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04-02-2007, 03:53 PM
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 982
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Latest from Holinger--regarding Dirk, etc
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ESPN Web Chat with John Hollinger Welcome to The Show! On Monday, NBA columnist John Hollinger will stop by to talk about the NBA season. Send your questions now and join John in The Show Monday at 2 p.m. ET. Hollinger Archive: Columns | Chats John Hollinger: Greetings from the ATL, where I'm getting excited to see Greg Oden go up against Al Horford and Joakim Noah tonight. I've got a full cup of coffee and an hour on the clock. Let's do it.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richie (Boston, MA): The Dallas-Phoenix game went about as bad as I could possibly have imagined. Give me some good news. John Hollinger: I take it you're a Mavs fan. Phoenix played out of their minds; it happens. Don't sweat it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gareth (Boston, MA): Hey John, would you say that the Suns' top four (Nash, Amare, Marion, Barbosa) is better than the Mavs' (Dirk, Howard, Terry, Stackhouse)? John Hollinger: You can make that argument ... ccertainly Phoenix's players 2 and 3 (Marion and Stoudemire) are better than Dallas's (Howard and Terry), and Barbosa is probably better than Stackhouse ... Dallas's edge is more in the next batch of players, and of course at the Player No. 1 spot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ali Nagib (Chicago): How much difference will the outcome of the Bulls-Cavs jockeying for the 2/5 seeds make in the playoffs? John Hollinger: Depending on where Miami ends up, either no difference whatsoever or a huge diffference. If Washington wins the division and the Heat end up No. 6, then it really doesn't matter -- both teams will have hme court in the first round and win easily, and then it's choose your poison in round 2 between Detroit or Miami. But if Miami ends up at No. 4, then I'd really want to avoid that No. 5 spot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benny: (Indy):: Shouldn't the Pacers lose the rest of their games so that they can get their draft pick from Atlanta? John Hollinger: Let me put it this way ... if the playoffs become unrealistic, I would expect Jermaine O'Neal to be shut down and Jamaal Tinsley to suddenly discover he has "back spasms" or something ... Indy is one game ahead of NY and Minnesota for No. 10 right now, and if I remember right the pick is top-10 protected. Of course, Minnesota will be tanking just as hard to avoid giving the Clippers a pick from the Jaric trade, so it may be for naught. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Noah (Portland, Or): Chicago has played well as of late, and Tyrus Thomas has come on strong. Do you think with Nocioni coming back they might be able to give Detroit trouble? John Hollinger: I think they'll give Detroit trouble regardless (assuming they met in Round 2). But enough to win the series? That's where they need a healthy Nocioni. For those who didn't see my blog from the game yesterday, Thomas was absolutely freakish -- you may not like the attitude, but you gotta be in awe of his talent. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kyle (Toronto): How come nobody's giving the Raptors a chance in the first round? John Hollinger: Because they've been assuming all year that Toronto would No. 4 and facing Chicago. Now that it appears they might be No. 3 and playing a Butler-less Washington team, the second round seems a lot more doable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greg Oden (Atlanta): Hey John, love your chats...how good would me and Mike Conley (or Ty Lawson or Acie Law) look next year in Hawks uniforms? Imagine Conley, Johnson, Williams, Smith, and myself tearing it up! Look out league! John Hollinger: I would love to have Conley in Atlanta next year.... too bad he's probably staying in school. The Hawks need a PG who can push it up and get transition chances for all those athletic wing guys ... Lawson wouldn't be a a bad second option although he probably needs more grooming. Law isn't really as much of a fit here I don't think ... I picture him on a halfcourt team like Minnesota. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill (Miami): I see D Wade is practicing today and getting closer to returning to the lineup. How afraid should the eastern conference be? John Hollinger: I don't think it means much of anything yet. The real test is what happens once he gets knocked around a couple times. But yes, the East is a much scarier place with Wade in Miami's starting five. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike (Toronto): You haven't mentioned Toronto's victory over Washington on Friday night. Your anti-canadian bias is showing! John Hollinger: Just as I was about to complain about Justin Morneau's MVP award I saw this question ... crazy, crazy game, and one that may end up being huge for the Raps if it pushes them up to 3 and Washington down to 6 ... giving Toronto a much easier path to round 2. