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It seems like the Spurs are the only team that should be worried about the Mavs, because that's the only team that can beat them, and Dallas can't beat anybody else. They were constructed to be a one-trick pony, just like Golden State
Maybe. The Mavs seem to have figured the Warriors out. 9 months too late, but they have a better handle on them than they did last spring.
It seems like the Spurs are the only team that should be worried about the Mavs, because that's the only team that can beat them, and Dallas can't beat anybody else. They were constructed to be a one-trick pony, just like Golden State
If Bynum can come back healthy then the Lakers are definitely a team to watch out for. You don't get a 26-11 record by accident, especially with their brutal schedule. Even though the reports say 8 weeks, the scoop is the kid should be back a lot quicker (4-6 weeks) given his young age and quick healing abilities.
The Lakers would be foolish to rush him.
If he's 100% sooner, fine.
He's too important to their success. He's a big guy, it's his knee. If they bring him back less than ready he could get hurt worse. And he might play hesitant if the knee isn't right.
They should plan for the 2 months without him. If he gets back sooner it's gravy.
I've said all season that the Mavs would be fine...
There's actually a lot of truth to that statement. Just like the Spurs were built to beat the Jazz and then re-built to beat the Lakers, the Mavs were built to beat the Spurs.It seems like the Spurs are the only team that should be worried about the Mavs, because that's the only team that can beat them, and Dallas can't beat anybody else. They were constructed to be a one-trick pony, just like Golden State
I think how well the Mavs do will depend on how well Harris and Howard do, it seems like Avery is going for the more team approach, getting some of the load off Dirk (since we know how well he handled it in the playoffs...)
If those two don't really step up and Dirk is what he is in the playoffs then I don't see the Mavs as a big threat.
Again Lakers have played 5 or 6 less WC games than Spurs or Hornets. Stop the parade for the LAL! Talented and becoming stronger but not a true W power.
Dirk is what he is in the playoffs? A guy with 8 series wins under his belt?
Dirk career regular season averages: 22 and 8 on 47% shooting
Dirk career playoff averages: 25 and 11 on 45% shooting.
He's actually usually more productive in the money season. Thought a Spurs fan would know that, but guess not. Only the Stockton/Malone Jazz, Shaq/Kobe Lakers and Dirk's Mavs have sent Tim Duncan home.
People act like the 2006 series the Mavs completely dominated the Spurs and beat them convincingly. Perhaps I was watching the wrong series, but what I saw was a series that was pretty even and could have gone either way with one call or another. More so than that, I recall the Spurs being down 3-1 and coming back and winning 2 games and coming down from a 20 point deficit in game 7 to force OT.
I'll agree that the Mavs match up the best to the Spurs, but Mavs fans act like a series between these two in the playoffs will decidely go to the Mavs based on the fact that they beat the Spurs in 2006. 2006 was a different Spurs roster and even then the series was pretty evenly match.
Who said that? Dirk was dominant in that series, while his team was a hair better than the Spurs. Strawman argument.People act like the 2006 series the Mavs completely dominated the Spurs and beat them convincingly.
San Antonio is more than capable of sending Dallas fishing. Some Dallas fans think we "own" the Spurs the way the Warriors have owned us, but the more knowledgeable fans know better. Beating San Antonio again will be extremely difficult.I'll agree that the Mavs match up the best to the Spurs, but Mavs fans act like a series between these two in the playoffs will decidely go to the Mavs based on the fact that they beat the Spurs in 2006. 2006 was a different Spurs roster and even then the series was pretty evenly match.
Yeah we will count that more of a fluke much like Magic's 80's lakers losing to a less talented rockets team back in '86.
EXACTLY.
Also Findog: Dirk did great but his playoff career is overshadowed by his failures against Miami and GS, fair or not that's a huge monkey on his back and the fact that he seems to be rattled by overly aggressive, athletic defenders makes me question how well he will perform in the playoffs, I think he is capable of playing out of his mind like he did for spurts against Spurs and Suns in 06, but it could also go the other way.
That's why IMO the mavs playoff sucess is equally dependent on Dirk playing at a very high level (and not being "soft") AND the improvement of Howard/Harris.
Dallas has won, what, 9 out of the last 14 against San Antonio? The Mavs have just as much, if not, more talent than the Spurs.
They've had one of the hardest schedules of any team to date. I don't know what your talking about. Their record is not a fluke like it was last year, when they played a lot of easy teams @ home.
