10-07-2022, 12:17 PM
(10-07-2022, 09:37 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: This is also something. After Losing KP, the Mavs had Powell and Kleber (well, Boban and Chriss if you want to count them) and Powell wasn't getting many minutes. Our defense (as pointed out by @"mvossman") dropped significantly and we all know Kidd wants to win starting with defense.
Those two got dominated by Looney who isn't all that integral to what the Warriors do as evidenced by his minutes and production in all the other playoff series they played last year (meaning he isn't the guy you're describing on an every game basis). He did so well against us cause we are one of the smallest teams in the league after KP left (and one of the slowest). He's an option to spell Green when the other team has big bigs like Jokic, Adams and Horford. That's what he does for them when he's not dominating the Mavs bigs.
Last year, Utah was who Utah has been in the playoffs and I think that's because Gobert isn't the FORCE he needs to be in the paint, he's like our bigs in that they can't push players around and control what happens in THEIR lane but Gobert is required to be out there due to his contract and status. Phoenix was a shocker on the level of 2011 Mavs playoff run IMO. It did, however, put into question how good is Ayton really? He didn't seem to control the paint like I thought he would, and he is required to be out there due to his status. Those two examples are reasons to agree with what you're saying, but we still have to employ the bigs that can take on the bigger guys of the NBA, just like LAC and GSW have and what TOR is trying to get.
You have to take the good with the bad when you're a beggar. Hopefully next year we can be choosers.
Picking one nit:
I think most NBA teams make decisions in two different realms: (1) Contract negotiations, and (2) Playing time.
Front-office people are primarily involved in realm 1, although coaches have a fair amount of input, particularly when it comes to assembling the right set of skills.
Coaches are primarily involved in realm 2, although front offices might have some small amount of input as well.
When coaches want to win a game, I don't really think they consider how much a player is making. It's irrelevant to achieving their primary goal.