Still No Respect - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Bookit · 01-09-2003, 02:58 PM

I guess the Mavs will have to win the championship to get any respect from the national media. Good grief. When I read this I just cringed. Here is what Sam Smith of ESPN has to say about the Mavs....

You become the best team in the NBA by beating the best. Christmas Day doesn't really count, and one believes the Kings will again get their chance against the Lakers somehow this spring, but the Kings look like the best team now.

They don't have the best record, but who really expects to see the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals? With Shawn Bradley and Raef LaFrentz at center? C'mon. Don Nelson is a brilliant coach, and Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley are wonderful players and deserving All-Stars. But you know come playoff time when the game slows down and the possessions get more demanding and the grabbing and tugging becomes more accepted, they're not going to be around for long. You can't keep posting up Eduardo Najera against Shaq.

Link

Big Boy Laroux · 01-09-2003, 03:07 PM

really, i am sick of hearing the same crap over and over again. the sportswriters are all saying the same thing. can't they at least be a little bit original?

Chiwas · 01-09-2003, 03:11 PM

<< You can't keep posting up Eduardo Najera against Shaq. >>

Who can? Divac?

Bookit · 01-09-2003, 03:11 PM

It also irritates me that Najera had a broken thumb in that Sacramento series. Also, the national media continues to diss the Mavs but they praise the Nets? WTF? The Mavs would definetly beat the Nets in a 7 game series.

OutletPass · 01-09-2003, 03:15 PM

can't they at least be a little bit original?

-- You must be kidding, BBL. NY papers are STILL talking about a Dallas/Knicks trade.

TripleDipping · 01-09-2003, 03:23 PM

<< really, i am sick of hearing the same crap over and over again. the sportswriters are all saying the same thing. can't they at least be a little bit original? >>

This is as original as the media can get: Keep dogging the Mavs chances and not believing.
I say let them be. I'd like to see what they have to say if the Mavs realy win it this year.

MavsManiac · 01-09-2003, 03:24 PM

Until the Mavs get rings there will be no respect, and I'm not even sure we'll get it then.

Quite frankly, though, I don't care. I like 'em, and that's all that matters to me [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

LRB · 01-09-2003, 03:33 PM

Don't worry guys (and OP I apologize in advance for mentioning the unmentionable one) but we will have our sweet revenge when we get our rings. Because all these media know-it-alls who have completely dissed us will have to sit and listen to Bill Walton explain how even he was smart enough to jump on our bandwagon long before they did. Can't think of a much worse punishment for their crime unless we sentence them to 10 years in the tee-pee. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

irontoad · 01-09-2003, 03:42 PM

<< They don't have the best record, but who really expects to see the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals? With Shawn Bradley and Raef LaFrentz at center? C'mon. >>

Yeah, I know I wouldn't want the league's leading shot blocker on my team come playoff time, that's an instant recepie for disaster. What an idiot. (although Shawn does have to keep it up, though...)

nowitzki_prophecy · 01-09-2003, 03:48 PM

why are you all suprised?we hear it all the time.
the only way stuff will change is if i see some rings on the players hands,winnin some games on the regualr season means nothing,its just fun to watch.
we'll get our chance to be in the books,and i think we'll grab it with both hands.

COOLJAZZ · 01-09-2003, 03:51 PM

Idiots, the media consists of dummies. This is the same media who said Ohio State wouldnt have a chance against Miami, and that the STL Rams would not make it past Tampa Bay. These guys are reporting what they hope happens not the facts or even realistic opinons!

(See Bill Walton and Peter Vessey)

Drbio · 01-09-2003, 05:20 PM

Until Dallas physically moves the city t othe East coast or LA we will never get the respect that is deserved from those liberal dunderpate east coast media hacks.

MFFL · 01-09-2003, 05:38 PM

OR we win multiple championships. The Cowboys get a lot of media attention don't they?

dude1394 · 01-09-2003, 05:42 PM

This sounds like the reason the kings are good is because of their dominant center. Get real....Shawn is going to eat up vlade.

Murphy3 · 01-09-2003, 05:52 PM

i dont' see shawn "eat"ing "up vlade"..
vlade is too intelligent of a player for that to happen.

i just want bradley to hold his own

Bookit · 01-09-2003, 05:57 PM

Yeah, Vlade always seems to draw foul on Shawn with that up-n-under move.

