X's and O's

[Findog]

Can somebody please explain to me why Avery would go small and not play Dampier or Diop? I know they are not great offensive options, which is part of how you deter smallball, but why are we so afraid of Al Harrington's ability to hit perimeter shots? He hits 40% of his threes and he attempts 4 a game. Are we really afraid of at most two treys he's going to make that we have to let our best rebounder rot on the bench? If Dampier and Diop can do a decent job of defending Al or can score on him with any kind of consistency, then the Warriors can't beat us. Period. We're not going to beat them playing Rucker League style. What would it have hurt to have started Dampier as is customary and see how the first quarter played out? If there is such a thing a hypothesis that Dampier and Diop can't stay on the floor because the Warriors like to run, shouldn't we at least TEST that hypothesis? It would've taken one quarter to figure out exactly how effective DD could be against GS. Now we're down 0-1 and we still don't have an answer to that question.

Why are we adjusting to an 8 seed instead of doing what got us 67 wins? There's one word to describe last night's performance: GUTLESS.

It's still a five game series, alright, but I might have to revise my prediction of just who exactly will be moving on to play Hou/Uta.

Our players sucked last night and so did our head coach. Nice job Avery.

[monosylab1k]

Stat nerd Hollinger came up with this telling stat -

Mavs were +8 with Diop on the floor, and -20 with George.

damp pulled down 3 boards in 2 minutes. looks like "big ball" worked just fine for us in the rare few times we played it.

[Findog]

Damp's a flawed player, but he can pull down rebounds. He can help control the glass.

Diop can run the floor better than Damp, that's for sure. You take your chances with what got you here. If it's such a weakness having a 7-footer out there, THEN make the adjustment. Why sacrifice a bishop without getting anything in return? It just made no sense to try to play their way.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Did AJ "play big" during the season? I'm not trying to be a smart ass, and I certainly don't know the specifics surrounding any of the games that GS won, but they've had the Mavs number so far so maybe he just figured he'd try something new. I'm not saying that's a good idea necessarily, but it's just a theory.

Truth be told, I would not be surprised to see him stick with the strategy and win the next one. Like with the Spurs Big 3, I think the Mavs' big guns were rusty and out of rhythm. They got a lot of rest at the end of the year, and they've had the #1 locked up so long that's it's been a while since they've played a game of any real consequence to them. If those guys play like they've been able to all year they could bring back Shawn Bradley as the center and win this series.

[theMUHMEshow]

Dallas should still be able to match up with this damn team.

[Findog]

Golden State may well be this team's kryptonite.

[Findog]

Did AJ "play big" during the season? I'm not trying to be a smart ass, and I certainly don't know the specifics surrounding any of the games that GS won, but they've had the Mavs number so far so maybe he just figured he'd try something new. I'm not saying that's a good idea necessarily, but it's just a theory.

Truth be told, I would not be surprised to see him stick with the strategy and win the next one. Like with the Spurs Big 3, I think the Mavs' big guns were rusty and out of rhythm. They got a lot of rest at the end of the year, and they've had the #1 locked up so long that's it's been a while since they've played a game of any real consequence to them. If those guys play like they've been able to all year they could bring back Shawn Bradley as the center and win this series.

He played Dampier 2 minutes last night and Diop got 16. I think combined this year they were up around 40 mpg.

[nkdlunch]

damn the more I think about it, the more I don't know how Dallas can beat GS.

mavs are in some deep shit.

This matchup reminds me of last year mavs vs. Spurs no matter what Spurs did, mavs would still beat us

[ratm1221]

damn the more I think about it, the more I don't know how Dallas can beat GS.

mavs are in some deep shit.

This matchup reminds me of last year mavs vs. Spurs no matter what Spurs did, mavs would still beat us

Yeah, yeah. We all know you are loving it. You have only already expressed this about 10 times. Going to be an awesome WCF this year... Golden State Warriors vs. The Denver Nuggets.

[DDS4]

Start Diop/Damp at the 5. Play more zone.

By playing zone, it forces the Warriors to make 3's from the half court set. Much harder. You might give up some offensive rebounds by playing zone, but a bigger frontcourt and a small Warriors frontcourt will make up for that.

Plus, you'll get more offensive rebounds/putbacks on the other end. More shots.

They key for the Mavs is the backcourt getting back for transition defense on a miss.

[ratm1221]

Start Diop/Damp at the 5. Play more zone.

By playing zone, it forces the Warriors to make 3's from the half court set. Much harder. You might give up some offensive rebounds by playing zone, but a bigger frontcourt and a small Warriors frontcourt will make up for that.

Plus, you'll get more offensive rebounds/putbacks on the other end. More shots.

They key for the Mavs is the backcourt getting back for transition defense on a miss.

Your avatar is funny. What the hell is Hilary doing?

[Dirk Nowitzki]

Golden State may well be this team's kryptonite.

:drunk :drunk BULLSHIT! We are better than those overrated chumps. Calm down bro and be positive. Game 1 loss it happens but we will be fine. :clap

[ponky]

he played diop, diop got in foul trouble...i'm guessing damp's not healthy enough to take up the slack, otherwise maybe we would've seen more of him. he was supposed to get more minutes in the sonics *warm-up* game, he didn't

OR

he could be pulling a *pop* and actually be trying to purposely matchup with the warriors by playing small ball

[DarrinS]

he played diop, diop got in foul trouble...i'm guessing damp's not healthy enough to take up the slack, otherwise maybe we would've seen more of him. he was supposed to get more minutes in the sonics *warm-up* game, he didn't

OR

he could be pulling a *pop* and actually be trying to purposely matchup with the warriors by playing small ball


Damp only played like two minutes, but he got 3 rebounds in that time. You said he's not healthy. What's wrong with him?

