2024 Playoffs Rd 1 Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by BPo001

THJ is back and will play game 1 per Kidd. Is the ink dry on that extension yet?

He had 23 points and 5-9 on threes the last time these two teams played. Fingers crossed!

[EricaLubarsky]

Yall know we're in the second round?

Anyone wanna make the thread? Melon's luck got us a first round win.

[Scoobay]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Yall know we're in the second round?

Anyone wanna make the thread? Melon's luck got us a first round win.

Gotta ride the hot hand

[SMC0007]

Melon has to do new thread.

[Dallas41]

Man Jalen Brunson is incredible

I don't think anyone ever thought he turned into this type of monster

Dude is simply dominating games

[LukaMagic]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Kidd extended

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/m...ut-lakers-job/

Player power. Cuban has signed Kidd because Luka likes to work with Jason Kidd. The biggest threat to the Dallas Mavericks franchise is for LUKA to pack his bags and head to LA. That is who LA is seeking to attract.

Looks like the Lakers are thinking past Lebron James. Lakers are the huge juggernaut, needless to say. It will be hard for Luka to not go there. But Luka likes it in Dallas (even though he regularly gets abused by the people of Dallas including by Dallas journalists during press conferences in Dallas buildings).

But Cuban is very smart and he runs his organization very well. He respects the player power. He is doing all that he can to make the conditions for Luka as best as those can be.

But Dallas is a small market team. Both Luka and Kyrie get constantly abused by the referees and by the national media. They get no respect. Luka plays through injuries in Dallas. He is constantly on the verge of being ruled out of games and series due to injuries. Dallas' bigs get also constantly physically abused. The biggest threat that Dallas faces are injury concerns due to refereeing standards. If Lively were to for example get injured, Dallas chances would significantly drop.

A l l . s u c h . t h i n g s . would change if Luka were to go to LA.

If Luka were to stay in Dallas then winning one championship would be a great career success for him. Very, very great because of the treatment that Dallas gets in the league.

If he were to go to LA, the door would be open to him to potentially win 2+ championships depending on other arrangements.

ps Could there be a role for Cuban in the LA system. As an "overseer of basketball operations?" Cuban is NO LONGER the majority owner of the Mavs.

pps THAT would be an even greater get for the LA franchise than Luka Doncic. Cuban could remain in that role after Luka's career has finished.

ppps . C u b a n . i s . . v e r y . v e r y . s m a r t . about basketball.

[LukaMagic]

https://youtu.be/bR4Wi5Gx8VA?t=339

"Next man up." So that would be Dwight Powell.

He has experience and he played in the playoffs before. That is a positive.

He has good energy. And he can even finish at the rim after a pick-and-roll. That is ALSO a positive.

Doesn't shoot from the outside is one negative. AND THAT IS A BIG LOSS COMPARED TO KLEBER.

His positional defense is not very good. That is another negative. AND THAT IS ANOTHER BIG LOSS COMPARED TO KLEBER. But he has a good and stable attitude. He is willing to do what it takes. Always puts in a good effort. Never complains. Etc.

He must play and put in the minutes to alleviate the physical strain and pressure that will be on Lively and Gafford.

[LukaMagic]

https://youtu.be/4ut5gMzZLgY?t=289

Notice what is not given as fouls in this series.

I think that Dallas Mavericks may have a chance to go through Denver if they happen to win their series versus Thunder. But they will NOT HAVE A CHANCE to go through Minnesota. It will be impossible due to these sorts of refereeing standards. Minnesota plays extremely aggressively and physically and they appear to be very, very, very heavily favored by the refs.

[LukaMagic]

https://youtu.be/4ut5gMzZLgY?t=100

Notice here too. The refs are letting Minnesota abuse Denver. I don't think it would even be possible for Mavs to go through Minnesota. I don't think Mavs have enough players to keep up with this sort of physical abuse.

Kleber is now out. Gafford is a finesse player. He has a good feel and good hands. Lively is barely 20 years old and has already been injured. Dwight Powell is not much of a physical presence. Luka is playing through injury, often with bloody knees. Kyrie is a finesse player that doesn't get respected by the refs.

Clippers are not a physically abusive team. Zubac is strong but he plays proper basketball. So does Paul George. Harden constantly fakes that he is fouled, but Harden is not a physically abusive player.

And the refs have totally and completely changed the officiating criteria. The abuse that was not allowed during the regular season is now allowed. They let it go and let it happen. I don't think that Mavs can physically get through four wins over Minnesota EVEN IF THEY WERE TO GET THROUGH THUNDER. I don't think they can physically do that. That's my prediction.

[LukaMagic]

These are the top five Thunder producers. And they play the most minutes. All five appear capable of regularly scoring. That is very important for them that all five of them get on the scoring sheet.

Their centre is both 1. A FINESSE PLAYER aaaand 2. A ROOKIE. That is great news for Mavs. That can be exploited. Both Lively and Gafford can guard him. Aaand, both Lively and Gafford are surely stronger than him. That can surely be exploited offensively.

