GAME 25: DAL (12-13) @ IND (12-16) | 93-106 loss | 3-9 in last 12

[Mavs2021]

It´s absolutely stunning how shit Porzingis is on defense to rack up a -21, when his replacements are Powell and Brown. Powell is missing wide open shooters, gets pushed around in the paint, but is still a massive upgrade to the overall defense, because he causes confusion with his aimless ability to tirelessly move around. 

Bullock sucks ass, too. 

I don´t even think it´s that difficult to upgrade this team. Just need the guts to replace Porzingis/Powell with a legit center and Bullock with a dynamic playmaker. If we had gotten in on the Harden for LeVert/Allen deal, this would be a completely different team.

[omahen]

Whats wrong with Kleber lately? Looked completely lost. Once Luka rolled that ankle it just went downhill

[Mavs2021]

I would say it was a decent game. They allowed a couple of offensive rebounds too many. But the total inability to hit a wide open three pointer is too much.

Yeash not such a bad loss considering the Pacers are the 7th best team in the league.....from the bottom.

[MrGoat]

A mediocre 9/29 from deep instead of 4/29 and it would have been a win. Need to get Holger on the phone

[dirkfansince1998]

Just checked the box score. Now does everyone understand why I've watched my last game of this particular roster? Make a trade, already. Or at least on Wednesday when the restrictions are off. Bring on Simmons at this point. What's worse, Simmons who won't shoot, or THC and Bollocks who can't shoot this year if their lives depended on it?

Edit: forgot to mention KP with his 2 boards and 0 ORBs. Get him out of here.

Still high on the Simmons idea but the way the Mavs are playing they don´t have anything the 76ers would want. The Mavs need to fix the Luka double team issue. Easiest solution. Replace the guys that cannot take advantage of easy 4vs3 situations. Don´t know how many times Powell caught the ball at the top of the key. Open lane to the rim. Defenders rotating. Should lead to high quality shots every single time but they just couldn´t take advantage.

---

Yeash not such a bad loss considering the Pacers are the 7th best team in the league.....from the bottom.

Pacers are 10th in SRS. Not nearly as bad as the record suggests. Just followed the old RC routine and lost most of their clutch and OT games.

[bodhisattva]

We suck. Whats new?
Till January we play Kings, OKC, Minnesota all 2x, sprinkled with old and broken LAL and falling apart Portland. The rest are 3 or 4 loses. I feel at best we go 50/50 with the rest.

We will be competing with above cited teams for playoff spots this year i feel.
It feels weird competing with Kings and Timberwolves.
Feels like the team that finished last season would be a few spots higher, where Utah, LAC and Nuggets will be. Just feels weird at the moment. Maybe we get there, but will it feel deserved and like we belong? There is still time, for people to hit some shots. Luka get in shape etc. Idk if we still look like this after the TDL with no major shake ups, and Bullock still missing shots. KP missing a few more games and I will be down right depressed.

[BackToSquareOne]

Luka 1-8 from 3; Timmy 1-9 from 3. Bullock only 2 shots in 22m. 13.8% overall from 3pt on 29 shots. 

This is not sustainable. Idk about Luka's almost triple double - that would have been a definitional toxic TD.

[LukTheShadow]

I want to be traded ... 

[omahen]

This is not sustainable. Idk about Luka's almost triple double - that would have been a definitional toxic TD.

? Luka had 9 assists while team was shooting 10 % from three. That has to be some Guiness book of records achievement. Luka had 9 rebounds while the whole center line of KP/Powell/Brown had 8. Other than shooting 1-8 from three he did most of the things right.

[BackToSquareOne]

? Luka had 9 assists while team was shooting 10 % from three. That has to be some Guiness book of records achievement. Luka had 9 rebounds while the whole center line of KP/Powell/Brown had 8. Other than shooting 1-8 from three he did most of the things right.

blinkered. but no big deal, we all have our favourites.

[cow]

Blow it up.

[Chicagojk]

This may be the most disappointing season I have had following one of my teams.  To look back 2-3 years ago and think where I thought we would be by now is just so frustrating.  I hate most things about this team.   I hate we went down the Carlisle offensive footprint pretty much with the same limited players but without Carlisle.   Say what you want about Carlisle and if it was time for him to leave but he clearly did things for a reason.   