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Salim Stoudemire (Atlanta): John, it's Hawks day today! With the way I've torched the nets of late, have I finally found myself a spot in a rotation, or will Woody refuse to give me PT? I mean come on, Eldridge Recasner used to get mean PT in Atlanta, what could he do that I can't? John Hollinger: Any question that invokes the name Eldridge Recasner is worth answering ... Salim has had a nice run of late, but his playing time is limited by the fact that he's a 6-1 shooting guard, by his own inconsistency with his shot this year, and by the several other small guards on the Hawks' roster. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kyron (Toronto): Do you see any chance for the Raptors in Round 2 should they make it there? John Hollinger: That's where things get tough, and losing Garbajosa won't help. However, here's a stat that floored me: The Raps have the best record in the East since Jan. 1. Who knew? I still wouldn't bet on them, but I suppose they could make it interesting. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anderton: (Indy): Can the Pacers rebuild around Shawne Williams, Danny Granger, and Ike Diogu? John Hollinger: I like all three of those guys a lot. They finally played Ike last night and he went 18-13 on the Spurs and helped them to an upset win. I think the Pacers will keep those three guys, nuke the rest of the team and start over with another coach. "Mr. Donovan, I have Larry Bird on line 3..." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Garry,Irvine CA: Dirk over Nash for MVP? Sure, I can go with that. Dirk the "obvious" better No. 1 over Nash? C'mon now. Please explain. John Hollinger: You mean besides the fact that they played on the same team for five years and nobody ever even hinted that Nash might be the better player? Or the butt-whipping Dirk inflicted on them in the conference finals last year? Sorry, Nash is great, but Dirk's in a different class. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jimmy, Memphis: Cmon John, at least give a shout out to Tarence Kinsey and all those 20+ pt games he's been racking up! John Hollinger: I wouldn't get too excited just yet, but I thought Kinsey would just be an athletic/end of the bench/Ronald DuPree type and he's shown a lot more scoring punch lately. If he keeps making outside shots his other skills will make him a viable player. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jake (Oregon): I know it was just one game, and a close one at that, but what do you make of the Jazz winning at Houston? I think you can hear a huge sigh of relief coming out of Utah this morning. John Hollinger: Huge game in that it basically determined home court for Round 1. And I think Utah absolutely needs that edge to make it to round 2. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rick H. (Selah, Wa.): Is Bob Hill the first coach replaced this off-season? John Hollinger: It might be a race to see who's first ... Technically I suppose it's Bernie Bickerstaff. Rick Carlisle is also in jeopardy, as are Eric Musselman and, to a lesser extent, Doc Rivers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Belkin (Boston): Hey John, why do I hate all things good and right with the world? Is a judge seriously going to award me an entire NBA franchise well below cost because of a loophole I designed into a rushed contract? It's obvious I set-up my fellow Atlanta Spirit owners with the goal of tricking them out of the franchise...how can I be allowed to essentially steal a team! John Hollinger: Nice to see Billy Knight has joined us in the chat room. Hopefully we'll get an answer on just who exactly owns the Hawks before the offseason. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tanky Mctankerson (Milwaukee): Just wanted to let you know that we're resting every player who's played for us this season. Our new lineup will be Paul Mokesi and whoever's sitting in section 213, row A. John Hollinger: No wonder I saw Junior Bridgman in last night's box score. At the time I thought it was a typo. You'll know the Bucks are serious about tanking when Michael Redd starts getting non-specific bouts of "tendinitis". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark (Atl): Should Sloan get COY votes now that we all know what a jerk he is to his players? John Hollinger: I presume you're referring to Amaechi's book; I don't suspect this is breaking news for those who cover the league. Sloan will be right there in COY becaue he's squeezed so much from the Jazz this year, though I would argue Sam Mitchell, Jeff Van Gundy and Avery Johnson have as strong or stronger cases. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stephon Marbury (NYC): John, is it possible for me to play an opponent without the refs in their back pocket? John Hollinger: Donnez moi une break. How pathetic was that to see Isiah whining about Marbury not getting calls? Zeke, you lead the league in free-throw attempts! Find something else to complain about ... like your team's inability to convert free throws into points on those "rare" occasions they do get a whistle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike (Toronto): What can the league do the prevent these teams from tanking for the draft? The Raptors got the first pick last year by actually just being a bad team. John Hollinger: If you didn't see my recent column on this, I basically argue the odds shift so little by tanking to move up a couple spots that it's basically not worth the bother ... just because Milwaukee shuts down Andrew Bogut doesn't mean they're getting Greg Oden. