Mav Loss in Portland?

[traitoravery]

Maybe.... :elephant 63-50 Portland 3rd qtr?

[Amare_32]

Portland is young team but give them time and they will be a team to reckon with. Imagine them when Oden comes back.

[Tippecanoe]

oh snap. did not see this coming. portland up 12 with 6 min to go

[CubanMustGo]

79-67 Portland with six minutes left. If not for Brandon Bass dunking the ball every second time down the court in the fourth quarter the Mavs would be totally out of it.

[Amare_32]

Mavs might want to use something other then zone defense. Roy is killing them from 3 point range.

[traitoravery]

Hello Brandon Roy....32 pts 5-5 3pt

[CubanMustGo]

90-73, 3:32 to play.

[traitoravery]

D. Nowitzki 36 4-13 11
J. Howard 35 5-15 20
J. Terry 29 5-12 14
:lmao

I am sorry I just really hate the mavs....

[DOMINATOR]

the mavs have brad lidge syndrome.

[traitoravery]

Hey Mavfan say hello to 4-2.....

[CubanMustGo]

Dallas shot something like 35% tonight from the field, 95% from the line.

Portland wins, 91-82. Congrats TlongII!

[mavs>spurs2]

gay thread...i guess well be seeing about 20-25 of these throughout the year?

Do you really need to start a thread just for a mavs loss?

[Nashfan]

Good win by the young Blazers! Very poor defense and offense by Dallas tonight. :)

[Amare_32]

gay thread...i guess well be seeing about 20-25 of these throughout the year?

Do you really need to start a thread just for a mavs loss?

Relax they are just messing around.

[Nashfan]

gay thread...i guess well be seeing about 20-25 of these throughout the year?

Do you really need to start a thread just for a mavs loss?

I was really amazed that one of your fellow Mav fans did not start a game day thread like they usually do. Is that guy sick tonight or just out jogging, thinking his Mavs would win easily? :)

[tlongII]

The Blazers are at .500 now. We have a shot at the playoffs. Brandon Roy was AWESOME!

[Nashfan]

The Blazers are at .500 now. We have a shot at the playoffs. Brandon Roy was AWESOME!

Brandon Roy was awesome tonight. I am impressed by the Blazers this year, they just might make the playoffs or pretty darn close.

[Amare_32]

Look it was a good win for the Blazers but the Mavs really did not get up for this game. Is not an excuse is just the way it is. Teams like the Spurs,Mavs and the Suns they get judged on how they do in the playoffs. Sometimes in the regular season they tend to sleepwalk and lose to teams they should beat.

[mavs>spurs2]

The Blazers are a great up and coming team but this was just a sloppy game by the Mavericks any way you spin it

Anyone know what was the FG% for the game?

[Tippecanoe]

Anyone know what was the FG% for the game?

Dallas: 95%
Portland: 56%

this game coulda been SO much worse

[Amare_32]

Brandon Roy was awesome tonight. I am impressed by the Blazers this year, they just might make the playoffs or pretty darn close.


Yeah it will come down to them and the Hornets for the 8th seed. I think Portland might sneak in there. I really don't feel the Hornets. They are somewhat overrated.

[mavs>spurs2]

Dallas: 95%
Portland: 56%

this game coulda been SO much worse

:lol what was their FG%?

[mavsfan1000]

Good job Blazers on beating us. Man Dirk has not been the same player this year so far. Hope he gets his act together.

[mavs>spurs2]

Is it just me or is Dirk's scrotum shrinking more and more every year?

[Tippecanoe]

:lol what was their FG%?

im a moron :lmao

Dallas: 35%
Portland: 50%

[mavs>spurs2]

im a moron :lmao

Dallas: 35%
Portland: 50%

That pretty much tells the story

Shitty defense + terrible shooting = Mavs loss

[Nashfan]

The Blazers are a great up and coming team but this was just a sloppy game by the Mavericks any way you spin it

Anyone know what was the FG% for the game?


