Thoughts so far on the Mavericks

[stretch]

Their defense is actually quite good. 2nd in FG%, 1st in 3pt%. They just need more consistency on offense, and better rebounding. Getting Howard back will help in rebounding considerably. Apparently Carlisle has also been making some changes on offense that would also fit Howard a little better. If he can come back and fit into the offensive scheme better, Dallas can be a really good team.

Plus Dirk hasn't really been playing like he's capable of either. He hasn't hardly been driving at all, nor being very assertive on offense. He's pretty much just taking the leftover shots right now, and looks very much like he's playing "Tim Duncan style" (take it easy until the mid-point of season) like he did last year. Around the mid-point of the year, he went on to play possibly the best 30-40 game stretch of his career.

Mavericks and Spurs both could be interesting teams to see down the stretch and IMO both are better than most people think. I honestly think that at the end of the season, the 3 most competitive teams in the west will be the Lakers, Spurs, and Mavericks.

[monosylab1k]

The team is better without Josh Howard. I'm dreading the game he comes back.

[T Park]

Jason Kidd is still going to kill the mavs in the end.

[stretch]

Jason Kidd is still going to kill the mavs in the end.

hi tpark

i thought you left the forum?

[monosylab1k]

I love having Kidd on the team. The one problem is that he was brought here to take pressure off of Dirk. But he can't shoot well enough to do that, meaning come 4th quarter, all the pressure is still on Dirk, and he's failing miserably. JET has become our 4th quarter go-to guy, but he's not consistent enough to carry the team to a whole lot of wins.

It's time for Mavs fans to come to grips with the fact that 2006 was a fluke year, and Dirk is a choker. Plain and simple.

[sonic21]

Dirk must go. he's wasting his best years in dallas (i blame cuban for that).

PS i love dirk.

[Findog]

It's time for Mavs fans to come to grips with the fact that 2006 was a fluke year, and Dirk is a choker.

If Bennett Salvatore doesn't bail out Wade, Dirk's 2006 run goes down as one of the most clutch in history: the 3-pointer against Memphis, the And One against San Antonio, dropping 50 on Phoenix, and then that tough runner over Shaq before Wade got bailed out. They overachieved in 2006. It's also time to come to grips with the fact that the Kidd trade is a franchise killer.

[Darrin]

Where's Dirk? The west will eat them in the postseason.

[monosylab1k]

It's also time to come to grips with the fact that Donnie Nelson is a franchise killer.

fixed

I love what Kidd brings as opposed to what Harris brought when he was a Mav. The problem is the talent evaluation by the front office. If the team knew Avery was holding Devin back, they never make the trade. If Donnie knew Devin was capable of what he's doing right now in New Jersey, I'd hope that he would never make the trade.

The problem is that Donnie Nelson, the GM of the team, couldn't evaluate talent any better than the average fan. He thought Devin wouldn't get any better, so he made the trade.

Avery gave up on Devin and wanted to get rid of him, but he's not the GM. Any GM worth a crap would stand up to the coach if he knew what Devin was really capable of. Either Donnie completely fucked up on his talent evaluation of Devin Harris, or he had absolutely no balls to stand up to Avery. Either way, Donnie is the biggest problem.

[monosylab1k]

And we'll see how long Devin stays on this hot streak. I still think he's soft and far too injury prone to ever trust him as the leader of a team. But obviously he's got a higher ceiling than Donnie thought.

[endrity]

Where's Dirk? The west will eat them in the postseason.

Right there, with his 23 and 10.

[Indazone]

Oh well, Devin Harris is the Mav's Beno Udrih. Except Devin Harris has the ability to throw up Tony Parkerlike numbers:lol

[sribb43]

While Harris' numbers are incredible, his numbers will drop. I think he will finish at about 18-19 a game this season; however if he continues to receive 2006 Finals D-Wade treatment he will be around 22-23 a game

[Indazone]

Watch when Devin Harris makes the All-Star team next year lol

[monosylab1k]

Watch when Devin Harris makes the All-Star team next year lol

Don't you have some Kill Bill Pana posting to do? :wakeup

[mavsfan1000]

Also Daniels is having a great year. Fuck me. lol That would've been our missing 2 guard.

