what did the 94 Sonics do?

[mavsbandwagon01]

Anyone know what happened to the 94' sonics? Did they blow the team up? Fire the coach? i believe they were the last team to approach this level of Choke.

[Findog]

They won 57 games the next year and lost to Utah in the first round. They didn't really overhaul the team.

[mavsbandwagon01]

Thanks. Don't really know what to think we should do right now. It's never a good idea to trade from a position of weakness and i dont see any great coaches on the horizon.

[exstatic]

Coaching wasn't your problem. Your star folded like a cheap card table. Nothing Avery can do for a man who's obviously had a cardio-ectomy.

[Findog]

Coaching wasn't your problem. Your star folded like a cheap card table. Nothing Avery can do for a man who's obviously had a cardio-ectomy.

I think this falls squarely on two people, and that's Avery and Dirk. Dirk for choosing to turn into a 7 foot Peja Stojakovic instead of the inside/out monster he was up until Game 3 against Miami, and Avery for insisting on trying to play small with Golden State and not using the same rotation that served the team so well in the regular season.

We were so afraid of Al Harrington stepping outside to shoot threes that we had to park Dampier on the bench? Harrington was barely better than Dirk in this series.

[mavsbandwagon01]

yeah, i know. I dont see us getting value in return though. If dirk is now an inconsistent second fiidle so be it. You can do a lot worse with a max contract. Although he played below par the whole series, this game was the only true stink job. I was lees than impressed with terry throughout, but i think were stuck with his contract also. I think the team needs a different leader though. Maybe start calling actual plays for howard and convince him the team is now his. Put Dirk in the stackhouse roll but keep him starting. I think putting dirk on the bench would only make things worse.

[FromWayDowntown]

2 years after the Sonics' 1-8 loss, they were in the Finals with pretty much the same core group featuring Payton and Kemp. George Karl kept his job, too.

[sabar]

Don't blow up the team. Come back next year with the same but dump that re ed mentality of "being on a mission" and guaranteeing a championship. If you want to win you have to take your opponents seriously one game at a time.

[Findog]

2 years after the Sonics' 1-8 loss, they were in the Finals with pretty much the same core group featuring Payton and Kemp. George Karl kept his job, too.

Aside from the subpar coaching and the IQ-deficient basketball, we need a consistent back to the basket scorer to neutralize a team that wants to put five 6'7 wings on the floor at the same time. Diop helped us control the glass at times in this series but he's not enough of an offensive threat to punish the Warriors for playing without a true center.

[DDS4]

I think this falls squarely on two people, and that's Avery and Dirk. Dirk for choosing to turn into a 7 foot Peja Stojakovic instead of the inside/out monster he was up until Game 3 against Miami, and Avery for insisting on trying to play small with Golden State and not using the same rotation that served the team so well in the regular season.

We were so afraid of Al Harrington stepping outside to shoot threes that we had to park Dampier on the bench? Harrington was barely better than Dirk in this series.

Avery got outcoached but he's still a very young coach. He'll bounce back.

Not so sure about Dirk. I don't think he'll bounce back from this.

[exstatic]

Aside from the subpar coaching and the IQ-deficient basketball, we need a consistent back to the basket scorer to neutralize a team that wants to put five 6'7 wings on the floor at the same time. Diop helped us control the glass at times in this series but he's not enough of an offensive threat to punish the Warriors for playing without a true center.

Ding ding ding. We have a winner. Spurs obliterated GS, because they had no post defender to play on Duncan. We were able to dictate tempo. We also played their shooters and let them have whatever they could get past Duncan or Elson.

[mavsbandwagon01]

I'm not so sure I like Avery as Coach. Rarely saw the mavs play tight under Nellie. I sure saw them play poorly (Sacramento 3 years ago...), but rarely tight. I think thats what bothers me most about this series. Too many instances of key folks scarred to shoot or attack the basket.

[Findog]

Ding ding ding. We have a winner. Spurs obliterated GS, because they had no post defender to play on Duncan. We were able to dictate tempo. We also played their shooters and let them have whatever they could get past Duncan or Elson.

Which is why you'll take them out in five in the Conference Finals should you both get there.

[RonMexico]

Don't blow up the team. Come back next year with the same but dump that re ed mentality of "being on a mission" and guaranteeing a championship. If you want to win you have to take your opponents seriously one game at a time.

That was the key... the arrogance was their downfall.

I hate to say "I told you so" but stretch, ponky, dirk4mvp, Dirk Nowtizki (poster), Shank, pussyface, and mavsfan100... I didn't just rip on those Mavs players for my own health this year or to piss you all off. I was actually trying to make a valid point that personalities, team chemistry, and a will to win are more important in the playoffs than simple X and O's and stats like who grabs the most rebounds.

I don't know if the Suns have it against the Spurs, but I certaintly feel pretty strongly that a few guys out there (Bell, Nash, and Amare) have the brutal combination of leadership and tenacity that the Mavs sorely lacked all season despite their stellar record.