GAME 21: NOP (7-18) @ DAL (11-10) | 91-107

[Kammrath]

THJ is killing this team right now.

Luka is also killing this team right now on both ends.

[Chicagojk]

This team sucks.   I need to take a break.  They don't even feel like a strong playin game.  Every game is a struggle for the most part.   No pressure at the rim, bricking threes and poor effort on defense.   

I am really negative with this team right now.  That was an awful plan by Kidd and the players were just as bad.

[MrGoat]

They toast

Can't play with such poor energy against a bad team. We're not good enough to take this game for granted. Especially without KP

[Chicagojk]

Our starting linuep has 4 guys who if they try to dribble more than twice it is bad news.  And the one guy who can dribble turned the ball over 6 times in the first quarter.

[BolsDamols]

Luka's complaining to the refs is really throwing him off his game..I really thought he would have improved on that this season

[Tunesquad23]

Luka's complaining to the refs is really throwing him off his game..I really thought he would have improved on that this season

I agree. I thought the same thing too, but I guess when your team isn’t a contender it’s kinda hard.

[Chicagojk]

Luka's complaining to the refs is really throwing him off his game..I really thought he would have improved on that this season

I am not a big fan of complaining.  But I hate how he puts his head down and is almost always the last person back on defense.   That really bugs me.  He has developed some bad traits.   there are so many other issues though but not putting effort to get back on defense is a pet peeve though.  

OK, I am taking a break.  I can't take the roller coaster up and way downs with this team.  See u in a week or so.

[fifteenth]

This team stinks. I can't be the hopeful guy at the moment. This is by far the worst Mavs team since Luka's rookie year.

I didn't think a coaching change would have this kind of a drag on the team. This is the same roster, with a better Brunson and a happier,  better on defense KP and they're regularly laying eggs.

I like Kidd's ideas of diversifying the offense, but it looks like it's NOT diversified and NOT able to do what Rick's offense did. It's stuck in some kind of yucky, ineffective middle.

Add to that, sounds like the team and Luka both want him to play fat. A player that doesn't take care of himself has a short prime. Extra weight might help you to be a bull down low, but it also takes life off your joints. 

This is the least fun I've had in a while. Might be time for a break.

[SwisherPrice]

Grizzlies are clearly the best team in the division and I don't think it's close. They can reach a level that these Mavs can't. Big loss coming tomorrow, they don't need Ja Morant to win

[Kammrath]

I agree. I thought the same thing too, but I guess when your team isn’t a contender it’s kinda hard.

His team would be a contender (at least a low level contender) if he had his shit together. 

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Just a contusion....good news for THJ.

His whole season has been a contusion thus far....Dude has disappeared.

[Kammrath]

I hate how he puts his head down and is almost always the last person back on defense.   That really bugs me.  He has developed some bad traits.   there are so many other issues though but not putting effort to get back on defense is a pet peeve though.  

[Kammrath]

I didn't think a coaching change would have this kind of a drag on the team.

Don't think it is remotely fair to lay this all on coaching. Coaching is part of the equation, but not the largest part in anyway IMO.

[fifteenth]

Ha ha! I typed "take a break" before reading the posts above.

[Kammrath]

not putting effort to get back on defense

This coupled with arguing with refs instead of playing D is absolutely tanking the team D. I have watched it for 21 games now. It is absolutely no accident that the Mavs D is 13.3 pts WORSE when Luka plays.

[fifteenth]

Don't think it is remotely fair to lay this all on coaching. Coaching is part of the equation, but not the largest part in anyway IMO.

I didn't say all. And I don't believe it is all. But it is a fact that we have mostly the same roster with a different coach.

[dirkfansince1998]

His team would be a contender (at least a low level contender) if he had his shit together. 

The front office failure is not on him. The new scheme is not on him. Role players not hitting shots (by now not even layups) is not on him. 
I agree that Luka is playing the worst basketball since his rookie season but there is more to it than bad individual performances when the entire roster except for maybe 2-3 players (Brunson, Kleber, maybe KP) is underperforming. Ball and rules changed for all teams. Crowds are back in all arenas. Those aren´t excuses.

[hakeemfaan]

This is why I have been preaching that we need better defenders in the starting lineup. It is about bringing a certain mindset and energy.  I have beaten this drum for the last two years even as folks were talking about our historical offense. The head of the snake that is the Mavs offense is a volume shooting poor 3 pt shooter who is lackadaisical on defense as well.

When it goes in it’s all good. Else we are stagnant on offense. The percentages don’t lie.  It is what it is.

[cow]

Blow it up.

[Kammrath]

The front office failure is not on him. The new scheme is not on him. Role players not hitting shots (by now not even layups) is not on him. 
I agree that Luka is playing the worst basketball since his rookie season but there is more to it than bad individual performances when the entire roster except for maybe 2-3 players (Brunson, Kleber, maybe KP) is underperforming. Ball and rules changed for all teams. Crowds are back in all arenas. Those aren´t excuses.

No question.

I am NOT saying "everything is Luka's fault" but I am 100% convinced that if he was his "best self" things would look much better right now. Not all the way to where they need to be, but a VAST improvement.