Yeah, the Mavs shot 35 percent and the Blazers shot 50 percent from the field. :lol Great defense there Mavs!

[mavs>spurs2]

Yeah, the Mavs shot 35 percent and the Blazers shot 50 percent from the field. :lol Great defense there Mavs!

I think I could have made some shots against the Mavs tonight

[Amare_32]

Is it just me or is Dirk's scrotum shrinking more and more every year?


Do you really think the Mavs are going to lose sleep over 1 loss? Is the NBA games like these happen. Although Dirk should have made the Blazers pay for putting small defenders on him. Outlaw? Come on Dirk your 7 feet tall take him down on the post.

[Nashfan]

Yeah it will come down to them and the Hornets for the 8th seed. I think Portland might sneak in there. I really don't feel the Hornets. They are somewhat overrated.

I haven't watched the Hornets much this year. I will have to watch them before I can judge them. I have watched the Blazers a few times and they gave the Spurs trouble, so who knows.

[mavs>spurs2]

Do you really think the Mavs are going to lose sleep over 1 loss? Is the NBA games like these happen. Although Dirk should have made the Blazers pay for putting small defenders on him. Outlaw? Come on Dirk your 7 feet tall take him down on the post.

No, but after the last 2 years, I think a little bit of doubt creeps into the back of their minds with each disappointment

Dirk needs to hit the weight room, he's been getting manhandled so far this year

[Amare_32]

I haven't watched the Hornets much this year. I will have to watch them before I can judge them. I have watched the Blazers a few times and they gave the Spurs trouble, so who knows.


Don't get me wrong Paul is great but I like Portland's roster more then the Hornets. They played the Spurs pretty well on opening night.

[Nashfan]

Don't get me wrong Paul is great but I like Portland's roster more then the Hornets. They played the Spurs pretty well on opening night.

This is true. They are an exciting team that seems to play good defense and they seem very athletic.

[Findog]

You shoot 35% from the floor, you don't win. Still, something about us seems off so far. I don't understand some of the minutes guys are getting (why is Ager seeing the floor if it's close?), the rotation decisions Avery is making, and I think guys shuffling in and out of the lineup on a nightly basis isn't helping due to injuries.

Our defense so far this year is shitty, and that's Dampier being out. Laugh all you want about a guy that gets paid $10 million to post up 7 and 7, but he's a big part of what we do.

[Findog]

I thought we missed Devin tonight, and not having a true C that can play 30+ minutes a night is taking its toll. Blazers got whatever shots they wanted, just like everybody else. I think Dirk will be fine when he can slide back to PF and not have to worry about manning the middle.

[SAtown]

Portland? :lmao

[ludda]

Nowitzki has been having lots of bad games so far...i mean its hard to top his FG% from last year..but he looks uncomfortable out there and his shots aren't falling. I think Avery's trying to make him into something he's not and it's not working out...all the better for the rest of us!

[Findog]

Nowitzki has been having lots of bad games so far...i mean its hard to top his FG% from last year..but he looks uncomfortable out there and his shots aren't falling. I think Avery's trying to make him into something he's not and it's not working out...all the better for the rest of us!

I think part of the problem is that with Dampier out, and Diop foul-prone, is that Dirk has to play a lot of C and frequently guard an opposing team's best big. He's basically playing out of position, just like he did in the Warriors series, and that's probably Dampier's biggest contribution when he comes back...he'll allow Dirk to slide back to the four and play at his usual spots on the floor.

[timvp]

To me, it looks like Dirk's problem is Nelly showed the world how to guard him. You play physical defense on him (with a shorter defender who can rebound) and let him do anything other than go to his left. Once he dribbles the ball, you send a double-team from his blind side.

Rinse. Repeat.

[Findog]

To me, it looks like Dirk's problem is Nelly showed the world how to guard him. You play physical defense on him (with a shorter defender who can rebound) and let him do anything other than go to his left. Once he dribbles the ball, you send a double-team from his blind side.

