Hoopsworld's Mavs Season Preview - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

DevinHarriswillstart · 09-16-2008, 11:06 AM

Long article and here it is....

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9988

Quote:

Believe it or not, hoops nation, the 2008-09 NBA season is less than 30 days away. To help you get through the final month, HOOPSWORLD is breaking down each of the 30 NBA teams in order of their records from last season - worst to first. Each day we'll unveil two teams, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. You can see our previews of the entire NBA by linking HERE!

Now, without further ado... here's a look at the Dallas Mavericks:

Five Guys Think...
Travis Heath: It's hard to fathom putting a team this talented in the fourth slot in any division, but the Southeast Division is just that good. Dirk Nowitzki is still a big-time NBA player, but he has yet to show the mentality necessary to consistently take over games down the stretch. Jason Kidd is a future Hall of Famer, but he's a also a 35-year-old player who has lost at least a couple of steps in the last couple of seasons. Josh Howard is a heck of a player, but he's drawn many more headlines for what he's done off the court in the last six months than for anything he's ever done on the court. The end result of this is a team that will be fighting for one of the last couple of playoff spots in the very tough Western Conference.
4th Place, Southwest Division

Jason Fleming: If the Mavericks do not get a fast start this season it could get a little messy. After all, last season was blamed on Avery Johnson and not having enough time to blend in Jason Kidd. That excuse won't fly if the Mavs struggle early in 2008-09.
4th Place, Southwest Division

Tommy Beer: The Mavericks are headed in the wrong direction. Their 51 victories last season was their lowest win total this decade. The Jason Kidd trade looks like a mistake; Josh Howard can't stay out of trouble; and their big free-agent signing this summer was foolishly throwing way too much money at DeSagana Diop. The Mavs, considered legitimate title contenders as recently as 2007, could potentially be on the outside of the playoff picture looking due mainly to the strength of their division.
4th Place, Southwest Division

Wendell Maxey: Even with Rick Carlisle at the helm and Jason Kidd ready for a full season in Dallas, please don't drink the Mavs' Kool-Aid this season. It leaves a bad aftertaste with another early exit come the playoffs.
4th Place, Southwest Division

Yannis Koutroupis: Mark Cuban's misplaced faith in Jason Kidd is going to keep the Mavericks from contending for the division this season. They still have Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki, but without any kind of low post presence offensively and Kidd's rapidly-declining defense Dallas will take a few more steps back this season.
4th Place, Southwest Division

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Top Of The List

Top Offensive Player: Dirk Nowitzki. The 2007 NBA Most Valuable Player is a lethal weapon, able to score from anywhere on the court. Avery Johnson made him much more of a mid-range player, allowing him to take advantage of his height to score on high percentage shots, but he's still a threat from three-point land. It will be interesting to see what Rick Carlisle challenges Dirk to become.

Top Defensive Player: Josh Howard. Though he had a lapse in mental capacity late last season, Josh is expected to be a huge part of the Mavericks' success in 2008-09. He'll need to regain his scoring touch, but the other thing he brings is a tenacious attitude on the defensive end. He plays the passing lanes, mans up, and provides help defense. He's not a shot-blocker like Erick Dampier is at times, but from end to end he's the best defender the Mavericks have.

Top Playmaker: Jason Kidd. In baseball fans like to hang the letter "K" from the railings to show how many strikeout a pitcher has. In Dallas they hand the letter "A" for the number of assists Kidd has. The Mavericks didn't truly adjust to his presence after a mid-season trade changed their point guard position entirely, but with a new head coach and a full training camp we should see plenty of eye-popping dishes from Kidd in 2008-09.

Top Clutch Player: Dirk Nowitzki. The defining moment of his career may have come in the playoffs three years ago against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Manu Ginobili hit a three to give the Spurs what seemed to be an insurmountable lead. Dirk simply brought the ball down, drilled an impossible two, got the foul, and made the FT. The Mavs would win that game in OT, and ever since then Dirk has been money at the buzzer.

The Unheralded Player: Jason Terry. Sure, he's undersized to play the two, but he can score too well to be restricted to simply a passing guard. That's why he kept working his way back into the starting lineup at the shooting guard even though the Mavs kept making moves to add a true two. He simply shot better than anyone, and wasn't bad as a defender even when giving up 3-4 inches. He's smart, he's a spot-on shooter, and he gets the crowd excited. Something good's going to happen when The Jet's on the runway.

Best New Addition: The best new addition to this team is actually an old addition. When the Mavericks took a chance on DeSagana Diop in 2004 no one could have predicted that he's become a staple of their defense. When he was traded away as part of the Jason Kidd deal the Mavs quickly became one of the worst defensive teams in the league after being one of the best. Much of that credit has to go to Devin Harris, of course, but Diop's low post defense is better than most and he gives Rick Carlisle some options at the center position.

