Game 55: San Antonio Spurs (11-43) vs. Dallas Mavericks (31-23)

[Chicagojk]

Great Kyrie performance. He was magical. For what seemed like an so so Luka night, but then you look at his stats for 3 quarters. amazing.

If you squint your eyes, you are starting to see Lively + Maxi +Green +hopefully healthy Exum + maybe PJ + more rim deterrent with Gafford that the Mavs have several guys who can defend and they may be able to keep at least two on the court at all times. The added length at the 4 & 5 is a sneaky new development as well.

PJ's offense has been rough, but I think it says a lot that Kidd had him out there for a long time. Him and Josh are going to have games where they just don't score a lot. They just need to find ways to impact the game.

Lets all hope the SA front office can't draft or pull off good trades. If they do, we are all in trouble. It is really scary to envision a healthy Wemby 3 years down the road with good players around him.

[surfpuckmd]

C'mon man, how is OMax going to stop Wemby when far better players can't? I can understand rooting for the guy, but sheesh, hyperbole much?

My one small criticism from the game is that OMax didn't get a few more minutes at the end.

There are more OMax fans out there than you realize.  Tread carefully.  A lot of powerful world leaders are OMax fans including many military leaders and important scientists.  Taylor Swift will be interested in OMax if Travis Kelce begins to bore her.  Also, OMax's parents.  Big fans.  

Seriously, he's a Robert Covington starter kit.  He just can't shoot yet.  If that shot develops, look out.  If he never learns to shoot, you don't have to look out.

[surfpuckmd]

Comes down to the way people look at the game. Gafford is a boxscore stuffer and put up big numbers in his first three games but they feel somewhat empty because he also has the worst +/- numbers among regular rotation players (excluding garbage time).
Sample size is still super small and I think even the boxscore stuffing can help in certain matchups. Not to mention that he had no time to learn schemes/the playbook. That explains a lot of his issues on the defensive end and should get better with time.

As you said, the sample size is super small.  Advanced stats don't tell us much over so few minutes.

I would argue that box score production is not meaningless in games that you win though.  I think it's less meaningful on bad teams, e.g. Kyle Kuzma.  

Especially, rebounding is really underrated on this board.  We've been a pathetic rebounding team for so long and suddenly we are winning at rebounding.  Gafford is drastically cutting down on 2nd-chance attempts for our opponents.  He's increased our 2nd-chance attempts on offense.  Rebounding is a good thing.  We've managed to win plenty of games without rebounding.  I think we'll win more now that we have a strong rebounder in the rotation.  

He'll be our backup from now on.  He'll have more favorable matchups.  Wemby made him look bad.  Wemby will make everyone look bad until he retires.

[omahen]

Great Kyrie performance.  He was magical.  For what seemed like an so so Luka night, but then you look at his stats for 3 quarters.  amazing.

If you squint your eyes, you are starting to see Lively + Maxi +Green +hopefully healthy Exum + maybe PJ + more rim deterrent with Gafford that the Mavs have several guys who can defend and they may be able to keep at least two on the court at all times.  The added length at the 4 & 5 is a sneaky new development as well. 

PJ's offense has been rough, but I think it says a lot that Kidd had him out there for a long time.  Him and Josh are going to have games where they just don't score a lot.  They just need to find ways to impact the game.

Lets all hope the SA front office can't draft or pull off good trades.  If they do, we are all in trouble.  It is really scary to envision a healthy Wemby 3 years down the road with good players around him.

I was thinking a lot about the role of Green and PJ on offense. Mavs offense is focusing on Luka and Kyrie either playing ISO or going for a PnR. I think in those instances offensive opportunities for Green and PJ are limited as long as the opponent is playing man to man defense. Sure there might be more offensive sets added, especially when there is only one of Luka and Kyrie on the court. Although THJ and Hardy tend to take most of the shots in those instances. 

However, when teams will double Luka, offensive versatility of PJ will be imho very important and he will get far more chances to score. I think last two games opponents mostly played man to man, leaving less opportunity for "the other guys".

