Dallas-Mavs.com Forums - View Single Post - What will it take to get the Mavs to the next level this off-season.

SpursFan72 · 05-27-2003, 03:18 AM

Ocelot, I guess I just don't think Raef is being fully utilized. He is an excellent shot blocker but to me he also is more than just a good jumpshooter. Since that's what he is perceived as being (just a jumpshooter) like many of your other players, your team is unfairly labeled as "soft" by members in the media. With some more work and refinement, Raef could become a good post player as well for your team and along with Najera, they could go a long way to help rip apart that label.

I know, for years my team unfairly wore that label as well, and its only now that they're starting to shed it and make believers out of people in the media. It took Duncan proving that he could score over and around Shaq to start to change that mindset.

I mean, part of the problem on Defense for you guys might be simply unfamiliarity. Van Exel and Raef haven't exactly been in big D very long. That in and of itself could explain the bad rotations your guys sometimes have on D that open up lanes for teams to drive in for layups. I really don't think your team needs major changes. Just more time to gel as a unit with set substitution patterns. Rather than the unpredictable lineups Nellie tends to put together. When your constantly changing players, it's easy for guys to not know where their teammates are going to be out on the floor at a given moment. As a result, guys over pursue or make the wrong rotation or read on defense and lanes to the basket open up.

Your team D is starting to get better as it is. I mean just compare the D your guys are playing now compared to the D your team played during the regular season. It's noticeably better now that you've had more time to work on it. Your team just isn't giving the Spurs the layups it gave up last year to Sacramento. With more time and practice, it will be even better next year. The last thing you want to do now is start trading a lot of guys and start bringing in alot of new faces. It will only make it more difficult to gel as a team.

I don't know what it is about Texas teams. For some reason we usually don't get the respect we deserve. I mean, how could any of our three teams be "soft", when visting teams collectively won only 9 games in Texas during the regular season.

05-27-2003, 03:18 AM	#38
SpursFan72 Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 29	Ocelot, I guess I just don't think Raef is being fully utilized. He is an excellent shot blocker but to me he also is more than just a good jumpshooter. Since that's what he is perceived as being (just a jumpshooter) like many of your other players, your team is unfairly labeled as "soft" by members in the media. With some more work and refinement, Raef could become a good post player as well for your team and along with Najera, they could go a long way to help rip apart that label. I know, for years my team unfairly wore that label as well, and its only now that they're starting to shed it and make believers out of people in the media. It took Duncan proving that he could score over and around Shaq to start to change that mindset. I mean, part of the problem on Defense for you guys might be simply unfamiliarity. Van Exel and Raef haven't exactly been in big D very long. That in and of itself could explain the bad rotations your guys sometimes have on D that open up lanes for teams to drive in for layups. I really don't think your team needs major changes. Just more time to gel as a unit with set substitution patterns. Rather than the unpredictable lineups Nellie tends to put together. When your constantly changing players, it's easy for guys to not know where their teammates are going to be out on the floor at a given moment. As a result, guys over pursue or make the wrong rotation or read on defense and lanes to the basket open up. Your team D is starting to get better as it is. I mean just compare the D your guys are playing now compared to the D your team played during the regular season. It's noticeably better now that you've had more time to work on it. Your team just isn't giving the Spurs the layups it gave up last year to Sacramento. With more time and practice, it will be even better next year. The last thing you want to do now is start trading a lot of guys and start bringing in alot of new faces. It will only make it more difficult to gel as a team. I don't know what it is about Texas teams. For some reason we usually don't get the respect we deserve. I mean, how could any of our three teams be "soft", when visting teams collectively won only 9 games in Texas during the regular season.