Spurs at Mavs Previews

[duncan228]

Game is Thursday, 8:30 CST on TNT and FSSW.


Despite amazing start, Mavs still looking up at archrival Spurs (http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/12/29/10/Despite-amazing-start-Mavs-still-looking/landing_mavericks.html?blockID=381692&feedID=3742)
By Mike Fisher -- FOXSports.com and DallasBasketball.com

DALLAS -- The heavyweight Spurs and Mavericks have spent the first third of the NBA season recording knockouts of Southwest Division outsiders at a championship pace. On Thursday, the two top teams in the West step into the ring together. But in addition to Dallas undertaking this assignment while looking up at San Antonio in the standings, they'll likely do so with Dirk Nowitzki sitting outside the ropes.

"Ohh... Thursday might be pushing it," he said on Mavs Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/dallasmavs) late Tuesday night, reflecting on his sprained knee. "I don't know about Thursday. We'll see. I've been a quick healer all my life... but we'll see."

Nowitzki's knee injury has been diagnosed as a sprain and he is being listed as "day-to-day" from there. The MVP candidate departed Monday's game in OKC in the first half and the Mavericks nevertheless manhandled the Thunder, 103-93. But on Tuesday, the Dirk-less Mavs lost to the lowly Raptors by a score of 84-76, the Mavs posting season-lows in multiple categories without their MVP candidate.

"We've got to get used to playing without the big fella for awhile," said Dallas center Tyson Chandler. "Without him, we struggled. We had a tough time adjusting."

Meanwhile, the Spurs made a statement by topping the defending NBA titlist Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

"It's always great to beat the champion," said Manu Ginobili after the 97-82 win. "You know that when you win the championship, you get a big target on your chest and everybody goes hard against you."

Generally, San Antonio and Dallas go hard against everybody. And what they have done against non-divisional foes is stunning: They are a combined 43-6 against non-Southwest teams.

"This division again is back to being one of the toughest divisions in all of sports," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "The Spurs are having a great year, and they're going to continue to be good. Look, this is a long, long year. We're about a one-third of the way through in terms of the number of games played. There's a long ways to go and a lot to be decided."

But the excellence of the Southwest Division? That's already been decided.

The Spurs are 27-4. The Mavs are 24-6. The Mavs can argue that the only real separation between the two was evidenced back on Nov. 26, when the Mavs won in the Alamo City, 103-94.

That, and Dallas' 11-1 road record, is among the reasons Spurs nemesis Jason Terry was recently moved to proclaim his Mavs team as the NBA's best.

"It's still a fight," Jet said late last week. "But we've positioned ourselves now to go out and have a great season. I think personally we're the best team in the league. And that's no disrespect to the Spurs or anybody."

Dallas has been impressive in rattling off 17 wins in 18 tries before Tuesday's aberration. But the truth is, the Mavs have a reason to be a bit stunned at being 24-6 and relegated to second place in the conference and in the division, because Jet's claim is defied by what is happening in San Antonio:

A great team with a high pedigree and a veteran core -- Tim Duncan (34), Manu Ginobili (33) and Tony Parker (28) – seems to have retooled on the fly.

Coach Gregg Popovich's club is suddenly an up-tempo bunch that is fourth in the league in scoring at 105.9 per. That's up from 101.4 last year, when the Spurs remained more of a grind-it-out team. Pop has loosened things up so much that San Antonio is even a league-leader in 3-point tries -- fifth in the league in attempts (22.2 per game) and first in accuracy (40.2 percent).

The Mavs will need step-up efforts to survive here. Caron Butler will likely be joined in the starting lineup by Shawn Marion, and the two forwards will have to be part of the scoring punch to supplement sixth-man Terry, who averages eight points per fourth quarter but will - assuming Dirk is out - need to make major contributions in the other three quarters, too.

Revenge and rivalry is always an issue in Dallas-San Antonio games. They've gone neck-and-neck over the course of the last decade in the division, two of the few franchises to ever post 10 straight years of 50-plus wins – with San Antonio's championships the deciding difference between the two. Mavs owner Mark Cuban pokes fun at the city's "ugly river" and postseason clashes often tell the final tale.

And that's where San Antonio has the most recent edge.

The Spurs booted Dallas from the playoffs in the first round last year in six games. The Mavs might argue that "this Dallas team" isn't "that Dallas team," maybe backed by the presence of Chandler, who has changed the Mavs' defensive production.

But if Dirk Nowitzki is knocked out by injury, "this Dallas team" figures to have a problem with "that Spurs team."

http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/12/29/10/Despite-amazing-start-Mavs-still-looking/landing_mavericks.html?blockID=381692&feedID=3742

[Bukefal]

Welcome back 228 :toast

[TimmehC]

If Dirk's out, the Spurs probably lack motivation and lose, tbh.

[mavs>spurs]

mavs are capricious/unpredictable like a baby's face imo, at least true for this season. they've defeated a number of quality teams at AAC this season but also have lost several games to rubbish teams. i suggest we pretend like craps for 3 quarters and pull out our full power in the 4th, then it'll be an easy win.

[NASpurs]

If Dirk's out, the Spurs probably lack motivation and lose, tbh.

I disagree with this. Spurs have a healthy respect for the Mavs and know with a win, they tie up the season series in case of h2h tie breakers while giving them a little bit of breathing room.

[duncan228]

Dallas and San Antonio Rivalry Still Strong Despite Role-Reversal (http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2010/12/29/1903060/dallas-and-san-antonio-rivalry-still-strong-despite-role-reversal)
by Bryan Gutierrez
Mavs Moneyball

Dirk Nowitzki's status is still uncertain for the big match-up against the San Antonio Spurs. No matter who is on the court, the Mavericks will have their hands full with their I-35 rivals. The Spurs will come in to the American Airlines Center on Thursday night with the league's best record at 27-4. It doesn't matter if it's recognized by the NBA but the Mavericks/Spurs rivalry is right up there in terms of the game's best rivalry. The Texas showdown has added a new wrinkle this season as the Mavericks and the Spurs appear to have swapped their personalities.

