2011 Dallas Mavs is like the 2007 San Antonio Spurs

[Solid D]

Wasn’t 2007 the lowest NBA finals rating in the history of the NBA? Come On! This was a great NBA finals…

Probably, true. Watching a hot knife cut swiftly through butter isn't much to watch and it's over with very quickly.

[xellos88330]

Probably, true. Watching a hot knife cut swiftly through butter isn't much to watch and it's over with very quickly.

It was like the game was over before it even began. The Spurs were on a completely different level than any other team after eliminating the Suns. After them, the Jazz and Cavs were completely crushed. There were times when I actually was feeling sorry for the Jazz and Cavs because it was just embarassingly easy for the Spurs.

It was painful to watch on behalf of the other team, but it is awesome watching a great team play some great ball.

[Findog]

But honestly, I still like the Road To The Finals of 2011 Mavs because, first, they're playing without Butler who is offensive threat for the Mavs :

Losing Butler was a blessing in disguise. He's a ballstopper who likes to iso too much. That would have killed out offensive synergy.

[Jacob1983]

No offense to the Mavs, but Dirk didn't have as much help as Duncan had in 2007. And let's not forget that Parker was the MVP in 2007. Spurs had Bowen, Manu, Parker, and Duncan all still in their prime or maybe some at the end of their prime in that Finals. Mavs had to play two hostile arenas - Rose Garden and OKC arena. Mavs also had to dethrone the two time defending champs and three time defending western conference champs. And the hardest thing of all for the Mavs was to beat the Heat. Let's be honest, when you choke like the Mavs did in 2006, it's extremely difficult to ever bounce back from something like that. And the Mavs did not have homecourt advantage in the Finals.

[mariners]

Lot of similarities
Spurs won with a team 196k over the lux cap over a team
The Mavs win with a team ~ 17 million over
Spurs beat a team built through the draft and trades.
Mavs beat a team that was created through free agency

??????
J Kidd (trade)
Stevenson (trade)
Marion (sign and trade)
Dirk (mavs lifer)
TC (Trade)
Jet (been with mavs for while)
JJB (been with mavs since being undrafted)
Peja (free agent in season)
Cardinal (free agent)
Mahimni (free agent)
Haywood (trade)

[Chieflion]

No offense to the Mavs, but Dirk didn't have as much help as Duncan had in 2007. And let's not forget that Parker was the MVP in 2007. Spurs had Bowen, Manu, Parker, and Duncan all still in their prime or maybe some at the end of their prime in that Finals. Mavs had to play two hostile arenas - Rose Garden and OKC arena. Mavs also had to dethrone the two time defending champs and three time defending western conference champs. And the hardest thing of all for the Mavs was to beat the Heat. Let's be honest, when you choke like the Mavs did in 2006, it's extremely difficult to ever bounce back from something like that. And the Mavs did not have homecourt advantage in the Finals.

Sure there isn't. All the offense has been directed to the Spurs. No, I'm just kidding.

But seriously, as hostile as the Rose Garden and OKC arena have been, the Spurs faced the Utah Jazz in the conference finals, and of course they are infamous for all their antics. The Denver Nuggets were quite hostile themselves too. Not to mention the debacle that should have never happened against Phoenix, their fans were quite rowdy too. The Suns were also the supposed "favorites" after the Mavs got knocked out.

Of course Duncan had more help in the form of 2 other stars in Parker and Ginobili. The 3 of them carried the biggest load, with Bowen on the defensive side of the court. The bench however, was mediocre at best with the exception of Finley (his last season actually being good). The Mavs, although lacking star power after Dirk, had Terry, Barea and other key role players stepping up big in a series or 2.

[Maddog]

??????
J Kidd (trade)
Stevenson (trade)
Marion (sign and trade)
Dirk (mavs lifer)
TC (Trade)
Jet (been with mavs for while)
JJB (been with mavs since being undrafted)
Peja (free agent in season)
Cardinal (free agent)
Mahimni (free agent)
Haywood (trade)

Mavs beat a team through built through free agency
Not the Mavs built through free agency

[ohmwrecker]

So much bull in a single post, impressive. "We're going to have to agree to disagree." A spurfan refusing to accept the 2007 gift, there's a shocker. I'd have better luck convincing the Jonestown residents not to drink the Kool-Aid then to get "Some" spurfans to accept the truth. Going with the "He's been discredited" angle was another obvious touch. Two words: Jose Canseco...he was a discredited rat, turns out he was right though! You're sticking your head in the sand. Man up and accept the obvious gift.

wtf does Jose Canseco have to do with Tim Donaghy? Do I really have to explain how that is a horrible comparison? Canseco selling books is exactly like a criminal facing jail . . . brilliant.

I accept the gift. I never said 2007 wasn't the Spurs easiest path to a championship. It most definitely was, but how does that translate into the '07 Spurs being a bad basketball team, or that they don't deserve the le. I could easily say the same about the '09 Lakers.

