Clippers Shear the Mavs
The Clips were favored by 1.5 points, and there is no shame in losing to them, but they flat shaved the hair off our boys' chests. A good model for the young Mavs on how a contender plays.
Game Story
The contest had a playoff-like atmosphere, with the crowd highly amped and the players in high-intensity mode. Stunned by the Clippers' physicality and energy, the Mavs were holding up okay until the wheels came off during a period beginning with the last couple of minutes of the first quarter, and extending through the second. At 2:13 in the first period, the Mavs were down by three points. They finished the frame with two missed threes, an offensive foul, and two free throws by Brunson. Meanwhile, the Clips hit two threes.
The second quarter was a nightmare. The Mavs committed 9 turnovers, gave up 6 offensive rebounds, hit only five shots out of 19 attempts (2-7 2PTAs, 3-12 3PTAs, 6-7 FTAs), allowed the Clippers 9 more shots than the Mavs had, and scored a season-low 19 points. The Clips reached a game-high lead of 19 before ending the quarter with a 62-46 advantage. Pew-eee.
The Mavericks actually won the second half by one point, but just never made much headway climbing out of the first-half hole, trailing by double digits the entire 24 minutes. Rick emptied the bench at the 2:08 mark. The team's 99-point total was the lowest of the season.
Analytics
The story of the game was allowing the Clippers to put up 18 more shot attempts than the Mavs. This happened due to 20 turnovers, which were mostly of the live ball variety, and giving up 17 offensive rebounds. To compound the misery, Dallas shot poorly, completing 19 of 41 two-point attempts and 11 of 38 three-point tries (29%). The Clippers didn't shoot much better, but were a little better, and their greater efficiency, when added to their huge possession advantage, resulted in the blowout.
Observations. The Clippers clearly took the Mavs seriously. They were very intense, and took no plays off. A big part of their strategy was being very physical, even to the point of being borderline dirty. The Mavs had 35 free throw attempts, but the refs didn't call everything, and you wonder how much difference another set of officials would have made. Be that as it may, the Mavericks were not ready for it, and had a difficult time adjusting. The LA boys aggressively forced a lot of those 20 turnovers, and crashed the offensive glass with determination. It was a different level of competition than these Mavs have faced thus far, and there should be much they can learn from it.
Players
Luka (35 minutes). The Clippers devoted a lot of attention to the young star, shoving and battering him relentlessly, and throwing bodies at him his entire time on the court. He still had a decent game (22-8-6), getting to the line for 16 free throw attempts, and adding three steals. However, he made only 4 of his 14 shots, and turned the ball over 7 times. He was clearly frustrated, and at one point, was seen yelling at the refs, mouthing what Tim MacMahon reported as Spanish curse words. He was called for his fourth foul reaching in on Kawhi with 6:17 remaining in the third quarter. He stayed in the game, but was unable to be as aggressive while he was in foul trouble. Possibly the result of being frustrated, and maybe a little flustered. He looked crushed in his bench minutes in the fourth quarter, and left the arena after the game without talking to the media.
Ceballos observed that the Clippers did a pretty good job of wearing Luka down with their physical play, and thinks most teams will take that approach with him. Rick noted that Luka was "knocked around" early, and was frustrated with the officiating, but said that he understands the culture of this type of game and handled it well. On the brighter side, Patrick Beverley was totally unable to defend Luka, spending much of the game on the bench in foul trouble, and drawing enthusiastic cheers whenever he had to leave the court, lol.
Porzingis (30 minutes). Kristaps had a mediocre offensive night, downing only 4 of 13 shots, and hitting 4 of 8 free throws. He had 10 rebounds and a couple of steals, but was unable to deal very well with LA's big men. With he and Luka both having subpar nights by their standards, the Mavs were pretty well doomed from the off. He seemed in reasonably stoic spirits in his postgame interview. And he had a spectacular buzzer-beating three from the logo to end the first half.
THJ (29 minutes). Tim reverted to the mean to an extent in this match, recording 8 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. He did have three very good steals, but unfortunately, none of them resulted in Maverick points. He was called for a technical foul in the third quarter for making a gesture which offended the ref. Some regression from his recent spectacular performances was to be expected. The question after this game will be whether those efforts were indicative of a trend, or were mere outliers. I wouldn't say he had a bad game -- just not very good, either.
