I love seeing players stick up for other players. I’m going to to go on record and say, Draymond and Fisher know more about hoops than Windhorst and SAS.
If he says Luka being targeted is BS and his lack luster defense has nothing to do with it he definitely doesn’t know what he’s talking about. This is coming from the guy who played on the warriors the team that made MULTIPLE rotations to shooters while Luka doesn’t close out at all. I’m this last game we literally see the difference his effort on defense brings.
Thank you guys. Luka deserves it. This dude is a DIAMOND for basketball fans. Treasure him. On the court he is a bit insane, but that comes with the territory of a genius. But of the court he is CLASS personified, and that is much more important. We are trying to take down A GREAT YOUNG 25-YEAR OLD MAN!? By some liars, foxes, and double-crossing "journalists"? IT is awful
"When guarded by" is also cherry picked. When he gets blown by, he doesn't get dinged in the "When guarded by" department. That stat goes by closest defender. No penalty under that stat for the defensive breakdown he caused that leads to great shot quality. No ding for putting his team in rotation. The calvary at the rim gets penalized under that stat when he gets blown by.
@@djkido3162-11. Most of those shots are being dictated by the zone. A drive to the lane is already being cut off by someone else. There's a bracket around his "assignment" which leads to tough shots being taken.
@@WGAGENCY I am a big maverick fan and I’ve even watched a couple of the finals games and I can’t remember a single time that the guy who blew by him scored on someone else. A lot of those turned into kick out passes that were easily covered by the rotating perimeter defenders. The big problem is the next level when the ball gets passed around and the rotating people either bite on a fake or get too aggressive by collapsing on a guarded player and then you get an open shot and that’s partially his fault but also partially their’s for not going to the proper place to defend.
@@WGAGENCY “Blow by” is just a disingenuous way of saying that Dallas’ defense funnels players towards their shot blockers. Now if you want critique Luka’s rotations that’s fine but most people are not smart enough or care enough to dive that deep
Thank you Draymond. Sports media is out of control. Their constant attacks on players is not entertaining or informative. It’s just pure hatred! The Mavs lost 3 games because Kyrie scored 12 and 16 points in games 1 and 2 and the role players are not scoring at all. Luka is leading both teams in this series in points, assists, and rebounds. Instead of media questioning his team mates they are treating him like he is the only player on the team. In game 3, the Mavs had 5 key players with high minutes score 13 points together. That’s why they lost.
its conditioning their viewers/fans it goes to show most ppl don't have their own actual opinion . rather , they are just echoing what other ppl are saying thats what i been seeing a lot out of the NBA fans
They’re also losing because Kyrie thinks his left hand shot is better than it actually is. Stop it with the damn left hook bullcrap. I’m left handed and I can see that left hand is weak as F. He can dribble and do that park shit but when it comes to shooting that left hand ain’t it.
Lukas teamates getting mad at him for getting blown by is the same as him getting mad they’ve been missing wide open threes off his passes besides game 4.
It's not. They're TRYING to make their shots but aren't able. Luka wasn't even trying on defense the first three games. He tried in Game 4 the entire landscape of the game changed. That's all Luka needs to do on defense. Try and don't miss your assignments. That's literally it.
Yeah pretty stupid argument from Draymond. There's a difference between being cooked while you're putting in the effort and just getting blown by. And yes Luka is getting criticism for it now because IT'S THE NBA FINALS
@@DamianSAAAN There def was some effort/focus issues but also, the Mavs defense has been elite for months now and then after 3 games, Luka's defense becomes the media's reason why they're losing when that very clearly wasnt why
Thank you Dray and Fish. I'm not one of those Luka fans that puts him in a "God" realm...but he can't be expected to be the best player on the court in every phase of the game at 25. It's not realistic
@@JaysolateOH YEAH, the 5 time all NBA first teamer who has more of them than steph at only 25, a scoring title, and took a 5th seed who happens to be the 3rd youngest team in the league to a freaking finals their first year together. 😂 Dude if you are racist or he whooped your team, just say it but don't go around lying. Doesn't look good
@@LC-jq7vn I think your own personal demons are coming out cuz who said anything about race? He's lazy he never stops complaining and bitching he treats his teammates like shit he's useless without the ball he's useless on defense he has the highest usage rate so of course he gets all the stats and when he loses like he always does y'all just make excuses for him. He's literally the new LeBron
He gets blown by… a lot ESPECIALLY on when the ball swings to the weak side. However, he’s been statistically good in isolations all year long. There’s massive amounts of data to back this up. Dallas was the #1 Defense after the trade deadline and they’ve been #4 in the playoffs behind only Orlando, OKC, and Boston. If he’s soooo bad defensively, why is Dallas still an elite defense? I’ll answer that for you: the blow-bys aren’t a death sentence because he does things well defensively. Luka also leads all players in the playoffs in defensive rebounds AND steals. The Mavs are +27 in 149 minutes with Luka on the floor against Boston in the Finals. They are -18 in the 43 minutes when he’s on the bench. I get that a lot of people don’t watch the Mavericks often, but he’s been playing like this all year. He’s complained all year. He’s been blown by all year. The Mavs had an elite defense regardless and he’s the main reason they’re in the finals (as evidenced by how bad they are when he sits down for even a few minutes per game).
The backline is your answer. When you look at the film, cross reference the data, the playstyles of oppenent offenses, the kind of offenses that gives them the most trouble, it becomes clear his effectiveness on defense is almost SOLELY reliant on their ability to keep paint clogged. Guys are settling for tough stepbacks when the rim protector flashes. Other guys in that zone are cutting off angles on the court. Best analogy I can think of is a football team playing triangle bracket coverage on WR.
Yet Luka leads all nba playoff players in defensive win shares ( above Tatum ) and total steals. It’s bullshit to expect Luka to be a POA defender with Lebrons physique and transition defense. The hate after g3 really made me think twice about my favorite professional sport. It’s not a good look. It’s insulting to anyone who actually follows the game.
@@WGAGENCY 100% spot on. Boston is uniquely built to exploit Luka’s weaknesses. They’re the one of the only teams that has a legitimate five out offense while simultaneously offering no hiding place for Luka defensively. In the playoffs, Luka is giving up 0.6 points per ISO despite leading the league in blow by rate. That’s because they’re funneling the drivers into his help and generally doing a great job in rotation.
I can't think of any other player in the league who would have made the finals like Luka did with this mavs team if you put them in his place. People are way too hard on him.
i absolutely love love love dray and fish for this. so MUCH slander on Luka. He's transcendental. he's also human. he's also 25. they act like he should be ashamed of what he is. fuck that. dray on point here. all the other teams are AT HOME.
and some people dont like his commentary because its idiotic, here we have the leagues worst complainer and tech leader supporting the leagues 2nd worst tech leader and complainer. hilarious
The guy who cost his team success by being suspended how many times? Who punched his teammate and shit on another season? Yeah he shouldn't say anything.
