Mavs vs Kings

[Dallas41]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

This is such a cop out. Why is it on the fans to find a new coach just because we’re making basic observations that this team does not play for Rick? That’s just avoid the obvious that his time in Dallas has gotten stale and players aren’t buying in to his system.

For your answer, I would promote Mosley. I get that the players aren’t good around Luka, but this constant lethargy isn’t on the personnel.

That would be my choice as well.

I watched him closely that game he replaced Rick and his hands on approach and constant communication with the players was a great site to see.

The Mavs played with energy all game and Luka seemed to be really upbeat

Sometimes a coach just burns out.....

Nellie handed the reigns over to Avery because he felt like he just wasn't getting through to the players anymore.

That doesn't mean Nellie wasn't still a good coach it just means after a long stint in the same place your voice probably isn't heard as clear anymore.

RC seems like a guy more dialed in with a veteran team as opposed to a young team.

He has that Jason Garrett laid back approach and to me that just isn't working with the roster he has now compared to when he had veterans like Kidd, Dirk, Marion and Terry who made held each other accountable.

[Dallas41]

Earl The Pearl Monroe
@RealEarlMonroe
·
Apr 16
Is it just me or has Porzingis gone from franchise player with Knicks to functional skilled big with the Mavs?

The former Knicks point guard and Hall of Famer may not be wrong, though. Porzingis is getting 37.0 frontcourt touches per game this season. That number was 40.2 during his All-Star season in New York. The Unicorn got 8.0 post ups per game in 2018 with the Knicks, but he is down to 5.4 a night in Dallas. Coach Carlisle and the Mavericks have improved his efficiency, but KP does get the ball less. There are times in the game when the Unicorn disappears in games too.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by Jack.Kerr

Tonight's was his 13th. Lost his composure again. Not a real team leader yet. Is it maturity? Or character. Starting to be a concern. 5 of 10 from the FT line is another concern. Somebody (above) mentioned a fairly obvious mid-season weight gain, yet another concern. No self-discipline? No self-control? No dedication? No pride?

Really ugly stretch there by him in Q4 crunch time: a technical foul, a long missed three early in the clock, a foul, and a a missed FT. Just sucked the life out of any comeback hopes. Cruch-time bastketball IQ evoking nightmares of Dennis Smith Jr.

On another note, 8 shots for Porzingis in Q1, 14 for the game---let's do the math 6 shots over the last 3 quarters. How does he get effectively frozen out for 3 quarters?

By his own team, that's how. By the absurb 'system' that has 5 guys 30 feet from the basket too damned much of the time. By the coach who refuses to design any sets that consistently get him the ball near the basket where he can start to find and feel his shot when the 3s aren't falling. And by a ball-dominating (hogging) PG who is more inclined to play Hero Ball than get his teammates involved consisently throughout the game.

Richard Jefferson mentioned the other night what too few fans are willing to: the game will be so much easier for Luka when he learns how to get his teammates involved, and then he can pick his spots and score at crunch time much easier. Right now, he scores early in games a lot, but as the game gets tighter, it gets harder for him--the early 3s stop falling at crunch time, he's getting stripped on drives more, and it will likely only get worse against playoff-caliber defenses. As skilled as he is, Luka is not a dominant athlete like a Lebron or a Kobe where he can consistently carry a team down the stretch by himself. He is playing more like Harden, and will disappoint at playoff time.

But media and fans constantly give Luka a pass, because they get distracted by shiny meaningless stats. "At least he got a triple double!" Oh wait....4 assists tonight. Never mind.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Jack.Kerr again.

Have stayed away from criticism of Luka, but he has plenty to work on. It seems like he’s lost trust in his teammates and is reluctant to get them involved. It’s become a cycle. He has to work on leadership and having a vet near him to mentor would go a long way. Really has to work on his composure overall. The play before his tech was barely a foul if at all, then got down the other end still pissed about it.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Jack.Kerr again.

Have stayed away from criticism of Luka, but he has plenty to work on. It seems like he’s lost trust in his teammates and is reluctant to get them involved. It’s become a cycle. He has to work on leadership and having a vet near him to mentor would go a long way. Really has to work on his composure overall. The play before his tech was barely a foul if at all, then got down the other end still pissed about it.

