[LRB]

Originally posted by: sike
wanted to see if anyone else had read this crap!



Inside the Mavericks: Fortson's foul may help club
09:13 PM CST on Sunday, November 30, 2003




Hard as it is to believe, there might be some good that comes out of Danny Fortson's flagrant foul in Phoenix, although it takes a little imagination to make the scenario work.

First, remember that the Mavericks are viewed as one of the NBA's softest teams. Anything that helps chip away at that image is welcomed, even if it comes in a manner that is unpalatable to just about everybody.

If the flagrant foul Fortson leveled on Phoenix's Zarko Cabarkapa makes future defenders think twice before they cavalierly ramble down the paint to the bucket when Fortson is in the game, then there has been some positive fallout of a bad situation.

The Mavericks need an enforcer and while Eduardo Najera does a lot of dirty work, he doesn't have the same kind of edge to his image that Fortson does. The 6-8 Fortson has been a quality individual since joining the Mavericks, save for the Phoenix incident. He's been jovial and respectful to teammates and coaches.

But if his reputation grows as a player who isn't afraid to dish out punishment, then that will serve the Mavericks well later in the season.

Incidentally, for anybody worried about payback from the Suns, the two teams don't meet again until March 8. By then, Cabarkapa will be back and any ill will the Suns have should have subsided.

In the interim, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Fortson continued to cultivate his rugged personality on the court. It will do nothing but help the Mavericks. It's the same reason Nick Van Exel was so effective. Opponents didn't know exactly what to expect from him. For somebody who is six inches and 75 pounds heavier, that's a great weapon to have.

so Eddie in his chubby wisdom is not so subtlely telling Fort to hit people......and the NICK comparison is just stupid.....oh well, its pays to be a homor...just ask Sefko!
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But this is exactly what the talking empty heads keep saying, indirectly, but saying nonetheless. The Mavs are soft. The mavs need to take the hard foul. Yada, yada, yada.... Guess what, this happens if you keep trying to intimidate people with the hard foul.