of Dallas Mavericks Coming from a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals.the future is bright Luka Doncic as the cornerstone of their franchise. He was nominated for his third All-His NBA First Team at the age of 23.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban participated in a one-on-one live interview. bleacher report on tuesday. As you can imagine, the Mavericks were a hot topic.
Cuban asked about whether the Mavericks have the right pieces to win the championship around Luka Doncic. He explained that the team’s shortcomings against the Warriors in the Westerns in his conference finals had more to do with “corporate knowledge” rather than talent.
“I don’t think we lost the conference finals because we weren’t talented,” Cuban said. “The Warriors have been playing together for so long that I think they deserve a lot of credit. Their performance was phenomenal..It wasn’t talent, it was corporate knowledge.”
Cuban continued: We hadn’t been out of the first round for 10 years. A lot of it is execution, and it was a constant theme that came up when talking to our members during the series.
“The Warriors knew where to be on either side of the ball no matter how we coordinated. The teams I played before weren’t very good at coordinating,” Cuban said. “Rather than saying, ‘We need a second star,’ it’s more like, ‘Let’s take our time and gain experience in critical situations, and it will pay off.'”
Cuban saw similarities in how the Warriors beat the Celtics compared to what the Mavericks experienced in their own series. Golden State rolled out units that run together in a series of ways that proved to be different.
“Cannot simulate [to gain the experience], you have to be there,” Cuban explained. the same thing they did to us. They didn’t beat them. They got a man who was hot and open. they looked great. They had guys who knew their role.”
One player who tipped the series in favor of the Warriors from what Cuba saw in the Western Conference Finals was Andrew Wiggins Considering he stepped up despite being unfamiliar with those moments.
“I think [Wiggins] It was he who brought us down. He knew what to expect from Clay, Steph and Draymond,” Cuban said. [Wiggins] would step up, and he did. That’s what comes down to that type of series. Everyone understands their role and can do what the coach puts out, and at the right time a player called Roll His Player will step up. ”
The Warriors may not have a “Big 3” akin to their recently formed trio of flashy superstars, but they are cohesive.Elite shooting and off-ball moves Stephen Curry Klay Thompson fits everyone.
Green’s ability to play short rolls from handoffs is maximized playing with Curry, who has an incredible amount of attention. The defense can’t afford to drop her deep against Curry and often feels the need to play blitz or at least near level. why is that? For threat curry range poses.
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As the Warriors’ plays fell behind the shot clock, they used split action, high ball screens, or handoffs to points where they often had 45 cuts or offensive chances to get the defense out of rotation. Because the defense is not in a position to handle it, it rebounds due to wings like Wiggins.
While some may not call the attributes of Warriors star players “talent” in the traditional sense, attributes of value are not valued as strongly as they should be.
For example, consider Green’s defensive impact. His handling on the half court is the epitome of supercomputing. He is basically a vocal his leader who directs his teammates as the group’s middle linebacker. He has great timing in his defensive rotation and guards multiple positions in a way that most players don’t want. These traits make it a true talent.
Green spent the stretch defending the opposition’s secondary scoring threats while the Warriors frequently placed Wiggins in offensive points on the defense. How many teams have a wing defender close to Wiggins’ level, let alone an anchor at Green’s level?
When Jalen Branson Having encountered a more challenging series against the Warriors than against the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, the Mavericks lacked a third threat to deploy with him and Doncic to exploit weaknesses in the Warriors’ defense. .
A wing of size was ideal for several reasons. Not only is he capable of knocking down catch-off attacks into gaps and catch-and-shoot looks, but he’s also got Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith, plus a third reliable wing defender. As a result, both players were duly gassed.
Now the Mavericks are without Branson and have yet to replace him with an experienced guard. For a team in need of experience, going from consummate college winner and playoff breakout star Branson to a second-round pick playing his first NBA season in Jaden Hardy is a short-term move. It seems like a step in the wrong direction for the results.
The Mavericks walked away from the Western Conference Finals with rebounding, a big area they felt they needed to deal with. They acquired Christian Wood and JaVale McGee to help with that division. Each player adds useful attributes to this team, but there are still some key areas that can be addressed.
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