[Stressboy]

Richard,

Wow, I'm stunned, but I'll get over it. Of all the things we bitch about here in Dallas, bringing in talent should not be one of them. Lets look at all your arguments.

You bring up Sacramento as if they have been much more successful than Dallas. They started their playoff run 2 years before the Mavs so in the sense of longevity, they have been more successful, but they have only been 1 game closer to the Finals than the Mavs. They might get to the Conference finals again, but unless Duncan gets hurt that is as far as Bibby will take them.

You bring up all these big men that were traded to their teams, but what you fail to realize is that when they were being traded, Dallas did not have the ammo to go get them as you say until recently. Why do they have ammo now?? Its because of the GM moves they have made.

Then you bash on the Mavs drafts you are just being silly. Once Cuban came on board and the Mavs were not constrained, they have made some great moves. Last years draft just shows how incredible they have been. To have gotten Dirk at #9 and trade their pick for Nash (Now of course in hindsight that pick became Marion) those were incredible picks. Najera in the second round. Etan Thomas has become a sought after man in the East, was it the Mavs fault he was hurt? He and Alexander were still used to get Howard's contract which got us NVE/Raef which garnered us Jamison and Walker which along with last years draft have given us the most talented group of players(ammo) that we have had since the late eighties Mavericks.

Last I will try to educate you on how to win an NBA title.

1) You have the best player in basketball that year
2) You have the best team during a time when there is no clear cut most dominant player.

Not since the last Detroit Championship has scenario #2 played out. Every championship since then has been won by the most dominant player on the court and every one of them except Shaq were gifts from heaven/Luck. Jordan at #3 (who knew), Duncan, Hakeem. There are no others on that list. Now badmouthing the Mavs for not getting Shaq is stupid because the Lakers will always get the top players over the Mavs in a free agent deal.

The Spurs did not have parker or Ginobli when they won their first championship and it is really easy to pull off what they did when they got two gifts in the form of Robinson and Duncan. (The timing of the two allowed them to clear cap which allowed them to reload). I will agree that not getting parker was a draft day mess-up on the Mavs part because they tried to move up to get him and could not. They should have paid the price. I will say that Danials and Howard this year almost make up for not getting those other two.

With the decline of Shaq, there are only 2 teams that should win the championship this year and it is the Spurs or the Wolves. Garnett has the potential to beat anyone, but I'm afraid his lack of experience and the wolves shattered depth will not make that possible.

Dallas almost reached the pinnacle last year because Dirk was the second best player in the league a year ago (argue if you must, but he was) and had he not gotten hurt, he might have negated Duncan enough to allow his team to win. We have all seen a drop off this year in his game and if we are ever to win a championship, Dirk has to surpass his play of a year ago or we have to get a McGrady/AI/Kobe like player that could have an MVP year. I will say that if you are talking about Kobe being the guy to take them to championships, you are smoking crack. Since Kobe has become the best player on the Lakers, the Lakers have become the second best team in the West. He is Shaq's Pippen, though he might grow up to be Jordan some day.

So in closing I guess you can say that I refute everything you said.

Stressboy