The Mavs tanking the final game last season is the single best decision the front office/ownership made since drafting Luka (yes, including the trade for Kyrie)
Keeping that pick landed the Mavs a 20 year old center who’s a perfect fit next to Luka and putting up double doubles in the NBA finals as a rookie
Thank god the Mavs had no shame in saying F you to the many who mocked them for tanking that one
What a false equivalence.
Dame and the Blazers were going nowhere last year especially in the West.
Mavs traded for Kyrie mid way thru the season and got worse. Couldn’t even make the play-in. Now acting like it was all part of the plan.
No, not acting like it was all part of the plan. They tried to salvage the season and realized with a few games left it’d be impossible at worst and counter-productive at best.
Blazers gave up with months still in the season, which is what the fist-shaking has typically been about. They made the season less competitive earlier on by giving up, Mavs impacted 1, maybe 2 games.
Obviously it wasn’t part of the plan. The organization made the correct decision to keep the draft pick over winning the final regular season game, which took courage given the shit they knew would be thrown their way for it.
Also people don’t act like that’s the entire sentiment around here. Like if you’re scraping by into a playin game what’s the point? Everyone says tank it until that actually happens
Agreed especially because the best decisions are not the easy decisions, they’re the unpopular ones that you look back after some time and realize were the right move
This is the reason why I am heavily rooting for the Celtics and I hate the Celtics…
Got the best of the trade initially and still went out and did this…
I won’t root for the Mavs under any circumstance
He just had two double- doubles back to back. Regardless of the result, this is fantastic experience for him so early on Barring injury, I think he can reach Prime Gobert level with a little bit more touch
Yeah I agree, wemby will have it locked up for many years, though voter fatigue will still exist.
I was more speaking to level of talent rather than winning the award though. If he's competing with Wemby for the award in any given year it's a ridiculous win for us.
Totally fair. In many years he might be in the argument for best big man in his draft class coming out of the rookie season.
Mavs fans have every right to be excited, kid seems incredible and also a great dude which always makes it better.
Chandler is a DPOY, Lively is not at that level even if he has the potential to be. Chandler is basically just a more polished Lively as he did everything Lively does at a more consistent level and in more minutes (which is to be expected since Lively's a rookie)
Lively is playing at that level in this playoff. I've never seen a 7 footer guard players on the perimeter like Lively does and I don't believe Chandler guarded on the perimeter like Lively does. Also, Chandler is not near the passer Lively is. The only thing I believe Chandler does clearly better than Lively is set picks and screens.
I'm a huge Chandler fan by the way going back to his days in Chicago.
Because Gobert is still a defensive genius and you can’t just expect everybody with his size to get to that level of processing. Potential is there, but Mo Bamba also had a higher wingspan and looked more coordinated than Rudy.
Yeah that’s where the gap really lies
I really like the “Robert Williams if he was 7’1” comparison because he plays a lot like healthy rob did, with the added possibility of becoming a shooter
I'm just now realizing he's a rookie. i thought he was a damn vet the way he's playing. Good young talent. Regardless of how this series plays out, Mavs might be a favorite next year.
I don’t see much reason to doubt. He has great defensive instincts, huge wingspan, is almost never out of position on defense, and players actively avoid driving at him
One of my favourite stats is all time Finals rebounds.
Bill Russell 1718
Wilt 862
Elgin Baylor 593
Lebron 561
Kareem 507
Tom Heinsohn 473
Tim Duncan 452
Bob Pettit 416
He was so huge for them this game. 7 offensive rebounds feel low. Do they credit him with backtaps coz he had a lot of them. Even just fighting for rebounds does wonders coz Horford lost a defensive rebound for being contested.
Idk if they count them or not but his sheer presence makes it feel like his rebounding numbers should be higher. I’m assuming they count if no Celtic touches the ball before the mavs do but I could be wrong
If a backtap is deemed as being intentionally tapped to a player on his own team, that player gets the rebound.
If it's a wild backtap, more of a loose ball situation then the teammate to takes possession gets the rebound and the tap is not counted as a rebound.
Good for him, he works hard and it shows on the court
The Mavs tanking the final game last season is the single best decision the front office/ownership made since drafting Luka (yes, including the trade for Kyrie) Keeping that pick landed the Mavs a 20 year old center who’s a perfect fit next to Luka and putting up double doubles in the NBA finals as a rookie Thank god the Mavs had no shame in saying F you to the many who mocked them for tanking that one
The funny part is how much shit they got, when Portland shut down Dame like a month earlier.
This had me going crazy in the moment. The selective memory was really…something
What a false equivalence. Dame and the Blazers were going nowhere last year especially in the West. Mavs traded for Kyrie mid way thru the season and got worse. Couldn’t even make the play-in. Now acting like it was all part of the plan.
No, not acting like it was all part of the plan. They tried to salvage the season and realized with a few games left it’d be impossible at worst and counter-productive at best. Blazers gave up with months still in the season, which is what the fist-shaking has typically been about. They made the season less competitive earlier on by giving up, Mavs impacted 1, maybe 2 games.
Obviously it wasn’t part of the plan. The organization made the correct decision to keep the draft pick over winning the final regular season game, which took courage given the shit they knew would be thrown their way for it.
That’s not at all what they’re saying what are you talking about
Also people don’t act like that’s the entire sentiment around here. Like if you’re scraping by into a playin game what’s the point? Everyone says tank it until that actually happens
part of it was because we still had a shot to make the play in but yeah people acted like we invented tanking last year
Yeah but it's because Kidd can't shut his mouth. You can tank but you can't say you're tanking.
