TMac on the Mavs

[Thespiralgoeson]

I take T-Mac's comments as compliments. It means nobody runs layup drills on us anymore.

I really wish Bradley hadn't been brought up, because I always get pissed off. The guy was a good player once upon a time, and had a damn solid NBA career. By the 2005 playoffs, his knees had betrayed him, and he was a shell of the defensive presence he once was. Getting posterized by T-Mac... that could've happened to ANYONE.

[sike]

dirty like yo mama!

[sike]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Getting posterized by T-Mac... that could've happened to ANYONE.

but not in such a goofy way

[Dalhoop]

I think its a compliment. As for dirty play in the last game, T-mac must think that it was a Mavs player that poped him in the mouth .. It wasn't, it was Motombo ... you know the same guy that ran into ?Head? on the final shot before the half ... No whistle on that one either.

[mqywaaah]

Tsk tsk tsk... Dirty, dirty Mavs. Yall better get used to it, coz this is how the Mavs are gonna be in the years to come! Now where is that Championship ring?

[nikeball]

I dont know why so many people hate on Nellie.

Only a few of us longtime fans remember what it was like before him and Cuban. It was a good transition from a boring team (with a lot of stiff white guys) that lost all the time to a fun, sort of run and gun team (not much D..but it put us back on the map). We figured out that formula didn't work but remember..we got Dirk in that era...did yall want Dirk to leave with Nellie too?

I for one, am thanking Don Nelson for all he did for us.


BUT

I do really like the make-up of our current roster (obviously). I just hope we are a smarter team...because last year I felt our team made a lot of stupid decisions. At first I felt like we traded basketball IQ for athleticism...but the experience will make us smarter! GO MAVS!

[dude1394]

I did not appreciate him throwing players under the bus saying they couldn't do this or that. He did it for years and that's one of the reason's the mavs got joked about so much. Especially when it was something that he had no interest in helping them with.

[endtroducing MASKED]

eye pokes constitute dirtiness now?

maybe I have a different perspective on it than most, but as someone who has been involved in fighting for awhile, eye pokes are just the nature of the game. I've gotten thumbs or fingers in the eye from guys who were wearing GLOVES and it was always an accident. when that happens, you touch gloves and continue. in basketball, where highly athletic men are flaling their unguarded arms and fingers around, you're bound to catch an eye poke. just touch hands with the other guy and be done with it. stop complaining and tough up. lord almighty, the NBA as a WHOLE is soft...

[Joey]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

long as the dirt is hand checks and light pushes on shooters rather than sliding feet under jump shooters I'm fine with it.

I agree completely...dirty but not dangerous i.e. Bruce Bowen.

[Joey]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Dirty is interpretation, which is the problem with the flop rule. Is taking a charge dirty or just good basketball? You are just letting a player run into you essentially. "Dirty" is just another term for intelligent anticipation of a play IMHO.

I like the flop sometimes. I don't totally think it is good defense because if you don't get the call then you are completely on the floor and not defending your man. I think DA is an intelligent basketball player. I think Manu flip-flops his way all over the floor and is not a good defensive player. Just my opinions of course.

[RizAmlani]

Originally Posted by big_pth

thanks for that Tmac...I would worry about you in the playoffs, but as things stand, the Spurs will be sending you out in the first round....again...

Exactly what I was thinking...

[Silk Smoov]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

hard not to poke him in at least one of his eyes. They are all over the place.

You cut that out You know that is my favorite player...Oh wait, last time I said that, someone told me that I had to choose a player from my favorite team (Mavs)

[dude1394]

More...from around...
http://nba.aolsportsblog.com/2007/02...uys-are-dirty/

Man, I kind of miss the old Dallas Mavericks. Those guys were awesome: Nash and Dirk would get drunk and take pictures together; Don Nelson would eat yogurt on the bench all game long; Shawn Bradley was busy designing bedroom posters for teenage boys across the country on a nightly basis; and Mark Cuban didn't even know what a blog was.

Nowadays, the Mavs aren't any fun at all: Their coach, despite owning a hilarious voice, will rip your heart out; Dirk has become an assassin; and the team has transformed itself into a defensive terror. So much so that opponents are starting to catch feelings.

