12-12-2023, 12:31 PM
After thinking about it, I have decided on Dante.
There are no really wrong answers though as several guys impacted the win.
Lively was great. Just a huge factor. But JJJ had a huge game as well. I read where they wanted to give JJJ the three but he was 6 for 10 and got several really good looks. The most impactful defender on him was surprisingly Morris. So a slight downgrade to Lively on an otherwise huge game.
Luka was the centerpiece all night and took a short handed team to the win. Getting to the foul line in the first half was huge. Allowed him to get points early. The only negative for me is the duel with Vince Williams. Luka took it personal and wanted to destroy Williams. It sort of got him and the team out of their rhythm. It is one of the areas I would like to see some growth out of Luka. It is tough not to try to bury someone like that, but I think at times this gets him out of his regular game.
Hardy was also very good. I mentioned in the game thread that he is much more of a 12 shot a game player and not a 3. That role is just not available for him now. It was great to see him take advantage of the opportunity though. Lets see if he can build on it.
Morris deserves some praise. Last game I mentioned he was not an NBA rotation player any longer. While that may still be true, he was last night. I think Memphis didn't have the players to really take advantage of him. Last night he was solid though. I am surprised Holmes has disappeared again.
So I go with Dante. I thought his defense was good again last night and he just finds ways to impact the game. He also plays well with both Kyrie and Luka and for a non elite shooting guard that is a little challenging. I love how he doesn't settle for threes though. When he gets or has the ball, things are pretty hectic and he is taking advantage of it by going right to the rim. Mavs need a guy like this who just doesn't look for open threes. Opens a lot up imo.
There are no really wrong answers though as several guys impacted the win.
Lively was great. Just a huge factor. But JJJ had a huge game as well. I read where they wanted to give JJJ the three but he was 6 for 10 and got several really good looks. The most impactful defender on him was surprisingly Morris. So a slight downgrade to Lively on an otherwise huge game.
Luka was the centerpiece all night and took a short handed team to the win. Getting to the foul line in the first half was huge. Allowed him to get points early. The only negative for me is the duel with Vince Williams. Luka took it personal and wanted to destroy Williams. It sort of got him and the team out of their rhythm. It is one of the areas I would like to see some growth out of Luka. It is tough not to try to bury someone like that, but I think at times this gets him out of his regular game.
Hardy was also very good. I mentioned in the game thread that he is much more of a 12 shot a game player and not a 3. That role is just not available for him now. It was great to see him take advantage of the opportunity though. Lets see if he can build on it.
Morris deserves some praise. Last game I mentioned he was not an NBA rotation player any longer. While that may still be true, he was last night. I think Memphis didn't have the players to really take advantage of him. Last night he was solid though. I am surprised Holmes has disappeared again.
So I go with Dante. I thought his defense was good again last night and he just finds ways to impact the game. He also plays well with both Kyrie and Luka and for a non elite shooting guard that is a little challenging. I love how he doesn't settle for threes though. When he gets or has the ball, things are pretty hectic and he is taking advantage of it by going right to the rim. Mavs need a guy like this who just doesn't look for open threes. Opens a lot up imo.
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