Dallas has won four straight regular season games against San Antonio including five of the last six. The Mavericks have taken the last three meetings in Dallas and have won five of the last seven games at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks are behind the Spurs in the all-time series history at 62-83 but they have a chance to create a winning home record against the Spurs. All-time, the Mavericks are 36-36 in home games against the Spurs.


***

The Spurs are handling their business, but they're more inclined to run you out of the gym now instead of making it a grind it out game. Tim Duncan isn't asked to carry the load, that role now comes in waves between Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson. San Antonio is among the league leaders in points/game (105.9). That alone should tell you it's a different team; they're a different team but still taking care of business. "They're playing well," Dirk Nowitzki said of the Spurs. "Good teams play hard, and you have to give them credit. It almost seems like they changed their philosophy a bit, but for some reason, the Spurs always win. They used to win games, 75-74, and now they win games 110-109, but it's the same thing. They always win."

For the Mavericks, the emphasis is now placed on defense and the numbers are backing it up. They are in the top tier in the major defensive statistics such as points allowed, opponents field goal percentage and points per shot. Their overall point differential is up as well to +5.6, yet they're still looking up at the Spurs who have a +8.3 differential. The teams have different philosophies but the results haven't changed. The Mavericks are chasing the Spurs for the league's best record and they're only 2.5 games back in that race as they have the third best record in the league at 24-6. That just goes to show that the two teams are representing their division and their conference.

"The West is tough,'' Rick Carlisle said. "This (Southwest) division again is back to being one of the toughest divisions in all of sports. The Spurs are having a great year, and they're gonna continue to be good. Look, this is a long, long year. We're about a third of the way through in terms of the number of games played. There's a long ways to go and a lot to be decided. And I'll be saying that when there's four days left in the season. That's just how it is every year, because there's a lot of things that change the last four or five days in terms of seedings and all those kinds of things."

Over the past ten years, the two teams have crossed paths numerous times in the playoffs so they are familiar with each other. For the longest time, the Spurs were the big brother and kept derailing the little brother Mavericks. The Mavericks were eventually able to break through and it gave them an enormous confidence boost. In general, the league is about taking advantage of match-ups. Dallas has always used San Antonio as a frame of reference and tried to follow the Spurs' blueprint to build a championship contending team. Now, the fear factor is completely gone and the Mavericks truly feel they can hang with the Spurs and beat them.

In the last game against the Spurs on November 26, the Mavericks were led by Dirk Nowitzki's 26 points on 12-14 shooting and 2-2 from three-point range. Nowitzki's status is still in doubt as he is recovering from a sprained knee. If the Mavericks don't have the big German, they will need to find a way to keep the offense moving and remain fluid against the Spurs. They were unsuccessful in that task against the Toronto Raptors and the Mavs were held to a season-low 76 points.

The Spurs, like the Miami Heat, are a team that evokes a strong emotional response from Jason Terry. The scoring guard says that no matter how well the Spurs are playing, or any other team for that matter, he and his teammates view themselves as the best that the league has to offer. The former Sixth Man of the Year award winner doesn't see that changing through the course of the long season. "Our goal is to win the Western Conference, and to do that we've just got to keep winning and getting better. It's so far away from the end of the season, it's not even funny. But since (the Spurs) are close to us, and they're ahead of us right now, beating them would give us another game up. So, that's what we're looking at."

Jason Terry added: "It's still a fight. But we've positioned ourselves now to go out and have a great season. I think personally we're better than every team in the league. And that's no disrespect to the Spurs or anybody."

On Thursday Night, it's fight night against the Spurs. The roles might be different but the rivalry still has plenty of gas left in the tank.

http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2010/12/29/1903060/dallas-and-san-antonio-rivalry-still-strong-despite-role-reversal

[Agloco]

http://vegaswise.com/2010/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dirkduncan_300_071115.jpg

[Agloco]

http://api.ning.com/files/E4wkf04BIylwSeSPKFo6has9pX7bfeppWDC3npDhRz6XyKsEpT XyOO6Jbdc1vz47b6BSlnYbVMWxdJBU6L-nbzC7kG6issps/dirkspurs.jpg

[Agloco]

http://howtowatchsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dirk-duncan1.jpg

[duncan228]

Dallas is in the zone. Literally. (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/29/dallas-is-in-the-zone-literally/)
Kurt Helin

The Miami Heat have just one loss in their last 16 games.

Courtesy the new and improved Dallas Mavericks. A team that has actually swept the Heat this season and racked up wins against the Thunder, Magic, Jazz (twice) and the Spurs. And that is all in basically the last month alone.

(Yes, the Mavericks lost last night to the lowly Toronto Raptors, but that was the second night of a back-to-back and having to play without Dirk Nowitzki. Yes, they probably still should have won, but even good teams get to write off a few isolated bad games a season.)

Maverick backers are starting to believe that this season is different. That the team’s early play proves the point.

Right now, Dallas is in the zone. Because they are in the zone. Literally.

Dallas’ offense this season is pretty much just as productive, just as efficient as last season. The defense is the difference. Dallas is giving up 3.2 points per 100 possessions fewer this season compared to last (according to Hoopdata (http://www.hoopdata.com/)), moving them from a middle-of-the-pack NBA defense to seventh right now.

The Mavericks have made two big defensive changes this season. One is bringing in Tyson Chandler who, when healthy, is one of the better rim protectors and defensive centers in the game. And he has stayed healthy (that sound you hear is Mavs fans knocking on wood).

