Are The Mavs For Real?; Spurs Part Way With Aldridge! 3.10.21
We are back from the All-Star break and we have just two games on the schedule. I will be going over those games as well as the LaMarcus Aldridge news. Aldridge and the Spurs have mutually agreed to part ways and I’ll be going over what is next for both sides.
Grizzlies Offense (Hot And Cold)
The Grizzlies offense should be consistently better than what we see out of them on a normal basis. They have a lot of talent and when they play well on offense like they did in this game, they show promise. They made just 3 3-pointers in the first half and still scored 67 points. They were up big and while they lost the lead they regained control and won big-time. If Memphis’s offense is this good more consistently they can be very good alongside their disciplined defense.
Ja Morant shouldn’t be taking a lot of 3’s and when he doesn’t he’s better. Obviously the jumpshot isn’t there, so don’t force it. Morant had a 20-10 double-double and Jonas Valanciunas had a 20-20 game. Mo Wegner was getting dominated by Valanciunas down low. Rookie Desmond Bane continues to shoot so well, as he had a career-high 20 points. Dillon Brooks was very good defensively as he shut down Bradley Beal. I like this Grizzlies team when their offense is decent. They have the defense and if Jaren Jackson Jr. can come back fully healthy, Memphis has a real good chance at making the playoffs.
Wizards Reliance On Backcourt
It seems like every time this team wins, it’s because of Beal and Westbrook. Despite having a decent roster it’s always those two who decide the outcome of the game. They struggled and Washington was held in check. The Wizards just seem to live and die with their backcourt. They hope that they can just score their way out of problems like interior defense. Mo Wegner got dominated by Jonas Valanciunas who had a 20-20 game. The Wizards are a mess still despite the fact they’ve been winning more. Their coaching isn’t great and they just don’t know how to incorporate everybody. It showed in this game as they just never came back. They trailed big, came back, and then reality hit and Memphis finished things out.
Beal was 6/22 from the field and had 21 points. He wasn’t good to say the least. Westbrook was solid, going 10/19 from the field and having 20 points and 10 assists. But again, this team is to reliant on the success of their backcourt to win. Guys have to be aggressive and hit shots but they aren’t involved in the offense. Scott Brooks doesn’t know how to use Deni Avdija and although he was good in this game he isn’t playing to his strengths thus far in the league. Rui Hachimura sometimes doesn’t get the ball which is a shame because he is really talented. The Wizards can be good but they need other guys to step up.
That also means putting guys in position to succeed and trusting them to make shots. Hoping Bradley Beal scores 30+ points isn’t a recipe for success.
(PS: Mo Wegner stop shooting 3’s, please!)
Mavs Hot-Streak Continues
The Mavs ended the first-half of the year with 5 out of 6 wins and now they get another one here. It wasn’t easy. In the first half the Mavs’ 3’s weren’t falling and Luka was struggling. The Mavs defense was getting torched as thing weren’t going great. But in the 2nd half the Mavs turned things up. Despite DeMar DeRozan going crazy in the 3rd, Luka was there to meet him and the Mavs regained the lead. The 4th was back and forth until the Mavs just put things into an extra gear. A 17-4 run fueled by 10 points from Porzingis helped the Mavs pull away, getting another win to help them in the West standings.
Kristaps Porzingis was very good in this game. He was getting to his spots and hitting them, as he had 28 points and 14 rebounds. This is what Porzingis can be for his team. Luka was just 2/10 from 3, but he notched another triple-double. The support was decent. Kleber and Richardson were solid and the bench was good all-around. Brunson and Cauley-Stein were very good as the Mavs have found a way to win.
When this team is clicking they are tough to stop. Obviously Luka is Luka but if Porzingis is feeling it the duo is good. The bench featuring Hardaway and Brunson is very good, as I love the way Brunson has been playing. The fact that Dallas has Brunson off the bench is a luxury because on most teams he would be a starter. The Mavs defense was solid when it needed to be as they have been figuring things out. The West might have gotten itself another competitor. Join the long line Dallas and hope for the best.
Spurs Offensive Inconsistency
The Spurs have a very deep team but sometimes that hurts the offense. DeMar DeRozan is technically their go-to guy, and he was very good in this game. But sometimes having a team-friendly system hurts because everybody gets shots to end the game. When in reality it should be going to one guy. In the first half the Spurs were good. They contained Luka’s passing ability on drives and forced him into 5 turnovers. The Spurs shot 47% from 3 as things were going well. Then the Mavs got going. A big 3rd quarter put the Spurs behind and then a 17-4 Dallas run in the 4th ended things.
DeMar DeRozan was very good in this game, 12/19 with 30 points and 11 assists. He was very good as his play-making continues to show. But he had just 5 points in the 4th on 1/4 shooting. DeMar was red-hot entering the 4th. Him getting 4 shots is criminal.
Other than DeRozan nobody else was great. Derrick White as 1/8 and Dejounte Murray was 5/15. Gay, Mills, and Walker were in double digits off the bench but it wasn’t enough. The 2nd half offense sputtered and so did the defense.
The Spurs lack of a superstar hurts them. DeMar DeRozan is a bucket-getter, but they didn’t get him the ball when he was red-hot in this game. The Spurs 3’s stopped hitting as much and their defense was struggling. The Spurs are still good but when they need scores can they trust DeRozan every single time? Nobody else on this team is a shot-creator. It’ll be interesting to see how the Spurs fare down the stretch of this season in close games.
LaMarcus Aldridge Situation
LaMarcus Aldridge is getting older. At age 35 his minutes have been down and he’s dealt with injuries. He’s still a decent player for about 10 minutes per game, but his All-Star days are gone. He and the Spurs have agreed to part ways and the Spurs are looking to trade him. LA is making $24 million this season and he’s a free agent this summer. It is unlikely that the two sides do a buyout and LA becomes a free agent. The Spurs have 15 days to try and move the aging Aldridge with his $24 million dollar contract.
Aldridge can still be solid. He’s got some shooting left in him and while defense might be a problem, playing him just like 10-15 minutes per game isn’t bad. The Blazers are a team that has been thrown around, although they don’t have cap space. LA would fit well in LA off the bench, where Portland desperately needs scoring as their roster has been stretched thin by injuries. Boston is another intriguing team, although I would advise against it. Keeping playing Robert Williams and see where that ship goes. You don’t need a 4th big as you already have a minutes problem with the 3 you have.
It’ll be interesting to see where LA goes. I don’t know who would want LA via trade, as a buyout seems more team friendly. The Spurs haven’t done an in-season trade since 2012, so they’re new to this. They have two weeks to get rid of Aldridge, and it’ll be interesting to see where he goes.
What Are Your Thoughts On The LA Situation + Today’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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