All in all, I am very satisfied with offensive versatility this team has. As long as everyone buys into their roles, all will be fine. PJ is honestly the only one I could see as becoming unsatisfied in a relatively limited offensive role.

[DanSchwartzgan]

If you squint your eyes, you are starting to see Lively + Maxi +Green +hopefully healthy Exum + maybe PJ + more rim deterrent with Gafford that the Mavs have several guys who can defend and they may be able to keep at least two on the court at all times.  The added length at the 4 & 5 is a sneaky new development as well. 

PJ's offense has been rough, but I think it says a lot that Kidd had him out there for a long time.  Him and Josh are going to have games where they just don't score a lot.  They just need to find ways to impact the game.

One of the things I said when Exum was starting was it would be hard to dislodge him because starter Exum was dramatically better than off-the-bench Exum.  As a reminder, starter Exum in 14 games was 14.5, 3.6 and 4.4 with a TS% of .720 and a 3% of .533.  Off the bench the shooting is .565 and .350.

Well, starter Green is looking pretty good too.  For the full season as a starter he's 10.6/4/2.5 with a .630 TS% and a .436% from three.  Those last 2 numbers are .561, .389 off the bench.  If you isolate the 20 starts since he returned from injury, the scoring goes up to 12 and the 3% goes up to .454.  For his last 16 games he's averaging 4.5 three attempts per game (hitting 48% of them).  

I heard someone (maybe Dameris) describe PJ as a 'Swiss Army knife' because he has a variety of skills offensively and can guard multiple positions well.  I think you can apply that label to Josh, Exum (and maybe Maxi) also.  In fact, the roster kind of looks like this if you think in terms of stars, SAK's and specialists:

Star:  Luka, Kyrie (I think we'll put Lively here eventually)
S.A.K.:  PJ, Green, Exum and Maxi
Specialist:  THJ, DJJ and Gafford

THJ and DJJ are two sides of the same coin.  I don't know that we need another star, we just need to turn 'the Juniors' into a single player with the skills possessed by both (another Swiss Army Knife).  I really wonder how much run either of them will get in the playoffs when rotations tighten.

A word about Gafford...there was some hand-wringing in the game thread about his +/- compared to Lively.  The team got off to a disastrous start (-13 before Gafford subbed out).  Wemby went nuts and Ky-Luka went 1/7 during that time.  I didn't see anyone point out that Gafford was +13 to start the second half.  Wemby was 0/3 and Ky-Luka went 6/9.  I'm sure the reason no one mentioned it was that it was all Gafford's fault that we got off to a slow start and he had nothing to do with the good team play to start the second half.  Could we please give it a couple weeks before we try to anoint him as the new Powell here that everyone is supposed to hate.  He ended up +2 with a double double and .714 from the field.  Just two more weeks.  That's all I'm asking.  Our bench is going to crush people when everyone is healthy.

[meistermatze]

I also don't get the Gaffod "hate" around here. After he was hyped up as the next coming of Christ after the first game, people are now realizing, that an 11/8 startin Center of a shitty Wizard's team is not that? Wow.

So, to make it clear: He is here as a backup to Lively and some kind of insurance, because Lively is kind of injury-prone so far. Sure, we would be pretty much screwed if Lively went down in the playoffs but Gafford could maybe hold down the fort for a little while. Other than that he is one of the best real backup centers in this league and can also make his Free-Throws, wich Lively can't. This could be huge.

Gafford was NOT meant to be the answer at Center but it was still perfect to trade for him because it really solidifies our bigs rotation and options:

Need a small-ball big and play all-five-out basketball to most liekly finish games? We have Kleber.
Need a modern, mobile big that can protect the paint and defend at the perimeter due to lateral quickness and is a lob-threat on offense? We have Lively.
Need strong rebounding and more conservative center play? We have Gafford.

This is perfect, because everybody has his shortcomings. You can't play anyone of them for 48 minutes and under any circumstances. Kleber is too small and injury-prone to play him heavy minutes, Lively is inexperienced, a little frail and can't hit Free-Throws. Gafford is too slow do defend and kind of an empty-stats-guy.

