The afternoon after the Dallas Mavericks' loss to the Miami Heat feels like the perfect time for Episode 6 of The Movie. slacking Off — our intermittent, casual series of conversations. myself, David Trinkand another staff member is here. mabs moneyball.We are very welcome again this time. gracie billiards We discuss the roller coaster season of triumph amidst mayhem.
Brent: First, I would like to measure each person's pulse. We just made it through the All-Star break, a seven-game winning streak where the Mavs were talked about as the favorites, and a dark period where Max Strus and Rick Carlisle decided to make things even worse. How do you feel about the Mavs now?
Gracie: I've had a love-hate relationship with the Mavs ever since we returned from the All-Star break. Five of the eight wins and losses were tough matches. Last night's game against Miami was a refreshing and much-needed win.
David: I don't feel anything until Jason Kidd gets fired. The Mavericks' success this season outside of making the playoffs matters little, so what matters is making moves that will help them in the future. The biggest thing they can do to help the cause is fire the coach.
Brent: Before we move on to the Kid, believe me, let me tell you about what I saw last night. There are some changes to the starting lineup. Gafford and Jones in, Lively and Green out. Just a few minutes left for Exum. Did you see a solution on the roster, or in a one-game mirage, given that Miami's main big man isn't a floor-spreading threat?
david: The solution definitely lies in the roster. I honestly think AJ Lawson can play against Green. Dallas needs to have three good defenders on the floor at all times in Luka and Kyrie, and I think it can be done.
Gracie:I think it was a very necessary change. I much prefer the defense he offers DJJ over Green. Green's screen navigation on defense is enough to drive people crazy. He has also been very passive offensively recently. I really liked that move, especially after Derrick Jones recently came off the bench and made four or five threes in a hot game. I like to see Lively start, especially after his performance defending Bum on the defensive end.
brent: There's no question the Mavs are better equipped to handle size this season, but how worried are they about their ability to handle stretch fives after the recent revelations of Myles Turner and KP? mosquito?
Gracie: Hmm, I'm a little concerned that they used a first round pick on a big that can't handle a stretch big. It was frustrating to see Myles Turner dishing out the Mavericks in exactly the same way just a week later.
david:Eh, I'm not really worried about it. Lively can move, I think it's about showing him his place. Additionally, there aren't many good stretch fives in the West.
brent:I agree, Gracie, it would be great to see PJW's 3rd quarter adjustments at the start of the game instead of after Turner gets roasted again. Pre-emptive game management and reactionary game management, right?
Gracie: Yeah, there were so many coaching decisions, or lack thereof, that I could pinpoint their struggles over the past eight games.
david: Kid seems to be stubborn and flexible in bad times.
brent: Now let's talk more broadly about the coaching staff. Why does this team so often look unready to play when the stakes for the season are so high?
Gracie: They seem comfortable being in this position, at least this season. They probably feel comfortable in whatever position they're in heading into the postseason because they've improved from last year. I think there is a perspective that says, “If we make it to the playoffs, we can compete with anyone.'' That may be the case with the one-two punch of Luka and Kyrie, but it would be great to see them play to their full potential, which we all know they can reach. I think they need a new “general” to take responsibility.
brent: Kidd looked great in his interactions with Giannis, LeBron, and Anthony Davis. By all accounts, Doncic and Irving like him as a coach. The bigger problem is that his stature as a Hall of Famer and desire to be a head coach, combined with his ability to get along with star players, gives him even more leeway in his ability to run a team from the big chair. The question is whether it will lead to a scenario where it is given. Rather than him being a nameless assistant hired from another staff member and subject to harsher reviews?
Gracie:I think so. It also helps when you help bring the city its first championship. I think the players like him too, and that's not a bad thing. On the other hand, I also don't like the coaching philosophy of letting players figure it out for themselves.
brent: Well, Gracie, that's part of his dysmorphia as a player for what we think of him as a coach.
Thought experiment: Imagine if his name was Bob Smith. An unknown guy coming out of a small college was on his NBA staff 15 years later, and the Mavs hired him. Everything else was the same…the schemes and player interactions…the weird postgame quotes…Based on his performance in his first year at WCF, how long would the hypothetical Bob Smith have been as a coach? Do you have time? In this thought experiment, would hypothetical coach Smith score the fourth point (assuming a play-in or a first-round flameout)? If so, would Kid actually score it? Would you?
Gracie: No, “Coach Smith” definitely won't be given another chance. I think this name is what kept him here (Kid, not the fictional Bob Smith). Even hiring.
david: His reputation definitely helps. I don't know how long Bob Smith has been coaching. It's unclear how long Kidd will coach. We also don't know what's going on behind closed doors, so the team may be supporting him more than we know. There are so many factors involved in being a great coach that basing decisions solely on public interactions can be misleading. But from what Kidd has shown publicly, in my opinion, he and Bob Smith should not be in their senior year.
brent: Well, David, you obviously want to put the Kid on a trebuchet and launch him over the moat, so what brought you there? Before the Mavs get into trouble. Have you been there or are you still experiencing it (TBD)?
david: Yeah, I've been there before too. I think every rough part confirms my idea. It mainly has to do with his lack of passion and sense of responsibility.
