Game 1 Synopsis

[DeutchlandDirk]

Im sorry, I know im a "newbie" and this could go in the gamethread, but I feel it deserves it's own thread as its quite exhaustive.

Why we lost:

1. Amare. We had no answer for him. And the way the refs called the game (i'll get to that later), we had no chance, it's not even fair really. The best person to guard him is Dirk. Dirk actually shut him down a bit. But when Dirk guards Amare, SOMEONE ELSE HAS GOT TO BOX OUT! Its not fair for Dirk to have to guard Amare and move to grab the board, its impossible. Im tired of seeing it happen and it happens way too much, other player's HAVE to box out, Dirk can't do everything on D. Fin, Terry, J-Ho, Devin, Quis, Bradley and Hendu combined for only 10 defensive boards. TEN by 7 player's, the same number Dirk had alone. Damp was awful on Amare.

2. Team Defense. I dispeized the effort. Several times Fin and JHO just stood in front of a Suns player shooting a three and they didn't even stick their hands up, that is simply inexcusable. The rotations were way too slow and Phoenix had way too many open threes. Phoenix was 12-22 in three's, that cannot happen. We need to stick to their 3 pt. shooters. Make them beat us by driving or Amare on Dirk downlow, but no open threes. On the Nash-Amare pick and roll, which killed us, don't play it halfway. Stay back on Amare so Trash can't bounce pass it to Amare for a easy dunk. Make Nash hit the fallaway, stay back on Amare though. Damp was lousy at this.

3. Basketball IQ. Stack, Quis and Howard are just stupid player's. They all can do a lot, but they are just stupid stupid stupid player's. Daniels shot a three, why? Howard commits an illegal screen. Howard never re-post the ball. Stack see's Dirk posting and waves him off and jacks up a dumb shot himself, im tired of that crap. Stack and Howard had moronic cross court passes that lead to turnovers. Howard had 5 turnovers and Stack had 3 turnovers, those were huge. Stack and Daniels forced stupid, selfish shots. Howard also commited some beyond dumb fouls on D, as did Fin. Howard was also blown by a number of times, he really is not that good on defense.

4. Dampier. I didn't include him in the basketball IQ, though he should be there, because he was so putrid he garnered his own thread. The man killed us on O and D. He cannot catch a pass to save his life. Its gotten to the point where his teammates must think "Why even try?" A pass to him is an automatic TO. I thought it was foolish of Avery to run the first play on O for Damp, nice way to set the tone. Damp ruined beautiful passes from Dirk, Jet and Stack that would of been easy dunks.

5. Coaching. I don't think AJ ran enough play's for Dirk, or the offense through him enough early on. Dirk played great tonight and it might of mattered if we went to him more early. Also, I love Big Shawn, but he cannot play in this series, its too fast paced, no one he can guard, though he wasn't awful in limited minutes.

6. Lay-ups. Way too many missed gimmes, Dirk, Jet, Stack, ect.

7. Bad Shooting. Everyone but Dirk, JET and Howard shot awful. Fin missed way too many wide open shots and forced some ill advised one, same goes for Stack.

8. Playmaking. Dirk lead the team in assist with 4 (along with points, boards, blocks, steals too), jet has to penetrate and dish more. He is becoming a bit too offensive minded as great as he is shooting, he's got to hit guy's too or he's just a bullseye SG. Devin was bad, he hit a three, but got packed and turned it over too.

9. The refs. I hate to complain about the refs, and they did not lose this game, we did. But it is immutable the officiating was one-sided. Phoenix was allowed to play thugball while if we breathed on them it was a foul. That makes it damn near impossible to beat Phoenix. If we breathed on Amare it was a foul, you cannot come near him without a whistle, making him impossible to guard. Other end, Dirk was hacked on a drive with no call, and on two lay-ups he made he was CLEARLY foued right in front of the refs. How are those not fouls, but JHO and fin nick Joe or Q on a drive and "foul." The illegal picks went only one way, the charges were BS. Dan Crawford we are 0-8 under, that aint coincidence. Also, im tired of watching guy's stick their arm into Dirk's back, push him, and or hold onto his jersey before and after he gets the ball. All those things are blatant and suppose to be automatic fouls, yet they weren't called once, nor were they against Houston, this needs to be shown to Stern, because its a scary trend, if we do that to Amare once its a foul. Im going to call him Astare from now on, jeesh.

Good News: Dirk is pissed off. You could see it in his eyes in the 3rd and 4th. He threw down two VICIOUS dunks, one of which was right on Astare's head. He was on fire, and needed to get the ball more and earlier, he was pissed at Damp and just plain angry in the 3rd and 4th, and he played like a beast. We need to go to him early and often next game. Oh, and a few more hooks and three's from Dirk please.

Next game. We have to run the O through Dirk. Send some cutters, drive hard, force some calls. Get trash and Astare in foul trouble even if the refs don't let us. On D, stick on your man and stick on the 3 shooters, stick a hand up. No zone, thats suicide. No shawn. Put Dirk on Astare. No Damp, he can't guard Astare or Matrix. He may be able to contain Hunter. With no Keith, its arduous to go small, cause Hendu defeats the purpose of that. Im guessing a 5 of: Jet, Fin, Howard, Stack and Dirk maybe our best bet. But the other 4 need to box out and help board while i'd have Howard on Matrix. Stack on Joe and Fin on Q.

So on Wed, we need to drop the hammer early and dictate our will on them. F' Astare and Trash. Dirk is angry, beware!

[sike]

welcome to out little family, ponyboy! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[DeutchlandDirk]

Originally posted by: sike
welcome to out little family, ponyboy! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

ponyboy, wah [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

[sike]

Originally posted by: DeutchlandDirk

ponyboy, wah [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

SMU.

[DeutchlandDirk]

Ah, I see. ...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

[twelli]

you have to admire the energy that went into this synopsis, thanks Deutch!

can't say if you are right, though, since I didn't watch the game...

[4cwebb]

The one positive to take away from this game is that playoff Dirk showed back up for this first game. Now if the role players can just return to the success they had against the Rockets (which isn't going to be as easy since PHX has a much more balanced lineup from 1 - 5 than the Rockets), the Mavs should be able to compete much better in game 2.

[Simon2]

AJ did run some plays for Dirk but in the beginning, Dirk kept passing out and defering to his teamates. Do the Mavs have another play for Dirk aside from the screen and switch. Here's what happens, Terry dribbles to one side waiting for a screen from Dirk (about 8 seconds). Dirk sets a pick and tries to post up 12 feet from the basket? (8 seconds) Dirk looks around and a double team comes. Dirk then passes out the ball (4 seconds). Mavs play is broken and they need a bail out from Josh or Finley or Terry. I think two things must happen:

1. AJ needs to set some plays where Dirk gets some screens down low. That way, he isn't 12 feet from the basket when he catches it. Have Damp set the low screen and Fin the high screen for Terry
2. Dirk needs to be more agressive. As soon as he gets the ball, go to the basket. Don't wait for the double team.

[DeutchlandDirk]

I agree, we take too long to even run post play's. Sometimes Dirk gets it 18 feet out with 4 seconds left and he is left with no option. I think we ought to post him a little lower and a little quicker. He was getting good looks when he did post, and I think he can pump fake and drive more this series, that worked several times including a few dunks.