No doubt the 22 year old has stuff to work on. Jack said he "needs to get his team involved" Nobody in the league has more potential assists than Luka. Many of Jack's criticisms or "concerns" as he put it are down right nonsense "no pride" "No commitment" It didn't seem to be to much of a problem for 19 year old Luka when he won the Euro league championship and MVP. Maybe he just had better guys around him that he trusted more. I am absolutely concerned about his free throw shooting. That must be improved. All in all blaming Luka for only being the 5th or 6th best player and not the outright best in the league is a strawman of the highest order when looking at whats wrong with the Mavs

[Jack.Kerr]

Winning slogan---Rick Carlisle: Because we can't think of anyone else.

Here are some names that would likely do no worse with this group than Carlisle: Becky Hammon. Dirk Nowitzki. Steve Nash. Tim Duncan. Gregg Popovich. Steve Kerr. Nick Nurse. Brad Stevens. Jason Kidd.

In all seriousness, has Carlisle ever developed elite-level talent? DEVELOPED, not coached. I'm trying to remember off the top of my head those teams of his in Detroit and Indiana, and I'm drawing a blank on elites.

For all the credit Carlisle gets with the Dirk-Kidd-Matrix Mavericks, people forget that he basically lost a team in Detroit, that went on to win a championship the next year under Larry Brown.

His Indiana teams kind of steadily declined as well, to the point that his buddy Larry Bird (who had hired him) ended up having to fire him.

I tend to strongly favor continuity over change-for-the-sake-of-change. But there comes a point where continuity morphs into complacency and then stagnation. The Mavericks seem to be treading a fine line right now, perilously close to stagnation. I'd go as far as to say that they are currently dipping their toes in the waters of stagnation.

In the same way that Dirk needed a change from Nellie to move on to the next level, KP and Luka seem to need a different voice (and a different system) to guide them, help them learn to play together, and move on to the next level, both individually and as teammates. This voice may or may not be the same one that can coach them to a championship. But not all coaches are great at all aspects of the game. Just because Carlisle could come in and push the right buttons with an aging Hall-of-Famer laden roster and win a championship doesn't mean he can take young still-developing elite talent like Porzingis or an elite-skilled player like Doncic, and mold them into a championship team. In fact, evidence is mounting that he cannot.

I hoped it would be different for all involved. But if Carlisle is indeed the coaching genius some people think he is, then he will have no shortage of opportunities to put his skills to better use in another NBA town. Better for him, better for KP, better for Doncic, better for the Mavericks. Better for some OTHER NBA franchise. The rare win-win-win-win-win pentefecta.

The bright side to the accumulating bitter losses like tonight's is that each loss is reality slapping Cuban in the face about what needs to be done. Cuban may be an obnoxious, trapped-in-adolescence boor, but he's not stupid. Start looking, Mark.

[Jack.Kerr]

Originally Posted by Zeus

No doubt the 22 year old has stuff to work on. Jack said he "needs to get his team involved" Nobody in the league has more potential assists than Luka. Many of Jack's criticisms or "concerns" as he put it are down right nonsense "no pride" "No commitment" It didn't seem to be to much of a problem for 19 year old Luka when he won the Euro league championship and MVP. Maybe he just had better guys around him that he trusted more. I am absolutely concerned about his free throw shooting. That must be improved. All in all blaming Luka for only being the 5th or 6th best player and not the outright best in the league is a strawman of the highest order when looking at whats wrong with the Mavs

Packing on weight mid-season should be raising a lot of red flags, for a lot of potential reasons. No pride/no committment to keeping your body in shape is polite euphemism. Read between the lines. If you can read.

And who gives a fuck about Euroleague. He's playing in the NBA now.

[Dallas41]

Same song different verse

And what the hell has happened to Maxi Kleber


Maxi Kleber scored zero, Josh Richardson had only seven points, and Hardaway was 2-for-10.

[Julius]

Hey, they cant be so bad. This game was on me for starting the gdt early.
At least I want to believe that....

[FreshJive]

I got this idea from a tweet, but outside of Jalen, DFS, and Luka the Mavs shot 9/39 or 23%. This is against the worst defense in the league. I wonder why Luka only managed 4 assist? Must be Luka’s weight (is this TMZ?)

Luka, DFS, and Jalen shot .625.

[dirt_dobber]

One way to fix 1st quarters is benching Richardson

[Bryan_Wilson]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

This is such a cop out. Why is it on the fans to find a new coach just because we’re making basic observations that this team does not play for Rick? That’s just avoid the obvious that his time in Dallas has gotten stale and players aren’t buying in to his system.