"Those guys are dirty," Tracy McGrady said. "For real. They are dirty players. They play the game the right way, but they have all the tricks. They get cheap shots in every now and then to just let you know that they're there and they're not going anywhere. And I respect that. That's why they're so good. They find a way."

Naturally, Mavs players are eating this stuff up.

"It's a great compliment from an All-Star," Josh Howard said Tuesday. "For him to consider us like that is cool."

Because of their relentless defensive approach, I think the Mavs and Spurs have the best shot of getting out of the West this season. As much fun to watch as Phoenix is, their aversion to defense will probably lead to their playoff demise.

[haywoodjay]

Originally Posted by dude1394

More...from around...
http://nba.aolsportsblog.com/2007/02...uys-are-dirty/

huh? so the team with the #1 defense, along with the 5th best record in the league - minus their best player (and best center in the NBA) for most of the season - don't have a good shot? yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

nobody can discredit what the rockets have done so far this season. nobody.

[dude1394]

How about going over to the web site for the guy who posted it, to spout drivel.

No one's buying here.

[Dirkadirkastan]

Originally Posted by haywoodjay

huh? so the team with the #1 defense, along with the 5th best record in the league - minus their best player (and best center in the NBA) for most of the season - don't have a good shot? yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

nobody can discredit what the rockets have done so far this season. nobody.

OK, I give credit to Houston for being the King of Excuses. Never being healthy is a weakness, not a strength.

[haywoodjay]

Originally Posted by Dirkadirkastan

OK, I give credit to Houston for being the King of Excuses. Never being healthy is a weakness, not a strength.

Lame Team, fake Champs, the one who, as they say, " LED" the team is a big p*ss... what more could you ask for? Makes me sick

Dirk saying that the Mavs "gave" the series away and the Heat didn't "win" is a slap in the face.
And the truth.

Wade willed his team win it mattered most.
I.E. when the whistle blew.

I don't think this is true. I've read many national columns that talked about how the Mavs gave away the title. In fact, I'll bet if I visit whatever board that you post on, there are multiple references to Dallas "choking" in the finals. Implicit in that statement is that Dallas was the better team and the only way they could lose would be to choke.

Your argument to me was that I'm delusional. Why? Because I can show you proof that just about everyone I've met or know agreed the finals were favored in miami's direction? I don't think it was some under the table deal, I just think it was a nice hand shake from the commish to the refs who all hate Mark Cuban. So, why would they favor us in any calls?

DWhistle obviously has a huge inferiority complex, or in layman's terms, small penis syndrome. The NBA and the refs have made him a star, and he can't stand that anyone with half a brain and an ounce of integrity points it out. Without the refs backings, Wade would be little more than your run of the mill volume shooting athletic scorer who's too much of a momma's boy to do much when the big game is on the line. Now he knows all he has to do is chunk the ball up even if no one is within three feet of him and at worst he'll end up going to the line. What a total freaking wuss.

oh, the ironing.

[jleefilled]

Originally Posted by haywoodjay

oh, the ironing.

It really took the wrinkles out, eh?

[dude1394]

I think I would take an iron to the head if we could get rid of the trolls on the board lately.

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by Dim499

I think Avery decided during TMac's dunk on Bradley that he would bench him for the rest of the playoffs and that he would never see the floor again as long as he lived. And that decision turned the franchise around. No one had to take the Mavs seriously until that moment.

I agree with you. But I saw this article a couple of days ago and there was one section that caught me by suprise.

