duncan228
03-18-2008, 06:45 AM
My Spurs drop their fourth in a row and this is what I wake up to in my morning paper.
I like this writer, but this morning I wish he'd just focused on the Lakers! :lol
I thought the Mavs fans would appreciate this.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rockets-postseason-dallas-2000672-kidd-won
It's a nice run for Rockets but ...
Believe it or not, the Dallas Mavericks – not streaking Houston – are the team to watch this week, because they're the ones with the real championship chance.
KEVIN DING
Register columnist
This is nice for the Houston Rockets. Much respect, seriously. These are good people who are working hard and having resultant success. That's the way it should be.
To say here and now that they have no chance whatsoever of winning the NBA championship – even with their historic winning streak at 22 games – is not meant to diminish their current accomplishments. It's just reality.
Many will be monitoring the streak's tests this week: Tuesday vs. Boston, Wednesday at New Orleans (my pick for the end of road), Friday at Golden State and Saturday at Phoenix. Boston might well beat the Rockets first, but in any case the Hornets will for sure after losing twice to Houston recently. Beyond New Orleans seeking revenge, the Rockets simply won't be able to get up for a third consecutive big game. (That's just the way it is in sports. See how New Orleans just beat San Antonio and the Lakers and then could barely get off the ground for the opening tip in a 21-point loss to Detroit.)
In any case, the far more relevant study this week is Dallas, which is a legitimate title threat. Here is what's coming up for the Mavericks: the Lakers Tuesday, Boston on Thursday and San Antonio on Sunday – all at home.
The Mavericks are 9-5 since the trade for Jason Kidd. It's a nothing 9-5 – nine victories against losing teams, five losses against winning teams (although four of those tests came on the road). The only home game against a winning team was hollow because Dirk Nowitzki got suspended and didn't play in Dallas' loss to the Rockets, who have also benefited recently from New Orleans missing All-Star David West and the Lakers missing Pau Gasol.
So we don't yet know how good the Mavericks can be with Kidd. Rest assured, though, that they can be a lot better than Houston come postseason.
When you go more than 10 minutes against Charlotte without scoring Friday and follow it up with a 1-for-18 shooting stretch against the Lakers on Sunday, as the Rockets did, it's going to be next to impossible to score in the postseason against defenses that have scouted your every tendency and are taking your favorite stuff away.
First-year Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has done all he can. You should've heard Sunday how Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant raved about Morey's acquisition of gutty gunner and leader Bobby Jackson – and Morey dumped his only two bad eggs (Bonzi Wells and Mike James) on New Orleans in that deadline deal, too.
But Tracy McGrady's postseason fear factor won't help a team that is getting by right now on diligent execution of the sharp cuts to the basket in Rick Adelman's offense. Houston will wind up exposed as having no interior attack whatsoever without injured Yao Ming.
Phil Jackson marveled that his team allowed 35 second-quarter points Sunday to Rockets "who have to work really hard in this game to score." That's Jackson's respectful way of saying those guys just don't have big-time talent – whereas Dallas can play all-out-effort defense and they can throw smoke with Dirk Nowitzki, Kidd, Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Brandon Bass, newcomer Tyronn Lue and he's-now-better-than-you-think Erick Dampier.
It's a fundamental playoff problem – in all sports – for regular-season overachievers. Those teams are proud of winning the regular-season games that can be won by the team that flat-out wants it more. Meanwhile, the talented slackers elsewhere head into the postseason with additional motivation to make their marks – and if you are talented and trying harder, you are going to dust the guy who isn't as talented and is a little bit satisfied.
It's why baseball managers debating whom to give a key postseason start should always pick the pitcher whose stuff and track record are a little nasty over the guy with the good control and nice regular-season stats. Gimme Ervin Santana on any postseason day over Joe Saunders, if you know what I mean.
Dallas' trade of dynamic Devin Harris, about to turn 25, and substantial future considerations for Kidd, who turns 35 Sunday, was a bad one because Dallas conceivably could have won the title this season with Harris anyway. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban didn't see it happening, so he opted for the dramatic shakeup. But c'mon … Cuban is even more creative off the court than Kidd is on the court; Cuban could've given his team shock therapy some other way.
Regardless, now that it's done, there's no doubt the Mavericks have huge postseason upside if they can adjust fast enough and learn to play with the ball-dominating Kidd.
There are indications it is happening. Howard, who no one can even remember was an All-Star last season, is starting to cut instead of stand around. Dallas has won five in a row.
That's nothing compared to what Houston has done. But in a greater sense, no one has done anything yet.