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brett (Chicago): Do you think that DWade, assuming he returns, is looking forward to the abuse that he might get in a 1st round matchup with Chicago? Hinrich will make sure that shoulder gets bumped as much as possible. John Hollinger: It's not Hinrich you have to worry about, it's the hard fouls he's going to take from guys like Nocioni once he gets to the basket.. But yes, I'm thinking he'd rather face somebody like Washington in Round 1 that won't be quite so physical. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark (Springfield, MO): So between Denver, the Clippers, and the Warriors, who's the odd man out that's not going to be in the playoffs? John Hollinger: I still say Golden State, but they're making it interesting. Problem is that they have five road games left and they've been terrible away from home this year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sam Mitchell: Am I really the number 1 candidate for the Bobcats head coach job in MJ's eyes? Where will I be next season? John Hollinger: I had somebody tell me the Mitchell-to-Charlotte rumor several days ago, and obviously lots of other reporters are hearing the same thing, so this appears to have legs. The real question is how strong a push the Raps make to keep him. I presume he'd rather have Toronto's next few saesons than Charlotte's, but I also know that Colangelo has eyes for Iavaroni. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ash (The Big D): How much longer do you think Nash can play at his current level? He just turned 33, shouldn't there be a drop-off in the next couple of seasons? John Hollinger: Yes, but there should have been a drop-off last year, and the year before that. It's inevitable that it will come at some point, but some players like Nash, or Karl Malone, have been able to delay the process through their incredible work ethic. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlanta: Why won't you ESPN guys call for Mike Woodson's head! You guys aren't doing anything to help Hawks fans out! John Hollinger: How many games were you expecting this team to win? The guys still play hard for Woodson, so he's not the problem .. the problem is the personnel that's been procured for him has been inadequate. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Craig (Norwich, CT): Will Dennis Johnson ever end up in the Hall of Fame? John Hollinger: Apparently Mirko Novosel was more qualified. This is the Hall of Fame, after all, they can't take just anybody. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Art (Detroit): If each team was a car what 2 cars would you be driving into the Finals this June? John Hollinger: Wow .. first Billy Knight drops in, and now Barbara Walters. It's a banner day in the chat room. I'll say a Ford Festiva and an El Camino. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soren (LA): Who do you have tonight, Gators or Buckeyes? John Hollinger: Gators have too many weapons and three big bodies to throw at Oden. Plus, they're just a special team -- their teamwork is at least as impressive as their talent. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josh (DE): On the subject of the Hall of "Fame", how is it that NO player was elected! John Hollinger: Because basketball isn't about the players; it's really all about the guys who **recruit** the players. That's obvious from looking at the Hall of Fame roster. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris H Mesa, Az.: Do you think that the MVP vote has already been decided from most? John Hollinger: By this time, most folks have made up their minds, yes. A few might keep an eye on the final 8-10 games just to see if something crazy happens, but it would have to be some pretty earth-shattering stuff. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- jim (philly): Wait? so Nash is the best player on the Suns, not Amare? If we're both starting a team from scratch, I'll take Amare and you can have the 2 time MVP, no offense! John Hollinger: Nash has been their best player this year, yes. I thought Amare was the better player in 04-05, but he hasn't played quite up to that level this year, and Nash has kept improving. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- tyler (canada): do u see the gator boys coming back to win 3 if they win 2nite? John Hollinger: No, I see them scattering to the four corners of the earth. The two seniors graduate, the four juniors turn pro, and Donovan spurns Kentucky, signs an extension with Florida that give him an out for the NBA, and then waits by the phone to see if the Pacer or Celtic jobs come open. So basically you're looking at Walter Hodge and Dan Werner going for the 3-peat. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rick H. (Selah, Wa.): What happened to "pass first" point guards? Why are there so many "shoot first" PG's now? John Hollinger: That's partly an optical llusion -- there's always been more shoot-first PGs than people want to acknowlege. But there's another factor too -- the recent rules changes have made it easier for overwhelmingly shoot-first types like Eddie House, Leandro Barbosa and Salim Stoudamire to have a career. