How Luka Doncic has become UNSTOPPABLE, Mavericks have FIGURED OUT Timberwolves | Hoops Tonight

Jason Timpf reacts to Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Dallas Mavericks' 109-108 win over Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Jason breaks down how Luka and the Mavericks offense has found success against the Timberwolves vaunted defense.
Timeline:
00:00 - Game 2 Reaction
05:31 - Film Study
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#nba #mavericks #timberwolves #dallasmavs #dallasmavericks #minnesotatimberwolves #wolves #anthonyedwards #karlanthonytowns #rudygobert #lukadoncic #kyrieirving #nbaplayoffs #playoffs #nbafinals #nbahighlights #nbabasketball #westernconferencefinals #wcf #basketball #sports

[@304Hibachi]

"Everybody actin tough when they up" -Luka Tha Don

[@marklumar2034]

This dont apply to ant he act the same all the time

[@saiwaqa2573]

@@marklumar2034 So he was doing DX suck it when he was down? He was waving the crowd of when he was down? nah he the biggest front runner out there. None of these young American stars got what it takes to back up what they say, but all of them want to talk when they up.

[@ihaveaname8874]

​@marklumar2034 just not true...see the oncourt interview right after they beat Denver, and the interviews in this series

[@casiemny1219]

@@saiwaqa2573 Dude Jamal Murray was doing a bunch of antics but then Denver got upset when he did them…this Luka statement doesn’t apply to Edwards, dude isn’t a front runner

[@dantelabella9753]

People really thought McDaniels was gonna lock up Luka even though Luka cooked a prime Kawhi & PG in the bubble with half the talent on his team.

[@spenser6353]

They blew a 2-0 lead against the clippers. He couldn’t have cooked them that bad

[@cognitivedisability9864]

@@spenser6353 casual. Luka averaged 31 ppg 10 rpg 9 apg 1.2stl 0.5blk on 50% shooting and 36% from three. His team was just completely out matched, go check how his teammates from back then are playing now. Averaging 1ppg...

[@gbnstrike_8554]

Facts

[@Colinkrauss1]

@@spenser6353 just genuinely curious, and I’m not saying it’s wrong… Do you actually think that someone can’t individually cook a team, just because the worse team lost to the better team?

[@curtiszyr]

Luka cooked but to call this current version of kawhi and pg prime is just not true. Those guys are way past their peak

[@gungadin9686]

Luka is a NFL lineman playing point guard. I don't think people really understand this. He is a lot bigger than he appears and quick. Then, he has mastered every fundamental and is a true triple threat.

[@jofieji5312]

That would be like saying lebron is an nfl lineman

[@Psullins1984]

Nah he’s more like an NFL QB, more like Josh Allen than a Linemen

[@gungadin9686]

Luka is a true 6'8" and very wide. Don't let the TV fool you. It is like Larry Bird. On TV he looks like a skinny guy. In person he is absolutely massive.@@Psullins1984

[@gungadin9686]

Luka is a true 6'8" and very wide. Don't let the TV fool you.@@jofieji5312

[@gungadin9686]

He is bigger than Josh Allen. @@Psullins1984

[@gungadin9686]

Luka Dončić this season and he has taken two completely different teams to the Conference Finals in 3 years:: • 34/9/10 • 1st in points • 2nd in assists • 73 point game (4th highest ever) • First 33/9/9 season in NBA history • Most 30-PT TD’s since MVP Russ • 1st in 25-point games • 1st in 35-point games • 1st in 40-point games • 1st in 45-point games • 2nd in 3’s made • Top 10 in steals • 61.7% TS • Highest scoring season in Mavs history • Most PPG + RPG + APG since the merger. • Most consecutive 25 point triple-doubles ever • Most consecutive 30 point triple-doubles ever • Lifted Mavs from 11 seed to 5 seed • Most games missed by teammates among all playoff teams • Mavs 50+ wins • Mavs 1st in clutch win% • 6th best record in entire NBA

[@gffriedman]

3rd in MVP voting…

[@gungadin9686]

Absolutely do not care. He should have been first. @@gffriedman

[@Andrew-gs2ps]

@@gungadin9686i think he probably agrees with you he’s just saying. They will give it to him next year especially if we win the chip

[@antonioandrademusic]

Jokic was better ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@Andrew-gs2ps]

@@antonioandrademusic he wasn’t

[@stevendawson2331]

Thanks for the level headed analysis and greetings from Germany!

[@214Ro]

Are you from Wurzburg

[@natashat.8455]

Greetings from a Nuggets fan living in Austria

[@stevendawson2331]

@@214Ro About 90 minutes away from Würzburg...

[@andylofi4448]

I second this

[@dinglbarry1275]

17:34 - HAHAHA... this had me rolling!

[@helmsleyogboe3880]

“What is that “😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@chasejackson2793]

I came looking for this comment 🤣 I laughed so hard fam

[@ambrosemichinock7725]

😂

[@ambrosemichinock7725]

That ain’t gonna get the job done

[@arcenicolas8974]

MVP LUKA‼️‼️

[@snakesupreme]

Antman coming up small is a wonderful analogy..