@@RittenhousesRiflethe same people that would bow down at the bad boys pistons and say the league used to be so physical but that past defense is basically “assault someone if you get blown by”
He played good defense in most of the games in the playoffs.His defense won the mavericks several games especially against clippers and the wolves.for me it looked like mavs had no energy left in the finals
Draymond always speakin facts! IF LUKA NEVER played NO D MAVS WOULDNT BE IN FINALS It’s like ok I know after 3 finals games his defense has been bad , But Most the Playoffs he’s been playing the best defense of his career! And it’s been above average at times with many actually great defensive plays during this run before 3 games . But on the biggest stage everyone sees the blow by’s .And It’s Raining down too many criticizers too much to defend
It was so weird how after game 2 it was Kyrie and once game 3 was over it was Luka’s defense. I don’t think Luka’s defense was where it needed to be first 3 games but let’s not act like he wasn’t 30-9-7 or whatever. And the only one hitting shots. I think Dray sees him like Steph. Dude def has moments where he does well. I was a little disappointed in his defensive effort overall, but game 4 he absolutely showed out
its crazy that people even blame him for his defense on the first 3 games, when their offense solely rely on him and his role player cant even hit a open 3
"dissappointed in his defensive effort" He is your primary offensive player. When your other players are not hitting their shots, where do you think he should put all of his efforts to? OFFENSE. Like what Dray just said if you even watched, he has to practically carry the offensive load while his teammates are hitting bricks. In game 4, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING CRAZY, he did his usual offensive load and when his teammates hit their shots, then he can be comfortable excerting more effort in defense.
ESPN has been on a tour to discredit and downplay every chance possible for the past 2 seasons, it's not surprising, the problem I see is that there are a lot of aggregators that feed off of that and that create a whole false narrative. Like when they were saying that Luka doesn't impact winning, dude is banged up and even so, carried the Mavs 2x out of the last 3 seasons to the WCF, even if nitpicked stats might not illustrate exactly his impact, how about just watching the games? He obviously not just impact winning but elevates the floor of the team role players by A LOT.
IF (if) Dray ever decides to leave the Bay, I would not be shocked at all if he comes to Dallas. Even when they faced each other in the playoffs, Draymond has always treated Luka with love and respect (and they both hate Rudy, so they have that in common).
@Tophergr8 That makes sense. It just surprised me that he chose Dallas, and not a larger market team or one that finished higher in the standings last year. Throughout the Mavericks history this does usually happen.
Every single one of those guys knew their assignment playing with Luka, go all-out on defense and always cover, catch the passes and make the shots that he creates for you. I think nobody expected him to play hard on-ball defense to begin with. He had aome bad hickups tho ngl
He had a severe chest injury lol I wouldn't be guarding either. Imagine how painful getting constantly bumped in the chest must be for him. That wasn't even his only injury
Hey chemistry! I'm thinking of the 86 Celtics and the late great DJ. If Luca had someone like DJ, McKale, and Chief who would just be great teammates, and not call themselves "role players", learn passing passing passing, shooting, passing, passing, shooting. and fast! Like a blur, to get themselves the best shot, with the talent they have right now, they could get back and win. These guys have everything they need to do what they need to do to win a championship. The summertime is here, and they've got some work cut out for themselves, but they can do it. Just watch those 86 Celtics and with the talent they have right now, they can do it. Have fun and do it. I believe it! Chemistry baby! Work together! It will grow into something very special. They already have the makings of that team, and what Keto was talking about; that 15%.. they just need that chemistry. Michael Jordan said at that time with his 63-point game, "Not one man can beat the Boston Celtics"
This isn’t a genuine conversation. People are talking more about cause people are actually watching right now. Be fucking fr. Not everyone is watching game 56/82 people have lives. So to be shocked when more people actually watch the “important” games instead of highlights is dumb. Has Luka got better yes his hands were significantly better this year and slid his feet more but not when it mattered. It doesn’t matter if you go score if you let them come down and score. Steph and Luka are different. Steph tries, takes charges, gets hands active, communicates, switches and will just straight man up and try when he has to gaurd. Luka is allow straight line drives against Sam Hauser. Like be fr Hauser is beating you. That’s a problem. Luka deserves this he was crowned a star and that’s what comes with it. You take the blame and you set the tone and rally your team. They go as you go. If you are lackluster so are they. We also don’t have to pat him on his back to cristize him. If JT lost we wouldn’t have anything to say about them not being here without him.
"Hey chemistry! I'm thinking of the '86 Celtics and the late great DJ. If Luka had someone like DJ, McHale, and Chief who would just be great teammates, and not call themselves 'role players', learn passing passing passing, shooting, passing, passing, shooting. And fast! Like a blur, to get themselves the best shot, with the talent they have right now, they could get back and win." Firstly, let's address the team composition. The '86 Celtics were a legendary squad, and comparing any team to them is a tall order. However, we can focus on the teamwork aspect, which is what made the Celtics so formidable: "Imagine if Luka had teammates who embraced their roles as seamlessly as DJ, McHale, and Chief. They wouldn't just be role players; they'd be masters of their craft, weaving a tapestry of assists and scoring opportunities. With the right chemistry, they could move like a well-oiled machine, passing and shooting with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker." "These guys have everything they need to do what they need to do to win a championship. The summertime is here, and they've got some work cut out for themselves, but they can do it. Just watch those '86 Celtics and with the talent they have right now, they can do it. Have fun and do it. I believe it! Chemistry baby! Work together! It will grow into something very special. They already have the makings of that team, and what Keto was talking about; that 15%.. they just need that chemistry." Now, let's emphasize the importance of teamwork and chemistry: "The Mavericks have the talent, but talent alone doesn't win championships. It's the combination of skill, teamwork, and chemistry that elevates a team to greatness. Just like the '86 Celtics, who had a perfect blend of individual brilliance and collective synergy. If Luka and his teammates can harness that 15% of chemistry that Keto was talking about, they could transform into a formidable force. It's like adding a secret ingredient to a recipe; it elevates the dish from good to unforgettable." "Michael Jordan said at that time with his 63-point game, 'Not one man can beat the Boston Celtics.' And he was right. It takes a team to overcome such a legendary squad. But with the right chemistry, the Mavericks have the potential to create their own legacy. They've got the talent; now it's time to blend it together and see what kind of magic they can create." Remember, while humor is important, it's also crucial to maintain a respectful tone when discussing legendary teams and players.
I think as the series goes deeper each game favors mavs. Luka and kai will figure out the offense. There defense has been holding the best tou can do against this team. We need to score
I’m definitely hoping with more help we have now he takes a little bit of his offensive energy towards defense this year. Let’s run it back and complete the mission this time.
Draymond is 100 on the money. One man can win a championship by himself, he has to be surrounded by a supporting cast that can help disguise his weaknesses.for the first 3 games Dallas supporting cast was failing miserably and that’s why they were down 3-0. Also a lot of the blow bye are forcing them to lively and Gafford and isn’t protecting the paint what they do? It’s kinda like the Gobert argument i don’t get why people always blame him teammates when he’s getting dunked over and people are scoring on him in the paint as a last resort. Isn’t that what you do? The same argument applies to Gafford and lively. They protect that paint so if you are just playing them at the 3 point line you should just go small
Dude, if you play basketball, you will understand that playing defense will take a lot of energy. If you're chasing and running, it will take a toll on you. Same with offense; if you focus on that, you have to reserve a lot of energy. Luka is focusing on being the scorer, not the primary defender; it's not that he can't play defense. It's not his main role to be able to lead his team to victory. That's why Dallas surrounds Luka with teammates with good defenders: Gafford, PJ Washington, and Jones Jr. And it makes sense why, at the trade deadline, rumors said they wanted Andrew Wiggins to go to Dallas and surround Luka with players with defense.
The only part of the criticism i'm agree with against Luka is his tendency to ague too much with referees because its useless and the other team run and score in the time he is crying... but man, he's just 25... and he's not yet even in his prime and he dominate the league already so: give him the credit that he deserve!
Facts. Dudes just regurgitate everything they hear on ESPN . Luka did play good in spurts on defense . He's going to watch tape and get better. 2 years ago he was in the conference finals, and this season was his first time being in the NBA finals. Experience is the best teacher
Lukas quietly leading all players in the playoffs in DEFENSIVE win shares. It’s the casuals who don’t understand that the Mavs lost games 1-3 due to role players shooting 20%. They can’t beat the hornets that way. Luka is still the best.
