Playoff Series Imponderables

[Jommybone]

Brunson: First playoffs ever. Whistles treated him accordingly. Hard to make a pass with fellas on your arms. How do you respond to an over-aggressive, reaching defense? Take it to the hole. Brunson did that just fine. (Can you even remember how JJB performed in his first playoff series?) At the other end of the court, Luka had run off the court all the smalls that Jalen would have competently defended. By this time next year, he’ll have changed your mind. 

I hope he does. I take it from this answer that you disagree with Cuban that we need a bigger playmaker, and think they should just stick with Jalen?

Kleber: Tasked with guarding the fellow who might be the best playoff performer of all time, Kleber came up short. How disappointing. 

So, is your position that the team could not have been expected to successfully defend the best playoff performers? Even if we agree it was not Maxi's fault, should any different approach be tried going forward?

Boban: When Luka forced em to sit their bigs, the counter move was, obviously, to post em up inside. I’m not a KP/DP hater like many on this board. But I do admit neither is strong enough in the post to make the Clips pay for sitting their bigs. So, enter Boban.

Should KP/DP have muscled up? Should the lack of strong front court players have been recognized, and the Boban strategy have been polished? 

Role Players: They were good, just not good enough. Not sure how surprised we should be that the 3-point shot was volatile. That’s kind of how 3s go, eh? One advantage of having a top record and a high seed is that you’re role players tend to get a little more respect from the refs. Supposed to get that at home too. Didn’t get it this year. Hadn’t earned it perhaps.

It is your position that the role players underperformed because of the refs?

Richardson: It just didn’t work. Don’t know why. My guess is they committed to him or his agent to give it a hard, patient try. Or maybe it’s just that they knew they needed it to work, so that’s why they kept trying. Either way, I respect the commitment and the willingness to, finally, give up. Also admire the ability of all involved to keep it classy—at least in public. No eating hot dogs during the game. No snarky comments to the press. Wish JR the best wherever he is next season.

I have listened to and absorbed (and even offered) the excuses. I don't find them hard to believe, on an individual basis. It is the whole team and the strategies they had worked on all season toppling like a house of cards that I found unsettling. I don't even care about pointing fingers, except to the extent that it gives us useful information about how to proceed now. 

I don't think of myself as much of a knee-jerker. But this series and its component crazy quilt of dysfunctions seemed to shout at me, "This isn't working!" I waited a few days before posting, so as to let the emotions die down a little. But, even on reflection, it still seems to point to a number of issues at the front office, coaching, and individual player levels that badly need addressing. 

But maybe, as you seem to posit, it was just an unlikely perfect storm of unfortunate circumstances that will probably never happen again. I hope so.

Good questions. Don’t confuse me with an expert. But my takes:

1. I don’t trust Cuban to tell the media what he really thinks. I think our biggest need is and has been a bully. Won’t surprise me to see Jalen evolve into CJ McCollum, who is definitely playable in the playoffs. But he won’t be at CJ level next year.

2. Right. Without competent rim protection, Maxi had no chance of slowing Kawhi. PG? Yes. Kawhi? Nope. With elite rim protection backing you up, that’s still one helluva task.

3. Yes, the lack of a bully big should have been addressed long ago. Mavs have never seemed to prioritize that. Maybe they’re right and I’m wrong. Julius Randal certainly didn’t impress this post season. But he coulda/woulda made the Clips pay for going bigless. Same for Paul Millsap. At least that’s my take. 

4. Don’t think our role players underperformed. KP and JR were the disappointments all season long. THJ was all kinds of hot and cold. DFS was amazing all year but not a play maker. I’m happy with our guys. Just disappointed that Marcus Morris got away with shit all series long and then managed to heat up in time to be the hero. That really sucked. 

5. Nah, not a perfect storm. And I don’t think the Clippers are nearly as good as the rest of you seem to think. Don’t expect they would beat Phoenix or will beat Utah, neither of which are in the same league with Brooklyn. Mavs need a second star and a rim protector (both of which we thought we had in KP), and they need a bully to keep them from getting bullied and to punish teams who sit their bigs. Those additions (which theoretically could be one guy—Gobert—but more likely two) would instantly turn this team into a contender. At least that’s how I see it.