According to Hoopshype.com Mavericks is the Team to Beat

[Louis]

I wonder how you feel now that according to this site,

There is a new sheriff in town...

Dallas Mavericks (60-22) ....

ADDITIONS: Maurice Ager (Michigan State), Greg Buckner (Denver), Austin Croshere (Indiana), Devean George (LA Lakers), Anthony Johnson (New Jersey) and Pops Mensah-Bonsu (George Washington).
SUBTRACTIONS: Darrell Armstrong (Indiana), Marquis Daniels (Indiana), Adrian Griffin (Chicago), Rawle Marshall (Indiana), Pavel Podkolzin and Josh Powell (Indiana).

STRENGTHS: The deepest team in the NBA ... Reliable backups at every position ... They will always have fresh legs in the fourth quarter ... Potent offensive squad ... Dallas has plenty of players able to average 10-plus ppg in the regular season ... Good combination of stars and role players ... Nice mix of youth and experience ... Dirk Nowitzki remains a Top 5 player in the NBA and a matchup nightmare ... Dirk and Jason Terry are pretty good clutch players ... Josh Howard will be an All-Star candidate this season ... Excellent rebounding squad ... Nowitzki, Howard, DeSagana Diop, Erick Dampier and DJ Mbenga guarantee a lot of blocked shots ... Three seven-footers ... The nucleus of the team remains intact ... The Mavs proved they are no longer a soft squad ... Players have completely bought into Avery Johnson's philosophy.

WEAKNESSES: Dirk Nowitzki plays with Germany once again this summer ... Will he pay the effort late in the season? ... All the best scorers in Dallas are perimeter players ... Low-post scoring might be an issue ... Compared to other contenders, the Mavs are not very strong at the shooting guard position ... Could officiating be a problem if Mark Cuban doesn't stop complaining?

PROJECTION: 1st in the Southwest Division / 1st in the Western Conference

[waterbottle2000]

im a mav fan
u can have the best team
but if u choke, u aint winning anything

[Leetonidas]

:sleep

[Duncanoypi]

Yeah...they're the team to be beaten by Spurs...

[J.T.]

The Mavs proved they are no longer a soft squad

Could've fooled me, getting bounced in a six game sweep and whining about officiating every step of the way.

But last I checked, they don't give out the trophy for being highest rated by one site in the offseason. They give it for winning the finals, which depsite the Mavs depth and ability, the Mavs still haven't been able to do it.

Spurs will show the world last season's playoffs was a fluke on Nov 2.

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Last year Detroit was the team to beat....




:lol




Look how that turned out.




This article means nothing. Your weak troll attempts mean nothing, Next. :rolleyes

[mrpach]

REmember when the spurs were in the background, not calling attention, winning games but not getting any respect?
i liked that way better, it was less pressure on them and they were always there in the end
i think this year will be that way, the spurs will start slowly, as the new pieces get to know the system and eventually they will have a winning streak at the end of the year

[Kermit]

Well, the Rockets suck. We know that for a fact. They sure as hell are not the team to beat.

[Louis]

WEAKNESSES: Dirk Nowitzki plays with Germany once again this summer ... Will he pay the effort late in the season? ... All the best scorers in Dallas are perimeter players ... Low-post scoring might be an issue ... Compared to other contenders, the Mavs are not very strong at the shooting guard position ... Could officiating be a problem if Mark Cuban doesn't stop complaining?

Mavs have Dirk playing summer ball, Houston have Yao...

I wonder if Spurs fans are going to make excuses if their team fail to make the second round for having 4 players playing summer ball: Bowen (USA) although he might get cut, Ginobili, Oberto (Argentina), Parker (France)

[E20]

I say Miami is the team to beat.

[Kermit]

Mavs have Dirk playing summer ball, Houston have Yao...

I wonder if Spurs fans are going to make excuses if their team fail to make the second round for having 4 players playing summer ball: Bowen (USA) although he might get cut, Ginobili, Oberto (Argentina), Parker (France)

I wonder if Rockets fans are going to make excuses if their team....

well, just sucks again. Just visualizing McGrady makes my back hurt.