This logic would be ok if we were talking about any regular player but when people are trying build a case for being the best player in the game!! I’m sorry the bar raises. Don’t even bring Kobe up cuz Kobe would give you 40 n still guard their best players. Foh with this caving for Luka. N stop using Steph as a comp Steph is 6’2 185 Luka 6’7 230 damn near the same size Bron I’m sorry it’s no excusing that bs.
If Luka played Defense more they would have a better offense. Because they will have more chances in Transition, which is another problem in itself, Mavs like to set up Half court. That plays into to Boston's defensive scheme. That's why they had tougher games with the Pacers because they run and don't let the Celtics always set up. Also it not just one person setting up the offense the whole time
The stage determines the criticism he wasn’t in the finals before so he could get away with it. Yall are talking dumb he’s literally just getting killed with no effort nobody’s saying be jrue holiday just put a effort and that’s not what he’s doing
"elite level by his standards" is too subjective. Either he's elite or he's not. Maybe he's playing better defense than he normally does, but don't call it elite "by his standards". But yeah otherwise I agree.
I don’t really get Draymond’s point about the criticism just being unwarranted bc they didn’t criticize it in the media prior… Some of us have been clowning on Luka for his defense the entire time lol - is that “valid”?
Dallas was #1 defensively after the trade deadline and they’re the #4 defensive team in the playoffs behind Orlando, OKC, and Boston (in order). Luka leads all players in the playoffs in defensive rebounds and steals. He is who is. The Mavericks are +27 in 149 minutes when he’s on the floor against the Celtics. They’re -18 in 43 minutes when he’s on the bench. He’s the only reason they are here. If he was hurting them defensively as bad as the main stream media narrative implies, they wouldn’t be an elite defensive team. His blow by rate is historically bad but he does do other things well and, overall, he’s not as big of a defensive minus as people make him out to be. It just looks really, really bad and embarrassing when you get blown by that much.
@@tluvsbeauty1 but hes not weak this year and especially not in these playoffs so why are you yapping about his defense? you only do it because everyone says it. just like draymond says you dont have the basketball iq or knowledge to breakdown anything in this series so u just blame the trendy thing like a casual. luka defense is the last reason why the mavs are losing this series.
@@izzynarvaez1223 This elite defense has to play soft zone and hide him often from being picked on. The schemes will tell you everything you need to know. Boston generated good quality shots at will through the first 3 games. There's a reason that defense takes a nose dive when their bigs are out of the paint. After the trade deadline, Dallas got lit up by Boston and the Pacers 3 times. That is not a coincidence. The team most similar to Boston scheme wise, gave the Mavericks their toughest series defensively. This is it a coincidence. Playing zone that often screams you don't have the perimeter defenders to guard up. When they can't play it, the whole system falls apart.
@@skyisthelimit5078if he played Defense more they would have a better offense. Because they will have more chances in Transition, which is another problem in itself, Mavs like to set up Half court. That plays into to Boston's defensive scheme. That's why they had tougher games with the Pacers because they run and don't let the Celtics always set up. Also it not just one person setting up the offense the whole time
@@rnunumbersgang502 that's how it's always been for them. Lol. Do you even watch their games? That's how they were able to beat the clippers, thunder and wolves. Also, they did the same strategy the Boston is doing, attack Luka and Kyrie to tire them out early. It only worked this finals because Boston is much better than those teams. Why do people treat Bostons like they are bums when they are the number one team this year with 64 wins? They have depth and have more experience. They are favored to win. I would be harder on Dallas if they were the number one team this year but we all know they are not, it's Boston. Why are you this salty? LMAO
Jordan had Rodman Steph had Draymond Luka still waiting for real consistent help on defense him having to have most rebounds and steals is a disgrace on the rest of the Mavs
Draymind's comment are bullsh!! it is fair to criticize any player on the court that on many plays put absolutelyno effort into staying if front of his man for even a second. With as much as he provide offensively, 25 to 30 shots a game he can't be expected to be a lock down defender, but you cant give up the straight line drive. Lebron gets criticized for his defense. Luca puts the whole defensive scheme in jeopardy by not giving any effort on too many plays. Plus like draymond he cries too much to the ref, the league tech leader defening the second worst tech leader, is hilarious
Of course, Luka needs to be more focused on the defensive end, but how can she defend if you don't give him enough physical strength? He also needs to do everything on the offensive end, and how can he still have the physical strength to last until the end of the game when he is constantly being beaten 1-on-1 on the defensive end? , Luka’s playing time is almost 40 minutes on average, which is unfair to him
Yeah, and he went 0-8 from the 3pt line. It's one thing to spend that kind of energy when you're healthy, but if you're playing with bruised ribs and a sprained knee (not to mention the calf and ankle), you spend that kind of energy and take those bumps, and suddenly when you try to shoot it's too painful to get your legs fully into it. He still shot well from 2 throughout the playoffs, but you can see in the stats that the game where Westbrook injured him was the start of a horrific 3pt shooting slump. It got better for a bit, but every time he played someone that banged him around (or he just took some kind of hard or awkward fall) his 3pt shooting took a shit for that game. I wish he would have just accepted it and taken even more 2pt shots (he was 60% from 2 in Game 4), but his game depends on his deep shooting and I'm sure he believed he just needed one to go down to get hot.
What are you talking about? There’s literal montages of the Celtics blowing by him. Ppl like you who always give him excuses is part of the problem. The reason he acts like a spoiled brat. Draymond you wlda got 2-3 technicals for acting like that foh
Dray tripping. That boy Luka is target practice. And it's not just the lack of defense, it is the complaining. You defend Luka and cast Gobert aside. Come on, we seeing the bias.
The Luka slander is too much right now. He had a historic season and playoff run. Took a lottery team last year to the finals as a underdog 5th seed. They didn’t have home court advantage their entire run.
Luka played very good defense by his standard in the playoffs but it has to start at the beginning of the season not in the playoffs he lives and he learns he wasn’t used to playing that type of defense all game long for that long of a playoff stretch
Dray is a tough one: huge dray and warriors fan and i find When dray doesnt have a bias I really enjoy and respect his takes but when he lets his bias or emotion talk "gobert," it gets so out of pocket. And its so obvious.
Come on Dray… the team needs consistent effort from him. Those pockets you mentioned… the team needs that effort from him. He will never be an All-Defensive team guy… but THE TEAM needs that effort from him.
Draymond made no actual points about how Luka’s defense wasn’t bad in his first stretch of talking, then the rest was all either ads or the other dude. Anyone saying “Dray knows what he’s talking about” in the comments didn’t watch, he literally dropped zero technical game knowledge in this video. Luka’s defense was a major reason they lost so badly.
90% of league players that would be attacked by elite offensive players all the time would be considered as worst defensive players , same like Luka makes elite defenders look bad too, Lukas defence better then 80% of the league i dont understand why they keep trashing Luka
That’s what I’m saying. Luka playing with a blown knee and chest contusion carrying the offense with no help in games 1-2 and Windhorst whose never played a sport in his life let alone got off the couch to go for a run had the audacity to say that Lukas defense is the main reason Mavs went down 3-0.
All the Luka haters hate hearing Draymond and Lebron talk about his greatness. The dudes that are actually great NBA players and have competed against him
4 місяці тому
Luka set playoff records for leading in points rebounds and assists? Who’s stupid enough to criticize him? They made it to the finals because of him leading the way. Don’t be stupid all y’all’s damn lives. Draymond might have a screw loose from time to time but he’s spot on with his take about Luka. No I’m not one of those fans that close their damn eyes and pray to Luka at night before I go to sleep. I’m just fair.
