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Nowitzki is wrong, they didn't match us, no one matched us.
Spurs aren't only team that got better
Mike Monroe
Hornets coach Byron Scott was in a courtside seat at a summer league game in Las Vegas in July, but paying scant attention to the action on the court while renewing acquaintances with credentialed friends.
Then, Spurs rookie forward DeJuan Blair muscled his way over and through two opponents, snatched an offensive rebound, pump-faked both foes off their feet and went to the far side of the basket for a soft reverse layup.
Scott's eyes opened wide, and then his jaws tightened just a bit.
“Those SOBs did it again, didn't they?” he said, shaking his head.
The SOBs referenced by Scott are R.C. Buford, Dennis Lindsey and Dell Demps, the Spurs' player personnel crew that has made a habit of finding useful draft picks at spots ordinarily relegated to marginal bench help.
If Blair, the 37th pick in the draft, pans out even half as productively as another Spurs second-rounder, Manu Ginobili, well, Buford and friends may have to be immortalized in bronze at the team's practice facility.
Blair's emergence in the preseason as a potential impact rookie provided further evidence that the Spurs made the greatest offseason improvement among the handful of teams considered legitimate championship contenders.
The biggest upgrade, of course, was at small forward, where Richard Jefferson instantly became the team's most athletic wing player since Ginobili arrived in the summer of 2002.
Adding Antonio McDyess, a second big with a reliable jumper, addressed another huge need. Signing Theo Ratliff and Keith Bogans showed a continued emphasis on defensive excellence. Having Blair drop into their laps in the second round was a bit of basketball kismet.
The makeover was mandatory after the first-round playoff ouster in April exposed them as ill equipped for future compe ion against Western elites that were longer and more athletic.
As significant as were the Spurs improvements, this is reality: Every other legitimate contender also got significantly better.
The 66-win Cavaliers landed former MVP center Shaquille O'Neal, still the NBA's biggest physical challenge.
The 2008 champion Celtics added Rasheed Wallace, one of the league's best interior defenders.
The Eastern Conference champion Magic countered the loss of Hedo Turkoglu with a trade that netted eight-time All-Star Vince Carter.
Most significantly, the improvement the Spurs made through major roster upheaval was countered by the single, subtle move the defending champion Lakers negotiated. Letting Trevor Ariza sign a free-agent contract with the Rockets freed a spot for defensive menace Ron Artest, a player capable of making the Lakers nearly unbeatable.
Artest has a downside, but when he is focused and happy, he is basketball's best perimeter defender. His history shows what happens when he is unhappy.
“If Ron is going to fit in and play a role, they're going to be tough to beat,” said Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas' 2007 NBA MVP. “If he's going to be unselfish and play the team role and just defend and do what he can do, to me, they're pretty damn good.”
Nowitzki agrees that the Spurs made the greatest upgrade in talent and depth over the summer, but believes the Mavericks matched them, improvement for improvement, and he's right.
Dallas added Shawn Marion, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross, Kris Humphries and another rookie who, like Blair, has the potential to make an impact. Rodrigue Beaubois is a point guard straight out of the Parker mold: quick, impetuous and French.
The Spurs could go from 54 wins last season to 58 or 59 this season and still wind up second in the Southwest Division.
On paper, the Spurs have the deepest roster in club history, and perhaps the most athletic, but the games are played on hardwood.
“What matters is when the ball gets thrown up,” said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle. “I know (the Spurs) are going hard at it, and so are we.
“It's a long season and there's no accidents. In 82 games, you're going to find out who the better teams are.”
Nowitzki is wrong, they didn't match us, no one matched us.
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And as if Marion,Gooden, Humphries and Ross were as big of an upgrade as RJ, 'Dice, the Beast, and Rattler.
The Mavs didn't get much better just marginally if at all. Marion has a habit of disappearing in big games and they lost Brandon Bass.
Shaq I think slows down the Cavs a bit.
The Celtics got better and the Lakers got better if their aquisitions don't quit and sulk like they have a habit of doing.
Marion will remember how he choked against the Spurs countless times when he was with the Suns and he'll do it again this year, just in a different uniform.
As much as Marion sux in the playoffs, him replacing Antoine Wright is a pretty big improvement, at least during the regular season. They have a post scorer now too, albeit one who will probably give up as much as he scores.
But saying they have improved as much as the Spurs, means they would beat the Spurs 4-1 again, and even Mav fans know that isnt happening.
I agree that the Mavs have vastly improved. I think they'll battle the Spurs to a virtual draw this year and the victor winning by a TKO (ie. execution in the last 2 minutes of the 4th)
I still put the Spurs above the Mavs but only because the Mavs mised out on getting Gortat.
I'm looking forward to those 2 early Mavs games, should be exciting as ever.
The Spurs no longer have the defensive intensity and profile that won us 4 les. I don't see that any of the new additions are going to reboot and reinvigorate this fundamental aspect of our le runs. How do we make ourselves into championship contenders without being an elite defensive team?