Much more important: Washington can not hit anything, he is not scoring yet but he is still part of our good lineups. Scrazy to think if he turns the corner on offense. My prognosis: Our best lineup will consist of Luka, Kyrie, Green, Washington and Lively/Kleber. Maybe Exum sees some minutes here or there. Having Gafford, Timmy, DJJ and Hardy as serviceable options is a luxury. This team will be great if we stay healthy.

[Chicagojk]

One of the things I said when Exum was starting was it would be hard to dislodge him because starter Exum was dramatically better than off-the-bench Exum.  As a reminder, starter Exum in 14 games was 14.5, 3.6 and 4.4 with a TS% of .720 and a 3% of .533.  Off the bench the shooting is .565 and .350.

Well, starter Green is looking pretty good too.  For the full season he's 10.6/4/2.5 with a .630 TS% and a .436% from three when he starts.  Those last 2 numbers are .561, .389.  If you isolate the 20 starts since he returned from injury, the scoring goes up to 12 and the 3% goes up to .454.  For his last 16 games he's averaging 4.5 three attempts per game (hitting 48% of them).  

I heard someone (maybe Dameris) describe PJ as a 'Swiss Army knife' because he has a variety of skills offensively and can guard multiple positions well.  I think you can apply that label to Josh, Exum (and maybe Maxi) also.  In fact, the roster kind of looks like this if you think in terms of stars, SAK's and specialists:

Star:  Luka, Kyrie (I think we'll put Lively here eventually)
S.A.K.:  PJ, Green, Exum and Maxi
Specialist:  THJ, DJJ and Gafford

THJ and DJJ are two sides of the same coin.  I don't know that we need another star, we just need to turn 'the Juniors' into a single player with the skills possessed by both (another Swiss Army Knife).  I really wonder how much run either of them will get in the playoffs when rotations tighten.

A word about Gafford...there was some hand-wringing in the game thread about his +/- compared to Lively.  The team got off to a disastrous start (-13 before Gafford subbed out).  Wemby went nuts and Ky-Luka went 1/7 during that time.  I didn't see anyone point out that Gafford was +13 to start the second half.  Wemby was 0/3 and Ky-Luka went 6/9.  I'm sure the reason no one mentioned it was that it was all Gafford's fault that we got off to a slow start and he had nothing to do with the good team play to start the second half.  Could we please give it a couple weeks before we try to anoint him as the new Powell here that everyone is supposed to hate.  He ended up +2 with a double double and .714 from the field.  Just two more weeks.  That's all I'm asking.  Our bench is going to crush people when everyone is healthy.

Pj hasn't hit his shots yet, but it looks like he has more variety than just waiting at the three point line.  He has has some nice drives and cuts.   Maybe he will get some putbacks as well.   I think the team needs guys who can put pressure at the rim.  Luka likes people to stay in spots, but I think Gafford and PJ can add some versatility here.   There will be rough spots until they get more comfortable together.

I was thinking of next year lineups.  Luka, Kyrie are your starting guards.   Exum is your third guard.  Hardy finds 15-20 minutes that could lead to a better role if he is capable of it.   5th guard is an important spot though...especially with injuries.   

Josh is the SF.  Exum can play some minutes here too.  I think another SF needs to be added.  As you mention, maybe that isn't a star.   DFS is more of a PF now, but maybe he fits.   Bruce Brown?  Thybule?   I think one of those guys could be the target.

PF is PJ and Maxi.  Behind that it is a little tough.  Is DJJ brought back?  Will Omax be ready?   

Center is Lively & Gafford with Maxi getting some minutes.  Dwight is your guy right out of the rotation who will be ready to fill in.    

Maxi and Exum's injuries are the main concerns.  If either is hurt it leads us really short at both positions.   Exum is concerning because we really need him as a third ball handler.

So this offseason, I would look for a player at SF at or near Josh's level, add a young 5th guard who can run the offense if there are injuries and really work hard on Omax to get him ready to at least get some rotation minutes.  If Omax is not ready, then we may need to look for a low priced veteran as insurance.

