JJ Barea, Wes Matthews, Raymond Felton, and Zaza Pachulia

[masonanddixon]

How many guys could win with this lineup and at the tender age of 37 and get you the 4 seed out West?

[KyrieTheFuture]

I have legitimately no explanation for how they win games.

[Legends66NBA7]

I have legitimately no explanation for how they win games.

Rick Carlisle is a good start.

[masonanddixon]

Rick Carlisle is a good start.

Rick is such a beast. The fact this team is actually winning games and has a winning record blows my mind.

[FreezingTsmoove]

Youre underrating Wes Matthews and Felton (Who when motivated and fit has played at an all star level)

[KyrieTheFuture]

Rick Carlisle is a good start.
Dude it's like the south park underwear gnomes for me

1. Rick Carlisle coaches the team
2. Team plays the game
3. ??????
4. Wins

[DMAVS41]

It is a bit crazy...they barely have a positive differential...and the offense just kind of sucks.

[masonanddixon]

Youre underrating Wes Matthews and Felton (Who when motivated and fit has played at an all star level)

You're right, they are much better than Dellavadova/JR Smith/Shumpert/Love/Mozgov. LMAO.

Honestly Matthews and Felton are the sort of guys that if they were starting on your favorite team you would say [insert name of your favorite player, likely Lebron] has no help at all.

[DMAVS41]

Youre underrating Wes Matthews and Felton (Who when motivated and fit has played at an all star level)

Wes has been in a shooting slump most of the season...and his defense is not back to his normal levels.

Felton is shooting sub 49% TS on the year...

Both players have an 11 PER on the year.

If the Mavs were 6 games under .500...everyone would be talking about how bad Parsons, Wes, and Felton were playing this year.

It's literally a product of the Mavs winning games they probably shouldn't have as the play of the guys above has not been good by any standard so far this year.

[Genaro]

Deron, Wes and Dirk are still very good players. The rest of the guys does their job and know exactly what to do cause Carlisle is a boss.

[masonanddixon]

Wes has been in a shooting slump most of the season...and his defense is not back to his normal levels.

Felton is shooting sub 49% TS on the year...

Both players have an 11 PER on the year.

If the Mavs were 6 games under .500...everyone would be talking about how bad Parsons, Wes, and Felton were playing this year.

It's literally a product of the Mavs winning games they probably shouldn't have as the play of the guys above has not been good by any standard so far this year.

Felton's TS% understates his play. He's been consistently good in the clutch and playing staunch defense which I never knew he was capable of---he's been really good this season but so much of it has to be attributed to Rick and Dirkules.

[DMAVS41]

Felton's TS% understates his play. He's been consistently good in the clutch and playing staunch defense which I never knew he was capable of---he's been really good this season but so much of it has to be attributed to Rick and Dirkules.

It depends on the standard. He certainly has not been "bad", but unless we are grading on a curve...he has not been "really good"

He's certainly had his moments and I'm not complaining at all about him given expectations, but I just think we are judging on a pretty generous curve if Felton is getting "really good" status

[masonanddixon]

It depends on the standard. He certainly has not been "bad", but unless we are grading on a curve...he has not been "really good"

He's certainly had his moments and I'm not complaining at all about him given expectations, but I just think we are judging on a pretty generous curve if Felton is getting "really good" status

For a guy who came here essentially as filler in the Chandler trade and barely got minutes last season I'd say he's been outstanding this season. There's been at least 8-9 games this season where he's been absolutely huge in the clutch, including today.

[DMAVS41]

For a guy who came here essentially as filler in the Chandler trade and barely got minutes last season I'd say he's been outstanding this season. There's been at least 8-9 games this season where he's been absolutely huge in the clutch, including today.

Yea, that was exactly my point...given expectations

[FreezingTsmoove]

You're right, they are much better than Dellavadova/JR Smith/Shumpert/Love/Mozgov. LMAO.

Honestly Matthews and Felton are the sort of guys that if they were starting on your favorite team you would say [insert name of your favorite player, likely Lebron] has no help at all.

Wesley Matthews has everything you want in a 2 guard. Can shoot good, good defender, and can post up

[DMAVS41]

Wesley Matthews has everything you want in a 2 guard. Can shoot good, good defender, and can post up

Absolutely.

He just hasn't been playing at his normal level pre injury.

He's shooting the worst fg% of his career. He's shooting the worst 3pt% of his career.

And he's getting good looks as well...there was a stat about a week ago or so that had the Mavs ranked 28th in the league in terms of efficiency on wide open shots (defined by not having a defender within 6 feet)

If Wes wasn't in such a tough shooting slump we'd have at least 3 more wins.

If he turns that around and gets back to normal on both ends and Parsons gets going...this team will improve quite a bit with everyone healthy.

[masonanddixon]

Wesley Matthews has everything you want in a 2 guard. Can shoot good, good defender, and can post up

He can shoot if and only if his feet are set, much like Kidd. He can't get to the basket at all though.

[All Net]

Coaching

[WayOfWade]

This team pretty much has nothing to lose, not much pressure (outside of Williams). They just play as a team, no-one esteems themselves as better than anyone else, they just fill their role. It's like a Utopia.
I'm happy for them though, Dallas deserves some success after royally getting screwed over year after year (other by themselves or by other means)

[BasedTom]

you've got to give bless matthews jr credit

[pastis]

they focused on dirk on the defensive end, so dirk could make the outside pass. Dirk was plus 29:applause:

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

It really is just Carlisle and Dirk. Dirk even at his age is the the docal point on the offense. Even at his age, he still demands double teams. He has two guys that chase him off of the pick and pop, allowing the guard to have free reign to the hoop.

Carlisle doesn't play young ones as much as 'Id like and he is quite enamored with a few vets... but he has always been a good coach. Had Carlisle been the coach in 06... Dirk and some other Mavs have two titles.

[HylianNightmare]

with Kobe they'd be the 1 seed

[Lebronxrings]

weakestern conference. Shitty conference, weak competition

[Papaya Petee]

Even at 37 Dirk is still an all-star player with all-star impact. He will alone lead this team to a .500 record.

[pastis]

It really is just Carlisle and Dirk. Dirk even at his age is the the docal point on the offense. Even at his age, he still demands double teams. He has two guys that chase him off of the pick and pop, allowing the guard to have free reign to the hoop.

Carlisle doesn't play young ones as much as 'Id like and he is quite enamored with a few vets... but he has always been a good coach. Had Carlisle been the coach in 06... Dirk and some other Mavs have two titles.

yea, everytime when i see dirk play im asking myself how he is still able to tun that much. he still has to run and screen, being chased all over the court just to get the chance to get the ball. he looks literally dead after every game :facepalm

He still plays over 30min a game, although the mavs wanted little by little to reduce his minutes up to 25 from 2 years ago.

[ErhnamDjinn]

I actually like the way Felton has been playing its like hes faster and quicker now. Parsons and Matthews also seem to be getting the legs back. The only this this team is missing is another center.Although Pachulia and Powell have been doing fine.

[iamgine]

How many guys could win with this lineup and at the tender age of 37 and get you the 4 seed out West?
A lot of guys considering JJ Barea turned into Steph Curry.