GDT: Mavs vs Nuggets

[Cerberus]

Time for more Ellington and less Crowder.

[sike]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

Time for more Ellington and less Crowder.

Less Crowder seems like a good choice.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

Time for more Ellington and less Crowder.

Where do I sign?

[DevinHarriswillstart]

We'll beat 'em on Monday.

[sike]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

We'll beat 'em on Monday.

Heck yeah!!

[vcmavs25]

I really hope we blow out their asses this monday, i'm mad right now.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

Time for more Ellington and less Crowder.

Gonna have to agree here.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

Time for more Ellington and less Crowder.

If Wayne can play the three in smaller lineups, I totally support this. I got to watch a lot of him during his time with the Timberwolves and I liked his activity level on both ends. He isn't a great defender but in the right match ups he can certainly at least be passable at that end, and he has shown the potential to be a knockdown three point shooter as well.

Jae had a good hot stretch for the first 10 games of this year, and he played really well at times last year, but I think Wayne is more of a proven commodity right now and I'd choose playing him as a steadier rotation piece over trying to develop Jae over the course of this season.

[Vinsanity]

I would've loved to see Ellis take more shots towards the end. Dirk was good tonight, but just wasn't making those shots he normally makes down the stretch.

But the team showed heart battling back from down 18 to take the lead... Had a couple of balls bounced our way, we woulda won. Oh well, can't win em all. At least we'll beat them on Monday back at the AAC.

[JeffViggiano]

i hope our players will remeber this foye "the bully" next game at AAC...

[Kante]

Crowder was prety bad, the minutes i saw. And yes, it's time to sit him more when he stinks it up!

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

Hate losing more than winning. There were many chances.

4 out of 5 dentists prefer winning to losing as well. sorry couldn't resist.

[sefant77]

Im ready to give up on Crowder. His talent isnt enough, he is a 3rd string SF and gonna remain on this level. This means also in any Marion trade we need to get a quality 24min+ SF in return...

[Melonhead]

I was expecting a split with Denver but to be so close and let it get away really hurts.

Maybe Dallas will learn if they don't dig themselves holes, they could be a pretty good team with a lead.

[Kante]

B2B in Denver is always tough, maybe as tough as it gets. So, just being "there" means something but it also means nothing... L is a L and the way was pretty bad. So many opportunities and not scoring once at the end, damn!

[mac222b]

They looked like they ran out of gas at the end. Dirk especially. He settled for some jumpers which is a sign of fatigue and even so didn't miss by much. He was also just a step or two out of optimal range on a number of his shots last night, last two especially. Also they were around the elbow extended area from which I'm guessing he's shooting a lower % from this year. Dont know for sure just hypothesizing. Seems like he's getting pushed out an extra step or two there and also his turnovers are coming from that area. I could be wrong. Anyone have one of those neat graphs showing such things?

[Melonhead]

I know b2b are tough on an older team, but just for mentioning, the blazers just went 5-0 in 7 days. They are a contending team this year.

[Bayliss]

Crowder has to be able to help the Mavs, not hinder them. But ever since the "experiment" game with him in place of Dalembert... he has been hindering the Mavs.

Ways to help the Mavs:
1) Don't do anything "forced"
With Monta and Dirk out there, there is no reason for him to EVER try to go beyond his capabilities. Play defense, shoot the open shot. That's it.
2) Start hitting shots
Dirk and Monta will get him wide open looks. He has to drain them at a proficient clip. If not he is pretty damn useless.

It really is as simple as that with him. If he sticks it will all be based on him being able to hit open shots, and play within himself (ie don't go freelancing iso or jacking up transitions 3s... etc.)

[Kante]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

I know b2b are tough on an older team, but just for mentioning, the blazers just went 5-0 in 7 days. They are a contending team this year.

No, they are not. Their bench is horrible and they are just on a streak right now.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by Kante

No, they are not. Their bench is horrible and they are just on a streak right now.

Hmmm...there is that word, contending again that folks change up the meaning. Top four is contending, period ( although I'm not sure what "period" actually means anymore ).

12-2 looks pretty "contending" to me.

[sefant77]

Blazers didnt have the toughest schedule (as example we played allready four b2b and in Miami and OKC) and they still have no bench except Mo Williams. Their bench production is the worse in the league.

This will wear out the starters in the 2nd half of the season. They will play for the #8 spot, nothing more.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by Kante

No, they are not. Their bench is horrible and they are just on a streak right now.

I figured someone would discount it. 10 straight wins is one hell of a streak. They are a good team and barring injuries they will fall somewhere between 5-7 seed. Robin Lopez addition was a great pickup for them.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

I figured someone would discount it. 10 straight wins is one hell of a streak. They are a good team and barring injuries they will fall somewhere between 5-7 seed. Robin Lopez addition was a great pickup for them.

5-7 seed is contending?

[j0Shi]

Portland always had this bench issue going and got killed by it eventually. I don't trust them either.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by sefant77

Blazers didnt have the toughest schedule (as example we played allready four b2b and in Miami and OKC) and they still have no bench except Mo Williams. Their bench production is the worse in the league.

This will wear out the starters in the 2nd half of the season. They will play for the #8 spot, nothing more.

Are you basing them wearing out by minutes?

Top mpg guy is Aldridge at 37, Ellis 37. - ~same age I think.
Lilliard 37, dirk 32
Batum. 35, Shawn 32
Matthews 34, Calderon 32
Lopez 30, Sammy 24
Williams 25, Vince 24

I'm not sure I'm seeing it. In almost every case the number of minutes delta is how much younger the Portland player is than Dallas. Except probably monta.

Except for mo Williams they are all at 7 years or younger.


If comparing to Dallas their bench is probably just as good and I haven't evens seen them, just going off the mavs bench, below average unless wright/devin make bigger impacts.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

5-7 seed is contending?

It will depend of course. 55 win team at number 5 is probably a contender, 42 at 8, not so much.

[GhostOfAdamMorrison]

Lol, Portland is nothing more than a 2nd round team at best. And do you really think Matthews is going to shoot 57% from the field and 52% on threes all year?

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by dude1394

It will depend of course. 55 win team at number 5 is probably a contender, 42 at 8, not so much.

I don't think 42 wins is going to sniff the playoffs in the West this year. At any rate, even if it's not out of the question that a 5 seed could be a contender - particularly with the conferences as unbalanced as they are - my point was that 5-7 is a strange seeding range for a "contending" team. If they're really a contender something higher than a 5 seed should presumably be in play after the hot start.

As for the Blazers, count me among those expecting them to fall back to the rest of the pack sooner or later. Not a knock. They're off to a great start, and figured to be improved this year. Just can't personally bring myself to believe at this point that Robin Lopez, Mo Williams and an extra year of experience are going to turn a 33 win team into a contender.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

5-7 seed is contending?

I consider the Mavs a contender as a 5-7 seed. Portland has the pieces to upset a team in the playoffs. No theyre not going for a title, but to discount them is naive.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

I consider the Mavs a contender as a 5-7 seed. Portland has the pieces to upset a team in the playoffs. No theyre not going for a title, but to discount them is naive.

I'm not discounting them. I suspect you'll find you're in the minority calling teams with a shot at a first round upset contenders.

[sefant77]

The Blazers have Mo Williams as only guy making an impact from the bench. Right now you can argue that Carter and Blair making a bigger impact than Mo.

Wright is coming back and highly productive (of course, Blairs numbers gonna drop). I believe Harris is able to perform on Mo´s level.

That makes four guys on our bench playing on Mo´s level. Larkin looking good too, so we are going to see a really quality ten player rotation. Blazers still have just six guys..