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.

[KillerLeft]

I don’t trust Cuban to tell the media what he really thinks.

I'll see that statement and raise you:

I don't trust Cuban to know what he really thinks when talking to the media.

[mavsluvr]

if Carlisle plays a more aggressive defense against Kawhi in the 4th quarter of game six, the Mavs may well have won the series.

Arguably, the unravelling in Game Six was the tragic flaw that brought the whole heroic enterprise down.

---

I'll see that statement and raise you:

I don't trust Cuban to know what he really thinks when talking to the media.

LOL

[mavsluvr]

disappointed that Marcus Morris got away with shit all series long and then managed to heat up in time to be the hero. 

Agreed. 

Mavs need a second star and a rim protector (both of which we thought we had in KP)

Concise summation of this mega-issue. 

Thanks for all of your answers. Food for thought!

[Hypermav]

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. 

[Kammrath]

Was this a problem with Luka not taking care of his body? The Mavs failing to have an adequate backup? (See Brunson). Another problem?

I think Luka has three major issues:

1) His diet and conditioning. I think this is BY FAR his biggest issue and literally cost the Mavs the series against LAC. This is my biggest concern for his long term career. He can challenge MJ as best player ever IF he gets this together, if he doesn't his career could take a much lower trajectory.

2) Immaturity as a team leader. I talked a lot about this in Dec and Jan when the KP stuff and other on court chemistry started to lurk. Luka just doesn't quite know how to be the Alpha yet...I trust he will figure this out. 

3) Not having enough help from other guards. I think Luka needs more help from other guards to be able to spell him in the playoffs, BUT the greats can all produce 42-48 min nights in the playoffs and not lose a step.

[Kammrath]

Can he still serve as a force offensively? Something wrong with his role? Is he too limited in moving around to defend any more? Ultra-tall guys (over 7’1”) generally don’t prove durable in the NBA — is KP past his sell-by date?

I think these are the issues with KP:

1) Attitude and chemistry. His heart was NOT in it this season anything like it was in his first year in DAL. I think he does not "fit" with Luka OR RC for whatever reason from an intangible standpoint.

2) Defense. I think his defense slipped this year because his heart wasn't in it. I think if his head space is off, then his D goes first.

3) Screening and Pick & Roll effectiveness. I also think this flows from the attitude/heart issues. I think he doesn't do the details well at all when his heart is not in it.

I do think KP is injury prone and has MAYBE lost some of his ability because of the knee injuries.....but I think his HEAD and HEART are the singular issue above all else. I do not think those will be fixed for him as a player in DAL. I think he needs to be traded ASAP.

[Kammrath]

Was this first noticed at the end of the season? Was he dealing with an undisclosed injury? How did he fall off the face of the earth like that?

I do not think JR "fell off" one bit this year. I think RC's usage of him "fell off" (thank God!) but I think JR was the weakest link on this team for the whole year (even more than KP). 

I do not think it was injury related, I just think he is not even an average NBA player. Though I have to give RC credit, that JR was MUCH more effective in the tiny role he gave him at the very end of the year.

[Kammrath]

Was this vanishing performance accounted for by playing hurt? Or, after two postseasons of not showing up, is the stage just too big for him? Should they have foreseen this, and given Kawhi some different looks earlier?

Maxi was really poor most of the year. I don't know if he never recovered from COVID or if he just suddenly went "over the hill" in basketball years. He was REALLY disappointing as a defender this year and his O impact really slipped as well. I fear the Mavs might have missed their chance to "sell high" on him and that he will never really be a positive key rotation piece again. But maybe an offseason will get him back in stride.

[Kammrath]

Was Brunson’s failure to perform a quirk of the Clippers matchup, or is he too small/not good enough for starter minutes in the playoffs as a whole?

I think Brunson hit his NBA ceiling really quickly and is basically already there. I think his lack of length and explosion have us looking at the best he will be. I hope I am wrong, but after this series I am not looking at him as a top playoff rotation guy.

[Scott41theMavs]

I do not think JR "fell off" one bit this year. I think RC's usage of him "fell off" (thank God!) but I think JR was the weakest link on this team for the whole year (even more than KP). 

I do not think it was injury related, I just think he is not even an average NBA player. Though I have to give RC credit, that JR was MUCH more effective in the tiny role he gave him at the very end of the year.

What was your reaction to the trade in real time? As in, did you know how lame he was when we traded away our best free agent signing in likely the past decade for him?

[Kammrath]

Could Boban’s heavy usage in the playoffs have been foreseen, and the team sharpened up that look? Or could the passing/retaining skills have been a matter of focus?

