Cowlishaw hits a winner - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

MavKikiNYC · 07-24-2003, 07:57 AM

Most cogent thing I've ever seen Cowlishaw write.

"How did things change so drastically in one month that the team now feels the status quo is just fine? Maybe these Mavs need a refresher course on what happened the only other time Dallas reached the conference finals.

In 1988, Dallas lost a seven-game series to the Lakers. They made no major changes that off-season, failing to deal a troublesome Mark Aguirre before his value fell, and didn't win so much as another playoff game until Cuban bought the team.

But how did those Mavs even get to the conference finals? They trailed Denver, 2-1, before the Nuggets lost All-Star guard Fat Lever, who had a triple double in Game 3, and Jay Vincent for the last three games of the series.

Those Mavs became convinced of their own greatness, sat still and were quickly reduced to mediocrity by Roy Tarpley's fall from grace.

...
But with LaFrentz, Shawn Bradley and Evan Eschmeyer due to pocket $13.8 million next season, Cuban has found himself with lots of holes to fill but little to offer.
"

Last sentence makes me queasy.

Agents of fortune elude Mavericks

07/24/2003

We are one week into the long-awaited free-agency signing period, and your Dallas Mavericks of 2003-04 still look a lot like the Mavericks of 2002-03.

Given that they went to the Western Conference finals in the spring, that's not a bad thing. Given that Chris Webber's injury still ranks as the No. 1 reason they got there, a little change for the Mavs is in order.

What has happened to Mark Cuban's appeal and the sense that his free-spending ways and lavish rewards for players would have free agents stampeding to Dallas?

Adrian Griffin and Raja Bell. Was that what people had in mind when they insisted Dallas would become the favorite free-agent landing area during the Cuban years?

It seems clear now that Cuban wooed the wrong player at the start of July. There's no question that a healthy Alonzo Mourning would have been a wonderful addition for Dallas. But there's also next to no chance that Mourning is going to stay healthy for all of or even most of the four-year deal he signed with New Jersey.

Mourning is 33, and he missed all of last season and all but 13 games three years ago because of a serious kidney ailment. It's only a long shot that he was going to help any team for the next couple of seasons.

Meanwhile, Karl Malone made it clear to anyone who would listen that Dallas was his first choice. He was by no means ideally suited to the Mavs' situation because he's not a center and would take shots away from what is already a great shooting team.

Still, he's Karl Malone, and if you wouldn't rather see him on the floor than Raef LaFrentz, I'm not sure what it is you're hoping to see.

So the Mavs missed on Malone and Mourning and P.J. Brown and Michael Olowokandi, and now it appears that Indiana's Brad Miller will get big money to play in Utah or Sacramento but not here.

No meaningful additions means that the Mavs are going to need another 14-game winning streak such as the one they opened with last season to keep pace with the big boys in the West.

"The better the team, the more difficult it is to add the right piece," Cuban said by e-mail. "If we can add a piece that makes us better, we give it our best shot. If we can't, we won't add just to add."

Add to those comments the recent statements by Mavs president Donnie Nelson about the Mavs being "like fine wine" and not wanting to tinker with "something that's not broken."

What are we missing here?

Anyone recall the words of coach-general manager Don Nelson one day after the playoff loss to San Antonio?

"We all see the holes on this team that need some work. We owe it to ourselves and our fans to take the next step and get our front line where it needs to be physically."

Guards Steve Nash and Nick Van Exel talked about the need for a physical big man. Van Exel has even speculated that he might be the one who would have to go in a trade to make this team better.

How did things change so drastically in one month that the team now feels the status quo is just fine? Maybe these Mavs need a refresher course on what happened the only other time Dallas reached the conference finals.

In 1988, Dallas lost a seven-game series to the Lakers. They made no major changes that off-season, failing to deal a troublesome Mark Aguirre before his value fell, and didn't win so much as another playoff game until Cuban bought the team.

But how did those Mavs even get to the conference finals? They trailed Denver, 2-1, before the Nuggets lost All-Star guard Fat Lever, who had a triple double in Game 3, and Jay Vincent for the last three games of the series.