+++++++++
Shawn Bradley: A big man on campus
After a 12-year NBA career, former BYU star is now happy being a leader for teenagers
By Steve Luhm
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 02/07/2007 12:44:14 AM MST

It is high noon at West Ridge Academy.
Lunchtime.
Students dressed in blue sport shirts with their names embroidered over the pocket stand in line before being allowed to enter the cafeteria.
Once inside, they gather around a dozen small tables and chatter while awaiting permission to form the food line.
Once everyone is back in their chairs, heads are bowed, hands are folded, a prayer is offered and lunch begins.
On this snowy winter day, Shawn Bradley joins the students, who gawk and giggle and chatter excitedly as the 7-foot-6 former NBA player and newest member of the faculty ducks through the doorway and sits down among them.
"Shawn has a great presence - due to his size - and has immediate credibility with the kids," said Ken Allen, the executive director at West Ridge. "His instant credibility when he's talking to kids make him an incredible mentor.
"He is a great example of someone who has worked hard and been very successful. Being so tall wasn't always easy for him. He knows about being the 'odd kid' and dealing with that."
Since Bradley arrived a few weeks ago and started work as the school's jack-of-all-trades - vice principal, counselor, coach and friend - Allen has answered one question many times.
"A lot of kids have been asking, 'What's Shawn Bradley doing here?' '' he said. "But it's easy for me to tell them, 'He's here because he cares about you.' . . . Shawn has a great heart. His heart is in the right place. He wants to give back to the community and influence kids' lives."
Dave Ballard is the director of business management at West Ridge.
"Everybody around here is still in awe at how tall Shawn is," he said. "But it's been absolutely wonderful having him here. It only takes a few minutes to recognize that he's not your stereotypical celebrity - your stereotypical NBA player."
Just as there is nothing stereotypical about West Ridge Academy, a non-profit school with 140 students - 110 boys and 30 girls. And every kid is here for a reason.
"Parents find us because their sons and daughters are unable to be successful in their current situation," Allen said. According to Allen, the goal of those who work at West Ridge "is to see a change of heart and have these kids see some of their thinking errors. We want to help them go forward with their lives."
It is a time-consuming, emotionally taxing task - one not normally embraced by a former professional athlete like Bradley.
"We call it getting bit by the bug," said Ballard. "Shawn got bit by the bug because of the kind of person he is."
Said Bradley: "These kids, some of them are really kicking against the cactus."
Translation: West Ridge students need help, from people like Allen, Ballard and Bradley.
"It's a chance to put kids on the path to be productive, not destructive," Bradley said. "Some of these kids come here with a lot of hate and a lot of anger."

THE PLAYING DAYS: Bradley's road to West Ridge was less bumpy than the one taken by its students.
Already a 7-footer when he started playing basketball at Emery High School, Bradley remains the most heavily recruited athlete in state history.
Duke, North Carolina, Arizona, UCLA, Syracuse. High-profile coaches from the biggest schools in the country wanted Bradley to play for them.
Eventually, he picked close-to-home BYU over far-away Syracuse.
"Back then," Bradley said, "I didn't even like driving to Salt Lake."
After one season at BYU and a two-year LDS Church mission to Australia, Bradley jumped to the NBA. He was the No. 2 pick in the 1993 draft, sandwiched between Michigan All-American Chris Webber and Memphis All-American Anfernee Hardaway.
During his pro career, Bradley played in Philadelphia, New Jersey and - most happily - Dallas.
"I loved playing for the Mavs," he said. "I grew up in south central Utah - very rural, very country. And Texas is the epitome of rural and country. It felt a lot like home."
After the 2004-05 season, however, Bradley retired.
"I had a 12-year career and loved every minute of it," he said. "But I always said when my kids needed to turn on the TV to see their dad, then it was time to reconsider what I was doing. And it was getting to that point."
Still, it wasn't an easy decision.
Bradley was only 33. He was healthy, he had $14.5 million remaining on his contract. He wavered, especially when the Mavs hired young Avery Johnson as their new head coach. But after long talks with his wife and some Utah-connected athletes like Dale Murphy, Steve Young and Danny Ainge, Bradley walked away.
"I just felt like it was the right thing to do," he said. "It wasn't a knee-jerk decision. It was a process. A lot of thought and due diligence went into it - by me and my wife. A lot of effort and prayer went into it."

