08-01-2020, 12:18 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-25-2020, 05:45 PM by Reunion Mav Old.)
This Rockets game gut punch (for the 17th time of only 28 losses) reinforces the number one dynamic the Mavs need to master. We are and should be very proud, hopeful and full of enjoyment about our future. We not only can compete with every single team, even the Clippers. For large portions of most every game, we don't just compete, we are the better team. We are also an easier team to root for than most other teams. Luka and the Mavs are fun and all of our guys are easy to root for.
The Mavericks simply must master the End of the game dynamics.
1. The end of the game is different. The start of the third Quarter is different. The fourth quarter has it's own thing. The last few minutes has it's own completely different dynamics that we are still pretty poor at even though we have improved some things and did win a few close games in February and March.
2. The Mavericks offense is awesome and cannot be stopped without extreme effort on defense and some truly wise defensive plays. These two things are the biggest difference because it is precisely what the Rockets didn't and couldn't do until the last 5 minutes or so. The Rockets, like other experienced teams, including the 2011 Mavericks, generated the extreme defensive effort AND made the wise defensive plays. (I do want to point out that others have pointed out...we got plenty of stops late too. We have gotten better at that.)
3. To expand on my main point, we need an effective offensive response when the opponent does muster the effort to stop great ball movement and shot making. This only happens at the end of the game (most nights) or when a team gets down double digits (which also happened last night). We need the guy or guys who can score when the offense breaks down and the others continue to play off of them. I agree that KP is potentially the best guy and they did go to him some but it should have been more.
4. KP is not nearly good enough at scoring when the offense has been stopped like Dirk, Harden and a very few others. He flails in desperation due to lack of trust in his offensive moves way to often. He fails to defeat good defense way to often. I believe he has the physical skills and physical advantages where he could become that guy. Indeed, he is clearly making progress with that increasing deadly bank shot over the top and offensive put backs and fearless threes. I agree that the Luka and KP pick and roll development is a great place to look to help us solve the end of game offensive dynamic (ie. Winning Time).
5. Defense is also extremely important on the winning possessions of course. I give the Rockets credit. For the end of the game, they have 5 skilled defensive wing types who are strong, wily and able to generate a kind of defense that our current team simply cannot. But, we did generate several misses and some turnovers. We did get enough stops. We did generate the extreme defensive effort.
6. I don't think our current historically great offensive team has as much room for improvement on defense. That would take player additions that somehow did not destroy the offense. We have to win with offense and we really did manage to play enough defense and enough offense last night to win....until we blew it. My point, we win the End of Game Dynamic with the best defense we can muster AND more importantly, an impossible to stop closing offense. This team can do that but they have not done it yet.
7. When great ball movement fails, the ball must end with the unstoppable players with enough time to score the game winning shots with a much higher percentage. Another way to say this, our scorers must incredibly frustrate the other teams great defense by scoring anyway, like Dirk and Harden. I nominate Luka and KP with THJ being the highly integrated third option who can score like Jet.
8. It might look like this, with all due credit to several others who have mentioned some of these points:
A. Initiate with any play, pick and roll or otherwise and move the ball for potential open shots. This runs the clock unless we do create the open shot, which often will not happen but the clock did run.
B. With 12-15 seconds, get the ball to Luka or KP. Go to the trusted scoring move/play with time to execute with confidence (with the defense already scrambling from the ball movement instead of the time waste.
C. With 5-6 seconds, give the scorer with the ball, either Luka or KP the chance to make the not so desperate scoring play which can include a late pass out only if THJ or others is now open due to a late double team. Otherwise, frustrate the good defense by scoring anyway or getting fouled a la Dirk.
Ok, that is my best thinking on a sad Maverick morning. How do we solve the End of Game Dynamic. Discuss.
The Mavericks simply must master the End of the game dynamics.
1. The end of the game is different. The start of the third Quarter is different. The fourth quarter has it's own thing. The last few minutes has it's own completely different dynamics that we are still pretty poor at even though we have improved some things and did win a few close games in February and March.
2. The Mavericks offense is awesome and cannot be stopped without extreme effort on defense and some truly wise defensive plays. These two things are the biggest difference because it is precisely what the Rockets didn't and couldn't do until the last 5 minutes or so. The Rockets, like other experienced teams, including the 2011 Mavericks, generated the extreme defensive effort AND made the wise defensive plays. (I do want to point out that others have pointed out...we got plenty of stops late too. We have gotten better at that.)
3. To expand on my main point, we need an effective offensive response when the opponent does muster the effort to stop great ball movement and shot making. This only happens at the end of the game (most nights) or when a team gets down double digits (which also happened last night). We need the guy or guys who can score when the offense breaks down and the others continue to play off of them. I agree that KP is potentially the best guy and they did go to him some but it should have been more.
4. KP is not nearly good enough at scoring when the offense has been stopped like Dirk, Harden and a very few others. He flails in desperation due to lack of trust in his offensive moves way to often. He fails to defeat good defense way to often. I believe he has the physical skills and physical advantages where he could become that guy. Indeed, he is clearly making progress with that increasing deadly bank shot over the top and offensive put backs and fearless threes. I agree that the Luka and KP pick and roll development is a great place to look to help us solve the end of game offensive dynamic (ie. Winning Time).
5. Defense is also extremely important on the winning possessions of course. I give the Rockets credit. For the end of the game, they have 5 skilled defensive wing types who are strong, wily and able to generate a kind of defense that our current team simply cannot. But, we did generate several misses and some turnovers. We did get enough stops. We did generate the extreme defensive effort.
6. I don't think our current historically great offensive team has as much room for improvement on defense. That would take player additions that somehow did not destroy the offense. We have to win with offense and we really did manage to play enough defense and enough offense last night to win....until we blew it. My point, we win the End of Game Dynamic with the best defense we can muster AND more importantly, an impossible to stop closing offense. This team can do that but they have not done it yet.
7. When great ball movement fails, the ball must end with the unstoppable players with enough time to score the game winning shots with a much higher percentage. Another way to say this, our scorers must incredibly frustrate the other teams great defense by scoring anyway, like Dirk and Harden. I nominate Luka and KP with THJ being the highly integrated third option who can score like Jet.
8. It might look like this, with all due credit to several others who have mentioned some of these points:
A. Initiate with any play, pick and roll or otherwise and move the ball for potential open shots. This runs the clock unless we do create the open shot, which often will not happen but the clock did run.
B. With 12-15 seconds, get the ball to Luka or KP. Go to the trusted scoring move/play with time to execute with confidence (with the defense already scrambling from the ball movement instead of the time waste.
C. With 5-6 seconds, give the scorer with the ball, either Luka or KP the chance to make the not so desperate scoring play which can include a late pass out only if THJ or others is now open due to a late double team. Otherwise, frustrate the good defense by scoring anyway or getting fouled a la Dirk.
Ok, that is my best thinking on a sad Maverick morning. How do we solve the End of Game Dynamic. Discuss.
This Reunion Rowdie says the AAC needs "Luka's Lunatics" for the Luka/KP and gang era.