Rinse. Repeat.

The AP recap said he looked "tired." I wonder if he's physically sick, because he had all of the signs of that tonight - he was going out of his way to give up the ball, hung back on the arc like a decoy, and passed up a lot of shots. His teammates didn't seem to actively try and feed him either, almost like they knew he wasn't feeling well and didn't want him to have to shoulder the load.

I thought we missed Devin tonight a lot too.

[ludda]

^True but he had many pretty open shots the last couple of games that aren't going in. The first half he was 3/3 and then no one gave him the ball again...and all the other mavs were chucking up brick after brick. I personally think its adjusted defense of other teams but mostly him playing out of position and Avery trying to make him a post type player. He obviously needs to take some shots to start his offense flowing but now he's passing more and more and getting his teammates involved...which works when they're hot. Anyways it'll be interesting to see the Mavs this season..I think I see a downhill progression.

[Findog]

^True but he had many pretty open shots the last couple of games that aren't going in. The first half he was 3/3 and then no one gave him the ball again...and all the other mavs were chucking up brick after brick. I personally think its adjusted defense of other teams but mostly him playing out of position and Avery trying to make him a post type player. He obviously needs to take some shots to start his offense flowing but now he's passing more and more and getting his teammates involved...which works when they're hot. Anyways it'll be interesting to see the Mavs this season..I think I see a downhill progression.

Well, they're not winning 67 games again, so they have nowhere to go but "down." I personally feel like if they start playing below .600 ball, Avery is going to have to go back to last season's distribution of minutes and start putting guys in their usual spots. This team will go as far as Dirk takes them, and right now he's "good" instead of "franchise" caliber, which is where he should be.

[ludda]

Mavs still have zero inside presence. Once teams shut down Dirk, as athletic teams seem to do well, the rest of the team doesn't have a good shot against a good team. Dirk looks passive, pass-first, and awkward.
That's what I mean when the mavs are going downhill, obviously still too early to say but that's just my opinion.

[SpursIndonesia]

You shoot 35% from the floor, you don't win. Still, something about us seems off so far. I don't understand some of the minutes guys are getting (why is Ager seeing the floor if it's close?), the rotation decisions Avery is making, and I think guys shuffling in and out of the lineup on a nightly basis isn't helping due to injuries.

...........

Avery just follows Pop's way of shuffling the rotation early in the regular season, to really learn his team players -esp. ones other than key members of the team- character & capabilities. He seems to finally understand that fantastic regular season record means jack if he can't make adjustment in the post season with the personnels that he has got.

[Dirk Nowitzki]

:pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :madrun :madrun :madrun :madrun GOD DAMNIT! OUR DEFENSE FUCKING BLOWS. EVEN WITH DAMPIER...THIS IS NOT A CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE! IT HASNT EVEN SHOWN THAT ABILITY!!!! UGHHHHHH IM FUCKING PISSED OFF BECAUSE I FEEL WE HAVE BEEN EXPOSED ESPECIALLY FUCKING DIRK!!! :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss FUCK THIS! :madrun :madrun

[mavsfan1000]

:pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :madrun :madrun :madrun :madrun GOD DAMNIT! OUR DEFENSE FUCKING BLOWS. EVEN WITH DAMPIER...THIS IS NOT A CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE! IT HASNT EVEN SHOWN THAT ABILITY!!!! UGHHHHHH IM FUCKING PISSED OFF BECAUSE I FEEL WE HAVE BEEN EXPOSED ESPECIALLY FUCKING DIRK!!! :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss FUCK THIS! :madrun :madrun
Relax man. We didn't have Harris either. Both are needed for a championship run.

[dirk4mvp]

I think Mav fans should be like Spur fans after a loss and start 27 threads saying we need to trade so and so and fire somebody. A few emotional breakdowns from a few posters would be nice too.

[mavsluva]

Does it really matter?