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ernie, MI: I think you'd be cooler if you'd ban people from here like Thorpe does when someone asks a stupid question. John Hollinger: Do I look like I have THAT kind of power? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim (Everett): How about Sidney Moncrief for the Hall? John Hollinger: There's a few more deserving players ahead of him in the queue right now, but if they ever get around to inducting actual players then yes, I think he'd make a fine choice. John Hollinger: Folks, that's all the time I have today, but I'll have some thoughts on the blog tonight on the title game and a look at the season's best second-half players later this week. Thanks for the questions and I'll see ya here next week. Tools Email Story Most Sent Daily Email ESPN.com: Help | PR Media Kit | Sales Media Kit | Report a Bug | Contact Us | Site Map | Jobs at ESPN | Supplier Information | Copyright ©2007 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. All rights reserved. |
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04-02-2007, 04:06 PM
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,305
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Garry,Irvine CA: Dirk over Nash for MVP? Sure, I can go with that. Dirk the "obvious" better No. 1 over Nash? C'mon now. Please explain.
John Hollinger: You mean besides the fact that they played on the same team for five years and nobody ever even hinted that Nash might be the better player? Or the butt-whipping Dirk inflicted on them in the conference finals last year? Sorry, Nash is great, but Dirk's in a different class. That's some pretty high praise, I don't know what to say... I probably wouldn't have said Dirk's in a different class altogether but maybe Hollinger will sway a few heads with that comment. |
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04-02-2007, 09:07 PM
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,189
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This is why I can let Hollinger's rankings pass without flaming him too bad (unlike most people on the board). Yes, I don't agree with them but with all the praise he gives Dirk I'll let it slide. Most analysts are the opposite, saying the Mavs are the best team but giving Dirk no credit, so I don't see why Hollinger gets more flame than them.
__________________
 "He's as valuable as anyone. The most unusual thing is that they lose last year's MVP and still get better. It's unheard of." "For a team as good as the Mavs, the regular season is just 82 practice games until the real season begins." -G-Man "We wanted this for Dirk because of his heart, his class, his work ethic, his humility, his sense of humor, his respect for the game, and his respect for people." |
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04-02-2007, 09:42 PM
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 7,031
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some dirk love....effin nice~!
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04-02-2007, 10:06 PM
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 19,413
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Wow that's some major dirk love.
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04-03-2007, 12:09 AM
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Platinum Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: north texas
Posts: 2,186
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that is major. dirk is probably the most criticized of any "major" NBA player.
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04-03-2007, 07:39 AM
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Golden Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: In The Paint
Posts: 1,897
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Feel the love. Dirk is the MVP.
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04-03-2007, 11:28 AM
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 3,687
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thanks for the post, but just for future reference, could you please highlight the Mavs parts or bold them or whatever so I don't have to sift through all of it to find it? thanks
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04-03-2007, 12:28 PM
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,460
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People are enamored with Nash. Dirk has had the better season, and his team is doing much better than Phoenix. Despite the fact that Nash plays with two all-stars.
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04-03-2007, 05:03 PM
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Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 982
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Dirk is having an MVP year--Pop has been saying this for months...
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04-04-2007, 05:14 AM
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Guru
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Denton, TX
Posts: 10,441
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I wish I could give Hollinger rep.
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