have spurs and mavs switched places?

[ogait]

It come down to this imo, they have a guy, a superstar, one of the best players in the league who is there to take the double teams and make the difficult shots. Right now he's doing that with an extreme efficiency because he's good enough to do that, but the percentages will eventually go down, teams will adjust and specially in the playoffs he'll be the almost exclusive focus of attention of opposing teams.

So alternative ways to score have to be found and that's when the likes of Carom Buttler and Jason Terry will have to step up. Will they replace the tough shots, that Dirk can't take so often any more, for as difficult shots or even more namely jumpers and 3's or will they be able to get to the basket, drawing fouls and get easy points. I once thought that maybe Butler could be that guy but it seems pretty clear that he can't.

Still some Spurs fans are pathetic. You either know some about basketball and therefore recognize that the Mavs are playing good and why they are playing good or you can just show your butthurtness and go with the obvious "they'll choke come playoff time" even though you don't understand what has made them fail in the past.

[td4mvp21]

I was wondering the exact same thing after watching the Utah game on Friday night.

Unless we get better defensively, we will lose to the Mavs in the playoffs (and many other teams). We've seen flashes of pretty good defense but that's about it. At the moment, we've become everything that we used to criticize and mock in the past (and rightly so, because it never won championships) - a jumpshooting, uptempo, offense orientated team whose defense is very suspect.

[spurtech09]

R u kidding me...who cares about the mavs....we all know mavs had the chance to win a championship but the mavs choked>>the mavs are not championship material

[Cry Havoc]

When I see a Dallas team that can play defense in the playoffs AND have someone besides Dirk step up to win games for them, I will worry.

So far, Dallas either plays no defense or they completely cower on the offensive end.

Dirk is a beast but he hasn't had a lot of help in the past, and there aren't a lot of players on the current Mavs that scare me. Butler? Butler disappears against hard defense. Marion? We love playing against Marion in the playoffs. I'd love to see him as much as possible this year if we meet at some point.

Pop will have this team playing great defense by the time the real season rolls around. He really doesn't care about the regular season. For him, it's just 82 practice games for the playoffs.

[DPG21920]

Mavs are certainly a great team. I would like to avoid them if at all possible in the playoffs.

[jjktkk]

Mavs are certainly a great team. I would like to avoid them if at all possible in the playoffs.

My beliefs in the playoffs are, if you truly believe your a championship contender, you don't care who you play. Bring em on. Lakers, Mavs, whoever.

[TD 21]

What the gives any team the right to look down its nose at another? That's a recipe for defeat. Do you think that's the lesson that Pop tells his team? "Don't worry about the Mavs, because we kicked their ass in the playoffs last season." If you've ever paid attention, Pop himself has constantly reminded his team to have the appropriate level of respect for their foes.

Don't get it twisted. That doesn't mean that anyone should fear them. Not at all. Nobody is giving the Mavs the NBA le. And nobody is proclaiming the Spurs should cede the Southwest Division le already.

You're acting as if the Mavs have never had any playoff success against the Spurs. You're also foolishly implying that if the two teams square off again in the playoffs, that we should all expect the Spurs to come away victorious in a 4-game sweep. The point is that it's all about matchups. Even you should know that. And the fact remains that the Mavs have historically been a bad matchup for the Spurs.

The past doesn't have squat to do with the present. Did anyone see a four-game sweep at the hands of the Suns coming? By your logic, the Spurs should've mowed them down last year because that's the way it's always been. No. Last year, the Suns were finally able to field a roster that took advantage of areas where the Spurs were weak.

In the final analysis, nothing will be determined until the playoffs. In the meantime, don't be foolish enough to dismiss the upper-tier teams in the conference, simply because of past history. After all, we're all chasing the Fakers. Who knows? Perhaps this the year that they're ripe to fall?

