Playoffs 2024 - WCF - G1 - Mavs @ Wolves (Wed., 8:30PMEST)

[41Dirk41]

So we can make FTs. Good news.

[ozwizard8]

Wasn't all Goberts fault ...Luka and Kyrie shredded the Wolves perimeter players and Gobert commits and Lively and Gaff are throwing down gimme's which is what the Wolves have to try to stop .....but thats why alot of us picked Mavs to win .

Gobert apologists came to his defense so fast

Its been same for 10 years for Gobert. He has that glaring hole in his game that is a liability against good perimeter players that can play p&r and drive to the rim. Its like D.Powell not being able to defend the rim or box out.

Hard to defend Luka for anyone. They most likely need to blitz like many teams does. Not giving up 3pt shots is not possible against a Luka team. Its always pick your poison deal.

[GermanFan120]

Does anyone know why Luka's knee was bleeding?

[Maverick41]

Does anyone know why Luka's knee was bleeding?

It's bleeding like every game for a few months now. It's weird and never understood it.

[Bob8]

Does anyone know why Luka's knee was bleeding?

It's bleeding like every game for a few months now. It's weird and never understood it.

Because he falls multiple times on it in every game, so open wound just can't heal.

[tleikheen]

Gobert apologists came to his defense so fast

Did you even watch this game and hear all the comments after the game from the commentators . Right at the start of the 3rd quarter ,Gobert committed to Luka and Gaff scores 6 quick points. IF YOU WATCHED the game Kyrie and Luka were getting PAST Ant and McD. ..... This has nothing to do with defending Gobert but pointing out what I saw and most everyone else that watched the Game saw.... We know you watched for Kyrie to have a bad game so you can tear into Kyrie like you have for every bad game he had this year.

[tleikheen]

Because he falls multiple times on it in every game, so open wound just can't heal.

Almost every game these playoffs the camera goes to Luka's knee bleeding ..... again.

[41Dirk41]

It's fake blood, he is a joker... The real one.

[Bob8]

Because he falls multiple times on it in every game, so open wound just can't heal.

Almost every game these playoffs the camera goes to Luka's knee bleeding ..... again.

So what?

[tleikheen]

So what?

Another astute basketball wisdom insight ...... so many from one man

[ozwizard8]

Gobert apologists came to his defense so fast

Did you even watch this game and hear all the comments after the game from the commentators . Right at the start of the 3rd quarter ,Gobert committed to Luka and Gaff scores 6 quick points. IF YOU WATCHED the game Kyrie and Luka were getting PAST Ant and McD. ..... This has nothing to do with defending Gobert but pointing out what I saw and most everyone else that watched the Game saw.... We know you watched for Kyrie to have a bad game so you can tear into Kyrie like you have for every bad game he had this year.

wtf are you talking about? I never went after a single bad game for someone. I am all supportive in post-season and suggest other posters to talk trade ideas later, or telling them not to call fat-Luka stuff. Kyrie had single digit games recently but you can not find a negative post from me. This is playoffs, time to support the team. Prior to trade deadline, I was mainly critical of the our FO **** up last year which was catastrophic. Being so bad accidentally led to a blessing in lottery and we kept the pick. I mean getting Lively from #10 is just a great draft pick. On top of that this year FO made bargain signings. Two trades changed the scenery. I have been telling since the trade deadline, many teams and their fanbases will be banging their heads to the wall because they didn't go for that cheaply available PJ and especially Gafford. We spent only one pick for PJ while offloading Grant contract. We spent a pick exchange for Gafford. Even Bill Simmons started to talk about this lately. It was super cheap and great moves.

And you are being a crybaby for Gobert, and then trying to go over different subjects is just a weak try.

There is a reason Wolves perimeter players weren't able to stay in front of the Luka-Kyrie. Because when Gobert's player comes for the pick, Gobert goes under. And this is related with Gobert's skillset.
- None of Gobert's coach's in previous teams wanted Gobert to switch.
- Gobert blitzing is also take ages to recover, and interior defense/rebounding suffer a lot.

So Gobert tried to play under the screen. Steph Curry punishes this with 3s, and Luka is taking his guy to his back to take advantage of it like prime-CP3.

All in all Gobert is a MAX player, who is getting paid for his defense and rebounding. Gobert's offense is not good.
In playoffs, it's simple to take his best out of the game if you are good perimeter player. Just run a pick n roll. Brunson abused Gobert at Utah too. Tons of examples in last 10 years.