[sribb43]

Avery hated Quis because he didnt read the Bible, instead we got a farm boy in Croshere and Beetlejuice, who we traded for a 2nd round pick to ATL 2 months into the season. Both guys who didnt contribute a thing to this team

[monosylab1k]

Avery hated Quis because he didnt read the Bible

So Avery rants and raves as to who he wants traded from the team, Donnie has zero gonads and trades away the future, then Mark dumps Avery.

Shit is so FUBAR in the Mavs organization it's not even funny. Not one competent front office guy.

[sribb43]

I can see why the Mavs did the Kidd trade to shake things up, even though it ended up being a disaster thus far but Quis for Cro and Johnson still makes no sense

http://thesportshernia.typepad.com/blog/images/beetlejuice.jpghttp://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/01Xlel56uoc3i/340x.jpg

[Brickhouse]

Unlike the Mavs, the Spurs usually ARE better than most people think.

I've heard the "underrated" line many times before.

[Indazone]

Oh c'mon but the Mav's signed All-Star Jason Kidd. C'mon he's a basketball GOD!!! Devin Harris was a scrub. A scrub that just dropped 47 pts!!

On the Nets, he will be one of their leading scorers.

All I have to say is Jason Kidd former All-Star, meet the new All Star Devin Harris.

Oh and Mono, just stick your head in the oven like all good Mavsfans these days :lmao

[sribb43]

Oh c'mon but the Mav's signed All-Star Jason Kidd. C'mon he's a basketball GOD!!! Devin Harris was a scrub. A scrub that just dropped 47 pts!!

On the Nets, he will be one of their leading scorers.

All I have to say is Jason Kidd former All-Star, meet the new All Star Devin Harris.

Oh and Mono, just stick your head in the oven like all good Mavsfans these days :lmao

:nope

[Brickhouse]

Dirk can't take it easy. He needs to get his shit together instead of being content to let Terry try to win games for them. But he probably knows the team isn't going anywhere anyways.

[Shank]

What's with all this "end of the world" bullshit?

[monosylab1k]

What's with all this "end of the world" bullshit?

We've seen the whole "steamroll bad teams, lose to good ones" act from the Mavs, and we're not buying it this year. Wake me up when they beat a legitimate playoff team (and the Rockets without Yao & Spurs in complete disarray at the start of the year don't count).

[bostonguy]

Their defense is actually quite good. 2nd in FG%, 1st in 3pt%. They just need more consistency on offense, and better rebounding. Getting Howard back will help in rebounding considerably. Apparently Carlisle has also been making some changes on offense that would also fit Howard a little better. If he can come back and fit into the offensive scheme better, Dallas can be a really good team.

Plus Dirk hasn't really been playing like he's capable of either. He hasn't hardly been driving at all, nor being very assertive on offense. He's pretty much just taking the leftover shots right now, and looks very much like he's playing "Tim Duncan style" (take it easy until the mid-point of season) like he did last year. Around the mid-point of the year, he went on to play possibly the best 30-40 game stretch of his career.

Mavericks and Spurs both could be interesting teams to see down the stretch and IMO both are better than most people think. I honestly think that at the end of the season, the 3 most competitive teams in the west will be the Lakers, Spurs, and Mavericks.


The thing is the Mavs lack a consistent 4 quarter true #2 guy. Terry/Kidd arent meant for that role. That guy has to be Josh Howard. There is no way around it. The fact that he doesnt bring it in the 4th quarter really hurts the Mavs. It forces JET/Kidd to play that role every time especially in the playoffs and it's bitten them in the ass every time. It also makes it easier for opposing teams to guard the Mavs. For a guy this talented, it's sad that Howard goes MIA in the 4th.