I don't get many of you here. Yeah, Luka got way too much criticism because of one game where he still put up good numbers. But Dray and this dude talking like media is asking of Luka to be an all-defensive player. They are asking him to not be a big defensive liability with historical bad numbers in blowbys. That's a huge difference. As soon as he stepped up his defensive EFFORT they blew Boston out. Not saying that's the only reason, ofc not, but maybe the criticism got the best out of him?
It’s more fair to criticize Luka complaining for fouls than to criticize his defense. When he’s focused, he does well. It’s when he’s in complaining mode when he loses concentration. He does good enough for his teammates to support him on defense
I think Brian really loves Luka and wants him to succeed. I’m a huge Luka fan but he acted like a b*tch in game 3. Brian knows his greatness and was very frustrated that he played into his emotions so much. That spilled over into also criticizing his defense, but the main critique was he was whining and got fouled out unnecessarily. Windy is amazing, possible the best commentator in the sport.
He definitely lost his cool and the fouling out cost the Mavs, but to be fair, he's been dealing with a lot with the injuries (some intentional), hard fouls, and teams going at him because they knew how hurt he was (not to mention Dort constantly fouling him, then flopping to try to get foul calls). Not surprising he would lose his cool when the refs were calling a terrible game and giving Boston all the benefit of the doubt. But even his biggest fans admit he let himself lose it on a level that just can't happen on the big stage. I really wish we could have seen if he and Kyrie could have finished off the comeback if it hadn't happened. That changes the ENTIRE series.
people just don't watch or play basketball enough to know to be spewing crap about players. game 4 the role guys actually played better defense start from the beginning instead of waiting for a miracle. any player knows that if you aren't doing good on the offensive side you gotta make it up on the defense and they weren't in the past 3 games
Draymond should ask first the interviewee what his position before the interviewer telling his side. I'm not saying that Dfish is intimidated but nobody wants tough talk.
@@skyisthelimit5078 you need your eyes checked,he was clearly giving more effort to contain the ball..what his teammates did has nothing to do with that
@@strivingforthekingdoment.2303 lol are you blind? Check the stats of his teammates in the last 3 games and get back to me. Basketball is a team sport. Luka isn't the only one playing. Lol.
I know mavs fans would easily wish back brunson for kyrie esp the pace lively, gafford n exum have been keeping up. Brunson is perfect for those 3 when luka is off the floor not to mention hardaway. They would've swept the celtics with brunson still in dallas esp wit what they offered him n what they traded at the deadline. I know 1st hand bc i wish robinson n Sims had the footwork n reliability of gafford and Lively respectfully
Dray isn’t as basketball smart as he tries to sound that’s why he always has to big up himself….. never seen Mike brag about being Mike or a billionaire stress how rich they were. The only game they won Luka was closing out on shooters like a mad man. The reason people are bringing it up because he doesn’t give any effort and you guys are lying plain and simple. The man was watching guys shoot and turning his back on them. This last game he was closing out hard. This just goes to show these media guys rather former basketball players are not doesn’t mean they know the game. We know what we are watching and seeing and even Fisher bringing up Stephs defense proves it. Steph has ALWAYS given maximum effort defensively in the playoffs rather he can guard a guy or not 😭🤡
Because no one player on the Celtics is regarded as “unguardable” except for Kristaps. Tatum, Brown, White, Horford, and Holiday can all be stopped. Luka and Kyrie on the other hand are really hard to guard and will usually score regardless of who you throw at them. When Luka put effort into defense in Game Four, he got Holiday to turn the ball over four times, and caused Brown and Tatum to miss several shots.
Its straight up talking head nonsense. I remember the same people trying to say Curry was a "defensive liability" in the postseason, but at least then it was against heavy iso teams like the Rockets with Harden. Against this Celtics team... gtfo. Like literally what are they expecting Luka to do? Drop 40 _and_ face guard 1-5?
Nowhere near the top defensive guards in the league. You don't put so much effort in hiding a top defender nor do teams hunt for them constantly. Crazy😂
@@RobMoreno-mw5uq I am aware of the stats. You should automatically question the validity of those stats when you look at the list. Just think about it for a second... They are playing a ZONE defense. They are playing a ZONE defense against a great high volume 3 point shooting team. They are bracketing whoever luka is guarding on ball. You can disagree but the adjustments and the schemes by both teams will tell you everything you need to know.
I love seeing players stick up for other players. I’m going to to go on record and say, Draymond and Fisher know more about hoops than Windhorst and SAS.
The only thing windhorst knows is how to make local buffets lose money
Exactly.
Draymond who’s a great defender himself is saying the criticism is bs. But ESPN puts guys like windhorst on tv
And Windhorst has the utter gall to critique Luka's physical fitness 😂😂
@@Tophergr8👍😂
Windhorst did not Luka's defense. He was right to point his complaning, whinnig and crying impacted his team.
@@swarajthapa5798 Windhorst has hated on Luka for forever. This is just the latest example
@@Tophergr8stop it yall get mad at the truth
They say a lot of things about DRAY but they can’t say he don’t b knowing what he talking about when it comes to the game
If he says Luka being targeted is BS and his lack luster defense has nothing to do with it he definitely doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
This is coming from the guy who played on the warriors the team that made MULTIPLE rotations to shooters while Luka doesn’t close out at all. I’m this last game we literally see the difference his effort on defense brings.
@@jamesonedwardsii4943did you even watch the video?
@@izzynarvaez1223 yes I did. Dray is just narcissist and it’s becoming more and more clear every time I watch his pod
Dray sucks.
@@jamesonedwardsii4943 do you know what a strawman is? Because he never made any of the arguments that you’re arguing against 😂
Thank you guys. Luka deserves it. This dude is a DIAMOND for basketball fans. Treasure him. On the court he is a bit insane, but that comes with the territory of a genius. But of the court he is CLASS personified, and that is much more important. We are trying to take down A GREAT YOUNG 25-YEAR OLD MAN!? By some liars, foxes, and double-crossing "journalists"? IT is awful
Celtics are shooting 30-72 when being guarded by Luka btw. The “blow by” stat is so cherry picked
last night they were 0-9 when guarded by luka yet they somehow blame his defense lol.
"When guarded by" is also cherry picked. When he gets blown by, he doesn't get dinged in the "When guarded by" department. That stat goes by closest defender. No penalty under that stat for the defensive breakdown he caused that leads to great shot quality. No ding for putting his team in rotation. The calvary at the rim gets penalized under that stat when he gets blown by.
@@djkido3162-11. Most of those shots are being dictated by the zone. A drive to the lane is already being cut off by someone else. There's a bracket around his "assignment" which leads to tough shots being taken.
@@WGAGENCY I am a big maverick fan and I’ve even watched a couple of the finals games and I can’t remember a single time that the guy who blew by him scored on someone else. A lot of those turned into kick out passes that were easily covered by the rotating perimeter defenders. The big problem is the next level when the ball gets passed around and the rotating people either bite on a fake or get too aggressive by collapsing on a guarded player and then you get an open shot and that’s partially his fault but also partially their’s for not going to the proper place to defend.
