Mavs 19/20 - Preseason [Recap]

[Archx]

Luka and KP won't have such low FG % over the year, i'm not worried.. If they made all the shots they are suppose to make, Mavs win easily. Keep in mind, one of them is still only 20yo and missed a lot of easy layups and 5 FT's. So, it's all about chemistry and efficiency. They will figure it out.

To put it another way, the Mavs is do-or-die with jumpers. That's why having a player like Steve Nash who can penetrate and score in paint as well is important. The spacing isn't very good. I think coach has to sacrifice defense with shooting for the starting lineup. And the Mavs has to fix the defensive issue and explore a mobile small ball center trade.

Yeah i actually agree with you. Just that Luka is visibily quicker now and also his dribbles got better, so he can and also could get to the rim anytime he wanted. But with that being said, i believe RC just gave them both green light to chuck it up from deep anytime they wanted. I mean KP could have easily post up many times but was just roaming around the perimeter all the time. And same with Luka, could have gone to the basket anytime but he tried to shoot those long step backs. I don't know what exactly their game plan was, but it was really inefficient in the 2nd half.

And it was evident that Delon shouldn't be starting either. Him standing in the corner passing up on open shots or even missing most of them, is going to be a problem. Also i didn't see anything special from him on the defensive end either.
And Jackson for some reason, in 1 day, forgot how to move to an open space and get himself open. So i am really puzzled what RC will do when the season begins.

Boban was extremely clumsy as well, i thought he would provide much more rim protection but he can barely jump lol... Maxi is also far from being a reliable shooter, so he is kinda a hit and miss when it comes to stretching the floor. THJ needs to come off the bench because there is almost no one else to create shots besides Brunson, but i think that JB could actually be better in the starting lineup with Luka rather than having a "Barea role". I hope RC can see these problems and also stops putting 5 small guys on the floor when opposing team is playing 2 centers for example.

[Bob8]

I have seen pretty good Dallas in first half. 3rd Q was bad. We have seen that Luka and KP will be very difficult to stop, when they have normal/good shooting night. That’s is more than enough for first game. I liked KP very much. Some people forget it was his first game in almost 2 years. Luka should get some psychiatric help for his Fts. Because the short ones look totally mental.

[Dirk]

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Spoiler:

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[jpengland]

How come the Mavs never consider Rose over Wright? Rose is easily more impactful to the game. And indeed, Rose comes much cheaper and experienced.

Rose can't defend, can't shoot (he was something like 15% from deep in 2019 after a hot start to the season) and can't stay healthy.

[jpengland]

Plenty to like from that game. Result doesn't matter.

KP looks healthy and active and there were flashes of that two man game with Doncic being unstoppable. It was a bit messy and he needs to be more decisive in getting to his spots but it looked capable of being scary good.

The key is getting good minutes from Kleber (and his shooting improving) and Curry to open up the floor for the KP/Doncic two man game. Powell adds a hard rolling big to proceedings but that means KP popping more than rolling.

[jpengland]

Just got back from the game tonight and have a couple of observations even if its only preseason.

Wright needs the ball is his hands more and can't be stuck in the corner to shoot 3s. Not saying all the time just more.

Yes KP got bigger but I got a bad feeling about our bigs going up against Drummond. Jokic, KAT, Ayton, and others who can play down low.

The lineups are weird right now but it really feels like its Luka KP and a complete grab bag of whos gonna step up 3rd which I think is gonna drive alot of us nuts. May need more Curry.


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Defending bigs doesn't worry me. There are very few capable of doing serious damage and KP is statistically speaking one of the best rim protectors in the league. Powell and Kleber can both hold their own, especially if they have KP coming from the weakside. KP does have to take responsibility for bodying up some of these bigs now, though, especially given the weight he has added.

We also have plenty of athleticism and speed to recover on the wing so we can stunt and double quite well and let the likes of Wright, Jackson and DFS recover and rotate.

It will take some smart schemes, but Carlisle knows what he's doing.

[leolozon]

Doncic's FTs...

I was hopeful for this year and now I'm scared. If he can just get over that mental problem and shoot 80%...

FTs and 3s were the two most important things to work on and so far... back to the end of last year. Let's hope it gets better from now and he can get better % like we expected him to have.

The team should be good, but I still haven't seen anything that change my mind about what I thought during the summer : 9th-10th seed, around 40 wins. I hope they surprise me.

[ejs78]

Just got back from the game tonight and have a couple of observations even if its only preseason.

Wright needs the ball is his hands more and can't be stuck in the corner to shoot 3s. Not saying all the time just more.

Yes KP got bigger but I got a bad feeling about our bigs going up against Drummond. Jokic, KAT, Ayton, and others who can play down low.