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Mavs have Dirk playing summer ball, Houston have Yao...

I wonder if Spurs fans are going to make excuses if their team fail to make the second round for having 4 players playing summer ball: Bowen (USA) although he might get cut, Ginobili, Oberto (Argentina), Parker (France)
So what your saying is that the mavs and rockets are going to make excuses?

[Louis]

So what your saying is that the mavs and rockets are going to make excuses?

The article is already making the excuses, but Dallas and Houston have only 1 player playing summer ball, while the Spurs have 4!!! (possibly 3)

Anyways, Spurs fans always make these type of excuses...

[THE SIXTH MAN]

The article is already making the excuses, but Dallas and Houston have only 1 player playing summer ball, while the Spurs 4!!!

Anyways, Spurs fans always make these type of excuses...
Spurs fans or you? I dont see any threads blaming the loss to the mavs because of summer ball.

[Louis]

Spurs fans or you? I dont see any threads blaming the loss to the mavs because of summer ball.


WEAKNESSES: Dirk Nowitzki plays with Germany once again this summer ... Will he pay the effort late in the season? ...

[Louis]

Spurs fans or you? I dont see any threads blaming the loss to the mavs because of summer ball.

Last year the Spurs players didn't play during the Summer did they?

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Last year the Spurs players didn't play during the Summer did they?
Tony Parker played last summer.

[Louis]

Tony Parker played last summer.

And he was even better during the NBA Season..

No room for excuses I tell you that now...

[THE SIXTH MAN]

The actual article is titled Team to Beat? :lol
Its not stating that they predict the mavs to be the team to beat.http://www.hoopshype.com/ They're doing season previews dumb ass.

[Leetonidas]

I believe the team to beat is the one that won the championship.

[Louis]

The actual article is titled Team to Beat? :lol
Its not stating that they predict the mavs to be the team to beat.http://www.hoopshype.com/ They're doing season previews dumb ass.

Huh?/

Yeah it looks like a preview..dumb-ass, but they are projecting them to finish first in the conference ...

Or

Do you still believe the Spurs are going to finish 1st??

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Huh?/

Yeah it looks like a preview..dumb-ass, but they are projecting them to finish first in the conference ...

Or

Do you still believe the Spurs are going to finish 1st??
Projecting them to be 1st in western conference is not saying they are the team to beat.

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Huh?/

Yeah it looks like a preview..dumb-ass
It is a preview.




but they are projecting them to finish first in the conference

The title to your thread says "That according to hoopshype the mavs are the team to beat". Now your saying that they're going to finish first in the west? Which is it are they the team to beat or are they finishing first?

[J.T.]

According to WGAF.com this thread sucks.

[JamStone]

Last year Detroit was the team to beat....




:lol




Look how that turned out.


Actually, in August of last year, almost no one outside Detroit was picking the Pistons as the team to beat. Before the hot start, Detroit was picked no better than third in the Eastern Conference behind Miami and Indiana. It was only after winning at such a torrid pace did so-called "experts" and NBA analysts start to think that Detroit might be the team to beat. Not in the off-season, not before the regular season had started.

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Actually, in August of last year, almost no one outside Detroit was picking the Pistons as the team to beat. Before the hot start, Detroit was picked no better than third in the Eastern Conference behind Miami and Indiana. It was only after winning at such a torrid pace did so-called "experts" and NBA analysts start to think that Detroit might be the team to beat. Not in the off-season, not before the regular season had started.
Many experts and analysts did pick either Detroit or San Antonio to win it all last year.

[Rip-Hamilton32]

Spurs fans or you? I dont see any threads blaming the loss to the mavs because of summer ball.

thats true but they have tried every other excuse

[JamStone]

Many experts and analysts did pick either Detroit or San Antonio to win it all last year.


Not before the season started. In fact, not one ESPN analyst picked the Pistons to win it all, and only one or two predicted that Detroit would be in the Finals.