Powell (24 minutes). Powell put ten points on the board, and was one of two Mavericks, along with Seth, who hit over 50% of his shots (3-3 2PTAs, 1-2 3PTAs, 1-2 FTAs). He also had active hands, with 3 steals, but turned the ball over a couple of times, and grabbed only three rebounds. The Clippers' burly centers were able to outmuscle him defensively and on the glass. When Rick is occasionally asked why Powell plays so much, he reminds his questioners that DP is king of the plus-minus stat, and this game was no exception. Single-game individual plus-minus is an extremely noisy statistic, but for those who put stock in it, his mark was zero, which was third best on the team, after Justin Jackson, who played only in garbage time, and Barea, who scored a +5.
Curry (19 minutes). Seth was the only Mav with a good shooting night, hitting two of his three 2PTAs and three of his five 3PTAs, to lead the bench with 13 points, although five of those were earned in garbage time. The Mavs needed someone who could put the ball in the basket, and he provided some assistance in that department.
Wright (18 minutes). Imo, Delon had a below-average night, as did some of the other Mavs. He looked pretty lost out there, seemed hesitant to shoot (taking only three shots), turned the ball over three times, and looked pretty much like a deer in the proverbial headlights.
Maxi (17 minutes). Maxi was nursing a knee injury, and was the subject of a late decision clearing him to play. The Mavs could have used him in prime condition, but I suspect that his minutes were limited due to the knee issue. I have to say that he was not up to snuff while he was on the court, quite possibly due to not being 100% physically. He took only two shots, missing them both, and turned the ball over. He did manage to secure 6 rebounds, but was no more able to deal with the LA centers than the other Mavs.
Barea (16 minutes). Carlisle had previously informed us that he saves JJ for "emergencies," and the situation became dire enough to call upon him when the Mavs went down by 20 in the third quarter. He played with verve, and was one of the few bright spots on the night. He gave the team a spark with 12 points, including a couple of threes, and was one of the few Mavs who had no turnovers (along with DFS, THJ, Boban, and Jackson). Rick commented that the Puerto Rican guard gave the side a "pop," and further observed that Barea and Luka have great synergy, and that Barea is very good about keeping himself ready. Ceballos and Buckner referred to JJ as a "little dog," barking and trash-talking, and making himself a general nuisance to the opposition. Cedric doesn't know why Barea isn't playing more, but allowed that his PT is a matter between him and the coaches. I imagine that he is being used sparingly because the Mavs don't view him as part of the future, but it is still handy to be able to call on him when they need help in the present.
Brunson (13 minutes). Jalen had a pretty bad night, compared to his usual performances. He went 1 of 6 from the floor, turned the ball over three times in short minutes, and didn't seem to make as good decisions as he normally does. I attribute it to being shell-shocked by the Clips.
Boban (8 minutes). Boban made an appearance at the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second, but it didn't go very well. Carlisle said that his participation had been planned, since he is a former Clipper, and had some familiarity with their personnel, but the speed and athleticism of the game were too much for him. Rick said they tried it, but it didn't work. With Maxi playing hurt, and Boban not up to it, more pressure than usual was on Dwight and KP, who both struggled a bit.
The Clippers
This is a seriously good team. Rick referred to Kawhi and Paul George as possibly the two most physical, big, skilled, and athletic wings in the league. He didn't add that the Mavs don't really have the personnel to counter that, but it was evident on the court. The Clips are a very deep team, having a number of guys who are capable of putting up 20 points or more on any given night, and three who did so in this contest (Kawhi, George, and Lou Williams). They might well have the best collection of two-way players in the NBA. Cedric remarked that even Williams, who went off for 21 points off the bench, is a decent defender, and that is hard to match. The Mavs are used to their bench being a strength, but the Clippers' bench is even better offensively, and boasts more complete players. Ceballos described the level of talent up and down the roster as "ridiculous," and it is hard to disagree.
I didn't like their overly physical play, which Harp noted sometimes resembled football tackles more than basketball plays, but you can't blame them if they're getting away with it. However, I think it is good for the Mavericks to have faced this group early on, so they could experience how it's done.
Commentary
Greg Buckner and Ceballos. The broadcasters were of the opinion that, at this point in time, the Clippers simply have a better roster than the Mavs. The Clips are more talented, they are physical at every position, their defense is quite strong, and they have multiple scorers. The commentators also thought the Mavs are just not used to playing this playoff type of game, where the pace slows down and the game is so physical and intense. Additionally, they believe that the Mavs have to a degree been sneaking up on their opponents, whereas the Clippers were ready for them, and brought their "A" game. Overall, they thought this game could serve as a very good learning experience.