[@carpenoctem7307]

We appreciate all the hard work you put into these vids, another year or two and this channel will be in the 300k sub range where it deserves to be

[@alekhoffmeister8270]

Dude, I love your break downs!!!! Been waiting all day for this!🔥

[@BOBO-so8rx]

His breakdowns really help a novice like me. Makes the game more enjoyable.

[@user-tt1hx2nm4p]

He is overrated. He picked the T wolves to beat the Mavs.

[@WOWimTim]

The mavs had a much tougher time dealing with Chet than they have with gobert which I didn’t see coming.

[@coreyhiggins6890]

Chet moves more fluidly...Rudy would be nasty if it was 03...he too stiff

[@YNFYNYTSCROLL]

I saw it coming bc I watched the Mavs - Jazz series in 2022 where Luka just put Rudy Gobert in a vitamix and played him off the floor

[@kbthegoat824]

Thunders are better defensively but nobody wanna talk about that. They made it very difficult for ky and Luka.

[@TheRoadLessChosen]

Then you don’t know the game.

[@user-tt1hx2nm4p]

​@@kbthegoat824the refs let okc get away with assault. Y'all still couldn't stop an injured Luka.

[@grusilag]

I don’t think ppl realize how impressive the pass at 14:00 is by Luka. He completely fools KAT with his head fake and eyes on PJ. And it isn’t just KAT that gets fooled this way. Luka does this to so many defenders. Just freezes them with his eyes. Just one of the best offensive players in the history of the game.

[@nickherrera1041]

It’s crazy because this is happening in real time at NBA speed. He literally sees the opening 2 seconds before it happens. 2 seconds doesn’t seem like a lot, but in the NBA it’s literally so much time time. His decision making has got to be up there with pro gamers. If you know you know

[@Impeach_the_queen]

It’s also crazy how he rises up to pass in a motion that could go to the corner or to the paint.

[@carsonkahla9162]

There isn’t a single center in the league that could’ve defended that final play, Luka has cooked guards as good as Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown for game winners. You’re correct Rudy’s problem is offense but the final play is just Luka being Luka

[@tannerw5011]

AD and wemby both block that idc

[@Impeach_the_queen]

You didn’t need to stop him. You just needed to run him off the line😂 literally some dude from the stands could do that.

[@tannerw5011]

@@Impeach_the_queen the fact that the 4 time dpoy didn’t know that is just insane, OT means you still have a chance

[@mr.cantplayaninstrument8402]

@@tannerw5011 i mean gobert wasn't the one who decided not to blitz luka and get the ball out of his hands the wolves trusted in the difficulty of a contested step back three and feared the easy 2 of course, luka said alright imma give you a three

[@tombehnke9058]

Why should we criticize Gobert here? Luka travelled. Completely. Four steps so even if you want to call one ‘a gather’ then it’s still three steps. Gobert can’t be expected to stop players whom are allowed to break the rules. Thank you

[@knox8113]

Nobody tell Chris Finch that leaving McDaniels on Luka is gonna lead to a sweep 😂😂

[@swhoshing6237]

But who else are you putting on him? Gobert a non factor, KAT a non factor, Ant can't stand on his feet, therefore non factor, Naz would get his ankles broken on the perimeter. Wolves have no bodies to throw at Luka better than Jaden.

[@knox8113]

@swhoshing6237 Kyle Anderson

[@orionzervakos]

​@swhoshing6237 yeah that's a huge problem. Luka is a mismatch for basically everyone in the league. He's always some combination of stronger than you, more skilled than you, or faster than you. This mavs team feels inevitable. If they win this year and can keep the core 6 players together they could potentially three-peat

[@YNFYNYTSCROLL]

When the t wolves blitzed Luka in the first half and mixed coverages they were more successful. The key is to give Luka something to think about on every play and hope for the best. Man coverage by a slender defender is clearly not it

[@zjclipz8525]

we put way to much stock in Anthony Edwards, we have to remember hes 22 and played 2 really bad interior defenses.

[@Musso88]

For whoever was silly enough to be counted in that "we" to begin with.

[@Briana-a13]

Ant = Baby Jordan Luka = Baby Bird Jordan’s record versus Bird in playoffs: 0-6 It all checks out to me 🤷

[@Tophergr8]

@@Briana-a13 This is true. Jordan was still up and coming when Bird was at the tail end of his peak, and once the back problems became too much for Bird, he never had a series against Jordan (though I bet MJ wouldn't have put much stock into beating a broken down Bird).

[@desmondchua8780]

Excellent breakdown. Cheers from Singapore

[@drdkphd]

Damn nice breakdown. Luka is a savant.

[@faymett]

Luka plays like Magic in that he controls the pace of the game, elite passer and hits lunatic shots of every kind, he shoots it like Bird in that he can make any shot from any spot on the floor and he'll even tell you beforehand where he's shooting it from, and finally he scores like Jordan!! Look it up, Luka's stats his 1st 6 seasons are second to nobody, not even the greatest to ever lace em up in MJ. Simply put, Luka is a one of one and is this generations best offensive player.

