Dallas, TX
Will Jason Kidd Change the Dallas Mavericks’ Late Game Rotations?
There’s been a lot of questions surrounding Jason Kidd’s decision to play small down the stretch of Game 4 against the Clippers, a game in which the Mavericks lost 116-111. James Harden had his floater looking like it was 2017 again, hitting 6 such shots in the 4th quarter, taking advantage of no real shot-blocking threat patrolling the paint as Maxi Kleber was playing center.
Even Bill Simmons wondered on his podcast Sunday night “Both teams have matchups against the other team that they really like… if you’re Dallas you could go ‘you know what, maybe we shouldn’t have had Kleber down the stretch, maybe we should play our bigs.’”
This brings up the question, will Jason Kidd change his late-game rotations?
From February 1st to the end of the regular season, a stretch of 34 games, the Mavericks’ most-played lineup in the fourth quarter was Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, PJ Washington, and Maxi Kleber. That lineup played just 23 minutes in that time frame, a small sample size. Coach Kidd has continued to play with different lineups, trying to find 5-man units that work in different situations.
The lineup rolled out at the end of Game 4 was Doncic, Irving, Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kleber; a lineup that played just 14 minutes in the 4th quarters of the regular season. In the 4th quarter of Game 4 alone, that second lineup played 10 minutes (all rotation data courtesy of the NBA).
In those 10 minutes, the Mavericks were +5, but a lot of that was that stretch from the 8-minute mark to when Kyrie Irving hit that impossible layup to put the Mavericks ahead with 2:15 remaining; a stretch where the Mavs outscored LA 19-5. The lineup was clearly working then, getting stops on one end and hitting shots on the other.
Over the last two minutes of Game 4, the Clippers outscored the Mavericks 12-6, with Harden hitting two of his floaters in that timeframe. The last one put Kleber in a tough situation if he stepped up to defend the shot, as Harden likely would’ve hit the lob pass over Kleber to Ivica Zubac, who was waiting in the dunker spot.
With two minutes left in the game, it can be hard to make that decision to change a lineup that had just outscored the Clippers by 14, even if playing Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford makes sense in hindsight. And yet, the Mavericks haven’t adjusted well all series to certain things, as former Maverick and current ESPN commentator JJ Redick talks about below.
Here is what Coach Kidd said after the game to reporters regarding the decision to stay small: “Understanding offensively, we needed to space the floor. Maxi (Kleber) did a really good job
there. Understanding the options we have of being able to play Maxi, being able to stretch the
floor was the option we went with. Living with 2s in this league doesn’t hurt you but 3s kill you
– and 3s killed us this afternoon. We’ve got to be better. When (James) Harden is taking 2s, it’s
better than him shooting the 3. Understanding what they were shooting from 3 in the first half,
you’ve got to give up something. They’re talented. We gave up the 2s – but contested 2s – and
they made them. They gave us a chance to get back in the game and actually take the lead.”
The quote reads that they were so scarred defensively from the 3-point barrage the Clippers displayed in the first half that Coach Kidd wanted to be more versatile on the perimeter and rolled with Kleber, willing to let Harden shoot 2s. It makes sense, as the Clippers shot 18/29 from 3 for the game, many of those heavily contested. Coach Tyronn Lue and the Clippers made a great adjustment by allowing Harden to create offense for himself in the paint and that changed the game down the stretch and the Mavericks couldn’t respond in time. They’ll have to be better.
So will Coach Kidd change his clutch-time lineups moving forward? The rotation data from the season certainly suggests he will, but this series will come down to more than just changing lineups.
Game 5 will be Wednesday at 9 p.m. CST from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, as the series is tied 2-2.
READ MORE: Kyrie Irving Remains Highly Confident in Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic Against Clippers
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For a moment, it looked like FC Dallas was on its way to another statement win at home tonight.
Petar Musa scored two first half goals, to extend his Golden Boot leading tally to nine goals. But after Dallas grabbed control, the Galaxy found a way back before halftime with goals from Lucas Sanabria and Joseph Paintsil.
The second half brought more chances and more frustration for Dallas, which finished the night with 13 shots to LA’s nine. In the end, the point stretched Dallas’ unbeaten run to five games, though just like last week, it felt like another match where Dallas left points on the table.
Key Moments
7’ – GOAL! After a poor pass back by a LA defender, Petar Musa was free to go one-on-one with the LA goalkeeper. After a touch to get ahead of a defender, Musa slotted home his eighth goal of the season from outside the penalty box.
