According to dallasbasketball.com, the Mavs FO is trying to save the MLE for someone else (Maggette, Posey, etc.) and will instead try to obtain Diop through a sign-and-trade for assets such as expiring contracts (Eddie Jones).  See, Donnie's trying to be creative. 

Supposedly, the Mavs have a great deal of interest in Posey, who played a huge supporting role for the Miami and Boston championship squads.

The Mavs' summer dealings may not be done yet.

The best player the Mavs have ever had, and the first European player to ever get the MVP award, turned 30 today.  I know what his first wish is -- helping get Germany into the Olympics -- and I hope that dream comes true in a month in Athens.   Next, I know he wants to win a championship in Dallas for all of us.  He's still got many, many years left on the court (especially considering how disciplined he is, and his fitness regime with Holger in Germany) so he (we) still have time.  After seeing the Celtics' quick turnaround (worst record in conference to NBA champs) you never know.  He's also got a coach now in Rick Carlisle who I think will make Dirk even more successful.

Here's wishing continued good health, (more) wealth and success to No.  41!

 

    

 

 

 

 

The expectations were set so low this post-season so it's certainly a lot easier to swallow this defeat than the last two exits in 2006 and 2007.

At least they didn't go out with a whimper and made it slightly exciting there at the end.  Brandon Bass made a memorable impression in game 5 to cap a fine season.

I don't want to give up on Josh Howard, but his erratic play is frustrating to watch.   Avery's a good guy, but I just don't think he's the coach to lead them to their first title.  I'd like to see Antoine Wright (free agent) back.  Reyshawn Terry from last year's draft would also be a good addition.

Free agent players I'm pretty sure won't be back:
  - Jamaal Magloire (ugh)
  - Juwan Howard (his second time here didn't go so great)
  - Devean George (although I'd like him back)
  - J.J. Barea (has a future in the league, but not as a Mav)
  - Tyronn Lue

Malik Allen's a free agent as well, but I'm not sure what the Mavs intend to do with him.  I like his attitude, and he's a pretty good all-around player. 

Corey Maggette can opt out this summer, and the Mavs should really pursue him (as they did last summer in a proposed trade involving JET).  He's only 28 and knows how to attack the rim.

We're going to see at least 1/2 the roster change over the off-season.  Maybe we pick up Diop....  Anyway, they'll be plenty of time to speculate since the Mavs couldn't even extend the playoffs into May.

I first saw this video on Hardwood Paroxysm.

I really like these new NBA ads.  They must have taped one guy first and made the other copy his movements.

It'd be great to see two of the greatest PGs ever (each with his own Mavs background) go at each other in the playoffs.  

Brandon Bass - what a find; finally a legitimate backup for Dirk and he's only 22

Antoine Wright - the guy is very smooth and always under control.  Definitely an upgrade over Moe Ager.

Damp's renewed energy playing with Kidd

Josh Howard -- Since Dirk's injury, I've got to say I'm impressed with how he's stepped up.  He's proven that he's a legitimate no. 2.

Dirk - it goes w/o saying; the guy deserves better.  I hope it doesn't get to the point in a few years where I'm hoping we trade him so he gets a chance at a ring (like Ro and Derek).

We already know about the disappointments, but feel free to add any positives I missed.

The last postive I can wish for is that the Mavs sneak into the playoffs and actually make some noise.  Stranger things have happened.

From Eddie Sefko's game preview:

Injuries

Celtics: Ray Allen (left ankle) is day to day.

Mavericks: Team (bruised ego) is day to day.

-----
Nice to have a sense of humor with the turmoil currently surrounding this team.

Eddie Sefko writes:

The Mavericks have reached an agreement in principle on a three-year contract with sixth man Jerry Stackhouse, two sources said Thursday afternoon.

While details remain to be finalized, the two sides have agreed on a deal that will make Stackhouse's salary for next season more than the mid-level exception, which is expected to be around $6 million. If the deal starts at $6.5 million, it would be worth more than $21 million for three seasons.