The other is they have adopted playing a matchup-zone defense more than maybe any other team in the NBA.

Zone defenses have been considered an NBA gimmick — you could run it for a few minutes to throw a team off balance, but once they adjusted it was too easy to rip apart. However, teams have started to stick with it longer (see the Suns in the Western Conference finals against the Lakers last year).

What Dallas does (and other teams are starting to do also) is different. For basketball junkies, if that zone the Mavericks run looks familiar, it’s because it’s had a lot of success before — with Don Chaney at Temple. You remember him and his askew tie from many an NCAA tournament. Mavs assistant coach Don Casey brought the defense with him, and he learned it from current Clippers assistant Dean Demopoulos who was a long-time assistant of Chaney.

Chaney’s zone called for constant ball pressure and help defense in ready positions on other men. It’s not a classic zone but sort of a melting pot of several zones designed to pressure teams. It takes some skill and practice because men are handed off to other defenders and the positioning can feel awkward.

Dallas runs an almost hyper-aggressive form of what Cheney used to at Temple — you can do that with the longer, better athletes of the NBA — and they’ve added traps and more.

During the regular season, there can be no doubt it is working. Combine the zone defense with an MVP-caliber player (Nowitzki) on offense and deep talent across the board and you get a lot of wins. You get 24-6.

Before the season, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban boasted (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/16/cuban-says-hell-yes-his-mavericks-can-beat-the-lakers/) that the depth of the Mavericks made them a threat to the Lakers. That needs to be proven because in the playoffs, when bench rotations shorten, having a lot of depth matters less than quality players. We know the Lakers and the Spurs have quality, Dallas needs to prove it goes beyond Dirk. It also remains to be seen how the Mavs defense will hold up in a seven-game series where more weaknesses can be exposed and matchups exploited as teams delve deeper into game preparation.

Which is to say, the Mavericks still need to prove they are really contenders for a title. But right now they are very, very good.

They are in the zone.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/29/dallas-is-in-the-zone-literally/

[duncan228]

Spurs’ reward for thrashing Lakers? A date with Dallas (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/12/29/spurs%E2%80%99-reward-for-thrashing-lakers-a-date-with-dallas/)
Jeff McDonald

...Dallas’ spot on the schedule was one reason Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wasn’t quite turning backflips after Tuesday’s demolition of the Lakers.

“I don’t attach any more importance to one game or another,” Popovich said. “If we go into Dallas and play well, we’ll be thrilled. If we go in there and play horribly and get our butts kicked, we’ll feel terrible.”


...Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said he’d prefer to face an elite team like the Mavericks on the heels of such a stirring victory as Tuesday’s. It leaves little room for a letdown.

“The Lakers are the champions, and Dallas is our rival,” Ginobili said. “Having them almost back-to-back is great. It’s a great challenge for us.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/12/29/spurs%E2%80%99-reward-for-thrashing-lakers-a-date-with-dallas/

*********************


Thursday: Spurs (27-4) at Mavericks (24-6) (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/12/29/thursday-spurs-27-4-at-mavericks-24-6/)
Jeff McDonald

...Nowitzki is NBA’s sixth-leading scorer at 24.1 points per game. If he can’t play, Marion would start at power forward. … Spurs’ Bonner leads NBA in 3-point percentage (51.6 percent). Mavs’ Stevenson is second (50 percent).

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/12/29/thursday-spurs-27-4-at-mavericks-24-6/

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

Should be a great game Spurs fans

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

So Dirk's not playing?

[ElNono]

Edit: NVM

[YoMamaIsCallin]

Terry has always been delusional about the Mavs being the best team, even though they've never won. And when he says "no disrespect to the Spurs", he means "I disrespect the Spurs."

Remember when they got knocked out by the Warriors and he scoffed at the Spurs saying "They didn't have to play us" ? That is his true attitude.

[024]

if dirk is down, spurs better win this. need to put some distance between them and the spurs.

[Fpoonsie]

31g0YE61PLQ

[duncan228]

There's been nothing confirmed on Dirk yet.

[duncan228]

With or without Dirk, Mavericks face tough challenge against Spurs (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/123010dnspomavslede.35812a.html)
By Eddie Sefko / The Dallas Morning News

If there was any doubt about who the best team in the NBA is right now, it was erased Tuesday night.

There's no way to rank anybody above the San Antonio Spurs so far this season. Not after they dismantled the two-time defending champion Lakers on Tuesday in San Antonio. And not after the Mavericks were embarrassed by Toronto.

The Spurs visit American Airlines Center tonight, and there is no word on whether Dirk Nowitzki will play as he recovers from a sprained right knee. Without him, the Mavericks were easy prey for the Raptors, although in their defense, that was a tough game to take seriously.

"These are the most dangerous teams," Shawn Marion said of Toronto. "They're the hardest teams to get up for."

Call it human nature.

If that's the case, then it should make tonight's game the easiest for ramping up one's adrenaline. The Spurs have just four losses, one to the Mavericks in San Antonio. Their 27-4 record is the only one in the Western Conference better than the Mavs' 24-6.

"They're the best team in the NBA right now," Jason Kidd said. "They have the best record and they're playing extremely well. If Dirk can't go, we've just got to pick up the slack until he gets back."

The Spurs will be properly motivated, whether Nowitzki is in the lineup or not. They certainly will want to avenge the 103-94 loss to the Mavericks on Nov. 26.

The question for the Mavericks: What can they be without Nowitzki? They have played most of one game without him and dominated with their toughness and the way they moved the ball against a good Oklahoma City team.

The next night, against a lesser opponent, they mailed it in.

"Taking him out changes a lot of things," Tyson Chandler said. "We're going to have to adjust and get used to playing without the big fellow."

