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Dang FWD is on a tear!
So uh... yeah, what he said :0P
Dirk - ankle (probable)
Josh Howard - ankle (probable)
Devin Harris - quad (questionable)
DJ Mbenga - ?
Dang FWD is on a tear!
So uh... yeah, what he said :0P
Marion is playing out of his mind. Nash has something to do with this but Marion's stats numbers are monsters. Of course you could say that Dirk gets a lot of help to with the bench and Josh Howard. It is a tough choice for whoever gets it but I don't think Nash deserved it last year or this year for he had great teammates. Last year was like an all star team with Amare, Marion, Joe Johnson, and Nash and this year the bench is really deep along with Marion having his best year.
Here's what I don't get about Mavericks fans.
To bolster an argument that their team will win the West, they point to how deep and talented their team is. But to bolster an argument that Dirk should be the MVP, they argue that he's basically dragging the rest of that roster to its great record. One or the other might be true, but they can't BOTH be true. So which one is it?
Despite how deep the mavs are without Dirk you will see a big dropoff since he still plays heavy minutes and is the key to the mavs success. You could say he draws a lot of attention and everyone around him looks really good because of that. Josh Howard I doubt would be dominating the interior if it wasn't for this. That is Dirk drawing one of the bigs outside and teams constantly keying on him.
What's up with the DA pictures? Am I missing something?
Is that a mugshot? If so, why is he in that mugshot?
I think that its both, FWD.
When you consider Dallas' success, you look at their offense. Dirk is the key that turns the ignition there. Everything is worked through, around, and considering Dirk. Dirk makes the important plays, and if he doesnt shoot it, he usually is the man with the assist. Dirk has taken over games consistently in the 4th period this season. Big time stuff. MVP stuff.
On the other hand, if it was solely Dirk out there Dallas wouldnt be able to keep Dirk fit for the fourth period. Dallas' depth has allowed them to sit him for big stretches so that he's fresh in the 4th. The bench/support players usually hold serve or keep the team close until Dirk re-enters. Dirk comes in and finishes them off. Dallas has won alot of close games (and games where they were down alot) in the 4th because Dirk was fit and finished strong. He nearly singlehandedly beat the Nuggets, Suns, Raptors, etc. that way. Other guys help (Terry, Armstrong, Howard), but if Dirk is off everything falls apart. Dirk simply hasnt been off very much this season. Dirk is the cog that turns the offense, and as Hollinger showed in his recent article, the Mavs offense is the most efficient in the NBA. It's a 'playoffs' offense led by an offensive phenomenon.
Pft. He's always on a tear. No surprise here.
I disagree about the part where Dirk is off the team is in trouble. Many times he's been off but his prescence draws a lot of attention and than other players step up and carry the scoring load. If Dirk isn't playing defense though then it is a problem.
I disagree on both counts.
In the first place, if Dallas is as deep as Mavs fans claim they are, then it's their depth that carries them. Dirk is no doubt aided by that, but what makes them a contender -- what drives their record isn't just Dirk's play; it's the deep roster. At least that's what the Mavs fans around here have tried to argue.
Besides, I (for one) don't think that Dallas' success is predicated on their offense. What makes Dallas a viable contender is their improved defense. If the Mavs were the most efficient offensive team in the league but couldn't play defense, this year would be no different than any of the last 5 or 6. Mavs fans keep telling me that this year is different, so the difference, it seems, must be defense, eh?
And it's clear to me that Dirk is not a defensive demon, so those other guys must be playing a vital role in the success that the Mavericks are experiencing, which says to me that the Mavericks vaunted depth is as big a reason for their record as Dirk's play. That's not to say that Dirk won't win the MVP award this season -- like I say, he's clearly among the top candidates for the award, and rightly so; it's just to say that I don't think Dirk is single-handedly responsible for the success of his team.
One last thing -- are you contending that Dirk is among the greatest offensive players in NBA history or something? Calling him "an offensive phenomenon" suggests to me someone who is in the Jordan stratosphere; the pantheon of all-time great scorers. Dirk is not that. Dirk is a wonderful offensive player and he's a to cover, but he still averages 26 points per game. It's not as if he's shredding the record books with his scoring.
Tim Duncan with 40 points? Holy crap! I totally forgot about that.
I forgot that the Spurs shot almost 50% and held the Mavs to around 40%, were basically even on the glass, had fewer turnovers, and still lost.
It's obviously a combination of both, but just as Jordan needed Kerr, Armstrong, Grant, Rodman, et al, Dirk needs support players. His support is arguably much thinner than Jordan's was. Dirk has no Rodman, no Pippen. He's got a bunch of guys that are a few notches below those two, some youngsters and some specialists like Dampier, Diop, and Griffin. The intent is not to put Dirk and Jordan in the same league, but to put Dirk's support in proper perspective.In the first place, if Dallas is as deep as Mavs fans claim they are, then it's their depth that carries them. Dirk is no doubt aided by that, but what makes them a contender -- what drives their record isn't just Dirk's play; it's the deep roster. At least that's what the Mavs fans around here have tried to argue.