I don't think the "twin towers" effectiveness could have really been foreseen. I think the BIG rotation failure for RC this year was not seeing that JR needed to be benched like 30 games earlier. I think playing Boban heavy minutes just isn't sustainable, especially next to KP. But I think Boban definitely makes Luka better while KP doesn't (other than creating some spacing).

[Scott41theMavs]

I think Brunson hit his NBA ceiling really quickly and is basically already there. I think his lack of length and explosion have us looking at the best he will be. I hope I am wrong, but after this series I am not looking at him as a top playoff rotation guy.

Eh, I think this is shock value. Brunson has improved enough year to year to know this isn't his ceiling. He just happened to run into a bad matchup.

[dirkfansince1998]

Maxi was really poor most of the year. I don't know if he never recovered from COVID or if he just suddenly went "over the hill" in basketball years. He was REALLY disappointing as a defender this year and his O impact really slipped as well. I fear the Mavs might have missed their chance to "sell high" on him and that he will never really be a positive key rotation piece again. But maybe an offseason will get him back in stride.

I think pre COVID Maxi was a lot better on defense. Mavs had the 2nd ranked defense after the first nine games. With Maxi and WCS/Powell playing in the front court. Really thought that they finally found the right scheme and players. Even Richardson´s defense was good. Switch heavy defense. Preventing penetration and easy kick out 3s.
What followed was obviously the worst case scenario. KP returns and is a defensive liability. Mavs lose multiple rotation players because of COVID. Mavs adjusted the scheme because KP cannot play in a switch heavy defense. Return of the drop coverage (I hate it...).
We saw a few games without KP in the 2nd part of the season and the switch everything defense returned. I remember a win against the Jazz with Maxi and Melli as the starting bigs.

For me there are two options Go back to the switch heavy scheme and get rid of KP or invest a lot of assets into better individual defenders on the perimeter.

[Kammrath]

How is it that so many of the major players descended into near-unplayable status in the playoffs? Were they used incorrectly? If they just weren’t good enough, to the point that Bobi and Burke were trusted above them, is that something that wasn’t obvious until Game 3 in the postseason? If it wasn’t foreseen, why not?

I think LAC is legit and they are my favs to win the title after BRK. 

However, I think RC massively underperformed in the LAC series. I think hot shooting from the role players and ELITE, ELITE play from Luka for 3 quarters a game covered up a LOT of coaching and rotation warts. I think the Boban starting decision was REALLY GOOD, but beyond that I don't think RC did much positive from a coaching stand point other than letting Luka go to work and not getting in his way too much. 

I think RC leaned on Maxi, hoping he would be Maxi of old....and he wasn't even close.

I think RC leaned on DFS to stop Kawhi far too much, and as much as I LOVE DFS, he is NOT an NBA stopper even remotely. 

Look, I don't think RC has very good pieces at his disposal, but I think RC was a "C" at best as a coach this past year. Really disappointed in his overall performance. I feel like he almost seemed disinterested at times. Who knows.

[KillerLeft]

@"Kammrath" bringing the goods tonight, like an assassin!

[Kammrath]

What was your reaction to the trade in real time? As in, did you know how lame he was when we traded away our best free agent signing in likely the past decade for him?

I never thought much of JR pre-trade, but had never paid close attention. As you know I LOVE Seth, but the allure of TBey sold me on the trade immediately when I knew they took him. I think I was blinded by TBey love. 

But as SOON as the regular season started I had a HUGE realization that JR was NOT going to be the answer to anything. A huge step back in shooting and actually not much better as a defender than Seth.

[Kammrath]

Brunson has improved enough year to year to know this isn't his ceiling. He just happened to run into a bad matchup.

I think JB will get MORE effective in the regular season with an increased role (to an extent), but in the elite speed and intensity of playoff basksetball he looked like he didn't have the physical tools to be on the court. I am not trying to "shock"....but I personally WAS shocked at how out of place he looked. Wasn't expecting it.

[Scott41theMavs]

I never thought much of JR pre-trade, but had never paid close attention. As you know I LOVE Seth, but the allure of TBey sold me on the trade immediately when I knew they took him. I think I was blinded by TBey love. 

But as SOON as the regular season started I had a HUGE realization that JR was NOT going to be the answer to anything. A huge step back in shooting and actually not much better as a defender than Seth.

Yeah, I remembered a few seconds after my prior post that you were with me on the Tiger train... 

I like the investment in Bey, and give RC a pass on not developing him well this year given the circumstances, but that puts the Green and Terry picks in a harsher light - in a no-offseason-season, and needing help immediately - *and* knowing RC's frequent reluctance to develop raw rookies - ***why*** not grab the guys who were ready to play from day one?????

[Scott41theMavs]

And by the way, eff Rick for not playing Green at all in the playoffs.