Stop being Gobert apologist. Also take a closer look into Lively and Gafford for next games. Lets see if you can see differences between them in offense and defense.

[dygaction]

Good to have Gafford and Lively 48 min a game. Lively has been outperforming Gafford, and if you trust +/-, by quite a big margin. In the past 7 games or two series,
Lively had +19/+26/+22/+2/+16/+18/-13
Gafford had -15/-25/-10/-5/-8/-8/-2
Great results just happen more often with Lively on the court.

[Bob8]

So what?

Another astute basketball wisdom insight ...... so many from one man

I don't understand why we should debate about little blood on Luka's knee? It's absolute non story. He has skinned knee.

[Mavrelous]

The nerve on Kidd to waste his second challenge in the 3rd on a jump ball...
I was shocked they bought THJ flop, I thought it was getting overturned.

[Michaellam1987]

Good to have Gafford and Lively 48 min a game. Lively has been outperforming Gafford, and if you trust +/-, by quite a big margin. In the past 7 games or two series,
Lively had +19/+26/+22/+2/+16/+18/-13
Gafford had -15/-25/-10/-5/-8/-8/-2
Great results just happen more often with Lively on the court.

Gafford has a relatively slower feet than Lively, and elite wing player can take advantage of that. However, Gafford can still give us quality 20 minutes, give some dunks, fight for offensively rebounding, set hard screen, that all can wear down the opposites players. Setting up the stage for Lively to close out every game.

[Michaellam1987]

THJ played 10 minutes and took 0 shots had 0 rebounds and 0 assists.

Wrong! He got 4 rebounds. He also got a steal.

My bad, I looked at the stats wrong. Still didn't take a shot which is a good thing.

Yes, taking no shot is better than taking tons of well contested tough shots

[Mavrelous]

Good to have Gafford and Lively 48 min a game. Lively has been outperforming Gafford, and if you trust +/-, by quite a big margin. In the past 7 games or two series,
Lively had +19/+26/+22/+2/+16/+18/-13
Gafford had -15/-25/-10/-5/-8/-8/-2
Great results just happen more often with Lively on the court.

It matches the eye test usually (games 5+6 against OKC for example), less so today, it didn't feel as if Gafford was a liability.

[dygaction]

Good to have Gafford and Lively 48 min a game. Lively has been outperforming Gafford, and if you trust +/-, by quite a big margin. In the past 7 games or two series,
Lively had +19/+26/+22/+2/+16/+18/-13
Gafford had -15/-25/-10/-5/-8/-8/-2
Great results just happen more often with Lively on the court.

Gafford has a relatively slower feet than Lively, and elite wing player can take advantage of that. However, Gafford can still give us quality 20 minutes, give some dunks, fight for offensively rebounding, set hard screen, that all can wear down the opposites players. Setting up the stage for Lively to close out every game.

Was it more because wing players or I had the impression that he is undersized compared to Chet/Gobert and even Towns? I think he hurt his hand or wrist in one game vs OKC, and that might have affected his finishing around the rim.

[Michaellam1987]

Good to have Gafford and Lively 48 min a game. Lively has been outperforming Gafford, and if you trust +/-, by quite a big margin. In the past 7 games or two series,
Lively had +19/+26/+22/+2/+16/+18/-13
Gafford had -15/-25/-10/-5/-8/-8/-2
Great results just happen more often with Lively on the court.

Gafford has a relatively slower feet than Lively, and elite wing player can take advantage of that. However, Gafford can still give us quality 20 minutes, give some dunks, fight for offensively rebounding, set hard screen, that all can wear down the opposites players. Setting up the stage for Lively to close out every game.

Was it more because wing players or I had the impression that he is undersized compared to Chet/Gobert and even Towns? I think he hurt his hand or wrist in one game vs OKC, and that might have affected his finishing around the rim.

If you have watched the OKC series, you can see SGA had been killing Gafford everytime.

[41Dirk41]

Good to have Gafford and Lively 48 min a game. Lively has been outperforming Gafford, and if you trust +/-, by quite a big margin. In the past 7 games or two series,
Lively had +19/+26/+22/+2/+16/+18/-13
Gafford had -15/-25/-10/-5/-8/-8/-2
Great results just happen more often with Lively on the court.

Gafford has a relatively slower feet than Lively, and elite wing player can take advantage of that. However, Gafford can still give us quality 20 minutes, give some dunks, fight for offensively rebounding, set hard screen, that all can wear down the opposites players. Setting up the stage for Lively to close out every game.

We need both.
We play better with a real C on the court.