Let´s have a poll: KP for Simmons straight up - are you in?

[Hypermav]

That's what Milwaukee is going to do to Trae in this next round.  Run a switch, put him on Giannis and give him the Seth Curry treatment.

[hakeemfaan]

I know this is pounding Ben Simmons, but for all of everyone's "he just can't shoot" and that's the only problem...if you are going to be real, you have to ask yourself...why was Atlanta able to play Trae Young and Lou Williams for long stretches in this game with Ben Simmons on the floor?  One switch and you have Lou Williams or Trae Young in the post or in ANY scenario, against Ben Simmons...especially with Embiid injured, that has to be the play, then why didnt' they do it?  Because they know he couldn't take advantage of it.   

Man, I just don't see it.

That's what Milwaukee is going to do to Trae in this next round.  Run a switch, put him on Giannis and give him the Seth Curry treatment.

But he is a good post up player.  He is not KP  That is the puzzling thing. He just didn’t want to score..period. Something not all right there

[TXBamanut]

But he is a good post up player.  He is not KP  That is the puzzling thing. He just didn’t want to score..period. Something not all right there

Allegedly, but if you go multiple games with sub 10 points... and you won't go in the post on a 5'10" guard with no defense.  We aren't even talking 6'3" Rondo with his Go-go gadget arms.  I mean, if he's that great... if you've got a coach like Doc Rivers who won't put you there against Trae Young...that's wow. 

I think he's so afraid of missing at the line, so he didn't want to get down there, have them foul him and have to go to the line.  The only way you are going to beat that is just going right into the face of that monster and taking the hits until you kill it.  But will he do that?  He's GOT to do that to move forward.

Does that monster go away in the off season?  Hasn't yet...it's just been getting bigger.  If it does, great!  But until that monster goes away, he's not going to be worth much.  I mean that.

He needs to go down into the Outback and have some weird Aboriginal dude shave his head, put a tattoo on his face and then him go strangle a lion with his bare hands in a loin cloth...get some kind of Rambo-Rocky mojo going...chase a chicken or something, but he's not doing jack until that's over.

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status...5702134784

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN/status...0339427331

[Scott41theMavs]

https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN/status...0339427331

Dunking the ball when open is a skill.

[Mavs2021]

Dunking the ball when open is a skill.

Too early.
Seriously.
You still got two years left on your contract.
At least wait another 12 months before you aim for another premature extension, Dwight.
Ah okay, you afraid the new GM might not be a moron.
Trying to pull another one over on Cuban NOW.
I get it.
Smart boy, you went to Stanford or something?

[OBX Maverick]

No way I do it. KP was grossly mis-utilized by RC. Yes, you could say some of the problem is KP’s ability to set a decent pick or willingness to be the second banana, but.......Ben Simmons has NEVER been able to the shoot the ball. I want to see what KP does with the new coach.

[DanSchwartzgan]

That's what Milwaukee is going to do to Trae in this next round.  Run a switch, put him on Giannis and give him the Seth Curry treatment.

Off topic regarding Simmons, but if Giannis (and Huerter) can render Seth Curry useless and Luka can render Beverly (and Zubac) useless, what is the future of small guards.  Heck, Beverley is considered to be a good defender.

People often make the argument that KP (and most centers outside a select few) can't be one of your top two players.  The reason is they can be run off the floor in the playoffs.  I wonder if we are starting to see the same thing with smaller guards.  Holiday is an excellent defender and is not in Milwaukee's top two.  Paul is also an excellent defender and future hall of famer.  Maybe Trae is the Jokic of PG's...just too good offensively to take off the floor.  LAC can go (and often does go) without a PG or a C.  They aren't going "small", they are sometimes going "medium" with everyone being of a similar size.  The last two attempts Dallas has made to put a "guard" next to Luka have been guys with pretty good size in Wright and JRich.

People often say don't put your money in C's.  You can get those cheap.  Maybe we are headed to an era where the same thing is true of the traditional small PG unless they have some impressive defensive chops or are just so good offensively that they are integral to your success.  Yeah, maybe you keep one of those around (just like LAC keeps big body Zubac for those regular season games when the other team has a big).  Primary ball handlers are getting bigger and bigger.  Maybe the trend will be even more away from spending much to have small guards who are 6'2" or smaller.  The Kemba Walker's and Kyle Lowry's of the world are becoming extinct.

[Branduil]

I mean it's been said for a while that the future of the league is five 6'8" guys who can do a bit of everything.

[DanSchwartzgan]

No way I do it. KP was grossly mis-utilized by RC.  

Isn't this the big question here.  Was it coaching or is KP just a bad fit for one reason or another.  

His entire career KP has been a net positive in On-Off.  +5.7, +2.4, +7.5, +3.0 and then this year he was -4.9.  But, this was by far his best performance in TS%.  It was by far his best WS/48.  He had his highest PER, his highest OBPM, his highest TRB%, his lowest TO%, his highest O-Rating.  He had his highest ever FT%, 2%, FG% and his second highest 3% at .376%.  Heck, he hit 62.5 of his corner 3's.  It's not like he didn't shoot the ball.  FG Attempts per 36 were the second highest of his career as were his points per 36.  He looked lost and frustrated and under utilized offensively most of the season, but if we look at the numbers (instead of some idealized Unicorn that we think exists), Carlisle arguably got more out of KP than anyone has ever gotten so far in his career.  He got plenty of shots and usage and actually put up his best offensive year ever.