Those are their numbers in their last 4 games vs. Pelicans. Which is a series that they have swept.

They are a young team and this is their first time in the playoffs. Last year they were kicked out at the play-in stage. That is also an advantage for the Mavs. They haven't yet been tested in the playoffs, while Mavericks have both Luka and Kyrie who are players that have very much already been tested.

Mavericks must be seen as favorites going into this series. But the league prefers the OKC so that the refereeing standard will not be fair.

#5 Dort does not appear to have much of an inside game. Here, for example, a player with inside game would surely push it into the paint https://youtu.be/dZoXqU3TVeA?t=86. But he doesn't even think about that. And instead opts early for a pass for a three-pointer. Everyone can shoot, and they appear to spread the floor well.*
Also notice here how that Valiancunas is a VERY, VERY SLOW AND LUMBERING BIG. Dallas' bigs are better on their feet. But Holmgren will give them trouble. Holmgren will give ANYONE in the league such a trouble for a very long time to come (lol).
* Dort probably has some kind of inside game given his size and attributes. He might opt for this pass because this is how they play. Spread the floor, get the ball around to the open three point shooter. So he does it very quickly and absent much other thinking. Especially after a pump fake that has worked because that means that one of the defensive players dropped out.

#5 Dort appears to have a great pump fake. That he uses often. That makes it hard to guard when on the run. And he has a little bit of a different kinda shooting motion. Slow and therefore hard to time for a block. Unusual and atypical. And then he uses the pump fake so well. https://youtu.be/dZoXqU3TVeA?t=59

#5 Dort is a French Canadian of Haitian origin. From Montreal. Grew up playing street ball there.
Hence . s a v v y (Google Dictionary: "shrewdness and practical knowledge; the ability to make good judgements.") Physically, he is very limited. Only 1.93m. But very, very savvy as I've written above. Good pump fake. He is strong, but with that size that makes him still very, very limited. Not fast. But good judgments. He is probably very comfortable in the post but in a specific isolation.

#2 SGA is good. He is their best player. But he has neither swagger, nor coolness about himself. Like those things are foreign to him. And that's what Kyrie Irving needs to show him in this series. I think Kyrie Irving could have a great impact on on SGA in this series. I think Kyrie will probably start guarding him. I think that could be a good match-up for the Mavs.

https://youtu.be/5yE2j2jp5_4 Notice that this game Kleber started and notice how the Mavs had a great start. That was the case because of his great movement and defending against the OKC team that appears to spread the floor very well. And Kleber can shoot 3s too. Kleber is a big loss. I think this was the very first game played by Gafford and PJ.

[LukaMagic]

https://youtu.be/c-gpRpDZUtw

This is what awaits the Mavs if they get through OKC. Small market team with a foreigner superstar like Luka Doncic cannot hope for better. The league has changed its criteria.

And America is a very, very racist and xenophobic place. Especially the NBA.

ps ALL countries are very, very racist and xenophobic places. America is one of the very best countries in the whole world. America is the shining light of freedom in many, many respects. But NOT when it comes to the NBA. NBA is a very heavily rigged and racist league. And obviously so. The NBA commentators are heavily racist and they heavily favour big market teams.

pps So yeah. My prediction that is Mavs will or could get through the OKC. And then my prediction is that they might have a chance to get through Denver. But I don't think that Mavs have enough physical strength to persevere through the physical abuse they will face from Minnesota. And I think that as a matter of attrition.

Google Dictionary for Attrition: " a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength: Our club has had a high rate of attrition because so many members have moved away. a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment: The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition."

I think there will be more injuries and Mavs will be decimated like that.

In round 1 Mavs lost Kleber.

ps Notice here that Denver got beaten up and physically abused in their own building and THEY are facing disciplinary action BY THE LEAGUE.

pps That's what's in store for Luka Doncic. To get beaten up. And then he will complain. And then HE and the Mavs will be penalized. PJ too. Westbrook was targeting PJ and the league PROTECTED WESTBROOK. Didn't even call OBVIOUS INSTANCES OF GREAT VIOLENCE AGAINST PJ.

[LukaMagic]

https://youtu.be/_hE652tJxpw?t=339

Here is the play that wasn't even called on PJ Washington. This was called a foul on DJJ. Referees HAVE IGNORED that foul on PJ. Because that was A VIOLENT FOUL. That must have been A FLAGRANT. They have IGNORED IT.

If PJ were to complain then he would get a disciplinary action by the league. Could get ejected. He got physically abused and if he were to complain he would get ejected.

He already did get ejected BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENCE THAT WESTBROOK DID. PJ shouldn't have been ejected together with Westbrook for that. But he was because that's how the league works.

Here is the video of that: https://youtu.be/Goh4GZ56iTs

The officials protect everyone who plays against the Mavs. And that is because Mavs are 1. a small market team with a 2. white, foreigner aaaaand Slavic superstar.

[saclare]

Dude...I know we are on to the round 2 thread, but this shit has to stop ^^^^^^

It's even annoying on ignore. Spam posting 7 times in a row and no doubt in awful format. Can we get a mod in here?