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Damp only played like two minutes, but he got 3 rebounds in that time. You said he's not healthy. What's wrong with him?
I thought I heard the announcers mention that he's nursing a sore knee.

[monosylab1k]

I thought I heard the announcers mention that he's nursing a sore knee.

damp's also got a very tender vagina.

[DarrinS]

damp's also got a very tender vagina.


Hey, we'll trade a wounded Dampier, vagina and all, straight up for Elson. Deal?

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

damp's also got a very tender vagina.
I'm not surprised. You think he got that big contract just to play basketball for Mark Cuban?

[DDS4]

Your avatar is funny. What the hell is Hilary doing?


Hell if I know....she likes double D's too?

[confined]

this warrior team is just a worse version of last years suns team, and the suns controlled that series untill game 3 when dirk decided to stop being a fucking puss and just go and dunk it on some one...the warriors have absolutly NO shot blocking on their team, damp and dirk should be able to dunk at will...and the few minutes that damp was on the floor he pulls down 2 strait off. rebounds...barkley is absolutly correct when he says that the mavs were foolish to change their line-up for an 8th seed...

however i do believe that was one of the worst outtings i've ever seen from the mavs...missing EASY lay-ups and put backs and just a complete lack of aggression and focus by dallas especially dirk and stackhouse....dirk needs to realize that hes playing against players half a foot shorter than him and that he is the best player on the floor in this series

[Findog]

this warrior team is just a worse version of last years suns team, and the suns controlled that series untill game 3 when dirk decided to stop being a fucking puss and just go and dunk it on some one...the warriors have absolutly NO shot blocking on their team, damp and dirk should be able to dunk at will...and the few minutes that damp was on the floor he pulls down 2 strait off. rebounds...barkley is absolutly correct when he says that the mavs were foolish to change their line-up for an 8th seed...

however i do believe that was one of the worst outings i've ever seen from the mavs...missing EASY lay-ups and put backs and just a complete lack of aggression and focus by dallas especially dirk and stackhouse....dirk needs to realize that hes playing against players half a foot shorter than him and that he is the best player on the floor in this series

The only question is will it be too late before the Mavs realize this? The Warriors are a homeless man's version of the Suns....I just don't get it, I really don't. The Suns don't start trying to grind it out in the halfcourt when the playoffs get here, no matter who they play. The Spurs continue to rely on Duncan and the other two studs. The Ewing Knicks didn't try to play an uptempo finesse game when they got to the playoffs.

You are what you are. Play to your strengths.

[confined]

The only question is will it be too late before the Mavs realize this? The Warriors are a homeless man's version of the Suns....I just don't get it, I really don't. The Suns don't start trying to grind it out in the halfcourt when the playoffs get here, no matter who they play. The Spurs continue to rely on Duncan and the other two studs. The Ewing Knicks didn't try to play an uptempo finesse game when they got to the playoffs.

You are what you are. Play to your strengths.

i hope its not too late...the mavs just need to get pissed to win this series, hopfully avery is bitching his ass off to the team and getting some fucking emotion in them

[Next Superstar]

The warriors are different then the suns they have more guys who can beat you one on one many of the suns players rely on what nash gives them.

[confined]

The warriors are different then the suns they have more guys who can beat you one on one many of the suns players rely on what nash gives them.
very good point

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

If Golden State wins, Mark Cubans vagina might just explode

[td4mvp21]

If Dallas continues to play small and settle for jumpers, I think they could be fucked. If they actually played the lineups (i.e with two bigmen on the floor) that won them 67 games, they should be fine.

[Findog]

If Dallas continues to play small and settle for jumpers, I think they could be fucked. If they actually played the lineups (i.e with two bigmen on the floor) that won them 67 games, they should be fine.

I agree. It will cost them some with Harrington getting a few open looks on the arc, but Harrington is 6-8, 245. Dampier can consistently dunk on his ass and he can clean up the glass too. He can cause problems for THEM. The whole rationale of defending the three-point line by playing small didn't bear out -- GS averaged 8-25 for the year, they went 10-30 last night. They're going to chuck up a bunch of threes and hit a third of them no matter who we put on the court, why take our best rebounder out of there? I never thought this series would be easy, I predicted Dallas in 6. But if Avery continues to play small, I doubt we even make it back to Oakland for Game 6.

If we lose three more games because Al Harrington suddenly turns into Steve Kerr, then tip your cap to them and go fishing. But you dance with who brung ya.

For the most part we played Duncan straight up in our series last year and he torched us for 32 and 13. We didn't double team him much, instead we stayed home on the shooters. Sometimes you have to live with what other teams do well and not sacrifice your strengths in an effort to mitigate theirs. If he had started Dampier and we got torched, I could understand taking him out and going small, but we never even tried. Now we're down 0-1 and we still don't have an idea of how effective Dampier can be in this series, and no more margin for error in finding out.

[Findog]

If Golden State wins, Mark Cubans vagina might just explode

If the Warriors win, I wonder what he would do? You'd have to blow up a 67 win team, which is insane. Would he sell the team? Would he fire Avery? Would there be no "untouchables" when it comes to trades?