When you say mis-utilized, I assume you mean offensively.  My apologies if you meant defensively.  But, defensively is where the problem was.  We were 2.5 points better offensively with KP on the floor.  But, we absolutely died defensively with KP on the floor.  We were 6.8 points worse defensively with KP (which accounts for the -4.9 On-Off).  Blocks and Steals...worst of his career.  D-Rating...worst of his career.  DWS and DBPM...worst of his career.  Was that on Carlisle?  Maybe, but that doesn't meet the eye-test to me.  Was his decline injury related?  If so, I would expect to see improvement as he got more and more into game shape.  I don't see that in the monthly splits.  Was it mental fatigue and frustration with the challenging locker room?  Maybe, but KP was certainly a contributor to the toxicity.

I think you have to lay most of KP's problems on KP.  When he shoots, it is one of the least efficient shots we can shoot since almost the entire team has a higher TS% than him.  Yet, he gets the second most shot attempts per game.  But, as I say, I don't think offense is the issue.  If there is an argument for his pathetic D being a one-time aberration, then let's make that argument.  If there isn't, then let's move on to someone else.

[KillerLeft]

When you say mis-utilized, I assume you mean offensively.  My apologies if you meant defensively.  But, defensively is where the problem was.  We were 2.5 points better offensively with KP on the floor.  But, we absolutely died defensively with KP on the floor.  We were 6.8 points worse defensively with KP (which accounts for the -4.9 On-Off).  Blocks and Steals...worst of his career.  D-Rating...worst of his career.  DWS and DBPM...worst of his career.  Was that on Carlisle?  Maybe, but that doesn't meet the eye-test to me.  Was his decline injury related?  If so, I would expect to see improvement as he got more and more into game shape.  I don't see that in the monthly splits.  Was it mental fatigue and frustration with the challenging locker room?  Maybe, but KP was certainly a contributor to the toxicity.

Greatness. I wish we could pay you to write here all day.

[ItsGoTime]

Greatness. I wish we could pay you to write here all day.

Getting Dan and mavsluvr a press pass to Mavs games is a serious goal of mine! That is…if they don’t already have one…


I think they would be a great duo for a Mavsboard podcast, again, unless they already are a part of another one…

WHAT SAY YE??? 

Will you take this journey with us? (hand outstretched gently)

Fif had the idea of changing the landscape of the press game and using screen names instead of real names. Would be awesome to hear in a press conference “Yes, Luka, Mavs Lover spelt without the e here with Mavsboard dot com…”.

I guess first things first, we literally are the underpants gnomes on this. We don’t know the step before profit, but all the other steps are there!

[Kammrath]

what is the future of small guards

There is none. I think it is even more bleak than for "big men." 

I LOVE JB, but I hope the new GM sees this and does not plan on giving him a big payday.

[KillerLeft]

There is none. I think it is even more bleak than for "big men." 

I LOVE JB, but I hope the new GM sees this and does not plan on giving him a big payday.

I see where you're coming from here, when there are main ball-handlers like Luka, Simmons, LaMello, etc, becoming all the rage. 

Brunson is one thing, but do you think a 22 year old Chris Paul or Steve Nash would be dead ends if they entered the league today?

[ItsGoTime]

There is none. I think it is even more bleak than for "big men." 

I LOVE JB, but I hope the new GM sees this and does not plan on giving him a big payday.

The new rules changes tweeted out last week about unnatural body motions not getting calls is a big step in that direction too.

[Branduil]

I think CP3 or Curry-level guys would have a place regardless or era, just like Jokic, Embiid, and perhaps Ayton still have a place now. It's the lesser-skilled guys who might end up seeing their minutes and salaries greatly devalued in the same way that limited big men have.

[ItsGoTime]

I see where you're coming from here, when there are main ball-handlers like Luka, Simmons, LaMello, etc, becoming all the rage. 

Brunson is one thing, but do you think a 22 year old Chris Paul or Steve Nash would be dead ends if they entered the league today?

I think just like Jokic and Embiid (and we’ll soon find out about Ayton), there will be exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, this could become the rule if most rules stay the same.

---

I think CP3 or Curry-level guys would have a place regardless or era, just like Jokic, Embiid, and perhaps Ayton still have a place now. It's the lesser-skilled guys who might end up seeing their minutes and salaries greatly devalued in the same way that limited big men have.

Was posting mine while you were yours, unfortunately for you I don’t have a great mind like you do…sorry I can’t say what is usually inserted next here. 

[Kammrath]

do you think a 22 year old Chris Paul or Steve Nash would be dead ends if they entered the league today?

Two things:

1) This is only my best guess. 

2) I think there is ALWAYS room in the NBA for the transcendentally gifted/skilled, regardless of the current "prototype." So I am not suggesting there will be ZERO small guards, I just think the future of the NBA will make being a small guard such a rare thing that those who do succeed as "stars" will be noticeable exceptions.

[hakeemfaan]

The issue with KP is injury. So it is kinda pointless IMO to compare Simmons skill set.  KP has certain pros and so does Simmons. Plus even if this year is an aberration in terms of KP’s defense, he will never be a defender like Simmons 

If you were just told you have a center who can guard 1-5, can rebound, has handles, and can pass, you would automatically consider that player as a terrific player. Whoever gets Simmons has to look at his scoring as a bonus. 

I guess it is all moot anyway right now.  We don’t even have a GM.