The lineups are weird right now but it really feels like its Luka KP and a complete grab bag of whos gonna step up 3rd which I think is gonna drive alot of us nuts. May need more Curry.


Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

Defending bigs doesn't worry me. There are very few capable of doing serious damage and KP is statistically speaking one of the best rim protectors in the league. Powell and Kleber can both hold their own, especially if they have KP coming from the weakside. KP does have to take responsibility for bodying up some of these bigs now, though, especially given the weight he has added.

We also have plenty of athleticism and speed to recover on the wing so we can stunt and double quite well and let the likes of Wright, Jackson and DFS recover and rotate.

It will take some smart schemes, but Carlisle knows what he's doing.

Dont think Powell and Kleber are going to be holding their own vs elite bigs nor are they great rebounders KP included. Theres going to be alot of games against the Mavs where some of the better centers absolutely go off.

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

[Archx]

Just got back from the game tonight and have a couple of observations even if its only preseason.

Wright needs the ball is his hands more and can't be stuck in the corner to shoot 3s. Not saying all the time just more.

Yes KP got bigger but I got a bad feeling about our bigs going up against Drummond. Jokic, KAT, Ayton, and others who can play down low.

The lineups are weird right now but it really feels like its Luka KP and a complete grab bag of whos gonna step up 3rd which I think is gonna drive alot of us nuts. May need more Curry.


Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

Defending bigs doesn't worry me. There are very few capable of doing serious damage and KP is statistically speaking one of the best rim protectors in the league. Powell and Kleber can both hold their own, especially if they have KP coming from the weakside. KP does have to take responsibility for bodying up some of these bigs now, though, especially given the weight he has added.

We also have plenty of athleticism and speed to recover on the wing so we can stunt and double quite well and let the likes of Wright, Jackson and DFS recover and rotate.

It will take some smart schemes, but Carlisle knows what he's doing.

Dont think Powell and Kleber are going to be holding their own vs elite bigs nor are they great rebounders KP included. Theres going to be alot of games against the Mavs where some of the better centers absolutely go off.

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

I had high hopes for Boban but Adams and Drummond ran circles around him.

[oldshoolballer]

Luka and KP are right there with LeBron and AD to me with AD being better at rolling but KP being better at popping for the 3.This is going to be so much fun to watch.I don't like Wright starting or Jackson to be honest, looks like a bad fit to me.Might be better off with Hardaway and Curry and just let Luka be the point SF.Kleber got abused by Griffin,Powell is a bit better.I see defense is going to be the main problem with this team but I still think they can be an 8th seed.

[ejs78]

Defending bigs doesn't worry me. There are very few capable of doing serious damage and KP is statistically speaking one of the best rim protectors in the league. Powell and Kleber can both hold their own, especially if they have KP coming from the weakside. KP does have to take responsibility for bodying up some of these bigs now, though, especially given the weight he has added.

We also have plenty of athleticism and speed to recover on the wing so we can stunt and double quite well and let the likes of Wright, Jackson and DFS recover and rotate.

It will take some smart schemes, but Carlisle knows what he's doing.

Dont think Powell and Kleber are going to be holding their own vs elite bigs nor are they great rebounders KP included. Theres going to be alot of games against the Mavs where some of the better centers absolutely go off.

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

I had high hopes for Boban but Adams and Drummond ran circles around him.

I live in Detroit and Boban was here for a bit. The guy is nothing more than a cartoon and the Mavs could have gotten someone like O'Quinn for about half price/equal or more production.

[Dirk]

Dont think Powell and Kleber are going to be holding their own vs elite bigs nor are they great rebounders KP included. Theres going to be alot of games against the Mavs where some of the better centers absolutely go off.

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

I had high hopes for Boban but Adams and Drummond ran circles around him.

I live in Detroit and Boban was here for a bit. The guy is nothing more than a cartoon and the Mavs could have gotten someone like O'Quinn for about half price/equal or more production.

I saw you in the stands.

Spoiler:

[ejs78]

I had high hopes for Boban but Adams and Drummond ran circles around him.

I live in Detroit and Boban was here for a bit. The guy is nothing more than a cartoon and the Mavs could have gotten someone like O'Quinn for about half price/equal or more production.

I saw you in the stands.

Spoiler:

LOL

I've been outed!!!!

[BlueSan]

Hopefully, Luka starts practicing on his Free throws instead of half-court shots

[Archx]

I live in Detroit and Boban was here for a bit. The guy is nothing more than a cartoon and the Mavs could have gotten someone like O'Quinn for about half price/equal or more production.

I saw you in the stands.