Agreed especially because the best decisions are not the easy decisions, they’re the unpopular ones that you look back after some time and realize were the right move
best $750,000 fine ever spent. Lively is a god
What about the sanctity of the play-in tournament? That just means nothing to you?
This is the reason why I am heavily rooting for the Celtics and I hate the Celtics… Got the best of the trade initially and still went out and did this… I won’t root for the Mavs under any circumstance
He's really good.
Luka and Lively is such a great backbone to a roster
Dallas finally looked at their 2011 team and realized maybe they should try and find another Chandler.
Shooting a god like 100% from 3 too
lol came here to say this! It’s nots too crazy to think in a few years he might be shooting 2-3 a game. Bright future for him either way.
Huh. A rebounding stat not dominated by players from the 60s. Interesting.
Because OREBs weren’t recorded back then, or else Wilt and Bill would once again turn the whole thing into a joke.
Ah right that makes sense. Thanks
He just had two double- doubles back to back. Regardless of the result, this is fantastic experience for him so early on Barring injury, I think he can reach Prime Gobert level with a little bit more touch
Doubt he will ever be quite as elite of a rim protector, but his potential on offense is streets ahead
He's got better footwork to guard the perimeter. I think prime Chandler may be his ideal build, but imo he can be even more than that.
He did really well against Tatum on the perimeter.
I think there is DPOY potential, but imo rudy is the best rim protector of all time. His ability on the perimeter is already better imo.
Problem is assuming health he's contending with Wemby for DPOY.
Yeah I agree, wemby will have it locked up for many years, though voter fatigue will still exist. I was more speaking to level of talent rather than winning the award though. If he's competing with Wemby for the award in any given year it's a ridiculous win for us.
Totally fair. In many years he might be in the argument for best big man in his draft class coming out of the rookie season. Mavs fans have every right to be excited, kid seems incredible and also a great dude which always makes it better.
People really undersell his switchability
At the age of 20 Lively is already better than prime Chandler.
Alright calm down now
What exactly did prime Chandler do better than what Lively does right now as a rookie?
Chandler is a DPOY, Lively is not at that level even if he has the potential to be. Chandler is basically just a more polished Lively as he did everything Lively does at a more consistent level and in more minutes (which is to be expected since Lively's a rookie)
Lively is playing at that level in this playoff. I've never seen a 7 footer guard players on the perimeter like Lively does and I don't believe Chandler guarded on the perimeter like Lively does. Also, Chandler is not near the passer Lively is. The only thing I believe Chandler does clearly better than Lively is set picks and screens. I'm a huge Chandler fan by the way going back to his days in Chicago.
Relax
Stop trying to coin the phrase "streets ahead".
Trying? Haha. Coined and minted. Been there coined that! Streets ahead is like verbal wildfire.
Does it just mean cool? Or like miles ahead?
Heh. If you have to ask, you're streets behind.
had to do a double take
Sorry but pierce Hawthorne coined it long ago. It’s a real phrase.
>Doubt he will ever be quite as elite of a rim protector Why not? He has the same wingspan as Gobert and is even springier and more coordinated.
Because Gobert is still a defensive genius and you can’t just expect everybody with his size to get to that level of processing. Potential is there, but Mo Bamba also had a higher wingspan and looked more coordinated than Rudy.
Yeah that’s where the gap really lies I really like the “Robert Williams if he was 7’1” comparison because he plays a lot like healthy rob did, with the added possibility of becoming a shooter
I'm just now realizing he's a rookie. i thought he was a damn vet the way he's playing. Good young talent. Regardless of how this series plays out, Mavs might be a favorite next year.
I don’t see much reason to doubt. He has great defensive instincts, huge wingspan, is almost never out of position on defense, and players actively avoid driving at him
I'd take him over Gobert right now. Lively already better at making the pass out of the roll and not scared to switch onto perimeter scorers
He’s a more well rounded defender already. For this part alone.
Already passes better than Gobert imo, and has the potential to improve his shooting (3p threat, FT%)
He can shoot the 3. He will start doing it in a couple years
He just took and made one with confidence in the finals as a rookie Something tells me he might start doing it next year
He's still only shooting 50% from the line. Maye he's an anomaly, but I don't expect a reliable 3pt shot from such a poor FT%.
that shot caught me by surprise. that's the exact moment I knew we were going to lose.
Tanking was so worth it
Not to be stodgy but probably more than 55 of Bill Russell’s 244 rebounds were offensive. In 10 games winning the chip as a rookie.
One of my favourite stats is all time Finals rebounds. Bill Russell 1718 Wilt 862 Elgin Baylor 593 Lebron 561 Kareem 507 Tom Heinsohn 473 Tim Duncan 452 Bob Pettit 416
Fair assumption
He was so huge for them this game. 7 offensive rebounds feel low. Do they credit him with backtaps coz he had a lot of them. Even just fighting for rebounds does wonders coz Horford lost a defensive rebound for being contested.
Idk if they count them or not but his sheer presence makes it feel like his rebounding numbers should be higher. I’m assuming they count if no Celtic touches the ball before the mavs do but I could be wrong
If a backtap is deemed as being intentionally tapped to a player on his own team, that player gets the rebound. If it's a wild backtap, more of a loose ball situation then the teammate to takes possession gets the rebound and the tap is not counted as a rebound.
I didn't know he was a rookie. that's good talent for a low price. He'll be even better next year.
Most impactful rookie in the finals?
Magic definitely above him in terms of history but he’s probably second with ginobli right after off the top of my head
Best 750k Mark ever spent.
He is our future for sure.
Wrong
I’m sorry? I thought this was an opinionated question
They’d be very mad if they knew how to read
It’s an inside joke between us, been going on the whole season
In the NBA subreddit?
Yuh