Things that bother me about the Mavs so far - Decompress Thread

[joesha1698]

PJ Washington is not being used correctly. He's not a stand in the corner 3 point guy. PJ Washington needs to be our Draymond Green on this team. He needs to be someone who can rebound, push the break, find shooters, play tough defense, and occasional take a 3 point shot. He's a guy that gets better when he's involved.

I think Derrick Lively is undisciplined at times and I wonder if Jason Kidd is actually developing him? Pop would have chewed his arse out at this point. The dude has a lot of energy but needs to focus and needs strong coaching. Side note: the young dude is going through a lot so I'll be lying if I wouldn't give him a pass for at least another year.

The organization has to be firmer with boy wonder aka Luka. I think Luka is the "cool kid" at the party that everybody likes. I think this organization is so scared of losing Luka - there is not enough expectation of him to be in better shape, grow his game, and be a better leader (because fiery leadership is not screaming at guys for mistakes) its putting in the time in the off-season like Michael, Kobe, and Lebron James, I'll throw Dirk in that mix as well. Building up a work ethic and no non-sense mentality so your teammates have to step up. On both sides of the floor.

No disrespect to Luka but he's still just the cool kid at the party in the NBA. He hasn't done enough or worked hard enough to be the "man" in this game. As for Kyrie, he benefited from having someone next to him who was a hard arse (like Lebron) because its the opposite of his personality. Kyrie is gets mad at his teammates now and then but he's mostly a pat you on the back type of guy. Bottom line is, we need more leadership. I would love to blame Kidd (solely) but deep down I think any coach would be in a bad spot because this organization tip toes around Luka's limitations too much. (His need to dominate the ball on O, his effort on defense, and his work ethic when it comes to preparing his body for the season)

-To be fair, I think he has done a better job with effort since the 1st game...but we'll see if that will continue..


BTW, my biggest issue with him dominating the ball is that its not a winning strategy and limits certain players on the team in more ways than people think. Can someone name me a team in NBA history who has ever won with this style? One man dominating the ball with that high of usage rate? I realize this will come off as Luka hate and negative but I did say it was a for decompressing purposes...


I'll be ranting in this thread throughout the year.

Thank You.

[joesha1698]

I like what Im seeing so far. I'm not sure why Lively is not starting but maybe Kidd is seeing what I'm seeing..

[MrGoat]

Right now, my biggest concern is Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes trying to replace DJJ and Josh Green because they are doing a very poor job of that so far, and I'm saying that after one of Naji Marshall's best games here so far

[joesha1698]

Right now, my biggest concern is Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes trying to replace DJJ and Josh Green because they are doing a very poor job of that so far, and I'm saying that after one of Naji Marshall's best games here so far

I wouldn't worry about Marshall or Grimes. They will continue to get better as they become more acclimated to their roles. We are missing DJJ's defense and energy for sure. I think the one thing this Mavericks team needs is someone who goes out there and can make things happen without needing the ball.....just a super tough competitor that adds another dimension to this team.

PJ Washington, imo, is a guy (internally) I think can be developed the most. This organization has to realize, having another guy that can go 94 feet - rebound, pass, or shoot from 3 is a luxury ala Draymond Green. We should be developing him in the same vein...imagine teams prioritizing stopping Luka and Kyrie only to have PJ to gash them for 20pts, 10rebounds, and 6 assists.

This organization has to understand the important of developing certain guys. Playing with Luka and Kyrie is suppose to have some perks. I hope Luka understands in the end, he needs to help the guys around him reach their ceiling because in the biggest of games, your gonna need the help. You gotta start building PJ's confidence now and letting him know he has the green light and let him improve so he's ready for the playoffs. Remember, GS won a ring because they were smart enough to develop Poole and Wiggins for that matter.

[joesha1698]

In others words, this team is a little soft. Plus, we got softer when we lost DJJ for sure. Luka doesnt know how to help guys improve. Throwing a lob or finding them in the corner for a 3point shot is just the basketball side. This is what separates the Kobe's/Jordan's from the rest. Its a psychological part of sports where you need others to feel as confident as you feel. Guys like PJ should feel confident to increase their role on the team....you cannot do that if Luka is dominating the ball every play and fail to recognize other guys can make decisions and plays and its in your best interest to allow them to, encourage them, and build up their confidence. Kyrie and Luka should be training with PJ and telling him he's the guy next to them that's going to put us over the top. Don't defer to us, push the ball, be our best defender, make decisions, attack the basket and be a leader right along with us. That's what this team needs. Unfortunately, we dont have the right kind of leader that understands this. Luka is too preoccupied with himself and Kyrie is just too nice of a teammate. Jason Kidd does allude to us needing to use PJ - but its not enough, imo. I don't believe this team can win a ring as currently constructed if we dont get more out of PJ Washington.