(12-03-2020, 04:27 PM)KillerLeft Wrote:(12-03-2020, 04:03 PM)Jason Terry Wrote: Your main concern is KP isn’t a ball handler? We have the best ball handler in the entire world. No meaningful minute of basketball should be played without the ball in his hands. Period. Obviously the MBT feels the same way.
If this were true, and I don't think it is, then why all the dozens of quotes about needing a "secondary playmaker?"
Did you watch the playoffs last year? I watched every minute of them from the 2nd round on. What you're describing is the Houston Rockets, and even THEY had Westbrook on the floor (as poorly used as he was). Every other successful team put multiple players on the floor during crunch time who could pressure the defense and make decisions with the ball in their hands. Every single one of them.
In addition to his defense, what did Carlisle talk about the other day with Richardson? That's right - his ability to make plays off of the dribble. Remember Jason Terry, your account's namesake? The Mavericks didn't have a single guy on the team with even that guy's mediocre playmaking ability, which is why they drank so heavily from the Trey Burke cup against the Clippers. He was a miracle.
I could literally write 5,000 words about how important it is to have more than one playmaker on the floor in the modern NBA, but it has been discussed so much around here over the past months that I won't. This is so obviously a concern of theirs that I'm led to believe your passionate response here is born of some misunderstanding of what I'm suggesting. I'm not wanting to take the ball out of Luka's hands at all.
Quote:The guys you’re comparing him to aren’t even close. None of Maxi, Bertans, Ibaka and Tucker can both shoot at an elite level AND rim protect at the level of KP.
They ARE close at the ONE skill I was highlighting in that particular bullet point, yes. The overall puzzle of all skills combined doesn't actually factor into his value unless those skills are utilized HERE on THIS team. You're saying he's paid more than those guys because he can do more, and I agree (but probably wouldn't be so quick to go to defense as his 2nd best skill, lol). The point is that if he's locked in here at a max and those skills don't get used here, I think that could be a problem, ESPECIALLY if the contract reduces flexibility, which it clearly will after next summer.
Quote:Do you seriously think if Jokic were here that the offense would be ran through him with Luka on the court?
Yep. Especially while Luka was resting, or if (God forbid) he ever got hurt. I also think Carlisle's actions work better with MULTIPLE people involved who can create for others. I can say this would be worked into Carlisle's system without the slightest hesitation.
Quote:You admit your post doesn’t even discuss the defensive end. Why on earth is offense even a topic of conversation? Straight from the horses mouth Rick is out there making jokes about the best offense in the galaxy and how it DOES NOT MATTER. Nothing matters without defense. KP going down means very little offensively. Without his rim protection we do not have a chance in the playoffs. It is 100% about his health.
Another thing we've talked about a lot around here this off-season is defense. I actually think defense is the WORST thing about KP's game. I think he's legitimately a PROBLEM for the Mavs on that end. Most regular readers know this about me, so I didn't include defense in this, particular argument just to avoid beating people over the head with it (again).
Now, he IS useful as a rim protector. But I believe that more and more, guys like him will be exposed as we move further into the spread pick and roll era. Give me a 6'10" guy who can MOVE, personally. I think KP can be used effectively, and in some situations his length will certainly come in handy, but I don't think he's the defensive cornerstone some people believe he is. He's not Gobert, for example.
Quote:We will go as far as Luka takes us. All the talk in the FA/trade thread about sEcOnDaRy pLaYmAkEr. That’s such a small need that we can fill it with a guy off the streets like Burke for 3 mill a year. 2011 was won on defense and so will the next one. The MBT feels the same way
Well, I agree and I disagree.
Yes, Luka is the special sauce. He's the reason we're even talking about this right now.
Yes, Burke filled that role in the playoffs...but, they lost. Again, EVERY team who advanced had multiple playmakers.
Yes, defense was ALSO a problem, and yes, it has been addressed. It should be better this year.
I guess I just have a much healthier respect for how difficult it is to win an NBA championship than you do. If you honestly believe Luka, KP and 3 defenders can do it, then I'm not sure we'll find much common ground. I think THAT is super far from reality. I think that if that's the approach (it isn't, the MBT does not agree with you, thank God) then we're destined to follow a repeat of Dirk's sad, "what if" career.
I want more. You should, too.
(12-03-2020, 04:07 PM)ItsGoTime Wrote: For sure in NY, and with that being the case, not sure why you don't point to RC's offense as the reason for it being less here as opposed to his ABILITY to do it. If he has the ABILITY, then it is on the coach to unlock it, especially with as much control as RC has on his team (not a bad thing, just a circumstance with which KP finds himself).
As far as here? To state again, I saw it when Luka went to the bench and KP showed much more ABILITY like he did in NY. There were moments of it with Luka on the floor, just not as much.
Ok, so we're starting to get somewhere, great.
You're saying, I think, that you feel confident that KP can carry the water if/when Luka misses a big stretch?
Ok, I can meet you halfway there, only I'm not as comfortable with the idea that they'd have to drastically alter their approach to accomplish this. And, (this is the big one for me) I don't think Luka being a 100% handler is ENOUGH, even when they're all healthy.
So, if he CAN do it here, I want to SEE him do it here. That's my whole point.
KL, you are a prolific poster. I have a million things I want to say on this subject and I can't keep up. haha. I think that Porzingis does a lot of the things you are asking for (outside of the "get down on the post and throw him the ball" stuff that RC specifically frowns on). Part of his limitation is that he IS a big. Outside of Jokic, there aren't really big man creators - and I think KP has a lot of quickness/driving advantages over him. There are hybrids, like Simmons/Lebron and even I would throw Doncic in that group. But sometimes, I think you are pointing out the way he is used, and ignoring his positives. On the above list of elite bigs, (if you rule out health), the only player I would want over Porzingis is Embiid and possibly Jokic. I think KP/Towns are a wash (kp better on d, Towns better on O). That is the list. Well, and AD. THAT is the list. All the other players I would trade KP for (again, excluding health) are wings or guards.
It has been said, but when KP/Luka are not on the floor together, or when Luka missed a stretch of games in Jan, KP thrived as a primary "star" on this team. He was dropping 30pt double doubles with regularity. That said, he is not asked to be a distributor on this team - and mainly because of the fact that he isn't used in the same way as Dirk where the point of his action was to post (usually high or elbow) and either take advantage of a mismatch or draw a double and kick. That action is seldom used in the current Mavs playbook. But KP puts the ball on the floor and does kick out passes. Attacking cloesouts is a staple of his game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsESmdKDt5Q&ab_channel=LilShawn424
Where I agree with you is that the Mavs have a unique window in the next year to actually add a player that could make KP #3 on this team... If the Mavs are able to do that, they are a dynasty.