@@WGAGENCY “Blow by” is just a disingenuous way of saying that Dallas’ defense funnels players towards their shot blockers. Now if you want critique Luka’s rotations that’s fine but most people are not smart enough or care enough to dive that deep
Thank you Draymond. Sports media is out of control. Their constant attacks on players is not entertaining or informative. It’s just pure hatred! The Mavs lost 3 games because Kyrie scored 12 and 16 points in games 1 and 2 and the role players are not scoring at all. Luka is leading both teams in this series in points, assists, and rebounds. Instead of media questioning his team mates they are treating him like he is the only player on the team. In game 3, the Mavs had 5 key players with high minutes score 13 points together. That’s why they lost.
its conditioning their viewers/fans
it goes to show most ppl don't have their own actual opinion . rather , they are just echoing what other ppl are saying
thats what i been seeing a lot out of the NBA fans
They’re also losing because Kyrie thinks his left hand shot is better than it actually is. Stop it with the damn left hook bullcrap. I’m left handed and I can see that left hand is weak as F. He can dribble and do that park shit but when it comes to shooting that left hand ain’t it.
Ive been saying this an people say , he is just a crybaby and not a good defender. I just tell them “look at the stats. He need a lil bit of help”
@tsembupa They're the ones who didn't get picked on the playground.
Lukas teamates getting mad at him for getting blown by is the same as him getting mad they’ve been missing wide open threes off his passes besides game 4.
Yea I felt like the first 2 games his team let him down offensively
It's not. They're TRYING to make their shots but aren't able. Luka wasn't even trying on defense the first three games. He tried in Game 4 the entire landscape of the game changed. That's all Luka needs to do on defense. Try and don't miss your assignments. That's literally it.
They were never mad at him??
Yeah pretty stupid argument from Draymond. There's a difference between being cooked while you're putting in the effort and just getting blown by. And yes Luka is getting criticism for it now because IT'S THE NBA FINALS
@@DamianSAAAN There def was some effort/focus issues but also, the Mavs defense has been elite for months now and then after 3 games, Luka's defense becomes the media's reason why they're losing when that very clearly wasnt why
Respect Draymond, refreshing to listen to people who know ball and understand the load Luka has to carry every game
Thank you Dray and Fish. I'm not one of those Luka fans that puts him in a "God" realm...but he can't be expected to be the best player on the court in every phase of the game at 25. It's not realistic
Not the best but just a decent defender. He has room for growth on the defensive side of the ball and I think he’ll do it.
He's not the best player. He's the most overrated player in NBA
@@Jaysolateplease tell me wtf makes him the most overrated player in the league. And who is overrating luka
@@JaysolateOH YEAH, the 5 time all NBA first teamer who has more of them than steph at only 25, a scoring title, and took a 5th seed who happens to be the 3rd youngest team in the league to a freaking finals their first year together. 😂 Dude if you are racist or he whooped your team, just say it but don't go around lying. Doesn't look good
@@LC-jq7vn I think your own personal demons are coming out cuz who said anything about race? He's lazy he never stops complaining and bitching he treats his teammates like shit he's useless without the ball he's useless on defense he has the highest usage rate so of course he gets all the stats and when he loses like he always does y'all just make excuses for him. He's literally the new LeBron
He gets blown by… a lot ESPECIALLY on when the ball swings to the weak side. However, he’s been statistically good in isolations all year long. There’s massive amounts of data to back this up. Dallas was the #1 Defense after the trade deadline and they’ve been #4 in the playoffs behind only Orlando, OKC, and Boston. If he’s soooo bad defensively, why is Dallas still an elite defense? I’ll answer that for you: the blow-bys aren’t a death sentence because he does things well defensively. Luka also leads all players in the playoffs in defensive rebounds AND steals. The Mavs are +27 in 149 minutes with Luka on the floor against Boston in the Finals. They are -18 in the 43 minutes when he’s on the bench.
I get that a lot of people don’t watch the Mavericks often, but he’s been playing like this all year. He’s complained all year. He’s been blown by all year. The Mavs had an elite defense regardless and he’s the main reason they’re in the finals (as evidenced by how bad they are when he sits down for even a few minutes per game).
The backline is your answer. When you look at the film, cross reference the data, the playstyles of oppenent offenses, the kind of offenses that gives them the most trouble, it becomes clear his effectiveness on defense is almost SOLELY reliant on their ability to keep paint clogged. Guys are settling for tough stepbacks when the rim protector flashes. Other guys in that zone are cutting off angles on the court. Best analogy I can think of is a football team playing triangle bracket coverage on WR.
Yet Luka leads all nba playoff players in defensive win shares ( above Tatum ) and total steals.
It’s bullshit to expect Luka to be a POA defender with Lebrons physique and transition defense. The hate after g3 really made me think twice about my favorite professional sport. It’s not a good look. It’s insulting to anyone who actually follows the game.
@@WGAGENCY 100% spot on. Boston is uniquely built to exploit Luka’s weaknesses. They’re the one of the only teams that has a legitimate five out offense while simultaneously offering no hiding place for Luka defensively. In the playoffs, Luka is giving up 0.6 points per ISO despite leading the league in blow by rate. That’s because they’re funneling the drivers into his help and generally doing a great job in rotation.
Bruh its nearly impossible to hit every single metric tf is you talking about 😂
I can't think of any other player in the league who would have made the finals like Luka did with this mavs team if you put them in his place. People are way too hard on him.
i absolutely love love love dray and fish for this. so MUCH slander on Luka. He's transcendental. he's also human. he's also 25. they act like he should be ashamed of what he is. fuck that.
dray on point here.
all the other teams are AT HOME.
A lot of people don’t like Dray cause he’s great at pointing out their stupidity in a professional manner.
and some people dont like his commentary because its idiotic, here we have the leagues worst complainer and tech leader supporting the leagues 2nd worst tech leader and complainer. hilarious
I would swear a lot of people don’t like Dray because he physically assaults people on and off the court. Lmao
The guy who cost his team success by being suspended how many times? Who punched his teammate and shit on another season? Yeah he shouldn't say anything.
Thats exactly why I like him !
@@RittenhousesRiflethe same people that would bow down at the bad boys pistons and say the league used to be so physical but that past defense is basically “assault someone if you get blown by”
He played good defense in most of the games in the playoffs.His defense won the mavericks several games especially against clippers and the wolves.for me it looked like mavs had no energy left in the finals
Draymond always speakin facts! IF LUKA NEVER played NO D MAVS WOULDNT BE IN FINALS It’s like ok I know after 3 finals games his defense has been bad , But Most the Playoffs he’s been playing the best defense of his career! And it’s been above average at times with many actually great defensive plays during this run before 3 games . But on the biggest stage everyone sees the blow by’s .And It’s Raining down too many criticizers too much to defend
Draymond “quite frankly” Green
Absolutely incredible
Quite frankly, he does say that a lot
DOSEN'T DO IS LIE!
gonna start use that
i feel ya man -Daniel "at the end of the day" Gafford
It was so weird how after game 2 it was Kyrie and once game 3 was over it was Luka’s defense. I don’t think Luka’s defense was where it needed to be first 3 games but let’s not act like he wasn’t 30-9-7 or whatever. And the only one hitting shots. I think Dray sees him like Steph. Dude def has moments where he does well. I was a little disappointed in his defensive effort overall, but game 4 he absolutely showed out
its crazy that people even blame him for his defense on the first 3 games, when their offense solely rely on him and his role player cant even hit a open 3
"dissappointed in his defensive effort"
He is your primary offensive player. When your other players are not hitting their shots, where do you think he should put all of his efforts to? OFFENSE.
Like what Dray just said if you even watched, he has to practically carry the offensive load while his teammates are hitting bricks. In game 4, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING CRAZY, he did his usual offensive load and when his teammates hit their shots, then he can be comfortable excerting more effort in defense.