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Who We Like
1. Jerry Stackhouse: Stack may not be the scoring machine that he was earlier in his career, but even when his shot is off he provides the Mavericks with something they desperately need: FIRE! He's the one who stands up for his teammates when someone's getting rough; he's the one who takes charge in the locker room when coach's voice is falling on deaf ears. Stack is still a good player on the court, but his best contribution comes in the many ways he keeps the competitive fire burning for the Mavs.

2. Dirk Nowitzki. No one benefited from Avery Johnson's tenure as head coach of the Mavericks more than Dirk Nowitzki. When the Little General took the reins Dirk was a good scorer who didn't even think about the defensive end. After three full years under Avery's guidance Dirk is a better-than-average defender who knows how to use his height to get easy baskets. No matter what Avery asked of Dirk, the MVP was up for the challenge. He works harder than anyone in the NBA (Avery had to kick him out of the practice facility a few times because he refused to rest) and his game reflects that.

3. Jason Terry. It's amazing to see what NBA players go through in their day-to-day, and Jet is certainly a gifted player. He's not one of the naturals, though. He's had to work for everything he's ever gotten. Through it all he remains a committed family man (his wife and three adorable daughters regularly attend games) and is a constant source of inspiration for his teammates and his fans.

4. Brandon Bass. Talk about coming out of nowhere, Brandon Bass played his way into a roster spot through the 2007 NBA Summer League and made himself indispensable when the regular season started. After riding the bench for two seasons in New Orleans he stormed onto the scene in Dallas with a monster appetite for dunks and an insatiable desire to rebound. Consistency is the only thing he lacks, and if he can find that this season he'll be a solid double-double guy off the bench.

5. Gerald Green. He's never been as special during games as he is during slam dunk competitions, but this season Gerald's looking to show he's more than just a dunker. He's already put in hours upon hours of workouts for Rick Carlisle and staff, and the Mavericks hope that providing some strict guidance and a little consistency for the oft-traded Green will help him realize his full potential. The Mavericks could certainly use a solid scorer and defender at the two, as Stackhouse and Eddie Jones aren't getting any younger.

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Strengths
We didn't see it after the trade, but expect offense to be the strong suit of this Mavericks team. Avery Johnson made some nice adjustments, but at the end of the day this is essentially the team that Don Nelson built with his offense-first mindset. The acquisition of Kidd made this even more the case, as Kidd's best defensive days are far behind him and his lone remaining strength is his ability to push the ball and find open teammates. Expect Nowitzki, Howard, and Terry to all have banner years offensively with Kidd finding them in their favorite spots.

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Weaknesses
Defensively this team was horrible after the Harris trade. Devin had really evolved into the player Avery Johnson envisioned him to be, and his ability to stop the ball at the initial point of attack was the foundation of this team's defense. Kidd doesn't have that ability any more, so the weight of the defense will now fall squarely on the center position's shoulders. With that in mind, the re-acquisition of Gana Diop was huge for this team. Still, they're not a great defensive team, and they're getting a little old as well. In two years there will have to be major changes in Dallas, as fans face the reality that their championship window closed when Devin Harris left town.

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The Coach's Take
Don't write us off just yet. We have some scars from the last two years, but I have inherited a talented, veteran team that can win. Dirk, Jason and Josh are as good a scoring combo as there is out there, and I have a good combination of youth, size and athleticism everywhere else on the front line. I have a Hall of Fame point guard who now knows our team, and we will have a defensive grittiness that all of my teams have had in the past.

With expectations not being quite so high, I can mold this team as the season progresses, fine tune as we go along, and be in position to make a deeper than expected playoff run. --- Mike Moreau

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The Burning Question
Was a coaching change enough? The Mavericks have approached the summer like a championship team that just needs a tweak here and there. Maybe it's because for the previous two summers they were considered to be one. Well, they were a far cry from title contenders when the curtain went down on 2007-08, and aside from a coaching change the roster is basically the same. The big trade rendered Avery Johnson's system useless, as it was based entirely around the point guard position. He built Devin Harris from the ground up, and when Devin was out of the picture the Mavs fell like a house of cards. Can Rick Carlisle and his staff take this team from also-rans back to being serious playoff contenders? At this point the general consensus is they'll struggle to make the playoffs.

AxdemxO · 09-16-2008, 11:52 AM

A few points I can agree with maybe...mostly stupid thou..and giving Devin all the credit for our D??

