05-26-2021, 08:05 PM
(05-26-2021, 07:56 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: I think his lack of position on defense can be detriment as much as it can be a positive. It's heavily matchup dependent as we're seeing currently. I don't think that's an inherent flaw to his game however.
I also think KP has become a damn good rebounder in his time with the Mavs. 9.5rpg last year and 8.9 rpg this year. I also think rim protection is orders of magnitude more important than post defense given how little teams are posting up anymore.
But at the end of the day we both agree that KP must get better at defending in space, especially if his one good trait is rim protection. He was pretty dang good at it last season. This year not so much despite some flashes during this series. I hope he continues his positive trend this series and hopefully having a healthy offseason will prime him for a better defensive year next year.
I think the constant lineup changes show that the coaches see a similar problem. The right fit next to KP has been one of the most discussed topics on this board. Some people prefer a traditional bruiser to compensate for his lack of strength. Some prefer a versatile perimeter defender. Mavs tried everything. More traditional bigs like WCS/Powell. Versatile big like Maxi/Melli. Even a wing like DFS. Don´t think they are completly sold on the Maxi/KP lineup but as of now it is the best option.