My two way guys next year are all guys in the 6'6 to 6'10 range who may be missing something but someone I would want to try to develop.

[Winter]

One of the things I said when Exum was starting was it would be hard to dislodge him because starter Exum was dramatically better than off-the-bench Exum.  As a reminder, starter Exum in 14 games was 14.5, 3.6 and 4.4 with a TS% of .720 and a 3% of .533.  Off the bench the shooting is .565 and .350.

Well, starter Green is looking pretty good too.  For the full season he's 10.6/4/2.5 with a .630 TS% and a .436% from three when he starts.  Those last 2 numbers are .561, .389.  If you isolate the 20 starts since he returned from injury, the scoring goes up to 12 and the 3% goes up to .454.  For his last 16 games he's averaging 4.5 three attempts per game (hitting 48% of them).  

I heard someone (maybe Dameris) describe PJ as a 'Swiss Army knife' because he has a variety of skills offensively and can guard multiple positions well.  I think you can apply that label to Josh, Exum (and maybe Maxi) also.  In fact, the roster kind of looks like this if you think in terms of stars, SAK's and specialists:

Star:  Luka, Kyrie (I think we'll put Lively here eventually)
S.A.K.:  PJ, Green, Exum and Maxi
Specialist:  THJ, DJJ and Gafford

THJ and DJJ are two sides of the same coin.  I don't know that we need another star, we just need to turn 'the Juniors' into a single player with the skills possessed by both (another Swiss Army Knife).  I really wonder how much run either of them will get in the playoffs when rotations tighten.

A word about Gafford...there was some hand-wringing in the game thread about his +/- compared to Lively.  The team got off to a disastrous start (-13 before Gafford subbed out).  Wemby went nuts and Ky-Luka went 1/7 during that time.  I didn't see anyone point out that Gafford was +13 to start the second half.  Wemby was 0/3 and Ky-Luka went 6/9.  I'm sure the reason no one mentioned it was that it was all Gafford's fault that we got off to a slow start and he had nothing to do with the good team play to start the second half.  Could we please give it a couple weeks before we try to anoint him as the new Powell here that everyone is supposed to hate.  He ended up +2 with a double double and .714 from the field.  Just two more weeks.  That's all I'm asking.  Our bench is going to crush people when everyone is healthy.

Thanks for pointing that out about Gafford in the last paragraph. It's so strange that we've spent the better part of three years complaining loudly about our center position, and just when we discover that we've struck gold, we complain. And it's about Gafford's +/- .... clearly the result of Wemby's three-point shooting in one-half of one game. The guy is a freakishly tall ROY candidate who takes big centers out on the perimeter every single game. It didn't matter who was guarding him.

Tough crowd.

[surfpuckmd]

One of the things I said when Exum was starting was it would be hard to dislodge him because starter Exum was dramatically better than off-the-bench Exum.  As a reminder, starter Exum in 14 games was 14.5, 3.6 and 4.4 with a TS% of .720 and a 3% of .533.  Off the bench the shooting is .565 and .350.

Well, starter Green is looking pretty good too.  For the full season as a starter he's 10.6/4/2.5 with a .630 TS% and a .436% from three.  Those last 2 numbers are .561, .389 off the bench.  If you isolate the 20 starts since he returned from injury, the scoring goes up to 12 and the 3% goes up to .454.  For his last 16 games he's averaging 4.5 three attempts per game (hitting 48% of them).  

I heard someone (maybe Dameris) describe PJ as a 'Swiss Army knife' because he has a variety of skills offensively and can guard multiple positions well.  I think you can apply that label to Josh, Exum (and maybe Maxi) also.  In fact, the roster kind of looks like this if you think in terms of stars, SAK's and specialists:

Star:  Luka, Kyrie (I think we'll put Lively here eventually)
S.A.K.:  PJ, Green, Exum and Maxi
Specialist:  THJ, DJJ and Gafford

THJ and DJJ are two sides of the same coin.  I don't know that we need another star, we just need to turn 'the Juniors' into a single player with the skills possessed by both (another Swiss Army Knife).  I really wonder how much run either of them will get in the playoffs when rotations tighten.

