That's it, guys. Rick Carlisle is done with your post-up opinions.
The Mavericks coach did his best to silence any arguments about Kristaps Porzingis' playing style after Dallas' 102-98 victory against the Spurs on Thursday night. Porzingis has received criticism — most notably from "NBA on TNT" analysts Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley — about his lack of touches around the basket. Carlisle addressed the chatter surrounding Porzingis after the game, telling reporters a post-up is "a low-value situation."
(His answer begins around 3:50 in the video below.)
But that's hardly all Carlisle had to say. Let's run through his incredible rant point-by-point.
"The post-up just isn't a good play anymore. It just isn't a good play. It's not a good play for a 7-3 guy. It's a low-value situation. Our numbers are very substantial that when he spaces beyond the 3-point line, you know, we're a historically good offensive team. And when any of our guys go in there, our effectiveness is diminished exponentially. It's counterintuitive, I understand that, but it's a fact. I think that there's certain situations it makes sense. If we can get him on a roll in the paint going toward the rim, that's a good situation. And that's what we're looking to do with all our guys."
Among players with at least 70 post-up possessions this season, Porzingis ranks dead last in points per possession (0.59), per NBA.com tracking stats. Only Joel Embiid (1.15) and LeBron James (1.04) are above a point per possession within that group.
Overall, the Mavericks have the No. 1 offensive rating in the NBA by a full point over the Bucks — and they hold the best mark in league history.
Again, the top offense of all time at this moment. How can you tell Carlisle he's wrong here?
"We really don't post anybody up. We post Luka [Doncic] up once in a while when he's got a real small guy on him. But even those situations, the value of those situations has plummeted. We've gotta realize that this game has changed. It's changed. It's just a fact. And he's a guy that, when he spaces beyond the arc, above the break, is a historically great all-time 3-point shooter with unbelievable efficiency. And the thing I like about his game, where it is now, is that his reads have gotten better. His spacing is such that when people run at him, he's now driving the ball directly for dunks. He's throwing some really cool lob passes to [Dwight] Powell. I mean, you've got a 7-3 guy throwing to a 6-10 guy on a lob? That's pretty f—ing cool if you ask me."
Doncic has only logged 21 total post-up possessions in 2019-20, but he is scoring at a high rate in those situations (1.33 points per possession, 9-of-16 from the field). The only other notable post-up player on the roster in terms of volume is Boban Marjanovic, who is only averaging 10.5 minutes per game.
It's a bit of a stretch to say Porzingis is historically great from beyond the arc. He is down to 33.5 percent from 3-point range this season and 35.6 percent for his career. Still, there are no comparable shooters at his size, and defenses must respect him on the perimeter.
Oh, and big-to-big lobs? Yeah, pretty f—ing cool.
#MFFL
— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) December 27, 2019
KP to Dwight AND1 pic.twitter.com/HlLM3jsfHm
And now for the finale...
"Let's get off of all this stuff about KP needs to go in the post. He doesn't. He doesn't. I'm OK with him going in there once in a while, but we don't post anybody. It's nothing personal against him. Look, he's used to doing it because they ran the triangle for two or three years when he was [with the Knicks]. Who's running the triangle now? Has anybody seen anyone running the triangle offense? The triple post? If you do, raise your hand, because I wanna see who you are. Because I haven't seen it. That offense is extinct.
"Look, it went extinct when Phil Jackson retired. He's the only guy that ever had any success with it. He's a genius and a master of it, but look, we've got to get off of this thing. We've got to treat KP with some respect. And respect him for what he is. He's a historically great player. And quit criticizing him because he's 7-3. That's what everybody's doing. I don't care who it is. I don't care if it's people on TV or anything else."
It's worth noting Porzingis was far more efficient on post-ups (0.96 points per possession) during his last year with the Knicks. However, even if he managed to move closer to that level, increasing those plays would take away from the Mavs' league-leading offense.
No one is telling Porzingis he can never operate out of the post again, but unless a team can throw the ball to an elite talent like Embiid, it is best to utilize a post-up as a change of pace rather than a foundational aspect of an offense.
If Carlisle had prime Shaq in the paint, maybe he would change his tune. He's got Porzingis, though, and he's using him correctly.
