04-22-2024, 08:42 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-22-2024, 08:44 AM by surfpuckmd.)
The Clippers beat us savagely because of 3 things:
3-point shooting
Better center play
Vastly superior coaching
The 3-point shooting discrepancy should improve. Some of their success was the result of great passing and open looks but some was just luck. Our distance shooting should improve as the series goes on.
Our center play should improve as well. I reject the suggestion that the Mavs should play small-ball this series with Maxi as the 5. Gafford and Lively are our 3rd and 4th-best players. We need them on the floor. They will need to improve defensively and hit the boards harder. Zubac isn't better than either of them. He's just more experienced and played with more force. Gafford and Lively need to win the center battle. Maxi at the 5 is effective as an occasional adjustment but can't be our primary lineup. He's just too awful offensively and on the boards.
My primary concern is our coaching. We could have replaced Kidd with a Labrador retriever and the dog could have performed similarly. Maybe Ty Lue hypnotized him before the game? Maybe Kidd's been talking to Johntay Porter's guy? There was a complete absence of a plan on offense at the beginning of the game. There was no reaction to any call that went against us. No reaction even when Paul George took out Gafford with a forearm. He should have spoken to one of the officials about all the Harden push-offs at some point early on. He should have asked that they watch that closely. He should have contested the Harden kickout on the 3-point shot foul. Most of all, he should have used a few time outs during the bludgeoning that occurred throughout the 2nd quarter. Kidd shit the bed then shit the bathtub when he was trying to clean himself up. He remains covered in shit currently and has no idea how to solve even the simplest problem.
3-point shooting
Better center play
Vastly superior coaching
The 3-point shooting discrepancy should improve. Some of their success was the result of great passing and open looks but some was just luck. Our distance shooting should improve as the series goes on.
Our center play should improve as well. I reject the suggestion that the Mavs should play small-ball this series with Maxi as the 5. Gafford and Lively are our 3rd and 4th-best players. We need them on the floor. They will need to improve defensively and hit the boards harder. Zubac isn't better than either of them. He's just more experienced and played with more force. Gafford and Lively need to win the center battle. Maxi at the 5 is effective as an occasional adjustment but can't be our primary lineup. He's just too awful offensively and on the boards.
My primary concern is our coaching. We could have replaced Kidd with a Labrador retriever and the dog could have performed similarly. Maybe Ty Lue hypnotized him before the game? Maybe Kidd's been talking to Johntay Porter's guy? There was a complete absence of a plan on offense at the beginning of the game. There was no reaction to any call that went against us. No reaction even when Paul George took out Gafford with a forearm. He should have spoken to one of the officials about all the Harden push-offs at some point early on. He should have asked that they watch that closely. He should have contested the Harden kickout on the 3-point shot foul. Most of all, he should have used a few time outs during the bludgeoning that occurred throughout the 2nd quarter. Kidd shit the bed then shit the bathtub when he was trying to clean himself up. He remains covered in shit currently and has no idea how to solve even the simplest problem.
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