Tue 30 vs Houston L 93-95
Fri 02 @ Phoenix W 119-98
Sun 04 vs Utah W 119-109
Tue 06 vs New Orleans L 104-118
Tue 13 @ San Antonio L 92-107
Wed 14 @ Houston W 93-90
Fri 16 vs Detroit W 103-91
Fri 23 @ Boston L 94-107
Thu 29 vs Denver W 127-99
Fri 30 @ Utah L 96-120
Sun 02 vs Orlando L 97-104
Wed 05 @ Denver W 111-107
Sun 09 vs Golden State W 123-113
Thu 13 vs San Antonio W 102-97
Fri 14 @ Golden State L 106-108
Tue 25 vs Phoenix W 122-115
Fri 28 vs Utah W 123-109
Sun 30 vs Boston L 91-110
Wed 09 @ New Orleans W 109-80
Their record against top WC teams thus far is:
GSW: 1-1
HOU: 1-1
SAS: 1-1
NOH: 1-1
PHX: 2-0
UTAH: 2-1
DEN: 2-0
10-5 against the top 8 teams in the WC. Pretty decent record IMHO.
The ironic thing is most of the people who said the Mavs are done this season post at MavTalk!
If Terry wasn't suspended, that series would've ended in 6.
It always felt like the Spurs were adjusting to the Mavs in that series and not vice versa.
It would be foolish to underestimate them.
Yeah Ime Udoka.
Heres the reason WHY he matches up well and should be used.
He rebounds well in the small ball line up, and evidenced the other night against Philly, he can guard a variety of players.
Also, he is a good post defender, wich in turn, means he can guard nowitzki well, because in essence you guard Nowitzki on the perimiter like you would a big man.
You body up, you push him out, and force off balance shots.
Christ, now your pullin out of your ass.If Terry wasn't suspended, that series would've ended in 6.
How in the world did they somehow beat the vaunted mavericks in game 5 with him!?!? AND Game 1!?!?!!?
Spur fan usually forgets that whenever referencing the Manu foul at the end of Game 7.
And it would also be foolish for Mav fan to think that it's automatic that a rematch would end the same way as last time. Spurs are more than capable of paying Dallas back.It would be foolish to underestimate them.
I don't know, but the fact that Spurs had game 7 at home and still couldn't finish off the mavs, as impressive as coming back from 1-3 down was, still makes me think they are the biggest threat to us in terms of winning a championship.
I think we were more fortunate to see Dallas lose to GS than people on this board realize.
Game 1 Devin didn't start or play as much as he did later in the series. And the Spurs didn't beat the Mavs in that series at AAC with JET in the lineup. Did you watch Game Six? Spurs packed the lane and let Devin (not a good jumpshooter at the time) have the outside shot. That wouldn't have been possible with JET out there.
Though I do not agree that Dirk chokes (as bad as people say), the numbers you posted are extremely misleading.
Nowitzki did not make the playoffs the first two years he was in the league, aka the two least statistically productive years. If you take those years off, he is 24.06/9.3 and 47.4%
Also, his playoff numbers are weighted heavily towards his most productive years, where he played the most playoff series (leads his team to success in his best years, always a good sign).
So you have to look at his numbers on a year to year basis for comparison.
Year Reg PPG RPG FG% PO PPG RPG FG%
2001 21.8 9.2 47.4 23.4 8.1 42.3
2002 23.4 9.9 47.7 28.4 13.1 44.5
2003 25.1 9.9 46.3 25.3 11.5 47.9
2004 21.8 8.7 46.2 26.6 11.8 45.0
2005 26.1 9.7 45.9 23.7 10.1 40.2
2006 26.6 9.0 48.0 27.0 11.7 46.8
2007 24.6 8.9 50.2 19.7 11.3 38.3
By looking at the numbers this way, we can tell that, in 3 out of the 7 years, he had a significant increase in PPG, scored about the same in 2 other years, and had a significant decrease in 2 years. His rebouding numbers have consistently increased quite a bit in the payoffs, while his FG% has been generally lower in the playoffs (not surprising, I think most players get lower FG% in the playoffs).
In conclusion, at least statistically, it doesn't seem like Dirk is particularly clutch or non-clutch.
As I've said before in this thread, much like how Dallas played GS, the minute the "better" team (I'm going according to seeding) adjusts to the underdog, that's when you know you've got issues. The Spurs played up to the Mavs style, and while they went 7 games, anytime a team changes their game plan once the playoffs begin to something the players were never too accustomed to (small ball, which pop has been loving ever since), you are going to have problems.
Adjustments are meant to be made in a playoff series, but for the Spurs to try to play small the whole series, when they aren't built for it, was tough.
I also think the biggest X factor, should the teams meet again, will be Brandon Bass. Our rebounding sucks enough against the Mavs, but for them to have another banger inside isn't helping us much.
However, a lot can happen between now and May, and I look forward to the rest of the regular season matchups to see how these teams look against each other prior to the playoffs.
That's ridiculous...you're talking to the wrong Mavs fans...
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