Maybe, for a while. And there can be no doubting the importance of tonight's game. With a win, the Mavericks will have a 2-0 lead in the season series and a leg up on any tiebreakers that might exist between the two teams at season's end. They also can send a message that this team has backbone far beyond its superstar.

The numbers, of course, say otherwise.

When Nowitzki's been on the court this season, the Mavericks are plus-283, meaning they have scored 283 points more than their opponent, or just under 10 points per game in the 29 that he has played.

When he's off the court, they have been outscored by 116 points, or four per game.

That's not surprising, given the MVP level Nowitzki has played at so far this season. But it is an indictment on the rest of the team.

Coach Rick Carlisle has stressed balance, and there have been times when the Mavericks have spread the wealth offensively. Caron Butler is having a solid season, and while Jason Terry's shooting comes and goes, it usually is money during the fourth quarter.

Marion and Chandler are also putting together quality seasons.

Yet there can be no denying that the entire Maverick universe revolves around Nowitzki. Without him, they must strengthen themselves from within and make sure their defense doesn't let them down against a Spurs team that is in the top five of the league at more than 105 points per game.

"We have to have help from all different places," Carlisle said. "And balance is one of our calling cards."

True. But the Mavericks will never find true balance without their MVP candidate on the floor.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/123010dnspomavslede.35812a.html

*********************


Preview: Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/123010dnspomavscap.3585f0.html)
Eddie Sefko / The Dallas Morning News

Scouting the Spurs

Tim Duncan's team? Not anymore. He went 1-of-7 from the field and scored just two points with four rebounds and the Spurs still whacked the Lakers by 15 points on Tuesday. ... DeJuan Blair has become a functional center, averaging about seven points and seven rebounds per game as the starter. ... They are 3-point gunners, shooting nearly 40 percent from long range. They have taken nearly 100 more than the Mavericks and shoot them even when they aren't falling, as their 9-of-32 night against the Lakers shows. ... Their 27-4 start ties the second-best in NBA history after 31 games, trailing only the 2007-08 Boston Celtics , who were 28-3. ... Says Dirk Nowitzki: "They used to win games, 75-74, and now they win games, 110-109, but it's the same thing. They always win."

Scouting the Mavericks

They have won four consecutive regular-season meetings with the Spurs over the last two seasons, all by nine points or less. Of course, in between they lost four of six in the first-round playoff series last season. ... In the first meeting this year on Nov. 26, Tyson Chandler outscored DeJuan Blair, 19-0. ... Much depends on whether Dirk Nowitzki plays or not, but if he doesn't, Brian Cardinal may see more action. He had season highs in points (eight) and rebounds (seven) Tuesday against Toronto , playing 21 minutes ... Jason Kidd is averaging 10 points, nine assists and seven rebounds over the last three games. ... J.J. Barea has struggled with the 3-ball all season, but he has made two of his last six, a significant uptick from the 7-of-57 he was before that.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/123010dnspomavscap.3585f0.html

[timtonymanu]

Terry has always been delusional about the Mavs being the best team, even though they've never won. And when he says "no disrespect to the Spurs", he means "I disrespect the Spurs."

Remember when they got knocked out by the Warriors and he scoffed at the Spurs saying "They didn't have to play us" ? That is his true attitude.

and then he proclaimed that the Mavs were better than the Spurs last year which was followed up with a first round exit by the 7th seeded Spurs.

Terry's a talker but he never backs it up when it counts.

[duncan228]

San Antonio (27-4) at Dallas (24-6) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010123006)
Tipoff: 9:30 pm EST Thu Dec 30, 2010
TV: TNT
By Jeff Bartl

Statistically, Tim Duncan is having one of the worst seasons of his career. That hasn't stopped the San Antonio Spurs from getting off to their best start in franchise history.

The Dallas Mavericks are struggling to adapt without injured superstar Dirk Nowitzki.

The top two teams in the Western Conference meet Monday night when San Antonio travels to Dallas in search of its 13th win in 14 games.

Duncan is averaging 13.2 points and 9.4 rebounds, far below his career norms of 20.9 and 11.5. His two points on 1-for-7 shooting in Tuesday's 97-82 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers matched a career low set two other times, most recently Dec. 2, 2007. The other two times Duncan finished with two points, though, were games which he left early due to injury - playing less than 11 minutes in each case. The two-time NBA MVP played nearly 30 minutes against the Lakers.

Duncan has scored in single digits in three of the last four games after recording four straight double-doubles Dec. 15-20.

DeJuan Blair had 17 points and 15 rebounds to help make up for Duncan's lack of presence in the paint.

With Manu Ginobili also struggling Tuesday, Tony Parker picked up the slack.

Parker scored 23 points for the Spurs (27-4), who are off to the NBA's best 31-game start since the 2007-08 Boston Celtics opened 28-3.

Duncan and Ginobili sat most of the fourth quarter against the Lakers.

"It means Tony Parker was amazing tonight," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

In-state rival Dallas didn't fare nearly as well in its first game without Nowitzki.

The Mavericks (24-6) lost for only the second time in 19 games, falling 84-76 at home Tuesday against Toronto. Dallas shot 41.3 percent as Nowitzki nursed a sprained knee suffered in the second quarter of Monday's win against Oklahoma City. He's listed as day to day, but the Mavericks may lose his 24.1 points for multiple games.

Shawn Marion started in place of Nowitzki and scored 12 points, and Jason Terry scored a game-high 18 as the Mavericks set a season low for points. The last time Dallas produced such a low total was Dec. 5, 2009, in an 80-75 loss to Atlanta.

"We've got to get used to playing without the big fella for a while," center Tyson Chandler said. "We had a tough time adjusting. Our defense held them to 84, but offensively we had nothing."