21’ – Offside! Joaquin Valiente sent a floating ball over the Galaxy defense, where Musa was able to get behind the defense and make an easy play for what appeared to be his second goal of the night. The play was called offside despite a fairly lengthy review period.
38’ – GOAL! This one counts! Musa gets his second of the night off a great ball from Chris Cappis. Logan Farrington picked off the ball in the midfield. He then played Cappis wide to the left of the penalty area. Cappis immediately played a ball back across the goal for Musa to slide in and finish for his ninth of the season.
43’ – Goal LA. Lucas Sanabria got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He took a couple of touches to get outside the penalty box before firing a shot that beat Michael Collodi at the near post.
45+4’ – Goal LA. Gabriel Pec got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He pulled the ball back a bit, which caught a pair of Dallas defenders. This allowed Joseph Painstil to get free behind the Dallas defense as Pec played him through inside the penalty area. Pec immediately smashed home a shot above Collodi to tie the game.
75’ – Another offside goal. This time on a corner kick for Dallas, after a scrum in the penalty box, Kaick hammered home what looked to be the go-ahead goal. But after a few seconds the flag was raised due to a deflection on Osaze Urhoghide, who was in an offside position.
Instant Reaction
Yeah, this is another disappointing result for this team. In a real way, it felt like the first half against Houston from last month. Dallas grabbed the lead, looked in control, but some defensive miscues opened the game up for the visitors to climb back.
With a double-game week coming up, this will certainly be another game where Dallas will wonder ‘what if’ more than anything else…especially when you factor in the two goals called off for offside.
About the Subs
Eric Quill went to his bench for the first time in the 66th minute, as he brought on Santiago Moreno for Logan Farrington. Quill went to his bench again 81st minute with Ran Binyamin and Nolan Norris coming on for Sebastien Ibeagha and Deedson. The final sub came during stoppage time with Herman Johansson and Joaquin Valiente coming off for Sam Sarver and rookie Nick Simmonds, who made his MLS debut.
Man of the Match
No question about it tonight, it has to be Musa.
Where does this fit into the season
As of this writing, the draw puts Dallas into a three-way tie for 5th place with Real Salt Lake and Seattle. Both are in action right now and look firmly in control of their games. I’d expect Dallas to be in 7th place by the end of the night.
What’s next for FC Dallas
Dallas wraps up a three-game homestand next Wednesday night as they host Minnesota United.
Dallas, TX
Akheem Mesidor selected by Cowboys by Blogging The Boys in SB Nation’s community mock draft
Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Pass rush has been an issue since the Micah Parsons trade. The Rashan Gary trade helped, but Dallas still needs an injection of talent. Akheem Mesidor fits here because his body size allows for some versatility inside and out, something DC Christian Parker utilizes. Mesidor is also a high-motor player with a deep bag of pass rush moves.
His last season at Miami was full of disruption in the offensive backfield and he shows an all-around game, not just a bend-around-the-edge pass rusher. Yes, he’s a little older than you’d like in a rookie (25), but his motor, pass rush toolbox, and ability to play the run matches up with a need and makes him a quality pick at number 20.
The City of Dallas Office of Community Police Oversight is hosting a Public Safety Response Symposium to connect residents with public safety leaders. Here’s how to participate on May 9.
The Dallas Police Department posted to social media about the event on Friday afternoon. The post states, “Join public safety leaders for an inside look at how emergency and non-emergency calls are handled and how resources are deployed across Dallas.”
The symposium will be held at the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center, 1403 Washington St., fro 11 a.m.-noon on May 9. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Light breakfast and refreshments will be provided.
Topics for the symposium include:
- How 911 calls are handled and dispatched
- How DPD uses specialized units and technology to improve response times
- When to use 311 for non-emergency services
- How crisis and behavioral health teams collaborate through alternative response strategies
There will also be a community Q&A forum where residents can engage directly with public safety leaders. Moderation will be provided.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux will offer the opening remarks. Featured speakers include 911 Communications Center Assistant Director Robert Uribe; Major of Police Anthony Greer; 311 Senior Outreach Specialist Stephen Walker; and Emergency Management & Crisis Response Director Kevin Oden.
When it comes to parking: Enter through Gate 2 and drive straight to the Pan Am Gate, and continue to the Briscoe Center (located on the left).
RSVP for the Public Safety Response Symposium here.
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