Interesting Comments

[MavsFanFinley]

Some strong stuff from the big 3. Obviously, Walker wasn't the only problem on and off the court. And makes you wonder all that went on behind the scenes we didn't hear about.

~"From top to bottom, we haven't been on the same page this year," Nowitzki said. "The owner and coach have problems, and we've had players pouting when they come out of games and not buying into Nellie's system."

~"It's unacceptable," Nowitzki said after the Kings had bounced the Mavericks. "We have so much talent on this team. But this [the end] reflected the whole year. It never felt right."

~"This was an experiment that went awry," Nash said. "We need to change our identity. We need to be better defensively and have a few more role players. Sometimes, more doesn't always add up to more."

~"From a personality standpoint, we have to change," Finley said. "I think the team talentwise is there, but just from an overall togetherness and being on the same page at the right time, we're not there. Maybe in another year it would be better, but maybe if we bring in some other guys that would make it better."

[bernardos70]

Finley's quote is the most recent one I think and I believe it to be the most important one. "From a personality standpoint, we have to change...." Sounds like someone is being a locker room cancer or something to that effect. Though you could take this to mean we need more of an attitude, and in fact, that's what I'm leaning towards right now. And since the only people to bring this up are the big three, I believe they must be referring to someone OUTSIDE the big three. That's obvious.

[PubaNWO]

Or they just need time to play with one another more...."to go to war" more instead of "just going to a single battle"

These guys probably won't get the chance though....Nash may not be back (doubtful, yet possible); Walker is gone/traded/shot [j/k] (likely, but no guarantee); Finley might get traded too (unlikely-has done more for the franchise and has a huge contract); Daniels may sign with another team...

...Cuban and all have to take the Big 3's quotes seriously because they are the core to this team and if they start to "not buy into" the whole thing then you can just forget about it!

[dallas_esq]

COACHING. Nellie has lost this team.

[grndmstr_c]

COACHING. Nellie has lost this team.

This doesn't follow from what Steve, Dirk, and Mike said. Steve and Dirk have publicly stated already this offseason that they want Nellie to stay on as head coach next year. If he's still got those the Big 3 on his side, he has not lost the team.

[MavKikiNYC]

~"This was an experiment that went awry," Nash said. "We need to change our identity. We need to be better defensively and have a few more role players. Sometimes, more doesn't always add up to more."

I wonder how Nash thinks they can achieve this. I wonder if he realizes that he is probably both the first breakdown and the weakest defensive link against a lot of teams.

Self-awareness should be Job #1.

[MavsFanFinley]

Who had a right to really complain about lack of playing time or shots or anything else that Nelson did or didn't do this past year?

Jamison: He accepted his role off the bench, but wants to start next season. Also said that if he's back next year and they ask him to come off the bench again, he'd accept it and push for another sixth man award. He's not a dominant personality so while he's saying all the right things in the press, I don't see him as the problem behind the scenes.

Bradley: He's been around a while and has to be the most abused of the bunch. The big 3 have often supported him and know he's a key to how far they can go. I can see him as being unhappy but not as a cancer. Not after all these years.

Does anyone else matter?

[DubOverdose]

A coach can't do his job if the players don't want to listen and buy in to his system. I don't think any of us would be complaining about Nellie if all of the new players bought in to his system and played the way he wanted them to. The Big 3 obviously are in favor of his system.

[MavKikiNYC]

The Big 3 obviously are in favor of his system.

Yes and no.

They obviously understand that that his system highlights their strengths, but they also seem to understand that is failure and/or inability to address the need for team defensive improvement is holding them back.

[MavKikiNYC]

<Echo.>

[Bookit]

Originally posted by: PubaNWO

Daniels may sign with another team...

Daniels isn't going anywhere.

[DubOverdose]

Originally posted by: Bookit

Daniels isn't going anywhere.

I doubt he will go anywhere as well. Even if he gets offered more by another team he has his best friend Howard in Dallas and he's said he really likes learning from Finley, Nash, and Dirk this season. I also think he might be a little compelled to be loyal to the team that signed him when no other team would and give him PT.

[MightyToine]

If they are referring to mostly walker, I don't see what their gripe is since Walk will be gone either by training camp or the deadline(In which case, All they have to do is put up with him until then)...




O.T. : Hey everyone. I won't be able to post much 'cause something happened with my internet connection at home. Right now I'm at work so I'll be able to post that time only.

[Drbio]

Originally posted by: MightyToine
O.T. : Hey everyone. I won't be able to post much 'cause something happened with my internet connection at home. Right now I'm at work so I'll be able to post that time only.

Sometimes I thank God for answered prayers.....