Dallas is one of the few teams to have beaten San Antonio, winning 103-94 on the road Nov. 26. The Mavericks outscored the Spurs 32-21 in the fourth quarter to pull away, snapping San Antonio's 12-game winning streak and extending their own streak to 12.

Nowitzki, who scored 26 points in the victory, is likely to miss his second straight game.

Dallas has defeated San Antonio four straight times overall and three straight at home.

*********************

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Manu Ginobili SA 19.1
Dirk Nowitzki Dal 24.1

Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 9.4
Tyson Chandler Dal 8.9

Assists
Tony Parker SA 7.1
Jason Kidd Dal 8.7

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010123006

[Crickets]

Mavs by 6

[justinandimcool]

Great, now even if we win Chuck will still rag on the Spurs. Not that I care what he thinks, but it's annoying.

[pookenstein]

Terry has always been delusional about the Mavs being the best team, even though they've never won. And when he says "no disrespect to the Spurs", he means "I disrespect the Spurs."

Remember when they got knocked out by the Warriors and he scoffed at the Spurs saying "They didn't have to play us" ? That is his true attitude.

Terry. I can't stand that asshole.

[Brazil]

dirk missing = it's a trap

[Sense]

I think personally we're the best team in the league. And that's no disrespect to the Spurs or anybody.



They're the best team in the NBA right now

[Fireball]

:flag: :flag: :flag:

[FilSpursFan]

Dirk's out, therefore, there is possibility Spurs might lose...

[foodie2]

So this is going to be on locally on FSSW as well as TNT, right? I much prefer watching Sean/Bill Land to listening to the TNT assholes.

[Doctor J]

Thanks for posting all those related articles, duncan228.

I could save a lot of time... you're an angel.

[longtimelurker]

Thanks for posting all those related articles, duncan228.

I could save a lot of time... you're an angel.

I want to second that. :toast:toast:toast Just a question, do you have a bot or something helping you out?

[Rummpd]

Is Dirk definetely out? I hope he plays personally.

[shelshor]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Thurs. Dec. 30
San Antonio @ Dallas: Derrick Stafford; Mark Ayotte; Courtney Kirkland

[tmtcsc]

The Spurs have been getting some unbelievable breaks.

1. We catch the Lakers when they are struggling
2. Dirk will most likely not play tonight
3. Garnett may be out next week.

I'm just waiting for things to even out. They have to right ? I mean, our record is sick and we have a real chance at improving on it against some really strong competition.

All this time, we keep improving.

[wontstartdumbthreads]

[QUOTE=tmtcsc;4859469]The Spurs have been getting some unbelievable breaks.

1. We catch the Lakers when they are struggling
2. Dirk will most likely not play tonight
3. Garnett may be out next week.

I'm just waiting for things to even out. They have to right ? I mean, our record is sick and we have a real chance at improving on it against some really strong competition.

All this time, we keep improving.[/QUOTE

After years past with all the nagging injuries to TD, Parker, and Manu, (not to mention Fish's .4 second time stop shot and Brent Barry getting mugged) I think things ARE finally evening out.

[ElNono]

Don't forget Melo being out for the near Xmas day game too.

[ALVAREZ6]

After years past with all the nagging injuries to TD, Parker, and Manu, (not to mention Fish's .4 second time stop shot and Brent Barry getting mugged) I think things ARE finally evening out.

Great point :tu

[ElNono]

Billups and KMart being out the first Denver game also...

[elec99]

The mavs have the talent, just not the mentality to be champions. Even if you are the best, you never say you are the best, it only gives teams motivation, jet doesnt learn even though his head is big enough to hold two brains. I do remember their excuse when we had our last championship, "it's only because they didnt have to play us." Well try not to get knocked off in the first round and that might just happen.

As far as playing without nowitzki, teams have a knack of filling in the void and then some. They'll surprise you. I'd rather have nowitzki in the game since we've prepared a defense around that scenario, w/o him then it sounds like 48 minutes of small ball? If marion is PF, then it sounds like we start timmy against chandler, but no other big at the same time.
Or how about keeping our same lineup and forcing them to match up to us? Iso blair, have him back down marion. Marion doesnt have the weight to match up though he can jump high enough to block layups. We might be able to force some quick fouls on him.

[dbestpro]

Jason Terry is a hoot. He never learns. Yep, there is a very good chance they will win tonight and a very good chance they will have the best record in the NBA come playoff time only to lose out in the first round. Quiet confidence is good, loud mouth over conidence will do you in every time.

[elec99]

the real threat is an improved butler on offense, any wide open shot by any mav (they'll nail them), and now chandler on D.
Butler loves baseline drives, i say force him baseline early so he runs out of real estate, make him have to pull up or jump out of bounds for a dangerous pass.
JJ is gonna penetrate, just have to shadow him so he cant toss up anything easy. Make him run around the basket and out to reset.
Never leave turtle.
And as we learned in the POs, always have a man on kidd and he will show his age. He only shoots 3s when they're uncontested.
If dirk does play, i like it when hill fronts him, it takes so much work to get him the ball, then if you can get him to pass it back out using a quick double it kills so much time on the shot clock.
Not a whole lot you can do if marion takes a running floater in the lane, he's just so long and those shots are always released so fast. Maybe if he's shadowed when he gets near the paint before even catching the ball...
And stevenson is their set 3 point shooter, hes only in there for that purpose alone. If he's in the game, maybe we can get away with a smaller defender on him as long as he's in his grill.

I like our chances, hill seems to do well against the mavs. Tim and manu shouldnt have two bad games in a row.

[wontstartdumbthreads]

The mavs have the talent, just not the mentality to be champions.

