The Mavs Suck Right Now - Who Is To Blame?

[monosylab1k]

Is it Dirk for playing half-assed and tentative?

Devin Harris for thinking that being a "true PG" means jacking up 3's, flopping, and getting 4 assists a night? And being a pussy who can't suck it up and play through an injury if his life depended on it?

The Mavs Bench for being the definition of suckasses?

Or is Avery to blame? He has claimed that this year will be different, but other than him not ranting & raving nonstop and the Mavs playing like shit, is anything different?

He's still overcoaching. We've had like 9 different starting lineups this year. I realize Eddie Jones is "hurt" right now but just stick a guy in the starting SG spot and GO WITH HIM until Jones isn't "hurt" anymore. He found a perfect spot for Terry as the 6th man but can't stop FUCKING TINKERING WITH THE LINEUP so he moves Jet all over the goddamn place. He says they're gonna give Ager a chance and plays him for exactly one half. He says Trenton Hassell is a guy he likes but he plays him for a grand total of 15 seconds last night.

This is why I think Avery is so overrated. Things have looked great while the championship-caliber team he inherited is running smoothly. We see him being the Little General out there and it seems so great. But EVERY SINGLE TIME this team has faced adversity, Avery has made more coaching blunders than Tim Floyd's entire career with the Bulls.

Can someone explain to me what the fuck Avery is doing?

[stretch]

This is absolutely retarded to be posting this early in the season. For all we know, they could finish the season on an 18-0 run with over 60 wins and then dominate on their road to a championship. All that matters is that they finish the season strong. We all saw how great they started last year then how they finished. Compare it with how the Spurs started kinda slow, but finished VERY strong, and won another title (much like they did in their previous championships). Save the complaining for the end of the year if they are still playing this badly.

[ArgSpursFan.]

I don't think the Mavs are playing that bad.
they have a great team and bench
AJ is not Pop,but He's a very good coach.
I guess they're not closing games they way they should,that's all.
If they can manage to don't choke in 4rd quarters they'll be ok though(seriusly)
S.A
Phenix
Dallas
are the top 3 teams in the West and probably the NBA.

[stretch]

I don't think the Mavs are playing that bad.

Actually, they are playing quite bad. Compared to what they are capable of doing. We have seen times where they looked absolutely brillant, and no one could stop them no matter how hard they tried. And those times only came when the team actually was playing hard and like they cared. They have been VERY lazy so far this year, and it has shown. I think lack of care has been their biggest problem this year. They are not making shots they usually make. They have had all kinds of uncharacteristic mistakes and turnovers that they are not known for. And the reason has not been bad play, but lazy play. Usually someone will just jack a shot up without getting set like they should, or they throw a pass really lazily that gets picked off, when they could have EASILY made a perfect pass for an easy layup or dunk. They just look completely disinterested.

[ArgSpursFan.]

Actually, they are playing quite bad. Compared to what they are capable of doing. We have seen times where they looked absolutely brillant, and no one could stop them no matter how hard they tried. And those times only came when the team actually was playing hard and like they cared. They have been VERY lazy so far this year, and it has shown. I think lack of care has been their biggest problem this year. They are not making shots they usually make. They have had all kinds of uncharacteristic mistakes and turnovers that they are not known for. And the reason has not been bad play, but lazy play. Usually someone will just jack a shot up without getting set like they should, or they throw a pass really lazily that gets picked off, when they could have EASILY made a perfect pass for an easy layup or dunk. They just look completely disinterested.

they're just doing what they were supposed to do last year and the year before in the reg season.
You can't bring your best game night in and out on every single game in the reg season.That kills you in the long run.
It's just a matter of getting to the playoffs in good shape,mentally and physically.

[RonMexico]

Dirk only hits clutch shots v. Suns.

[stretch]

they're just doing what they were supposed to do last year and the year before in the reg season.
You can't bring your best game night in and out on every single game in the reg season.That kills you in the long run.
It's just a matter of getting to the playoffs in good shape,mentally and physically.
I agree. Although I think they should be showing at least a little more effort than this, I'm not worried at all. If they are still playing like this in another 2 or 3 months, then I will be worried.

[loveforthegame]

I think Avery Johnson.

He's trying to cut everyone's minutes but not getting them to play as intense. Stackhouse looks like he's done. The number of lineup changes doesn't help either.

