Let's get this started es.
http://ajc.stats.com/nba/preview.asp...1&home=1&vis=6
(AP) -- The Atlanta Hawks have excelled against the Western Conference this season, particularly at home. The Dallas Mavericks are well aware of that fact.
The Hawks will look to continue that home success Friday night when they try to end the Mavericks' season high-tying five-game win streak.
Atlanta (36-20) improved to 18-8 against West foes with a 98-92 home win over Minnesota on Wednesday. That number includes a 10-1 mark at Philips Arena and 6-2 record against Southwest Division foes, with one of the victories being an 80-75 win at Dallas on Dec. 5.
The Mavericks (37-21) finished with their worst home shooting percentage of the season at 37.3 in that game, and the Hawks are now seeking their first sweep of the Mavericks in six seasons.
"Atlanta is a tough team," All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "They beat us here last time. So we'll see what happens. They're very athletic, they really gave us trouble with their athleticism the last time."
The Mavericks, though, feel they are better equipped to handle Atlanta's athleticism after acquiring Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson from Washington during the All-Star break. Dallas has held opponents to 43.6 percent shooting in seven games since the trade after allowing teams to shoot 52.9 percent in the previous eight contests.
Stevenson made his first start with Dallas in a 101-96 home win over the Lakers on Wednesday and helped limit Kobe Bryant to 20 points. Haywood had 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.
"We've been playing pretty good defense with the new guys," guard Jason Kidd said. "This was another example where our shots weren't going down, but we relied on our defense and got some stops."
Butler missed the game due to a negative reaction to medication. It is unclear when he will return.
"I am really proud of the guys how they battled without Caron," said Nowitzki, who scored 31. "Hopefully, we can get him back soon."
Nowitzki led Dallas with 32 points in the December loss to Atlanta, which got 31 from Joe Johnson. Jason Terry shot 5 of 16 and had 17 points, but is coming off a 30-point performance against the Lakers.
The Hawks got a big game from Josh Smith on Wednesday in their sixth home win in seven tries. Smith, who has drawn the defensive assignment on Nowitzki in the past, had 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
"He was all over the place," coach Mike Woodson said. "He blocked some shots. He scored for us, made some free throws. He was solid from beginning to end, and we're going to need him the rest of the way."
The Hawks looked lethargic at times in their first home game after a four-game trip. Jamal Crawford did not have a basket for the first time, missing all seven shots, but Smith picked up the slack.
"I felt like my team needed energy, so I was trying to score in a lot of different ways," Smith said.
Haywood played well in two games against the Hawks with Washington this season. He averaged 16.0 points and 9.5 boards while matching up with center Al Horford, who averaged 8.5 points - 5.3 below his season average - and 11.0 rebounds in those games.
Kaa-Kaa Kaa-Kaa!
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...w.3f655ee.html
There are trades that look good the moment they happen (to the highly trained, expert, don't-try-this-at-home eye) but take a couple of years to prove it.
Jason Kidd comes to mind.
And then there are trades that look really, really good the instant they take place. And two weeks later, you feel like you underestimated their magnitude even when you thought you were going overboard in praise.
Enter the Wizards-to-Mavericks deal made All-Star weekend.
Those who said that center Brendan Haywood, not former All-Star guard Caron Butler, was really the key to the deal – owner Mark Cuban was first but not alone in this chorus – were dead on. And that's what makes the Mavericks' current five-game winning streak more significant than any they've had in years.
But to understand why, we have to go back to Butler once more.
An East All-Star three years ago, Butler has been in a Mavericks uniform for 10 days and has done the highly improbable – if not the impossible – twice already.
Three times if you count getting his trademark straw-chewing banned by the NBA. (What's that all about?)
As for the two things more relevant to Dallas fans, first, Butler came to town and made the trade a winner by shooting worse than Josh Howard.
Seriously.
The Mavericks rid themselves of Howard's stale act and his 40 percent shooting this season in exchange for a guy who shot 37 percent in his first five games here. In fact, Butler has shot 40 percent or higher one time in five starts for Dallas.
But Butler's willingness to attack the rim and the defensive effort he showed in his opening minutes as a Maverick against Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant left no one yearning for Howard's return.
Then, going a step beyond just erratic shooting, Butler didn't even suit up against the Lakers on Wednesday after an unusual reaction to medication.
That made the trade look better yet.
DeShawn Stevenson, clearly the third man in this trade, put the clamps on Kobe Bryant early before Shawn Marion showed his effectiveness against the game's best player at the end.
And all the while, there was Haywood – 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in Dallas' 101-96 win over the NBA champs.
Let's be fair. The Mavericks get this kind of game occasionally from Erick Dampier, or did, before he broke a finger last week. It's not as if the much-maligned Damp never has a 10-10 game or hasn't altered a shot since he got to Dallas.
In the only playoff series Dallas has won since losing to Miami in the '06 Finals, Dampier was very effective in limiting Tim Duncan.
But Haywood – younger, more athletic and without question a better shot-blocker – has been giving Dallas this kind of game almost every night.
When a team improves its defense in all areas, it's not unusual that the threat of a shot-blocker is involved.
Keeping in mind that the Mavs defense was conducting layup drills going into the All-Star break, Dallas has allowed 90.2 points per game in the last five games.
Second best in the league.