Spoiler:

LOL

I've been outed!!!!

Haha. Next time bring a huge sign "Practice your FT's please"

But yeah, i never followed Boban closely, now i understand why he plays so few minutes. Powell is basically this teams only hope for any kind of interior defense, which is kinda sad. Maxi can not do it alone.

[ozwizard8]

Luka and KP won't have such low FG % over the year, i'm not worried.. If they made all the shots they are suppose to make, Mavs win easily. Keep in mind, one of them is still only 20yo and missed a lot of easy layups and 5 FT's. So, it's all about chemistry and efficiency. They will figure it out.

To put it another way, the Mavs is do-or-die with jumpers. That's why having a player like Steve Nash who can penetrate and score in paint as well is important. The spacing isn't very good. I think coach has to sacrifice defense with shooting for the starting lineup. And the Mavs has to fix the defensive issue and explore a mobile small ball center trade.

Yeah i actually agree with you. Just that Luka is visibily quicker now and also his dribbles got better, so he can and also could get to the rim anytime he wanted. But with that being said, i believe RC just gave them both green light to chuck it up from deep anytime they wanted. I mean KP could have easily post up many times but was just roaming around the perimeter all the time. And same with Luka, could have gone to the basket anytime but he tried to shoot those long step backs. I don't know what exactly their game plan was, but it was really inefficient in the 2nd half.

And it was evident that Delon shouldn't be starting either. Him standing in the corner passing up on open shots or even missing most of them, is going to be a problem. Also i didn't see anything special from him on the defensive end either.
And Jackson for some reason, in 1 day, forgot how to move to an open space and get himself open. So i am really puzzled what RC will do when the season begins.

Boban was extremely clumsy as well, i thought he would provide much more rim protection but he can barely jump lol... Maxi is also far from being a reliable shooter, so he is kinda a hit and miss when it comes to stretching the floor. THJ needs to come off the bench because there is almost no one else to create shots besides Brunson, but i think that JB could actually be better in the starting lineup with Luka rather than having a "Barea role". I hope RC can see these problems and also stops putting 5 small guys on the floor when opposing team is playing 2 centers for example.

I think you're getting too many conclusions from a pre-season game. I'd rather look what Wright did in last seasons than a single game. For Boban I don't expect much improvement but for others I think they'd get better as Mavs play more organized on offense.

2 season ago KP was playing great with Knicks team. On offense, he's great scorer and creator with his scoring threat. He might not get too many assists but its easy to use his gravity on offense.
Same applies for Doncic. He can score in many ways. Step back 3's, p&r, pick&pop plays, finish through contact, drive and finish with post moves. I remember many games Luka single handidly carry scoring for Mavs at the clutch time.

Both two players is taller for their position and they have so many skills too. Both draw double teams and opponent defense collapsing to stop them. When you have both of those, I don't think you need another scorer in starting lineup.
Powell can run an finish inside. D.Wright/Brunson can play two man game with KP and when defense focus avoiding entry pass he can drive and find a layup or shot. DFS/Maxi can play as 3&D players.
I think focus should be on D.
Seth Curry and THJ can score. I don't mind they're being bench players to handle scoring with the 2nd unit. KP/Doncic pair can be used seperately to make sure one of them is playing too. In general, defense is what this team needs to figure out.
I didn't watch Nash-Nowitzki era Mavs too much but I remember like this was being the issue. Nelson's team wasnt good enough on D. Nash-Nowitzki were liabilities on defense. Finley never used his physical tools to become a lock down defender.
At the end Nowizki's best runs were with good defenders around.

Most of the teams dont have KP/Luka caliber players to finish games. Its going to be so hard to stop those 2. Even against elite defense they can still score. To make those clutch scoring valuable, Mavs need to defend good. Mavs biggest advantage is 2 elite scorer who showed great performance in clutch moments. If you let easy points then you lose that advantage. D.Wright-DFS-Powell they just need to shoot occasional 3's and finish layups. I want to see them as plus defenders whole season.

[Archx]

Spoiler:

To put it another way, the Mavs is do-or-die with jumpers. That's why having a player like Steve Nash who can penetrate and score in paint as well is important. The spacing isn't very good. I think coach has to sacrifice defense with shooting for the starting lineup. And the Mavs has to fix the defensive issue and explore a mobile small ball center trade.

Yeah i actually agree with you. Just that Luka is visibily quicker now and also his dribbles got better, so he can and also could get to the rim anytime he wanted. But with that being said, i believe RC just gave them both green light to chuck it up from deep anytime they wanted. I mean KP could have easily post up many times but was just roaming around the perimeter all the time. And same with Luka, could have gone to the basket anytime but he tried to shoot those long step backs. I don't know what exactly their game plan was, but it was really inefficient in the 2nd half.

