GAME 57: DET (18-41) @ DAL (31-26) | 127-117 win

[omahen]

If we win and POR lose to DEN (without Lillard and on a B2B) we'll be 1 game behind the 6th place. It's still within reach. Come on you Mavs.

It certainly is. Assuming Portland will win 60 % of remaining games (9 out of 15), which would be a normal thing for a playoff team, Mavs can afford to lose max 4 games out of 16 remaining till season end. Portland has Denver 2x, Utah, Brooklyn, Phoenix, Lakers and several games against ok opponents like Atlanta, Boston, Indiana,... But, Mavs need to start winning against the likes of Sacramento...

[Kammrath]

I am quite certain Luka weight is a planned thing.

I am NOT certain about that at all....what makes you so certain? Have you seen a statement that the Mavs think Luka is too thin/light?

[omahen]

I am NOT certain about that at all....what makes you so certain? Have you seen a statement that the Mavs think Luka is too thin/light?

Unfortunately nothing more than "I heard this is planned". Reason being his play style takes too much beating to his body and it makes it easier for him if he is heavier. Slovenia is a small coutnry and we all have a friend, who has a friend, who has a friend, who is a friend of a Luka friend  

On the other hand, you can't claim anyone issued a statement his weight is a problem  

Luka has been a professional all his life, that's why I am not concerned at all at this point. Even as far as conditioning goes, this season is an outlier and it can easily be explained by extraordinary circumstances as it is clear Luka was working to improve his game. I guess there is only so much you can do. Every season he identified biggest weakness and worked on it. Last season it was left hand, this season it was shooting. I would expect conditioning and overall physical preparation will be a huge focus next offseason. If not, then I will be concerned.

[Kammrath]

Even as far as conditioning goes, this season is an outlier

That's where I disagree. I have seen what looks like Luka wearing down in ALL three of his NBA seasons. To me this is a trend now, not an outlier. 

It will be interesting to see if your friend of a friend of a friend is right about Luka's weight. And I am 100% with you that next season is the big one for him in regard to making the needed changes.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

If we win and POR lose to DEN (without Lillard and on a B2B) we'll be 1 game behind the 6th place. It's still within reach. Come on you Mavs.

And Memphis is only a game back of us, and GS and SA are only two back.  Can't lose winnable games, like tonight.  It's a crapshoot the rest of the season to see what teams take control of their destiny.

[omahen]

That's where I disagree. I have seen what looks like Luka wearing down in ALL three of his NBA seasons.

I agree with the fact he is wearing down. I disagree with the cause for it. I think he is simply used too much and it is not good either for team nor him. Offense constructed just around Luka is one dimensional and high usage also effectively prevents him from playing defense. Mavs should reduce his load on offense and his overall performance will be more balanced, imho.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I agree with the fact he is wearing down. I disagree with the cause for it. I think he is simply used too much and it is not good either for team nor him. Offense constructed just around Luka is one dimensional and high usage also effectively prevents him from playing defense. Mavs should reduce his load on offense and his overall performance will be more balanced, imho.

Ain't that the truth. He's being depended on way too much. I look at the move the Clippers made getting Rondo. They've needed a true PG, and he fits like a glove. They are the hottest team in the league currently and are 8-1 since acquiring him.  Dallas needs another ball handler, plain and simple to take some facilitator pressure off Luka.

[KillerLeft]

Dallas needs another ball handler, plain and simple to take some facilitator pressure off Luka.

Definitely. And this is why they keep letting Richardson do more handling than he should, and why they keep trotting Burke out there, hoping he'll do better: because they know they need this. Fans wonder why Carlisle allows these things because they can see that they hurt the team, but he knows that without finding another playmaker it's all a moot point. He's desperately trying to find more playmaking, and those are the two most likely to provide it on this roster. Clearly, they won't, and I'm sure he knows this, but it doesn't change the glaring need.

[Kammrath]

I agree with the fact he is wearing down. I disagree with the cause for it. I think he is simply used too much and it is not good either for team nor him.

So yes, he IS being used too much for his current level of conditioning. But if he gets to elite superstar conditioning he CAN maintain this level of use as many superstars have done.

[omahen]

But if he gets to elite superstar conditioning he CAN maintain this level of use as many superstars have done.

Luka is number two on usage and number two on number of drives in the league. Rarely there is a high usage player that has the energy to play defense, with GA perhaps being the only exception. But there is a lot to wish for regarding his technique, shooting etc. Which clearly shows in the playoffs, where good teams were always able to limit his impact. LeBron, Harden and more of them only start playing defense in play-offs. Luka on the other hand has absolutely elite technique - by this I mainly mean footwork, use of body. He has mastered techniques that others need a decade of proffesional basketball to do and some never do. I assume he worked very hard on those skills, I doubt they were just god given. There is only so much you can do in a given time. If Luka spends all his energy on conditioning, will his game (shooting, technique,...) still progress? Or perhaps even regress? I don't know.

