Post-game pods and articles having a finger-pointing extravaganza on the last plays. --
Popular targets (in alphabetical order), with defenses offered in parentheses.
Basketball Gods -- The Mavs strategized and executed reasonably, but the BG chose to rain on their parade, and all the cookies crumbled in the Kings' favor, to mix a couple of metaphors. (Get real, these were terrible possessions.)
Brunson -- Holding the ball too long on the offensive possession. Then, not rotating to Metu when Powell helped off him. (Should have rotated, but probably didn't have time to get a meaningful contest in.)
Green -- Face-guarding his man in "San Diego," thus taking himself out of the play. (Eh. Might have been a mistake, but probably didn't have that much effect.)
Kidd -- Possible poor coaching decisions:
Burning the last timeout with 28 seconds left just to run the clock out.
Taking KP off the floor for defensive possessions.
Directing Brunson to holding the ball instead of running a play (KP said maybe they should have just let Brunson go to work, but he knew he could get a shot off and thought it was a reasonable decision).
Leaving the last offensive possession to a KP post-up, which we know has a significant chance of not ending well. (Kidd says they wanted Brunson to take the last shot, but it didn't work out).
Having DFS take the foul to give, causing his best defender to foul out. Popular choice for an indefensible decision.
Instructing the team to foul right away, when Halliburton was heading away from the basket over on the sideline (maybe he thought he needed to keep things simple, instead of expecting his players to do a bunch of quick thinking)
Not instructing his players to guard the three-point line, even it meant giving up a layup (mathematically, some feel the risk was justified).
Ntilikina -- Closing out too aggressively on Fox around half-court, thus getting blown by on a first-step, straight-line drive. Seems to be a popular choice for the largest share of the blame pie.
Porzingis -- Not being able to stay on the floor during critical defensive possessions. (Arguably a Kidd mistake.)
Powell -- Helping off Metu, thus risking a game-losing three, rather than a game-tying layup. (Arguably the right play, no one rotated over.) Being Dwight Powell. (Really?)
Popular targets (in alphabetical order), with defenses offered in parentheses.
Basketball Gods -- The Mavs strategized and executed reasonably, but the BG chose to rain on their parade, and all the cookies crumbled in the Kings' favor, to mix a couple of metaphors. (Get real, these were terrible possessions.)
Brunson -- Holding the ball too long on the offensive possession. Then, not rotating to Metu when Powell helped off him. (Should have rotated, but probably didn't have time to get a meaningful contest in.)
Green -- Face-guarding his man in "San Diego," thus taking himself out of the play. (Eh. Might have been a mistake, but probably didn't have that much effect.)
Kidd -- Possible poor coaching decisions:
Burning the last timeout with 28 seconds left just to run the clock out.
Taking KP off the floor for defensive possessions.
Directing Brunson to holding the ball instead of running a play (KP said maybe they should have just let Brunson go to work, but he knew he could get a shot off and thought it was a reasonable decision).
Leaving the last offensive possession to a KP post-up, which we know has a significant chance of not ending well. (Kidd says they wanted Brunson to take the last shot, but it didn't work out).
Having DFS take the foul to give, causing his best defender to foul out. Popular choice for an indefensible decision.
Instructing the team to foul right away, when Halliburton was heading away from the basket over on the sideline (maybe he thought he needed to keep things simple, instead of expecting his players to do a bunch of quick thinking)
Not instructing his players to guard the three-point line, even it meant giving up a layup (mathematically, some feel the risk was justified).
Ntilikina -- Closing out too aggressively on Fox around half-court, thus getting blown by on a first-step, straight-line drive. Seems to be a popular choice for the largest share of the blame pie.
Porzingis -- Not being able to stay on the floor during critical defensive possessions. (Arguably a Kidd mistake.)
Powell -- Helping off Metu, thus risking a game-losing three, rather than a game-tying layup. (Arguably the right play, no one rotated over.) Being Dwight Powell. (Really?)
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