GAME 58: DAL (34-24) @ MIA (37-21): 107-99 WIN!

[KillerLeft]

And if the Mavs have a Free throw coach, he needs to be fired!

[cow]

KP was the free throw coach.

[LukTheShadow]

https://twitter.com/tropicalblanket/stat...8333704192

Eriks view on the game and mavs, this twit it's only a small fragment of full picture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5ldMRPwpVA

and Jimmys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFJoEVgCrNs

[LukTheShadow]

KP was the free throw coach.

and Pinson bucket. The are both out now. Now we know.

[DanSchwartzgan]

First, let's acknowledge this is the East Leading Freaking Miami Heat we just held to 40 second half points while we were scoring 56.  It took some pretty good resolve to do that when you are down 8 on the road just before the all-star break.  Oh, and we were down a starter and trying to integrate two new guys.  

Maxi was great.  We played 7 1/2 minutes of "two bigs" and were +5 during that time.  That means Maxi was +8 on his own (mostly against Yurtseven) and Powell was -3 on his own (mostly against Bam).  It is the first time in a while that Powell has been a net negative on his own.  Adebayo is a tough matchup and Kidd made a nice adjustment here to go two bigs.  Bam on this team instead of Powell makes this a contender.  The problem is there aren't many bigs who offer his combination of size/mobility and rebounding.  He controls the paint without being a particularly good shot blocker.

Dinwiddie was +14 in the second half.  Of course that means he was -17 in the first half.  Miami went on an 18-5 run when Green sat down and SD came in in the first quarter.  Very early returns for three PG's is a no as the trio was -7 in the first half.  But, they were +6 in a brief stint to end the third.  For the game, SD + Brunson was +0 and SD + Luka was -2.  I'm all for experimenting, but, I think we are going to be better off with two ball handlers and some combo of Green or Bullock joining them when Bullock returns.  

BTW, how sure where you that this was a loss when you saw Green was starting?  How sure are you now that Green won't be a starter here maybe as early as next season.  Green and Bertans were probably next in line for the Dirkie if not for Maxi's heroics.

The biggest benefit of the trade is we now have a bench.  Promoting Brunson and Bullock (and tonight Green) has just crushed the bench we started the year with.  Tonight the bench would have been Maxi, Frank and Brown if not for the two new subs.  We went on two 10-2 runs in the late third and early fourth which is what won the game for us.  Dinwiddie can have a sixth man of the year type impact here and Bertans can add some offensive punch in spurts.  As predicted, Bertans got almost all of his minutes next to Maxi.  Most of his time came without Luka on the floor.  In fact, when Bullock returns, it appears SD, Green, Bertans and Maxi will be able to hold their own with help from someone (Brunson, DFS or Bullock) to be more than competitive in the non-Luka minutes.  This is a huge difference compared to what we experienced Saturday night.

[OBX Maverick]

That is what I was pointing to the other day. The Mavs have a team full of good sized basketball players. I think Centers are dead in the league unless they can play outside in. That's why I never wanted KP. He wasn't a real unicorn. KD, Jokic, Embiid, and Giannis are unicorns. KP is a giraffe. He's really tall but all that he can do is eat from the top of the trees. He needs to pick up the dribble fast or it will get stolen.

Tonight's game showed exactly what I hoped to see. Bertans can slot into that role that Rick had KP playing and have a blast doing it. KP complained even though it made the offense elite. I also expect SD to pick it up as he goes. By the end of the season we should see him taking up a lot of those THJ minutes and running the bench team. I think he will be averaging around 15/5 off the bench.

That combined with Bertans is a huge pickup for KP which was just clogging the lane.

Yes, I felt like I was watching Rick Carlisle KP tonight as DB stood on the 3 point line except that DB’s shot looks better!

I loved Maxi’s game last night. Straight up won us the game. I’m less worried about him reproducing this kind of effort than I am about having to rely on his knees to hold up to an increased work load. Let’s not forget that he hasn’t exactly been the model of health.

[DanSchwartzgan]

 
The biggest benefit of the trade is we now have a bench.  Promoting Brunson and Bullock (and tonight Green) has just crushed the bench we started the year with.   We went on two 10-2 runs in the late third and early fourth which is what won the game for us.   

NBA.com tracks bench data and shows a net rating of 6.8 for the bench last night.  That is a good number, but single game data is very noisy.  

For the season, we have the sixth rated bench with a net rating of 1.7.  I'm not sure how they define "bench", but it accounts for about 36% of our minutes this season.  Sixth is good, but we are also sixth during our hot streak since the first of the year.  So, the team is playing dramatically better, but the bench isn't showing improvement.  As I've said, this is largely because we've had to drag good bench guys into the starting lineup.

The reason this is important is the leading benches in the league belong to Phoenix and Golden State.  Their net ratings are twice our net rating.  Utah and Memphis are also up there.  Our starters aren't strong enough to overcome bad bench performances.  But, if the bench can be additive on a consistent basis then we have a fighting chance in every game.  Something to keep an eye on.  When you don't have a second star, you have to make up for it by not having holes elsewhere.

[KillerLeft]

For the season, we have the sixth rated bench with a net rating of 1.7.  I'm not sure how they define "bench", but it accounts for about 36% of our minutes this season.  Sixth is good, but we are also sixth during our hot streak since the first of the year.  So, the team is playing dramatically better, but the bench isn't showing improvement.  As I've said, this is largely because we've had to drag good bench guys into the starting lineup.

