Roundtable: Can Mavs Trounce Wolves In Two-Game Series?
The Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference, in eighth and ninth place respectively.
But that could all change in the next couple of days with the teams meeting twice in the next 72 hours, Sunday in Minnesota and Tuesday in Dallas.
With Luka Doncic expected to miss at least Sunday's contest, the team will have to continue to adapt without him.
Here's what some of the staff has to say in advance of the team's games against the Timberwolves:
1. Kristaps Porzingis has a challenging matchup over the next two games with Karl-Anthony Towns. How do you think the Mavs' big man will compete with Towns?
FISH: KP’s head is in the right place here. The numbers lately have been good and so has his health. But when he talks about “feeling free”? I mean, I’m a Rick Carlisle guy. But “free” is a highly symbolic word - and a good thing.
Jeremy Brener: With Anthony Edwards in COVID protocols, the Mavs win if they limit Towns, amplifying Porzingis' value in these games. He's been electric lately, scoring 20 or more in each of his last 10 games. If Porzingis can deny him his usual piece of the pie, the Mavericks will come out of these games winning.
Dalton Trigg: Towns is arguably playing the best basketball of his career right now, so I don’t have much confidence in Porzingis being able to limit him on the offensive end. That said, Towns isn’t necessarily a lockdown defender himself, so if KP can get a few threes to fall, I think his numbers on offense will end up looking pretty good in this mini-series.
Lance Roberson: Last season, Porzingis fared rather well vs. Karl-Anthony Towns, averaging 24 points on an efficient 66.1 true shooting percentage. However, his defense suffered, indicative of his negative-2.2 net rating, despite the Mavericks taking two victories over the Timberwolves. We'll see if Porzingis continues his 2021-2022 defensive success or regresses to last season's efforts.
2. With Luka Doncic out for at least the first game in this two-game set, who needs to step up the most on the offensive end?
FISH: The problem here is, Dallas signed two “name-brand” guys in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock to do this job. And the job hasn’t been getting done.
Brener: Jalen Brunson enters the starting lineup, and he was the leading scorer against the Lakers, so I'd imagine Brunson takes on this role against Minnesota.
Trigg: Not to sound cliché, but everybody needs to step up. The Mavs had well-rounded performances from everything in the OKC and Charlotte wins. Then in the Lakers game, they had two starters (Bullock and Powell) combine for two points total. TWO starters on a professional basketball team combining to score TWO points. That’s inexcusable and can’t keep happening if the Mavs want to be more than a .500 basketball team.
Roberson: It has to be Tim Hardaway Jr., although you could throw Reggie Bullock in the conversation as both players haven't produced on a consistent basis. Without going down the rabbit hole of stats, their offensive box score plus-minus combine for negative-4.9, with Bullock the worse of the team. It's hard to imagine Hardaway Jr.'s struggles to ensue much further.
3. Josh Green's minutes have been inconsistent and seem to fluctuate every game. If you were Jason Kidd, how many minutes would you play him?
FISH: I have no issues with the “fluctuation.” Coach’s job is to “put a player in position to succeed.” I think Jason Kidd is doing that.
Brener: If the Mavs are going to be buyers at this year's deadline, Green could be one of the team's more intriguing trade chips. As a second-year player who was drafted with a first-round pick just 13 months ago, he's got a lot of talent and there's still time to develop him. However, the team is going to have to make a decision on him soon and they need to increase the sample size to ensure they are making the right decision.
Trigg: Look, I realize that Josh Green isn’t better than Reggie Bullock. That would be a crazy statement to make. But when you look at a lot of the box scores this year, it’s hard to keep from thinking, “man… if Bullock isn’t going to produce anything, Mavs might as well get Green in there and let him gain the experience.” Bullock went 0-4 against the Lakers and scored zero points as a starter. I’m pretty confident in saying it literally couldn’t be any worse if Green had that same opportunity. I’d be playing Green at least 12-15 minutes per game.
Roberson: Honestly, as long as Josh Green plays every game, that's all that matters. Until Green consistently produces, he doesn't warrant a set amount of minutes. However, Green's insertion into the game as inspiration for the vets to improve sounds like a sound strategy.
4. The defense this month has been strong, with the Mavs failing to allow more than 110 points in any December contest. What does the team need to continue to do to keep that up?
FISH: This is huge because it belies Kidd’s position that “this roster isn’t built to play defense.” These guys have been allowed to fall into that trap. But athletically, there is no reason for KP and Luka Doncic and the rest to be capable on D. They should get it out if their heads that they can’t - and that they should not be asked to be.
Brener: Playing without Luka has forced the team to all step up, and that's been seen on the defensive end as well. They need to continue coming in with that mindset every game even when Luka comes back to the court.
Trigg: To add to the stat above, the Mavs have held their opponents under 100 points (in regulation) in six of their last seven games. It’s clear that the team has bought into Jason Kidd’s vision on that end, and they’re more than capable of keeping this going as the season goes on. Offense is the biggest issue.
Roberson: I know it's a sensitive subject, but placing Kristaps Porzingis at center is the main ingredient for the Mavericks to succeed on defense. Unfortunately, that leaves Dwight Powell as the odd man out of the equation.
5. What is your prediction over the next two games?
FISH: I hate to chicken out, but without Luka? I’ll watch. I’ll write. But I ain’t betting.
Brener: It's really difficult to beat a team twice in a row, so a split would be ideal. You just can't get complacent and drop both of these games. I'll go with a split.
Trigg: I’ve said this many times, but as optimistic as I tend to be about the Mavs most days, it’s the complete opposite when they’re not playing with Luka. Although OKC and Charlotte were inferior opponents, I honestly didn’t expect wins in those two games. Maybe the Mavs will surprise me, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they go 0-2 in this mini-series, or 1-1 if Doncic plays in the second one.
Roberson: I wouldn't be shocked if the Mavs split the next two games. With the Timberwolves rising star Anthony Edwards out due to NBA's health and safety protocols, it's fair to imagine the Mavericks taking at least one of the games.