I'll start sweating a Mavs loss when Mark Cuban starts paying my bills. Because at the end of the day, basketball (and other sports) is really like a sitcom. You have some endings that you really enjoy, and you also have some endings that you don't really care for. Period. And if you allow a team that you have NO control over to dictate your emotions and your life, then you're unfortunately jeopardizing your quality of life for no reason.

Should the Mavs win it all this year, then great. If they don't, well then that's cool too.

[SpursGO]

D. Nowitzki 36 4-13 11
J. Howard 35 5-15 20
J. Terry 29 5-12 14
:lmao

I am sorry I just really hate the mavs....

Thank god, finally Jason Terry's fast start has gone down the drain, look for more teams to beat the Mavs now.

[SpursGO]

Does it really matter?

I'll start sweating a Mavs loss when Mark Cuban starts paying my bills. Because at the end of the day, basketball (and other sports) is really like a sitcom. You have some endings that you really enjoy, and you also have some endings that you don't really care for. Period. And if you allow a team that you have NO control over to dictate your emotions and your life, then you're unfortunately jeopardizing your quality of life for no reason.

Should the Mavs win it all this year, then great. If they don't, well then that's cool too.

Perfect example of a bandwagoner fan.

[JamStone]

Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!

[T Park]

You play physical defense on him (with a shorter defender who can rebound)

coughimeudokacough

[T Park]

Perfect example of a bandwagoner fan

putting basketball in pespective doesn't make him a bandwagoner :rolleyes

[Findog]

Perfect example of a bandwagoner fan.

Actually that's the definition of a fan with perspective and has his/her priorities in order. You're the douche too ashamed to list the Houston Rockets as your team.

[lurker]

Hey Mavfan say hello to 4-2.....
After starting last season 0-4, 4-2 feels great.

[picnroll]

Mavs are showing the same vulnerability to long, athletic teams that bit them in the ass last year.

[td4mvp3]

putting basketball in pespective doesn't make him a bandwagoner :rolleyes
but it states the obvious. with that rationale, why watch anything?

anywho, i'm more impressed with portland doing this after having played the night before and dallas having had time to rest.

[Amarelooms]

Dirk is playing like shit....if he don't step-up the Mavs should start taking trade offers for him.....might be time for a change.

[mavs>spurs2]

T Park
Damn Commies

Position: Volatile Forward
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Dynasty League 1: 0-4 (7th in NW Division)
vBookie Cash: $1000
Post Count: 36,456


Lol, and we're supposed to care what you think?

[himat]

After starting last season 0-4, 4-2 feels great.

I forgot about that. They still had an amazing record. The Mavs season was a roller coaster ride last year.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Perfect example of a bandwagoner fan.
That was in no way, shape or form anything that had to do with being bandwagoner.

[Dreamshake]

gay thread...i guess well be seeing about 20-25 of these throughout the year?

Do you really need to start a thread just for a mavs loss?


No you don't have to worry about seeing 20-25 of these this year. Be serious man.


More likely about 40 of them. LOL

[mavs>spurs2]

No way the Mavs lose 40 :nope

[Findog]

No way the Mavs lose 40 :nope

Not unless we're decimated by injuries.

[mavs>spurs2]

Not unless we're decimated by injuries.

Even then, no.

This team is deep enough that there is no excuse, even injuries.

[703 Spurz]

gay thread...i guess well be seeing about 20-25 of these throughout the year?

Do you really need to start a thread just for a mavs loss?

:elephant :elephant :elephant :elephant :elephant

[mavs>spurs2]

Im all for a little smack talk between fans of different teams, but starting a thread titled Mavs Loss is just lame

At least bring some real smack to the table other than "MAVS LOST TEHEHEHEHE"

[ludda]

Some fans are funny, I'd actually be more worried if my team was peaking right now.

[jmard5]

Come on Dirk your 7 feet tall take him down on the post.