See the full article here.

The number one off-season objective is now complete.  What's next?

Although I dislike the Spurs (or maybe it's only their whiny fans, Duncan's expressions, Manu's flopping, and Bowen's dirty play that bug me), it's great to see one of the Mavs' Big 3 win a championship.  Michael Finley is a consummate professional, and played a big role in getting the Mavs from the abyss of the 90s to where they are today.

What an incredible honor -- and well-deserved!

It's a great day for Dirk, the franchise, the DFW area, Mavs fans all around the world, and for all of Dirk's current and former coaches and teammates.

I loved how Dirk referred to himself as the "Franchise Player".  It shows that he wants the responsibility of leading the Mavs to one or more championships before his career is over.

Dirk, as always, was very humble and talked about what a struggle his first year in the NBA (98-99) was.  He mentioned that one of his favorite memories was beating Utah in the first round during the 2001 playoffs -- running around as if they had won the championship!  

It was a great day for Dirk to reflect on his first 9 seasons in the NBA, and it was cool of him to mention Don and Donn Nelson, Steve Nash, and Michael Finley (referring to him as a leader) in his acceptance speech. It brought back a lot of great memories. I heard the acceptance speech on the radio, but it looks like several of his teammates were in attendance since he thanked them for being there. Of course, Avery got recognized for taking Dirk's game to another "limit" - making him a better rebounder and passer.

Dirk's hitting the peak of his career - turning 29 on June 19th, and I can't wait to see what he and the rest of the Mavs can do over the next 4-5 years (at least!).

Chad Ford's interview with Donnie Nelson, President of the Dallas Mavericks.

Some quotes from Donnie:

On Avery's Performance: "I think way, way, way too much was made of [Avery's inexperience]. You know when you're playing against Nelli and you've got a team like ours, you've got to blend in and out of smallball and the beat 'em up big lineup...there's a balance there. Look we've got the best young coach in basketball, in my opinion...."

On the Warriors Series: "We're not going to overreact to a six game sampling."

On Changes this Summer: "With Dirk, we ask a lot of him. He's not surrounded by, you know, perennial all-stars.... We've got a real nice support group..., but when he struggles we struggle as a team. And we're asking him to score, also create opportunities for other people, and we've just put a lot on his shoulders and so those are things that...we'll look to try to add to this summer."

He also mentioned getting a low-box presence or a point guard, and getting more athletic.

On Dirk's Leadership and Toughness: "...No one was questioning his leadership and toughness after we won 67 this year, they didn't question it after we beat San Antonio last year. I think people have a tendency to look at the weaknesses and small things and pick at them. This guy has just made NBA history. He's the first European guy ever to put his arms around that [MVP] trophy and we just couldn't be prouder of him. I don't think you judge an individual on six games in a tough, irregular matchup...."

In comparison, the guy a lot of so-called fans want in exchange for Dirk -- Kevin Garnett -- only made it to the 3rd team.  BTW, Garnett hasn't made the 1st team since 2004, his teams haven't had much success in the playoffs, and is two years older than Dirk. Garnett is also the highest-paid NBA player at $21 million while Dirk makes $15.1 million.

Here's a nice recap of the All-NBA teams on ESPN.com.

...are nights like this when the Warriors, instead of the Mavs, and Jazz kick-off their second round series...or yesterday watching the Spurs-Suns series just thinking that one of those teams would go through a grueling series to play the Mavs -- now either the Warriors or Jazz -- in the WCF.

In that sense this post-season could be tougher every time there is a new round.  At least last year, we lost in the Finals and that was it.  Every round will make me think about what could have been.

I guess I'm still in the first stage of the grieving process.

Denial <--
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

On a lighter note, which celebrities can we say are Mavs fans?

I was surprised to see that Owen Wilson is a Warriors' fan since he's from Dallas.  His friendship with Don Nelson must have caused him to switch allegiances.  