For your answer, I would promote Mosley. I get that the players aren’t good around Luka, but this constant lethargy isn’t on the personnel.

I don't call complaining(not the word I want to use tbh) in the GDT and every other active thread for months now making basic observations. Not everyone but there are certainly a few.

It's a cop out to ask that the people who complain(again I'll use the soft word) in every single GDT about the coaching to turn it into a discussion about a name? That's ridiculous. It's just as easy to say that it's a cop out to blame every aspect of this team on RC every single game in every single thread. There is a lot wrong with this team.

Mosley wouldn't be my choice but at least that's something to discuss, no idea what was so hard about it. I wouldn't choose him because he's our defensive coordinator. And outside of a few stretches I despise our defense so I personally don't want to reward a guy for doing a bad job by promoting him. I also don't understand why he is so popular given people have complained about our defense for years now and he's our defensive coach.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by FreshJive

I got this idea from a tweet, but outside of Jalen, DFS, and Luka the Mavs shot 9/39 or 23%. This is against the worst defense in the league. I wonder why Luka only managed 4 assist? Must be Luka’s weight (is this TMZ?)

Luka, DFS, and Jalen shot .625.

Luka's increased mass is imparting a slightly enhanced gravitational pull on his teammates shot attempts.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by Jack.Kerr

Packing on weight mid-season should be raising a lot of red flags, for a lot of potential reasons. No pride/no committment to keeping your body in shape is polite euphemism. Read between the lines. If you can read.

And who gives a fuck about Euroleague. He's playing in the NBA now.

Thanks for pointing me between the lines. Your coaching takes on Rick and his history were spot on. I was able to read that

[purplefrog]

Regardless of your opinion of RC, if the Mavs finish in the 9 or 10 seed (which is not unlikely given the way they are currently playing), I think Cuban makes a change. My guess? Jason Kidd. On the other hand, if they somehow finish in 6 or 7, then RC keeps his job. That's how I see it.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by purplefrog

Regardless of your opinion of RC, if the Mavs finish in the 9 or 10 seed (which is not unlikely given the way they are currently playing), I think Cuban makes a change. My guess? Jason Kidd. On the other hand, if they somehow finish in 6 or 7, then RC keeps his job. That's how I see it.

I don't think Cuban can justify firing RC based on results of the seedings. We would have to faceplant and miss the playoffs before he would even consider it.

IF he replaced Rick after this season, my first concern would be that the MBT thinks this roster is better than it is.

[purplefrog]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

I don't think Cuban can justify firing RC based on results of the seedings. We would have to faceplant and miss the playoffs before he would even consider it.

IF he replaced Rick after this season, my first concern would be that the MBT thinks this roster is better than it is.

Mavs had/have the easiest schedule of those in the playoff hunt and they are currently sitting in the seven seed. Moving down to 9 or 10 and limping into the playoffs would be an absolute failure and it seems to me that something will have to change at that point. I still think the Mavs will end up in 7, but my confidence has waned in the past week. There is no fire/sense of urgency with this team and that is a problem. Hopefully, something will change.

[Dallas41]

Originally Posted by Bryan_Wilson

I don't call complaining(not the word I want to use tbh) in the GDT and every other active thread for months now making basic observations. Not everyone but there are certainly a few.

It's a cop out to ask that the people who complain(again I'll use the soft word) in every single GDT about the coaching to turn it into a discussion about a name? That's ridiculous. It's just as easy to say that it's a cop out to blame every aspect of this team on RC every single game in every single thread. There is a lot wrong with this team.

Mosley wouldn't be my choice but at least that's something to discuss, no idea what was so hard about it. I wouldn't choose him because he's our defensive coordinator. And outside of a few stretches I despise our defense so I personally don't want to reward a guy for doing a bad job by promoting him. I also don't understand why he is so popular given people have complained about our defense for years now and he's our defensive coach.

Well for starters Mosely isn't in charge of lineups, rotations or minutes.

Sure he can coach the defense but Rick installs the lineups.

Do we know if certain small lineups that get abused over and over again that Rick utilizes would be something that Mosely would throw out there?