[@TheRoadLessChosen]

Won’t completely argue that. He gets what he wants but he’s not as great at scoring as Jordan. You guys have to stop with these comparisons. I’ve watched all these great players play. If you didn’t watch Jordan then you just don’t know. That being said, Luka is definitely as clutch as Jordan. Everyone tries to say how LeBron is super clutch yet nobody! NOBODY has created a video discussing true clutch shots. A clutch shot happens when you are down 2-3 points and need to tie the game or win. If the game is tied anyone can make that shot. Make it when you’re down. Luka does this. It’s special. It’s rare. Lebron and others haven’t done this.

[@faymett]

@@TheRoadLessChosen Luka's 34/9/9 has never been done by anyone, the only person close was MJ at 32/8/8, Luka's beat those numbers the last 2 seasons. I just believe when he's done he's gonna go down, just like Jordan, as this generations best offensive player.

[@SuperAgentWashington]

People said Ant was Jordan, but they forgot Luka is LeBron

[@gungadin9686]

Luka is Luka.

[@casiemny1219]

If Antman was Jordan Minny would be up 2-0

[@greyscott5908]

This definitely doesn't mean what you think it does lol

[@BoredAsf-ji5rc]

😮

[@markwatson3766]

Bang on!

[@iansosickk]

Great in depth breakdowns. Looking forward to seeing this Mavs team in the finals, and hoping they can win it all. I think it would be so awesome to see luka’s reign start and kyrie get his 2nd!

[@jasonau427]

Gobert isn’t a hooper. He’s a tall dude that tried something.

[@natashakuzmanoska9656]

You do not have touch period, or you have not tried to go into the lab and take a summer to work on your offensive game? but he is over 30 so the lab part is probably gone.

[@thebekgo1624]

Mavs fan here. Rudy is a hooper. I mean, he's got 4 DPOYS for a very good reason. He has some lapses sure but to call him like he ain't a hooper is just crazy 😂😂

[@MichaelJW72]

Rudy was born too late. If he was playing in the era where the back to the basket center was the rule he’d be great. But this era it doesn’t work as well.

[@VaddyFC]

So what do the Wolves do? Bench Rudy Gobert and go back to the 5 out offense with Naz Reid stepping in at the 4 and KAT at the 5? Exactly what they did against the Nuggets in Game 2 last series? They would space the floor and make Luka Doncic work harder than ever on defense.... Something has to change... ANT is getting contained and there are hardly any gaps to attack in that Mavs defense...

[@OscarMartinez-in1tj]

Yeah bench the 200 million dollar guy you gave away four 1st round picks for… also if they do that it’s gonna be even more devastating in the paint and the wolves will lose by 15

[@swhoshing6237]

There isn't much Wolves can do at this point. They gave it their best shot and came up short. They threw away a great Jaden game and a game where Naz went 7-9 for 3. I don't expect Ant or KAT to have much impact in this series. If it weren't for Jaden and Naz, both games would probably end in a double digit deficit. At this point I would be surprised if Wolves manage to steal a game

[@funkonede]

Let go of the Wolfes, it's over^^

[@hittkid6312]

Maybe for a few minutes they could do that, but if you remove Gobert in extended periods then you gonna see the mavs hit close to 100% in all of their layups and dunks, and it might even lead to the corner 3 getting open cause someone will have to help KAT defending the lob. Also a 2nd problem is that lineup assumes whoever is the one driving to the basket can hit the open shooter when the defense collapses. We already know Ant when under pressure panics and tends to over pass or pass the ball to the first guy he sees while Conley isn't that good at drive and kick plays.

[@geep6654]

This is actually just a match up nightmare for the twolves, nothing more. Their strength lies on the fact that their perimeter defenders can funnel driving lanes to gobert, and he finishes the job for them. But having 2 of the best scorers in the game that doesn't rely on driving to the basket to score neutralizes the wolves' strength. Mavs play outside-in, where as nuggets play inside-out that's why twolves were able to beat the nuggets

[@orionzervakos]

😂 your trash talk of Gobert's offense kills me

[@TheRoadLessChosen]

Just because it’s truth doesn’t mean it’s trash talk

[@orionzervakos]

@@TheRoadLessChosen just because something is trash talk doesn't make it untrue.... you may recall Luka eloquently informed Gobert, "you can't fucking guard me" which was trash talk. It is also true

[@incognitoslo]

How Luka became unstoppable? It was year 2003, he got his first basketball and decided right there that he will dedicate his life to this sport. Since then noone could stop him. Well, only reporters not voting him MVP. But he is shutting those mouths every game

[@dsm577]

i think it was actually the moment his father who was a professional basketball player found out he was having a son

[@paulalbietz9719]

Thanks for your great work during the play offs and season. Really enjoying your videos from Australia. Take some time off to make the wife happy! Paul

[@scarletspider1240]

After watching the Celtics tonight in game 3…I’m not quite sure why Celtics fans are so confident. What I watched was not a team that would fare very well against a team like Dallas.

[@swhoshing6237]

Boston wouldn't fare well with a couple of WC teams. Advancing from that G league type of Eastern conference is a must for Boston. They played Jimmy-less Heat, injury infected Cavs and now Pacers who lost Tyrese, probably for the rest of the playoffs. Even some WNBA teams would be able to make the playoffs in the East.