I know Roy Williams, Tony Romo, Troy Aikman, Mike Modano and a host of other DFW sports stars are Mavs supporters.  I know A-Rod attended games when he was with the Rangers.

In terms of the movie/music industry the only celebrity fan I can think of is the first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson.  I would love to have someone like Jessica Alba as a fan!

Come on, Mavs fans.  Calm down!  Jeez, we haven't even lost the series yet (and may still win -- aren't fans supposed to support their team through thick and thin?) and are talking about imploding the team and determing who to blame.  There are probably around 26 teams that would love to have a roster like the Mavs'.

It's easy to be a fan when things are good....that's why the Warriors fans are some of the best in the world.  They stuck with their team through all the downs and now get to reap the rewards.

There's a habit in Dallas of fans and media finding a scapegoat for everything -- who should we blame?  Avery? Dirk? etc.  Thank goodness no one's blaming the refereeing (yet!).  I'm not naive, I understand fans everywhere like to find scapegoats.  But when the local newspaper website has a "Who is to blame?" poll during last year's playoffs and likely this year that's just sad.  I try to avoid the local talk radio shows because they're so damn negative.

It took a Warriors' fan to point out all the good things Dirk did on this site.  I can't even believe so-called fans would even consider booing him if in fact David Stern will be handing him the MVP trophy tomorrow night.  Really nice -- in this what-have-you-done-for-me-lately society I guess the Mavs' winning 67 games is quickly forgotten.  Devean George is now a liability, Dampier is utterly useless, etc.!  Come on.  The last time Cuban made drastic moves we ended up with Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison, who won 6th man here but was disgruntled.

It's a team game and the entire team and coaching staff made mistakes.  However, ultimately it's more of what the Warriors did than what the Mavs didn't do.  Instead of saying that the Mavs didn't finish quarters strong, I would say that Baron Davis ensured that his team DID finish quarters strong.  Even that "fluke" shot wasn't that flukey -- the Warriors actually attempt half-court shots at the end of practices.

The Mavs didn't turn the ball over that much in the regular season (I'm too lazy to look up their rank -- I bet they're in the top 5 in fewest TOs).  All of a sudden they start turning it over more (16 and 19 in the last two games).  Yes, some of it's due to lack of concentration (Game 3), but I've really got to credit the Warriors' D.

BTW, the Warriors in my opinion are not "Phoenix Lite".  It's plainly obvious that a healthy Warriors team would have given the entire league problems, not just our Mavs.  This is a 50+ win team when healthy.  

The Warriors have way more weapons than the Suns and Baron Davis would give Nash fits if they met in the playoffs (could happen but I'm not giving up hope in the Mavs).  They'd run Yao right out of a series with Houston.  I thought the Warriors' weakness was that they are a jump-shooting team (which they are), but they have so many players who can explode for 30+ every night.

Unlike the Heat and the Spurs, my appreciation of the Warriors organization (all the way from Chris Mullin to players like Baron Davis) and fans has only increased throughout this series (yeah they're some bad apples but that's just like the rest of the world).  It really reminds me of the 2000-2001 Mavs organization.  Stackhouse was commenting about their fans in Game 4 and really believed they made a difference.  

For entertainment purposes, Game 4 was awesome and I'd love to see three more games like it (unlikely but I can dream).  I really believe, unlike last year, where the challenge got harder and harder from one round to the next that this is their biggest challenge.

If the Mavs need confetti dropping down after the Game 3 loss in Oakland to get motivated, this series is over.

I can understand the Mavs playing without passion in the last month of the season after wrapping up the no. 1 seed, or even Game 1 because they were tight.  I was hoping Game 2 had brought the real Mavs back, but they're still AWOL.

Again, a lot of that HAS to be because of what Golden State is doing.  They've out-executed and out-worked the Mavs.

