The language that comes to mind is the kind that I normally use in discussing the Bush administration and Republicans in general, but I can't bring myself to similarly describe my beloved (though bitterly, horribly frustrating) Mavs.
Worst sight of the night? Our MVP, the league MVP, standing on the sidelines during the 4th. He was sitting there because Avery Johnson had no choice but to take him out and try to put players in who could produce desperately needed buckets.
Oh well. At least there's FC Dallas. Oh wait...
UPDATE: Jean-Jacques Taylor over at the DMN tells it like it is. Some choice bits:
The Mavs will never win a championship as long as Dirk Nowitzki remains their best player.
Avery Johnson and Mark Cuban disagree.
Too bad.It's the truth. You know it is. Like spanking your kids, it hurts.
Let's be clear: This is one of the most embarrassing losses NBA history. See, it's one thing to lose, but it's quite another when a club that wins 67 games – tied for sixth most in league history - fails to compete in an elimination game.
Until the end of time, the 2007 Mavericks will be known as one of the softest teams in professional sports. A team devoid of character and heart, when it mattered most. It's a fitting moniker that starts with their best player.
See, that's the killer. Yeah those GS fans were loud and rowdy, but the Mavs have been there, done that...and won. When rookie Mo Ager and Austin Croshere are taking your hardest drives to the basket while everybody else is jacking up threes, when players look confused on defense, when nobody's diving to the floor to get rebounds, when you get blown-out in a game you have to win to even survive, and all this after showing serious intestinal fortitude to get 67 wins and the top seed in the West....yes, something is seriously wrong, and no it won't be fixed by a summer of "contemplation." These pieces don't fit. It's time to bring in some players who don't fold when faced with a troublesome no. 8 seed.
5 comments:
Ha, now I know what your text was in reference to.
Yeah I don't normally implore God on behalf of my sports teams, but it was late and I was over-tired.
I like Dirk he has done alot for the team, he is the best player at what he does which is open lane jump shots.
The problem is we did the same thing we did last year and learned nothing from the defeat by Miami. The main lessons are 3:
1. We need a strong post player with speed which we do not have.
2. We need more than perimiter shooting. We need a true ball on the court inside threat - which has been missing since we let go of steve Nash
3. We need 5 people that when there is a change of possession can match pace with the other team so we don't end up in so many 4 on 5 conditions
We did not get out played - we got out coached - how to beat the Mavs is not a secret and if they don't correct these glaring issues dont look for any repeats to the 6th best NBA season performance next year.
I agree. Thanks largely to Nellie's coaching, the Mavs got exposed on about every single one of their weaknesses. I don't know if he knew that they would fold once GS put it on them, but that they did. Of the recommendations I've read for them I agree mostly with two; we need a low post player who can take some of the pressure of Nowtizki to do basically what he's never going to be able to do. And we need a PG that can get the ball in Nowtizki's hands reliably. What's that you say? We had one?? Well yeah, and about right now I'd like to slap everyone in the world who thought letting Nash walk out of here for NOTHING in return-when Nash WANTED to stay and play with Nowitzki, is about the stupidest move ever pulled by any basketball team in the history of player transactions. I have always felt that, and I've been proven right.
Dirk can not shoot under presure. He is the only hot player we have to concentrate traps and double teams against.
Getting the ball in his hand does not help as much as if you had a tru inside threat 0- which we don't
We get into foul trouble and start bleeding free throws because we sit to long in the paint and can not defend ball on the flor basketball.
We need some people who can move up and down that court and stuff the ball in the rim from a 1ft away.
Kareem had some great years because he could set and shoot or the hook, Dirk doesn't have a hook 0- he needs time to set. He will get that time by people running the boards and feeds.
He should have never been what the team is built around he is to defensively weak to play the amount of time he does
Post a Comment