Detroit was NOT the so-called "team to beat" when the season started last year. When they started the regular season 38-5, analysts and experts started changing their minds.

[mavsfan1000]

The mavs might be the team to beat but if the refs are against them than it won't happen. The nba=wwf

[MannyIsGod]

:lol @ Mavs fans already pulling out the ref card. Props for your team to beat title. Feel free to hang that banner in the AAC.

[polandprzem]

Dallas a team to beat.

Ofcourse I would say that also./ They played in the Finals and this year they will feel even more comfirtable with coach Johnson.

A possible seeding in the West will be like: Mavs, spurs suns (but you never know with the suns)

[L.I.T]

And this is boring. Yay for offseason.

[George Gervin's Afro]

who cares...

[SpursWillOwn]

yeah off season is fuckin boring

[cheguevara]

another gem from hoopshype :rolleyes

[dknights411]

So why is a Rockets fan hyping up the Mavs? man, H-town must be depressing these days.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

So why is a Rockets fan hyping up the Mavs? man, H-town must be depressing these days.

My thoughts exactly. He's pimping the Mavs harder than anyone else here. And as someone living in Houston, Rockets fans with half a brain already know the Rockets are screwed. Yao's coming off major foot surgery and unless The Back Fairy visited McGrady this summer they are looking at being the worst in the division again. Most Houston sports fans are too busy deluding themselves into thinking that the Astros can still make the playoffs and that this is the year the Texans turn it all around to bother to delude themselves into thinking that the Rockets are worth a damn this year. But the Comets are looking great!

[dbestpro]

It's going to be difficult for the herMavrodites to be the team to beat because of their behavior in the finals. If they get good calls then the media and fans will be all over the NBA for throwing the season to Cuban. It's standard thinking that the herMavrodite games may be called in a manner that they let them play. The physical wear on Dallas over the season will take its toll. Cuban can't complain about the whistle if they don't blow it.

[Louis]

Spurs fans should realize that their team is no longer the best team in the Division...much less the Conference..

Those days are Gone!!!

Spurs are in decline..

Face it!

[ChumpDumper]

La Stampa: Who will be the favorites this season?

Mike D'Antoni: Miami, Detroit, San Antonio and Dallas.

http://www.lastampa.it/sport/cmsSezioni/basket/200608articoli/3097girata.asp

Why are you here, Louis?

[Louis]

So just because D'Antoni says it you are going to believe it?

A coach who have been defeated two straight times in the Conference Finals...

Strange, dont you think?

[ChumpDumper]

So just because D'Antoni says it you are going to believe it?So just because Hoopshype says it you are going to believe it?
A coach who have been defeated two straight times in the Conference Finals.An anonymous prediction headlined with a question mark from someone who has nothing to do with the NBA?

Strange, dont you think?

[Leetonidas]

So just because D'Antoni says it you are going to believe it?

A coach who have been defeated two straight times in the Conference Finals...

Strange, dont you think?

I'd put more stock in a Conference Final coach than some sports writer, or you for that matter. Dallas was never stated as the team to beat. They're projected to be the #1 seed in the West, but that in no way means they're winning the title.

[Louis]

So just because Hoopshype says it you are going to believe it?An anonymous prediction headlined with a question mark from someone who has nothing to do with the NBA?

Strange, dont you think?

No I don't believe what Hoopshype has to say, but The Mavs look better than the Spurs and is not hard to predict they will finish ahead of the Spurs.

I think the Mavs will go back to the Finals....

[ShoogarBear]

Well, one thing we know for certain. The Mavs are the team for Cuban to beat off to.

[ChumpDumper]

No I don't believe what Hoopshype has to saySo why did you trumpet this story from the rooftops, Sybil?

[George Gervin's Afro]

So just because D'Antoni says it you are going to believe it?

A coach who have been defeated two straight times in the Conference Finals...