If you read JET's blog on TrueHoop, he said that Game 1's loss could be attributed to a lack of energy on the Mavs' part:

It's About Energy
Now, we knew Game 1 was a big game for us. We fought all season to get home court wrapped up -- and we lost it. Why? We came out a little tense and without the energy that is needed in to win in the playoffs. They dictated the pace and tempo, and showed all of the emotion and energy, so they worked us over.

JET said all the right things, but then he's one of the players who comes out with absolutely no energy.  It shouldn't take Avery to motivate this group.  After all, this season was about finishing -- there should be an internal fire burning inside every one of them.  

From the Houston Chronicle's Rockets Notes:

Honeymoon cancels game

Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo said the charity game he arranged for July in Paris has been canceled because Spurs guard Tony Parker will be unavailable to play after his wedding to actress Eva Longoria.

The NBA was working to sanction an All-Star game on July 15 in Paris with several NBA stars, including the Rockets' Yao Ming, playing against Parker and the French team. Proceeds were to benefit the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center in Kinshasa, Republic of Congo, which is to open later that week.

"Tony is going to be on the honeymoon, and the French Federation says if Tony Parker will not play, the game cannot happen," Mutombo said. "Everybody said yes, but Tony cannot leave the honeymoon to come to play. I don't know his fiancée, so I don't know how to talk to her."

Mutombo said there have been preliminary talks about moving the game to Germany and featuring Dirk Nowitzki.

I wanted to see the Spurs fans' perpective of the Warriors from the last time the Spurs and Warriors met since the Spurs won that contest (to see if there was any insight on strategy).  Here's one from Pounding The Rock.  I think we Mavs fans hold the Warriors in higher regard!  Finally, we Mavs fans and the Warriors fans have something in common - a dislike for the Spurs and their fans.  The bolding below was something I added for emphasis.

Game 76 Vs. Golden State: Spurs 112, Warriors 99

That wacky Nellie decided to throw a change up at us and start Al Harrington at the five spot instead of The Lively Latvian, Andris Biedrins. Consequently Pop resorted, in maddening Pop fashion, to 23 minutes of tinyball.  Here's a sentence I never thought I'd type - James White was our backup power forward.  The bottom line was that, in a shocking coincidence, our defense suffered a bit and we gave up a relatively high point total, for us.  We even allowed 32 3 point attempts, and one would think with four smalls out there the whole point would be to discourage such a thing.  

The good news, well...

Yup, Timmy dominated.  It was unfair, how easily he scored over and over and over again, but the Warriors bring this on themselves.  The Golden God could've gone for 50 easily if he wanted to, but Golden State's defense is so awful that eventually other people wanted to get in on the act.  How do the Mavs lose to these guys?  It's so embarrassing.

As near as I can figure, and this might sound a bit simplistic, is that the main reason we blew them out last time and had a rougher time of it here is that in Oakland Richardson and Harrington combined for 1 point and here they had 45.  How's that for some hard core analysis?  Thankfully S-Jax and the high flyin' Monta Ellis shot just badly enough for us to pull it out.

It was refreshing, in lieu of my hassle with the message board mafia to see Tony start the game with a pass first mentality.  Dude had fifty cents before Manu even checked in.  Yeah so he only finished with seven helpers.  The point is he got the offense off to a great start, everyone was feeling involved, we scored a season-high 40 in the first quarter and he managed to chip in a very impressive 18 points on just 10 shots, thanks to a renewed emphasis on going to the basket and drawing fouls.  

The cutest moment of the game was when Bob Fitzgerald, the Warriors dopey homer announcer exclaimed late in the 4th quarter that Warriors fans shouldn't be too upset about the loss because "the Spurs brought their absolute `A game.'"

I actually giggled out loud, alone in my empty closet of an apartment.   "A" game?  Dude, not even close.  "B-"at best.  Crappy team's announcers are the most pathetic creatures on planet Earth.  I actually feel sorry you people who live in San Antonio and only get the home broadcast team every night.  Y'all would be shocked and horrified if you heard what other teams' announcers say about your silver & black clad heroes night after night.  (Hint: they're not overly fond of the guy with the big nose, and also they feel that Mr. Duncan, on occasion, complains too much about the officiating.)

