[jayC]

More about don't break up the big three this time from Marty Burns of CNNSI

Keep it together
Breaking up the Mavs would be bad for the league and the fans
Posted: Thursday April 29, 2004 1:35PM; Updated: Thursday April 29, 2004 3:20PM





With his exciting game, Steve Nash is a perfect fit on the Mavericks.
John W. McDonough/SI
An open letter to Mark Cuban:

Don't break up the Mavs.

For the sake of the NBA -- and fans everywhere -- resist the urge. Don't dismantle the Big Three. Don't send Nellie back to Maui.

Don't heed those calls from the talk radio hosts and other windbags to blow it up and start over with Pat Riley or Kiki Vandeweghe.

OK, so maybe your Dallas squad isn't good enough to win an NBA title. Maybe the team took a step backward this year. Maybe it's blown a golden opportunity in falling behind 3-1 to a Kings team that looks ripe for the picking.

And, yes, maybe your squad doesn't play any defense and never will.

But the Mavs have one thing going for them that few other NBA teams can match: they're fun to watch.

They can shoot. They can pass. They can run the floor.

In a league dominated by half-court defenses and coaches who insist on calling every play, the Mavs are a breath of fresh air.

Dirk Nowitzki is a 7-footer as comfortable behind the 3-point arc as he is putting the ball on the floor. Steve Nash is a wizard who plays with the clever style of the national-level youth soccer player he once was. Michael Finley has that cool sinister mien to go with his strong two-way game.

Perhaps most remarkable of all in today's NBA, the Mavs have players who can actually shoot the ball (granted, though, they have gone cold in this series against the Kings).

Meanwhile, Nellie is a mad scientist without the white lab coat. He might mess up on occasion, but at least he keeps things interesting. What other NBA coach would put Shawn Bradley on Earl Boykins?

Clearly, Dallas needs some tweaking. The Antoine Walker/Antawn Jamison Experiment didn't work. One or both needs to go.

But why not write off this season as an aberration, and give Nellie Ball one more year? After all, the Mavs' core is still the same one that made it to the Western Conference finals a year ago. Dallas made a huge improvement in rebounding this season; perhaps with another year together it could take a similar step forward in terms of help defense.

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?

I understand you want to win an NBA title. That's great. So tweak it, don't smash it to pieces.

Mark, do what you can to get that big man the team desperately needs. Talk to the Bulls about Walker for Tyson Chandler and Antonio Davis. See if Jamison could fetch a Theo Ratliff- or Marcus Camby-type. Throw in Danny Fortson and a guest spot on your next reality TV show if necessary.

Yes, we know there are solid reasons to think a change of direction is needed. Nash is 30 years old and a free agent after the season. Finley is erratic and settles for too many jumpers. Nowitzki still doesn't play defense.

And, yes, it's clear you and Nellie don't see eye to eye all the time. But it's better to have a good coach than a sycophant. Besides, Riley's not exactly going to jump for joy when he sees you all casual, hanging around practice every day and excoriating the refs from behind the bench.

The bottom line is the Mavs, as presently constituted, are still a good team. Maybe not the best team. But a pretty good one.

Besides, there's no guarantee that blowing it up will make it any better. In terms of playing style, it almost certainly will make it worse. For NBA fans, that would be a shame.


Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.