[LRB]

Originally posted by: bernardos70
Finley's quote is the most recent one I think and I believe it to be the most important one. "From a personality standpoint, we have to change...." Sounds like someone is being a locker room cancer or something to that effect. Though you could take this to mean we need more of an attitude, and in fact, that's what I'm leaning towards right now. And since the only people to bring this up are the big three, I believe they must be referring to someone OUTSIDE the big three. That's obvious.

I'd bet my life savings and then some that it's a locker room cancer. All the signs are there and it would have been all over the front pages if this was the Fakers and not the Mavs. Only the exemplenary class of most of the Mavs have kept this from happening. And any player that's part of that cancer needs to go ASAP.

[foglemann]

classic doc

[MightyToine]

Originally posted by: Drbio

Sometimes I thank God for answered prayers.....

You really know how to make a guy feel wanted. You know that? [img]i/expressions/rolleye.gif[/img]

[Chiwas]

Finley: "...we have to change," and "...Maybe in another year it would be better,..." in the same paragraph.

That Maybe will continue being very weak if the Change continues being unimportant. And according to Cuban's comments, and using a sylogism with Finley's comments, we'll have the next season similar to the last one. It's disappointing.

[MavsFanFinley]

Chiwas, I wouldn't be disappointed in Fin's comments. I think all he was saying is that from a talent standpoint, they might be better in a year. However, I think it's clear he wants some changes because a couple guys are obviously a problem in the locker room.

It's interesting because he's always been a little bummed when his friends have been traded away even while knowing it was better for the team and it being part of the business. If he's pointing a finger at Walker alone, they must not be as good as friends off the court as it appeared. Either that or we're in for a surprise as to who is causing problems.

[Chiwas]

I didn't mean that Finley's comments were disappointing. I meant that using his words plus Cuban's position, is leading me to think that next season won't be very different; this is what is disappointing. It's beyond Finley's wishes.

[Chiwas]

Being very frank, with the salary cap exceeded, the Big Three locked -cause we'll keep Nash- and keeping Nelson, won't allow the Mavs to have major changes in the summer, therefore neither in the system and in the results the next season.




Edit: Changed the last row.

[kingrex]

The off-season moves were obviously the wrong ones. These comments imply that instead of more outside scoring, these guys wanted more inside scoring, defense and toughness.

By the playoffs, Walker had to transform his game to concentrate more on rebounding, shot-blocking and inside scoring. Jamison did the same with his putbacks and occasional post-ups. Why? Because that is the type of player/game that compliments the Big 3 the most.

So, for me, these comments highlight the fact that either these non-Big 3 guys play that role better, or they better get guys who can.

I think it also points the finger back at them (the Big 3) to be more tough and be more defensive minded.

If this year proves anything, is that this team has all the outside scoring it needs in the Big 3, they just need a more consistent inside game.

[Chelette]

I have to agree with you on this Chiwas......seems to me that winning a Division Championship (at least) no to go to high, isn't that important for those who owns and coah this Team.....yes...We can have the so call "Big 3" back again....but if Nellie keeps on playing this guys not on his natural position, plus, the "small ball" idea....and as last year, wait till the last minute to try to sign a big player who can cause an impact on Defense as center spot.....then, I see the same chapter as this year.....maybe We will be able to go into the playoffs, to maintain the streak, but I do not see this team beyond the first round again.....I think I saw this chapter with Utah Jazz in the past, if not..ask Malone and stockton....

[MightyToine]

Originally posted by: MavsFanFinley
Chiwas, I wouldn't be disappointed in Fin's comments. I think all he was saying is that from a talent standpoint, they might be better in a year. However, I think it's clear he wants some changes because a couple guys are obviously a problem in the locker room.

It's interesting because he's always been a little bummed when his friends have been traded away even while knowing it was better for the team and it being part of the business. If he's pointing a finger at Walker alone, they must not be as good as friends off the court as it appeared. Either that or we're in for a surprise as to who is causing problems.

If he's pointing at JUST Walker, then he has a very short-sighted view of things. Maybe if HE(Finley) would've "shown up" in the 1st round, it would be the Mavs battling KG now....

Fin is just as responsible for this teams overall DECLINE this season, if not MORE, as Walker.

Fin/Nash/Dirk are THE Go-to guys....THEY are supposed to make the big shot. There was an interesting stat in one of the recent articles stating that they've had 13 possessions this season where they had the ball with under 10 seconds left(I think that's what it said) but only 2 of those 13 possessions resulted in a score. The '2' belonged to Walker. Dirk/Nash/Fin? 0-99999!!