Well. That's the problem.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

I think Portland has the talent, but they still played pretty young basketball. They could have blew the Mavericks out. Even with the poor free throw shooting. Still, they're only going to get better, and that's good for the league.

I think Bass looks like a pretty good addition to the Mavs. So that's good news for them at least.

I wonder about Dirk's game, I agree with a previous post, he doesn't look like he's at franchise player level.

[Roxsfan]

I think Portland has the talent, but they still played pretty young basketball. They could have blew the Mavericks out. Even with the poor free throw shooting. Still, they're only going to get better, and that's good for the league.

I think Bass looks like a pretty good addition to the Mavs. So that's good news for them at least.

I wonder about Dirk's game, I agree with a previous post, he doesn't look like he's at franchise player level.

+1

[Findog]

I wonder about Dirk's game, I agree with a previous post, he doesn't look like he's at franchise player level.

Teams are throwing the double-teams at him now and selling out against him, forcing his supporting cast to beat them. Sometimes they will and sometimes they won't. Last year we won all those games by Dirk going for 25 and 10 on 50% shooting. So far he's at 19 and 8 on 44% shooting. We can't win a title if we're dependent upon him putting the previous #s up on a nightly basis. Guys have off-nights, guys are going to be the focal point of a defense. If it's the latter case, you can't win a title if the other guys aren't making their shots and punishing teams for directing so much game-planning against Dirk.

That's the adjustment the NBA has made to stop him and his team, and they've made it clear they're not going to make things easier for him. It would seem initially that Avery has responded by trying to turn Dirk into more of a facilitator. He's leading the team in assists with almost 5 per game.

Avery wants Dirk to put up 20 pts, 9 rbds and 5 dimes per game instead of 28 pts, 9 rbds and 2 assists. How often does Tim Duncan go for 30+ points in the regular season? He sets up his teammates and creates opportunities for his teammates because he knows how to handle the extra defensive attention, when to pass out and find the open man and when to take it himself. Dirk isn't nowhere near Duncan's level, and he's clearly struggling with the role of a facilitator, but having watched most of the games so far, this is what I think his "problem" is. Avery figures the only way to avoid the Golden State debacle is to solve the kind of defense Nellie threw at him. It's clearly a work in progress, but I'm glad they're actively trying to do something about it.

[CubanMustGo]

Good post, Findog.

[fitzgerald]

Dirk is playing like shit....if he don't step-up the Mavs should start taking trade offers for him.....might be time for a change.


Dirk is done. Last year has blown his confidence. Bring in Kobe while you can. Sorry to say it but it is true.

[ludda]

From what I've seen, I agree with Findog.
I don't think Dirk will ever be a great facilitator and he needs to be the main part of the offense and he has yet to reconcile the two.

[stretch]

Dallas MUST run more plays for Josh Howard. There is no fucking way that this guy should be getting any less than 15 shots a game, unless its a very bad night.

[Findog]

From what I've seen, I agree with Findog.
I don't think Dirk will ever be a great facilitator and he needs to be the main part of the offense and he has yet to reconcile the two.

I agree that he needs to find a happy median. Dirk is primarily a jumpshooter, and as anybody who has ever played the game can tell you, perimeter players need their touches in order to get into a flow and stay hot. That was part of the problem last year I think, we clinched so early and Avery rested guys for the last two weeks, and I definitely think it affected his timing and rhythm when we were finally playing meaningful ball again against Golden State.

We beat San Antonio and Phoenix two years ago by Dirk scoring a ton of points, and his production dropped off against Miami and we lost. He went from 25 and 9 on 50% shooting in the regular season to 19 and 10 on 38% shooting against the Warriors and we lost. There are times when the correct play is to pass out of a double-team. He needs better post moves, his teammates need the repetition and practice of handling the opportunities that come with him drawing so much defensive attention, because in theory he becomes more dangerous if he's setting his teammates up and then can get his when his team needs it like a Tim Duncan or a Steve Nash. The great players are always like that, they get their teammates involved, since guys tend to play better in all phases of the game when they're getting touches.