Carlisle. Rick took responsibility for failing to prepare the team for the Clippers' physicality. He noted LA's exceptional wings, physical centers, and guards who hounded the Mavs from midcourt. In the first half, the Mavs got a few good shots, but gave up 13 offensive rebounds and didn't play well. He thought they were much better in the second half, and a lot of guys made contributions, but they were just in too deep a hole. He opined that they just have to move on.
Porzingis. Kristaps acknowledged that his side got "punched in the mouth," but felt that the match had showed the Mavericks the level at which a championship quality team plays. He thinks that proper team goals include playing with similar intensity to the Clips, and learning how to play against a side that slows down the tempo.
My impressions. I agree that this group of players has little experience playing against very physical teams, and none at this type of intense match. This was in some respects a measure of where the Mavs are on their team trajectory, and we learned that they still have a ways to go, which is to be expected, considering the circumstances. The Mavericks as an organization have something of a tradition of not handling physicality very well, and that is something they can work on, although I suspect a roster upgrade or three will be required to fully address the issue. The team is relatively weak defensively at the wing positions, and they lack a big, mobile center. We can probably look for those spots to be shored up as time goes on.
Despite the decisive loss, the overall picture is not without a bright side. I liked it that the players didn't hang their heads, and kept plugging, even in the face of superior enemy force and arguably lax officiating. If the Mavs are willing to use this as a learning experience, I think it could be incredibly invaluable, as they are not likely to see this level of play very much in the regular season. I think it is a huge compliment to the team that the Clippers regarded them so seriously and put their best foot forward against a Dallas opponent whom they obviously respected.
Although I was, of course, disappointed with the result, I mainly like the match. It gave us a reference point wrt the squad's strengths and weaknesses, and provided a guide for the coaching staff/front office as to where they need to improve and build. I feel badly for Luka, who looked absolutely devastated, but I imagine he is resilient enough to bounce back. The Mavs just ran into a better team. It happens.
Next. The Mavs face the surprisingly good Suns on Friday. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
The Clips were favored by 1.5 points, and there is no shame in losing to them, but they flat shaved the hair off our boys' chests. A good model for the young Mavs on how a contender plays.
Game Story
The contest had a playoff-like atmosphere, with the crowd highly amped and the players in high-intensity mode. Stunned by the Clippers' physicality and energy, the Mavs were holding up okay until the wheels came off during a period beginning with the last couple of minutes of the first quarter, and extending through the second. At 2:13 in the first period, the Mavs were down by three points. They finished the frame with two missed threes, an offensive foul, and two free throws by Brunson. Meanwhile, the Clips hit two threes.
The second quarter was a nightmare. The Mavs committed 9 turnovers, gave up 6 offensive rebounds, hit only five shots out of 19 attempts (2-7 2PTAs, 3-12 3PTAs, 6-7 FTAs), allowed the Clippers 9 more shots than the Mavs had, and scored a season-low 19 points. The Clips reached a game-high lead of 19 before ending the quarter with a 62-46 advantage. Pew-eee.
The Mavericks actually won the second half by one point, but just never made much headway climbing out of the first-half hole, trailing by double digits the entire 24 minutes. Rick emptied the bench at the 2:08 mark. The team's 99-point total was the lowest of the season.
Analytics
The story of the game was allowing the Clippers to put up 18 more shot attempts than the Mavs. This happened due to 20 turnovers, which were mostly of the live ball variety, and giving up 17 offensive rebounds. To compound the misery, Dallas shot poorly, completing 19 of 41 two-point attempts and 11 of 38 three-point tries (29%). The Clippers didn't shoot much better, but were a little better, and their greater efficiency, when added to their huge possession advantage, resulted in the blowout.
Observations. The Clippers clearly took the Mavs seriously. They were very intense, and took no plays off. A big part of their strategy was being very physical, even to the point of being borderline dirty. The Mavs had 35 free throw attempts, but the refs didn't call everything, and you wonder how much difference another set of officials would have made. Be that as it may, the Mavericks were not ready for it, and had a difficult time adjusting. The LA boys aggressively forced a lot of those 20 turnovers, and crashed the offensive glass with determination. It was a different level of competition than these Mavs have faced thus far, and there should be much they can learn from it.