So the Spurs, even with our new additions, have a lot of challenges, perhaps more than any other contender. Pop is going to have to grow and implement changes to our gameplan - this is perhaps our biggest challenge, once you get past the obvious health factors.
Our compe ors made some strong additions and they don't have the disadvantage of having to reinvent themselves as we do. It's going to be an interesting season in which I hope we'll see some new looks and dimensions to Spursball.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The guys who finish the games this year will be Duncan/Dice/RJ/Manu/TP. All five are solid defenders. Last year, we had Bonner and Finley on the floor, both of whom were huge weaknesses who were regularly exploited.
With those two on the court, it's a miracle we finished as high as we did on the points allowed list. Both of those guys are players who give the opponents they are guarding confidence. They do the opposite of instilling fear. If you're going up against Dice or RJ, you know you're in for a battle. And don't forget George Hill, who can guard the 1 or the 2, and can cool off pretty much anybody.
So although the defensive makeup of this team may take a while to perfect because of the new faces, we'll be significantly better than last year because of them.
There's a reason Sheed screamed out, "Give it to whoever Bonner is guarding!" A) Bonner can not only not stop anybody - he can't even contain anybody. B) He never gets a call. Ever. C) He rarely gets a rebound, and when he does, the ball has to come right to him. He can't "go get" a rebound.
Having Bonner and Finley off the floor in the last three minutes of games will win us 4-5 more games this year, and maybe more.
I have watched the Mavs a lot this preseason and they look damn good. They can easily match or beat the Spurs this year.
I have not seen how J-Ho will fit with Marion, but other than that question mark, the Mavs look good.
The Lakers look great and Artest adds a lot to that team. I am surprised how much I underestimated how much better he makes their offense, at least early on. His passing really benefits that team, especially on the interior.
Should be a great year with a lot of high level compe ion. I think the Spurs, although they made fantastic moves, have the most question marks of the elite teams.
Can we stop hypothesizing and let the season start already >.>
The 66-win Cavaliers landed former MVP center Shaquille O'Neal, still the NBA's biggest physical challenge?
What is significantly more of a challenge for the Cavs is Shaq's inability to play pick-noll defense.
Not true. If you think Shaq will be moving slower than Ilgauskas on the pick and roll defense, you are wrong.
From the clips I saw of Shaq in the preseason, he's going to be a physical challenge. He looked pretty fat.
That happens many times. It is Shaq you are talking about.
Nothing could be more besides the point. Certainly we will better than last year (although I wouldn't be surprised to see Finley finish games knowing Pop) but will be an elite defensive team? I doubt it, and simply being better than last year won't be enough. With Bowen gone and Duncan's defensive game slipping drastically because his creaky knees, do we still have a defensive anchor to this team?
I don't think we do, and that means we're in uncharted territory. When we won championships, we were an elite defensive team with strong defensive anchors.
Not to mention he's going to miss tons of games as usual.
The Cavs adding athletic and long wings in Athony Parker and Jamario Moon opposed to being content with the West/Gibson/Williams/ Wally rotation was more important than Shaq's acquisition. IMO
Not only can Parker and Moon shoot the spot up three like West/Gibson/Wally and Williams but they have the length and athleticism to defend the Magic's perimeter players better. Not to mention Lakers and Celtics' perimeter players as well. That was their main weakness. West/ Gibson/ Wally were too small and too unathletic in Wally's case to defend teams with scorer's on the perimeter that had length.
The mavs Did Upgrade, But Not Like the Spurs.... By Far The spurs Upgraded More then Anyone else...
i think once everyone gets on the same page it will click and well start getting good d from alot of players, most of the players we acquired are more than capable of playing really good d, and with the drive of pop to become an elite defender again, i think its very possible to get there!! ex: garnett, ray allen going to the celtics) those were very teachable players who were very willing to learn, and who placed their skills within the celtics system, and rose to the top. same applies to jefferson, and dice who really respect pop. but we even have a bigger advantage. tim duncan, manu, and tony were already a part of the team!! with blair coming in from the draft we have more firepower than anyone, and have a group of smart players who know how to use it. and i would also say i wouldnt trust any other coach with this task but pop
The Mavs look really good, but I'd attribute that to chemistry more than gigantic talent upgrades at this point. I fully expect the Spurs to have to catch the Mavericks in order to win the division, because The Mavs are going to start out better.
I still want to see how J-ho meshes with Marion and the team and how he does playing at SG.
I don't know how that will work out.
Pretty sure a blind man could have "found" Blair with that pick. They didn't so much find him as the other teams gave him away.“Those SOBs did it again, didn't they?” he said, shaking his head.
The SOBs referenced by Scott are R.C. Buford, Dennis Lindsey and Dell Demps, the Spurs' player personnel crew that has made a habit of finding useful draft picks at spots ordinarily relegated to marginal bench help.
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