But the main difference between Tim Duncan and Dirk is that Duncan doesn't need to score 35+ points to be dominant. Dirk is a decent rebounder for his size, while Duncan is a great one. Duncan can control the paint, block shots and guard opposing bigs while those are things that Dirk is not great at. So it's one thing for Pop to tell Duncan: rebound and play d, Parker and Manu will score for us tonight. Duncan isn't a rhythm jumpshooter either, he doesn't need to be "hot" to score when he needs to, he has his arsenal of post moves.

Avery is a great motivator, he's made this team accountable to play defense, which is something Nellie wasn't as committed to, but sometimes I get the feeling that Avery borrows a bit much from the Spurs "right way" approach. Dirk isn't Duncan, it's a completely different skill-set, and no amount of work is going to turn Dirk into another Duncan. And watching the game last night, I was a bit puzzled, like why Ager was getting burn in the 2nd Quarter instead of garbage time, and I agree with the poster upthread who said it looks like Avery is trying to see what he has outside of Dirk, Josh, Jet and Stackhouse, get a feel for who on his roster can do what. If unproven or raw guys like Brandon Bass are going to make a meaningful contribution in May, now is the time for them to get experience and for the coaches to see what he can and can't do.

[Findog]

Im all for a little smack talk between fans of different teams, but starting a thread titled Mavs Loss is just lame

At least bring some real smack to the table other than "MAVS LOST TEHEHEHEHE"

It's a Spurs board. It's going to come with the territory. Lots of good, knowledgeable spurs fans, but they have their share of douches like any other fanbase.

[mavs>spurs2]

It's a Spurs board. It's going to come with the territory. Lots of good, knowledgeable spurs fans, but they have their share of douches like any other fanbase.

Nah some douches actually know how to talk smack

Im talking about the "mavs lost hehehehe let me go jack my prepubescent dick to the postgame show" kind of smack

[ludda]

Honestly, I don't see how Dallas can go far withOUT Dirk being "dominant" as in scoring a lot of points and having the offense run through him. Yeah sure, team ball, but who else does Dallas really have that is reliable? Terry, Stack? streaky and when they go cold, they really go cold. Harris? Mistaken prone and teams are just going to force him to shoot from outside. Howard? Yeah...not a big threat. The mavs are good enough to beat most teams, but I don't see them getting far unless Dirk is playing out of his mind. And Avery's plan of turning Dirk into Duncan 2.0 is laughable...Dirk may improve his passing and post moves, but I doubt its ever going to be dominant enough to make a difference against contenders. At the end of the day, Dirk is a jumpshooter and they really live and die by that.

I think Houston is going to be better than Mavs this year...if they can stay healthy. But it'll be interesting to watch these two teams as the season goes on.

[Findog]

Honestly, I don't see how Dallas can go far withOUT Dirk being "dominant" as in scoring a lot of points and having the offense run through him. Yeah sure, team ball, but who else does Dallas really have that is reliable? Terry, Stack? streaky and when they go cold, they really go cold. Harris? Mistaken prone and teams are just going to force him to shoot from outside. Howard? Yeah...not a big threat. The mavs are good enough to beat most teams, but I don't see them getting far unless Dirk is playing out of his mind. And Avery's plan of turning Dirk into Duncan 2.0 is laughable...Dirk may improve his passing and post moves, but I doubt its ever going to be dominant enough to make a difference against contenders. At the end of the day, Dirk is a jumpshooter and they really live and die by that.

I think Houston is going to be better than Mavs this year...if they can stay healthy. But it'll be interesting to watch these two teams as the season goes on.