It's lonely at the top folks.

[editor's note, by Wes Cox] Promoted from the Diaries section

If you listen to Avery Johnson's post-game press conferences for the 15 losses the Mavs have suffered, he always talks about "no excuses" and always gives the opponent credit.  I and most of the Mavs fans out there share that philosophy.

I really, really, really hate the fact that people around the nation think that the Mavs and their fans are a bunch of whiners.  Nothing could be further from the truth -- true there are a few but the majority want to represent the organization in a good light.  Cuban isn't always on his best behavior or sometimes makes me groan, but if you notice even he's toned it down.  The players have matured, and today's Dallas Morning News has an article about Avery telling his players to maintain their composure - even implementing a "no suspensions" policy.

Again, to all the Warriors fans, you deserve those three regular season wins.  What I'm trying to figure out is why the Mavs lost those games.  Being fans, it's natural to look at the positives first (that's why I talked about the context of the games -- losing the first one when the Mavs were integrating new players, etc.).

Then, I'd look at the troubling things (for Mavs fans) in game 2 (the only one that's truly worth evaluating) and see if those things can be corrected:

The slow start (down 8-0 in the opening minutes).

Terrible transition defense.

A flustered Nowitzki, and poor shooting from both him and Howard.

Mickael Pietrus hitting uncontested 3s.

57.1% field goal percentage for the Warriors.

Now, why Mavs fans are confident that things will be different in the first round is that:

The 1st quarter is Josh Howard's -- he likes to come out strong, and it's the darn playoffs -- everyone will be bringing the energy.

Nowitzki and Howard should and will play much better.

There's no way the Mavs let the Warriors shoot anywhere close to that number again (remember D. George did get hurt in that game -- not an excuse because he's one of our best defenders and he makes a difference).  

You bet they'll contest all 3s.

Avery wants to slow down the game and use Damp and Diop.  If he's successful, the Warriors won't have a lot of easy buckets in transition.

Devin Harris is on a roll the past few weeks (you may have caught him against the Spurs on ABC this past Sunday).  He should offset Ellis' production and more.

As a Mavs fan, this is what I believe.  I'm probably wrong on some (or most) of this, but it doesn't matter -- this blog lets me be a scout/coach in my own mind.

BTW, if the Mavs weren't in the playoffs I'd be cheering wholeheartedly for the Warriors.  You've got to love the talent there (all five starters in double figures, very athletic and quick, clutch players in Richardson and Davis) -- I just think the Mavs' experience and hunger will get them through this series.  The NBA is cyclical - the Mavs are at the top after a loooong time at the bottom and the Warriors are rapidly rising (they have two 21 year olds - Andris Biedrins and Monte Ellis - as starters!).  Their time will come.

As the team prepares for, a long playoff run all the way to the Finals, here is how the pieces came together:

How the 2006-2007 Mavericks were Built


Summary
Drafted: 2 (Josh and Mo)
Acquired via Trade: 6 (Dirk, JET, Damp, Stack, Devin, and Cro)
Free Agents: 7 (Diop, D. George, Buckner, Kevin Wills, JJ Barea, DJ Mbenga and Pops)


Dirk Nowitzki, 28: Draft Day trade on June 24, 1998 (Dallas traded Robert "Tractor" Traylor (the sixth pick) to the Milwaukee Bucks for Nowitzki (the ninth pick) and Pat Garrity (the 19th pick)).  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 9/9

Josh Howard, 26: Drafted by the Mavs as the 29th pick in the 2003 draft.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 4/4

Jason Terry, 29: Obtained via trade with the Atlanta Hawks, along with Alan Henderson and a conditional first round pick in the 2007 draft that now belongs to the Warriors, in exchange for Antoine Walker and Tony Delk on August 4, 2004.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 3/8