"The playoffs are about momentum," Bryant said after the Rockets' 22nd consecutive victory, "so hopefully they're peaking early."
I like this writer, but this morning I wish he'd just focused on the Lakers! :lol
I thought the Mavs fans would appreciate this.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rockets-postseason-dallas-2000672-kidd-won
It's a nice run for Rockets but ...
Believe it or not, the Dallas Mavericks – not streaking Houston – are the team to watch this week, because they're the ones with the real championship chance.
KEVIN DING
Register columnist
This is nice for the Houston Rockets. Much respect, seriously. These are good people who are working hard and having resultant success. That's the way it should be.
To say here and now that they have no chance whatsoever of winning the NBA championship – even with their historic winning streak at 22 games – is not meant to diminish their current accomplishments. It's just reality.
Many will be monitoring the streak's tests this week: Tuesday vs. Boston, Wednesday at New Orleans (my pick for the end of road), Friday at Golden State and Saturday at Phoenix. Boston might well beat the Rockets first, but in any case the Hornets will for sure after losing twice to Houston recently. Beyond New Orleans seeking revenge, the Rockets simply won't be able to get up for a third consecutive big game. (That's just the way it is in sports. See how New Orleans just beat San Antonio and the Lakers and then could barely get off the ground for the opening tip in a 21-point loss to Detroit.)
In any case, the far more relevant study this week is Dallas, which is a legitimate title threat. Here is what's coming up for the Mavericks: the Lakers Tuesday, Boston on Thursday and San Antonio on Sunday – all at home.
The Mavericks are 9-5 since the trade for Jason Kidd. It's a nothing 9-5 – nine victories against losing teams, five losses against winning teams (although four of those tests came on the road). The only home game against a winning team was hollow because Dirk Nowitzki got suspended and didn't play in Dallas' loss to the Rockets, who have also benefited recently from New Orleans missing All-Star David West and the Lakers missing Pau Gasol.
So we don't yet know how good the Mavericks can be with Kidd. Rest assured, though, that they can be a lot better than Houston come postseason.
When you go more than 10 minutes against Charlotte without scoring Friday and follow it up with a 1-for-18 shooting stretch against the Lakers on Sunday, as the Rockets did, it's going to be next to impossible to score in the postseason against defenses that have scouted your every tendency and are taking your favorite stuff away.
First-year Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has done all he can. You should've heard Sunday how Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant raved about Morey's acquisition of gutty gunner and leader Bobby Jackson – and Morey dumped his only two bad eggs (Bonzi Wells and Mike James) on New Orleans in that deadline deal, too.
But Tracy McGrady's postseason fear factor won't help a team that is getting by right now on diligent execution of the sharp cuts to the basket in Rick Adelman's offense. Houston will wind up exposed as having no interior attack whatsoever without injured Yao Ming.
Phil Jackson marveled that his team allowed 35 second-quarter points Sunday to Rockets "who have to work really hard in this game to score." That's Jackson's respectful way of saying those guys just don't have big-time talent – whereas Dallas can play all-out-effort defense and they can throw smoke with Dirk Nowitzki, Kidd, Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Brandon Bass, newcomer Tyronn Lue and he's-now-better-than-you-think Erick Dampier.
It's a fundamental playoff problem – in all sports – for regular-season overachievers. Those teams are proud of winning the regular-season games that can be won by the team that flat-out wants it more. Meanwhile, the talented slackers elsewhere head into the postseason with additional motivation to make their marks – and if you are talented and trying harder, you are going to dust the guy who isn't as talented and is a little bit satisfied.
It's why baseball managers debating whom to give a key postseason start should always pick the pitcher whose stuff and track record are a little nasty over the guy with the good control and nice regular-season stats. Gimme Ervin Santana on any postseason day over Joe Saunders, if you know what I mean.
Dallas' trade of dynamic Devin Harris, about to turn 25, and substantial future considerations for Kidd, who turns 35 Sunday, was a bad one because Dallas conceivably could have won the title this season with Harris anyway. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban didn't see it happening, so he opted for the dramatic shakeup. But c'mon … Cuban is even more creative off the court than Kidd is on the court; Cuban could've given his team shock therapy some other way.
Regardless, now that it's done, there's no doubt the Mavericks have huge postseason upside if they can adjust fast enough and learn to play with the ball-dominating Kidd.
There are indications it is happening. Howard, who no one can even remember was an All-Star last season, is starting to cut instead of stand around. Dallas has won five in a row.
That's nothing compared to what Houston has done. But in a greater sense, no one has done anything yet.
"The playoffs are about momentum," Bryant said after the Rockets' 22nd consecutive victory, "so hopefully they're peaking early."