PJ Washington seems to be stepping up

[ChipotleWest]

We **** up with the trade I think.

I mean he was there for 4 1/2 seasons and your team never made the playoffs, in the East. He is just a better fit in Dallas and you got a 1st round pick out of it and Grant Williams.

[EmpireFalls]

We **** up with the trade I think.

I mean he was there for 4 1/2 seasons and your team never made the playoffs, in the East. He is just a better fit in Dallas and you got a 1st round pick out of it and Grant Williams.

Yeah the value is fine I guess. It’s just that I think opting to trade him instead of Bridges and choosing Miles over him is gonna age poorly.

FWIW it is a much better situation in Dallas but it isn’t just that, he actually cares there (prob being from Dallas helps).

He definitely is the type of guy who’s a much better 4th option than a 2nd option. And I mean that on both ends, in Charlotte he was either the small ball 5 (bad idea defensively) or playing next to a mediocre 5 like Plumlee or Richards. In Dallas he doesn’t have to do any self creation and gets wide open looks consistently so it’s easier to build his confidence and focus on defense.

I will say he kind of quit on the team and failed to step up consistently, he’d have great months and then follow them up with duds.

[doogie_hauser]

The Mavs mid season trades/moves definitely saved Kidd's Bacon as coach.

Yeah it's amazing how better players suddenly make a coach better, while worse players make a coach worse. Crazy world we live in.

It's also possible that a coach becomes better , learns and evolves on the job with experience and backing from the front office.

[Black Jack]

I'm not saying people don't want to play with Luka but I do think him playing off ball some and minimizing the time with the ball in his hands during possessions will make him more effective.

When you're a great scorer, the next level is learning to use your teammates too. That's how Jordan got past just scoring a lot to being a champion.

Are we pretending Luka wasn't second in assists this year? Second. He's a playmaker you don't take the ball out of his hands. Kyrie works as a 2 Luka doesn't really, and Kyrie really isn't some 10 assists guy. There's no one else you want controlling the ball the whole possession on the team.

Dominating the ball isn't necessarily a recipe for success.

Sure he was second in assists and a phenomenal playmaker but there is something to be said about teammates in those situations not being in rhythm because they haven't touched the ball in so long.

One of the few criticisms I've had with Lebron led offenses at various times.

Right - it's not as if we haven't seen ball stoppers like Westbrook with high assist numbers before. I think the more you hold the rock then you almost have to get more assists because when a guy who is dominating the ball gets trapped he's gonna dump it to the open man sometimes for an open shot.

[Tottery]

He's been great the past 2 games. Mavs need someone like that when Luka and Kyrie are both off their game. He has stepped up so far.

I like watching this Mavs team. I'm rooting for them or the Wolves to win it.

[Optms]

Anyone remember when posters on here told us Dallas was going to run Luka out of town for trading firsts for mid players?

[ChipotleWest]

Are we pretending Luka wasn't second in assists this year? Second. He's a playmaker you don't take the ball out of his hands. Kyrie works as a 2 Luka doesn't really, and Kyrie really isn't some 10 assists guy. There's no one else you want controlling the ball the whole possession on the team.

Dominating the ball isn't necessarily a recipe for success.

Sure he was second in assists and a phenomenal playmaker but there is something to be said about teammates in those situations not being in rhythm because they haven't touched the ball in so long.

One of the few criticisms I've had with Lebron led offenses at various times.

Right - it's not as if we haven't seen ball stoppers like Westbrook with high assist numbers before. I think the more you hold the rock then you almost have to get more assists because when a guy who is dominating the ball gets trapped he's gonna dump it to the open man sometimes for an open shot.

Luka is not Westbrook, what the Mavs are doing not only worked since the trade deadline (best record in the NBA during that time besides Boston) it's working in the playoffs while Luka has a bad knee. You don't just take the ball out of Luka's hand for no reason, just like you have no reason to complain about this right now other than a silly comparison to Westbrook.

