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MavKikiNYC · 12-04-2003, 10:04 AM

Barkley and Galloway harmonize. <with Kiki lip-synching in the background>

Mavs need a mulligan in their drive to catch the Lakers
By Randy Galloway
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

The Lakers are here tonight. Maybe you've noticed, but the timing of their local arrival is not good. Even as we speak, Charles Barkley is warming up his trademark cackle.

Sir Charles will be telling us again, via TNT, how the Mavericks are nothing more than NBA mutants. At the moment, there's little evidence to offer in the way of rebuttal. Certainly not when compared to the Lakers. As if any team compares to the Lakers in the early-go of the season.

So in search of an argument, or better yet, nasty name-calling, I fired off this opinion Wednesday to the always volatile Mark Cuban:

"If only the NBA had a mulligan rule, and what was done could be undone, and the Mavs of last season were suddenly the Mavs of this season. Welcome back, Nicky, Raef, Raja, etc. And we would all still be gladly waiting on that one over-the-top trade for a frontline bouncer."

Cuban's e-mail response came quickly, but unfortunately, it read calmly, almost like a reassuring letter from Mom and the family back home.

I hate it when Mark is calm. It's more fun when Cuban overreacts to my overreactions.

"We are a much better team this year," Cuban said. "We rebound, shoot and defend better."

He also echoed the Mavs' main sermon. Give the new mix time to blend.

Cuban's bottom line: "We have better players, a better mix of skills."

I don't know about any of that "better" business.

It is obvious, of course, that what had been the sweetest shooting team in basketball has gone to Brick City, routinely dipping into the 30s. And that's not a cold front. At least, weatherwise, it's not.

Even Don Nelson, who has seen it all as an NBA coach, is befuddled by all those shots that now go clang.

And OK, the Spurs are also struggling with their wholesale off-season roster changes, as is Minnesota, which many had promoted to "Big Five" status in the monster that is the Western Conference. Sacramento was another off-season fiddler. The Kings win at home, but have been so-so on the road and are still without the injured Mr. Webber.

But then there are the Lakers. It was in all the papers. The Lakers "changed," too.

LA brought in Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Everybody got excited, or for those conference foes, worried.

Shaq and Kobe. Now Malone and Payton to boot.

But Shaq and Kobe, we are told, have a strong dislike for each other. Over the summer, Kobe also had a problem with room service at a Colorado hotel. Big trouble happened. Lawyers and DAs are involved. Again, it's been in all the papers.

The Lakers are supposed to have their "issues." Distractions are possible. Maybe distractions will happen. A couple of early November road losses were encouraging for Laker-haters everywhere.

But now?

Beautiful harmony and beautiful basketball prevail.

The Lakers pass, shoot, score, defend, rebound. My gawd, Kobe is even being called a team player. And that doesn't mean his legal defense team.

By the way, be honest here. Did you think Karl Malone wasn't an off-season answer for the Mavericks, even knowing the 40-year-old would have signed in a second?

Twenty years ago, Karl vowed the Mavericks would regret passing him up in the draft. They did, and did, and did.

And now, another regret appears to be on the way. Malone has not only been sensational, but also taken over a leadership role on a Lakers team that had no leader.

Meanwhile ...

Golden State is off to its best start in seven years -- a meager 8-7, but progress anyway. And the leader of all this? Nick Van Exel. Little Nicky, the bad guy who went good under Nelson, is being praised in the Bay Area as the veteran glue who has united the locker room. The same thing happened here in the playoffs last spring, right?

And Raja Bell? Went to Utah. The Jazz, without Malone and John Stockton for the first time since World War I, are a shocking 10-6, and Bell has become the favorite of hard-butt coach Jerry Sloan.

Raef LaFrentz? He's still useless, this time in Boston, but for those of us now inclined to call a mulligan on the off-season deals, Raef has to be included in the recall.

At the moment, however, nothing is like last season for the Mavs, unless you include Dirk Nowitzki's ankle pain.

The Lakers are here tonight. The timing is not good, and neither is the shooting. Go ahead, Charles, and cackle.