A word about Gafford...there was some hand-wringing in the game thread about his +/- compared to Lively.  The team got off to a disastrous start (-13 before Gafford subbed out).  Wemby went nuts and Ky-Luka went 1/7 during that time.  I didn't see anyone point out that Gafford was +13 to start the second half.  Wemby was 0/3 and Ky-Luka went 6/9.  I'm sure the reason no one mentioned it was that it was all Gafford's fault that we got off to a slow start and he had nothing to do with the good team play to start the second half.  Could we please give it a couple weeks before we try to anoint him as the new Powell here that everyone is supposed to hate.  He ended up +2 with a double double and .714 from the field.  Just two more weeks.  That's all I'm asking.  Our bench is going to crush people when everyone is healthy.

Thank you for the kind words on Josh Green.  He continues to develop into the perfect wing to start next to Kyrie and Luka.  Low usage and high efficiency on offense.  He's taking more 3-pointers which is exactly what everyone has clamored for.  The usage increases appropriately when either Kyrie or Luka are off the court.  Smart role players play their part.  Kidd deserves some credit for raising Josh right.  The defensive effort and athleticism still look great.  I continue to hope the defensive impact will improve with experience and coaching.

[Winter]

Thank you for the kind words on Josh Green.  He continues to develop into the perfect wing to start next to Kyrie and Luka.  Low usage and high efficiency on offense.  He's taking more 3-pointers which is exactly what everyone has clamored for.  The usage increases appropriately when either Kyrie or Luka are off the court.  Smart role players play their part.  Kidd deserves some credit for raising Josh right.  The defensive effort and athleticism still look great.  I continue to hope the defensive impact will improve with experience and coaching.

Ditto about the FO's commitment to Green. I didn't think he was capable of starting two years ago, but Kidd and the FO deserve some credit for their commitment (and it may be the same for Hardy). This strikes me as another change in the Mavericks organization. I'm not sure when and how it happened, but it feels different. The cultivation of our draft picks feels almost unfamiliar relative to the two decades before.

[omahen]

Pj hasn't hit his shots yet, but it looks like he has more variety than just waiting at the three point line.  He has has some nice drives and cuts.   Maybe he will get some putbacks as well.   I think the team needs guys who can put pressure at the rim.  Luka likes people to stay in spots, but I think Gafford and PJ can add some versatility here.   There will be rough spots until they get more comfortable together.

I was thinking of next year lineups.  Luka, Kyrie are your starting guards.   Exum is your third guard.  Hardy finds 15-20 minutes that could lead to a better role if he is capable of it.   5th guard is an important spot though...especially with injuries.   

Josh is the SF.  Exum can play some minutes here too.  I think another SF needs to be added.  As you mention, maybe that isn't a star.   DFS is more of a PF now, but maybe he fits.   Bruce Brown?  Thybule?   I think one of those guys could be the target.

PF is PJ and Maxi.  Behind that it is a little tough.  Is DJJ brought back?  Will Omax be ready?   

Center is Lively & Gafford with Maxi getting some minutes.  Dwight is your guy right out of the rotation who will be ready to fill in.    

Maxi and Exum's injuries are the main concerns.  If either is hurt it leads us really short at both positions.   Exum is concerning because we really need him as a third ball handler.

So this offseason, I would look for a player at SF at or near Josh's level, add a young 5th guard who can run the offense if there are injuries and really work hard on Omax to get him ready to at least get some rotation minutes.  If Omax is not ready, then we may need to look for a low priced veteran as insurance.

My two way guys next year are all guys in the 6'6 to 6'10 range who may be missing something but someone I would want to try to develop.

I still maintain that if this team proves to be not strong enough, the only possible serious upgrade would be in the form of a third best man on offense, who is also very good on defense. I don't think shuffling role players will ever bring the result. The offensive role and opportunity comes in place of Hardaway. So an important thing would imho be to create some sets for the third best guy (that is not Hardaway), to do a little bit of an ISO. That way all potential third best guys could see their role on the team. As it is now, Hardaway (and to an extent Hardy) are more or less the only guys doing a bit of ISO. In both cases this mostly means shooting a contested shot. PJ could offer more versatility to the role.