Those Mavs became convinced of their own greatness, sat still and were quickly reduced to mediocrity by Roy Tarpley's fall from grace.

At least today's Mavs know their limitations. At least they did when San Antonio ended their season one round shy of the NBA Finals. And they certainly knew them when they struggled to win a seven-game first-round series against a depleted Portland roster.

But with LaFrentz, Shawn Bradley and Evan Eschmeyer due to pocket $13.8 million next season, Cuban has found himself with lots of holes to fill but little to offer.

So the NBA's big men are on the move this summer. But if they're coming to Dallas, it's likely that they're only here to change planes.

Dooby · 07-24-2003, 08:01 AM

Beat me to it. Very good column. Don't agree with everything said, but the contradiction between what was said at the end of the season and what is being said now is telling.

AnMan21 · 07-24-2003, 08:08 AM

Yeah, first intelligent thing I read of his. Seems to me the whole front office is just making excuses and I'm sick of listening to them. The fact is, FA's are hesitant to come here since they feel they'll be nothing but trade bait. Dallas has already said they won't trade the "Big 4." The only ones left to trade would be incoming FA's, because nobody else wants our garbage at center, and our role players won't fetch anything.

MavKikiNYC · 07-24-2003, 08:24 AM

I have a sick feeling that watching the Mavericks is no longer about watching the development of a championship ball club, but rather witnessing Markie's billionaire fantasy lark as a wannabe-GM, while Nellie indulges in a 3-year valedictory dotage, splitting time between the beaches of Maui and American Airlines Arena.

Did Marky stipulate as a condition of Nellie's extension that HE would be doin' the GMmin'? What the hell is Nellie thinking, letting this loud-mouthed dilettante take charge of his LAST CHANCE TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP?

Cuban is like that fat rich kid that nobody wants to play with right now. He'll get desperate soon and start giving his toys away to the other GMs, just so they'll play with him.

How could so much change so fast?

Usually Lurkin · 07-24-2003, 08:29 AM

This is a stupid article. C. has a valid point, but argues it like an idiot.

Everything centers around his big question: "What has happened in the past month to change things?"
But come on, if he didn't know that, then how in the world can he go about answering the question (with a valid answer, I'll add) with "the Mavs screwed up their free agency opportunities."

That's exactly what happened this summer. The big, physical difference makers signed other places. That's the difference between "let's add somebody" and "let's not add somebody". The mavs remain with a hole in the middle. The question is, should they risk a hole somewhere else in order to fill the hole in the middle? C. says yes, they should. (but instead of explicating this question, he chooses a cutesy parallel to mavs of old, centered around the straw man question described above)

His exchange-an-outside-hole-for-the-middle-hole point could be valid, but he backs up his possibly valid point with two facts:

1) the mavs waited too long to traid Aguire, and
2) Tarpley was an idiot.

which is stupid.

Usually Lurkin · 07-24-2003, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC
I have a sick feeling that watching the Mavericks is no longer about watching the development of a championship ball club, but rather witnessing Markie's billionaire fantasy lark as a wannabe-GM, while Nellie indulges in a 3-year valedictory dotage, splitting time between the beaches of Maui and American Airlines Arena.

. . .

How could so much change so fast?

this is better than anything Cowlishaw has ever written.

MavKikiNYC · 07-24-2003, 10:52 AM

Cu-ban and Nel-lie, sittin' in a tree......

Dooby · 07-24-2003, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC
Cu-ban and Nel-lie, sittin' in a tree......

Genius.

OutletPass · 07-24-2003, 12:17 PM

Mercy, kiki...that cartoon is one of your funniest posts ever.

And very appropriate.

Ummmmm Ok · 07-24-2003, 12:21 PM

I will go with OP and Dooby on this one... Classic, Funniest Post you have EVER done!!!!

kg_veteran · 07-25-2003, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC
Cu-ban and Nel-lie, sittin' in a tree......

Classic.