A Few Thoughts on Mavs 107, Raptors 110

[omahen]

I don't think Carlisle ever dreamed they would blow a 30 point lead.

The concern I have is this team mentality. They almost managed to blow 11 point lead to Milwaukee in 40 seconds. We soon found out they learned absolutely nothing from that 40 seconds as they managed to blow 30 point lead in some 8 minutes against Toronto. They regained lead less than minute before the end and yet again just allowed Toronto to dunk the ball in a couple of seconds. Unacceptable! They were in a very good position against Miami with 4 point lead in the last minute. They held a 3 point lead agains LAL with a couple of seconds left and a foul to give and allowed open 3 point shot. I don't care refs should call a foul on Howard. These are all things that should not happen. Once it is not a problem. Several times in a couple of months it is starting to concern me. 

The problem in these situations is not so much on the offensive side. It was also bad, but they did score over 20 points in those last 14 minutes, which should be more than enough. The problem is on the defensive side. They allowed 55 points in 14 minutes against Toronto!!! I am not impatient and they should get time to learn. Or we should bring in a veteran that will handle those end of games situations on the defensive side.

[ClutchDirk]

https://i.redd.it/mbqspu4x2s541.jpg

[ItsGoTime]

You know it was a bad game when mavsluvr can't/won't explain it away. However, we're still better record-wise by far where I thought they would be, again, playing with house money. I just hope there is a payoff to RC's teaching moments of adversity.

[fifteenth]

You know it was a bad game when mavsluvr can't/won't explain it away.

mavsluvr doesn't explain things away

[StepBackJay]

https://i.redd.it/mbqspu4x2s541.jpg

I mean if last night wasn't an emergency then I don't know what is. I do wonder if Rick turns to JJB in playoff situations. I am not sure Brunson is ready for crunch time playoff minutes.

[bartlettbear]

Shitty boxing out AGAIN. 

Fortunately KP recovers to block the shot.

I don't think Carlisle ever dreamed they would blow a 30 point lead.

The concern I have is this team mentality. They almost managed to blow 11 point lead to Milwaukee in 40 seconds. We soon found out they learned absolutely nothing from that 40 seconds as they managed to blow 30 point lead in some 8 minutes against Toronto. They regained lead less than minute before the end and yet again just allowed Toronto to dunk the ball in a couple of seconds. Unacceptable! They were in a very good position against Miami with 4 point lead in the last minute. They held a 3 point lead agains LAL with a couple of seconds left and a foul to give and allowed open 3 point shot. I don't care refs should call a foul on Howard. These are all things that should not happen. Once it is not a problem. Several times in a couple of months it is starting to concern me. 

The problem in these situations is not so much on the offensive side. It was also bad, but they did score over 20 points in those last 14 minutes, which should be more than enough. The problem is on the defensive side. They allowed 55 points in 14 minutes against Toronto!!! I am not impatient and they should get time to learn. Or we should bring in a veteran that will handle those end of games situations on the defensive side.

Yup nothing learned nothing as been learned in a decade, RC is more prepared than JG but tbe outcome in games like this as been the same for a long time. The willingness not to change what you do at the end of games is just stubborness.
Luka is amazing he will win you games like this , so did Dirk. Mavs are fournate they have two top ten players of all time for 35 years.

[Kammrath]

“Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” - C.S. Lewis

[ItsGoTime]

mavsluvr doesn't explain things away

Here I thought he was pretty good at that. Someone comes up with an issue, mavsluvr explains through counterpoint, the issue mostly goes away. Explaining things away.

[vfromlmf]

The concern I have is this team mentality. They almost managed to blow 11 point lead to Milwaukee in 40 seconds. We soon found out they learned absolutely nothing

There were no consequences against the Bucks. The Mavs let up but they won anyway. 

Last night was different. 

I saw them lose their confidence, toughness and edge. Then they lost the game. 

Tough lesson for a second year point guard making only his 45th start in the NBA. I bet the learn from this one.

[omahen]

Tough lesson for a second year point guard making only his 45th start in the NBA. I bet the learn from this one.

Offense was bad but it wasn't a problem. They allowed 47 points in a quarter after playing great defense for three quarters.

[Dahlsim]

I don't think Carlisle ever dreamed they would blow a 30 point lead.

.....

The problem in these situations is not so much on the offensive side. It was also bad, but they did score over 20 points in those last 14 minutes, which should be more than enough. The problem is on the defensive side. They allowed 55 points in 14 minutes against Toronto!!! I am not impatient and they should get time to learn. Or we should bring in a veteran that will handle those end of games situations on the defensive side.

