Breakdown of the last play vs Dal

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
#2
What Cousins didn't see there is that after Chandler cut off his drive, Casspi was open (back and to his left) for an open 18-footer at the elbow, with a much clearer passing angle than the one to Landry. Of course, you've either got to have eyes in the back of your head, or experience, to know Casspi will be there. Landry on the perimeter isn't a great option, but it was made worse when Dirk tipped the pass and Landry kind of panicked. In hindsight, Omri probably should have avoided collapsing to the middle to act as an outlet for Landry on the drive. Evans went out to the elbow eventually, but it was too late.

We should give the Mavs credit for some good D on that play, and give our team a little bit of slack for being young. Though I admit the win would have been nice.
 
#3
Agreed. That play going wrong was mostly on Cousins and Landry. It's got to the point though where lots of people are automatically blaming literally anything that goes wrong on Westphal.
 
#4
Agreed. That play going wrong was mostly on Cousins and Landry. It's got to the point though where lots of people are automatically blaming literally anything that goes wrong on Westphal.
We blame Westphal for his love affair with Landry when he shouldn't have been on the court to begin with.
 
#6
What the heck was Landry doing out at the 3pt line anyway? If anything, he should have been subbed for a 3pt shooter if his position was drawn up like that.
 
#7
You have a point there but it was really more Cousins that messed up the play. If Cousins had gotten the ball to Landry cleanly, maybe Landry makes the shot.
So you're saying that if Cousins got the ball to Landry cleanly on the 3 pt line, Landry would shoot and maybe make the shot? A shot that he has only shot 8 times in a game in his entire career, making 2? A shot that he has taken only once this season? Is that the shot you're talking about?

Cousins and Landry should not have been in that game together. Landry especially, because there are way better catch and shoot players on that bench. It's incomprehensible that Carl would a) drift out there and b) drive behind the basket.
 
K

Kingsguy881

Guest
#8
Landry should have been replaced by a more stalwart warrior, aka Donte Greene.
 
#9
Cousins should have gone to his right on catching the ball instead of his left. Then he could throw back to Mitch Richmond at the elbow. Not a bad play and I think I would choose Cousins to play center at that moment. Good hands, good passer, not much experience.
 
#10
So you're saying that if Cousins got the ball to Landry cleanly on the 3 pt line, Landry would shoot and maybe make the shot? A shot that he has only shot 8 times in a game in his entire career, making 2? A shot that he has taken only once this season? Is that the shot you're talking about?

Cousins and Landry should not have been in that game together. Landry especially, because there are way better catch and shoot players on that bench. It's incomprehensible that Carl would a) drift out there and b) drive behind gothe basket.
Notice how I never said that Landry would or should have shot a three pointer. He had time to get a closer shot had Cousins gotten him the ball sooner.
 

Warhawk

Give blood and save a life!
Staff member
#11
Cousins should have gone to his right on catching the ball instead of his left. Then he could throw back to Mitch Richmond at the elbow. Not a bad play and I think I would choose Cousins to play center at that moment. Good hands, good passer, not much experience.
Who?
 
#12
Cousins should have gone to his right on catching the ball instead of his left. Then he could throw back to Mitch Richmond at the elbow. Not a bad play and I think I would choose Cousins to play center at that moment. Good hands, good passer, not much experience.
If we could get this time machine working, push it to 88, go back to 1996 and grab Richmond on the way back, I'd say it right now: championship!
 
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#13
Cousins should have gone to his right on catching the ball instead of his left. Then he could throw back to Mitch Richmond at the elbow. Not a bad play and I think I would choose Cousins to play center at that moment. Good hands, good passer, not much experience.
I'm not sure his arm can throw it that far back. I'm not sure a hadron collider could throw it that far back, but what do I know?
 
#15
Cousins SHOULD have just taken the free throw line jumper, which he is FULLY capable of nailing at a high rate. There was nobody close to him.

However, he continues to drive into the teeth of the defense, and make stupid mistakes like losing the ball. This happens multiple times per game. He's very poor at finishing around the rim, and seems to fall down, get blocked, or get the ball stripped more than JT in the past 3 years combined.

I have no idea why he's not trusting that shot, but once he gets confidence in it he will be very hard to guard.
 
K

Kingsguy881

Guest
#17
Cousins SHOULD have just taken the free throw line jumper, which he is FULLY capable of nailing at a high rate. There was nobody close to him.

However, he continues to drive into the teeth of the defense, and make stupid mistakes like losing the ball. This happens multiple times per game. He's very poor at finishing around the rim, and seems to fall down, get blocked, or get the ball stripped more than JT in the past 3 years combined.

I have no idea why he's not trusting that shot, but once he gets confidence in it he will be very hard to guard.
Cousins, when he takes time and uses his up-fakes, is actually a very crafty finisher at the rim.
 
K

Kingsguy881

Guest
#19
Oh come on. Donte had a WAY better game, but throughout their careers, one's a warrior, and one isn't. Landry is the definition of warrior, at least he was. His play of late has been puzzling/depressing.
****, on Saturday night, Greene was a warrior and Landry was not. I'm basing my post on what happened SATURDAY. The past is irrelevant.
 
#22
That last play shows what this team is screwing up so massively:

Cousins keeps getting the ball at the top of the circle above the key, almost to the 3 pt line.

Almost EVERY time he does, he is too far away to do anything with it - I've watched it countless times already this year - and Cousins is going further and further out to get the ball every week.

If Cousins simply doesn't jump outward so far, and catches it at the elbow, where he started, then when Chandler cheated towards Reke, Cousins would have been 6 ft closer and would have been close enough to the basket to make a move/play.
He's killing his ability to hurt the other team every time he catches the ball so far out.
 
#23
That last play shows what this team is screwing up so massively:

Cousins keeps getting the ball at the top of the circle above the key, almost to the 3 pt line.

Almost EVERY time he does, he is too far away to do anything with it - I've watched it countless times already this year - and Cousins is going further and further out to get the ball every week.

If Cousins simply doesn't jump outward so far, and catches it at the elbow, where he started, then when Chandler cheated towards Reke, Cousins would have been 6 ft closer and would have been close enough to the basket to make a move/play.
He's killing his ability to hurt the other team every time he catches the ball so far out.
He's a rook, and as competitive as he is I'm sure he'll learn from your very point and do better in the future... I don't think many people are getting too mad at the fact Cousins' makes some mistakes such as this knowing he's a rookie and he's supposed to make mistakes to learn from it - it won't be a one game turn around it takes time to learn and I have confidence he will...
 
#24
Oh I love watching Cousins play so much out there, I don't mind when he makes mistakes.

It's the persistent issues are the only ones that bother me with DMC:

Namely,
1) He is getting the ball further and further away from the basket as the year goes on. He and the team are not learning from the continual TO's that happen when they pass the ball to DMC, JT, and Landry in that same spot.

2) He is still reaching out and fouling people immediately after he gets banged down low and doesn't get the call.
This HAS to stop. It cost us the Mavs game (many many mistakes conspired to cost the game, and if any one of them didn't happen the Kings would have beat the Mavs).
 
#25
Watching the play again, look at Omri's position on the court.

He guessed wrong, and that cluttered up he, Cisco, DMC, and Tyreke within 12 ft of each other at one point.

If EITHER Tyreke or Omri had stayed on (or gone back to) that baseline, Landry would have either had someone to pass to, or a Mav would have had to cover them instead of clogging the middle and stopping the penetration.