Take for example the opening 4th qtr lineup vs the Knicks that went almost a full 6th minute stretch together that allowed the Knicks to pull away from Dallas Brunson, Redick, THJ, Kleber and Powell that is 4 non defenders all on the floor together for a critical 6 minute stretch to start the final quarter. The Knicks targeted Redick by attacking him off the dribble repeatedly and Powell was no match at the rim vs R.J. Barrett after he beat Redick a few times.

Also, I believe Mosely would mix in more zone coverages that he showed doing that game he coached as well the Mavs probably used more zone in that singular game than they have all year in a 4th qtr.

As a team they probably played with more energy and passion than I've seen all year in that game. I even pointed out that out in the GDT that day how more designed set plays seemed to be run under Mosely doing that 4th QTR to help the Mavs close that game out.

But he genuinely had the team playing with a purpose that day and at no point did I think they looked lethargic or careless like I have seem under Rick often this year.

[BPo001]

Why is Rick being blamed for not firing the players up for a game. These guys are professionals. They shouldn’t need some Rudy pregame speech to fire them up. If they don’t come out ready to play that's on them.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Why is Rick being blamed for not firing the players up for a game. These guys are professionals. They shouldn’t need some Rudy pregame speech to fire them up. If they don’t come out ready to play that's on them.

100%

[Dallas41]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Why is Rick being blamed for not firing the players up for a game. These guys are professionals. They shouldn’t need some Rudy pregame speech to fire them up. If they don’t come out ready to play that's on them.

Should Rick say hey fellas we are playing against the worst defensive team in the NBA how about we make a more consistent effort at attacking the rim and not settle for 3's.

You know kind of like how D.Fox only attempted 2 threes all game because he realized he could get to the rim vs the Mavs poor defense so he didn't settle

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Why is Rick being blamed for not firing the players up for a game. These guys are professionals. They shouldn’t need some Rudy pregame speech to fire them up. If they don’t come out ready to play that's on them.

Rick is in charge of getting them ready to play. Gamelan, rotations and YES motivation. Otherwise why even have a coach. You can say they're professional all you want but they are young men. You need an experience voice to keep these guys tuned in and that's part of what he gets paid to do.

Imagine a coach in an interview who is asked how he would motivate a team if they hit a slump or wasn't playing up to their capabilities and he answered "Hey, they're professionals, if they can't come out ready to play then that's on them."

[Simon2]

Originally Posted by Dallas41

Should Rick say hey fellas we are playing against the worst defensive team in the NBA how about we make a more consistent effort at attacking the rim and not settle for 3's.

You know kind of like how D.Fox only attempted 2 threes all game because he realized he could get to the rim vs the Mavs poor defense so he didn't settle

Yes. Why not? He’s their leader. Nothing wrong about a coach firing up his troops. Whether verbally or some gimmick.

Rick is too rigid. He doesn’t adapt well. With the pandemic, the Mavs need felixibility. I believe the Mavs need a coach who can adapt with the times. Look, Mavs look tired. What does he do? He really plays 8 guys. 37 mins for Porzingis! Just a simple thing like that, lower minutes as games are super compressed. Also, stop jacking up so many threes. Especially now when legs are tired.

[purplefrog]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Why is Rick being blamed for not firing the players up for a game. These guys are professionals. They shouldn’t need some Rudy pregame speech to fire them up. If they don’t come out ready to play that's on them.

If players don't come ready to play, then you bench them or reduce their PT. Simple as that. Perhaps, RC is doing that but I don't see it. I was impressed watching the Grizzlies the other night. They played with an edge. In the end, they lost the game but they left it all out on the court. Mavs have done that on occasion, but half the time they have a nonchalance with their play, especially on defense. Maybe they are going to peak at the right time and begin to show the urgency and heart needed to be a successful playoff team. I hope so because I think this team can be competitive if they are willing to give it 100%. I don't think they are doing that right now.

[washedklean77]

Originally Posted by Simon2

Yes. Why not? He’s their leader. Nothing wrong about a coach firing up his troops. Whether verbally or some gimmick.

Rick is too rigid. He doesn’t adapt well. With the pandemic, the Mavs need felixibility. I believe the Mavs need a coach who can adapt with the times. Look, Mavs look tired. What does he do? He really plays 8 guys. 37 mins for Porzingis! Just a simple thing like that, lower minutes as games are super compressed. Also, stop jacking up so many threes. Especially now when legs are tired.

My first post, glad to be here!