[@jap33jpd]

The content of this channel is very decisive and educational! Intelligent for short and no non sense. Way to go Jason, new subscriber here!

[@jonathangoltz4902]

Freaking love your content man!

[@ihaveaname8874]

Great analysis!!

[@ryanzz1357]

I am looking forward to Luka vs the two all defensive Celtics guards in the finals!

[@youdidnotslay-genz3555]

I learn so much basketball from this channel

[@YNFYNYTSCROLL]

I am biased because I watch every Mavericks game but much of what NBA media and even KZbinrs were predicting about this series I knew and many other Mavs diehards knew would not be the case. The phrase repeated most often was “the Mavs defense is almost as good as Minnesota’s but Minnesota’s offense is nowhere near Dallas’ offense” and a good deal of that has to do with the offensive skill set of Luka. He constantly makes the right read and is thinking multiple steps ahead on any given play, it’s been clear since before the series that he’s leagues above Ant and would outplay him badly. I’m frankly confused as to why smart people consistently picked Minnesota and/or were shocked when it became clear Dallas was a dreadful matchup for them.

[@Neuri]

Never seen anyone do something for 15 years and not improve. Rudi literally looks as if “what is this!” Every single time he gets the ball. Like a toddler. Unbelievably bad.

[@majorwin1049]

Thanks, 👍. I hear you brother

[@Colinkrauss1]

A banana route lmao?? 5:55 Tell me that’s not the name of a real basketball concept, because I’ve never heard banana route in my entire life

[@Colinkrauss1]

It’s really surprising how well Dallas’ defense has sustained its excellence. On the surface, especially compared to MIN, they look like they should be average. Kyrie not known as a defender, but he can lock in and be smart and stay in front of his man. DJJ has been good before, but to be the guy taking the best wings series after series is wild. Gafford ain’t great, but he’s ginormous and a freak athlete. Lively is rookie, but amazing. PJ has never been great on D, but now he’s bought in and is trying hard and has size and has athleticism. Josh Green is good. And Luka, has shown stuff but mostly gets hidden, which is fine. But on paper, that’s not a team that should be a top 3 defense. Yet they’ve been incredible for a real long time now.

[@timetowakeup6302]

Anthony Edwards is starting to crumble like a drakes coffee cake

[@dk6173]

😂

[@sin842]

Luka IQ is way ahead of everyone else in the playoffs right now.

[@toddcairns84]

@Jason. I love the channel and love the analysis. I am from Europe and I have been watching the NBA seriously since 2017, you have the best educational content out there by a mile. I used your exact logic and analysis, to heavily favour the Mavs, putting my money where my mouth is and betting for a 4-1 series. I concluded from your year round content, that wolves really struggle at end of games/half court, that Ant struggled in play making, and that his successes in the post season was predicated on his insane athletic advantages against weak rim protection, amongst other points that you made in the videos the last few days. I know you hedged your series prediction on Luka's injury, but it does feel like you allowed yourself to get swept up in the hype a bit more than you have let on. I grant you, you are swimming against the tide in the hot take culture you inhabit, but I would love to see you rely on your substantially higher Basketball IQ than your peers and lean more heavily into 'focusing on the data'. Your own analysis over the course of the season and the playoffs, coupled with your superior understanding of Basketball at all levels, should have allowed you to predict Dallas having advantages over Minny before the series started, allowing you to stand out even more than you already do amongst your peers. The best part of your channel is that you offer genuine analysis based on logic, data and a deep understanding of the game, I think if you lean even more heavily into that you will offer something truly unique in the sphere. Keep up the great work.

[@michaelaiello9525]

Lord, just tell me that no one on the Wolves’ coaching staff is tuning in to your analysis. So good!

[@andrejgregoric1324]

they don't need to. they know everything and more. that is just a reality...

[@CharlesAlexanderAlferez]

this is better than all of the official commentators lite tnt espn undisputed etc

[@versuch8239]

While I generally agree with the comments about Gobert, I feel it is extremely misguided , to spend such a long rant and energy on Gobert, compared to KAT (who couldn't even stay on the floor he was so bad) and ANT, who both played horrible both games.

[@SurelyNotABot]

Yeah Gobert is doing what we expect of him pretty much while the 2 stars are no where to be found

[@RVK11-lr2no]

MAILBAG: Hi Jason, I picked Dallas over Minnesota for the same reason I thought Denver would beat the wolves (trust Jokic/Luka/Kyrie with the ball in their hands late compared to Ant), but I didn't expect the wolves half-court offense to falter this much. Do you think it's because the wolves roster has been built specifically to beat Denver that their flaws have been exposed by a more traditional offense? Clearly they bothered Denver more than anyone else with so much of their cap resources dedicated to bigs & any contender across any sport works on the basis of "how do I beat the champs" so I'm not blaming them at all. That being said, Dallas' 4-out offense has been getting whatever they want in drop coverage and I think if their roster was more conventially built, they'd have a better answer to the regulation high PnR.

