Reply With Quote
Good old high and low Jean-Jacques Taylor.
He probably has the lowest word per sentence count in the nation. He actually did pretty good in that regard with this article.
Taylor: Mavericks 'not nearly good enough to win a le'
by Jean-Jacques Taylor / The Dallas Morning News
The Mavs played to their pedigree when it mattered most, which is why their season ended with a first-round playoff loss.
Again.
That's three times in four years. You shouldn't be surprised. The Mavs seemingly do this every year.
They play great in the regular season and collapse in the playoffs. The franchise proudly points out how it has 10 consecutive 50-win seasons, something only three other franchises have accomplished.
The difference is that the Celtics with Bill Russell, the Lakers with Magic Johnson and the Spurs with Tim Duncan each won multiple les. The Mavs have advanced to the NBA Finals only once – and none of us will ever forget that historic collapse against Miami.
There's no shame in losing when you compete as hard as you can for as long as you can.
They played like chumps in the first quarter, when the game was decided. The Mavs, owners of the NBA's best road record (27-14) during the regular season, let San Antonio's raucous crowd intimidate them.
The Mavs scored eight points in the first quarter, the fewest in franchise playoff history. When it ended, they trailed 22-8.
At the end of the first half, Dirk Nowitzki had eight points and four fouls, Jason Kidd had one assist and zero points and Jason Terry was also scoreless.
Only Dirk redeemed himself in the second half, finishing with 33 points and giving Dallas a brief one-point lead in the third quarter.
You're simply not going to beat a franchise like San Antonio, which has won four les since 1999, when Terry makes one of seven shots. Or when Kidd, excellent during the season, has virtually no impact. Or when starting center Brendan Haywood makes his only basket in the fourth quarter.
And it's really hard to win on a night when Rick Carlisle benches Roddy Beaubois in the fourth quarter after the rookie has scored 16 points in 20 minutes.
Afterward, Mark Cuban exhibited his usual petulance with thinly veiled whining about the officials. While you have to love Cuban's passion and willingness to spend money – the trade with Washington cost him about $30 million – he's created an atmosphere in which it's OK to suggest there's some other reason the Mavs lost besides their own incompetence.
There's not.
When presented with an opportunity to acquire Haywood, Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson, Cuban said he stayed in the shower for about 30 minutes contemplating whether to make the deal.
Well, it's time for another long, hot shower.
The Mavs, as currently constructed, are good enough to win 50 or 55 games next season, but they're not nearly good enough to win a le.
Any change that doesn't include Dirk – trading him would be foolish – is strictly cosmetic. Moving Kidd or Terry isn't going to happen because of their massive contracts.
Carlisle, outcoached by Gregg Popovich, isn't going anywhere because Cuban is already paying Avery Johnson not to coach.
There's really only one hope: Roddy B. spends the summer working at point guard and becomes the star Dirk has never had. His speed and uncanny ability to drive to the basket give him star potential.
The disappointment of losing is so bad, Dirk actually sounds like he's thinking about opting out of his contract and exploring free agency. None of us really believes he'll do it because he loves the Mavs, the only team he's ever played for, and no one can pay him more than Cuban.
Still, he had never wanted to even think about exploring another option.
As usual, Dirk had no consistent help. Perhaps he's grown weary of carrying this team year after year without the ultimate payoff.
Can you blame him?
Good old high and low Jean-Jacques Taylor.
He probably has the lowest word per sentence count in the nation. He actually did pretty good in that regard with this article.
Dirk cannot be a #1 option and win a ring unless he gets a Kobe Bryant Laker-type front office and owner to build a team that is so stacked, they can lift you up and let you take the glory like Kobe.
Dirk needs to move on. He will never win a ring in Dallas.
and in my opinion, they should have kept Avery.
^ Easy to say after the refs gift wrapped that fraudulent le for the Cheat and D-whistle.
Beaubois and Dampier are the best hopes for this offseason.
I disagree. They ran into a pretty damn good Spurs team that got healthy and clicking at exactly the right time. Theyre definately alot closer than your normal first round exit team - put it that way.
Anyway, i think they have alot of room to improve, from their current personnel, and what they could potentially add.
1. Full pre-season with their new pieces.
2. Roddy B. This kid could be special, A healthy Devin Harris type penetration and scoring, but with a three point shot.
New pieces...
1. Dampier's contract could fetch them an All-Star.
2. They have no chance of moving Marion, so they should look to move Butler if they can get an upgrade at the 2 with Dampier's contract.
I disagree about Dirk not being able to win as the main guy. People were saying the same thing about Kobe after Shaq left, until Pau came along. Dirk has never had a second option as good as a Manu/Parker or a Gasol - so if he gets a better second option, i dont see why he couldnt be the number 1 guy on a championship team.
Donnie's idiocy pretty much negates the potential value of Dampier's contract, and Beaubois will probably turn forlorn if the coach continues to be the same old re . you can't heal a cold by lopping the nose off, you know. Their tawdry FO is Mavs primary lesion the surgery should be operated on.
IMO, the Mavericks played a terrible mental game. I blame Terry and Najera.
With the series getting more physical, Najera gets two flagrants in consecutive games drawing the attention of the refs. Terry stating that it will get even worse to the media also drew attention to them.
In the first quarter, the refs were basically left with no choice but to control the physicality that the Mavs would bring early out of fear of things getting out of control and players getting injured. Should have kept your trap shut Terry.