NEW HORIZON: Gradually, retirement in Dallas grew a little tedious for Bradley, his wife and their six children, who range in age from 12 to toddler.
"I'd ride my bike, take the kids to school and then look at my darling wife and say, 'What do you need me to do today?' '' he said, laughing. "In her loving, endearing way, she'd say, 'Get out of the house.' ''
Bradley got the hint.
It was time to start looking around for new opportunities.
Unexpectedly, one surfaced at West Ridge, during a tour of the facility Bradley took while searching for a good environment for a nephew.
"I was talking to Dave [Ballard] and said, 'I could use a job,' " Bradley said. "He said, 'Well, we could put you to work here.' "
Ballard remembers the conversation.
"I just started throwing some darts and, obviously, one landed," he said. "I said, 'You're retired now. You need something to do. Why don't you come work with us?' I didn't think another thing about it until he called and wanted to talk more" about the possibility.
Why did Ballard even broach the subject?
"When you think of Karl Malone, John Stockton, Shawn Bradley - any celebrity - you're not sure how they're going to react to something like that," he said. "But as soon as I took Shawn on his tour and saw him interact with the kids, I could tell he was very genuine and caring and good with them."
A few weeks after the tour, Bradley was driving down I-15 when he telephoned Ballard.
"I asked Dave, 'How serious were you about putting me to work?' '' he said. "Two days later, we sat down and there was a piece of paper on the table in front of me saying, 'Here's what we want you to do.' And that list was about as tall as I am."
That night, Bradley discussed the offer with his wife.
"We looked at each other and said, 'There is an opportunity to do some good here,' '' said Bradley, who knew another reason to start a new job.
"For two years, basically, my kids saw me hanging around the house all day. I thought it was time they needed to see me go to work. They needed that kind of role model."
Hello, West Ridge Academy.

THE NEW DOOR: Sitting in his still-unfinished office just off West Ridge's main lobby, Bradley picks up two plastic bags containing nuts and bolts that had come in the cardboard shipping box containing his new desk chair.
He laughs, shakes his head, jokes about his handyman skills and wonders aloud why there are so many leftover parts to a chair which seems to be solidly assembled and is holding his oversized frame.
No matter.
These days, Shawn Bradley's biggest concern isn't putting together office furniture.
It's putting together young lives.

[dude1394]

Well it sure seems that once shawn got dunked on by tracie, avery decided that he would never set foot on a court for him again. And I don't think he did.

[nowhereman]

rockets haven't been relevant in a decade. get over it.

the mavs are now a scary team to play, in the vein that san antonio has been over the past few years. the best part is that they recognize the room for improvement.

[Allie]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

hard not to poke him in at least one of his eyes. They are all over the place.

LOL

[V2M]

After his comments last summer on how the refs gave the championship to the Heat... and now this... TMac is fast becoming my favorite non-Mav! The dude just speaks the truth... and nothing but the truth!

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by haywoodjay

oh, the ironing.

Oh Oh Oh.... I got a blue dot from the trollman.. Ha...

[haywoodjay]

Originally Posted by dude1394

Oh Oh Oh.... I got a blue dot from the trollman.. Ha...

please stop responding to my posts if you have absolutely nothing intelligent to say. at least make a conscientious attempt to actually reply to or perhaps even form a coherent rebutal to my posts.

and please, please try to do it without using the word "troll."

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by haywoodjay

please stop responding to my posts if you have absolutely nothing intelligent to say. at least make a conscientious attempt to actually reply to or perhaps even form a coherent rebutal to my posts.

and please, please try to do it without using the word "troll."

ok troll

[nashtymavsfan13]

Originally Posted by V2M

After his comments last summer on how the refs gave the championship to the Heat... and now this... TMac is fast becoming my favorite non-Mav! The dude just speaks the truth... and nothing but the truth!

I won't go that far in calling him that, but I like what he's been saying lately. I take these comments as compliments as well, because he's saying it has gotten us his respect. We aren't a dirty team in the extremely physical, stick your feet under jump shooters type of way but little hand checks, extra bumps, and clean hard fouls are all type of things good teams do.

[haywoodjay]

Originally Posted by dude1394

ok troll

like clockwork.

[Stylistic]

Originally Posted by haywoodjay

nobody can discredit what the rockets have done so far this season. nobody.

The only thing we can discredit the rockets is there record against the western conference.The Rockets are 19-17 against the west and you are a mediocre road team. I think the rockets need to show they can be in the same conversation with the Mavs and Spurs first.