6th for the season...I have to think this is due mostly to Brunson's fine 2/3 of a season coming off the bench, because it hasn't seemed like 6th in the league to me since he became a starter. I know the eye test isn't perfect but the point is I agree - something had to be done about the bench.

[Kammrath]

I have to think this is due mostly to Brunson's fine 2/3 of a season coming off the bench

You would have to think so. At the beginning of the season it was JB's work off the bench that dragged the team to a 9-4 start.

[KillerLeft]

Eriks view on the game and mavs, this twit it's only a small fragment of full picture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5ldMRPwpVA

Thanks for posting this. I was curious and planned to look for it earlier. Super convenient to wake up and find it here. 

The Mavs' plan for the roster seems to be along the lines of the Clippers model, where everyone is switchable and nobody is all that small. It could also just be that they took whatever they could to get off of Porzingis and this is simply the way things worked out, but if there is intent there and they will now just work to upgrade pieces within that philosophy over time, I think I'm really excited about that.

[Chicagojk]

Well, I didn't expect that.  Fun game.   Kidd deserves so much credit so far.   I look at the starting lineups and I have no idea how they are winning a lot of these games.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Thanks for posting this. I was curious and planned to look for it earlier. Super convenient to wake up and find it here. 

The Mavs' plan for the roster seems to be along the lines of the Clippers model, where everyone is switchable and nobody is all that small. It could also just be that they took whatever they could to get off of Porzingis and this is simply the way things worked out, but if there is intent there and they will now just work to upgrade pieces within that philosophy over time, I think I'm really excited about that.

You probably have to throw Reggie into the mix also.  Among regulars, the highest On Minus Off numbers per 100 on the team are Bullock, Green, DFS and Brunson.  When I talk about the bench being gutted, it is both Brunson and Bullock being pulled into starter roles.

[SleepingHero]

BTW, how sure where you that this was a loss when you saw Green was starting?  How sure are you now that Green won't be a starter here maybe as early as next season.  Green and Bertans were probably next in line for the Dirkie if not for Maxi's heroics.

It sucks we aren't talking more about Green. He was the MVP of the first half. His energy was abundant. He forced Jimmy Butler into 2 turnovers individually and rotated well all night. He also hit TWO threes!

After I read the Andre Igoudala comp, the more I see of Green the more I'm starting to agree. He has less of that raw scoring talent that Igoudala had early, but I think the tools are there. I'm starting to really like the niche role he's carving out on the team.

[dirkfansince1998]

It sucks we aren't talking more about Green. He was the MVP of the first half. His energy was abundant. He forced Jimmy Butler into 2 turnovers individually and rotated well all night. He also hit TWO threes!

After I read the Andre Igoudala comp, the more I see of Green the more I'm starting to agree. He has less of that raw scoring talent that Igoudala had early, but I think the tools are there. I'm starting to really like the niche role he's carving out on the team.

Probably because he was getting the rookie treatment from Butler and the refs. A couple of bad fouls. The good still outweighs the bad but in a close game 5-6pts on gifted FTs really hurt.

[KillerLeft]

Green was awesome. That might be an understatement. But, I still don’t think he is quite ready for consistent contribution in the playoffs, personally.

I think next season is the one when he truly breaks out.

[michaeltex]

Maxi had a fantastic game and I really enjoyed Bertans shooting the 3 but I most enjoyed the absolute HUSTLE from Green with the starting lineup. I wish there was a way to keep him starting.

And if the Mavs have a Free throw coach, he needs to be fired!

Or maybe introduce them to...

[Winter]

Until Josh Green is confident he can shoot outside shots at a decent percentage, then he is relegated to a defensive specialist. His role in a line-up will be situational and his minutes as inconsistent as Frankie.

High energy wings that play defense can exist in the NBA, but they get moved around. At the end of this year, the Mavs should know what they have, but I suspect we are close to knowing now. I don't see Green being here after this year if the opponent is begging him to shoot.

[KillerLeft]

Until Josh Green is confident he can shoot outside shots at a decent percentage, then he is relegated to a defensive specialist

Agreed, and I'll go even further. He's obviously a good defender, but before Kidd's last time out, Miami was starting to gain momentum, basically because Butler was going right at Green, bully style. It was a simple "this kid doesn't know what this is, I'm going to run right through him and I'll get the calls, not him." Green will eventually learn ways of dealing with/discouraging that, but I think if he hadn't have come out at that point they would've lost the game. 

There will be lots of stretches like that in the playoffs. Moments that are still just a little too big for him, imo.

[Winter]

Even if he were seasoned, he would still be another version of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. You could find a reason to love him after a steal or some good defense, but how long can that last. He's not the next DFS. Right now he's a guy that gets packaged in a trade.

If he has no offense game other than layups and put-backs, then he's expendable. He's not bad, just easily replaced.

[KillerLeft]

Even if he were seasoned, he would still be another version of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Ooof. Can't go with you that far, sorry. 

Does he need to start stepping into catch-and-shoot opportunities confidently, and then start making them? YES! In that way, you can compare him to MKG. I am with you there, 100%. Only then will he truly have a locked in role. 

But, he can handle the ball MUCH better than I expected (better than DFS, whom I adore). His passing is GOOD. His off-ball cutting is GOOD. His basketball IQ in general is GOOD. 

I was ready to write him off two months ago, but he has officially won me over. The kid is going to get there, I'm almost sure of it. I just don't think he's ready quite yet for the big, playoff stage and all the pressure.

---

then he's expendable.

I think this is true, of course, but true for most players.