The biggest problem is taking the ball out of Dirk's hands though. He likes to go to Howard early and Bass late in the game. There are stretches where Dirk doesn't even touch the ball.

[Cry Havoc]

Stack's production has tanked. I see no leader on this team at the moment. No guy just throws down and goes balls out except maybe Terry, who has control problems.

I think the Mavs are a very good, very dangerous team, but they need a "glue guy".

[Sweetey]

Mark Cuban is to blame.

[PoleSmoking]

Can someone explain to me what the fuck Avery is doing?

I shortened it to for brevity.

Avery's problem is that he thinks he needs to be more calm and stable this year. The reason why it's a problem is that if you take away Avery's fire, he doesn't really have much else to offer as a coach. He was a motivator. He was a guy who could get his players fired up. He was a guy who could get results from players who weren't playing their best. Take away all that passion and fire and brimstone, and Avery's just not a very good coach --at least as far as strategy and game-planning. Most of Avery's strategy moves seem to backfire on him, like benching Damp against the Warriors after winning 67 games with him in the starting line-up.

[Cry Havoc]

I shortened it to for brevity.

Avery's problem is that he thinks he needs to be more calm and stable this year. The reason why it's a problem is that if you take away Avery's fire, he doesn't really have much else to offer as a coach. He was a motivator. He was a guy who could get his players fired up. He was a guy who could get results from players who weren't playing their best. Take away all that passion and fire and brimstone, and Avery's just not a very good coach --at least as far as strategy and game-planning. Most of Avery's strategy moves seem to backfire on him, like benching Damp against the Warriors after winning 67 games with him in the starting line-up.

But that might be necessary for the Mavs to win. They got so fired up for the regular season last year that they had nothing for GS in the playoffs.

This year, maybe he waits until the playoffs to really instill a sense of gravity to the games.

[RonMexico]

But that might be necessary for the Mavs to win. They got so fired up for the regular season last year that they had nothing for GS in the playoffs.

This year, maybe he waits until the playoffs to really instill a sense of gravity to the games.


By then, Josh Howard will have elbowed every player in the league in the head, JET will have gotten destroyed by an Elson/Obert double screen and Dirk will have stopped playing by March and just sit on the bench sucking his thumb.

[ludda]

I think Avery Johnson.

He's trying to cut everyone's minutes but not getting them to play as intense. Stackhouse looks like he's done. The number of lineup changes doesn't help either.

The biggest problem is taking the ball out of Dirk's hands though. He likes to go to Howard early and Bass late in the game. There are stretches where Dirk doesn't even touch the ball.

Add Dirk to the blame.
I agree with this post. I watched a couple mavs game and they look pretty shitty. I find it funny that Dirk has suddenly become the 2nd or 3rd option for the team. He's shooting less than Brickhouse and the offense isn't run though him anymore. Then again, if he had any aggression like a superstar would...

[1Parker1]

^:lol

[1Parker1]

The biggest problem is they are trying to turn Dirk into a player he's not. He's not your typical PF that can post up and he never will be. He's also not a very adept passer...especially out of double teams. What he is is a shooter and instead Avery and Mavs fans are calling for the ball to get out of his hands and he's getting the ball in positions/places outside of his comfort zone. It can't all fall on Dirk when the going gets tough. He's not a fundamentally sound player like Duncan, he's not an all around offensive guy like Kobe, and he's not powerful enough in the paint like a Howard or Amare. He's a 7 foot shooter who the Mavs are trying to turn into a PF and this season a PG by the looks of it.

[LEONARD]

SpursDynasty's absence here is to blame!!

[stretch]

SpursDynasty's absence here is to blame!!
Agreed. His jinxing predictions is the Mavs key to victory every game.

[RonMexico]

SpursDynasty jinx posts were just flukes.

[ThomasGranger]

He was just jinxing the posts he was supposed to jinx.

[thispego]

can you vote more than once?

[mavsfan1000]

STACKHOUSE STACKHOUSE STACKHOUSE. He is flat out horrible. It's Avery's fault to keep playing him so much despite how much he sucks. I picked bench but Avery is right underneath it.