[Jason Terry]

One of the things I said when Exum was starting was it would be hard to dislodge him because starter Exum was dramatically better than off-the-bench Exum.  As a reminder, starter Exum in 14 games was 14.5, 3.6 and 4.4 with a TS% of .720 and a 3% of .533.  Off the bench the shooting is .565 and .350.

Well, starter Green is looking pretty good too.  For the full season as a starter he's 10.6/4/2.5 with a .630 TS% and a .436% from three.  Those last 2 numbers are .561, .389 off the bench.  If you isolate the 20 starts since he returned from injury, the scoring goes up to 12 and the 3% goes up to .454.  For his last 16 games he's averaging 4.5 three attempts per game (hitting 48% of them).  

I heard someone (maybe Dameris) describe PJ as a 'Swiss Army knife' because he has a variety of skills offensively and can guard multiple positions well.  I think you can apply that label to Josh, Exum (and maybe Maxi) also.  In fact, the roster kind of looks like this if you think in terms of stars, SAK's and specialists:

Star:  Luka, Kyrie (I think we'll put Lively here eventually)
S.A.K.:  PJ, Green, Exum and Maxi
Specialist:  THJ, DJJ and Gafford

THJ and DJJ are two sides of the same coin.  I don't know that we need another star, we just need to turn 'the Juniors' into a single player with the skills possessed by both (another Swiss Army Knife).  I really wonder how much run either of them will get in the playoffs when rotations tighten.

A word about Gafford...there was some hand-wringing in the game thread about his +/- compared to Lively.  The team got off to a disastrous start (-13 before Gafford subbed out).  Wemby went nuts and Ky-Luka went 1/7 during that time.  I didn't see anyone point out that Gafford was +13 to start the second half.  Wemby was 0/3 and Ky-Luka went 6/9.  I'm sure the reason no one mentioned it was that it was all Gafford's fault that we got off to a slow start and he had nothing to do with the good team play to start the second half.  Could we please give it a couple weeks before we try to anoint him as the new Powell here that everyone is supposed to hate.  He ended up +2 with a double double and .714 from the field.  Just two more weeks.  That's all I'm asking.  Our bench is going to crush people when everyone is healthy.

Combining THJ and DJJ seems like the upgrade. I’m struggling to come up with any names that bring everything to the table

We want the size/length/athleticism of DJJ along with his perimeter/on ball defense. Combine that with a lights out shooter. 

Creation/distribution and dribble penetration seem like wishful thinking for this player. Also, a volume 3 level 3rd scorer that averages 25 seems like too much to ask. A player who can do everything is an all star. 

Bruce Brown is an available name i keep coming back to. There’s multiple players in that size/ability range that could be options. Are those players big enough? Green is undersized, so it would be nice to have someone closer to the size of DJJ 

I hope we stay patient. Running it back with THJ and DJJ is a good option as well to give us more time to find the right deal. Also, long term it’s possible Omax grows into that role

[surfpuckmd]

I still maintain that if this team proves to be not strong enough, the only possible serious upgrade would be in the form of a third best man on offense, who is also very good on defense. I don't think shuffling role players will ever bring the result. The offensive role and opportunity comes in place of Hardaway. So an important thing would imho be to create some sets for the third best guy (that is not Hardaway), to do a little bit of an ISO. That way all potential third best guys could see their role on the team. As it is now, Hardaway (and to an extent Hardy) are more or less the only guys doing a bit of ISO. In both cases this mostly means shooting a contested shot. PJ could offer more versatility to the role.

I think they're hoping someone currently on the roster becomes that 3rd-best guy.  PJ, Josh Green and Jaden Hardy all have that potential although I don't think Hardy will ever be a good defender.  He is getting better on that end.