Teams are hitting 43.8 percent of their shots, 22.6 percent of their 3-point tries in that stretch.
Seventh and first in the league, respectively.
And for the season, Haywood's 2.14 blocks rank No. 3. His average of 2.83 since coming to Dallas is slightly higher than league leader Dwight Howard (2.81) of Orlando.
A Superman imitator in our midst? Haywood really does look like the key to the deal, at least for now.
You have to think that Butler, a career 44 percent shooter, will find that shooting touch. At that point, this deal becomes the kind of thing that puts Dallas on a level floor with Denver for the No. 2 spot in the West.
Meanwhile, long-suffering Wizards fans already have seen Drew Gooden go to the Clippers and Josh Howard lost for the season with a knee injury.
This wasn't a trade, it was a heist.
Oh yeah, steals. The Mavericks are fifth in the league (8.6 per game) in this five-game stretch.
A team trying to establish its iden y following a roster-changing trade is doing it with defense.
This is new for the Mavericks. This is a good thing.
Tiller's Ulcer (Dallas)
In Dallas, there are local reporters who claim that Cuban/Donnie purposely structured Dampier's contract to use for this Summer (believable). What my friends and I debate though, is there any shot of the big 4 FA's just DEMANDING to play in Dallas w/ Kidd and Dirk, and the Mavs using Damp and Caron as sign and trade? As in, can a 3 year run in Dallas be appealing enough for those guys?
Bill Simmons (12:22 PM)
Dallas is the sleeping giant this summer. Big city, Cuban, no state tax, Damp's contract for sign and trade purposes (for instance, if LeBron decided, I AM PLAYING IN DALLAS, Dallas could offer Damp's contract, Butler, $3 million and the French rookie.
I can't see Cleveland participating in ANY S&Ts for LeBron, even if it's a good deal under the cir stances to salvage something for him. If Lebron wants to go to Dallas, wouldn't the league have to step in to force Ferry to cooperate, or could Cleveland just say "You want to leave? Fine, go play in NY with a bunch of scrubs." They'll be murdered by their fanbase for participating in LeBron's departure.
You seriously think they would care THAT much about the fans? I mean come on now. They are going to get roasted by the fans no matter what if Lebron doesn't stay. But if they lose him for nothing, the fans that actually have half a brain, would be a of a lot more pissed over them not trying to get something in return.
I don't think it's likely that Lebron leaves, but he can get more money, and Cleveland can get something in return. Both sides win in a S&T situation. It really wouldn't make any sense for them NOT to do a S&T.
The only way Lebron leaves is if the Cavs fail to make the finals
legit possibility
Rooting for the Hawks in this one. The Mavs are riding way too high right now.
This should be a good one.
im just hoping the mavs go at least 2-1 in the next 3 games.. @ ATL v NOLA @ CHA.
Although losing to 121-63 may as well count as 2 losses..
here the rest of the Lebron talk. Simmons gets what I've been trying to say on here for a while
Dallas is the sleeping giant this summer. Big city, Cuban, no state tax, Damp's contract for sign and trade purposes (for instance, if LeBron decided, I AM PLAYING IN DALLAS, Dallas could offer Damp's contract, Butler, $3 million and the French rookie.
Bill Simmons
(12:24 PM)
One other LeBron/Dallas wrinkle: They could play 6-8 regular season games and a couple of playoff games in the football stadium. Cuban mentioned this 2 days after the All Star Game... didnt mention LeBron specifically, just something about 'enticing free agents' that way. Hmmmmm.
Jeff (Philly)
Why isn't the no state tax brought up more often. Do NBA players have to pay taxes in every state they play in prorated, or does Miami, Houston and Dallas have an after tax salary cap extension?
Bill Simmons
(12:27 PM)
It's a great question. For instance, let's say Dallas and Cleve did that sign and trade that I just mentioned. LeBron could make 6 years at the max... only he'd be making it in Texas. That's his biggest money bonanza by far. And Dallas is the only team that has real sign and trade assets. The ability to waive Dampier's contract before the start of the season is a major major asset.
Mike (San Diego)
You realize that Cavs fans saw your idea of what they'd get back for LeBron and threw up in their mouth a little, right? I'd call that a big pot of poop gumbo!
Bill Simmons
(12:31 PM)
But if LeBron says, "Look, I am going to Dallas and that's how this is going to play out," what can Cleveland do? Everyone keeps forgetting that LeBron will decide where he plays this summer - cap space doesn't matter. if he wants to play in Boston, then it will be Boston. Dallas, it's Dallas. Lakers, it's the Lakers. Doesn't matter. He is holding the cards.
Jeff (Kansas City, KS)
What would you put as the odds of each team (with enough cap space) to get Lebron?
Bill Simmons
(12:35 PM)
Ok... Cavs (5-2)... Bulls (5-2)... Knicks (7-2)... Mavs (5-1)... Clips (10-1)... Nets (12-1)... Rockets (25-1)... Lakers (25-1)... Celtics (100-1).
Disagree. The only way Lebron leaves is if the Cavs don't give him that max contract. Lebron knows the best shot for championships is to stay a Cav. He is having fun and testing the waters because he will be over 30 when he possibly gets that next opportunity. The only thing that will prevent Lebron from resigning is if the Cavs don't offer him a max deal (which they will do).
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