GAME 3: DAL (1-2) @ NOP (3-1) | 111-113 loss

[BolsDamols]

He probably had one of the better nights of anyone not named Luka, Spencer or Wood.

You are probably right, just my last memory of him was getting blown by Alvarado for a lay up, and that botched 3 - but to be fair Alvarado was blowing by everyone tonight.

[dirkfansince1998]

He had a nice sequence of a steal, a corner three and a defensive box out of a much bigger player.  Then Dorian fucked him with an end of the shot clock pass that he had to heave a desperation three, blew a layup badly on a nice drive and then whiffed on another three attempt after holding onto the ball too long.  He probably had one of the better nights of anyone not named Luka, Spencer or Wood.

You know it´s bad when @"cow" is mentioning bad plays from DFS.

[cow]

You know it´s bad when @"cow" is mentioning bad plays from DFS.

Both of our home grown extension players have been largely invisible.  Some good plays, some bad plays and 11 points combined isn't nearly enough.  Luckily for them McGee and Bullock have been  dumpster fires so they aren't the most pressing issues.

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

As bad as DFS and Bullock were playing, the one to blame here is Kidd.

It's not like Bullock and DFS are lighting it up, Green should have taken away some of their minutes.
If Kidd can't give Green a few more minutes when his 2 wings aren't performing, then might as well trade him.

[Mavs2021]

It´s not that this cannot be a good team. It´s that there is just no path forward to be a great team. On the current path there is no way to be a legit championship contender. Not when other teams have young cores like the Pelicans, Wolves, Grizzlies, Nuggets just in our own conference.

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

McGee’s defense was singularly bad to start. Bullock terrible on that end and not much better offensively. DFS, invisible. Maxi salvaged his night by playing stellar D and some great boardwork down the stretch— and he hit a 3 on the nice relocate. Kidd, once again, not great. He’s bad at coaches challenges, Wood say too much once again and thought he waited to bring Luka back a beat too long. And we are so predictable and easy to defend down the stretch.

Truth is, this team just isn’t very talented. N.O. traded FOR McCollum and we lowballed OUR McCollum this past summer to ensure his departure. Someone said earlier something along the lines of the inflection point where we briefly had Luka, Wood & Brunson last summer and were true contenders… so true. The Pels own the Lakers pick in a loaded draft and have plenty of other assets.

[cow]

As bad as DFS and Bullock were playing, the one to blame here is Kidd.

It's not like Bullock and DFS are lighting it up, Green should have taken away some of their minutes.
If Kidd can't give Green a few more minutes when his 2 wings aren't performing, then might as well trade him.

If Bullock keeps this up, Kidd might be forced to see what he has in Green.  But I wouldn't expect much of Green.  And before anyone mentions Bullock's slow start last season, this is more about the defensive end of the floor.  

p.s.  No reason to trade Green as his value is virtually zero.

[BolsDamols]

Did Fuerza leave with Brunson? Half expecting to see "Mavs are not making the playoffs" thread already.
Fall into a hole and its not as easy to make up ground, West is a bloodbath.

[sefant]

As bad as DFS and Bullock were playing, the one to blame here is Kidd.

It's not like Bullock and DFS are lighting it up, Green should have taken away some of their minutes.
If Kidd can't give Green a few more minutes when his 2 wings aren't performing, then might as well trade him.

today:

Green on: 100 DefRtg
Green off: 125 DefRtg

Bullock/DFS were a major part of the defensive mess at the start. Including Luka/SD. McGee was terrible too. When your defenders don't defend at an average level, its bad. The same thing kinda happened in the 2nd half vs. the Suns. Defensive ratings of nearly 200 as a group, not going to cut it.

Bullock / DFS were a no show on D in the first half. If the starters play average defense, the entire game goes different. If the Mavs don't defend, the offense always looking like ass. Wasn't the first time.

Mavs are +36.6 with Green total. And +3.8 without him. After 3 games. Playing him the same minutes as Facu is a bit of a joke.

[MrGoat]

I almost like our chances better if Zion and Ingram do play (Ingram's out almost for sure though). If they're there Luka won't play lackluster. Last year we had a tendency to putz around against clearly inferior opponents

Called it.

Was hoping the team had changed enough to avoid this sort of thing.

It was Dinwiddie who killed us in this one, he played too much like Brunson. He needed to move the ball more

[ThisIStheYear]

Luka wasn’t lackluster at all. His end of game, end of quarter play was filled with hubris, but he was excellent otherwise. It doesn’t get any better than high efficiency, high volume play with lots of assist ps and rebounds and good hustle on defense as well. The Mavs are just years behind the Pelicans in terms of talent, even if everything goes right, absent the injuries.  Paying THJ and Maxi instead of Brunson is going to bite this team a little.  But, they should still be good for 4th or 5th and have a nice 50 win season.  Cuban has never truly been all in since he won the title. Since then, he’s mostly just gravy trained Dirk and now Luka, puttting just enough around them to challenge 50 wins and be relevant, but not enough to seriously contend.

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

Luka was more than just good.
But his weakness is too evident.
He loves shooting 3s. Nothing wrong with it in the games he has it.
The other weak point is -- his hero ball tendencies for end of quarters/games. There's not much variety, for a player with a high BBIQ, I expected more winning plays. Against NO, there is nothing he can do about that, the Phoenix game step back 3 was the low BBIQ play.