I hope we'll just be patient for a year and let the roster work itself out.  Two of our best moves over the past few years were the Dante Exum and DJJ vet minimum pickups.  I hope they'll take some similar bets this coming summer with some reclamation projects or undervalued young veteran players.

If there's still an obvious gap as we approach next year's trade deadline, we'll have THJ as an expiring and a couple 1st-round picks to include to obtain that third-best guy. 

I hope for a little patience from the Maverick front office until that time.  The only exception would be for coaching.  If we don't win a playoff series, it will be time for a new head coach.  Kidd is obviously looking better on a 6-game win streak but I think we would be better off with a different head coach.

[Jason Terry]

I think they're hoping someone currently on the roster becomes that 3rd-best guy.  PJ, Josh Green and Jaden Hardy all have that potential although I don't think Hardy will ever be a good defender.  He is getting better on that end.

I hope we'll just be patient for a year and let the roster work itself out.  Two of our best moves over the past few years were the Dante Exum and DJJ vet minimum pickups.  I hope they'll take some similar bets this coming summer with some reclamation projects or undervalued young veteran players.

If there's still an obvious gap as we approach next year's trade deadline, we'll have THJ as an expiring and a couple 1st-round picks to include to obtain that third-best guy. 

I hope for a little patience from the Maverick front office until that time.  The only exception would be for coaching.  If we don't win a playoff series, it will be time for a new head coach.  Kidd is obviously looking better on a 6-game win streak but I think we would be better off with a different head coach.

This is where I’m at as well. The current group needs to prove it first. 

Firing Kidd is our ace in the hole. It requires zero assets. If for whatever reason this team doesn’t work out, then Kidd will be the scapegoat

If we don’t have success you know Luka would be furious. Replacing Kidd would buy us some time with Luka. 

Lets hope it doesn’t come to that

[KillerLeft]

C'mon man, how is OMax going to stop Wemby when far better players can't? I can understand rooting for the guy, but sheesh, hyperbole much?

I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic or not, but I’ll respond.

it is beyond obvious that I am talking about my projection of O-Max. The fully developed version, not the current. You do realize that there is literally not a single other player in the NBA at that size who can move the way he does, correct? Maybe Patrick Williams, but he never really developed. Maybe Jonathan Isaac, if he can stay healthy.

I get it, you have already decided he sucks. I think you’re wrong, so let’s just leave it at that. No need to chase all of my O-Max posts around, because trust me, there are going to be a lot of them! I’m sorry if my excitement about the future of a young Mavs player annoys you, but I don’t know what I can do about that, if anything.

[KillerLeft]

THJ and DJJ are two sides of the same coin.  I don't know that we need another star, we just need to turn 'the Juniors' into a single player with the skills possessed by both (another Swiss Army Knife).  I really wonder how much run either of them will get in the playoffs when rotations tighten.

You have made other connections like this before that I have vehemently disagreed with, but I think from the place where the team is right now I am in lockstep with the concept above.

[mvossman]

Pj hasn't hit his shots yet, but it looks like he has more variety than just waiting at the three point line.  He has has some nice drives and cuts.   Maybe he will get some putbacks as well.   I think the team needs guys who can put pressure at the rim.  Luka likes people to stay in spots, but I think Gafford and PJ can add some versatility here.   There will be rough spots until they get more comfortable together.

I was thinking of next year lineups.  Luka, Kyrie are your starting guards.   Exum is your third guard.  Hardy finds 15-20 minutes that could lead to a better role if he is capable of it.   5th guard is an important spot though...especially with injuries.   

Josh is the SF.  Exum can play some minutes here too.  I think another SF needs to be added.  As you mention, maybe that isn't a star.   DFS is more of a PF now, but maybe he fits.   Bruce Brown?  Thybule?   I think one of those guys could be the target.

PF is PJ and Maxi.  Behind that it is a little tough.  Is DJJ brought back?  Will Omax be ready?   

Center is Lively & Gafford with Maxi getting some minutes.  Dwight is your guy right out of the rotation who will be ready to fill in.    