LRB · 01-09-2003, 05:59 PM

Shawn doesn't need to eat up Vlade, just any layups the Kings through his way. That and show Bobby Jackson that the lane ain't so wide open any more.

Murphy3 · 01-09-2003, 06:01 PM

exactly LR8..the mavs don't need bradley to slam over vlade or anything else..just clog up the lane and keep between vlade and the basket

BrianJ · 01-09-2003, 06:20 PM

I agree if we had Bradley last year playing in the playoffs. The only banner hanging in the practice facility would be coference title runner-up one

Fidel · 01-09-2003, 10:00 PM

<< This sounds like the reason the kings are good is because of their dominant center. Get real....Shawn is going to eat up vlade. >>

Don´t underestimate Divac. He´s a big part of the Kings success. Easily one of the best passing big man and can hold his own down low. And a very clever player too.

As to the respect thing. Mavs will get respect if they do something in the playoffs. They haven´t done ANYTHING so far when it counts, and no, a first round victory won´t get you respect. That´s just the way things go and it´s allright. It´s the same in any sport.

mavsman · 01-09-2003, 10:12 PM

Well, it would be a good start to earn a little respect by beating the Spurs or the Kings just once this season, which we haven't done yet. But sportswriters, forget about Najara having to post up against Shaq. We're talking postseason here. Write about Eduardo schooling Ostertag.

dude1394 · 01-09-2003, 10:46 PM

Divac just doesn't do much for me. He's certainly serviceable, but nothing that special in my mind. All of the kings pass the ball well, I think a lot of it has to do with their offense. But to say that he's the big difference maker i just don't think so.

Fidel · 01-09-2003, 11:14 PM

<< But to say that he's the big difference maker i just don't think so. >>

Not THE, just A difference maker. Centers are hard to find. And if you are looking for a center that is realatively mobile, can pass, has an outside shot, can rebound and defend some and has an inside game, plus a very good understanding of the game in general, those are allmost impossible to find, that´s all. Divac is not stellar, but VERY solid, and a pretty smart player too.

jacktruth · 01-10-2003, 09:47 AM

I hope the mavs players aren't crying about this like some of the fans are. You have to earn respect. I would hope this would be a motivational factor.

sturm und drang · 01-10-2003, 10:36 AM

A good team will turn this disrespect into motivation. Sacramento failed to do so last year, and basically gave the championship to the Lakers. Now it's our turn.

I watched the Sac/NJ game last night, though, and Sacramento looked almost unbeatable. Obviously, the wife-beater's bad karma had something to do with the fact that the Nets were absolutely annihilated. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] But this game reaffirmed, to me, why the Kings are still the team to beat. Divac is just a wily, savvy player. He's not the most physically-gifted or athletic player-- though he did recently manage to give up smoking, congratulations-- but he is smart. And as much as I love the Mantis' re-emergence, I'm afraid he'll use his experience and guile to kill us under the basket. I think we'll be able to do a better job clogging Jackson and Bibby driving from backcourt, but I say Vlade will make things very difficult in the post for us.

Also, I saw something last night that I hope was an aberration: Peja found his shot. He had been but a shell of his former self all season, but last night... Scary.

I really could not have been more impressed with the way the Kings played last night, and must admit that if the Mavs don't win it all, I would love to see the Kings do so.

In a mid-game interview, Webber did say that the Kings aren't foolish enough to think that the Western Conference is theirs, noting that they have to go through Dallas and the Lakers. At least we got some quasi-love from CWebb.

Right now, I'm not sure our Mavs can turn the disrespect-- the constant slighting-- into the burning motivation needed to propel us. But that's where players like Raja Bell, NVE and Najera come in, and can perhaps play their most useful role of the season. Hopefully their collective mentality can carry us...

jacktruth · 01-10-2003, 12:22 PM

A big factor is the Mavs just have to keep winning games. The way they have to break the "spell" is to stack good performances night in and night out, until they know no other way. If they don't beat themselves, they'll be LA.

NBAGURU · 01-10-2003, 04:48 PM

To get respect, especially in the western conference. Mavs need to beat Kings, Lakers, and Spurs. So far nothing, nada, haven't won one game against the top teams in the west. That is why Mavs are not being respected.

FineCubanCigar · 01-11-2003, 08:14 AM

who cares about respect when we got the "W's"... i hope the entire NBA disrespects us and overlooks us, we will see who has the last laugh.