Trying to sell the Nuggets as a tough matchup just proves that you are a helpless homer. Did Denver win more than 1 game in those 5 straight first round exits? If they did, my bad, I just don't recall. The Iverson Nuggets were an embarrassing mess. FACT.

They did. The Spurs weren't the only team to benefit from a playoff match-up with the Nuggets. I'm sure you can think of at least one other team . . . of course that team failed to win the championship in '08.

The Utah Jazz are a "Jerry Sloan coached team blah blah blah." Yeah, the Lakers beat the out them with increasing ease for 3 straight years...and Deron wasn't a rookie, either.

That's the team! I couldn't remember. Increasing ease? The Spurs beat them in 5 games (with one fluke bad game). The Lakers? 6 games. And there weren't any blowouts either. Of course Deron wasn't a rookie . . .

They won, good for them...happy? They had the easiest le run out of any team in the last 2 decades. Only 1/4 opponents was an upper-echelon team and they were put behind the eightball by a ref trying to settle mob debts. Congrats, they still won the games though.

"upper-echelon"

Where's the proof outside of a criminal's testimony who was doing anything he could to avoid jail and save face? The evidence is cir stantial. What do you have? +9 free throws? The Spurs beat the spread? A missed charge call? Seriously . . . what occurred in game 3 that was atypical of an average playoff game?

I don't give a guy like Donaghy the credit to pull off what you are implying he did. As much as I would love to discredit the '02 Lakers for the same thing, I just can't. It's too preposterous. And, the '02 WCF had a load more egregious calls and missed calls than the Spurs/Suns . . . it's not even close.

Your credibility is already severely in question for your incessant RJ flag-waving throughout the year. You're a known uber-homer, so your view of things is definitely skewed.

There was no incessant RJ flag waving. That has been completely overblown by posters like DPG and Harlem. I must admit, that I definitely exacerbated the situation by engaging those guys in some (assumed) good-natured trash talk.
Everything I said about RJ came to pass. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to sustain the improvement for a variety of reasons. I always admit when I am wrong just as much as I "scoreboard" when I am right. I am critical of Pop and the Spurs as much as I defend them. My view isn't skewed because I'm not hiding behind an agenda (or a troll for that matter). I am taking it as it comes. If I am wrong sometimes, I can live with that. It's not a big deal.

[Blake]

Rick Carlisle is a much superior coach who also motivates his players as opposed to "It's not my job to motivate, they're professionals" Gregg Popovich

what are you going to do when/if they put Pop's name up in the rafters next to Tim and Manu?

or worse.....in the HOF?

[Solid D]

what are you going to do when they put Pop's name up in the rafters next to Tim and Manu?

and.....in the HOF?

Fixed.

[Agloco]

I'll tell ya one key difference though

Rick Carlisle is a much superior coach who also motivates his players as opposed to "It's not my job to motivate, they're professionals" Gregg Popovich

I bet you will. I also bet it'll be a steaming pile just as your other statements were.

Yeap, I was right.

[Axe Murderer]

it seems as if the past few days ohmwrecker's going all out to admit that the 2007 Spurs' opponents were anything but complete dog overall

[21_Blessings]

The Spurs beat no team of note and and even then, needed a convinced felon to hand them game 3 and an unjust suspension to the Suns' best player to seal the deal.

The Mavs slayed Goliath in the 2nd round. After that, it was destiny.

[Sean Cagney]

The Spurs beat no team of note and and even then, needed a convinced felon to hand them game 3 and an unjust suspension to the Suns' best player to seal the deal.

The Mavs slayed Goliath in the 2nd round. After that, it was destiny.

Like the Lakers never had HELP or bs calls during any of their runs , sure.


BTW handed game three? , not near as bad as the Kings series you guys won, now that one was the worst ever.

Unjust suspension? The rules say you get off the bench during a scuffle and go on to the floor that you get suspended, not the Spurs fault Amare and Diaw are that damn stupid. Even still it was 2-2 in the series, PHX was never ahead or IN CONTROL in that series.

[TJastal]

I bet you will. I also bet it'll be a steaming pile just as your other statements were.

Yeap, I was right.

You act like you have the slightest clue about what I post. When all you do is skim them over until you find any anything negative about Pop then you immediately click 'post reply' and call it a steaming pile or some other witty term.

Just put me on ignore, it'll make both our lives easier.

[ohmwrecker]

lol "convinced felon"

lol "Goliath"

[ohmwrecker]

it seems as if the past few days ohmwrecker's going all out to admit that the 2007 Spurs' opponents were anything but complete dog overall

Actually, I addressed the quality of compe ion in a small part of one response there, cowboy.

[Agloco]

You act like you have the slightest clue about what I post. When all you do is skim them over until you find any anything negative about Pop then you immediately click 'post reply' and call it a steaming pile or some other witty term.

Just put me on ignore, it'll make both our lives easier.

Negative. I simply look for your handle and I immediately know what follows. Sure as the sun rises there was yet another gem about how Pop is a complete and utter failure as a coach.

Don't cry about it. Man up and own your ty remarks, it'll make both our lives easier.