I didn't say they necessarily should, I said you'd think they would. Or at least their at ude would more resemble that than the defeatist bull and constant slobbering I usually see. I never said anything about Pop. Of course he wouldn't have that at ude, nor should he, I'm talking about Spurs fans.

The vast majority fear them, as they always do. If you started a poll right now asking Spurs fans who's better or more likely to win in a series or the championship between the Spurs or Mavs, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Mavs win it. The only reason no one is giving them the le is because they've already given it to the Lakers.

No, I'm not acting like that at all. I never claimed there was a massive disparity between the two teams (I do think they're better equipped to beat the Spurs than last season, but I'm still confident the Spurs would beat them), only in the success that they've had. Considering that disparity in success, one would think the way Spurs fans view the Mavs would be different than it is. Again, something more akin to how Lakers fans view the Spurs. So the Mavs have been a bad match-up for the Spurs historically, but that hasn't been the case the other way around? Apparently you forgot Duncan obliterating them in '03 and '06. But then again, this is the same fan base who views damn near every team a bad match-up for the Spurs.

That isn't my logic, genius. If you're going to take me to task for what I said, at least comprehend it.

I'll dismiss whoever I want. Unlike last season, when I dismissed the Mavs before the season began (I know at least one person on the board who can attest to this), I'm not willing to go that far this time around, but I do see them as a clear cut third in the conference.

My beliefs in the playoffs are, if you truly believe your a championship contender, you don't care who you play. Bring em on. Lakers, Mavs, whoever.

That's not how it's done with this fan base. They worry about everyone, particularly the Mavs. They're terrified of Nowitzki.

[UnWantedTheory]

There is nothing wrong with being cautious about a very good team. The Mavs are always tough. I am curious if they can continue this pace considering their age, and Chandler's injury history? Although we can worry about our own age & injury history, so.....

[duhoh]

why can't people just sit back and enjoy the success? cross the playoffs bridge when its the playoffs. all these re ed comparisons aren't productive conversations.

[td4mvp3]

why can't people just sit back and enjoy the success? cross the playoffs bridge when its the playoffs. all these re ed comparisons aren't productive conversations.

productive of what? what fan forum question is going to be productive of anything but conversation, which is the point?

[td4mvp3]

I was wondering the exact same thing after watching the Utah game on Friday night.

Unless we get better defensively, we will lose to the Mavs in the playoffs (and many other teams). We've seen flashes of pretty good defense but that's about it. At the moment, we've become everything that we used to criticize and mock in the past (and rightly so, because it never won championships) - a jumpshooting, uptempo, offense orientated team whose defense is very suspect.

thanks, man. i've been trying to figure out why the conversation hadn't gone the way i wanted and this reminded me why. the comparison wasn't meant to be about if we can beat the mavs in the playoffs but about styles of play and if that worries folks.

[Rummpd]

Mavs are behind the Spurs in the Hollinger ranking (Spurs > 109 or so vs 106 trailing only Boston by a slim Margin based on stats that includes factoriing the strength of schedule). http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings

The Mavs had a differential of under 6 points per game and while they have played a slightly harder schedule than the Spurs the margin is not huge (and very similar over the last 10 games). This suggests pace of play is as much as a factor as a true defensive improvement (I for one am not sold that they are really that much better with Chandler in the long-term over the other bigs they had the last two years) if the Mavs are such a great team defensively with Dirk playing so well offensively why are they not dominating more??

Meanwhile, the Spurs are leading the league with about a 9 point per game differential and a differential of 10 ppg over the last 10 despite one non effort loss to the Clippers. Moreover, the Mavs were hyped to beat the Spurs after their weak playoff loss last year.

Spurs also are have the better record, are missing their top draft choice, and have an incredible early season road record. Don't annoint the Mavs yet. They are a fine and solid team but statistically they are not world beaters - which the Spurs looked like in toying with the Hornets Sunday night.