ESPN has been on a tour to discredit and downplay every chance possible for the past 2 seasons, it's not surprising, the problem I see is that there are a lot of aggregators that feed off of that and that create a whole false narrative. Like when they were saying that Luka doesn't impact winning, dude is banged up and even so, carried the Mavs 2x out of the last 3 seasons to the WCF, even if nitpicked stats might not illustrate exactly his impact, how about just watching the games? He obviously not just impact winning but elevates the floor of the team role players by A LOT.
IF (if) Dray ever decides to leave the Bay, I would not be shocked at all if he comes to Dallas. Even when they faced each other in the playoffs, Draymond has always treated Luka with love and respect (and they both hate Rudy, so they have that in common).
Interesting take. I'm here after Klay is coming to Dallas.
@@dk6173 Yeah, I wasn't expecting Klay to join the Mavs, but I like the move for Dallas and for Klay.
@Tophergr8 What do you think the #1 reason is he signed? I'm still on the fence about him, but the contract is a steal.
@@dk6173 He sees Dallas as an opportunity to win a title. Moreso than Golden State or the Lakers.
@Tophergr8 That makes sense. It just surprised me that he chose Dallas, and not a larger market team or one that finished higher in the standings last year. Throughout the Mavericks history this does usually happen.
Respect to Draymond for exposing main stream media and other talking heads about Luka's defense and all the hate towards Luka.
Every single one of those guys knew their assignment playing with Luka, go all-out on defense and always cover, catch the passes and make the shots that he creates for you. I think nobody expected him to play hard on-ball defense to begin with. He had aome bad hickups tho ngl
People forget also how injured Luka is actually, taking that he is performing better than ever as Draymond said
Shout out to you Draymond for pointing that out.
He had a severe chest injury lol I wouldn't be guarding either. Imagine how painful getting constantly bumped in the chest must be for him. That wasn't even his only injury
Hey chemistry! I'm thinking of the 86 Celtics and the late great DJ. If Luca had someone like DJ, McKale, and Chief who would just be great teammates, and not call themselves "role players", learn passing passing passing, shooting, passing, passing, shooting. and fast! Like a blur, to get themselves the best shot, with the talent they have right now, they could get back and win. These guys have everything they need to do what they need to do to win a championship. The summertime is here, and they've got some work cut out for themselves, but they can do it. Just watch those 86 Celtics and with the talent they have right now, they can do it. Have fun and do it. I believe it! Chemistry baby! Work together! It will grow into something very special. They already have the makings of that team, and what Keto was talking about; that 15%.. they just need that chemistry. Michael Jordan said at that time with his 63-point game, "Not one man can beat the Boston Celtics"
This isn’t a genuine conversation. People are talking more about cause people are actually watching right now. Be fucking fr. Not everyone is watching game 56/82 people have lives. So to be shocked when more people actually watch the “important” games instead of highlights is dumb. Has Luka got better yes his hands were significantly better this year and slid his feet more but not when it mattered. It doesn’t matter if you go score if you let them come down and score. Steph and Luka are different. Steph tries, takes charges, gets hands active, communicates, switches and will just straight man up and try when he has to gaurd. Luka is allow straight line drives against Sam Hauser. Like be fr Hauser is beating you. That’s a problem. Luka deserves this he was crowned a star and that’s what comes with it. You take the blame and you set the tone and rally your team. They go as you go. If you are lackluster so are they. We also don’t have to pat him on his back to cristize him. If JT lost we wouldn’t have anything to say about them not being here without him.
"Hey chemistry! I'm thinking of the '86 Celtics and the late great DJ. If Luka had someone like DJ, McHale, and Chief who would just be great teammates, and not call themselves 'role players', learn passing passing passing, shooting, passing, passing, shooting. And fast! Like a blur, to get themselves the best shot, with the talent they have right now, they could get back and win."
Firstly, let's address the team composition. The '86 Celtics were a legendary squad, and comparing any team to them is a tall order. However, we can focus on the teamwork aspect, which is what made the Celtics so formidable:
"Imagine if Luka had teammates who embraced their roles as seamlessly as DJ, McHale, and Chief. They wouldn't just be role players; they'd be masters of their craft, weaving a tapestry of assists and scoring opportunities. With the right chemistry, they could move like a well-oiled machine, passing and shooting with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker."
"These guys have everything they need to do what they need to do to win a championship. The summertime is here, and they've got some work cut out for themselves, but they can do it. Just watch those '86 Celtics and with the talent they have right now, they can do it. Have fun and do it. I believe it! Chemistry baby! Work together! It will grow into something very special. They already have the makings of that team, and what Keto was talking about; that 15%.. they just need that chemistry."
Now, let's emphasize the importance of teamwork and chemistry:
"The Mavericks have the talent, but talent alone doesn't win championships. It's the combination of skill, teamwork, and chemistry that elevates a team to greatness. Just like the '86 Celtics, who had a perfect blend of individual brilliance and collective synergy. If Luka and his teammates can harness that 15% of chemistry that Keto was talking about, they could transform into a formidable force. It's like adding a secret ingredient to a recipe; it elevates the dish from good to unforgettable."
"Michael Jordan said at that time with his 63-point game, 'Not one man can beat the Boston Celtics.' And he was right. It takes a team to overcome such a legendary squad. But with the right chemistry, the Mavericks have the potential to create their own legacy. They've got the talent; now it's time to blend it together and see what kind of magic they can create."
Remember, while humor is important, it's also crucial to maintain a respectful tone when discussing legendary teams and players.
Never been a big fan of Green but big respect for standing up for Luka.
thanks Dede for addressing this 💯
I love Dray talking about the Nba. Great chat with DFish 👏
I think as the series goes deeper each game favors mavs. Luka and kai will figure out the offense. There defense has been holding the best tou can do against this team. We need to score
I’m definitely hoping with more help we have now he takes a little bit of his offensive energy towards defense this year. Let’s run it back and complete the mission this time.
Draymond is 100 on the money. One man can win a championship by himself, he has to be surrounded by a supporting cast that can help disguise his weaknesses.for the first 3 games Dallas supporting cast was failing miserably and that’s why they were down 3-0. Also a lot of the blow bye are forcing them to lively and Gafford and isn’t protecting the paint what they do? It’s kinda like the Gobert argument i don’t get why people always blame him teammates when he’s getting dunked over and people are scoring on him in the paint as a last resort. Isn’t that what you do? The same argument applies to Gafford and lively. They protect that paint so if you are just playing them at the 3 point line you should just go small
Dude, if you play basketball, you will understand that playing defense will take a lot of energy. If you're chasing and running, it will take a toll on you. Same with offense; if you focus on that, you have to reserve a lot of energy. Luka is focusing on being the scorer, not the primary defender; it's not that he can't play defense. It's not his main role to be able to lead his team to victory. That's why Dallas surrounds Luka with teammates with good defenders: Gafford, PJ Washington, and Jones Jr. And it makes sense why, at the trade deadline, rumors said they wanted Andrew Wiggins to go to Dallas and surround Luka with players with defense.
The only part of the criticism i'm agree with against Luka is his tendency to ague too much with referees because its useless and the other team run and score in the time he is crying... but man, he's just 25... and he's not yet even in his prime and he dominate the league already so: give him the credit that he deserve!
Draymond always keeps it real! One of the best basketball minds we have today.
Facts. Dudes just regurgitate everything they hear on ESPN . Luka did play good in spurts on defense . He's going to watch tape and get better. 2 years ago he was in the conference finals, and this season was his first time being in the NBA finals. Experience is the best teacher
Lukas quietly leading all players in the playoffs in DEFENSIVE win shares. It’s the casuals who don’t understand that the Mavs lost games 1-3 due to role players shooting 20%. They can’t beat the hornets that way. Luka is still the best.