I hate the slow pace on offense.   Push the ball! I hate the lack of ball movement, the lack of off ball action, the lack of cutting, etc.  At a time, I thought if we ran the Harden offense with Luka I would be really disappointed.   But now we run the Harden offense with no shooters.   I hate having one and a half players who can create pressure on a team...where most teams have sometimes 10 players who can do this.  

I hate the possessions where we never get inside the three point line.  I hate early shot clock no pass three point shot possessions.  

I hate having a team that gets boat raced in fourth quarters in close games.  When it matters, Dallas gets no easy baskets.  It is all deliberate that leads to a three pointer...a lot of times not a good three.

I hate having a team that is so bad at shooting.  Basketball should be a beautiful game.   Seeing us miss so many shots just is brutal.  

I hate we have an owner who still thinks he is one of the smartest people in the room when it comes to basketball decision.  

I have said tons of time, I still think this team is not far off.  But they are getting further and further away.   Unfortunately, I have no trust a Mark Cuban run organization is going to make the right decisions.

[Chicagojk]

Another thing...there are cracks starting to show imo.   It is normal for a struggling team.  This team is close and I still think they are.  But there have been several times in the past few games where there is a lot of pointing and visual frustration between players.  Just something to watch.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

^^ They're not close to contending with the Suns, Warriors, Jazz, Nets, Bucks in this league. Those teams are top shelf. They need a major overhaul, not fringe moves like they did this summer.

[ClutchDirk]

Mavs this year compared to last year...

https://media.giphy.com/media/MDlWsK8Jsi.../giphy.gif

[Chicagojk]

I am so disappointed in Hardaway this year.   I said it was a mistake to prioritize resigning him this offseason.   But I never expected him to play this poorly.   Very uneven on offense.  That is to expected.  I fully expect (hope) he is going to get in a better groove as the season goes on, but he just looks a little different out there this year.   It is defense where I think he has been brutal.   Defense was never his strong point but this year he appears lost.   He is a step slow, loses focus of his man, and consistently is attacked.  I think Luka and Hardaway have both been really bad.  They can be ok for periods, but the more teams probe them, the worse they get.  Add to this Brunson is not a plus defender and it is really tough.  Let me add though, Brunson is competing and doesn't have many mental errors on defense.   Plus he is a pretty solid defensive rebounder (so is Luka).

[Chicagojk]

Also, I am glad Green and Brown are both getting spot minutes.  I don't believe either are ready for primetime yet, but it doesn't hurt giving them a few minutes to see how they react over time (especially Brown).   

For Green, I would do what Toronto is doing with Banton.   I don't think Green is an every game option right now.  But maybe 2 out of 4 games he gets NBA minutes.  But I would also play him in G-league games and just throw minutes at him.   Banton is a consistent piece in Toronto rotation, but he is also playing in a handful of G league games where he is being asked to be the lead option.  I would do the same thing with Green.  Even if we played last night and again play on Sunday.   I would have Green go to wherever the legends play tonight and give him 30 minutes.  

I don't think the G-league is as important to Brown.  Brown is already a G-league HOF member.   He gets 20 and 20 in those games.   He just really needs to firm up his glue game (good rotations, being in the right spot, playing solid defense, etc).   I don't know if he gets this a lot in G-league games.

[MrGoat]

Also, I am glad Green and Brown are both getting spot minutes.  I don't believe either are ready for primetime yet, but it doesn't hurt giving them a few minutes to see how they react over time (especially Brown).   

For Green, I would do what Toronto is doing with Banton.   I don't think Green is an every game option right now.  But maybe 2 out of 4 games he gets NBA minutes.  But I would also play him in G-league games and just throw minutes at him.   Banton is a consistent piece in Toronto rotation, but he is also playing in a handful of G league games where he is being asked to be the lead option.  I would do the same thing with Green.  Even if we played last night and again play on Sunday.   I would have Green go to wherever the legends play tonight and give him 30 minutes.  

I don't think the G-league is as important to Brown.  Brown is already a G-league HOF member.   He gets 20 and 20 in those games.   He just really needs to firm up his glue game (good rotations, being in the right spot, playing solid defense, etc).   I don't know if he gets this a lot in G-league games.

Considering what our center rotation is I would even go so far as to say maybe Brown is ready for primetime. Green still needs a lot of work, but he needs some minutes even if just to try to get him some trade value