Pretty much every NBA coach I hear now for years has been saying its all about defense and this makes sense because defensive effort and focus is something the players can control.  Offensively sometimes the ball is just not falling in.  As a coach on offense you can get the right players good shots (which of course guys on the bench can't shoot) but mostly you're going to drill your team about a defensive collapse. 

Truth is though efficient offense goes back to the old best defense is a good offense which still has some truth to it.  if you're scoring, the other team is taking the ball out of the basket and you're setting your defense.  That is good offense helping defense.  If you're scoring, you're not turning the ball over, so you're doing something right there and that's definitely going to help your defense.  

So while defense is #1, because players can control it more, the offense also impacts the defense.  20 pts a quarter is 80 a game, so not really ok.  If the Mavericks scored a few more points than it also likely means they would have gave up a few less points and they would have preserved the big lead enough to win the game.

[vfromlmf]

Game recap:

Bouche: "So that's what opening up a can of whoop-ass feels like."

Coach: "Son, you just opened up a whole case of whoop-ass."

[BigDirk41]

This loss is on the players. Could RC have changed the outcome with going to veterans such as JJB? Most likely he could, but he wanted his guys to learn to play through adversity. Anyone can ball when everything is going right. So while Rick possibly could have won had he gone a different route with rotations, this falls on the players for falling apart, making bad decisions, getting out hustled etc. Maybe Rick wanted to prove a point to his team with what he did. Regardless had players done their jobs, we wouldn't be having this discussion. The players just choked, simple as that.

All that being said, it's just 1 loss and I think everyone can agree we most likely would won every game this stretch with Luka. Luka is clutch as hell so I'm not putting any stock in yesterday's loss. We did better than I expected without Luka so I can't complain. Luka will be back soon and we'll go back to crushing teams. On to the next one.

[ItsGoTime]

Game recap:

Bouche: "So that's what opening up a can of whoop-ass feels like."

Coach: "Son, you just opened up a whole case of whoop-ass."

Bouche: Would you like some ha-ha-ha-high quality H2o?

---

We did better than I expected without Luka so I can't complain.

[fifteenth]

Here I thought he was pretty good at that. Someone comes up with an issue, mavsluvr explains through counterpoint, the issue mostly goes away. Explaining things away.

Aight, I had a different definition in my head

---

After sitting with this for a few hours, I would have given the young guys some help in the form of a little Puerto Rican. 

Maybe I l let them figure it out until the lead gets down to 15. 

You can teach by making them do it. You can also teach by saying "sit here and watch this". 

But, you know, also, everything that Dan said up above somewhere.

[mtrot]

Well, all I know is, the Mavs better figure out how to beat the press, or every team in the league is going to exploit their inability to do so.

[mavsluvr]

After sitting with this for a few hours, I would have given the young guys some help in the form of a little Puerto Rican. 

Maybe I l let them figure it out until the lead gets down to 15. 

You can teach by making them do it. You can also teach by saying "sit here and watch this". 

But, you know, also, everything that Dan said up above somewhere.

I think this is where I have come out, especially after rewatching it and being reminded what a mess it was. Barea, the big men, a change in strategy, something to give them some help. 


I don't fault Rick for trying something that didn't work. However, in retrospect, I think he let it go on too long, and I think he would probably agree with that. 

Phil Jackson was known for not calling timeouts, and letting his players figure out how to get themselves out of jams. But he only did it with starters. When his bench units were on the floor, he would rescue them if they didn't look like resolving the problem. The theory being that those players weren't experienced/good enough to solve strategic problems on the court, and it just ruined their confidence to leave them out there to embarrass themselves. The players Rick had out there mostly don't have a lot of NBA experience redirecting the game on the fly.  

Live and learn.

[SleepingHero]

I haven't witnessed such a colossal collapse like that in a long long time. 


Our guards cannot break a press. Curry, Brunson, Wright, all got swallowed up and shrunk against the pressure of a full court press.

It gave TOR all the momentum they needed. If Luka was here we win that game.

[ItsGoTime]

If Luka was here we win that game.

Seems odd that a team with 4 primary ball handlers and 2 decent ones that we have 2 that can break a press. Someone said it earlier, if this becomes the book on how to beat us, like the zone exposed Phila, our guys might have lots of in game practice with beating it.

[Fuerza1]

Why does Brunson continually get singled out as the late game choker. 

Since Luka has been out, Porzingis is shooting 38% in the 4th quarter; THJ is shooting 31%; both averaging about 4 pts per 4Q. 

His turnovers are blown out of proportion. You guys seem to expect flawless basketball. He is averaging 2 assists per 4Q and 1 turnover since Luka has been out.

Luka averages exactly 1 assist and 1 turnover per 4th quarter all year. The difference is he is an elite go-to scorer, which is what we're missing the most.