But they just beat all these teams in the west. They reason they are shooting bad is because of Boston's Defense.
This logic would be ok if we were talking about any regular player but when people are trying build a case for being the best player in the game!! I’m sorry the bar raises. Don’t even bring Kobe up cuz Kobe would give you 40 n still guard their best players. Foh with this caving for Luka. N stop using Steph as a comp Steph is 6’2 185 Luka 6’7 230 damn near the same size Bron I’m sorry it’s no excusing that bs.
Really enjoyed hearing Derek Fisher , great hosting draymond
If Luka played Defense more they would have a better offense. Because they will have more chances in Transition, which is another problem in itself, Mavs like to set up Half court. That plays into to Boston's defensive scheme. That's why they had tougher games with the Pacers because they run and don't let the Celtics always set up. Also it not just one person setting up the offense the whole time
The stage determines the criticism he wasn’t in the finals before so he could get away with it. Yall are talking dumb he’s literally just getting killed with no effort nobody’s saying be jrue holiday just put a effort and that’s not what he’s doing
To me the lack of effort is the worse part.
Keeping it real Draymond, breathe of fresh air.
"elite level by his standards" is too subjective. Either he's elite or he's not. Maybe he's playing better defense than he normally does, but don't call it elite "by his standards". But yeah otherwise I agree.
I critiqued my own comment. using GROK. I like Grok, and I'm a huge fan of you Sir Green.
Good Job crew,well said
I don’t really get Draymond’s point about the criticism just being unwarranted bc they didn’t criticize it in the media prior…
Some of us have been clowning on Luka for his defense the entire time lol - is that “valid”?
Dallas was #1 defensively after the trade deadline and they’re the #4 defensive team in the playoffs behind Orlando, OKC, and Boston (in order). Luka leads all players in the playoffs in defensive rebounds and steals. He is who is. The Mavericks are +27 in 149 minutes when he’s on the floor against the Celtics. They’re -18 in 43 minutes when he’s on the bench. He’s the only reason they are here. If he was hurting them defensively as bad as the main stream media narrative implies, they wouldn’t be an elite defensive team. His blow by rate is historically bad but he does do other things well and, overall, he’s not as big of a defensive minus as people make him out to be. It just looks really, really bad and embarrassing when you get blown by that much.
so you clowned him when he was playin good defense? because he clearly did this year. your argument makes you look even worse.
@@gameoverability1876 no I mean like across his career, bc he’s always been generally weak on defense
@@tluvsbeauty1 but hes not weak this year and especially not in these playoffs so why are you yapping about his defense? you only do it because everyone says it. just like draymond says you dont have the basketball iq or knowledge to breakdown anything in this series so u just blame the trendy thing like a casual. luka defense is the last reason why the mavs are losing this series.
@@izzynarvaez1223 This elite defense has to play soft zone and hide him often from being picked on. The schemes will tell you everything you need to know. Boston generated good quality shots at will through the first 3 games. There's a reason that defense takes a nose dive when their bigs are out of the paint. After the trade deadline, Dallas got lit up by Boston and the Pacers 3 times. That is not a coincidence. The team most similar to Boston scheme wise, gave the Mavericks their toughest series defensively. This is it a coincidence. Playing zone that often screams you don't have the perimeter defenders to guard up. When they can't play it, the whole system falls apart.
One of my favorite podcasts!
Your contradicting yourself he’s giving a straight line no resistance which is causing everybody to have to help too much
If his teammates would only score better, then maybe he would have more stamina to do defense. Dude is already doing it all on offense.
@@skyisthelimit5078if he played Defense more they would have a better offense. Because they will have more chances in Transition, which is another problem in itself, Mavs like to set up Half court. That plays into to Boston's defensive scheme. That's why they had tougher games with the Pacers because they run and don't let the Celtics always set up. Also it not just one person setting up the offense the whole time
@@rnunumbersgang502 that's how it's always been for them. Lol. Do you even watch their games? That's how they were able to beat the clippers, thunder and wolves. Also, they did the same strategy the Boston is doing, attack Luka and Kyrie to tire them out early. It only worked this finals because Boston is much better than those teams. Why do people treat Bostons like they are bums when they are the number one team this year with 64 wins? They have depth and have more experience. They are favored to win.
I would be harder on Dallas if they were the number one team this year but we all know they are not, it's Boston. Why are you this salty? LMAO
Jordan had Rodman
Steph had Draymond
Luka still waiting for real consistent help on defense
him having to have most rebounds and steals is a disgrace
on the rest of the Mavs
Thank you for someone who knows saying it. It’s outrageous the coverage Luka gets
Glad to see other players and people with platforms speak up about this nonsense.
Draymind's comment are bullsh!! it is fair to criticize any player on the court that on many plays put absolutelyno effort into staying if front of his man for even a second. With as much as he provide offensively, 25 to 30 shots a game he can't be expected to be a lock down defender, but you cant give up the straight line drive. Lebron gets criticized for his defense. Luca puts the whole defensive scheme in jeopardy by not giving any effort on too many plays. Plus like draymond he cries too much to the ref, the league tech leader defening the second worst tech leader, is hilarious
Of course, Luka needs to be more focused on the defensive end, but how can she defend if you don't give him enough physical strength? He also needs to do everything on the offensive end, and how can he still have the physical strength to last until the end of the game when he is constantly being beaten 1-on-1 on the defensive end? , Luka’s playing time is almost 40 minutes on average, which is unfair to him
I thought this was a very fair and humane analysis. Nice job, men.
To say hes not defending differently is bullshit. He defended so much better in game 4
Very true.
Yeah, and he went 0-8 from the 3pt line. It's one thing to spend that kind of energy when you're healthy, but if you're playing with bruised ribs and a sprained knee (not to mention the calf and ankle), you spend that kind of energy and take those bumps, and suddenly when you try to shoot it's too painful to get your legs fully into it. He still shot well from 2 throughout the playoffs, but you can see in the stats that the game where Westbrook injured him was the start of a horrific 3pt shooting slump. It got better for a bit, but every time he played someone that banged him around (or he just took some kind of hard or awkward fall) his 3pt shooting took a shit for that game. I wish he would have just accepted it and taken even more 2pt shots (he was 60% from 2 in Game 4), but his game depends on his deep shooting and I'm sure he believed he just needed one to go down to get hot.
What are you talking about? There’s literal montages of the Celtics blowing by him. Ppl like you who always give him excuses is part of the problem. The reason he acts like a spoiled brat. Draymond you wlda got 2-3 technicals for acting like that foh
Luka was bad on defense JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. It’s not like Luka was the only guy on the mavs being a negative defender
I been trying to say this, it's crazy how many people jumped on the Luka hater wagen
Dray tripping. That boy Luka is target practice. And it's not just the lack of defense, it is the complaining. You defend Luka and cast Gobert aside. Come on, we seeing the bias.
Facts I see right through that shit
That might be the longest commercial ever
When it’s glaring it’s glaring. It was too many low effort defensive plays game 3 and he fouled out.
The Luka slander is too much right now. He had a historic season and playoff run. Took a lottery team last year to the finals as a underdog 5th seed. They didn’t have home court advantage their entire run.
Luka played very good defense by his standard in the playoffs but it has to start at the beginning of the season not in the playoffs he lives and he learns he wasn’t used to playing that type of defense all game long for that long of a playoff stretch
Dray is a tough one: huge dray and warriors fan and i find When dray doesnt have a bias I really enjoy and respect his takes but when he lets his bias or emotion talk "gobert," it gets so out of pocket. And its so obvious.