Players
Luka (35 minutes). The Clippers devoted a lot of attention to the young star, shoving and battering him relentlessly, and throwing bodies at him his entire time on the court. He still had a decent game (22-8-6), getting to the line for 16 free throw attempts, and adding three steals. However, he made only 4 of his 14 shots, and turned the ball over 7 times. He was clearly frustrated, and at one point, was seen yelling at the refs, mouthing what Tim MacMahon reported as Spanish curse words. He was called for his fourth foul reaching in on Kawhi with 6:17 remaining in the third quarter. He stayed in the game, but was unable to be as aggressive while he was in foul trouble. Possibly the result of being frustrated, and maybe a little flustered. He looked crushed in his bench minutes in the fourth quarter, and left the arena after the game without talking to the media.
Ceballos observed that the Clippers did a pretty good job of wearing Luka down with their physical play, and thinks most teams will take that approach with him. Rick noted that Luka was "knocked around" early, and was frustrated with the officiating, but said that he understands the culture of this type of game and handled it well. On the brighter side, Patrick Beverley was totally unable to defend Luka, spending much of the game on the bench in foul trouble, and drawing enthusiastic cheers whenever he had to leave the court, lol.
Porzingis (30 minutes). Kristaps had a mediocre offensive night, downing only 4 of 13 shots, and hitting 4 of 8 free throws. He had 10 rebounds and a couple of steals, but was unable to deal very well with LA's big men. With he and Luka both having subpar nights by their standards, the Mavs were pretty well doomed from the off. He seemed in reasonably stoic spirits in his postgame interview. And he had a spectacular buzzer-beating three from the logo to end the first half.
THJ (29 minutes). Tim reverted to the mean to an extent in this match, recording 8 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. He did have three very good steals, but unfortunately, none of them resulted in Maverick points. He was called for a technical foul in the third quarter for making a gesture which offended the ref. Some regression from his recent spectacular performances was to be expected. The question after this game will be whether those efforts were indicative of a trend, or were mere outliers. I wouldn't say he had a bad game -- just not very good, either.
Powell (24 minutes). Powell put ten points on the board, and was one of two Mavericks, along with Seth, who hit over 50% of his shots (3-3 2PTAs, 1-2 3PTAs, 1-2 FTAs). He also had active hands, with 3 steals, but turned the ball over a couple of times, and grabbed only three rebounds. The Clippers' burly centers were able to outmuscle him defensively and on the glass. When Rick is occasionally asked why Powell plays so much, he reminds his questioners that DP is king of the plus-minus stat, and this game was no exception. Single-game individual plus-minus is an extremely noisy statistic, but for those who put stock in it, his mark was zero, which was third best on the team, after Justin Jackson, who played only in garbage time, and Barea, who scored a +5.
Curry (19 minutes). Seth was the only Mav with a good shooting night, hitting two of his three 2PTAs and three of his five 3PTAs, to lead the bench with 13 points, although five of those were earned in garbage time. The Mavs needed someone who could put the ball in the basket, and he provided some assistance in that department.
Wright (18 minutes). Imo, Delon had a below-average night, as did some of the other Mavs. He looked pretty lost out there, seemed hesitant to shoot (taking only three shots), turned the ball over three times, and looked pretty much like a deer in the proverbial headlights.
Maxi (17 minutes). Maxi was nursing a knee injury, and was the subject of a late decision clearing him to play. The Mavs could have used him in prime condition, but I suspect that his minutes were limited due to the knee issue. I have to say that he was not up to snuff while he was on the court, quite possibly due to not being 100% physically. He took only two shots, missing them both, and turned the ball over. He did manage to secure 6 rebounds, but was no more able to deal with the LA centers than the other Mavs.
Barea (16 minutes). Carlisle had previously informed us that he saves JJ for "emergencies," and the situation became dire enough to call upon him when the Mavs went down by 20 in the third quarter. He played with verve, and was one of the few bright spots on the night. He gave the team a spark with 12 points, including a couple of threes, and was one of the few Mavs who had no turnovers (along with DFS, THJ, Boban, and Jackson). Rick commented that the Puerto Rican guard gave the side a "pop," and further observed that Barea and Luka have great synergy, and that Barea is very good about keeping himself ready. Ceballos and Buckner referred to JJ as a "little dog," barking and trash-talking, and making himself a general nuisance to the opposition. Cedric doesn't know why Barea isn't playing more, but allowed that his PT is a matter between him and the coaches. I imagine that he is being used sparingly because the Mavs don't view him as part of the future, but it is still handy to be able to call on him when they need help in the present.
