Boban watch. was 2020 playoff Mavericks 1 Chance has almost No Chance to be Used

[Dahlsim]

There is no mystery with Boban's minutes. He is impactful on the offensive end. But he's a big liability on the defensive end. I'm not sure why his use is such a big thing here.

A thoughtful post deserves a thoughtful reply Mr. Gump. 

Agree and disagree here.  Let's say his degree of liability we could define as the difference between his offensive/rebounding advantage - his defensive disadvantage.   We can use the +/- stat however that doesn't tell us anything about the players offensive usage which in my mind is part of the mystery. Still if we look how the team performs with said player on the floor I've documented games where Boban is not only the + but even at times the biggest + on the floor, yet still his usage and minutes patterns remain largely the same no matter how well or poorly he actually performs on the floor. 

I say mystery but I suspect it is simply a system bias which is reflected in the way the league plays in general, as I said Shaq or Hakeem could have usage issues in today's bias.  Its particularly pronounced here in Dallas where after all the coach famously proclaimed post play to be completely dead in today's game.  That point, is only part of the story here since Boban scoring efficiency is not from post play alone.  
Still after Shaq said once that he thought Boban was one of the top players on the entire Mavs roster he and the crew raised some public disagreement with Rick Carlisle's position.  This whole episode is discussed in some detail in my thread here: Porzingis Postup Debate - Rick Carlisle vs TNT  

The evidence says there are no physical reasons for his limited minutes, and the issue is his overall ability. If he has some impairment that creates a danger of breaking down by playing, it seems like the doctors wouldn't clear him for play. Plus, when there are injuries to those ahead of him on the depth chart, he plays a lot, and there's no problem.

Well I've thought the same thing but others have raised the idea that perhaps he can't get up and down the floor well enough and needs more frequent breathers or has some other health related issues that are undisclosed.  I actually don't see it for the reasons you state and the fact that he's often changing ends and then running around setting big giant Bobi screens at the free throw line extended area just fine. 

It looks to me like he's just doing what the offensive sets dictate he's supposed to do, nothing to do with lack of stamina or speed.  It would be easier in fact if he more often simply ran to the post and dunker's positions and stayed around the rim as a threat.  
That looks to me like a poor usage of his offensive talent even if he is on the for only 7 to 12 minutes give or take these days, if he's getting minutes at all. 

I like when he plays. He makes me smile. A big guy who can do the things he does, it's fun to watch. He is so skilled, and knows how to use his size in a way many bigs don't seem to understand.

What he's doing with the Mavs - a chemistry guy who makes life better for your superstar, and a 3rd string center who gets play at various times due to injury or game situations - feels very appropriate.

Hmm, I appreciate what you stated above but I also find it self contradictory.  He's sooo skilled as an offensive big but its only appropriate to use him as a bench and locker room towel waver for your superstar or a spotty usage 3rd string center?  Something about those statements doesn't quite jive to me.   

I do think the Mavs missed an opportunity to get a bit more on-court value out of him last season. Given his strengths and weaknesses, it seems to me he has extra value when you can't stop the other team anyhow - and when swapping baskets would be good enough to serve your purpose. That's certainly true in garbage time, of course, but it was also true last season when the Mavs would have big leads and then couldn't keep them as the game was nearing the end. Swapping baskets would have been a "win" in that circumstance.

Now you've made a point that I've made myself repeatedly.  If there has been situations that screamed out for Boban's usage it has been those situations where the Dallas 'most efficient offense in history' was shut down and could not produce baskets for often important stretches of games.  
The Mavs famously blew numerous big leads unable to score and lost big games the same way. 

I don't agree that this is only useful when you can't stop the other team anyway however.  If you can successfully swap baskets when you have a large enough margin of victory and time on the clock is against your opponent, that is a win as you said.  If you win at that point by getting stops or by outscoring your opponent what difference does that really make?  

Hopefully that ship has sailed. Using him in that way is just a temporary solution - you really want to improve where your defense is good and you can win the game at the end. But if the Mavs again show they can't stop the other team, possession after possession, he makes a lot of sense to use in that circumstance and help keep the margin steady.

 
I do agree that your way of thinking is much more in line with the way Coach Carlisle and the Mavs think probably think in that they want to win by defending more than by outscoring Mike D'Antoni style.  That idea is supported by the roster moves they made this offseason, sacrificing some offense to get more defense. 

I don't think we'll see them ever really use Boban however the way you and I both suggest in this case.  He won't be used as a scoring force to hold a lead the system bias won't allow that.  Mavs will use KP that way however so the best bet for Dallas to get the Unicorn back and hope he stays healthy when it matters because he can be as elite as Boban offensively without the defensive challenges. 

Cheers