NBA Playoffs WCSF, Game 5: Dallas Mavericks @ Phoenix Suns (2-2), Tues 5/10/22

[Indy]

Who is up to the task of making the Game 6 thread?

I think the same poster should do it if we win. You keep the streak. And if you lose, a new person has to do it.

[Superbone]

Who is up to the task of making the Game 6 thread?

I think the same poster should do it if we win. You keep the streak. And if you lose, a new person has to do it.

I can do that.

[JeremyG]

And Ayton couldn't score 40. I know this because his career high is 35.

Lol. Is that supposed to be a joke or something?

No more than his request for a 5-year max contract.

So would it have been reasonable in February to say that he couldn't score 35 because his career high at the time was 33?

If he got the touches, he could easily score 40.

The guy is afraid to score over Spencer Dinwiddie when he's under the basket and you're telling me the reason he doesn't get 40 is because of touches?

Not touches alone, but I'm saying if the primary game plan was to punish the small teams (like Dallas and Golden State) with Ayton, then he could easily score 40 in a playoff game against those teams.

[Superbone]

Lol. Is that supposed to be a joke or something?

No more than his request for a 5-year max contract.

So would it have been reasonable in February to say that he couldn't score 35 because his career high at the time was 33?

If he got the touches, he could easily score 40.

The guy is afraid to score over Spencer Dinwiddie when he's under the basket and you're telling me the reason he doesn't get 40 is because of touches?

Not touches alone, but I'm saying if the primary game plan was to punish the small teams (like Dallas and Golden State) with Ayton, then he could easily score 40 in a playoff game against those teams.

I'd love to see it.

[Indy]

No more than his request for a 5-year max contract.

So would it have been reasonable in February to say that he couldn't score 35 because his career high at the time was 33?

If he got the touches, he could easily score 40.

The guy is afraid to score over Spencer Dinwiddie when he's under the basket and you're telling me the reason he doesn't get 40 is because of touches?

Not touches alone, but I'm saying if the primary game plan was to punish the small teams (like Dallas and Golden State) with Ayton, then he could easily score 40 in a playoff game against those teams.

I'd love to see it.

DA has more paint touches per game than any player left in the playoffs. DA has more elbow touches per game than any player left in the playoffs.

[Superbone]

So would it have been reasonable in February to say that he couldn't score 35 because his career high at the time was 33?

If he got the touches, he could easily score 40.

The guy is afraid to score over Spencer Dinwiddie when he's under the basket and you're telling me the reason he doesn't get 40 is because of touches?

Not touches alone, but I'm saying if the primary game plan was to punish the small teams (like Dallas and Golden State) with Ayton, then he could easily score 40 in a playoff game against those teams.

I'd love to see it.

DA has more paint touches per game than any player left in the playoffs. DA has more elbow touches per game than any player left in the playoffs.

Like I said, I'd like to see him score 40. If it's so easy, why hasn't he?

[TOO]

The guy is afraid to score over Spencer Dinwiddie when he's under the basket and you're telling me the reason he doesn't get 40 is because of touches?

Not touches alone, but I'm saying if the primary game plan was to punish the small teams (like Dallas and Golden State) with Ayton, then he could easily score 40 in a playoff game against those teams.

I'd love to see it.

DA has more paint touches per game than any player left in the playoffs. DA has more elbow touches per game than any player left in the playoffs.

Like I said, I'd like to see him score 40. If it's so easy, why hasn't he?

He's contact averse.

[Superbone]

Not touches alone, but I'm saying if the primary game plan was to punish the small teams (like Dallas and Golden State) with Ayton, then he could easily score 40 in a playoff game against those teams.

I'd love to see it.

DA has more paint touches per game than any player left in the playoffs. DA has more elbow touches per game than any player left in the playoffs.

Like I said, I'd like to see him score 40. If it's so easy, why hasn't he?

He's contact averse.

So...maybe not that easy. It would be a lot easier if he was willing force the issue and play through contact.

[Mori Chu]

Ayton had 21 points on 10-16 shooting, and 11 rebounds, in Game 6. How exactly is he to blame for our struggles?

[TOO]

Ayton had 21 points on 10-16 shooting, and 11 rebounds, in Game 6. How exactly is he to blame for our struggles?

