"This is not like last year was," Cuban said. "Losing the finals was really painful.

[LEONARD]

it just seems inconceivable to me that this year's loss doesn't hurt more than the finals loss. they were the presumptive favorites, had beaten every other team and enjoyed some psychological benefit of that, and, if we are to believe them, thought they honestly were better than golden state. everything that made the finals loss so painful also applied to this year's loss except this year had the added ignomity of such a high record and becoming the first no 1 to lose to a no 8. at least with the finals situation, the mavs could claim being naive about the pressure of the finals, avery's inexperience, the shaq-wade combo, the refs, the toll of battling through phoenix and the spurs, just all sorts of reasons. here, the team just gets manhandled and never adjusts, never does the obvious put-dirk-on-the-block, barely played defense and flatout quits in the second half. the finals loss had its excuses but this series' loss becomes inexcusable.

Yes, it's inexcusable...but they still had a LONG way to go to actually win a le this season...

Houston / Utah winner (no cake walk)
Spurs / Suns winner
Finals

3 tough series. Chances are greater that they would NOT have won the le than that they would've...

They were 2 GAMES away from a le last year... , more like 1 game about 10 min's away...

[td4mvp3]

Yes, it's inexcusable...but they still had a LONG way to go to actually win a le this season...

Houston / Utah winner (no cake walk)
Spurs / Suns winner
Finals

3 tough series. Chances are greater that they would NOT have won the le than that they would've...

They were 2 GAMES away from a le last year... , more like 1 game about 10 min's away...

but i'd think that the fact that the le was so close at hand would make this loss even worse. you, as the mavs, know that every other team aside from the warriors are teams you can and have beaten. once beyond gsw, despite how tough the opponents are, you KNOW you can make it because you did so last year. but then, to see that opportunity (especially with miami already out) and then not come anywhere near to fulfilling the potential, seems like it would spur some deep soul-searching and re-evaluation. i mean, they changed so little of the team precisely because the team came so close last year; how can keeping that team together be justified now? the finals defeat can still produce some pride, some sense of achievement that can help sustain and galvanize people. losing the first round, in this manner, with all the baggage that comes with it, simply seems like a bigger deal precisely because it destroys whatever goodwill and progress suggested by last year's performance.

[td4mvp3]

the other thing is, everyone knows someone is going to lose the championship. whatever team loses will always point to how close they got, but in truth, does it really matter if you lost in four games or by one point in game 7? both situations would suck but it happens. the benefit of the loss is that you build from it and go after it again. none of that happens by going out in the first round, especially with all the scorn, pressure and mockery that will follow the mavs from now on. maybe it really doesn't hurt as much right now, but 5 years down the road? it'll be a lot like that whole .4 mess spurs fans still cringe at.