[Brandon Bass]

I'm just getting warmed up, as soon as I get going, the NBA will bow to the mighty Mavs!

[Indazone]

Brandon Bass :lmao

[Findog]

Brandon Bass :lmao

Ooh look, somebody wants a cripple fight!

:lmao at Yao's feet

:lmao at TMac's heart

:lmao at Ron-Ron's head

:lmao at The Franchise's knees

CRIPPLE FIGHT!!!!

[stretch]

Things could be a lot more interesting when Howard gets back, considering they are running less, and using a LOT more pick-and-roll. This could be a much better fit for him.

[Ghazi]

mono, 2006 was a lucky year (no need to discredit what the Mavs accomplished by calling it a fluke), but it was still a year that the Mavs deserved to win the title. The powers that be prevented this from happening though, which is why everyone is so vexed by the front office decisions. Mavs fans probably would be far more indifferent to front office decisions that have led to a decline in the team if not for one Bennett Salvatore's whistle in game 5. Dirk was clutch v Phoenix, San Antonio, and even Miami.

It's all hindsight anyway, if Quis and Harris are still in Mavs uniforms who is to say they would play like they have been? Harris is 4th in the league in scoring right now, he was 4th on the TEAM last year... I think he would be behind Dirk and JHO in scoring on this team, even though he's averaging more points than both thus far.

Anywho, regarding the Mavs defense, the % stats are good, but it's 8th in defensive efficiency which is above average, but not good enough for a team w/ championship aspirations.

Regarding the Mavs offense, I think a big question mark is whether Terry can play like this when Howard ISN'T injured. If you get 23-24 from Dirk, 19-20 from Howard, and 18-19 from Terry, the Mavs are pretty good IMO... but Terry's recent hot play seems to be a byproduct of Howard's absence. We'll see though.

Regarding the rebounding, I haven't been pleased w/ it v the Pacers and Lakers... but the Lakers frontline is so damn long that I don't know if one should be too upset about that.

[monosylab1k]

mono, 2006 was a lucky year (no need to discredit what the Mavs accomplished by calling it a fluke

1. I called Dirk's consistent clutch peformances a fluke, not the Mavs.
2. Lucky and fluke are the same thing.

So where is your point?

[Ghazi]

The Mavs were lucky as far as the playoff matchups. Grizzlies in 1st round, Spurs was a coin flip that could go either way, Suns w/o Amare, and the Heat, who are the worst team to win a title in history... but it certainly isn't "flukish" for a 60 win team to make the Finals. I think there's a difference!

If anything though, Dirk's 2007 playoff performance which has solidified the "choker label" is an aberration.

Regarding whether this team is better without JHO, I don't think this is the case. However, it is possible that due to JHo's ballstopping/lazy defense this team is the same with or without JHo... if that makes sense. I think. I dunno!

GO MAVS!

[stretch]

Anywho, regarding the Mavs defense, the % stats are good, but it's 8th in defensive efficiency which is above average, but not good enough for a team w/ championship aspirations.

Most of that is due to the inconsistent rebounding which leads to more shot opportunities and higher points for opponents. The fact that their rebounding has been pretty poor for the most part, and they are still holding teams to such low percentages shows they actually play quite good straight up defense, and don't rely simply on turnovers and an extremely efficient offense to force the opponent into bad shots, like the Suns used to, and the Lakers do now.

[monosylab1k]

The Mavs were lucky as far as the playoff matchups. Grizzlies in 1st round, Spurs was a coin flip that could go either way, Suns w/o Amare, and the Heat, who are the worst team to win a title in history... but it certainly isn't "flukish" for a 60 win team to make the Finals. I think there's a difference!

Again, I didn't say the Mavs were a fluke, I said Dirk's clutchness was.


If anything though, Dirk's 2007 playoff performance which has solidified the "choker label" is an aberration.

Dirk has been consistently inconsistent in the clutch for basically his whole career. 2006 was the only year where he played great for the entire playoffs.