GAME 2: Brooklyn Nets (0-2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (2-0) | 120-125 WIN!!!!!

[KillerLeft]

Traveling and unfortunately couldn’t watch. The box score shows Lively as making a very positive contribution in a small number of minutes. He didn’t even commit fouls. WTF happened?  Is he injured?  Is this a JKidd special? Luka’s highlights were insane. Shouldn’t take that kind of performance to beat a banged up, mediocre Nets team in a home opener by one possession.

Extreme small ball by the opponent. Took the pick and roll away on offense, and I bet Kidd was scared of Lively having to chase DFS or O’Neal or Simmons around the perimeter. There were a ton of open threes. Kind of seemed like “how to defend a pace and space team” hadn’t really come up in Mavs practice yet.

Powell actually played really well, and in theory is perfectly cast as a small ball 5, but my guess is that there were simply offensive wrinkles being thrown out by centerless Nets that Lively quite literally hasn’t learned how to deal with yet. Not in a basketball player sense (although maybe even that), but in a “how the Mavericks do it” sense.