A Few Thoughts on Mavs 95, Lakers 108

[StepBackJay]

I saw one of the officials had a Lakers jersey on last night.

[mavsluvr]

We've already heard that there is no intention to play Porzingis inside.

Thanks for all the good comments, Dahl. 


On this particular one, I haven't heard that. (Granted, I haven't heard everything.) If you are referring to Carlisle's refusing to consider posting KP up, I don't think he meant that they were never going to run plays that contemplate KP's getting to the basket. They run plays like that frequently. By "posting up," I think he meant the classic play of backing your man down, which Dirk was famous for, and possibly also plays where a guy faces the basket on the block and battles one or more opponents there. Both those kinds of plays lead to shooting over an opponent, which is inherently a more difficult shot than an open look, and which KP is not very good at, tbqh. 

Enjoyed your observations, as always.

---

Update on the Golden State game --

Marquese Chriss has been fined $35K for shoving Luka. The fine was so hefty because Chriss has a history of this kind of incident.

[Dahlsim]

Mavs Fall to Lakers in Lackluster Showing

A game that had been heavily hyped turned out to be a bit of a yawner. Mavs just didn't have it. 


Game Story and Analytics

The venue was Staples Center. The Lakers were missing DeMarcus Cousins on a long-term rehab. Mavs entered the game at full strength. Both teams were on the second night of a back-to-back. 

The Lakers took the lead toward the end of the first quarter and never surrendered it. In fact, they took a double-digit lead in the second and never surrendered that. The Mavericks lost Tim Hardaway, Jr. to a hamstring injury in the first quarter. Luka fell awkwardly in connection with a Howard foul in the third. He got up, and eventually returned to the game, but didn't look fully himself.  KP was called for his fifth foul in the third quarter. With 4:39 left in the game, and the Mavs down 13, Rick put the starters back in. They missed six shots and fell further behind. Just a night where too many things went wrong. 

Statistically, Dallas lost the game with extremely poor shooting, combined with failure to guard the rim, and 25 points lost on 18 turnovers. The Mavericks actually got up 11 more shots than the Lakers, and took 20 more three-point shots, but couldn't capitalize. The Lakers had a massive 54 points in the paint -- fully half of their total points. The opponent got to the basket pretty much at will, and the Mavs were battling LA's size advantages all night. The Lakers defense had a lot to do with the Mavericks' failure to score, but the Mavs also missed good looks. The Mavs never even produced a run on either end of the court, and kept turning the ball over in barfworthy fashion. 


Remarks
.... 

The refs were letting the Lakers play very rough, and I thought for a while that the Lakers were able to throw the Mavs off with physical (illegal?) moves. I'm sure that was a factor, but on further consideration, the Mavericks looked off from the jump. They appeared lethargic and lacking in intensity the whole game. Maybe the back-to-back caught up to them, although the starters didn't play the full game against GSW. 

I fear that this game might be a preview of what the young Mavs might look like in the playoffs, when they face teams with size and physicality, the refs let them play, and the opponents focus on locking down Luka. The squad doesn't always respond well to pressure., and we saw a number of mental mistakes in this game.
.....  

Keep the faith!

Yes, the Lakers played very rough, they roughed up the Mavericks and that approach won't be an outlier.  
These free flowing pass and shoot ball movement systems can be countered with physical muck up the movement defense and it-ain't-illegal-if-the-ref-don't-call-it defense. 

Let's not forget that Maverick loss to the Lakers earlier that would have been a win if Dwight Howard had not intentionally grabbed Seth Curry just long enough so the ref would miss the call.  Its dirty but intentional and so its part of the game.  This time we get the common foul that could have easily been totally disastrous even season ending or career altering the way that Luka Doncic fell totally unprotected to the floor.  His back and his head.  That's nothing to take lightly.  

I thought it was also a dirty way to rough up Luka while still not being called for a flagrant.   Luka is completely airborne focused on the shot (he needs to start keeping one eye on protecting himself) and Dwight Howard swipes across the top of torso.  At the same time 2 other Lakers are converging on him in the air.  Its dangerous when players are airborne.  Its rough and physical play and it continued all game long. 