[ATRAIN]

This is absolutely retarded to be posting this early in the season. For all we know, they could finish the season on an 18-0 run with over 60 wins and then dominate on their road to a championship. All that matters is that they finish the season strong. We all saw how great they started last year then how they finished. Compare it with how the Spurs started kinda slow, but finished VERY strong, and won another title (much like they did in their previous championships). Save the complaining for the end of the year if they are still playing this badly.


Don't you know Mono is already doing what he did to the cowboys. Left them and went to the Pats. Soon under his name you will see Celtics, Suns, or Spurs.

[atxrocker]

any team where dirk is the "go to guy" will always under achieve.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Some on Dirk, most on AJ. Clearly a good part of it is that the team is sleep walking right now, probably waiting to flip the switch come spring time. But I'm not convinced that Dirk becoming some sort of point-forward is the solution to their problems. I think it only encourages a passive streak that he has and if nothing else represents a coach trying to hammer a round peg into a square hole. Maybe Dirk is playing weak, but to do nothing about it falls on AJ's shoulders.

This might all be part of a master plan. AJ might have taken Dirk aside and said, "We both know you're a lights out shooter. The first half of the year we are going to work on your passing and by spring that dimension of your game will make it tougher for defenses to throw multiple defenders at you."

It's the same problem that they are going to face every year until they win it all. When a team coached by Riley or Pop gets off to a slow start everyone looks at it and figures they are waiting to spring the trap. If you do that without a championship pedigree everyone is just going to wonder what the hell is wrong with you.

[clambake]

STACKHOUSE STACKHOUSE STACKHOUSE. He is flat out horrible. It's Avery's fault to keep playing him so much despite how much he sucks. I picked bench but Avery is right underneath it.
hell, at least he's not afraid to take the responsiblility.

i don't know if dirk can make it back. the slightest hint of pressure and he folds.

[fitzgerald]

An earlier poster mentioned that Avery is a good motivator but weak coach. I think he hit it right on the head. Avery trying to change now and not be so hard is not working. True sign of an inexperienced coach that we are wasting time with. You can't just change after two years and expect it to work with the same players. This team needs a shakeup to get their attention. Send Stackhouse away and give Ager more time. Dampier is a waste. This could let them know that they need to produce to stick around. I prefer they send Dirk packing. He is done. See what you can get. If it is not better then replace players around him. I like Bass and Josh. The rest are all suspect. (including Devin Harris)

[Nashfan]

Don't you know Mono is already doing what he did to the cowboys. Left them and went to the Pats. Soon under his name you will see Celtics, Suns, or Spurs.

Yeah, I know, he is a bandwagon fan. :lol

[1Parker1]

I'm surprised at all the anger towards Dirk....he's a virtual mismatch for every team (minus the Warriors :lol) in the league. Why fans would want to trade him or put more than 50% of the blame on him is beyond me.

[clambake]

i'm not angry at dirk, i'm sympathetic toward his tentative approach to the game. last year really screwed him up.

[Extra Stout]

I didn't see an option marked, "It's only December. Go change your underwear and be quiet, Mav fan."

[fitzgerald]

I'm surprised at all the anger towards Dirk....he's a virtual mismatch for every team (minus the Warriors :lol) in the league. Why fans would want to trade him or put more than 50% of the blame on him is beyond me.


He is a mismatch that can help and hurt you. When his shot is on he will put a lot of pressure on the opposing teams. What happens when he suddenly loses it? He becomes a passive 7ft jumpshooter that can't play defense. His defense is terrible. When teams see him they go right at him with much success. Might as well sit him because he is a liability. We already know he does not have a killer instinct in him. Remember, you trade players when their value is still high. Then you might get a few players in exchange or another star. (Kobe) I would do it in a heart beat.

[SRJ]

They don't look very sharp, that's for damn sure. They looked careless with their passing, and they lost the effort battle last night. In the first meeting with the Spurs they established a lead and kept their foot on the gas. Last night they seemed to relax after they established their ten point lead.

Mav fans - I have a question: Is Dirk's footwork on his jumpshot different than it used to be? To me, his feet look all splayed and crazy after a jumper, but maybe he's always done it like that but I'm only noticing this year because he's not as automatic with that shot as he used to be.

[dirk4mvp]

any team where dirk is the "go to guy" will always under achieve.