Brunson (13 minutes). Jalen had a pretty bad night, compared to his usual performances. He went 1 of 6 from the floor, turned the ball over three times in short minutes, and didn't seem to make as good decisions as he normally does. I attribute it to being shell-shocked by the Clips.
Boban (8 minutes). Boban made an appearance at the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second, but it didn't go very well. Carlisle said that his participation had been planned, since he is a former Clipper, and had some familiarity with their personnel, but the speed and athleticism of the game were too much for him. Rick said they tried it, but it didn't work. With Maxi playing hurt, and Boban not up to it, more pressure than usual was on Dwight and KP, who both struggled a bit.
The Clippers
This is a seriously good team. Rick referred to Kawhi and Paul George as possibly the two most physical, big, skilled, and athletic wings in the league. He didn't add that the Mavs don't really have the personnel to counter that, but it was evident on the court. The Clips are a very deep team, having a number of guys who are capable of putting up 20 points or more on any given night, and three who did so in this contest (Kawhi, George, and Lou Williams). They might well have the best collection of two-way players in the NBA. Cedric remarked that even Williams, who went off for 21 points off the bench, is a decent defender, and that is hard to match. The Mavs are used to their bench being a strength, but the Clippers' bench is even better offensively, and boasts more complete players. Ceballos described the level of talent up and down the roster as "ridiculous," and it is hard to disagree.
I didn't like their overly physical play, which Harp noted sometimes resembled football tackles more than basketball plays, but you can't blame them if they're getting away with it. However, I think it is good for the Mavericks to have faced this group early on, so they could experience how it's done.
Commentary
Greg Buckner and Ceballos. The broadcasters were of the opinion that, at this point in time, the Clippers simply have a better roster than the Mavs. The Clips are more talented, they are physical at every position, their defense is quite strong, and they have multiple scorers. The commentators also thought the Mavs are just not used to playing this playoff type of game, where the pace slows down and the game is so physical and intense. Additionally, they believe that the Mavs have to a degree been sneaking up on their opponents, whereas the Clippers were ready for them, and brought their "A" game. Overall, they thought this game could serve as a very good learning experience.
Carlisle. Rick took responsibility for failing to prepare the team for the Clippers' physicality. He noted LA's exceptional wings, physical centers, and guards who hounded the Mavs from midcourt. In the first half, the Mavs got a few good shots, but gave up 13 offensive rebounds and didn't play well. He thought they were much better in the second half, and a lot of guys made contributions, but they were just in too deep a hole. He opined that they just have to move on.
Porzingis. Kristaps acknowledged that his side got "punched in the mouth," but felt that the match had showed the Mavericks the level at which a championship quality team plays. He thinks that proper team goals include playing with similar intensity to the Clips, and learning how to play against a side that slows down the tempo.
My impressions. I agree that this group of players has little experience playing against very physical teams, and none at this type of intense match. This was in some respects a measure of where the Mavs are on their team trajectory, and we learned that they still have a ways to go, which is to be expected, considering the circumstances. The Mavericks as an organization have something of a tradition of not handling physicality very well, and that is something they can work on, although I suspect a roster upgrade or three will be required to fully address the issue. The team is relatively weak defensively at the wing positions, and they lack a big, mobile center. We can probably look for those spots to be shored up as time goes on.
Despite the decisive loss, the overall picture is not without a bright side. I liked it that the players didn't hang their heads, and kept plugging, even in the face of superior enemy force and arguably lax officiating. If the Mavs are willing to use this as a learning experience, I think it could be incredibly invaluable, as they are not likely to see this level of play very much in the regular season. I think it is a huge compliment to the team that the Clippers regarded them so seriously and put their best foot forward against a Dallas opponent whom they obviously respected.
Although I was, of course, disappointed with the result, I mainly like the match. It gave us a reference point wrt the squad's strengths and weaknesses, and provided a guide for the coaching staff/front office as to where they need to improve and build. I feel badly for Luka, who looked absolutely devastated, but I imagine he is resilient enough to bounce back. The Mavs just ran into a better team. It happens.
Next. The Mavs face the surprisingly good Suns on Friday. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!