On the flip side the Lakers big men absolutely feasted on inside scoring against the Dallas defense inside.  Dwight Howard, Javale McGee and Anthony Davis shot a high enough % that would have beaten the most 3 point shooting %'s even if the Mavs shot well, which they didn't of course because the Lakers didn't give them many good looks. 

Anthony Davis 8 of 12 for 66.7% and 7 of 9 FT. 
Dwight Howard 6 of 7 for 85.7% and  3 of 4 FT. 
Javale McGee 5 of 6 for 83.3%  and 1 of 1 FT. 

That kind of inside 2 point efficiently can beat a 3 point shooting team, even one shooting moderately well. 
I don't expect that to be an outlier game plan, that's a plan teams like the Lakers and Clippers will bring to this high scoring Dallas team.  
Rick Carlisle needs a counter which I'm not sure he's demonstrated he has in his system.

Boban is the only real inside force player I see on this roster and he's not likely to get a chance to do much in a Carlisle offensive system. 
He played all of 3 minutes and plays are not run for his inside scoring talent.  We've already heard that there is no intention to play Porzingis inside.  
So yes, this was back to back trap and they did seem to lack bounce from the start, but there is also a pattern for concern here for Mavs fan hoping this team can really compete for a championship as is rather than competing for a playoff spot. 

All true, but my question is, will the Mavs learn anything from this?  Next time we play the Lakers, will Rick persist in starting Powell, who was completely undersized and ineffective against their bigs?  I would go instead with Maxi, who is clearly stronger and the best interior defender on the team. 

Also, the Mavs should have been fouling them hard enough to make them miss some of those inside shots and make them earn the points on the line.  How can you let Dwight Howard and Javale McGee go 11-13 combined?  I would use up my whole allotment of big men to prevent that.

Tbqh, I'm not confident the Mavs 'learn' much from this.   I suspect it's going to be a battle of systems when Carlisle's Mavs play any of the NBA elites. 

If the Mavs shoot well enough and play to their system strengths they can win against anyone but if the shots aren't falling from the perimeter it could be a long day trying to win half court, let-em-play basketball games without a strong counter attack against the AD/Dwight/Javale type physical matchups inside.

[mavsluvr]

mavsluvr.  I understand the modern trend and analytics. However that also has to be sensibly blended with the abilities of the studs you have. 

GS had 3 of history’s best 3 pt shooters. If that’s the only way to win now then we will never win a title with KP and Luka, neither of whom are very good 3 pt shooters, let alone historical.  

BTW, GS also got mid range play from Livingston and KD is a great shooter from anywhere on the court.  

I am not even asking to change the style completely anyway as much as run set plays (not junk lobs that even Powell can get ) that we can go to time and again in half court sets when defenses get physical. That will be the next step in the evolution of this current core

Agree that the Mavs need to have a better approach when teams get physical. Half-court sets designed to deal with that might help. I tend to think the issues are more youth and a dearth of players built to combat physicality. The Mavs tend to get flustered and fall apart under pressure, and I think that is more or less a growing pain that will improve with experience. In terms of personnel, the Mavs just don't have anyone capable of guarding an AD. The Mavs have a lot of good system players, and I love them all, but there are probably better versions of them out there somewhere, and it will take a little time to develop a championship roster. 


I personally don't think running more half-court sets is necessarily going to move the needle much on the offensive side, although you may be right that it would help a little. Where this team really needs to improve is defensively. I look for them to try to shore up the squad on that end.

[Mapka]

Mavs Fall to Lakers in Lackluster Showing

A game that had been heavily hyped turned out to be a bit of a yawner. Mavs just didn't have it. 


Game Story and Analytics

The venue was Staples Center. The Lakers were missing DeMarcus Cousins on a long-term rehab. Mavs entered the game at full strength. Both teams were on the second night of a back-to-back. 

The Lakers took the lead toward the end of the first quarter and never surrendered it. In fact, they took a double-digit lead in the second and never surrendered that. The Mavericks lost Tim Hardaway, Jr. to a hamstring injury in the first quarter. Luka fell awkwardly in connection with a Howard foul in the third. He got up, and eventually returned to the game, but didn't look fully himself.  KP was called for his fifth foul in the third quarter. With 4:39 left in the game, and the Mavs down 13, Rick put the starters back in. They missed six shots and fell further behind. Just a night where too many things went wrong. 

