01-28-2021, 12:46 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-28-2021, 01:34 PM by KillerLeft.)
(01-28-2021, 12:28 PM)hakeemfaan Wrote: I would like for the coaching staff to work actively with him and work on putting him in situations more than just a 7’3” 3 pt shooter which IMO is not the best way to utilize him.
I agree completely that he/they didn't show much in the way of KP being able to create offense for himself or others last season. All of his good stretches (some of which were dazzling) were almost exclusively comprised of him finishing other players' creations. I hemmed and hawed all off-season about how much of a burden it was for the 2nd max player not to have creation (in ANY way) as part of their skillset.
Early in this season, I feel like they HAVE been trying to force-feed him the ball in that high post area that he loved so much in NY. It's just that he hasn't done much with the opportunities. Maybe he'll get into rhythm and this approach will look better soon. I sure hope so.
I also agree with you that any kind of 2-man game between Luka/KP seems underutilized since he came here. But, I'd bet a lot of money that there's a reason for that, too, and that it has to do with something KP CAN'T do.
All of that to say: You see a situation wherein the coaches need to fix this by helping him learn how to ply his skillset within the team's system, or adjust the system slightly to better fit his skillset. I don't disagree with that at all. BUT, I'm much more disappointed in how limited the PLAYER is, so far. I wish I had watched him more in NY before he came here, because when the trade went down I thought the Mavs were getting a superstar with tons of offensive versatility. So far, that's not what I've seen from him here. Again, I DO agree that the coaches need to help figure all of this out somehow, but that's clearly going to take more time than we might hope.
Don't even get me started on his defense. He has been a JOKE defensively as of late. I really hope this is due to rust, rhythm, confidence in his repaired knees that will get ironed out over time...something. Anything other than "welp, this is how KP moves now." Because he moves juuuuuuust a little bit better than Boban these days, and without the benefit of the big, thick body. If he's going to be this much of a liability on defense AND not be able to create for himself or others on offense, how does a good team justify putting him on the floor, let alone paying him A MAX CONTRACT?!?
Not trying to overreact to a few games early in his season (difficult to resist), but I am WORRIED about this. These worries go all the way back to last season, for me. I have been watching him like a hawk ever since that awful game he had in the bubble against Portland, during which he acted like he got a $1,000,000 bonus every time he invited Lillard to take an easy straight line path to the basket.
BTW, @"hakeemfaan" I haven't received any messages from you, either, but surely there's a way we can unlock your main account. GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK!