12/22/24
April 30, 2004
Now that their season is over, is it time for Mark Cuban to blow up the Mavs and try a different strategy? SI columnist Marty Burns says no :Right now the NBA can't afford to lose one of its most entertaining acts. The Lakers are about to implode. The Kings' window is closing fast. Carmelo's Nuggets and LeBron's Cavs are still at least a year away. Take your high-octane Mavs out of the NBA next season and who's going to keep the scoring average from plummeting to 1950s levels? The Spurs, Pistons and Pacers are all excellent well-coached teams. But who wants to see 70-point games every night? Any thoughts?
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 08:28 PM - 11 comments
I'm a firm believer that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well.... Can someone please tell me what Don Nelson does as a coach? Because its not match-ups, rotation or defined roles. The only freaking structure on that team is the Nowitzki/Nash pick and roll - and pardon me but that ain't revolutionary. There is no way this team wins. Ever. Maybe if Howard and Daniels develop into strong defensive players who are comfortable not taking to many shots - and if Najera starts - they just might be able to make it to the second round. I'd keep Nash and Nowitzki and Najera and the young guys. Maybe Jamison cuz he plays hard. Figure out how to trade the rest of the guys for someone who boxes out.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:54 AM on May 01, 2004
Oh and Marty Burns' columns are always fodder for good laughs - So the Mavs should stay together for the good of the NBA? What? How does that work? Who pays for that?
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:56 AM on May 01, 2004
I'm pretty tired of this 'Pistons don't score' business, too. During the Milwaukee series they scored pretty well. In fact in Games 1 and 5, they played highly entertaining basketball, the kind the league makes commercials out of : 1 steal or crushing block 2 crisp outlet 3 dunk or layup. Sure, the opponent looks terrible, especially Milwaukee in Game 1 (there were several series in a row that went the same way. Milwaukee guard dribbles in the paint, loses the ball in a throng of Pistons, good outlet, Rip or Tayshaun or Chauncey or Ben with a dunk). Yes, I live in Detroit. Nelson is probably on his way out. Sports Guy has a good non-cliche column over at ESPN discussing the Mavs and other NBA issues.
posted by BobbyC at 08:35 AM on May 01, 2004
I think Cuban should be made to write "It's not just scoring, it's scoring more than the other team" 100 times on a blackboard. Then he should supply free shampoo and a team hairdresser in the locker room. Then he should make the winner of his reality show replace Don Nelson.
posted by dzot at 10:30 AM on May 01, 2004
Can we have 'Toine back?
posted by yerfatma at 11:27 AM on May 01, 2004
I love this team as it stands this year. It was a hell of a fun year with a ton of great wins and losses. And some that made you want to shoot yourself. That said, there needs to be at least two major changes. I think Nelson's gotta go. Send him to Maui where he can smoke his weed and drink his whiskey. Sayanara, send a postcard. And yes, yerfatma, you can have Walker back (but you have to keep Raef). I like 'Toine. He's a fine player. But he does not fit in here. He needs to be at least the #2 guy, and that's just not gonna happen in Dallas. I think you have to give Nash and Dirk a couple more shots together. Only problem is that Nash is up for re-signing this summer and that could be a tad hairy. But a 1-2 of he and Daniels could be wonderful. It'd free Steve up to get some open threes off the ball every once in a while and loosen up the flow of the team. And with that in place, sadly, I think it may be time to shop Fin around and see if it won't bring in a Theo Ratliff type player. I love Fin, but with about a one-month long exception, he just seemed lost on the court this year.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:04 PM on May 01, 2004
So the Mavs should stay together for the good of the NBA? What? How does that work? Who pays for that? Mavs fans.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:04 PM on May 01, 2004
I'm with Bobby C about how enjoyable Detroit are to watch, and I'm a Bulls fan. But even if Detroit didn't have the offensive capability that they do, I'd still have been rooting for a Pistons-Spurs finals even before all these professional sportswankers started puling about that prospect being a worst-case scenario (which would compel me to do so in its own right). I'd watch every minute of every 68-64 game. Where do we get these fools who can't appreciate defense? Oh, that's right: mainstream American sporting culture.
posted by taupe at 03:02 PM on May 02, 2004
Don't break up the Mavs. Who's talking about breaking up the Mavs? The core of the team has been Nash, Nowitzki, and Finley for 4 years now. True a lot of players have come and gone in the interim, but the core of the team has remained the same. Marty Burns is a dork. Oh by the way...
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| Marty Burns | Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins |
posted by lilnemo at 08:13 PM on May 03, 2004
Daniels and Howard showed that they are worth holding onto, but I don't know if they are ready to step in for Fin. Besides that, he is the leader (if not the heart) of this team. True on both accounts, but Fin's fading and someone else needs to step up and take the reigns. Dirk's either too young or too mellow (or both) to do so yet. Nash needs to lay off the bong for a bit and get serious. Seriously. And I'll take a competitive exciting game over anything else, be it high or low scoring. That's why I love watching the Mavs play the Kings. For whatever reason, it almost always come down to the last minute or two, no matter if they're in the 80's or the 110's.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:04 AM on May 04, 2004
I'm a firm believer (and this is no revolutionary concept) that teams need to stick together for a few seasons to gel. Nash and Nowitzki are an awesome two-man punch (they need to learn to run the pick and roll with the precision of Stockton and Malone, if only for playoff success) and the other pieces are all all-star caliber. Owners and GM's are too enamored with the guy they don't have, and don't seem to realize that they often have all the pieces they need already wearing their own uniform. Don't be like the Jail Blazers, Cuban. As long as these guys don't turn into malcontents, let them at it for a few years. I believe this team has the talent to reach the finals.