- A Farewell to Takes
- Posts
- On blitzing Luka Dončić
On blitzing Luka Dončić
Plus: the Nuggets' offensive weapon
Welcome to this week’s issue of A Farewell to Takes, our quick trip around the NBA. If you missed last week’s episode with Steph Curry because you were busy brining a turkey or trying to entertain your in-laws, don't worry. Not only is Steph one of our favorite interviews we have ever done, but the topics are also timeless. The full interview is available on all platforms, and Jason has outdone himself with some terrific breakout videos on our YouTube channel. Go subscribe if you haven’t already. Speaking of the Warriors .. after a rough opening to the season, they have won three in a row and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Klay Thompson has been a big part of their improved play. He’s now shooting over 40% from 3 despite a really slow shooting start to the season. Over his last 5 games, Thompson is averaging 25 points a game and shooting 60% from 3 on 10 attempts (!!!!!) a game. He’s back. If the Warriors can figure out their bench (look for them to be active in the trade market), they have a real shot at another NBA Finals trip.
In this week’s A Farewell to Takes we are giving you:
A not-so-surprising stat on Luka Dončić pick-and-roll coverage
Tommy's love for Aaron Gordon continues
The Best Thing Tommy Ate This Week
Our Wine of the Week
As always, thanks for being a part of The Old Man and the Three community. If you like the newsletter, please share with friends and subscribe. We have another awesome episode of The Old Man and the Three coming out later this week. Cheers!
—JJ
The Stat of the Week is 128
After a somewhat surprising run to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Dallas Mavericks are 9-10 and sitting in 11th place in the standings. Luka Dončić has been nothing short of amazing — he’s averaging 33.1 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, 8.4 assists per game, and 1.7 steals per game. When the Mavs lost Jalen Brunson to free agency, they lost one of the only other shot creators on the team. Spencer Dinwiddie has had a good start to the season (17 points/5 assists per game on a very healthy 48/41/82 shooting split), but the Mavs really don’t have any other playmakers on their team. One trend that has happened because of this is an increase in blitzes (double teams) when Luka Dončić runs a pick-and-roll. According to Second Spectrum, Luka has been blitzed 128 times when using an on-ball screen this season, more than double any other player (Devin Booker has been blitzed 52 times in pick-and-roll and is second on this list). The Toronto Raptors, in particular, have gone all in on blitzing Luka. In both games against the Raptors, Luka was blitzed 22 times in pick-and-roll. In fact, Dončić has been blitzed 15 or more times in 3 different games. No other player in the NBA has had this happen once. The counter to this blitz is to hit the screener on a short roll and play 4 on 3 looking for open 3-pointers (Steph and Draymond do a great job of this when teams elect to blitz their pick-and-rolls). The problem for the Mavs is that they just haven’t shot the ball well outside of Dinwiddie, Wood, and Green. The Mavs are shooting 34.5% from 3 overall which is 19th in the league. In particular, Reggie Bullock (28%), Tim Hardaway Jr. (29.4%), Maxi Kleber (30.8%), and Dorian Finney-Smith (33.7%) have all struggled to consistently knock down open shots. Unless the Mavs can take advantage of teams blitzing Luka by making more 3s, look for this blitzing trend to continue. —JJ
Featured Player of the Week: Aaron Gordon
In the second issue, I highlighted Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as a role player to watch this year. We all knew the Nuggets were going to be good; they have a two-time MVP, and Jamal Murray is finally back (though still playing himself into form). But in the loaded West, their role players stepping up was going to be crucial for them to make the jump to title contender. Caldwell-Pope has been great so far, shooting 49.4% from 3 on close to 5 attempts per game, but it's been another Denver complimentary piece who perhaps offers their most tantalizing upside: Aaron Gordon has all the talent in the world. One of the most athletic players in NBA history, the flashes have always been there, but for a variety of reasons, it doesn't seem like he's ever really figured it out.
Small sample size so far, but this year it looks like that switch may have happened. Playing off of the aforementioned Nikola Jokić, Gordon is putting up career numbers in basically every stat. Shooting 60.5% from the field, with a 66.5 true shooting percentage (second only to his teammate Jokić at 69.6%) Gordon has become a true secondary weapon for an offense that was loaded already. His efficiency is reaching historic levels. As of November 26th, as Jake Coyne pointed out on Twitter, Gordon has shot 60% from the field in 10 straight games, the 2nd longest streak by any player in the league the last 40 years. This switch has been simple: Gordon's cut down on his mid-range game where he was historically inconsistent, eschewing that for more pick-and-roll action with Murray has led to him being at the top of the league in points in the paint and dunks.
The Nuggets, sitting at 2nd in the West, currently are still a work in progress. Murray needs to shoot better, and it feels like Michael Porter Jr. is still working his way back into form. They've had some issues defensively, but with this tantalizing jump from Gordon, the seeds for a deep playoff run are starting to sprout. —Tommy
Best Thing Tommy Ate This Week: OG Cardini Wrap at Alfalfa
not a picture of THE wrap but a wrap, via @eatalfalfa on IG
While I hope all of you had a lovely Thanksgiving, I'm leaving those meals out of this portion of the letter because, A) this isn't a cookbook and if i don't give you the recipe than what's the point, and B) my guess is all of your Thanksgivings were as good if not better than mine so not sure I have much to offer. Alfalfa, for those who find themselves on the west side of LA, is a beautiful, airy cafe on Main Street, a little bit off the grid. The Cardini wrap is basically like a chicken Caesar wrap, with almonds and grape tomatoes mixed in. I'm not sure what these guys put in their Caesar dressing but as a tough critic , I'm not sure I've had better. This works as a salad as well but the combo of the almonds, tomatoes, chicken, and parmigiano-padano rolled up is a perfect mix. Could not recommend more. —Tommy
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Wine of the Week: 2021 Lail Vineyards Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc
Like a lot of people, I spent the Thanksgiving holiday with family. We traveled down to Raleigh to see my sisters, parents, nephews, and nieces. I had a little bit of free time on Saturday, so I went over to a friend’s house in Durham. This friend recently retired from a legendary coaching career at Duke and happens to be a wine lover. As I was leaving he invited me down to his wine cellar and was nice enough to gift me a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from one of his favorite Napa Valley producers: Lail Vineyards. My family ended up sharing this bottle over a game of cards and we loved it. This wine has been described as “crisp and vibrant” with notes of “tangerine, grapefruit, and orange blossoms”. It was a perfect way to cap off a great weekend with family. —JJ