He led the team to a finals appearance. No go to guy on the Kings can ever say they did that. :lol

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

dont worry. They will blowout the Nuggets and get back on track. The Rockets looked horrible until they played the Nuggets and then BAM they are winning again :lol

[v2freak]

Add Dirk to the blame.
I agree with this post. I watched a couple mavs game and they look pretty shitty. I find it funny that Dirk has suddenly become the 2nd or 3rd option for the team. He's shooting less than Brickhouse and the offense isn't run though him anymore. Then again, if he had any aggression like a superstar would...

Sound familiar?

[PoleSmoking]

But that might be necessary for the Mavs to win. They got so fired up for the regular season last year that they had nothing for GS in the playoffs.

This year, maybe he waits until the playoffs to really instill a sense of gravity to the games.

Maybe. But maybe this year the Mavs can't afford to save it for the playoffs, as strong as the Western Conference is now. I can name 8 teams that will probably have good enough records to make the post-season this year, NOT INCLUDING the Mavs (Spurs, Suns, Jazz, Rockets, Nuggets, Lakers, Warriors, and now the Hornets). If they continue to lose, the playoffs are not guaranteed at all.

[BonnerDynasty]

They are trying to not get a top seed this year.

[easjer]

I think most of the blame lies with Avery. I'm becoming inclined to agree that he may just not be a good coach. His playbook seems to be to try and do things the Spurs have done. But then mess with it some so he doesn't get accused of simply copying Pop. It would explain why he keeps trying to shoehorn Dirk into a role he had not and never will play. It also explains why he goes with putting Terry as 6th man and then fucks with it.

He doesn't seem to have the patience to just leave things be and see how it works out. We know Pop likes to tinker in the early season, so maybe that's why AJ does it too, but he goes too far. Too many lineups, not enough to see what's happening, you know? Also, things seemed to go better for them when he kept their old offensive schemes in place and simply added killer D. Now that he's fucking with the offensive schemes, it's falling apart.

Yeah, it's December, and no, they don't need to go balls out to win. But the difference I see between the Spurs and Mavs is that the Spurs are still held accountable for lazy play. A bad pass or failure to cover your man will get you pulled in the early season. You will see playing time cut back if you sleep walk through the game (ok, admittedly Duncan has slept through a few games, but he turns it on when needed and has proven he can turn it on). The Mavs don't seem to have that accountability right now. They seem to have no motivation to win - simply trying to rest up doesn't mean you don't play hard or efficiently - it means you play fewer minutes. Additionally, Avery doesn't seem to have given them a leader or someone to believe in, and further is giving them conflicting messages (It's ok to play lazy ball, because we are resting. Wait, no, we are trying to win every game and play hard. Which is it?).

The Mavs haven't really proven that they have another level that they can simply flip on when needed. That would concern me if I were a Mavs fan. Too early to jump ship on the team or call them out or anything, but I'd be watching to see how the development comes along. Spurs are developing and getting better, albeit slowly. Can the same be said of the Mavs?

[m33p0]

nuggets currently leads the game against the markcubanites right now 77-66 with 6:48 to go in the third.

they can't hide anymore behind that "we're just cruising" excuse. there is something really wrong with the mavs.

*for the past 3 years, they've been amongst the worst in assist pointing to a lack of ball movement.
*they have no premiere post player like duncan.
*they have no primetime scorer ala kobe or manu.
*they are currently experimenting with the spurs way where duncan becomes the third option. problem for them is that dirk needs to shoot to be effective.
*lack of any clear offensive flow. or is that the point?

to me, the mavs are having an identity crisis.
:wakeup

[td4mvp21]

I think most of the blame lies with Avery. I'm becoming inclined to agree that he may just not be a good coach. His playbook seems to be to try and do things the Spurs have done. But then mess with it some so he doesn't get accused of simply copying Pop. It would explain why he keeps trying to shoehorn Dirk into a role he had not and never will play. It also explains why he goes with putting Terry as 6th man and then fucks with it.

He doesn't seem to have the patience to just leave things be and see how it works out. We know Pop likes to tinker in the early season, so maybe that's why AJ does it too, but he goes too far. Too many lineups, not enough to see what's happening, you know? Also, things seemed to go better for them when he kept their old offensive schemes in place and simply added killer D. Now that he's fucking with the offensive schemes, it's falling apart.