And it was evident that Delon shouldn't be starting either. Him standing in the corner passing up on open shots or even missing most of them, is going to be a problem. Also i didn't see anything special from him on the defensive end either.
And Jackson for some reason, in 1 day, forgot how to move to an open space and get himself open. So i am really puzzled what RC will do when the season begins.

Boban was extremely clumsy as well, i thought he would provide much more rim protection but he can barely jump lol... Maxi is also far from being a reliable shooter, so he is kinda a hit and miss when it comes to stretching the floor. THJ needs to come off the bench because there is almost no one else to create shots besides Brunson, but i think that JB could actually be better in the starting lineup with Luka rather than having a "Barea role". I hope RC can see these problems and also stops putting 5 small guys on the floor when opposing team is playing 2 centers for example.

I think you're getting too many conclusions from a pre-season game. I'd rather look what Wright did in last seasons than a single game. For Boban I don't expect much improvement but for others I think they'd get better as Mavs play more organized on offense.

2 season ago KP was playing great with Knicks team. On offense, he's great scorer and creator with his scoring threat. He might not get too many assists but its easy to use his gravity on offense.
Same applies for Doncic. He can score in many ways. Step back 3's, p&r, pick&pop plays, finish through contact, drive and finish with post moves. I remember many games Luka single handidly carry scoring for Mavs at the clutch time.

Both two players is taller for their position and they have so many skills too. Both draw double teams and opponent defense collapsing to stop them. When you have both of those, I don't think you need another scorer in starting lineup.
Powell can run an finish inside. D.Wright/Brunson can play two man game with KP and when defense focus avoiding entry pass he can drive and find a layup or shot. DFS/Maxi can play as 3&D players.
I think focus should be on D.
Seth Curry and THJ can score. I don't mind they're being bench players to handle scoring with the 2nd unit. KP/Doncic pair can be used seperately to make sure one of them is playing too. In general, defense is what this team needs to figure out.
I didn't watch Nash-Nowitzki era Mavs too much but I remember like this was being the issue. Nelson's team wasnt good enough on D. Nash-Nowitzki were liabilities on defense. Finley never used his physical tools to become a lock down defender.
At the end Nowizki's best runs were with good defenders around.

Most of the teams dont have KP/Luka caliber players to finish games. Its going to be so hard to stop those 2. Even against elite defense they can still score. To make those clutch scoring valuable, Mavs need to defend good. Mavs biggest advantage is 2 elite scorer who showed great performance in clutch moments. If you let easy points then you lose that advantage. D.Wright-DFS-Powell they just need to shoot occasional 3's and finish layups. I want to see them as plus defenders whole season.

Yes i know but even LBJ needed reliable shooters around him to function properly, that was my point. Prime Ariza is also a nice example. He was perfect for Kobe and those championship runs. Delon looks like someone who could benefit most if he solo ran the offense if you know what i mean. Brunson and LD combo in the backcourt worked pretty well last season. I like DFS and Maxi on offense but Maxi has to make those open shots he is getting on a regular basis.

[Darren]

I think frontcourt issue is the biggest problem the Mavs could only fix via FA or trade. Consider the Mavs want to rest Zinger in all b2b games. And the Mavs also plans to limit Zinger's minutes. With the lack of frontcourt depth and inconsistent Kleber playing key role and difficult plug-in piece with Boban, the Mavs is going to struggle awfully. If this is not fixed anyway, then I expect the Mavs closer to lottery. In case it is, I want a top-5 talent.

[Archx]

Read on Twitter

Doncic quote: “It was a little weird,” he said. “I haven’t played in like, six, seven months. But I feel great. It’s preseason and our first game together and I thought it was great. “But I can’t make a normal shot. I always make the shots I wasn’t supposed to make. I got to work on that, for sure. I missed three, four layups, I missed free throws, I missed open threes. It’s going to get better for sure. First game in six, seven months. We just got to keep working the next two weeks.”

[ozwizard8]

I think frontcourt issue is the biggest problem the Mavs could only fix via FA or trade. Consider the Mavs want to rest Zinger in all b2b games. And the Mavs also plans to limit Zinger's minutes. With the lack of frontcourt depth and inconsistent Kleber playing key role and difficult plug-in piece with Boban, the Mavs is going to struggle awfully. If this is not fixed anyway, then I expect the Mavs closer to lottery. In case it is, I want a top-5 talent.

Mavs cannot rely on Boban playing more than 12mpg and I dont expect him to play 55+ games.
Maybe some big men get cut or Mavs place a call to Scola