[Dundalis]

We heard Luka was in the best shape coming into the season this year. He still looks chunky out there though. I wonder if he's considered staying back in the US to train in the off season? I know this year was Eurobasket.

IMO he simply has a body type that is never ever going to look like a slim, cut NBA body. Endomorph type if you will. People expecting him to ever look slim and cut regardless of how much he focuses on diet and working out are probably going to be disappointed. You just need him not looking as chunky as last season. Exactly the same body type as Jokic.

[ballsrchr]

Kidd needs to improve.

1. Do not promise a starting role to anyone with the talent level such as Mcgee.
2. If Bullock isn't doing his job, limit his minutes, give it to someone else.
3. Don't take your best players out for very long in a close game.
4. Design plays, and not just rely on Luka.
5. Make time-outs!
6. Tell Luka to just drive when his shot isn't falling from 3.
7. End of quarter/end of games doesn't need to be a Luka step back 3. Kidd is liable for this as Luka.

This!  Seems like all the Mavs did for the fourth quarter was mill around beyond the 3 point line.  Penetrate!...as you said--drive when the outside shot isn't falling (and sometimes when it is...)

On another note...NO played pretty damn good, and their shot was falling.

[HAguiar95]

3 games in, here are my grades 1-10:

WOOD - 8,0
DONCIC - 7,7
DINWIDDIE - 6,3
BULLOCK - 4,7
GREEN - 4,7
KLEBER - 4,7
FINNEY-SMITH - 4,3
MCGEE - 4,3
HARDAWAY - 4,0

KIDD - 4,7

[JamesConway912]

Harsh truth: starting Powell would be better for our record than the McGee-experiment. 

Wood‘s bench role probably has financial reasons. I think they intend to limit his role so he can’t demand too much. 

They’re in full cost savings-mode at this point.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Some things I’m looking for tonight.

Dallas is ‘protecting’ Wood in terms of his minutes as a solo big and in terms of who he covers when he’s on with Maxi.  

The way NO uses Valanciunis, there is a chance he may be in during some of the stints where Wood is typically the solo big.  Does Dallas try to adjust or do they see what Wood looks like covering a larger big who has some offensive ability.  

 
It would be nice for Josh to actually get to touch a basketball tonight.   

One of the more fascinating decisions in terms of rotation occurred in the third quarter.  Wood typically comes in at the 6:00 mark and Maxi joins a couple minutes later.  Instead, Maxi was the first big off the bench and Wood didn't join until 4 minutes later.  Why?  I think it was to avoid Valanciunas.  Dallas seems determined to keep Wood away from the Monsters of the NBA as the solo big.  Larry Nance...sure.  But not the Ayton's and JV's of the world.  For those calling for Wood to start (and wanting the other starters to be DFS, Bullock and the two PG's), I think you will be disappointed.  Wood may eventually start...may...but I don't think he will be starting as the solo big.  

There was a little overlap between Wood and JV with Wood as the only big to start the fourth.  Dallas quickly brought Maxi back and NO went small with Marshall, McCollum, Murphy, Graham and Nance.  We spent most of the fourth trying to hunt matchups against Nance and amazingly, NO was hunting Maxi.  I'm sure it has happened before, but I don't recall seeing it as much as I did last night.

Alas, no extra touches for Green.  The two shots he took were literally (almost) the only times he actually touched the ball.

Dallas still has the 2nd best Net Rating in the league (and therefore 2nd best expected record).  Beware of small sample sizes.

Anyone else missing Powell yet?

[Smitty]

One of the more fascinating decisions in terms of rotation occurred in the third quarter.  Wood typically comes in at the 6:00 mark and Maxi joins a couple minutes later.  Instead, Maxi was the first big off the bench and Wood didn't join until 4 minutes later.  Why?  I think it was to avoid Valanciunas.  Dallas seems determined to keep Wood away from the Monsters of the NBA as the solo big.  Larry Nance...sure.  But not the Ayton's and JV's of the world.  For those calling for Wood to start (and wanting the other starters to be DFS, Bullock and the two PG's), I think you will be disappointed.  Wood may eventually start...may...but I don't think he will be starting as the solo big.  

There was a little overlap between Wood and JV with Wood as the only big to start the fourth.  Dallas quickly brought Maxi back and NO went small with Marshall, McCollum, Murphy, Graham and Nance.  We spent most of the fourth trying to hunt matchups against Nance and amazingly, NO was hunting Maxi.  I'm sure it has happened before, but I don't recall seeing it as much as I did last night.

Alas, no extra touches for Green.  The two shots he took were literally (almost) the only times he actually touched the ball.

Dallas still has the 2nd best Net Rating in the league (and therefore 2nd best expected record).  Beware of small sample sizes.

Anyone else missing Powell yet?

Just one mans opinion but I'd take Powell and his hustle over McGee 100 times out of 100. 3 whole years on that contract.....

[IamDougieFresh]

McGee had by far the best D-Rating of any Sun regular at 102 during the season (in which the Suns were the #3 ranked D at 107.3).  I think the concerns over McGee's D are exaggerated.  I'd be much more worried about how we are going to guard Jokic, Towns or Valanciunas inside if we didn't have him.

What's going on here?

[KillerLeft]

Harsh truth: starting Powell would be better for our record than the McGee-experiment. 

Yes. Both players are limited, but give me the one who can move his feet and plays hard 100% of the time he's on the floor.