Yeah, it's December, and no, they don't need to go balls out to win. But the difference I see between the Spurs and Mavs is that the Spurs are still held accountable for lazy play. A bad pass or failure to cover your man will get you pulled in the early season. You will see playing time cut back if you sleep walk through the game (ok, admittedly Duncan has slept through a few games, but he turns it on when needed and has proven he can turn it on). The Mavs don't seem to have that accountability right now. They seem to have no motivation to win - simply trying to rest up doesn't mean you don't play hard or efficiently - it means you play fewer minutes. Additionally, Avery doesn't seem to have given them a leader or someone to believe in, and further is giving them conflicting messages (It's ok to play lazy ball, because we are resting. Wait, no, we are trying to win every game and play hard. Which is it?).

The Mavs haven't really proven that they have another level that they can simply flip on when needed. That would concern me if I were a Mavs fan. Too early to jump ship on the team or call them out or anything, but I'd be watching to see how the development comes along. Spurs are developing and getting better, albeit slowly. Can the same be said of the Mavs?

Very good analysis. I agree.

[Capt Bringdown]

Ain't it the case that Avery got on some people's nerves when he was a player? Namely Tim Duncan?
His is the kind of act that would seem to get old after a while. OK when you're winning, but I wouldn't want to listen to his high-pitched screeching when the chips are down.

[SAtown]

Where is the Mavs community? Basketball News Central just isn't the same without them

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

wow they do suck at the moment. Nuggets blowing them out at home. AI is a freak

[milkyway21]

Manu(37 pts) & AI(35 pts 10 asst..), I guess

two nights in a row. you're looking to a 2 game losing streak guys.

[SAtown]

Why is that Asshole George Karl playing all his starters until that last 1 minute of the game..especially since they were up by 15?

Why not? They're playing one of the top teams at their house...


Expecting an opponent to "take it easy" on you is weak and classless.

Seriously. How pathetic.

You're SO BAD that you EXPECT the opposing offense to "take it easy" on you???

Your ego is SO FRAGILE that you require your opponent to STOP TRYING?

You are so unable to handle a large loss that you have to turn the blame away from your own incompetence?? How anti-American. How piss weak. Be men.

Giving up in such a manner is the epitome of lacking self-respect and class.

It is FAR MORE CLASSLESS to complain about an opponent running up the score than it is to play the game how it is supposed to be played as an offense or defense.

These people crying about us scoring points are beyond pathetic. They are completely classless. That goes for the accusing opponents and media members alike.

Jealousy is an ugly emotion.

[ludda]

Mavs are really shitty now. I don't see how anything will spark them up. I think other teams got better, the mavs got worse and they didn't address any of their holes this offseason. Dirk is mentally weaker, and his teammates are not consistent enough to win. Sucks to be a mavs fan!

[ShoogarBear]

Ah, didn't see this new thread before I posted in the old one.

I think it's a combination of Avery making changes, including de-emphasizing Dirk, and Dirk allowing that to happen. They are only going to go as far as he takes them. He needs to shake last year off and step up his game.

[Dirk Nowitzki]

Nothing is wrong with the Mavs. I like what Avery is doing. This team is pacing themselves. They are fine. They will turn it on eventually. They are a great team and Im not worried just yet. Spurs were 14-11 and even 9-10 at one point in the season and they managed to get it going. The Mavs will too. They are conserving alot of their energy. I know this will pay off in the end. I feel something VERY good is going to come out of this. This is a blessing in disguise.

[Sweetey]

Nowitzki still NOWINSKI !

LOVE it !!
:lol

[Sweetey]

Nothing is wrong with the Mavs. I like what Avery is doing. This team is pacing themselves. They are fine. They will turn it on eventually. They are a great team and Im not worried just yet. Spurs were 14-11 and even 9-10 at one point in the season and they managed to get it going. The Mavs will too. They are conserving alot of their energy. I know this will pay off in the end. I feel something VERY good is going to come out of this. This is a blessing in disguise.
Smoke some for me baby ! Pipe dream !!
:lol

[ludda]

Avery can be grating and his approach isn't working. I can see Dallas calling for his head or Nowitzki's after they lose to Utah on Sat at home (and after we demolish Utah).

