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With no Bargnani either.
it doesn't? Just giving you props. Take them.
With no Bargnani either.
Mavs vs Spurs last year's playoffs scored: 100, 88, 90, 89, 103 & 87.
It was their offense that did them in and while TC helps them defensively, losing Caron, even if he isn't that great hurts them on both ends.
I agree we have nobody to stop Manu, not many teams in the league do. I think now that Roddy will actually play (assuming we faced the Spurs) he would be one of the few quick enough to give TP problems, kinda like Devin Harris did in 06. I really look at the entire defensive philosophy not just individual matchups. Last season, when I had a meltdown on the NBA Forum after game 6, I criticized the entire team for not having any heart or passion on the defensive end. I swear the Spurs ran that high pick and roll with Ginobili/Duncan 10 times in a row, and it worked everytime. Whether it was McDyess, Manu, Hill, Duncan getting wide open shots, nobody seemed to care. That's where hopefully Chandler's leadership helps.
My whole point about the offense, is not that we need to score a lot, but we just need to have a go to play/player down the stretch. I think we're fine in that area. Dirk will either go 1 on 1 or kick it out to an open player. If Dirk struggles, then we don't have a chance anyway. This Mavs offense, if they're to succeed in the playoffs, will have to operate like the 94 Rockets offense did. Just play through Hakeem and have the shooters be ready when given a chance. Did that team really have a reliable second scorer that could create his own shot?
I'm obviously not comparing the two teams as the Rockets were on a whole nother level defensively, but on offense they are pretty comparable and this kind of style has won championships. That is why it's up to the defense imho
and when i say good defense, i mean the ability to get stops down the stretch. The Mavs may have held the Spurs to statistical low scoring but anyone who watched the series could see that the Mavs could not stop them to save their lives in the 4th quarter
Well that is why I was talking about margin for error. Spurs are built better all around. If Dirk struggles, they very likely loose. Sure, they can still win if someone has a good game, but the odds are not great.
If TP struggles, we still have Manu. Magin for error. Spurs just have a lot more weapons and are much more balanced on both ends IMO.
Also, look at the Mavs scoring I posted. They could not score. No matter how good you play defensively, if you can't put up 90 points, you are going to struggle. The Mavs are worse offensively now than they were last year.
We know Dirk is gonna get his. But since the Mavs don't have a consistant #2, Mav fans are gonna have to hope Dallas can have a few guys consistantly score by committee. Maybe Jet, Peja, or Kidd can get their scoring on in the playoffs. Definitely not a impossible task imo.
I don't consider these scores that low for a team that wants to win the le.
that's an average of 92.8 points a game for a series. In the playoffs that's not a ridiculously low number.
Look at the final point total for the Lakers in the NBA Finals
102, 94, 91, 89, 86, 89, 83
90.6 points a game in that series
Ya, but they were playing against the best defense the league has seen in years. Absolutely elite defense. Lakers almost lost if not for some injuries as well (Perkins).
Spurs are going to score. The Mavs need points and even if you think the scoring last year was ok, they are worse this year offensively.
Well yeah, but the point wasn't to compare the defenses. You said that the Mavs average of 92.8 ppg was too low, but the Lakers averaged only 90 ppg (regardless of good defense or bad offense) and were able to win the series by playing defense.
on paper maybe, but they havent been playing like it lately..
The big problem for Dallas last year was playing Butler and Marion together. They should have played Terry with one of the SFs and Roddy with the either. Roddy got limited minutes last year, but played very well in those minutes. If he can get in game shape and get his rhythm back, he will give teams problems in the playoffs.
Mavs will score on the Spurs defense. They're still adjusting to having Roddy back and Peja. I think Peja will get limited minutes in the playoffs with Marion getting most of the minutes. Also Terry and Roddy will split minutes at the SG unlike last season.
yeah exactly.
I think they can generate enough points and score enough times down the stretch with their offense.
Last season, they could not stop the Spurs when they most needed to. If you're trying to come from behind and you let the other team score every time, it's impossible to win
The reason why they couldn't stop the Spurs was because they went too big against them. Playing Butler, Marion, and Kidd together on the perimeter was a recipe for a disaster against the Spurs guards. That won't happen this year. Marion will come in for Peja, Terry for Roddy, and JJ for Kidd.
Yeah, there's not nearly enough talent or depth on the Mavs' roster.
Correct.
Incorrect.
Jokes aside, Mavs offense was much more of the reason they lost to the Spurs last year, and largely due to the lack of chemistry. It was very obvious a lot of the guys were not on the same page, and add to that the fact that Carlisle still didn't know how to handle his rotation, it was a mess. They definitely had a lot of talent last year, and even more this year, but the difference between last year and this year is that last years team was winning games solely due to talent, but were inconsistent due to lack of chemistry. This year, they are playing much more consistently due to the added chemistry.
IMO, the offense doesn't scare me much at all this year, for now anyways. They definitely have much more fitting pieces and better chemistry. I do worry a bit about the defense in the starting unit. I still think Stevenson should start the game just with the sole purpose of trying to frustrate the opponents best wing scorer and keep them from getting in a rhythm right from the start, and then let Roddy come in and provide that offensive spark after the team gets in a groove. If the Mavs did that, I would feel much better about their defense heading into the playoffs.
wow im good
This was actually one of the few threads where Axe brings his basketball goods to the table and look what you get
Basketball is funny. I think a lot of my assessments were correct, it's just the end game didn't turn out as expected. Every gamble and every move pretty much came up ace's for the Mavs. When that happens and you have an elite player like Dirk, it equals a le run.
A simple "I was wrong" would have sufficed.
It is a disaster. Cuban has handed out numerous terrible contracts, yes or no. Because of that, he asks the only guy that deserves to get paid in full, Dirk, to take less money with promises of putting guys around him in order to help him win.
Then, while it was questionable if the Mavs could win a le as is, they lose Caron Butler, which made it really, really questionable.
Then he stands pat and passes up opportunities to get better knowing damn well they don't have enough and he used the "we're clicking" argument.
Good argumentI guess Dirk has no reason to be upset.
They didn't have enough last year to do it and now they don't have Butler. Good argumentSure, so you are saying the Mavs, who didn't have enough last year to beat the Spurs, who lost Butler, but added TC now clearly have enough
So lets recap:
Mavs aren't good enough to beat the Spurs last year.
They add TC, but lose Caron Butler and now they have plenty.
They don't make a trade, but still have plenty.
Spurs add Gary Neal & James Anderson to a team that already beat the Mavs last year, but clearly the Mavs jump them.
Great arguments
Then we will see if the team that did not have enough last year, whom lost Butler from last year, is still good enough to slow down TP/Manu/RJ/Neal/Hill/Anderson.
Don't see how that is funny. That would be like me linking all the you said but then you would justto save face.
reverse jinxing my team to a le was legendary imho
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