I don't agree with this. Recent history has shown you need at least 2 "superstars" to win a ring. Mavs have a lot of good players but besides Dirk, they really don't have a player than can be counted on to take over a game. FO has surrounded Dirk with very very good support players. I just don't think they have someone that can take over a game. Spurs have Manu and TP (both players than create their own shots). Also TD at times still has this ability. Lakers, Celtics, Heat all have multiple players than can take over a game. Lakers only marginally at this point, and I think that's why they struggle. But Mavs just don't have it. It hasn't been since Detroit won, that a team won a ring by committee. And I don't think the Mavs have the toughness that Detroit had. Which does back up your point about mentality.

[tmtcsc]

Whoah, totally forgot about Denver. Yep, more breaks.

As for the .4, I'm not sure anything can make up for that.

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

Is Dirk definetely out? I hope he plays personally.

No word on Dirk yet.
Game time decision looks like

[elec99]

I don't agree with this.

I do see your point, the mavs have always been a jump shooting team, a pure shooting team at that. They dont have an offensive post presence to dump it down to, then kick it out to, which is typical of championship teams. In fact, their first option seems to be a jump shot from nowitzki, then if he's doubled he passes it out for a jumpshot from someone else. We all know jumpshots dry up in the POs, so you need that big guy for some easy points down low, so I definitely see your point.
I think the difference this year is a butler who drives the lane and gets fouls, he didnt do that last year. So if we can turn him into the butler of last year that would be great.
You can also see they're trying to change their Offense too. Nowitzki is trying to be a playmaker for the first half, knowing he can get his in the second. Kinda like what kobe had to do in order for him to be successful in LA. I've always thought that we should give dirk the kobe treatment, he can have all he wants as long as we contain the other players. I know it's easier said than done.

[DesignatedT]

Dirk is out. Now we will probably lose :lol

[cd98]

1. Dirk will probably play, but Dallas isn't going to say until game time.

2. Even if he doesn't, this is a rivalry game and Spurs will bring it.

[wontstartdumbthreads]

I think the difference this year is a butler who drives the lane and gets fouls, he didnt do that last year. So if we can turn him into the butler of last year that would be great.
t.

No doubt Butler has been effective. But he would be option 5 or 6 on the Spurs, if not lower.

[duncan228]

A Dirk-less Dallas reveals the value of shot creation (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/a-dirk-less-dallas-reveals-the-value-of-shot-creation)
by Jesse Blanchard
48 Minutes of Hell

A night of Dallas without Dirk Nowitzki would be a thoroughly dull and pointless affair, regardless of outcome, if not for the fact that the wonderful talents of Rob Mahoney of The Two Man Game (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/www.thetwomangame.com) will still be chronicling the events.

While doing his thing for the New York Times’ Off the Dribble blog, Mahoney talks about the Mavericks 84-76 loss to the Toronto Raptors (http://www.thetwomangame.com/2010/12/the-difference-toronto-raptors-84-dallas-mavericks-76/) and what the loss of Nowitzki’s specific skill set means to Dallas (http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/29/mavericks-offense-collapses-without-nowitzki/).


The discrepancy in talent between Dirk and his teammates is notable, but the Mavs’ embarrassing loss to a short-handed Raptors team was as attributable to skill set as it was to actual skill. No one on the Mavs can produce at Nowitzki’s level, but they also can’t even occupy the spaces he normally fills on the floor, create quality shots in a half-court setting, or run the two-man game as a legitimate threat.

Dallas has many useful players, but the dirty little secret of the Mavs’ offense is that almost all of their shot creation is reliant on Nowitzki.

For all the depth the Mavericks and Spurs boast, the truth is all of it is for naught without a catalyst to make their role players’ skill sets make sense.

Keep reading → (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/a-dirk-less-dallas-reveals-the-value-of-shot-creation#more-12138)

*********************

Advanced Scouting: San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/advanced-scouting-san-antonio-spurs-dallas-maveric)
by Scott Sereday
48 Minutes of Hell

According to reports, Dirk Nowitzki, listed as day-to-day, is very likely to sit out of tonight’s marquee match-up. Nowitzki had significant MVP momentum (http://espn.go.com/nba/notebook/_/page/Awards-101228/nba-awards-watch) prior to his injury and his absence will dramatically help the Spurs chances. The last time these two teams met, my preview focused on Nowitzki offensively (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/advanced-scouting-dallas-mavericks-san-antonio-spurs). Although Dirk is probably a little underrated defensively (he usually rates pretty well in defensive adjusted plus-minus), he isn’t really a defensive game-changer, so I’ll just explore how his absence impacts this game offensively.

What changes without Dirk?

Dirk Nowitki has been responsible for over two-thirds of the Mavericks offense from the post. He is also their top scorer on isolation plays. When Dirk is out of the lineup, Dallas figures to be a pick and roll team that has the ability to push the ball.

Keep reading → (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/advanced-scouting-san-antonio-spurs-dallas-maveric#more-12130)

[duncan228]

Things are simply bigger in Texas -- including the rivalries (http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/shaun_powell/12/30/mavs-spurs/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1)
Shaun Powell
NBA.com

Way, way back in the day, when a dispute flared in Texas, each side would reach for the Smith & Wesson. The first to squeeze the trigger would be the only man standing to tell the story.

Thank goodness for progress, where the Spurs and Mavericks only need to reach for the Spalding.

You like where this rivalry has been, and also where it's going, with both teams standing on the mountaintop in the West and built to last through summer. There's a meeting Thursday night in Dallas (9:30, TNT) that will serve as a checkpoint, giving two teams a chance to size up each other, and themselves.

The Mavericks in their current winning stretch (17-of-19) have beaten the Thunder, Heat and Jazz twice each, and also the Hawks, Magic and Spurs. That's as impressive as it gets here in a season that's approaching one-third complete. Dirk Nowitzki, the one player the Mavericks can't afford to be without, is rubbing a sore knee. But you figure depth and wisdom, the team's two advantages, will help keep them competitive until he fully heals.