The difference this year is that the Mavs can force stops when they need them. They can do so particularly in the 4th, when Dirk has contributed some significant plays on D. I think that you have to understand Dallas' system which is to draw penetrating guards into Diop and Damp and to seal the big guys off on the baseline.Besides, I (for one) don't think that Dallas' success is predicated on their offense. What makes Dallas a viable contender is their improved defense. If the Mavs were the most efficient offensive team in the league but couldn't play defense, this year would be no different than any of the last 5 or 6. Mavs fans keep telling me that this year is different, so the difference, it seems, must be defense, eh?
Not only that, but their offense is efficent, not quick-strike. That means that they tire the defense out and take higher percentage shots late in the clock. No secret there. They have become the most efficient team in the league at executing an offense, and that their offense is particularly dangerous because it drains the other team...hence the 4th quarter proficiency on offense and defense that has been a trademark of the Mavs this season. They give the other defense fits and give the effort on their end. Its a little more complicated than you make it seem with the "its one or the other" argument.
Dirk is more responsible for the Mavs' success than any combination of factors excluding him. You have several examples of him literally dominating teams in the fourth John Elway-style this season. Dirk has Vance Johnsons and Sammy Winders to play with, not Emmit Smiths and Micheal Irvins. Dirk is more responsible for his team's success than Chauncey Billups, just as responsible if not moreso than Steve Nash, and his team has had much more success than Nash's and just as much as Billups.And it's clear to me that Dirk is not a defensive demon, so those other guys must be playing a vital role in the success that the Mavericks are experiencing, which says to me that the Mavericks vaunted depth is as big a reason for their record as Dirk's play. That's not to say that Dirk won't win the MVP award this season -- like I say, he's clearly among the top candidates for the award, and rightly so; it's just to say that I don't think Dirk is single-handedly responsible for the success of his team.
Phenomenon means just that: a rare commodity that is completely uncommon by its own nature. Dirk is a combination of talents that has never been seen before in the NBA. He's a phenomenon. You are seeing too much in the word.One last thing -- are you contending that Dirk is among the greatest offensive players in NBA history or something? Calling him "an offensive phenomenon" suggests to me someone who is in the Jordan stratosphere; the pantheon of all-time great scorers. Dirk is not that. Dirk is a wonderful offensive player and he's a to cover, but he still averages 26 points per game. It's not as if he's shredding the record books with his scoring.
How do Mav fans not know facts about their own team?
I dont understand why some people are putting so much stock into this game. Tonights game is nothing more than a statement game for both. The team that losses isn't going to walk away thinking they cant beat the other in a seven game series. Lets just all try to agree that it's going the be a fun game to watch.
Dirkuleez
(just kidding)
Dirkuleez
I think Dirk is the toughest matchup for San Antonio of any other player in the league. How often does Duncan or Rasho have to guard the outside and if Bowen does than Dirk can take advantage of the size and Josh Howard having more opportunities to tire out Ginobili and hurt his offense. If you play Duncan on Dirk than the interior defense will not be as strong since Duncan has to come out. The same thing goes with Rasheed Wallace.
Dirk is the only bigman in the league that the Spurs switch on pick-and-rolls. Remember through the years how many times the Spurs' point guards have ended up guarding him? Yeah, that wasn't by accident.
Oh and by the way, AJ used to be able to own Dirk on the low post.
Of course you do.
A Pop disciple shows the Mavs how to play D and suddenly that erases the history of the last 5 or whatever seasons.
Okay, but then you must be telling me that the Mavericks aren't really THAT deep. I just want to be certain I know what the story emanating from Mavericks fans is -- at least for today.
Gosh, I've never ever seen a team play a defensive system like that.
Oh wait, yes I have -- San Antonio.
I'm not sure that offensive efficiency necessarily means that the offense wears down a defense. I think offensive efficiency has much more to do with making the most of a team's offensive possessions. A team that scores on a high percentage of its possessions is efficient, even if it takes shots very early in the clock or on the break. Phoenix, for example, had an efficient offense, but it certainly didn't try to wear defenses down (other than by running the floor at a breakneck pace). That the Mavericks are efficient offensively may explain their 4th quarter successes.
Again, I'm shocked by the degree to which you minimize what Nash does for Phoenix. You act as though that team is whole and just cruising along at a 57 win pace (which, in most years, would be leading the conference) with their regular cast. That team literally hasn't been whole this entire season, yet it keeps winning. I think the comparison with Billups may be apt; but you're grossly understating what Nash has done for his team. Do you honestly think that if you replaced Nash with any other PG that the Suns would be remotely where they are right now? I can see a similar argument for Dirk, but that's why I say that he's a candidate. You argue as though he's reinvented the game of basketball this season.
What exactly makes him a phenomenon? That he's 7 feet tall and can hit some 3 pointers? Again, he's a to match up with, but so is Kevin Garnett, who has a similar game (although a few feet shorter in terms of range). Is KG a phenomenon too?
To me, the word phenomenon in sports terms means something more superlative than rare and uncommon. Manute Bol was rare and uncommon; was he a phenomenon, too?
Dirk will end up with more MVP votes than Duncan this season. Again.
Dirk is the only bigman in the league that the Spurs switch on pick-and-rolls. Remember through the years how many times the Spurs' point guards have ended up guarding him? Yeah, that wasn't by accident.
Oh and by the way, AJ used to be able to own Dirk on the low post.
And?Dirk will end up with more MVP votes than Duncan this season. Again.
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