What does THAT tell you? [img]i/expressions/rolleye.gif[/img]

[LRB]

Fin has been here and Dallas for almost his whole career and I've yet to see the team chemistry disrupted the way it was this year. Therefore I'd tend to look more at the new players added than to the carryovers from last year. Of course TAW could just be causing all kinds of problems behind the scenes. [img]i/expressions/rolleye.gif[/img]

This team never had chemistry this year. It was never there from day 1 of the season to the last loss in game 5. Yes it would have been nice if Fin has showed up more in the playoffs, but don't too easily discard the lack of team chemistry on affecting this.

[Chiwas]

[TwoDeep3]

COACHING. Nellie has lost this team.

But the statistics that show the big three didn't do as well this year over last shouldn't be factored in and maybe, just maybe a finger pointed at the players?

Of course not.

If it's the coach you only need hore a new one and ther problem is fixed.

If it's the players, with the salry cap, that is impossible.

So path of least resistance.

[LRB]

Although it is almost always easier to replace a coach and therefore blame him, that doesn't necessarily mean that the coach isn't to blame. In Nellie's case he's been GM and coach all but a few days during his time in Dallas. So if the players sucked the GM has to bear some responsibility for bringing in bad players. The coach, as any leader in business, bears some responsibility for motivating their employees to succeed. On this point alone, there is a great deal to question the relevance of Nellie's motivational techniques.

But I would find it hard not to blame the players for part of the underachieving that was done this season. However, I still lay the biggest part on Nellie. He put together this year's team, and many of his decisions were highly questionable.

[Chiwas]

Nonetheless, Dirk does not blame Nelson, but the players. I'd like to know if it's just his fair loyalty, or an objective point of view from the interior of the team, which we can't have.

[MavsFanFinley]

If he's pointing at JUST Walker, then he has a very short-sighted view of things. Maybe if HE(Finley) would've "shown up" in the 1st round, it would be the Mavs battling KG now....

Fin is just as responsible for this teams overall DECLINE this season, if not MORE, as Walker.

Fin/Nash/Dirk are THE Go-to guys....THEY are supposed to make the big shot. There was an interesting stat in one of the recent articles stating that they've had 13 possessions this season where they had the ball with under 10 seconds left (I think that's what it said) but only 2 of those 13 possessions resulted in a score. The '2' belonged to Walker. Dirk/Nash/Fin? 0-99999!!

What does THAT tell you?

MT, I don't think Finley or Nash or Dirk were talking about Walker alone. I was trying to point out that if Finley was including Walker in his "personality" changes for next season, those 2 might not be as good as friends as it appeared. If you noticed, NONE of the big 3 were talking about talent or performance on the court, but attitudes behind the scenes.

Let us not forget Walker's whining to the press or the calling out Dirk did after the Miami game. Those were 2 of the biggest stories of the Mavs season. What's that tell us about the problems that went on this past year?

Obviously, Fin could have stepped it up in the playoffs across the board, but it doesn't surprise those who know what he's like after returning from injury. It just further drives home the point how important he is to the team and not Walker or rookies or whoever else they bring in.

As for the "go-to guys" comment...Again, they needed to make those shots, but were they really the go-to guys this year? So what if you put the ball in those guys hands in the last 10 seconds of a game if they don't touch it in the last 2 minutes. If you had done that, we probably wouldn't have needed last prayer shots. How can you (or anyone) label those guys the big 3 or go-to guys this season when you take the ball away from them and put it in somebody else's hands (Walker and Daniels)??

[kingrex]

You put the ball on the hands of the person who has the best chance of making the shot. Usually that is your best player because they have the ability to create their own shot or if you run a play for them more often than not they hit that shot.

Dirk should be that guy for this team. In almost every match-up, Dirk will have an offensive advantage. That is why he should almost always be the guy that takes the final shot. I realize he missed the most recent one, but I'd rather lose by taking the best shot at the basket possible, than get in the habit of going with whoever happens to have the ball at the last second.

[MightyToine]

As for the "go-to guys" comment...Again, they needed to make those shots, but were they really the go-to guys this year? So what if you put the ball in those guys hands in the last 10 seconds of a game if they don't touch it in the last 2 minutes. If you had done that, we probably wouldn't have needed last prayer shots. How can you (or anyone) label those guys the big 3 or go-to guys this season when you take the ball away from them and put it in somebody else's hands (Walker and Daniels)??

I don't know....Who exactly is RESPONSIBLE FOR *THAT* Happening?


Say all you want about Walker but He FOLLOWS WHAT GAMEPLAN THE *COACH* Gives out. If the Coach says for him to BRING THE BALL UP and SET THE OFFENSE, He'll do that. IF he says to give the ball to Quis or Nash, He'll do that.

Walker is not a Malcontent and IS a Team Player. The only problem is that He was used INCORRECTLY by Nellie. Walker would've been best suited to do 1 of 2 things :

1.) Come off the Bench instead of Jamison

OR

2.) Sub for DIRK and ONLY Dirk.