"This is the best defensive team I've been on," said Nowitzki, who raves about the extra D-mension that Tyson Chandler added this season.

The Spurs have won 12 of 13, but we'll learn more about them in the next several days, because in addition to coming off the win over the Lakers and with the Mavericks up next, they're stepping into a minefield. There's the Thunder, Knicks and Celtics upcoming. They've also caught a break, beating a handful of teams who were missing a key player or two.

Of course, anything the Spurs do now is a bonus if only because Tim Duncan always paces himself through the regular-season grind and sets his alarm for mid-April.

"We've been lucky," said coach Gregg Popovich, staying true to his wait-and-see nature. "We have a long way to go."

Well, let's hope Thursday night and the rest of the season bring out the best in both teams. That would enhance a rivalry that hasn't been lacking for drama. Really, you must rank Spurs-Mavericks right up with the best in recent years, if only because (a) they meet often, and (b) they're in the same conference, and (c) they've been good-to-great for almost 10 years running, and (d) they know each other well.

Just as well, maybe we should include (e) for urgency. This is a big season for both franchises if you buy the theory that the Duncan and Nowitzki eras don't have many serious championship runs left. The centerpieces in both places are still strong and smart and sturdy but also aging. Title hopes? Well, there's this year, certainly, but then what? Two more? Three, tops?

Whatever. Let's just look ahead to the next Spurs-Mavericks moment and see if it stacks up to the others. We'll see if it beats the 2003 conference finals, the start of this intense relationship, when the Spurs won in six. And then when Michael Finley, a salary dump by the Mavs, joined the Spurs and splashed some Tabasco on the scene by saying the Spurs were the better team. And the very next postseason, in 2006, when Jason Terry snuck a sucker-punch below Finley's belt and earned a one-game suspension, which became moot when the Mavericks won a Game 7 overtime thriller. And most recently, when Manu Ginobili braved a broken nose (and a hideous tape-wrapping that actually became fashionable by the Riverwalk) to lift the seven-seed Spurs past the two-seed Mavs.

All told, they've met six times in the playoffs in eight years -- and we didn't even mention the regular-season game three years ago where Duncan was asked to step outside by referee Joey Crawford. Yes, that happened against the Mavericks, the competitive fever apparently infecting everyone on the court.

What Popovich and R.C. Buford have done, in keeping Duncan well insulated over the years by quality and relatively affordable (so to speak) pieces, has been remarkable in this day and age. From Finley to Bruce Bowen, Antonio McDyess to Stephen Jackson, the Spurs always manage to find the right fit by rummaging through the Draft or free agency or the NBA landfill. Gary Neal is the latest, and Richard Jefferson, after a slippery initial season in San Antonio, is finally paying off, shooting 49 percent from the floor and 45 on 3s. With Ginobili averaging nearly 20 points a night and Tony Parker still holding his own among the point guard elite, Duncan can save his best stuff for spring, only occasionally delivering big between now and then.

Strange, but on some levels, the Mavericks' hot start is a surprise. Roddy Beaubois is still mending from a bum foot, Brendan Haywood is dreadful offensively (27 percent on free throws?) while Caron Butler often wrestles with his role and fourth-quarter minutes. They're being bailed out by their rebounding and commitment to defense and clever play from their veteran guards. Any team with Jason Kidd and Jason Terry in the backcourt, along with Jose Juan Barea, will rarely wreck themselves with self-inflicted mistakes (only 13 turnovers a night).

"We like where we're going," said Kidd. "This is a good group that plays well together."

With the Lakers on a slide and Kobe Bryant in a snit, you can argue that Dallas and San Antonio are the best the West has to offer. And good news is, Thursday night's game won't settle anything. This rivalry has spring written all over it.

[elec99]

Oh and about the injuries. Teams all around the league are dealing with what we had to go through for a couple of years. Garnett and Dirk being the most recent superstar injuries. Funny how the media doesnt call them old when it happens to them.

[duncan228]

Lots of quotes.


Inside Report: Spurs-Mavericks preview — Cross-state saga continues (http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/inside_report_spurs-mavs_preview_crossstate_saga_continues_2010_12_30. html?utm_campaign=spurs&utm_medium=topstory&utm_source=mavsdotcom&utm_content=preview&utm_term=eks)
Earl K. Sneed
Mavs.com

The Mavericks and Spurs renew their rivalry Thursday night. But one key ingredient could be missing if Dirk Nowitzki is unable to play, writes Earl K. Sneed.

DALLAS — The Mavericks have made it no secret that Thursday night’s Southwest Division showdown against the San Antonio Spurs has been circled on their calendar since the last time the two teams crossed paths.

Since going into the AT&T Center on Nov. 26 and ending the Spurs’ 12-game win streak with a 103-94 road victory, the Mavericks have looked forward to the opportunity to do it yet again on their home floor.

And even though they wouldn’t mind claiming a second win over the team that ended their season in the first round of last year’s playoffs, it isn’t necessarily revenge that will fuel the Mavericks Thursday night when the two teams meet up at the American Airlines Center. It’s the division standings.

Although the Mavericks (24-6) have reeled off 17 wins in their last 19 games to ascend to the second-best record in the Western Conference, the Spurs (27-4) have been equally as impressive, sitting atop those very same standings for most of the year. That places even more importance on Thursday night’s nationally-televised faceoff.

“This division again is back to being one of the toughest divisions in all of sports,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “The Spurs are having a great year, and they’re gonna continue to be good. Look, this is a long, long year. We’re about a 1/3 of the way through in terms of the number of games played. There’s a long ways to go and a lot to be decided.