[Kammrath]

If Luka spends all his energy on conditioning, will his game (shooting, technique,...) still progress? Or perhaps even regress? I don't know.

To be clear, more than anything else I would want Luka to adopt a strict DIET like Dirk or Nash did. I feel like I have heard that he has quite the sweet tooth. I think his diet is more my concern than the amount of "conditioning" work he is putting in, if that makes sense.

[jesusshuttlesworth82]

So yes, he IS being used too much for his current level of conditioning. But if he gets to elite superstar conditioning he CAN maintain this level of use as many superstars have done.

Luka and Embiid have the highest usage percentage in the NBA.  And Embiid got a month off with his injury.  Plus he doesnt bring the ball up the court on every possession.  

Perhaps he doesnt have Steph Curry level conditioning but it's really just nitpicking.  Getting him some ballhandling/playmaking help is higher on my list of wants than Luka's conditioning.  

(Honestly, that's my biggest pet peeve as a Mavs fan.  People look at the offensive rating and defensive rating of the team but we DESPERATELY NEED another offensive player.  This dude is being run into the ground.  We're the Harden Rockets.  It's almost not fun to watch anymore.)

[SleepingHero]

So yes, he IS being used too much for his current level of conditioning. But if he gets to elite superstar conditioning he CAN maintain this level of use as many superstars have done.

I don't think there is a realistic level of conditioning Luka can get to so as to maintain this type of load for an entire season.

There have been very few players in the history of the league that has the amount of load Luka has ever had. And those players usually have had MUCH more help.

Mavs just need to get better. Simple as that. Or Carlisle needs to rework the offense so it's not Luka dribbling for 20 seconds and making a single pass to a DFS/Maxi spot up which results in a missed 3.

[Chicagojk]

While depressed after the recent lackluster and uninspired play, I went back and re-watched the full season highlights last year of Green and Terry.    I would not have picked Green at 18 and I think most draft sites had 3-4 guys ahead of him who were still available at 18.   Although, I still think he is an interesting prospect.   He needs a spot in the rotation next year.    Maybe it is a 10 minute a game spot, maybe more.   I think it will be a bad sign if he does not get consistent minutes next year.    The Mavs made the decision to finally invest in youth.   While 3 out of four rookies are a little raw, they need to start giving at least one room to run next year. 

edit- let me add that Green is such a graceful runner.   We have seen this in his limited play this year.   In his highlights from college, he is often one of the first players down on the other court and got a lot of easy baskets that way.   I think he would greatly see the benefit if we played at a quicker style.   


I think Terry is a little further off and him not being with the team now certainly hinders growth.  I hope he is ok.   I read that he had an infant brother who passed away from SIDS in High school and this may be the reason for his absence.   I saw on reddit that he never properly grieved and his brother's birthdate hit him hard.   Who knows if that is just baseless chatter though.

[michaeltex]

Definitely. And this is why they keep letting Richardson do more handling than he should, and why they keep trotting Burke out there, hoping he'll do better: because they know they need this. Fans wonder why Carlisle allows these things because they can see that they hurt the team, but he knows that without finding another playmaker it's all a moot point. He's desperately trying to find more playmaking, and those are the two most likely to provide it on this roster. Clearly, they won't, and I'm sure he knows this, but it doesn't change the glaring need.

Wasn't this another aspect of Curry's game we traded away?

[KillerLeft]

Wasn't this another aspect of Curry's game we traded away?

Playmaking? I never thought so, no. He was there in the playoffs, but it was actually "Bubble Burke" who gave the team a much needed boost. Curry's absence certainly seems to have negatively impacted the spacing more than I thought it would though.

[StepBackJay]

Playmaking? I never thought so, no. He was there in the playoffs, but it was actually "Bubble Burke" who gave the team a much needed boost. Curry's absence certainly seems to have negatively impacted the spacing more than I thought it would though.

Curry was more of a scorer than playmaker. Brunson has picked up some of that slack. Curry and Burke had great chemistry in the playoffs so it's too bad that we didn't get to see more of that.

[michaeltex]

Playmaking? I never thought so, no. He was there in the playoffs, but it was actually "Bubble Burke" who gave the team a much needed boost. Curry's absence certainly seems to have negatively impacted the spacing more than I thought it would though.

Seems like he showed some ball handling ability on occasion, but his role was never primarily as a point guard so I may be remembering some isolated instances.

[cow]

Seems like he showed some ball handling ability on occasion, but his role was never primarily as a point guard so I may be remembering some isolated instances.

He could definitely create shots for himself off the dribble.

[michaeltex]

I'm hoping for the best tonight. That DAL comes out smoking and ends up sitting the starters for most of the 2nd half, winning by an absurd number.

My dark side says that two of the DET bench players will have career games that will make everyone wonder why they were buried in the rotation and DAL will lose by 12 even though Luka puts up a 32 pt triple and KP has a 24 pt double. 

But I try not to listen to my dark side if I can help it.