Eric Dampier, 31: Obtained via trade with the Golden State Warriors as part of a deal that sent Christian Laettner, Eduardo Najera and draft picks to Golden State on August 24, 2004.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 3/11

Jerry Stackhouse, 32: Obtained via trade with the Washington Wizards, along with the draft rights to the no. 5 pick in the 2004 draft (Devin Harris) and Christian Laettner, in exchange for Antawn Jamison on June 24, 2004.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 3/12

Devin Harris, 24: Obtained via trade with the Washington Wizards on June 24, 2004 -- was selected as the no. 5 pick by the Wizards and then sent to the Mavs, along with Jerry Stackhouse and Christian Laettner, in exchange for Antawn Jamison.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 3/3

Greg Buckner, 30: Drafted by the Mavs as the 53rd overall pick (2nd Round) on June 24, 1998 (he spent the 98-99 season in the CBA) and left as a free agent in 2002 to join the 76ers.  Signed as a free-agent in July 2006 after also having spent time with the Nuggets.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 4/8

Devean George, 29: Signed as a free agent in July 2006 after seven seasons with the Lakers.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 1/8

Austin Croshere, 31: Obtained via trade with the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Marquis Daniels on July 12, 2006.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 1/10

DeSagana Diop, 25: Signed as a free agent on August 19, 2005 after four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 2/6

Kevin Willis, 44: Signed as a free agent on April 2, 2007 (initial 10-day contract) for the rest of the 2007 season.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: <1/21

Mo Ager, 23: Drafted by the Mavs as the 28th pick in the 2006 draft.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 1/1

J.J. Barea, 22: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Mavs on October 30, 2006.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 1/1

Pops Mensah-Bonsu, 23: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Mavs on August 3, 2006.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 1/1

DJ Mbenga, 26: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Mavs on July 14, 2004.  Seasons with Mavs/In NBA: 3/3

I loved the Spurs game plan against the Suns:

Guard the three-point line, and take your chances with Nash and Amare in the lane (Mavs DIDN'T do this)

Slow down the pace and limit fast-break opportunities for the Suns (Mavs DIDN'T to this)

At the same time, on offense look for fast-break opportunities to wear down the Suns (Mavs TRIED to do this)

Don't fall in love with outside shots -- drive to the basket and make sure you have a post-up game (force them to have to play a big line-up with Kurt Thomas) (Mavs DIDN'T to this enough)

Make Nash work (the Spurs but their best defender - Bowen - him.  The Mavs also do a pretty good job here putting players like Howard, D. George, and Buckner on him)

The scary thing is Phoenix shot so poorly (18% or so from 3-point range) and it was still a close game.  However, after watching ths game, it proves that Phoenix is vulnerable when their offense isn't cranking and the Mavs play at a high level defensively.  I also can't shake the feeling that the Mavs were holding back during that April Fool's day game.  

BTW, Mike D'Antoni is going to kill his team -- they have a back-to-back situation but Nash, Amare, and Leandro play almost 40 minutes each!  

I would like nothing more than the Suns and Spurs to spend a great deal of energy fighting each other for the second seed...while the Mavs sit back, watch, and recuperate over the last two weeks.

...than in 19 days, when the playoffs start.

Give the Suns credit.  It's like their whole season revolves around their games against us -- witness their 4-4 record (with several 20+ losses) sandwiched between their two wins against Dallas.  It really reminds me of how the Mavs could never catch the Spurs in the past for the Division or Conference lead but used any wins as confidence boosters.

The Suns shooting numbers are incredible: .648 for the game, .571 from 3-point land, and .957 from the free-throw line.  The player of the game has to be Barbosa.  Normally, D. Harris cancels out Barbosa's impact but Harris was in foul trouble and Barbasa was cooking from the inside and outside.  Diaw also played a lot better than in the March 14th outing.