Statistically, Dallas lost the game with extremely poor shooting, combined with failure to guard the rim, and 25 points lost on 18 turnovers. The Mavericks actually got up 11 more shots than the Lakers, and took 20 more three-point shots, but couldn't capitalize. The Lakers had a massive 54 points in the paint -- fully half of their total points. The opponent got to the basket pretty much at will, and the Mavs were battling LA's size advantages all night. The Lakers defense had a lot to do with the Mavericks' failure to score, but the Mavs also missed good looks. The Mavs never even produced a run on either end of the court, and kept turning the ball over in barfworthy fashion. 


Remarks
.... 

The refs were letting the Lakers play very rough, and I thought for a while that the Lakers were able to throw the Mavs off with physical (illegal?) moves. I'm sure that was a factor, but on further consideration, the Mavericks looked off from the jump. They appeared lethargic and lacking in intensity the whole game. Maybe the back-to-back caught up to them, although the starters didn't play the full game against GSW. 

I fear that this game might be a preview of what the young Mavs might look like in the playoffs, when they face teams with size and physicality, the refs let them play, and the opponents focus on locking down Luka. The squad doesn't always respond well to pressure., and we saw a number of mental mistakes in this game.
.....  

Keep the faith!

Yes, the Lakers played very rough, they roughed up the Mavericks and that approach won't be an outlier.  
These free flowing pass and shoot ball movement systems can be countered with physical muck up the movement defense and it-ain't-illegal-if-the-ref-don't-call-it defense. 

Let's not forget that Maverick loss to the Lakers earlier that would have been a win if Dwight Howard had not intentionally grabbed Seth Curry just long enough so the ref would miss the call.  Its dirty but intentional and so its part of the game.  This time we get the common foul that could have easily been totally disastrous even season ending or career altering the way that Luka Doncic fell totally unprotected to the floor.  His back and his head.  That's nothing to take lightly.  

I thought it was also a dirty way to rough up Luka while still not being called for a flagrant.   Luka is completely airborne focused on the shot (he needs to start keeping one eye on protecting himself) and Dwight Howard swipes across the top of torso.  At the same time 2 other Lakers are converging on him in the air.  Its dangerous when players are airborne.  Its rough and physical play and it continued all game long. 

On the flip side the Lakers big men absolutely feasted on inside scoring against the Dallas defense inside.  Dwight Howard, Javale McGee and Anthony Davis shot a high enough % that would have beaten the most 3 point shooting %'s even if the Mavs shot well, which they didn't of course because the Lakers didn't give them many good looks. 

Anthony Davis 8 of 12 for 66.7% and 7 of 9 FT. 
Dwight Howard 6 of 7 for 85.7% and  3 of 4 FT. 
Javale McGee 5 of 6 for 83.3%  and 1 of 1 FT. 

That kind of inside 2 point efficiently can beat a 3 point shooting team, even one shooting moderately well. 
I don't expect that to be an outlier game plan, that's a plan teams like the Lakers and Clippers will bring to this high scoring Dallas team.  
Rick Carlisle needs a counter which I'm not sure he's demonstrated he has in his system.

Boban is the only real inside force player I see on this roster and he's not likely to get a chance to do much in a Carlisle offensive system. 
He played all of 3 minutes and plays are not run for his inside scoring talent.  We've already heard that there is no intention to play Porzingis inside.  
So yes, this was back to back trap and they did seem to lack bounce from the start, but there is also a pattern for concern here for Mavs fan hoping this team can really compete for a championship as is rather than competing for a playoff spot. 

All true, but my question is, will the Mavs learn anything from this?  Next time we play the Lakers, will Rick persist in starting Powell, who was completely undersized and ineffective against their bigs?  I would go instead with Maxi, who is clearly stronger and the best interior defender on the team. 

Also, the Mavs should have been fouling them hard enough to make them miss some of those inside shots and make them earn the points on the line.  How can you let Dwight Howard and Javale McGee go 11-13 combined?  I would use up my whole allotment of big men to prevent that.

Tbqh, I'm not confident the Mavs 'learn' much from this.   I suspect it's going to be a battle of systems when Carlisle's Mavs play any of the NBA elites. 

