11-30-2020, 12:59 PM
(11-29-2020, 01:45 PM)DanSchwartzman Wrote: Carlisle doesn’t run lines. He runs starters for each quarter and a KP w/o Luka grouping and a Luka w/o KP grouping. The key to understanding “the bench” is understanding who will play alongside KP and Brunson in the w/o Luka line and who will play with Luka, Powell and Burke in the w/o KP line. Popcornmachine.net is a really good site to monitor this from game to game. My guess is Luka gets Burke/DFS/Maxi and Powell while KP gets Johnson/THJ/JRich and Brunson. Closing lineups tend to be matchup driven depending on what we need on the floor defensively.
I think this is a fun conversation piece, and an important point. We usually look at the bench as a lineup, but Sir Carlisle usually plays a mix of starters and bench players when starters start coming off the floor. I like this exercise of thinking about who would play with Luka and who would play with KP.
The assumption above that Burke sticks with Luka threw me for a bit of a loop. Why'd you pair those two, @"DanSchwartzman"?
Here's my guess based on who I like with each one (I have no feel, really, for what I think the Mavs think on this, except I'm going to run with the use of 4 bigs like Kam and Dan have been suggesting):
W/Luka
Luka / JRich / THJ / Powell / Maxi
W/KP
Brunson / Burke / DFS / James / KP
My thoughts were mostly about who fits best with Luka. I think JRich was brought here to play with Luka, I think THJ thrives most with Luka and that the Luka/DP pnr is lethal. I like Maxi with Powell and am guessing that James fits more with KP than Powell.
The KP, Brunson lineup just follows from the w/ Luka lineup, of course. But I think it's an intersting lineup on it's own. Seems really balanced with scoring, ball handling, shooting and defense.