The Suns style is really feast-or-famine -- today they were feasting but, as the old Kings and Mavs teams showed, a great offense can only take you so far (albeit their offense is better than anything the old Kings and Mavs teams had).  The biggest disappointment was that the Suns actually made several defensive stops while the Mavs defense was constantly scrambling to match the Suns pace. Normally, our defense wipes out any advantage they have offensively but when the Mavs play matador (aka Suns)-style defense, you get a Suns rout.

They had four players with 20+ -- Marion, Nash, Barbasa (game-high 29), and Bell.  In order for the Mavs to win a potential series against the Suns they can get away with 2 players having huge games but not 4.

Also, I wonder if the Mavs should deliberately slow down the game?  Are we playing into the Suns hands by running-and-gunning?  Avery likes the fact that his team can match any other team's style -- but I like it when the Mavs dictate the tempo.

The Mavs (especially Howard) shot so well in the 1st half that they fell into the trap of not really attacking that soft Phoenix interior.  When J-Ho, Stack, and Devin did attack it did seem to reap some dividends.  It also gets their guys in foul trouble and slows down the game.

Anyway, I don't want to over-analyze it.  In the big scheme of things this game doesn't matter.  In a month, we won't be talking about it.  They'll be some good teaching points that'll help the Mavs down-the-road.  

One last thing -- why would Avery risk playing Dirk when we're down by double digits?  He should have pulled all the starters a little earlier.  Dirk, J-Ho, and JET all played 39 minutes -- that's way too much.  

Ranking of Long-Suffering Fan Bases on ESPN.com

I guess because the Mavs' decade of misery was not too long ago, it feels as if we should be higher.  The Mavericks have a Pain & Suffering (P&S) rating of 3.23, or six Toni Braxtons (I never liked her before the supposed incident and really didn't care for her after that).  The "Toni Braxton incident" -- even if it never really occurred - will always have a place in Mavericks lore.

The Jazz, Trail Blazers, Sonics, Nets, and Pacers fan bases have supposedly suffered more than we have.

As daunting as it will be to win the Western Conference, I'm glad we don't have to face MJ and the Bulls like the Jazz and Suns had to do!

Eric Neel of espn.com wrote a column basically stating that he can't get behind the Mavs because they "have a method, but no style,...nothing that stands out."

He goes on to say that when he plays word association for the top players, "Proficient" is the only word that comes to him for Nowitzki (while Nash is "Miraculous" and Wade is "Relentless").  When he uses words like boring to describe Dirk and calls the rest of the team "a collection of almost perfectly calibrated role players" I think of Tim Duncan and the Spurs -- winners of three NBA championships.  So it's a description that really doesn't bother me.  However, in my opinion, the Mavs are not boring -- JET with his hands outstretched to mimic an airplane, Stack's meanness (in a good way), Dirk's tongue wagging, Damp hanging onto the rim for a few seconds extra after a dunk, Devin's acrobatic shots, Buckner getting up in opponents' chests -- they have their own style.  Let's not forget Avery with his Louisiana accent screaming out plays!  

Eric Neel cares about the Suns and Pistons, a team he describes as follows:

The Pistons -- a gangly, tough, scrap-heap collective straight out of "Kelly's Heroes," a bunch, even with a title in the bag, who are absolutely certain you don't believe in them -- inspire.

I don't know about you, but that also perfectly describes the Mavs - a collection of players that didn't fit in elsewhere (Stack, Diop, Damp) or picks who were initially criticized (Dirk and Howard).  

Anyway, I'd rather have these types of articles/columns (although there's no substance) than all the ones praising the Mavs.  I honestly believe they play better as an underdog and with an "us versus the world" mentality.  

From espn.com:

The Mavericks made history on Tuesday night -- not just team history, not just NBA history, but major North American pro sports history. With their 102-89 victory over the Nets, the Mavericks became the first team in NBA history to earn 51 wins in a 56-game span within a single season.

No team in the NHL or in Major League Baseball has done such a thing, either. (And in the NFL, no team has ever amassed 51 wins over any multiple-season stretch of 56 regular-season games.)