[@gavriilnick4225]

Luca was always unstopable.....great work Jason on predicting the Wolves to get past the Mavs....you can really pick em eh????

[@adriandaliva1341]

bruh gobert was waving his hand when luka already released the ball as if that's gonna extend your wingspan or something 😂

[@caladanrude6395]

Look, I love Luca but Jason is doing the same thing that all the media is doing through these playoffs and it's so annoying. Am I the only one that's tired of it. Just a week ago he said Ant-Man was the second best player in the league. The fact that talking about who the best player is from series the series and changing your mind over and over again has become our only basketball commentary. Now I know he does some x's and o's. But the vast majority is this type of stuff. This guy's a superstar that guy's a superstar is he the best player in the league. Just please stop it. Please!

[@randomuruk7230]

Overall I agree with you, but Lukas is just different.

[@caladanrude6395]

@@randomuruk7230 when it comes to what I'm talking about now Lucas irrelevant. And don't get offended it's nothing against Luka he just happens to be the guy that they're putting on top today. And don't get me wrong Luka's terrific he should have always been above ant. that's my point. There was never a legitimate argument for putting Edwards above Luka. But the media has to media. I get why they do it but they have to realize that if they're going to have fans, fans are going to watch all their content and it's going to get monotonous very very quickly. Jason is still my go to but damn.

[@dpend]

@@caladanrude6395no, it is different. Luka is top 1-3 offensive player in the league. Ant, Tatum, Jaylen brown etc. are like top 10. It’s not the same thing even if the media is giving similar praise. Luka deserves it, others do not. Another reason is that Luka had the clutch gene that players like Tatum, Brunson, etc. simply lack. They crumble in the clutch.

[@Impeach_the_queen]

Dude do you struggle with comprehension? He said in a vacuum of these playoffs so far at that point that Ant was the second best player and Luka was hurt. It was literally just based on things that have actually happened which, might shock you, but is the only thing you can actually go off of.

[@user-io9nr1dj3d]

In a segment of Inside the NBA, Barkley was talking about how the Mavs vs Wolves series is all about match ups and how Kyrie and Luka know how to get and exploit favorable match ups down the stretch. What ive notice in Jason breaking down the match up of Luka vs Jaden McDaniels is Jason keeps saying luka is too strong for McDaniels when he's going down hill and on the other side you have a match up that Edwards called out, with him wanting to guard kyrie and we can see that match up is not going so well as well because Edwards can't keep up with Kyrie's shiftiness and ball manuplation. What I would do is switch the assignment and have Edwards gaurding Luka and Mcdaniels gaurding Kyrie.

[@JonathanWoodall]

He also did it to Gobert in the Olympics (or fiba) can’t remember which

[@JordanGurney]

Think about Ben Wallace vs Tim Duncan - defensively only.. Ben had 4 DPOY's like Rudy, Tim had 0. That's a travesty.

[@polish5873]

Blame Gobert while Ant and KAT shoot tour dates. Rudy had 16 points this game this game averaged 14 on the year he’s one of the best lob targets in the NBA. AD destroyed by a healthy Mal on switches back to back seasons. Laker bias numbers not lying yall just hating

[@dolbz]

that double screens killed them combined with drop coverage with lobs...

[@Qichar]

I posted exactly what you said about Gobert with regards to time and score. He had one job and that was to make sure any three was heavily contested, because Minnesota was up 2. What separates the best athletes is the ability to "program" your reflexes to do the right thing in the right situation. Some guys can do it and others cannot. More often than not, I see Gobert reacting like he always does without awareness of the game situation and that's what people really mean when they talk about basketball IQ. Sure, if you gave him a pop quiz on pen and paper I bet he knows what his job is. But there seems to be a disconnect between what he knows and what he's able to tell his body to do and that's where that apparent awkwardness comes from. He should never have been the Defensive Player of the Year, because you can't rely on him in the most critical situations.

[@genatch]

Great episode.🎉 The best kept secret of the mavs is they have a center that brings them 25-30 points at 80% and 20 rebounds a game . This is superstar Shaq prime numbers. They never play together so it’s an output of 1 player position. In reality this makes mavs having 3 superstars. Don’t think even opponents coaches understand that they have to stop superstar center in addition to the obvious 2. Mavs “center” beats any center in nba including Jokic in any category.

[@MrMillefail]

Mailbag question: Isn't Gobert playing a bit like Garnett on the offensive side, sealing defenders off the driving lane ( i guess the "freedom of movement" rule is only for offense :/)? Is that enough to be effective on a drive-led offense (you seems to say it isn't), or wouldn't that be better with a team like Dallas? I hate players who do that (it's quite common in europe/FIBA rule bball) but imho it really effective for bigs with good strength an feets. It might be worst in the NBA where you have naturally more spacing though, i only play with NBA rules in pickup games so i can't judge.

[@michaelbeltran7414]

The next “Ricky Rubio” schooled the next MJ.

[@willzsportscards]

lol definitely don't get divorced over the garbage playoff games we're getting in the east. Every year I say, but this year more than ever is proof that we should just seed 1-16 for the playoffs. Product suffers.