Mavs fans were happy about the flagrant Najera commited on Manu by claiming them as a sign of toughness. It only further encouraged him to attempt to be a hockey "enforcer" and repeat it the next game. All eyes were on you Najera, you should have known better than to suc b to what fans' idea of toughness is.
One more thing Terry did was place extra pressure on a team on the verge of elimination by stating a guarantee that the series would be going back to Dallas for a game 7. Not a wise decision for a team with a monkey (lack of mental for ude) on its back.
Kobe still hasn't won as the true main guy.
He's a chucker who's been lifted up by an incredibly stacked team. The Gasol trade was a robbery. The Lakers have the best frontcourt in the past 15 years.
The Lakers are a special type of organization. If you want to be a superstar and win rings, you go to the Lakers. Their front office does ANYTHING to build a team for you, even if you are a rapist and a chucking ballhog who doesn't know how to lead.
lol, charmin-soft western conference fan
You can't be serious.
Another superior frontcourt of the last 15 years
I'd take this one too:
And this one's obvious too (before KG screwed his knee)
You're not going anywhere if Kidd and Terry have to play big roles. They just fail to compete in this era of quick guards to the point where you have to play guys like JJ Barea.
But like usual, Dallas finds itself in a good position to make huge roster changes.
Also not sure if Carlisle has what it takes to take on the premier coaches in the league - all of his moves screamed desperation whether it was Najera or the haphazard rotations. Just about everyone on that team got their minutes shifted around and some of their starters didn't even get to play in the 4th.
Understandable given the effort that was put out and maybe the amount of time they had to jell; still the product on the floor needs a recall.
They need a good center to do the "big man" dirty work that Dirk isn't renowned for and guys that can penetrate in the lane and can defend against quick guards. Kidd's minutes also needs to be monitored and rationed appropriately - he's been playing way too much and that just doesn't help his already slow and old legs.
frontcourt includes SF's , buddy.
Bynum
Gasol
Odom
is better than Robinson-Duncan, and Shaq-Lakers.
Perkins-KG-Pierce is great, but KG is not what he used to be. You are going off of reputation. He's not the same player anymore.
Bynum-Gasol-Odom trumps all of those you posted.
No way in Bynum-Gasol-Odom is better than two first-ballot Hall of Famers in their primes in Duncan/Robinson plus a good defensive player in Elliott. No way in Bynum-Gasol-Odom is better than a top 5 all-time center in Shaq, a top 5 clutch shooter who's also an extremely versatile defender in Horry, and a lockdown defender in Fox. No way Bynum-Gasol-Odom is stronger than the best passing frontcourt in NBA history with a prime Webber, a prime Divac, and Stojakovic before he sucked. No way Bynum-Gasol-Odom even touches the 08 Celtics with Perkins and Garnett setting monster screens and beating the out of teams inside, not to mention Paul Pierce's clutch shooting.
Don't get me wrong; Kobe's team is stacked, but his frontcourt doesn't have A+ HOF-grade talent like all the others I mentioned above. It's not even close.
The more stacked Lakers Front court is, the more pathetic/uncompe ive Kobe will get proved to be when the Lakers get curbstomped in finals by Magic, Cavs or Celtics.
You are selling the Lakers frontline quite short. yeah, they have their shortcomings, but they have three guys that are all VERY capable of averaging 20 and 10 for a season. It may not have the star power of those other front courts, but it definitely can compete very well with any frontcourt. The only one that is undoubtely better imho is Duncan/Robinson, but the rest are all arguable.
The only thing that holds this Laker frontcourt back from being the best frontcourt ever (despite probably being the most talented frontcourt ever) are their mental at udes. Bynum is a crybaby who acts like a got when he doesnt get his way. Pau sometimes is a ing beast, but other times is soft as . Odom is one of the most talented and gifted players in NBA history, but sometimes just doesn't give a .
Then again, we all know what a ing moron you are of a poster, and that it's impossible for you to post with any sort of logic as you have the entire spurs teams s in your mouth 24/7. You act like a and take personally when someone says something that you feel is a remote slight against the Spurs. ing dumb .
I've been saying for probably two years that Cuban is the Mavs own worst enemy. He creates a culture where there is no player accountability, because it's just those mean old refs or the evil Darth Stern causing the Mavs losses.Afterward, Mark Cuban exhibited his usual petulance with thinly veiled whining about the officials. While you have to love Cuban's passion and willingness to spend money – the trade with Washington cost him about $30 million – he's created an atmosphere in which it's OK to suggest there's some other reason the Mavs lost besides their own incompetence.
E- s ready...FIGHT!!!
Lol no. Are you high? Or just kind of dumb??
I'd say they are better than KG, Pierce and Perkins and Maybe Divac, Webber and Stojakovic but not better than Duncan, Robinson, Elliott or Shaq, Horry, Fox just because of how dominant Shaq was.
shaq by himself can probably defeat any choice. shaq and samaki walkerAnd this one's obvious too (before KG screwed his knee)
writer had nothing better to write about?
Kidd no being able to do anything offensively inside the three point line is too much of a liability. I thought Dallas had a great time it's just that you have to involve your players more, going all Dirk in the off it's too much load for him. You gotta give pick and roll to the bareas and haywoods, butler. To create their offense on their own.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