I mean it's not as if the Mavs are winning their second round series against the #1 seed in the West right now, oh wait they are and yet this is your complaint now? Is your great idea to start Exum and put the ball in his hands when he's been awful? Three guard lineup? Because Kyrie also has the ball a lot and there's no other ball handlers on the team. Please elaborate how this would work out and make the Mavs somehow better? If you're going to complain about something follow through and explain how an alternative would work better.

This is what I'm talking about Luka hate, SGA is 6 months older than Luka yet you see no complaints about his game it's just praise when all he does it throw elbows around all the time and gets to go to the free throw line for it. Yeah they were the #1 seed but he couldn't even lead them to the playoffs until this year while Luka made the WCF before yet Luka gets all the criticism while Shai gets none.

[dygaction]

Anyone remember when posters on here told us Dallas was going to run Luka out of town for trading firsts for mid players?

also need to see the players are actually high levels or are benefiting a lot from playing along side Luka and Kyrie. Besides PJ/Gafford/Lively/DJJ/Exum playing at their best level during the regular season, Mavs have shown lots of players were not great in other settings, like Dinwiddie, DFS, Bullock, Ok players got long term big contracts, such as Josh Green/Maxi/Powell/THJ, and Brunson developed to a pre-superstar form in Mavs. They seldom let players down except always hurt players like Porzingis and players no way can be revived like Wood.
The only misused player was Grant Williams, too short and small to play C, but glad Mavs traded him and a first for PJ, a "D" rated according to multiple talkheads.

[ShootersShoot]

Good for him .I didnt think he had it in him.

[dirkdiggler4177]

The thing nobody talks about is PJ can be very inconsistent. He has not had two 20+ points in a row this season before now. He showed up to play and his been hyped, but I would not be surprised if he goes 1/10 in the next game.

[dirkules_41]

The thing nobody talks about is PJ can be very inconsistent. He has not had two 20+ points in a row this season before now. He showed up to play and his been hyped, but I would not be surprised if he goes 1/10 in the next game.

The missing word here is "offensively". Defensively he's been Mr Consistent.

[MoneyTalks41890]

PJ has been huge for Dallas but if he keeps up shooting 54% from three for the rest of the series as a 35% career guy some statistical models are going to get broken.

[Dirk]

If he shot this well... then the Mavs would be very formidable. He looked very shaky shooting 3s during the season... so it's just kind of shocking to see him hit them now. Even when he's shooting 30%, he is still impactful though as his defensive activity has been a revelation.

You can argue the Thunder have been a bit unlucky... Kyrie and Luka haven't even been at their best, but they dropped two games because Timmy Hardaway Jr woke up one game and PJ freaking Washington got nearly 60 points in two games.

[ChipotleWest]

You can argue the Thunder have been a bit unlucky...

I think that's dismissing how hard Dallas has made it on them defensively. Mavs had had to fight claw and scratch for these two wins and they have the size advantage over OKC thus they're outrebounding them. But yes Mavs have gotten some role player help, that's how it should work we're just used to seeing Luka/Kyrie do everything.

[picc]

Talk about making the most out of a new situation.

[CIN-C-STAR]

I love the confidence and swagger he's playing with.
Not even a Mavs fan, but love seeing young players step up in the moment. I'm rooting for him and hope this leads to a breakthrough for him. Seems like a great teammate.

[Godymas]

i can't believe he's this good defensively at 25

how did the league see this dude that was 6'7 230 lbs and no one wanted to do a deal for him??

the actual return Charlotte got for him is robbery

[picc]

I love the confidence and swagger he's playing with.
Not even a Mavs fan, but love seeing young players step up in the moment. I'm rooting for him and hope this leads to a breakthrough for him. Seems like a great teammate.

100%

The most I'd heard about him before the trade was the Brittany Renner stuff. The Hornets were awful. Now look at him. Major contributor to a dark horse title contender. He's their third most important player, as long as both of the bigs are healthy.

Remarkable turnaround that proves how much a players stock and value is situation dependent.

Those two clutch free throws were unbelievable. The kid has it.