01-02-2021, 05:06 AM)cow Wrote: If I'm coaching against Dallas, I'm going to pack the paint and dare Luka to shoot from the outside.

(01-02-2021, 12:28 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: A motivated Shaq would have won at least 6 titles. Luka definitely seems to be more motivated regarding basketball than Shaq ever was. So I'm cool with that comparison 

Also


This is exactly why I want to get Buddy. Having a lethal shooter like him means you cannot pack the paint which gives Luka better spacing.

(01-02-2021, 12:28 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: A motivated Shaq would have won at least 6 titles. Luka definitely seems to be more motivated regarding basketball than Shaq ever was. So I'm cool with that comparison 

(01-02-2021, 12:49 PM)BigDirk41 Wrote: It's too early to say if Luka has more Shaq than Kobe in him or vice versa. I will say I don't see how anyone could compare him to Kobe yet. It's pretty well known MJ and Kobe had 2 of the best work ethics of all time. Luka is extremely competitive on the court, but so was Shaq. Shaq's problem was he wouldn't put in the time off the court to keep his body right. Had Shaq had Kobe or MJ's mindset, he would probably have been considered a top 3-5 player of all time. He probably would have won 6 titles like previously mentioned. I'm not ready to say Luka is one or the other yet, but I don't see how anyone could think he's Kobe like yet. Maybe he will be. Time will tell.

(01-02-2021, 12:21 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: Is this:

A) Luka/Burke/Brunson not converting in the paint as much as we'd hoped they would, or...

B) Teams sensing that the 3-ball is an early season weakness and defending them accordingly?

(01-02-2021, 02:56 PM)F Gump Wrote: I think it's mostly the first - the guards ability to finish at the rim this season - which then makes the spacing worse and the 3-ball is harder to make.

I see a Luka who is less explosive, and isn't able to get to the layup or dunk and finish it, and then that leads to him settling for the kickout way too easily. This could come from conditioning. But it could also comes from something like a slightly-sprained ankle that he's trying to keep from stressing.

But all the possibilities are synergistic -  all tied together.

If Luka can't make 3s, his defender can go under on the PNR. That removes the ability of the roll man from being a threat to attack the basket, and further clogs Luka and others from getting to the rim. (If I'm game-planning the Mavs, I'm sagging off Luka and going under every pick, daring him to shoot 3's, clogging everything else up, until there's a reason to do otherwise.)

If other shooters are missing 3s, the defense can sag on Luka and others when they drive, keeping them from finishing at the rim.

If Powell can't elevate like before, and other roll men aren't as good at PNR, then defenders don't have to stay at home on him when guards penetrate and head towards the basket.

If the pick isn't getting any action, the pick guy sets a lazier pick, or slips the pick, trying to get the pass, and it further clogs the lane.

(01-02-2021, 12:21 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: Is this:

A) Luka/Burke/Brunson not converting in the paint as much as we'd hoped they would, or...

B) Teams sensing that the 3-ball is an early season weakness and defending them accordingly?

(01-02-2021, 02:56 PM)F Gump Wrote: I think it's mostly the first - the guards ability to finish at the rim this season - which then makes the spacing worse and the 3-ball is harder to make.

I see a Luka who is less explosive, and isn't able to get to the layup or dunk and finish it, and then that leads to him settling for the kickout way too easily. This could come from conditioning. But it could also comes from something like a slightly-sprained ankle that he's trying to keep from stressing.

But all the possibilities are synergistic -  all tied together.

If Luka can't make 3s, his defender can go under on the PNR. That removes the ability of the roll man from being a threat to attack the basket, and further clogs Luka and others from getting to the rim. (If I'm game-planning the Mavs, I'm sagging off Luka and going under every pick, daring him to shoot 3's, clogging everything else up, until there's a reason to do otherwise.)

If other shooters are missing 3s, the defense can sag on Luka and others when they drive, keeping them from finishing at the rim.

If Powell can't elevate like before, and other roll men aren't as good at PNR, then defenders don't have to stay at home on him when guards penetrate and head towards the basket.

If the pick isn't getting any action, the pick guy sets a lazier pick, or slips the pick, trying to get the pass, and it further clogs the lane.

(01-02-2021, 02:56 PM)F Gump Wrote: I think it's mostly the first - the guards ability to finish at the rim this season - which then makes the spacing worse and the 3-ball is harder to make.

I see a Luka who is less explosive, and isn't able to get to the layup or dunk and finish it, and then that leads to him settling for the kickout way too easily. This could come from conditioning. But it could also comes from something like a slightly-sprained ankle that he's trying to keep from stressing.

But all the possibilities are synergistic -  all tied together.

If Luka can't make 3s, his defender can go under on the PNR. That removes the ability of the roll man from being a threat to attack the basket, and further clogs Luka and others from getting to the rim. (If I'm game-planning the Mavs, I'm sagging off Luka and going under every pick, daring him to shoot 3's, clogging everything else up, until there's a reason to do otherwise.)

If other shooters are missing 3s, the defense can sag on Luka and others when they drive, keeping them from finishing at the rim.

If Powell can't elevate like before, and other roll men aren't as good at PNR, then defenders don't have to stay at home on him when guards penetrate and head towards the basket.

If the pick isn't getting any action, the pick guy sets a lazier pick, or slips the pick, trying to get the pass, and it further clogs the lane.

(01-02-2021, 09:49 PM)RDB Wrote: He actually has a higher shooting percentage on drives and on shots <10 ft this year v. last year and the passes from drives are almost exactly the same. 

(01-03-2021, 12:01 AM)F Gump Wrote: Shooting from inside 10 feet is not what I spoke about. It's about finishing at the rim, which requires him to explode past or elevate above whatever defender there may be to get to a lay-in or dunk.

Last season, when he got past the first defender, he was lethal. He was finishing, and he might get an and-1 too. This year, with less explosiveness, some times he ends up fiddling around from 5-7 feet, and tossing up a floater, because he can't get to the rim. But even if he gets to the rim, he's not converting as easily, so now at times he is even turning down layup attempts and trying a pass, rather than to finish.

Watch the games. We are now seeing a hesitation on a lot of his drives. Or look at tape from last year and the year before, then compare to now, and see the difference. It's visible.

It also could be that we define explosiveness differently 

My comments were based on what I am seeing. But looking at the stats, they say the same thing.

Last season he was finishing at a rate higher than 75%. This season it's just 62%. Or to put it another way, last season he only failed to convert about 25% of the time, but now it's half again higher up to 38%. That creates doubt and can entice you to look for other options.

Of course, the numbers can't tell us why. It can be lots of factors. Less quickness to get past the defender (physical). Lack of explosiveness to finish (physical). Different decision-making (mental). Poorer outside shooting on 3s to keep defenders from playing the drive and sagging off (skill). And it can be a mix of all of that.

But regardless of why, it's a fact that the end result on his drives is not what it was last year, and that then has a ripple effect.

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