I think you're exactly right, Simon. I think Carlisle's old school approach is starting to negatively impact the team. Heck, Cuban said it himself just last week on Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket that these young guys must be taught and lead differently these days as they consume information so differently compared to past generations. The style of play in the NBA has changed so much since that 2011 title team and I'm not sure Carlisle is willing to adapt to it. Or better yet, are the players subscribing to his approach and given their lack luster play on both ends suggests to me that they're tuning him out. It may simply be time for the Mavs to do what the Cowboys did with Garrett and that's make a change.

I think a nice fit for these Mavs would be Mark Jackson. A coach who did some really good things with that young (at the time) talent in Golden State. Plus, I think the players in and around the league generally like him and he may be able to make Dallas a better landing spot in future free agents.

[Simon2]

Originally Posted by washedklean77

My first post, glad to be here!

I think you're exactly right, Simon. I think Carlisle's old school approach is starting to negatively impact the team. Heck, Cuban said it himself just last week on Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket that these young guys must be taught and lead differently these days as they consume information so differently compared to past generations. The style of play in the NBA has changed so much since that 2011 title team and I'm not sure Carlisle is willing to adapt to it. Or better yet, are the players subscribing to his approach and given their lack luster play on both ends suggests to me that they're tuning him out. It may simply be time for the Mavs to do what the Cowboys did with Garrett and that's make a change.

I think a nice fit for these Mavs would be Mark Jackson. A coach who did some really good things with that young (at the time) talent in Golden State. Plus, I think the players in and around the league generally like him and he may be able to make Dallas a better landing spot in future free agents.

Welcome to the board. Can the Mavs look in the mirror and honestly say that Rick is the guy to lead them to another title? It is not the players. I don't even know why there is so much Richardson hate on this board. The guy is a good player. He isn't a superstar but he is very good. Sure he has off games but who doesn't. Rick may have been a good coach but that was a long time ago. He doesn't have the fire. Even when you look at him, he just looks like a guy who is just coming to work. The young Mavs need someone to fire them up. Even limit their minutes so they are fresh. I don't really subscribe to this 'sitting out due to health precautions' way of managing time. If you are ready and able, you should be ready to play. No one should be taking a 'break'. These are young guys. They need to be playing. Telling them that they can take days off is not a good message. It also lessens the importance of games. The mentality becomes, 'Its just another game, we can lose it as our best players are sitting out.' If you wonder why the Mavs don't come to play, don't look further. Just look at how they approach rest games.

[dirt_dobber]

Mike Bacsik on Twitter “This is interesting from @inthemageors.
The rankings of the per stat on ESPN. Luka is top 10.
His starters he is playing with rank 33rd-KP, J.Rich-275th, DFS-279th and Maxi- 310th.
This is what Luka has to play with. 150 NBA starters. 33, 275, 279, 310 is pretty ugly.”

[washedklean77]

That's a pretty nasty finding, dirt_dobber.

Another unfortunate stat is the fact that the Mavs are 20-3 when leading after the 1st quarter. They're 10-23 when trailing after the 1st quarter. So if you want to beat the Mavs, pop them in the mouth early and break their spirits.

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by Simon2

Welcome to the board. Can the Mavs look in the mirror and honestly say that Rick is the guy to lead them to another title? It is not the players. I don't even know why there is so much Richardson hate on this board. The guy is a good player. He isn't a superstar but he is very good. Sure he has off games but who doesn't. Rick may have been a good coach but that was a long time ago. He doesn't have the fire. Even when you look at him, he just looks like a guy who is just coming to work. The young Mavs need someone to fire them up. Even limit their minutes so they are fresh. I don't really subscribe to this 'sitting out due to health precautions' way of managing time. If you are ready and able, you should be ready to play. No one should be taking a 'break'. These are young guys. They need to be playing. Telling them that they can take days off is not a good message. It also lessens the importance of games. The mentality becomes, 'Its just another game, we can lose it as our best players are sitting out.' If you wonder why the Mavs don't come to play, don't look further. Just look at how they approach rest games.

Richardson doesn't have "off" games. He has "on" games.

[dirt_dobber]

Originally Posted by tap2390

Richardson doesn't have "off" games. He has "on" games.

ouch - but true.

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by Dallas41

Should Rick say hey fellas we are playing against the worst defensive team in the NBA how about we make a more consistent effort at attacking the rim and not settle for 3's.