If the Mavs shoot well enough and play to their system strengths they can win against anyone but if the shots aren't falling from the perimeter it could be a long day trying to win half court, let-em-play basketball games without a strong counter attack against the AD/Dwight/Javale type physical matchups inside.r

I don't even think not hiting the shots was the main problem, but the live turnovers resulting into transition-lobs to AD, Howard and McGee. Nobody can stop them in this situation.
And them making easy looks took away our transition offense.

Really unsure, if this is something to learn from or best to burn the tape and never look at this again.

Maybe keep the part, where they gamble and win about Lukas crosscourt passes

[mavsluvr]

I don't even think not hiting the shots was the main problem, but the live turnovers resulting into transition-lobs to AD, Howard and McGee. Nobody can stop them in this situation.
And them making easy looks took away our transition offense.

Really unsure, if this is something to learn from or best to burn the tape and never look at this again.

Maybe keep the part, where they gamble and win about Lukas crosscourt passes

Those turnovers were back-breaking. The Lakers made 25 points off of those. 


KP and Luka have both taken to making these long passes that either sail out of bounds or are picked off. Not sure this team is ready for those risky plays yet.

[ItsGoTime]

KP and Luka have both taken to making these long passes that either sail out of bounds or are picked off. Not sure this team is ready for those risky plays yet.

This was the exact discussion had in the last thread. The cross court pass is pretty great when teams aren’t looking for it. Looks like the Lakers possibly studied some film...or Lukas passes weren’t as crisp as they usually are. Probably some combination of both. The thing to watch now is if anything was learned about that from this game.

[Thukydides]

The main issue with this loss to me is the fact that again it was shown that we´re physically not ready to play back to backs, especially Luka obviously isn´t, but also Curry, KP and THJ looked gassed. That doesn´t seem like a huge issue, which should be fixed at least next season. Still it worries me that a 20 year old like Luka can´t get himself into the shape to play 82 games. Having a off night shooting wise always happens, but you shouldn´t put yourself into the situation of giving away games just due to the fact that your body is not ready to compete on consecutive nights. Let´s give him a pass for now, but I surely hope we won´t run into a Jokic-Denver situation with him. The most positive thing about this is the huge gap between games in the playoffs. I´m sure Luka will be a crazy good playoff performer as fatigue seems to be the only thing that can stop him right now.

[TXBamanut]

The main issue with this loss to me is the fact that again it was shown that we´re physically not ready to play back to backs, especially Luka obviously isn´t, but also Curry, KP and THJ looked gassed. That doesn´t seem like a huge issue, which should be fixed at least next season. Still it worries me that a 20 year old like Luka can´t get himself into the shape to play 82 games. Having a off night shooting wise always happens, but you shouldn´t put yourself into the situation of giving away games just due to the fact that your body is not ready to compete on consecutive nights. Let´s give him a pass for now, but I surely hope we won´t run into a Jokic-Denver situation with him. The most positive thing about this is the huge gap between games in the playoffs. I´m sure Luka will be a crazy good playoff performer as fatigue seems to be the only thing that can stop him right now.

The Mavs are 2-2 in B2Bs this season, so I don't think that the Mavs aren't in shape enough to win a back to back.

It might have more to do with the Mavs playing 3 games in 4 nights, losing their #3 scorer and Luka getting injured, while playing one of the best teams in the NBA on the road, than anything else.  It happens.

[Thukydides]

Spent 20 min of the first hour of the new year here in Europe searching for a tool to show me Luka´s stats in back to backs. If anyone know how to extract them, I´d be very interested in those.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Spent 20 min of the first hour of the new year here in Europe searching for a tool to show me Luka´s stats in back to backs. If anyone know how to extract them, I´d be very interested in those.

https://www.espn.com/nba/player/splits/_/id/3945274/luka-doncic

Look at the row for 0 days rest.  This doesn't show both games of a B2B, just the four times he's played a second game in a B2B.  FG% drops to 42% and he only hits 18.8% of his 3's.  PPG is only 23.  Rebounds and Assists go down and TO's go up.  Small sample size, but he's not superman.

[Thukydides]

Thanks a ton. Especially him settling for three pointers as he did tonight against OKC is a huge issue.In my eyes we urgently need a second creator of the dribble. Luka should move to a off ball role at times.