“And I’ll be saying that when there’s four days left in the season,” the coach added. “That’s just how it is every year, because there’s a lot of things that change the last four or five days in terms of seedings.”

But whether it’s by the end of the regular season in April or when the two teams meet up at the end of December, the Mavs admit that they don’t want to look up and see the Spurs ahead of them for playoff positioning at any time. And sixth man Jason Terry says that Thursday night is just another opportunity to work towards changing that, as the Mavericks enter the matchup 2 1/2 games behind the Spurs in both the division and conference race.

“Our goal is to win the Western Conference, and to do that we’ve just got to keep winning and getting better,” Terry said. ”It’s so far away from the end of the season, it’s not even funny. But since they [the Spurs] are close to us, and they’re ahead of us right now, beating them would give us another game up. So, that’s what we’re looking at.”

The Mavericks are also looking to display the type of play that has carried them to success during the early portion of the season, mixing balanced scoring on offense with a stingy defense. That winning equation will be utilized again as the Mavericks try to match fire with fire against the Spurs’ Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

However, against the Spurs and their trio of talented All-Stars, the Mavericks may be without their go-to player, as power forward Dirk Nowitzki’s status for the game remains uncertain after missing Tuesday night’s 84-76 home loss to Toronto due to a sprained right knee.

Nowitzki injured the knee during the second quarter of Monday night’s 103-93 victory in Oklahoma City, coming down awkwardly after being fouled on a jumper. The following night the nine-time All-Star missed his first game of the season. He’s officially listed as day-to-day.

But if the Mavericks are forced to take the court without No. 41, they know that they’ll have to show more of what worked well on Monday night and less of what failed on the second night of a back-to-back.

In Monday night’s double-digit road win over the Thunder, five Dallas players scored in double figures to pick up the slack when Nowitzki went down. The following night, just Terry and forwards Caron Butler and Shawn Marion met that mark, as the Mavericks’ offense struggled to just 41 percent shooting and a season-low points total, even as the Dallas defense held the Raptors to just 84 points on the night.

“I think we had trouble adjusting with our floor spacing and getting good shots, and it caught up to us by the end of the game. We held them to 84, so usually when that happens we get a win. But offensively, we didn’t have anything,” center Tyson Chandler said.

And now, with the NBA’s best team record-wise entering their home arena, the Mavericks will look to rekindle that offensive success even if Nowitzki is unable to go.

“We’re gonna have to get used to playing without the big fella [Nowitzki] for a little while,” Chandler said. “(Monday night’s) game we didn’t have to adjust as mush as we did (Tuesday night) because we kind of stuck with our normal rotations. And the only thing that was different was not having him for the second half. We came in with the same game plan, but obviously we’re gonna have to make some adjustments, because without the big fella stretching the floor, things are a little different out there.”

The team may have little time to make those adjustments if Nowitzki is unable to suit up versus the Spurs. But whether or not Nowitzki has on his No. 41 jersey or if he is once again in street clothes, the Mavericks know they will have to elevate their games with the Spurs in town.

“They [the Spurs] are the best team in the NBA right now,” point guard Jason Kidd explained. “They have the best record, and they’re playing extremely well. We’re going to have our hands full. If Dirk can’t go, we’ve just got to pick up the slack until he gets back.”

http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/inside_report_spurs-mavs_preview_crossstate_saga_continues_2010_12_30. html?utm_campaign=spurs&utm_medium=topstory&utm_source=mavsdotcom&utm_content=preview&utm_term=eks

[gospursgojas]

I cant wait for the Mavs to go up by 8 in the first qtr and they jump around like theyve won the championship only to lose by 12 in the end.

[DMC]

I cant wait for the Mavs to go up by 8 in the first qtr and they jump around like theyve won the championship only to lose by 12 in the end.

It's funny when pros scream and pop their jerseys like college players in the Final Four.

[duncan228]

Run-and-gun Spurs? Believe it (http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4672918/run-and-gun-spurs-believe-it)
By Tim MacMahon
ESPN Dallas

DALLAS -- The Spurs, a franchise that built a dynasty with an offense that operates at the pace of molasses, suddenly love to run.

Really. The stats don’t lie.

San Antonio ranks fourth in the NBA in fast-break points this season, averaging 16.8 per game. It’s not a coincidence that San Antonio’s offense has never been more efficient. The Spurs average a league-best 112.6 points per 100 possessions, which is also the best in team history, according to basketball-reference.com.

“I’m still not buying it,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “That’s the truth. That’s the truth. I don’t know what else to tell you. I ain’t buying it.

“It’s not who we are. We don’t do that. I don’t know how we’re scoring. I’ve got no clue.”

Not that Popovich has a problem with it.

It’s certainly working for the Spurs, who own the NBA’s best record at 27-4. They’re winning on a regular basis with surefire Hall of Famer Tim Duncan playing a supporting role on offense. Five Spurs are scoring in the double figures, with Duncan ranked fourth at 13.2 points per game.

“It’s definitely unusual,” Popovich said. “So I think it’s best if I don’t try to figure it out, because that would probably just screw it up.”

Popovich, of course, is just playing dumb. He gets credit for recognizing that the Spurs had the skilled athletes (Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson and George Hill) to play at a faster tempo and pushing them to do so.

Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson joked that his father, ol’ Nellie, negatively influenced old pal Popovich during card games in Hawaii with Willie Nelson. But the Spurs still don’t run recklessly and continue to have one of the league’s best halfcourt offenses. They play at the 12th-fastest pace in the league, but that’s a rapid increase for a team that typically ranks near the bottom.

“You look at your hand and you’re always constantly evolving,” Nelson said. “Gregg is one of the best coaches really in the history of the game if you think about it. So he’s taking advantage of some of the new personnel, and players evolved just like anything else. Hats off to them.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4672918/run-and-gun-spurs-believe-it