He didn't affect the game in anyway. He's been a shell of what he was last in year in the playoffs, especially on the defensive end. So the numbers look ok, but he had no impact.

[AmareIsGod]

Ayton had 21 points on 10-16 shooting, and 11 rebounds, in Game 6. How exactly is he to blame for our struggles?

He didn't affect the game in anyway. He's been a shell of what he was last in year in the playoffs, especially on the defensive end. So the numbers look ok, but he had no impact.

How about Bridges, Booker, Paul? No way it could have been their fault. Let's all point the finger at Ayton for last night even though he was our best player when everyone sucked.

[TOO]

Ayton had 21 points on 10-16 shooting, and 11 rebounds, in Game 6. How exactly is he to blame for our struggles?

He didn't affect the game in anyway. He's been a shell of what he was last in year in the playoffs, especially on the defensive end. So the numbers look ok, but he had no impact.

How about Bridges, Booker, Paul? No way it could have been their fault. Let's all point the finger at Ayton for last night even though he was our best player when everyone sucked.

I don't see where anyone blamed him for last night's shit show though.

[AmareIsGod]

Ayton had 21 points on 10-16 shooting, and 11 rebounds, in Game 6. How exactly is he to blame for our struggles?

He didn't affect the game in anyway. He's been a shell of what he was last in year in the playoffs, especially on the defensive end. So the numbers look ok, but he had no impact.

How about Bridges, Booker, Paul? No way it could have been their fault. Let's all point the finger at Ayton for last night even though he was our best player when everyone sucked.

I don't see where anyone blamed him for last night's shit show though.

Fair. I'm still miffed this morning from the game and the postseason. The depth behind Booker and Paul has been utter shit all season. The regression of Payne has killed us and now Paul and Booker look cooked.

[In2ition]

Booker isn't nearly as affective without Paul being a threat. Right now, he is not a threat. They both depend on each other and the rest of the team depends on their gravity. The Mavs are looking to run and jump them at any moment to stop them from scoring and create turnovers, and it's working. Those turnovers fuel fast break points and loosen up their outside shooting.

You are right about Payne and the depth behind Book and CP3. The simple solution would have been to draft Haliburton, but Jones thought he had a better plan. This would have kept us from trading away last yr's pick for a chance to throw too much money at Shamet. That would have opened up an opportunity to find a decent PF next to Ayton.

[AmareIsGod]

Shamet has brief stretches but they are far too inconsistent. When every game counts, we can't afford to have nobody to step in when Booker and Paul need some rest.

[In2ition]

It's too much of an ask to have them stop someone like Luka who can just bully them with his size. I hate relitigating this, but it's clear the passivity, the easily dropped passes, or the ball being easily ripped from his hands, that Luka next to Book would have been the idea choice here. They could have also traded for or found a center and pf that would have fit the style. The only thing would have been if Book could have lived with and prospered in the large shadow that Luka would have cast.

[AmareIsGod]

It's too much of an ask to have them stop someone like Luka who can just bully them with his size. I hate relitigating this, but it's clear the passivity, the easily dropped passes, or the ball being easily ripped from his hands, that Luka next to Book would have been the idea choice here. They could have also traded for or found a center and pf that would have fit the style. The only thing would have been if Book could have lived with and prospered in the large shadow that Luka would have cast.

Agree. I don't think Booker would have become the superstar caliber player next to Luka. He would have been more of 3 point threat but using his creativity to score in multiple ways would have been hampered. Those bad Suns years where Booker was point Book really, I believe, helped him become a much better all around player.

[Split T]

He had 3 years in the league before Luka. So he would have already had a lot of on ball reps before Luka ever played for us. It would definitely have had to become a Luka team though. He’s the better centerpiece…though Booker would be about as good of a sidekick as there is for Luka.

[TOO]

Book would've been a great second fiddle imo. Book knows Luka is a baller, Ayton is a talker, albeit a fairly decent player, but he's fully reliant on someone else creating for him. Book and Luka would've been a PROBLEM for the league.

[In2ition]

I just want a glimpse of that universe where the decision was Luka instead of Ayton, and see how it played out.

Book said during the draft that the player that he was patterning his game after was Klay. He became more than that, but it's not a bad person to pattern your game off of. So you could essentially have a big bully type Steph with a Klay and filled out the roster from there, with Mikal and whoever.