SMC0007 · 09-16-2008, 11:55 AM

5. Gerald Green. He's never been as special during games as he is during slam dunk competitions, but this season Gerald's looking to show he's more than just a dunker. He's already put in hours upon hours of workouts for Rick Carlisle and staff, and the Mavericks hope that providing some strict guidance and a little consistency for the oft-traded Green will help him realize his full potential. The Mavericks could certainly use a solid scorer and defender at the two, as Stackhouse and Eddie Jones aren't getting any younger.

Not sure if he has alwas put a lot of time in during the offesason previously, but I like that he has this year! I sure hope he PLAYS his way into more and more mins, eventually starting SG. It's been forever since we have had a balanced hyperathlete at SG.

DevinHarriswillstart · 09-16-2008, 12:02 PM

I also like that Green has been working out a lot.

I forgot that Eddie Jones was still on the team...

sike · 09-16-2008, 12:39 PM

"Dirk Nowitzki is still a big-time NBA player, but he has yet to show the mentality necessary to consistently take over games down the stretch."

Tell me why I should read another word of this article?

SMC0007 · 09-16-2008, 12:45 PM

Then theres this a few lines later........

Top Clutch Player: Dirk Nowitzki. The defining moment of his career may have come in the playoffs three years ago against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Manu Ginobili hit a three to give the Spurs what seemed to be an insurmountable lead. Dirk simply brought the ball down, drilled an impossible two, got the foul, and made the FT. The Mavs would win that game in OT, and ever since then Dirk has been money at the buzzer.

sike · 09-16-2008, 12:48 PM

see...if you would have just stopped reading where I did, you wouldn't have had to see anymore of their idiocy.

craggmac · 09-16-2008, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Six Guys Think...
Travis Heath: It's hard to fathom putting a team this talented in the fourth slot in any division, but the Southeast Division is just that good. Dirk Nowitzki is still a big-time NBA player, but he has yet to show the mentality necessary to consistently take over games down the stretch. Jason Kidd is a future Hall of Famer, but he's a also a 35-year-old player who has lost at least a couple of steps in the last couple of seasons. Josh Howard is a heck of a player, but he's drawn many more headlines for what he's done off the court in the last six months than for anything he's ever done on the court. The end result of this is a team that will be fighting for one of the last couple of playoff spots in the very tough Western Conference.
4th Place, Southwest Division

Jason Fleming: If the Mavericks do not get a fast start this season it could get a little messy. After all, last season was blamed on Avery Johnson and not having enough time to blend in Jason Kidd. That excuse won't fly if the Mavs struggle early in 2008-09.
4th Place, Southwest Division

Tommy Beer: The Mavericks are headed in the wrong direction. Their 51 victories last season was their lowest win total this decade. The Jason Kidd trade looks like a mistake; Josh Howard can't stay out of trouble; and their big free-agent signing this summer was foolishly throwing way too much money at DeSagana Diop. The Mavs, considered legitimate title contenders as recently as 2007, could potentially be on the outside of the playoff picture looking due mainly to the strength of their division.
4th Place, Southwest Division

Wendell Maxey: Even with Rick Carlisle at the helm and Jason Kidd ready for a full season in Dallas, please don't drink the Mavs' Kool-Aid this season. It leaves a bad aftertaste with another early exit come the playoffs.
4th Place, Southwest Division

Yannis Koutroupis: Mark Cuban's misplaced faith in Jason Kidd is going to keep the Mavericks from contending for the division this season. They still have Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki, but without any kind of low post presence offensively and Kidd's rapidly-declining defense Dallas will take a few more steps back this season.
4th Place, Southwest Division

Craggmac: The previous 5 guys have lost their FU@#!NG minds. The first two have been blinded from having their head stuck so far up the Hornets asses and the remaining three can't seem to stop thinking about how much they love likkin' the Lakers b@II$.
1st Place, Bi+C#!

There, that's more like it.

SMC0007 · 09-16-2008, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sike

see...if you would have just stopped reading where I did, you wouldn't have had to see anymore of their idiocracy.

Agreed.

xraided199 · 09-16-2008, 01:14 PM

sadly, i have to agree with a lot of this article. yes, i know, everyone who sees my comment and actually recognizes me (not that i post a lot or anything) will immediately say "well, there's the guy who despises the kidd trade and loves j-ho wayyyy too much." fact is, the kidd trade did suck. i just hope it don't continue to suck. of course kidd is a legend, theres no denying that. but his time has just passed, pure n simple.

4th in division? i don't kno bout that, but yeah it's a damn strong division with a revised rockets team and a still-hungry-n-exciting hornets squad. but honestly, i think we gon place ahead of the spurs. they may have done some slight changes, but for real they just done. not that they gonna be a last place western team or anything, but i think their time as west leaders is long gone.

im really hoping we can start the season strong and continue from there (although we did start 0-4 in our very memorable 2006-07 season). and i really hope josh can block out the off-the-court stuff and continue to rule the hardwood; kidd can play younger than his actual age and with some of that missed intensity; and terry can just keep shootin the damn lights out. and of course i'm not mentionin dirk cause i really don't think he'll have a problem havin an amazing year...GO MAVS DAMNIT!!!!