Strange, dont you think?


your right louis what would a coach in the NBA know.. :rolleyes

[dknights411]

No I don't believe what Hoopshype has to say, but The Mavs look better than the Spurs and is not hard to predict they will finish ahead of the Spurs.

I think the Mavs will go back to the Finals....

They are going to have to get through a Spurs team looking for revenge, and a Suns team (with a healthy Amare) looking for redemption (getting past the Conference Finals, that is). The Mavs will need to get lucky for a second straight year in order to get back to the Finals.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I don't know about the Mavs looking better. Matt Bonner is a very handsome man.

[dknights411]

I don't know about the Mavs looking better. Matt Bonner is a very handsome man.

I guess he's basing this on weather Duncan grows another fro. :fro

[1Parker1]

STRENGTHS: The deepest team in the NBA

I'll give that the Mavs are probably the deepest team in the NBA...but then again, I thought the same thing last season too. Turns out, it didn't help them that much when they needed it. Their biggest problem is that 3 of their main guys: Jason Terry, Devin Harris, and Josh Howard are very inconsistent. And before last season, I never would have listed Dirk in the "clutch category."

[dav4463]

Are the Mavs still one big happy family? ... I don't think so. Dirk proved that players are getting sick of Cuban's act by saying that he needs to go to the suite to watch the games. I just can't see Devin Harris staying as hot as he was early in the playoffs. I just do not see him as a legitimate starter in this league. Jason Terry is a shoot-first, pass-later point guard that can literally shoot his team to a win or shoot them out of a game at any time. Stack loses it at crunch time. Dirk always reverts to fadeaway jumpers when the going gets tough. To lose a series after being up 2-0 and having the NBA title practically handed to you would be very tough to get over. I mean, c'mon face it, Wade ripped their heart out in the finals! This team and their fans were in total disbelief and shock that they did not win the championship, especially after Cuban went on Letterman to brag and the newpaper published the parade route. It is possible that the Mavs had their one big chance, and choked it away. No guarantees of multiple trips to the finals....unless you have Tim Duncan on your side!

[mavsfan1000]

Are the Mavs still one big happy family? ... I don't think so. Dirk proved that players are getting sick of Cuban's act by saying that he needs to go to the suite to watch the games. I just can't see Devin Harris staying as hot as he was early in the playoffs. I just do not see him as a legitimate starter in this league.
He's only 23. How many point guards are that successful at that age?
Jason Terry is a shoot-first, pass-later point guard that can literally shoot his team to a win or shoot them out of a game at any time. Stack loses it at crunch time. I'll take that basing on Terry is usually playing well rather than shooting them out of games.
Dirk always reverts to fadeaway jumpers when the going gets tough. Like the example of when he took Bowen to the hole with a and 1 to tie the game in game 7? :lol
To lose a series after being up 2-0 and having the NBA title practically handed to you would be very tough to get over. I mean, c'mon face it, Wade ripped their heart out in the finals! This team and their fans were in total disbelief and shock that they did not win the championship, especially after Cuban went on Letterman to brag and the newpaper published the parade route. It is possible that the Mavs had their one big chance, and choked it away. No guarantees of multiple trips to the finals....unless you have Tim Duncan on your side!
Anyone that watched the finals saw how biased the calls were and that it was rigged or slanted. Otherwise Dallas wins the championship.

[dav4463]

You were making good points until the last one. I'm not saying this stuff will happen, I'm saying it might. It is my opinion that the Mavs WILL fall apart to a degree. They will become the Utah Jazz of the Stockton, Malone era...good but not great.

The last point shows that you are still in denial like most Mav fans. If you want to bring up the biased calls and calls costing your team a title, blame Cuban. He helped to get the rules changed where every little touch going to the hole is a foul. It helped you get by the Spurs with questionable calls and then it bit you in the butt in the finals.

[ChumpDumper]

Anyone that watched the finals saw how biased the calls were and that it was rigged or slanted.:lmao :lmao :lmao

[FromWayDowntown]

He's only 23. How many point guards are that successful at that age?

I believe the correct answer is: at least Tony Parker.