[traitoravery]

Its definetly Avery and their defense.... They cant seem to really get anything going no leadership... Did you guys hear fairweather mavfans booing hahahahahahaha

[milkyway21]

18 Mavs TO is too much.

[dirk4mvp]

Because Denver had a 15 point lead with only 1 minute left in the game and Avery waved the white flags with about 3 and half minutes left in the game by emptying his bench.

It's not like it's new. Didn't Isiah get pissed last year the Nuggets still had J.R. Smith in with about a 20 point lead with a few minutes to go and he's still going down the lane dunking?

[Dex]

My speculation:

After last year's 67-wins-to-fizzle discrepancy, Avery has been pushing this "coast and finish strong" concept on his team.

But I don't know if this Mavericks team is good enough to coast. They are a very good team, and when they put in the effort and click on all cylinders, they are probably top 3 in the NBA. But when they play mediocre, they become a bunch of one-trick-ponies around Dirk Nowitzki.

Last year, the entire team was completely motivated all year, and that was only fueled by confidence as they stormed through the regular season.

Now, Avery is using this 'take-it-easy' approach and not only does he seem to be losing grasp of the interest of the players, but they are having trouble flicking the switch when they need to.

I think Dallas had an incredible run last year, and I'm not taking anything away from that. They did a good enough job of that themselves against Golden State.

But I also think that if the Mavericks believe that just because they won 67 games, they can play at first gear all year and still walk into the Western Conference Playoffs, they may be in for another hard lesson.

[Roxsfan]

Mavs are still a top team in the West. Its too early to be worried. They played so well last year during the reg. season b/c the loss in the finals (so close to a 'ship) was carried as a chip all year that they wanted to avenge. They did not(major NOT), and consequently they are probably a bit less motivated about the regular season. I think they will start pounding teams after the allstar break.

[PoleSmoking]

dont worry. They will blowout the Nuggets and get back on track. The Rockets looked horrible until they played the Nuggets and then BAM they are winning again :lol

OOPS! I guess not. And, wow, Nowitzki chokes again too.

[PoleSmoking]

They are trying to not get a top seed this year.

Well fucking-A, then. They are certainly succeeding in achieving that lofty goal.

[ludda]

How did he "choke" if he wasn't dominant in the first place?

[PoleSmoking]

I think most of the blame lies with Avery. I'm becoming inclined to agree that he may just not be a good coach.

Sorry, I shortened your quote for brevity.

See, the problem is this. If the Mavs currently suck because Avery is trying to rest everyone up for the playoffs, then I can almost guarantee that the Mavs will not even win enough games to make resting up meaningful. Not in the Western Conference. Not this year. There are too many other good teams.

I'm sure you've already done so, but if not, then stop and ponder for a moment just how idiotic it is to "rest up" players for the playoffs in November and December. It should be full bore right now. If you win enough regular season games to have the late-season luxury of resting up your starters, then more power to your team. But Avery resting up players for the playoffs in November-December? That's about the stupidest thing I've ever seen an NBA coach do ... if that's really what's going on.

Personally, I think that's an excuse. I think the fact is that the West --and indeed the entire league in general- has achieved greater parity. There is still a small clutch of elite contenders that are markedly better than all the others (Spurs, Suns, Pistons, and maybe the Celtics), but everyone else improved in the off-season ... except for the Mavs, who stubbornly (blame it on Cuban) decided to do virtually nothing to improve the team in the off-season. Add to that Avery's micro-mis-management and his recent vasectomy, and you have a beautiful recipe for the disaster that the Mavs are living right now.

[PoleSmoking]

Nothing is wrong with the Mavs. I like what Avery is doing. This team is pacing themselves. They are fine. They will turn it on eventually. They are a great team and Im not worried just yet. Spurs were 14-11 and even 9-10 at one point in the season and they managed to get it going. The Mavs will too. They are conserving alot of their energy. I know this will pay off in the end. I feel something VERY good is going to come out of this. This is a blessing in disguise.

Ok. You made me say it: "denial." Look it up.

[PoleSmoking]

18 Mavs TO is too much.

Yeah. It is. And I think it ended up being 19 by game's end.