Maxi and Exum's injuries are the main concerns.  If either is hurt it leads us really short at both positions.   Exum is concerning because we really need him as a third ball handler.

So this offseason, I would look for a player at SF at or near Josh's level, add a young 5th guard who can run the offense if there are injuries and really work hard on Omax to get him ready to at least get some rotation minutes.  If Omax is not ready, then we may need to look for a low priced veteran as insurance.

My two way guys next year are all guys in the 6'6 to 6'10 range who may be missing something but someone I would want to try to develop.

I really think when constructing lineups it makes more sense to focus on the defensive side of the ball.  There are more constraints on that side.  Offensively, you need to have enough creation, and don't want more than one non shooter.  You could put Luka and Kyire out there with 3 guards and dominate offensively.  You don't do that because of the other side of the court.

From a defensive perspective, Luka is a forward.  You are not going to see him chasing around quick guards.  He is probably at his best defensively guarding power forwards.  That means you are looking at:

Centers:  Lively/Gafford/Powell
Forwards: Luka/PJ/Maxi/DJJ/Omax
Guards: Kyrie/Green/Exum/Timmy/Hardy

Its actually a very well balanced roster.  The real question is who is a contending worthy starter after those top three?

[mvossman]

A word about Gafford...there was some hand-wringing in the game thread about his +/- compared to Lively.  The team got off to a disastrous start (-13 before Gafford subbed out).  Wemby went nuts and Ky-Luka went 1/7 during that time.  I didn't see anyone point out that Gafford was +13 to start the second half.  Wemby was 0/3 and Ky-Luka went 6/9.  I'm sure the reason no one mentioned it was that it was all Gafford's fault that we got off to a slow start and he had nothing to do with the good team play to start the second half.  Could we please give it a couple weeks before we try to anoint him as the new Powell here that everyone is supposed to hate.  He ended up +2 with a double double and .714 from the field.  Just two more weeks.  That's all I'm asking.  Our bench is going to crush people when everyone is healthy.

Its interesting.  I have seen more posts defending Gafford than bashing him.  Most of the bashing posts read more pro Lively than Gafford bashing.  Its not even in the same ballpark as the hate Powell gets regularly.  I will say that Gafford has a history of his on court impact trailing his prolific stats.  Its not just 3 games, its a career trend.  Does not mean it will play out that way here, but it is something to keep an eye on.  Is that bashing?

[The Jom]

I really think when constructing lineups it makes more sense to focus on the defensive side of the ball.  There are more constraints on that side.  Offensively, you need to have enough creation, and don't want more than one non shooter.  You could put Luka and Kyire out there with 3 guards and dominate offensively.  You don't do that because of the other side of the court.

From a defensive perspective, Luka is a forward.  You are not going to see him chasing around quick guards.  He is probably at his best defensively guarding power forwards.  That means you are looking at:

Centers:  Lively/Gafford/Powell
Forwards: Luka/PJ/Maxi/DJJ/Omax
Guards: Kyrie/Green/Exum/Timmy/Hardy

Its actually a very well balanced roster.  The real question is who is a contending worthy starter after those top three?

Agree with this. Just replying to point out that Timmy has played a lot of forward this year. And Green/Exum, on the defensive side, play a much different (and more important) role than Kyrie, Hardy, and Tim (when he’s a guard). I like to think of our starting lineup as needing someone to defend the better guard so Kyrie doesn’t have to and someone to defend the better forward so Luka doesn’t have to.

[dirkfansince1998]

Its interesting.  I have seen more posts defending Gafford than bashing him.  Most of the bashing posts read more pro Lively than Gafford bashing.  Its not even in the same ballpark as the hate Powell gets regularly.  I will say that Gafford has a history of his on court impact trailing his prolific stats.  Its not just 3 games, its a career trend.  Does not mean it will play out that way here, but it is something to keep an eye on.  Is that bashing?

Shinny new toy syndrom. I dared to mention that Grant Williams defense wasn't as good as advertised and that he couldn't stay in front of his matchup earlier in the season and was getting the same treatment. Reading some of the post from october and november is hilarious.