At times this year the Spurs have looked very good on defense and on offense they are simply playing up to their great and unrecognized by much of the silly media's potential - it is not all about pace, it is about talent as well with Parker and Manu at full strength, Jefferson becoming himself again, and Hill/Neal and other scores available the Spurs can score with anyone and I believe can defend as a top 5 team in the league - especially, when Duncan gets truly motivated come playoff time on both sides of the ball as only he can - watch out NBA

[badfish22]

it's funny cuz its true

I don't see how that franchise has any fans that believe they'll ever win a championship.

lol fat got

[TJastal]

Shawn Marion is a ghost of what he once was, and DeShawn Stevenson is flat out ing horrible. Pop attacked him relentlessly with Ginobili last game until Carlisle was forced to take him out of the game. Dallas no more has a perimeter stopper than we do.

lol another epic fail post

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

R u kidding me...who cares about the mavs....we all know mavs had the chance to win a championship but the mavs choked>>the mavs are not championship material

Funny that you'd say that.

[Ghazi]

Is this a joke?

The Mavs have won 50+ games every regular season this entire decade. They won 67 and looked scary good that Golden State year. Theyve looked impressive before. Theyll find a way to it up come playoff time.

No. No one on that Mavs team has a killer winning instinct. From Kidd to Dirk to Terry, they all tend to choke when it matters, unlike the 3 guys we have here who have stepped up plenty of times to get it done in the clutch.

You have mistaken the main problem about Mavs. Regardless of whether they focus on defense or offense, they can never shake off their true iden y of being chokers during the playoffs.

That won't stop fans, namely Spurs fans, from slobbering over them.

I don't get you people. This franchise has won four championships, that franchise has won zero. Yet it's as if this fan base is envious of that team. From their star, to how they're playing at the moment/stylistically, etc. It's ridiculous.

The difference between the old Spurs and the current Mavs is, the Spurs were, not just a good defensive team, but a historically great defensive team and also, they had the best player and best low post player in the game. In order to win a championship, you need a go-to low post player and a go-to perimeter player ('99 and '03 Spurs were the rare examples of a team winning with only one of those two things). The Mavs have neither.

I'm not the media or the typical Spurs fan . . . I don't get excited and slobber over the Mavs every time they go on a win streak. They're still the same old flawed team.

It's more fun to pretend the Mavs are some juggernaut that the Spurs need to be scared of. Because we all know the Spurs have no chance against the big, bad Mavs.

When the Mavs were the superior offensive team, it was "they have too much firepower for us". Now that they're a slightly better defensive, but much worse offensive team, it's "they're much better defensively". One way or the other, there's always some reason to pretend the Spurs are the clear cut underdogs.

I don't get this fan base. You'd think they'd look down their noses at the Mavs and their fans. Instead, they act like the fans of the team who have won zero championships and treat the Mavs like they've won four championships.

Say what you want about Lakers fans, but you'd never see them constantly acting like they're scared of and slobbering over the Spurs. And the Spurs and the Lakers are a lot closer success wise in the past dozen seasons than the Spurs and the Mavs are.

Mavs will do what they do, win 55 games and implode in the first round. They have no leader.

[mavsfan1000]

You have mistaken the main problem about Mavs. Regardless of whether they focus on defense or offense, they can never shake off their true iden y of being chokers during the playoffs.

[Proxy]

Mavs fans are cute.

[adrienne]

Mavs fans are cute.

Yes, I'm adorable. Plus, .

[Ice009]

Most of you Mavs fans probably thought the same thing after all the playoff exits, and those of you that didn't were wrong like 6 or 7 times Vs once for almost everyone else in this thread.

Anyway, great run to the Championship. Great team this season.

[Horse]

Ok you finally won one. congrats! But it took a fluky playoff and the only one who could choke a series away to dallas lechoke james! so off!

[Agloco]

Ok you finally won one. congrats! But it took a fluky playoff and the only one who could choke a series away to dallas lechoke james! so off!

2007 says o.