[fitzgerald]

Team needs a shakeup. Their body language shows it. If Avery is such a good coach, then why does he allow them to run up and down the court not playing defense? Avery first gained respect by making the team play defense. That is when things changed for the better. Now we are back to playing all offense and no defense just like Don Nelson wanted it. Wow. We are headed backwards. Things will not get better till the defense is concentrated on. Starts with Avery.

[monosylab1k]

Did you guys hear fairweather mavfans booing hahahahahahaha
it was the diehard fans booing....the fairweather fans were in the Old No. 7 Club midway thru the 4th quarter.

i never got the idiotic reasoning that booing your team means you're not a good fan. to me that's the EPITOME of a good fan. you love your team so much that you won't put up with lazy bullshit from them. the fairweather fans are the ones that cheer when things are going good and disappear completely during the bad times.

if you care enough to boo in the first place, you're not fairweather.

[monosylab1k]

Why not? They're playing one of the top teams at their house...
I agree. There was nothing wrong with Denver's last few minutes. They'd run the shot clock down pretty low and then play basketball. It's not their fault the Mavericks had so little self-respect that they let AI go wherever he pleased. It's also not their fault the Mavs then took the ball and jacked up a ridiculous shot in about 3 seconds. At one point the Nuggets took a 24 second violation just to slow down the onslaught of Mavericks suckage.

The team running up the score last night was Dallas, not Denver.

[fitzgerald]

Its definetly Avery and their defense.... They cant seem to really get anything going no leadership... Did you guys hear fairweather mavfans booing hahahahahahaha


Go ahead and laugh. We need to hit bottom before things get better. Keeping it the same is the worst thing that could happen. Hopefully the business side of Cuban will see that this would be terrible for his wallet. We need change.

[PoleSmoking]

How did he "choke" if he wasn't dominant in the first place?

Is that a serious question?

Let's see, he missed a wide-open 3 to win the game. It's a shot he's been lights-out with for years, and now he's missing game-winning shots on a nightly basis after last year's shame. If that's not the definition of "choking", then we're not having this conversation in English.

[Dingle Barry]

I think MavFan needs to calm down. They aren't going to win it all this year but they will end up playing much better ball than they are right now.

December.

[Ronaldo McDonald]

the mavs are trying to stay away from the top that way they won't meet golden state in the playoffs. golden state is a shoe in for either 7 or 8 seed and dallas is trying to avoid beig 1,2,3,4 .

this is all an act

[Findog]

the mavs are trying to stay away from the top that way they won't meet golden state in the playoffs. golden state is a shoe in for either 7 or 8 seed and dallas is trying to avoid beig 1,2,3,4 .

this is all an act

You're an idiot.

[dirk4mvp]

The Mavs can win as long as Howard puts up 47.

[ludda]

Didnt Jazz shoot like 61%? And still lost? Is that a new record.

Howard actually played a full game for once, usually he disppears in the 2nd half. He was on fire.

[CubanMustGo]

Jazz outshot SA by a wide margin last night too, but they have no 3-pt shooters and that hurts them.

[mavsfan1000]

The mavs suck because they don't play defense. Their offense is fine. I guess back to run and gun with Paul Westphal as the assistant coach instead of Del Harris.

[ludda]

The mavs suck because they don't play defense. Their offense is fine. I guess back to run and gun with Paul Westphal as the assistant coach instead of Del Harris.

Yeah, though I always thought mavs D was overrated, but this year they have none..at all. They're not a top offensive team to win like that.

[callo1]

Team needs a shakeup. Their body language shows it. If Avery is such a good coach, then why does he allow them to run up and down the court not playing defense? Avery first gained respect by making the team play defense. That is when things changed for the better. Now we are back to playing all offense and no defense just like Don Nelson wanted it. Wow. We are headed backwards. Things will not get better till the defense is concentrated on. Starts with Avery.




Avery will have a short shelf life as a coach. I said it the day he took over for Nelson and I'm saying it again. His over emotional "ra-ra" speeches will get very OLD for players after a short period of time and he will lose the players.

The biggest problem with the Mavs is the same problem they have had for years...a 7 footer that is in dire need of a nut graft...dude has no stones whatsoever. Maybe he could ask Manu to be a donor since Manu has plenty to spare:)



"Irk NoRingSki passes Lattrell Spreewell as the poster child for NBA chokers."

"Dr. Heimlich himself couldn't stop the choking that goes on in Allas."