2024 Playoffs- 3rd Round: Minnesota Timberwolves - Dallas Mavericks- MAVS WIN 4-1!

[KillerLeft]

Its interesting that there is this theme that we are better off with Gobert on the floor and Naz is the real danger, yet for the playoffs Gobert has by far the best net rating and Naz the worst, and it played that same way in the first game of this series.  I recognize that single game net rating for a player is not very meaningful, but I am curious if the playoff long trend continues.

But, it's not all in a vacuum. 

Gobert IS a way, way better player than Naz Reid. I hope that's obvious to everyone. 

I'll say it again: Styles make fights. You aren't ever, ever going to beat Luka Doncic with drop coverage, as long as he has a passable rim runner. Even Dwight Powell would be sufficient against a team that plays so much drop. I HATE DROP COVERAGE. It's what soured me on Porzingis, watching Dame Lillard eat his lunch in the bubble. 

Back to whether Denver or Minnesota is the worse matchup for Dallas, I'm sorry...after watching how much trouble Luka (admittedly, dealing with an injury) had against Lu Dort, can you imagine the hell he would've been put through in a 7-game series against Aaron Gordon? I mean, he's like the crossbred child of Dort and McDaniels!!!! I do think McDaniels will eventually find ways to bother Luka with his length, kind of like Wiggins and Mann do, but my goodness, Gordon has EVERYTHING needed to make Luka's life hard in one package!  And Jokic against either Gafford or Lively would've been eye-opening around here, I think. I watched him murder Gobert for three, straight games like he wasn't there, so it's tough for me to envision Lively's length being a problem, and he wouldn't even see Gafford on defense.