The team that scares me the most when they're 100% healthy is the Houston Rockets.  We just have no one to adequately defend Yao.  DeSagana was absolutely horrible against Andrew Bogut of the Bucks, and isn't strong enough to push Yao further away from the basket.  Damp is better but Yao's height advantage and range allows him to hit 15-foot jumpers all day without any resistance.

We've seen how Tracy McGrady has gone off against the Mavs, and with Yao and Shane Battier, that team will pose a serious challenge in the playoffs.  Also, Vassilis Spanoulis and Steve Novak are fantastic shooters that could also create headaches.  I'm just glad Jeff Van Gundy doesn't play them that much!

Here is my ranking of the 5 teams most likely to pose a challenge in the playoffs (I'm not ignoring the Eastern Conference -- it's just that no team there poses as much as a challenge as these 5):

1. Phoenix Suns -- all our games with them have been close, and both teams have a great 6th man (Barbosa for them and Stack for us).  They have the better starting lineup due to Amare (Dirk and Josh offset Nash and Marion), but we're deeper.  Also, they have to be healthy which has't been the case recently as Nash and Bell were out.

2. Houston Rockets -- explanation above.  If Phoenix isn't healthy, then the Rockets become my number one concern.  Teams with good/great big men give us the most problems.

3. Utah Jazz -- They're a pesky bunch, and Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko have caused our frontcourt problems in the past. They've got some rising stars in Deron Williams and Paul Milsap.

4. San Antonio -- This year's version of last year's Heat.  They're muddling their way through the regular season but any team with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and especially Manu Ginobli should be extremely competitive come play-off time.  They have the experience.  The strange thing about them is their tendency to play better on the road than at the AT&T Center.

5 - Los Angeles Lakers -- I've never been a Phil Jackson fan, because I always believed it was mostly the players (Shaq, Jordan, Pippen, Kobe) and not his coaching that got him those nine NBA titles.  However, I have to give him credit for the job he's done with this current Lakers team.  They have the established stars in Kobe and Odom, but it's guys like Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum, Sasha Vujacic, and Jordan Farmar that have really impressed.

Poll

The team that will present the biggest obstacle to the Mavs in the playoffs is:

0%

Chicago Bulls

0 votes

0%

Detroit Pistons

0 votes

17%

Houston Rockets

7 votes

2%

Los Angeles Lakers

1 votes

51%

Phoenix Suns

21 votes

17%

San Antonio Spurs

7 votes

4%

Utah Jazz

2 votes

7%

Other

3 votes

41 votes | Poll has closed

Center DJ Mbenga is out for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.

Click here for the story on DallasNews.com:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/020907dnspomavsbriefs.634aea72.html

What do you think the Mavs will do?  I think this makes them more likely do make a trade.  

Here is Eddie Sefko's response to a question in the Mavericks newsletter this week:

What are the chances of the Mavs making a trade before the deadline?

SEFKO: See, there's a payoff for those of you who read all the way to the bottom of the newsletter. We get a meaty question with a meaty answer.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Mavs will make a deal before Feb. 22. But don't expect Ray Allen to show up in Dallas.

This will be a minor trade, possibly for a shooter like Sasha Pavlovic or a big man like old and creaky Dale Davis. Nazr Mohammed is another name to keep an ear out for.

Those are the only two needs the Mavericks would address if they could, with a big man to back up Dirk Nowitzki the No. 1 priority. But nobody's giving them away.

As a fail-safe, remember that Keith Van Horn is still out there. If Austin Croshere isn't getting it done by the end of the month, Van Horn might be a cheap option, if he still wants to return for a playoff run.

The silver lining in Josh being snubbed by the fans AND coaches is that it'll only motivate him more (not that he needs it -- he ALWAYS plays with passion).  He's spoken about how being drafted 29th despite being the ACC Player of the Year in 2003, has made him work extra hard to prove people wrong.

I liken it to how Gilbert Arenas has totally annihalated the teams coached by people who by-passed him for the National Team.

Beware the wrath of JHo!