12-04-2003, 10:04 AM	#55
MavKikiNYC Diamond Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 8,509	RE:Nellie on Barkley Barkley and Galloway harmonize. <with Kiki lip-synching in the background> Mavs need a mulligan in their drive to catch the Lakers By Randy Galloway Star-Telegram Staff Writer The Lakers are here tonight. Maybe you've noticed, but the timing of their local arrival is not good. Even as we speak, Charles Barkley is warming up his trademark cackle. Sir Charles will be telling us again, via TNT, how the Mavericks are nothing more than NBA mutants. At the moment, there's little evidence to offer in the way of rebuttal. Certainly not when compared to the Lakers. As if any team compares to the Lakers in the early-go of the season. So in search of an argument, or better yet, nasty name-calling, I fired off this opinion Wednesday to the always volatile Mark Cuban: "If only the NBA had a mulligan rule, and what was done could be undone, and the Mavs of last season were suddenly the Mavs of this season. Welcome back, Nicky, Raef, Raja, etc. And we would all still be gladly waiting on that one over-the-top trade for a frontline bouncer." Cuban's e-mail response came quickly, but unfortunately, it read calmly, almost like a reassuring letter from Mom and the family back home. I hate it when Mark is calm. It's more fun when Cuban overreacts to my overreactions. "We are a much better team this year," Cuban said. "We rebound, shoot and defend better." He also echoed the Mavs' main sermon. Give the new mix time to blend. Cuban's bottom line: "We have better players, a better mix of skills." I don't know about any of that "better" business. It is obvious, of course, that what had been the sweetest shooting team in basketball has gone to Brick City, routinely dipping into the 30s. And that's not a cold front. At least, weatherwise, it's not. Even Don Nelson, who has seen it all as an NBA coach, is befuddled by all those shots that now go clang. And OK, the Spurs are also struggling with their wholesale off-season roster changes, as is Minnesota, which many had promoted to "Big Five" status in the monster that is the Western Conference. Sacramento was another off-season fiddler. The Kings win at home, but have been so-so on the road and are still without the injured Mr. Webber. But then there are the Lakers. It was in all the papers. The Lakers "changed," too. LA brought in Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Everybody got excited, or for those conference foes, worried. Shaq and Kobe. Now Malone and Payton to boot. But Shaq and Kobe, we are told, have a strong dislike for each other. Over the summer, Kobe also had a problem with room service at a Colorado hotel. Big trouble happened. Lawyers and DAs are involved. Again, it's been in all the papers. The Lakers are supposed to have their "issues." Distractions are possible. Maybe distractions will happen. A couple of early November road losses were encouraging for Laker-haters everywhere. But now? Beautiful harmony and beautiful basketball prevail. The Lakers pass, shoot, score, defend, rebound. My gawd, Kobe is even being called a team player. And that doesn't mean his legal defense team. By the way, be honest here. Did you think Karl Malone wasn't an off-season answer for the Mavericks, even knowing the 40-year-old would have signed in a second? Twenty years ago, Karl vowed the Mavericks would regret passing him up in the draft. They did, and did, and did. And now, another regret appears to be on the way. Malone has not only been sensational, but also taken over a leadership role on a Lakers team that had no leader. Meanwhile ... Golden State is off to its best start in seven years -- a meager 8-7, but progress anyway. And the leader of all this? Nick Van Exel. Little Nicky, the bad guy who went good under Nelson, is being praised in the Bay Area as the veteran glue who has united the locker room. The same thing happened here in the playoffs last spring, right? And Raja Bell? Went to Utah. The Jazz, without Malone and John Stockton for the first time since World War I, are a shocking 10-6, and Bell has become the favorite of hard-butt coach Jerry Sloan. Raef LaFrentz? He's still useless, this time in Boston, but for those of us now inclined to call a mulligan on the off-season deals, Raef has to be included in the recall. At the moment, however, nothing is like last season for the Mavs, unless you include Dirk Nowitzki's ankle pain. The Lakers are here tonight. The timing is not good, and neither is the shooting. Go ahead, Charles, and cackle.