It's really JJ they miss most... Even though he was somewhat of a liability defensively, JJ could jump up and go for 15 in a span of 8 minutes... Then he might play 20 minutes the next night and go for only 5 points... He was just an added bonus that helped carry us to some bonus wins... JJ's role was perfect for him and perfect for the team...
That said, last year's squad wasn't all that much better... Their chemistry was better... This year's team is different, and I think they approached this season completely different than last season... We need our whole team to win consistently, and we haven't played that much with the full arsenal... Some guys had injuries, but a lot of it was Carlisle giving the vets a lot of nights off... I think the Mavs approached this regular season as one long practice...
Carlisle is a great coach, and this team still has multiple Hall of Famers on it, so I don't think the disparity between this season and last season is quite as pronounced as it looks on the surface...
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