Can Luka Tha Don prevent a Phoenix dawn? | Official Mavs (#4) vs. Suns (#1) West Semifinals Thread

[Regular_P]

Luka's been dogging it on defense in both games. I can understand him being tired from doing everything on offense since Brunson and Dinwiddie have been terrible but he's gotta up the effort.

I also don't know why Kidd doesn't have Doncic hunt for Paul and Booker when he has the ball to wear them down in the post. It isn't like they're running the Warriors offense out there. I don't think it'll make a difference in the result of the series but you have to at least try it.

 

[Hypris]

The Suns center depth has been big for them this year. Ayton and McGee in foul trouble and they have a guy like Biyombo who can come in and play his role at a high level. I wish the Suns had these guys last year against the Bucks.

 

[Doctor Doom]

The Suns center depth has been big for them this year. Ayton and McGee in foul trouble and they have a guy like Biyombo who can come in and play his role at a high level. I wish the Suns had these guys last year against the Bucks.

McGee been the best back-up for years

 

[Big Boss]

They be attacking Luka on defense like he food

 

[Originalman]

They be attacking Luka on defense like he food

I said this when the kid came out. I never questioned if he can score. shyt most great players in the NBA can score at will, but many of them can't defend. My question was can he do both (give offense and play defense with out being hidden and guard his man).

In order to win multiple championships with a great player (especially perimeter players) they have to be able to be elite on the offensive and defensive ends. You will always have this issue with Luka and Jokic. For as great as they are on offense they absolutely suck on defense. Think of it like this these are dudes in the early to late 20s and teams have had to hide them for their entire careers. So how bad is it gonna be when they are old in the 30s?

Luka starts at PG, plays SG and SF (sometime PF) yet the mavs hide this boy on the worst offensive player (PG, SG, SF and PF) on the other team. That ain't multiple championship winning basketball and the same situation had to be done with nash and dirk hiding them on defense.

I brought this up on the 2019 - 2020 lakers team championship team when they beat Mavs in Dallas. How 100 year old lebron was giving more effort on defense than young ass Luka and Porzingis.

Now how a 35 year old man with 5 billion miles on his legs giving better effort on offense and defense than some young dudes in their early 20s and mid 20s? And even in that game when the game was tight in the 4th all lebron did was pick on Luka getting the switch over and over and over again.

No surprise Chris Paul is doing the same in this series.

 

[IsThatBrothaMouzone?]

Allegedly, there's a steakhouse in DTown that Luka is very fond of.

Yea, he needs a beast trainer and a that Jordan/Kobe/Bron workout drive.
Keep roughly the same weight but turn that fat into muscle because his game is about physicality.

Wouldn't be shocked if it was Al Biernat's...could be Nick & Sam's since it's not too far from the AAC.

 

[Originalman]

Also kats like crowder blowing by luka on pump fakes when luka hedges and sprints to crowder ain't really got nothing to do with conditioning in my opinion and has more to do with bad technique, lack of effort, poor defensive IQ and lack of film studying on Luka's part.

When your team doesn't even make you guard your position or other great wing players. I mean how much effort are you going to truly give as a player on defense. All these other great players such as durant and lebron were expected from day one to guard their position and even guard great wing players even though they were even younger than Luka.

I remember the sonics making KD a 6-10 SG his first year as a rookie. They made him guard his position. So if McGrady or Kobe came to town.....you guessed it KD had to guard them. Same with Lebron when he first came into the league and the cavs made him a 6-8 SG he had to guard his position.

Its also amazing how when players like Luka give no defensive effort how you don't hear the talking points about how that lets their team down and how the team won't give better defensive effort cause their leader / best player won't. Ain't that amazing when a player of a darker hue plays similar trash defense even if they old as dirt they don't get that same pass as someone like Luka?

 

[Trot LaRoc]

Luka is obv great, not a hater but yea he needs to finally get serious about his body and conditioning. Like yo, you are a professional getting paid tens of millions, you cant be eating whatever garbage you be eating and not trainjng properly.

Dude needs to only take a short month trip back home to chill/relax/decompress and spend the rest of the summer back in the States with an A1 certified trainer and commit to losing weight, building endurance and learning to become at least ok on defense.

Hell even Jokic is solid defensively, no reason Luka cant learn to offer some resistance

And this heliocentric offense shyt isnt gonna get you far unless you Bron level and Luka aint that

He needs to play off ball more but that being said Dallas needs a couple guards/wings besides Brunson that can make things happen off dribble

 

[Walt]

Luka's a fukkin elite talent but now that the novelty has worn off he's just not at the upper level yet. He has to be way more professional about this shyt if he wants to win in this league.

 

[The God Poster]

People finally coming around to realizing Luka limitations

Amazing how quick memory is lost. A clear recent example is Harden & fools still giving Luka the benefit of the doubt. You won’t win it all playing that way. Add in he always tired & bad defense

 

[KidJSoul]

Lukac is just Houston Harden all over again.... Dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble... dribble, dribble, iso. Dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble... dribble, dribble pick and roll. Dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble... dribble, dribble step back 3. Dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble... dribble, dribble pass to a 3pt shooter.







look at this shyt

him and Harden are both horrible defenders and always been too. And they dribble the shyt out the ball on offense. But its good for bringing up your PPG, RPG, APG averages and tricking dumb fans who don't watch and analyze the game at a high level. School of Russ, Harden, first Cavs run LeBron dominating the ball without playing defense. When it works you get all the credit because of the numbers. When it dont all your teammates will get blamed... Like we aint seen Dallas 2-1 against Utah without Luka with Brunson lookin like Hornets CP3

I will give this to Luka though... He better in playoff than Harden. They alot alike but Luka posts nikkas up. Little nikkas he gettin that mismatch and sonnin em and he got some midrange game and even a lil fade to his bag. Harden aint have that so it was easier to guard him in playoffs. He was alot just layups, free throws and step back 3s and we seein how that limited skillset doin him now as his first step aint what it used to be to blow by nikkas or have that hesi threat to create space. Luka more versatile and less predictable. But overall its the same formula and aint winnin shyt even if he got more talent around him if he continues playin like this that style of basketball aint leadin to a chip

Thank you

For that last sentence especially. People blame all the teammates, but even with an upgraded team, their playstyle will still put a ceiling on their success, and the roster.

Look at 2018 Harden... that was the best team Houston could build around him possible given his playstyle. We try to give him a pass for his teams... but we don't realize that that is the best you can do with a nikka that plays like that

The only reason LeBron escaped was because of his athleticism/size giving him more guaranteed buckets in the paint and better defense

I don't mean to dikkride Curry, but this is why I respect his game. He doesn't do this Luka ball shyt, Harden ball shyt. Nah, he let's Klay jack it up and get into a rhythm. He let's Dray ballhandle even though the nikka can't shoot. Curry runs around and helps set up his teammates. He let's Jordan Poole cook.

 

[ahomeplateslugger]

mavs need to do a better job of hiding luka on D if they want a shot at winning. maybe trap the dribbler instead of giving the switch up so easily because that D is BBQ against the suns.

 

[Animal House]

Just like Joker Luka has no defense

Again Suns in 5

 

[MooseMouthMthafuga]

Mavs have been killing it from 3, tho.That's keeping it from being 30 pt blowouts...I can't imagine they'll keep hitting 17 3's per game all series.

 

[god shamgod]

Mavs have been killing it from 3, tho.That's keeping it from being 30 pt blowouts...I can't imagine they'll keep hitting 17 3's per game all series.

they did the same vs the clippers last year

shot 57,47,52% from 3 then 16%(at home) & 27% when the games got critical