We (Mavs)stand with Dray
Come on Dray… the team needs consistent effort from him. Those pockets you mentioned… the team needs that effort from him. He will never be an All-Defensive team guy… but THE TEAM needs that effort from him.
Draymond made no actual points about how Luka’s defense wasn’t bad in his first stretch of talking, then the rest was all either ads or the other dude.
Anyone saying “Dray knows what he’s talking about” in the comments didn’t watch, he literally dropped zero technical game knowledge in this video.
Luka’s defense was a major reason they lost so badly.
90% of league players that would be attacked by elite offensive players all the time would be considered as worst defensive players , same like Luka makes elite defenders look bad too, Lukas defence better then 80% of the league i dont understand why they keep trashing Luka
Thru the first 2 games the whole team aside from luka combines for 6 3s, but for some reason its lukas defence is the issue....make it make sense
Finally some knoledge GOOD for You fellows 🔥💯👍🏼
If it were anybody else….
Thank you Draymond!
As a Mavs fan, if the other starter hit their averages Mavs win the Finals. And Luka was never more than 80 percent physically.
That’s what I’m saying. Luka playing with a blown knee and chest contusion carrying the offense with no help in games 1-2 and Windhorst whose never played a sport in his life let alone got off the couch to go for a run had the audacity to say that Lukas defense is the main reason Mavs went down 3-0.
All the Luka haters hate hearing Draymond and Lebron talk about his greatness. The dudes that are actually great NBA players and have competed against him
Luka set playoff records for leading in points rebounds and assists? Who’s stupid enough to criticize him? They made it to the finals because of him leading the way. Don’t be stupid all y’all’s damn lives. Draymond might have a screw loose from time to time but he’s spot on with his take about Luka. No I’m not one of those fans that close their damn eyes and pray to Luka at night before I go to sleep. I’m just fair.
Man, it would be nice to see Draymond in Dallas
Facts. Respect dray for that.
Draymond Green of the Draymond Green show
Who apart from Giannis in the top ten is a valid lock down defender? Maybe embid
Defense is overrated
I don't get many of you here. Yeah, Luka got way too much criticism because of one game where he still put up good numbers. But Dray and this dude talking like media is asking of Luka to be an all-defensive player. They are asking him to not be a big defensive liability with historical bad numbers in blowbys. That's a huge difference. As soon as he stepped up his defensive EFFORT they blew Boston out. Not saying that's the only reason, ofc not, but maybe the criticism got the best out of him?
Im ypur fan dreymond dont let anyone tell you you cannot hit another player im here to see stuff like that on national tv.
It’s more fair to criticize Luka complaining for fouls than to criticize his defense. When he’s focused, he does well. It’s when he’s in complaining mode when he loses concentration.
He does good enough for his teammates to support him on defense
And I think draymond is a princess 😂
I think Brian really loves Luka and wants him to succeed. I’m a huge Luka fan but he acted like a b*tch in game 3. Brian knows his greatness and was very frustrated that he played into his emotions so much. That spilled over into also criticizing his defense, but the main critique was he was whining and got fouled out unnecessarily. Windy is amazing, possible the best commentator in the sport.
Its tough with guys like Luka, that same creativity also comes with potential slide
You put up with the few low points to have the highs.
He definitely lost his cool and the fouling out cost the Mavs, but to be fair, he's been dealing with a lot with the injuries (some intentional), hard fouls, and teams going at him because they knew how hurt he was (not to mention Dort constantly fouling him, then flopping to try to get foul calls). Not surprising he would lose his cool when the refs were calling a terrible game and giving Boston all the benefit of the doubt. But even his biggest fans admit he let himself lose it on a level that just can't happen on the big stage. I really wish we could have seen if he and Kyrie could have finished off the comeback if it hadn't happened. That changes the ENTIRE series.
people just don't watch or play basketball enough to know to be spewing crap about players. game 4 the role guys actually played better defense start from the beginning instead of waiting for a miracle. any player knows that if you aren't doing good on the offensive side you gotta make it up on the defense and they weren't in the past 3 games
Draymond should ask first the interviewee what his position before the interviewer telling his side. I'm not saying that Dfish is intimidated but nobody wants tough talk.
Game 4 exposed luka effort in games 1-3,drastic difference ..idk yall capin for a grown man
Lol no. All his teammates stepped up offensively and defensively. Stop the cap. LOL
@@skyisthelimit5078 you need your eyes checked,he was clearly giving more effort to contain the ball..what his teammates did has nothing to do with that
@@strivingforthekingdoment.2303 lol are you blind? Check the stats of his teammates in the last 3 games and get back to me. Basketball is a team sport. Luka isn't the only one playing. Lol.
I know mavs fans would easily wish back brunson for kyrie esp the pace lively, gafford n exum have been keeping up. Brunson is perfect for those 3 when luka is off the floor not to mention hardaway. They would've swept the celtics with brunson still in dallas esp wit what they offered him n what they traded at the deadline. I know 1st hand bc i wish robinson n Sims had the footwork n reliability of gafford and Lively respectfully
Draymond on the mavs would be lethal
DRAYMOND TO THE RESCUE 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
We are seeing history being made, for the first team to come back down 0-3, and win a series, and the best IRONY ITS AGAINST THE CHOKERS FROM BOSTON
This is cute, but no. Easy to say that after one win and no one to hold you accountable when it inevitably doesn’t happen.
Put down the pipe.
Great insight as always
Dray isn’t as basketball smart as he tries to sound that’s why he always has to big up himself….. never seen Mike brag about being Mike or a billionaire stress how rich they were.
The only game they won Luka was closing out on shooters like a mad man. The reason people are bringing it up because he doesn’t give any effort and you guys are lying plain and simple. The man was watching guys shoot and turning his back on them. This last game he was closing out hard.
This just goes to show these media guys rather former basketball players are not doesn’t mean they know the game. We know what we are watching and seeing and even Fisher bringing up Stephs defense proves it. Steph has ALWAYS given maximum effort defensively in the playoffs rather he can guard a guy or not 😭🤡
Windhorst talk like that because he's team boston were up 3-1.and also Miller and jefferson. They bet on their money on celtics.
I saw Kyrie push Luka on defense before, Luka doesn’t give the same effort on defense
As a casual. Why dont they credit Boston will being a tough team to guard?.
Because no one player on the Celtics is regarded as “unguardable” except for Kristaps. Tatum, Brown, White, Horford, and Holiday can all be stopped. Luka and Kyrie on the other hand are really hard to guard and will usually score regardless of who you throw at them. When Luka put effort into defense in Game Four, he got Holiday to turn the ball over four times, and caused Brown and Tatum to miss several shots.
Its straight up talking head nonsense. I remember the same people trying to say Curry was a "defensive liability" in the postseason, but at least then it was against heavy iso teams like the Rockets with Harden. Against this Celtics team... gtfo. Like literally what are they expecting Luka to do? Drop 40 _and_ face guard 1-5?
He is the nr 2 PG in defending rating aboth holiday and many others .16th in defensiv plus minus in the regular season
Nowhere near the top defensive guards in the league. You don't put so much effort in hiding a top defender nor do teams hunt for them constantly. Crazy😂
@@RobMoreno-mw5uq I am aware of the stats. You should automatically question the validity of those stats when you look at the list. Just think about it for a second... They are playing a ZONE defense. They are playing a ZONE defense against a great high volume 3 point shooting team. They are bracketing whoever luka is guarding on ball. You can disagree but the adjustments and the schemes by both teams will tell you everything you need to know.
Luka’s defense has always been underrated.