I don't think Avery is stupid enough to think that he can replicate what Duncan does through Dirk, but there's no reason why a 7'1 guy like Dirk shouldn't have better post moves, better passing skills, nor do I understand how you can downplay guys like Howard or Terry. Jet's a classic tweener, too short for the two, can't create offense for others at the one. He's clearly suited for the Vinnie Johnson role. Howard is just a terrific player, I don't get him not being a 'big threat,' and you can't tell me he makes his living solely off what opposing defenses do to Dirk. It's only five games so far, but Harris' jumper has been a bit better. If that's the case, then teams can't pack the lane against him anymore.

We just couldn't get easy baskets against the Warriors, and why wouldn't teams continue to throw this kind of physical zone against us? It's something that Dallas is going to have to get better at and solve if they want to win a title.

[mavs>spurs2]

Honestly, I don't see how Dallas can go far withOUT Dirk being "dominant" as in scoring a lot of points and having the offense run through him.
Have you been paying attention so far this year? Dirk has sucked terribly, we've won all 4 games in spite of him, not because of him. Learning to get other guys involved and be able to win games when Dirk has an off night is key.


Yeah sure, team ball, but who else does Dallas really have that is reliable? Terry, Stack? streaky and when they go cold, they really go cold. Harris? Mistaken prone and teams are just going to force him to shoot from outside. Howard? Yeah...not a big threat.

Terry is one of the most underrated players in the game..in past years the Mavs have sank or swim depending on what kind of night he's having. The dude is averaging something like 23 ppg off the bench, that's pretty impressive if you ask me. Same with Josh, how can you call an all-star player who's averaging over 20 ppg on almost 52% shooting and grabbing almost 7 boards not a big threat?



The mavs are good enough to beat most teams, but I don't see them getting far unless Dirk is playing out of his mind. And Avery's plan of turning Dirk into Duncan 2.0 is laughable...Dirk may improve his passing and post moves, but I doubt its ever going to be dominant enough to make a difference against contenders. At the end of the day, Dirk is a jumpshooter and they really live and die by that.

It's true that we are going to need Dirk to play up to his potential in order to have success in the postseason, but the best move we've made so far is getting other players involved instead of running everything through Dirk. This killed us last year because when Dirk had an off night, or was completely taken out of his game like in the GS series, the Mavs sunk with him. We need to be taking advantage of the talent and depth on this team instead of just relying on Dirk to carry the team.


I think Houston is going to be better than Mavs this year...if they can stay healthy. But it'll be interesting to watch these two teams as the season goes on.

I think it's too early too call, but so far Houston just doesn't impress me. They're going to need better teamwork and have someone else be able to step up and take some of the offensive load off Tmac and Yao. Bonzi Wells might be that guy, but then again he seems to only be effective against the Spurs.

[RonMexico]

gay thread...i guess well be seeing about 20-25 of these throughout the year?

Do you really need to start a thread just for a mavs loss?

I definitely hope so. Just imagine if the Spurs fans started a thread for every discussion on a Suns message board about the Horry foul and the suspensions... or for everytime Steve Nash tripped somebody... or for every time Amare Stoudemire does push-ups... boy then we'd be in store for even more worthless threads.

[ludda]

I'm not downgrading Dallas, its just my personal opinion.
I think its smart of Avery to toy around and get the team more involved, but it may (or may not) be to the detriment of Dirk. How far will they go with him as a facilitator and thus not getting many touches to get his offense flowing and him as still the number one option. If Dirk can really be able to mediate the two while still being the offensive threat he has been then I will give him credit.
And I think Terry, Howard and Harris are talented but not consistent enough to carry the team far into the playoffs when Dirk fails to show up again.

[SpursIndonesia]

I think a great deal of Dallas success this year lies in the development of Devin Harris, Josh Howard, and to a lesser extent, DeSagana Diop. Dirk will be Dirk, Terry is what he is, Stackhouse is one year older & Dampier is collecting his undeserved contract. But if those three young guys can develop quite substantially, that might be enough to get them championship.

[BUMP]

Hey Mavfan say hello to 4-2.....
OH NO!! this loss will give me nightmares....

MAKE IT STOP!!!

:dramaquee