Bit of a mixed bag last night.
KP+Luka certainly flashed. First game together? Only gonna get better.
Luka didn't play his best game (particularly in the 3rd qtr), but did that thing where he still managed to stuff that stat box. There were a couple possessions were i thought Luka could have looked to get a teammate involved first before heaving one of this step back 3s but thats what pre-season is for.
His confrontation with Brown was a little weird. Luka's foul-hunting is one thing but i hope he doesnt let it get to his head if the call goes the other way.
KP looked so damn good. Thought he could have played more aggressive on D, but I certainly don't begrudge him for taking it easy last night. Just seeing him settle within the flow of the offense and remain active on the boards was hella good to see.
IF KP stays healthy, this team should be squarely in the playoff mix.
Scatter shot thoughts:
- Maxi and Justin Jackson were pretty much ghosts despite getting serious minutes. I understand there isn't alot of opportunity to score with Wright, Luka, and KP getting 80% of the shots, but I still expect them to remain active on the boards (which didn't happen at all). And Maxi just did not play hard at all on D.
- The 5th starter spot for the Mavs could be a problem all year if Jackson doesn't step up. Hardaway is too inconsistent to rely on w/ the starting unit but fits well coming off the bench.
- Brunson and Seth are so close to figuring it out. These dudes are gonna torch 2nd units when they build a little more chemistry.
- Boban...I hope we see as little of his as possible.
- 2nd pre-season game in a row where the opposing big man destroyed us. The good news is that Drummond and Adams are no slouches. With some better scheming (and effort) we should play better. But something to keep an eye on next game.
- Defense in general has been atrocious. I think we're allowing 40%+ from 3 for our opponents (which i believe was how we started the year last year). We absolutely CANNOT afford to have a similar start this season. That 2-9 (i believe was the first 11 games record) was an absolute anchor.