[@Musso88]

Not a bad idea. Especially since divisional regular season games don't matter like they do in the other sports.

[@willzsportscards]

@@Musso88 Exactly. The separation as is is pretty much arbitrary. Let's optimize the playoffs. Such a waste over in the east. It's painful.

[@jameskim1505]

Luka making JKidd look like he a decent coach whatever

[@VVVY777]

Luka's always been unstoppable, silly goose.

[@yaboispeed7927]

Hey Jason, love the videos and analysis. Not a rudy supporter on this play, but in reference to the AD Jamal Murray play I have to disagree with your take. I think there were severe defensive lapses on the game winner for both players. Rudy takes a step to defend against the drive which was a defensive lapse, but on the Jamal game winner I believe I remember you saying that AD also had a defensive lapse. AD allowed Jamal to drive right into an empty side instead of forcing him middle into help, which I believe you also mentioned. Great video though, i love the film study sessions a lot. Just wanted to point that fact out.

[@xavier92991]

Mailbag: Sometimes Dallas offense struggles when one of Luka or Kai is resting or off. Who’s someone they can target in the offseason to raise the offensive floor? Who is someone on the roster who can grow into that next year? My external picks are Mikal Bridges or Klay. Internal picks are Hardy or a D Live mismatch attacking post game.

[@jofieji5312]

Not a huge fan of DJJ shooting form but he’s an incredible athlete. They should ship out hardaway for pieces. I like hardaway but he just doesn’t seem to have a spot.

[@xavier92991]

@@jofieji5312 Would love to see that spot upgraded with DJJ off the bench. The spacing can be rough sometimes with DJJ and PJ being inconsistent shooters. PJ is young too and shows flashes of offensive skill. It would be amazing if he became a more consistent 3rd option.

[@drew318]

Bro the team is fine as is they don’t need another scorer, they are up 2-0 in the conference finals

[@hittkid6312]

@@drew318 I think they'll benefit with a off the bench playmaker that can shoot the ball though. I like Hardy but he's more of a slashing scorer, I originally thought Green would develop into more of a playmaker that can shoot and drive but he has a tendency to overthink and panic. In the regular season Exum showed flashes of doing just that, taking Kyrie's responsibilities when he was injured, but in the post season he was very reckless and ineffective with the ball,

[@xavier92991]

@@drew318 If you’re not getting better you’re getting worse. Look at the Nuggets Heat Kings Lakers etc. Obviously Mavs are great i’ve been saying we’re the 3rd best team in the NBA for months, just curious where improvement can come from!

[@philippemagdelenat7497]

Rudy is an easy target… as usual I would say. Ant is average and turns the ball over when it matters, at least when he doesn’t dissappear before turning the ball over... Kat, well, for the best shooting big man ever is MIA… And the coaching staff is at the root of the last shoot, if you don’t want a three take Rudy out to favor mobility on the three points line, period. Last but not least, even though +/- is not my favorite metric I am really not sure that Mini’s woes are with Gobert :-) And a last note, give Gobert a Luka or a Kyrie and you’ll get offense from him and with a high percentage. All we would hear is « what an amazing defender he is and how efficient he is around the rim… ». The whole job of a coaching staff is to maximize the strenght of its players while minimizing/hidding their weaknesses. Don’t see that much with Minnesota right now. But the WCF aren’t over yet ! Anyway thanks for the video, great stuff and I agree with most of what you said (for what it’s worth 😃), especially the analysis of the game winning three (but then again when Luka takes you for a dance I can understand that somehow, somewhere, you get lost…).

[@JazzYachtrocker]

Ant is Jordan alright. Jordan Clarkson

[@RuntheCompound]

These games are really close. What needs to happen is for Ant and Towns to score more. The team is good even with Rudy's low offensive production. Ant just doesn't know yet how to close games. That has been the biggest problem not Rudy.

[@dpend]

Exactly Mavs are due for regression games for 3 pt shooting. Then it will be a blowout unless Ant and Kat go sicko mode

[@MrEnsiferum77]

Why Minnesota didn't foul, at least they would go in OT, if they miss their last shot. Can someone explain to me, why nba teams risk to lose the game like that?

[@jakes.6518]

Because it’s more likely that he would hit both free throws and go into OT (and risk losing the game) than him making a three (appx. 38% chance). So, it would make more since to let him shoot the three and hope that he misses. The problem is, this is Luka Doncic.

[@MrEnsiferum77]

@@jakes.6518 and why gobert on him, try to double him and than switch with someone else , like Kat maybe.

[@alexpaul8575]

A few days ago this guy was pretty sure the Timberwolves would beat the Mavs in a dominant way! 😂 You have to love these "experts".

[@arfeusss]

That's what the data told. I watch Mavs every games in the playoff and I thought Mavs willl not do this great. Wolves just beat the reigning Champ which still the favorites. Wolves is the best defensive team in the league while Mavs is the best in the last 20 games of regular season. Wolves have bigger body which is part of Dallas advantage in the second round. The data did show Wolves got advantage. But, Dallas show which the better team so far. However, it still game two. I wish Dallas to sweep the Wolves so Luka can get his rest. But, I still can't underestimate the Wolves.