You know kind of like how D.Fox only attempted 2 threes all game because he realized he could get to the rim vs the Mavs poor defense so he didn't settle

That has nothing to do with firing the players up with a motivational speech.

Yes, Rick should probably get his guys to attack the rim more, but this roster lacks players to do that besides Luka. Fox doesn’t shoot 3’s often because he isn’t a good shooter and that’s not his game.

[purplefrog]

The inconsistency we are seeing is something many teams are experiencing this year. I believe it is largely due to the pandemic, need for isolation, condensed schedule, etc. That being said, if the Mavs do not right the ship for the remaining schedule then something should happen in the offseason whether it be a new coach, GM, or wheeling and dealing for a new roster (maybe all of the above). My logic is that the team is relatively healthy right now and the competition is low compared to the schedules of other playoff teams. If the Mavs cannot navigate this remaining schedule with considerable success, then something IS seriously wrong and the excuses should stop. There are no excuses for this team not finishing in the sixth or seventh seed. Period. If they are 9 or 10 then Cuban needs to look in the mirror, accept responsibility, and make some changes. In my mind, they need to go 11-5 or 12-4 for the remaining 16 games.

[purplefrog]

One stipulation... if by some chance they finish 9 or 10 and win at least one playoff series (not play-in games), then you might be able to rationalize and believe all is well in Mavsland.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Fox doesn’t shoot 3’s often because he isn’t a good shooter and that’s not his game.

Hes avg 5.5 attempts and last night was his lowest attempts in a game this season.

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

Hes avg 5.5 attempts and last night was his lowest attempts in a game this season.

Good catch. I must have looked at last years number because I saw he was only attempting 3.4/game. Still shooting an abysmal 32% from 3 though.

[Dallas41]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Good catch. I must have looked at last years number because I saw he was only attempting 3.4/game. Still shooting an abysmal 32% from 3 though.

My point is if you have players who aren't good 3 point shooters why continue to let them launch them often?

Why not encourage more attacking especially vs a team like Sacramento that is amongst the worst the NBA in defense.

Call some more set plays that make sure you get better shots

That's on the coach IMO to adjust his team style of play when shots aren't falling.

Put Luka in the post instead of having him crank up 10+ 3's

Put KP in the post

Call some PNR action

Relying on 5 out offense where your 7'3 big man gets one touch the entire 4th qtr once again just gets tired as hell

[Some Guy]

If KP stands around the 3pt line all game, he shouldn't expect to get that many touches. And that goes for everyone (man, that game was hard to watch).

But the team has looked tired, uninspired, unmotivated, and stagnant. And they have significantly underperformed lately. Those all fall into the realm of things the coach should be impacting.

[Dallas41]

edit duplicate post

[Dallas41]

https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/new...-mavs-one-word

DALLAS - What's wrong with the Dallas Mavericks?

Those involved have offered a volume of platitudes to try to explain how they can lose 121-107 on Sunday to the sad-sack Kings, how they've dropped four straight home games, how they've lost five of seven despite the carrot on a stick of the No. 6 slot in the West dangling tantalizingly in front of their faces.

Said Dorian Finney-Smith: “It’s time for us to look in the mirror.”

This is no longer about crowd noise or COVID or back-to-back games. And it's never been about being picked on by the rule-makers. And it never should be about which teammate is best pals with which.

“We’ve got to play way harder,'' Doncic said. "I’ve got to play way harder. ... I’ve got to do way better, keeping guys motivated. It starts with me.”

[Melonhead]

Should there be a separate thread for RC criticism going forward so it doesn’t dwarf the game day threads every night?

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by dirt_dobber

Mike Bacsik on Twitter “This is interesting from @inthemageors.
The rankings of the per stat on ESPN. Luka is top 10.
His starters he is playing with rank 33rd-KP, J.Rich-275th, DFS-279th and Maxi- 310th.
This is what Luka has to play with. 150 NBA starters. 33, 275, 279, 310 is pretty ugly.”

If you ran an infinite amount of team building simulations over the past 3 years this outcome quoted above is likely about as bad as you could get, or at least on the far left side of a normal distribution of team building outcomes. The FO, whether bad luck or otherwise has surrounded Luka with literal NBA shit. This is why I strongly advocate for blowing the team up except for Luka and see how the replacement pieces land. A very good chance that the outcome would be on a different part of that distribution curve, or at least we hope.