Gracie: They lose the game the same way, and then he goes to the media after the game and gives the same excuse like clockwork.
brentSo you agree with my view that he's more of a basketball consultant, at least on the surface, than a coach dealing with the fans and the team? He's a strange and isolated figure in Mavs coaching history.
david:Yes, that's right.
brent: I refuse to actively go against the Mavericks in hopes that a bad result will lead to a coaching change. I'd love to have another fun playoff run, even if it's Kidd's fourth year, but given how unserious the play was with so much talent, I don't think that's the most likely possibility. I don't think this is a high result. This is a better roster than it was two years ago.
A pleasant surprise. Throughout his first five episodes, I asked all the questions. Why not bring up some topics? Gracie, do you want to go first?
Gracie:Okay, what do you guys think is the solution to dealing with Tim Hardaway Jr.'s shooting slump? Additionally, where do you both want Exum to fit into the Mavs' rotation?
david: Tim should limit his stretches to 5 minutes, depending on whether he is hitting or not. He can't do much more now. As for Exum, we need him to be a big hit along with Luka, Kyrie, PJ, and Lively.
Gracie: It is essential that Exum joins the closing lineup.
brent: Hardaway thrives when the team needs him. Starting instead of Luka? Bam, 35 points. Is everyone's roster healthy? Crank, 1-7 from the field. These are not exact match results, but this is how I feel about THJ these days. He needs to be needed, and when he's playing a much smaller role, when his shot selection is more scrutinized because of other options, he seems to tighten up. So David is right. Hook has to come sooner, but has he seen the last heater from Tim in Dallas? He doesn't know when something new will happen again, and he hopes it will. I like Tim as a player and as a character…but things have been tough lately and Kidd has been slow to react to that reality.
david: To be fair to Kid, he doesn't allow himself to be affected by fluctuations. However, in basketball, there are times when you have to ride a hot hand or, in this case, bench a cold one.
brent: When it comes to Exum, he's the quintessential connective tissue, and that's highly praised. The team desperately needs him for a variety of reasons, but here's what I read about the most important. After building a scramble defense or true 4-3 with Luka or Kyrie dominating, the Mavs have someone in Exum who can provide high-level decision-making from that advantageous spot. Those moments are fleeting and often explain why you win or lose. That's why I think he's back in the closing lineup. David, what are you thinking?
david: I'd like to hear your thoughts on Lively's recent playtime. do you think that's fair? Or do you want to see him play 25-30 minutes every night?
brent: I think it comes down to two questions – how well does Gafford match up with the team the Mavs are playing, and how well is Clever playing? was a “48-minute rim-rolling big,” but for better or worse, Maxi's five-out lineups have been and will continue to be seen. And while most of his reduced playing time isn't due to foul trouble, when his playing time is light, his ability to aggressively defend when the situation calls for it has increased.
Gracie: I think he made a rookie mistake, but I still think it's important to give him time to understand and resolve it. OMax was sent to the Phantom Zone as Kidd had a short lead for a rookie. The whole team is better when he's on the floor and that's special for a rookie.
brent: Speaking of the Phantom Zone, what did Jaden Hardy do to earn a near-permanent spot next to Powell and Markieff?
Gracie: Jaden Hardy has the lead that Tim should have.
brent:Let's take this home. What's in store for the Mavericks over the next 5-10 games and what do you expect/expect from the team in terms of cohesion on the court and placement in the standings?
Gracie: The Mavericks have several upcoming games against teams below .500, including the Jazz in the Rockets and the historically terrible Pistons. On the other hand, there is also a matchup between the Thunder and Nuggets. The Mavericks have handled themselves well against teams below .500, so I'm not worried about that. I think we'll see what kind of team the Mavericks are in more competitive games. I'm looking forward to seeing how they will respond to the teams they may face in the playoffs. In terms of cohesion, I would like to see the Mavericks collectively stop allowing so many shots from beyond the arc. I'd like to see them as a No. 6 seed, but that may not be possible right now. So as long as they play 7-8 in games, I'm happy.
david: I think Dallas will be stable. You can eat it all year round, so it would be a waste not to eat it. I don't know what the ranking will be as it completely depends on the other teams. However, if I had to guess, I think Dallas will finish in 6th place.
brent: Lastly, what is one piece of media you've been enjoying lately, whether it's TV, movies, music, etc., that you'd like to recommend to our readers?
Gracie: My all-time favorite band, TwentyOne Pilots, recently released a song called “Overcompensate.” This song is fun because it has the feel of the two older albums. It's the perfect single for their upcoming new album, “Clancy.”
david: I recommend the Percy Jackson series on Disney+. Because I read these books when I was a kid and this series is very true to those books and it's very nostalgic.
brent: Netflix's new Avatar series has MMB's oldest staff feeling like young adults watching Nickelodeon again.
Great chat, Gracie, and thanks for hanging out with Go Mavs!