[@natashakuzmanoska9656]

So basically you are saying that Ant and Golbert can not work together on the offence. That is bigger than this series.

[@lamontbillingslb]

It appears Ant just lost the ball on that attempt dunk

[@dinglbarry1275]

Luka made Gobert look like he had cerebral palsey on that final shot.... on Nerd Sesh the one dude said Luka made Gobert look like he was wearing roller skates, which is hilarious because he looks like someone with cerebral palsey wearing roller skates, no offense to roller skaters. And not to keep picking on Gobert, but there just so happened to be multiple hilarious Gobert moments and the other one was pointed out at 17:34 when Gobert gets an offensive rebound and puts up a shot that never had a chance... what was he thinking?... was he thinking there's a chance the ball would go in if he quickly launched the ball in the direction of the basket. It looked like when you see a toddler attempt their first shot on one of those plastic miniature nerf baskets that are like 3 or 4 feet high.

[@rickyisme1230]

2022 playoffs Andrew Wiggins might be better defender than any perimeter defender in the league right now. Of course Luka is better after two years but I still remember he makes him really uncomfortable and he is so good on navigating screens too I think he is way stronger than Jaden McDaniels and a better athlete too . But he just mysteriously fall apart after that title run.

[@natashakuzmanoska9656]

Question: If you switch teams for Golbert:Gafford Minnesota wins?

[@Chapa-pa-pa]

Series is over. Thanks for picking Minnesota, Jason.

[@TheZjj7]

So I agree with your take on Rudy he is very good but not the best, but with that being said the game plan should work better with him offensively just look at the Mavs Lively and Gafford can’t shoot but they are not considered a offensive liability because the game plan and of course genius of Luka an Kyrie

[@pedrobueno9079]

Love you man, but.. "IF you are a fan of strange, dark, and misterious..." hahahahahahahaha Shout out from Brazil..

[@Young-ep8ik]

If Ant is Jordan, he would shoot 3/18 and still win down 0-2 in game 3 in a conference final game.

[@TulioMCano]

I mean... Anthony Edwards had a wide open Naz Reid on the first drive, then wide open Jaden who has been killing from the corner on the spin. And throws it out. Also the issue is Rudy Gobert WITH Kyle Anderson not just Rudy Gobert. If that is another spacer on the floor you cant just leave Rudy wide open like that or it will be an easy lob!!

[@TulioMCano]

In terms of Gobert defense, extremely terrible execution from Gobert. I wish you had shown the Luka miss where Gobert actually did do a good job and Naz Reid peel switched onto him late on the midrange!!

[@TheRoadLessChosen]

I’ve watched all these great players play. If you didn’t watch Jordan then you just don’t know. That being said, Luka is definitely as clutch as Jordan. Everyone tries to say how LeBron is super clutch yet nobody! NOBODY has created a video discussing true clutch shots. A clutch shot happens when you are down 2-3 points and need to tie the game or win. If the game is tied anyone can make that shot. Make it when you’re down. Luka does this. It’s special. It’s rare. Lebron and others haven’t done this.

[@JTMont21]

I think Gobert thinks that he is the best defender in the world, so he wants to play straight up with Luka because he thinks he can

[@theo6348]

Luka & Kyrie to take down Boston

[@juancarloscuevas6581]

Luka's buzzer beater is one of the dumbest defensive plays I've ever seen. Why to switch in the first place in the middle of the court? Then, why not to simply guard the three-point line? The Wolves could have even fouled Luka with enough time in the clock to still have a good chance to score a game winner. I don't get it, there were a million possibilities to prevent losing this game in this embarrassing fashion. Anyway, Jason, great job breaking down these games, keep it up! I love your show and I follow it everyday from Madrid (Spain), where I used to watch Luka live when he was still a teenager playing for Real Madrid.

[@Ish393]

Maybe hot take but Joel Embiid is a better defender than Gobert, simukar rim protection and extremely better in space. Like stated Gobert doesnt play offense while Embiid leads nba in scoring and cant give 100% on defense every possession

[@RapboYGT]

First off, I've been really enjoying your breakdowns so far. Just wanted to say I think you're being too critical of Rudy's defense at the end, and maybe lacking some respect for Luka's skills. There were still 5 seconds on that erratic step by Rudy, and Naz is inside the paint and is in a weird position to reset for defensive 3 seconds. One of Jaden or Ant will have to help, one is a 3 from Kai, and one opens up a lob for DLive. If no one helps, Luka makes a layup. It was as good a defense as Rudy could have played in that situation. It was more of a (coaching) defensive strategy that failed them. Regarding DPoY, although I agree Rudy doesn't deserve 4 DPoYs, I don't think having less of an offensive load should be a detriment to defensive players. Guys like Ben Wallace and Mutombo didn't do much on that end either, but I think they absolutely deserve their awards.

[@mariohostios]

Uses contact, change of pace and direction to create his shit at will

[@f18a]

Thank you for clarifying your appraisal of RUDY. That makes perfect sense. While unspoken, many people who were pleading to bench RUDY were doing so because of his inept offense. He is terrible on O and just "good" on D (length).

[@xyrussalii]

Why hasn’t Ant gone to his mid-range more? The ONE time he did last game, it was good. He’s had opportunities to just pull up after blow-by’s.. or to work the post. But he keeps passing. Is some of it on the coaching staff for not scheming it in?

[@Striker_7373]

Ant has shot around 39% from midrange on the season, to beat the mavs coverage on pull up 2s requires ridiculously high efficiency shotmaking like how shai was able to do in game 4 against the mavs. He might be able to knock a few down per game but if he’s not getting to the rim at will it’s a lot more predictable to settle for a jumper there and the number of bodies in the paint make it really difficult to convert on those looks at volume.

[@xyrussalii]

@@Striker_7373 great point. I guess I’m just thinking of the last two series, especially the nuggets series, where he was killing them with the middies. Hopefully he can start finishing at the rim because I don’t like the idea of him just hoping his three starts to fall

[@xyrussalii]

@@Striker_7373 but then I guess it might be easier to get a turnaround up over KCP than it is DJJ😅

[@andrejgregoric1324]

right. cause he has flight DJJ guarding him so he doesn't even get a good look at the basket. and if he passes him, he has Lively, Gafford or PJ waiting...

[@xavier92991]

Sorry Jason gotta spin the block on our mailbag back and forth. LuKai are just better and more complimentary than KD Booker and Beal 😈. Love the show just some light teasing 😂.

[@youtubeconnollyfamily]

Plus, ant is the new Jayson Tatum. He will get criticized because he will get so close every year and then eventually he will win one but until then they will just keep criticizing him.

[@weewwolf7781]

Nope, he will win none I tell you, same with Celtic.. I can see a straight champion coming from the west for year to come.. OKC, Dallas, Spurs with Wemby & Denver..

[@Jc-ql8dp]

Yall Wrong Ant is Jordan ....Jordan Poole

[@xxdemestrosxx]

7:18 kat is not way too slow, he is ready for getting baptized

[@tombehnke9058]

How can you rip on Gobert on that last defensive play when by any interpretation of rules, Luka travelled. He did his job. He can’t assume the other player is gonna be able to get away with a blatant travel. He took a total of four steps so even if you want to call one of those ‘a gather step’, then it’s still three total steps. Thank you.

[@maduit]

Take a look at the 2min report. It is listed as an CNC (correct no call), an they explain why. So no, I'm not going to let you get away so such blatant lies. This was NOT A TRAVEL

[@jerrycallows3906]

Another thing about Jamal Murray. He's not the clutch player he thinks he is. Those two game winners against the Lakers happened when the game was tied. They were simply bonus shots. There was no pressure. A miss didn't mean a loss, only overtime. For Anthony Edwards to think he could guard Kyrie like he did Jamal is an insult. Jamal is no Kyrie, not even a poor man's Kyrie. More like a Fred Van Fleet.

[@andrejgregoric1324]

something like this.... what... what is this? this ain't gonna get the job done... exactly.

[@polish5873]

16th ranked defense for best Defensive player Anthony Davis

[@hibida651]

Mcdaniels will have nightmares! Like klay til this day the biggest regret of his life is living curry on an island with kyrie.. and its the same switch in this clip, they easily conceded a switch..

[@youtubeconnollyfamily]

I picked Dallas before the series started. I want Minnesota to win though, because as a big Celtics fan, I’m more confident against Minnesota than I am Dallas. Dallas uses their big very well. Very smart coaching. Plus Luca is just insane. I believe we will still win, but I’d be more happy if we were going against Minnesota though.

[@Gmoney4184]

You look tired bro. Hope you get rest after the finals.

[@angelaquino6755]

The Rudy slander is outrageous, he sure is a top 5 defender in the league what do you mean “not like the best guys” Jrue Holiday is universally regarded as the best defensive guard in the league, if you put him on a mismatch and he has to guard Jokic or Embiid in the block he WILL look like a bum, it’s too big of a disadvantage it’s the same thing when you put a center big man like Rudy on a mismatch with the best guards in the league, they don’t have the tools to properly defend, you talk so much about how you think AD is “the best defender on the world”, which he isn’t btw, but how many times did Jamal Murray cook him? Even a game winner just like this, but y’all weren’t hating on AD, it’s a personal issue, y’all simply dislike Rudy

[@DaReaperGang]

I feel like i was the only person that had the mavs this series, i know the wolves had the better team but man i couldnt go agasint luka...and i was right lol

[@casiemny1219]

There was others, but most had Minny

[@EbizzerHH]

No, you weren't ^^

[@jofieji5312]

I had mavs. Mostly because I’m tired of watching Minnesota foul everyone and i didn’t think edwards was what they are saying he is.

[@Musso88]

I want Dallas to win it all, but I must say I thought Minnesota would win this series. I never had any doubt that Luka was in a whole other stratosphere than Edwards, but Minnesota is just way better overall. I do think Boston will beat Dallas if Dallas gets there though.

[@casiemny1219]

@@jofieji5312 terrible reasoning lol. Fouling everyone? It’s finally good to see defense allowed

[@afuturemodern]

Put Ant on Luka