M/F/F/L

Kidd Karma · 09-16-2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I also like that Green has been working out a lot.

I forgot that Eddie Jones was still on the team...

He wanted his 2 million.

Rick41 · 09-16-2008, 02:29 PM

i read this article and i started to lollerskate.

Kidd Karma · 09-16-2008, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xraided199

sadly, i have to agree with a lot of this article. yes, i know, everyone who sees my comment and actually recognizes me (not that i post a lot or anything) will immediately say "well, there's the guy who despises the kidd trade and loves j-ho wayyyy too much." fact is, the kidd trade did suck. i just hope it don't continue to suck. of course kidd is a legend, theres no denying that. but his time has just passed, pure n simple.

4th in division? i don't kno bout that, but yeah it's a damn strong division with a revised rockets team and a still-hungry-n-exciting hornets squad. but honestly, i think we gon place ahead of the spurs. they may have done some slight changes, but for real they just done. not that they gonna be a last place western team or anything, but i think their time as west leaders is long gone.

im really hoping we can start the season strong and continue from there (although we did start 0-4 in our very memorable 2006-07 season). and i really hope josh can block out the off-the-court stuff and continue to rule the hardwood; kidd can play younger than his actual age and with some of that missed intensity; and terry can just keep shootin the damn lights out. and of course i'm not mentionin dirk cause i really don't think he'll have a problem havin an amazing year...GO MAVS DAMNIT!!!!

M/F/F/L

Division will be tight, definitely tight enough where if you're a McGrady, or a Manu, or a Parker, that the slightest injury won't deter them from playing. Any of the stars miss 5-6 games, will definitely swing the division quickly. Each game no matter which part of the schedule will count big.

FreshJive · 09-16-2008, 02:36 PM

"The big trade rendered Avery Johnson's system useless, as it was based entirely around the point guard position."

What?

Underdog · 09-16-2008, 03:26 PM

The Mavs were never in the Championship Race with Devin Harris at PG in the first place...

rabbitproof · 09-16-2008, 03:55 PM

haha, outta rep but craggmac has awesome signatures and his post in this thread was also awesome.

DevinHarriswillstart · 09-16-2008, 05:07 PM

I'm starting to feel glad that we have little to no expecations this year. Kinda takes the pressure off thinking that it's championship or nothing which I always though was a dumb mentality. I just want to see the team have fun this year unlike last year. Kidd will undoubetdly make the team more fun to watch. It isn't like there aren't things to be optimisitic about either. Our coaching staff should be up there with the best with two former NBA head coaches as assistants.

bobatundi · 09-16-2008, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I forgot that Eddie Jones was still on the team...

I think Donnie did too. I keep waiting for the minor newsbite that Jones has been waived.

Kidd Karma · 09-16-2008, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobatundi

I think Donnie did too. I keep waiting for the minor newsbite that Jones has been waived.

I'm waiting for him/cash to pay buyout to get traded for a 2 guard.

xraided199 · 09-17-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kidd Karma

Division will be tight, definitely tight enough where if you're a McGrady, or a Manu, or a Parker, that the slightest injury won't deter them from playing. Any of the stars miss 5-6 games, will definitely swing the division quickly. Each game no matter which part of the schedule will count big.

thats a really good point. and i didnt follow up on manu's olympic injury too much, but isn't he startin the season in street clothes? again, not a 100% sure bout that, but either way, at least we see that age is kinda startin to catch up wit the spurs stars. not that manu is 45 and cant walk or anything, but they arent that young either. that'll be to our advantage, but like u said, any small thing that may usually make a star sit out for a week or two, the trainers and players now won't bat an eye and def keep playin just cause of how competitive this season gon be.

Kidd Karma · 09-17-2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xraided199

thats a really good point. and i didnt follow up on manu's olympic injury too much, but isn't he startin the season in street clothes? again, not a 100% sure bout that, but either way, at least we see that age is kinda startin to catch up wit the spurs stars. not that manu is 45 and cant walk or anything, but they arent that young either. that'll be to our advantage, but like u said, any small thing that may usually make a star sit out for a week or two, the trainers and players now won't bat an eye and def keep playin just cause of how competitive this season gon be.

After his surgery on 9/5 he would be wrapped up for 3 weeks. Then a rehab schedule will be set up after the ankle is checked on. Looking at that, evaluation comes around 9/26. One week rehab, will push him past the start of TC. Nevertheless he won't have much of TC if any at all. But i guess nothing will be in concrete until the evaluate the ankle towards the end of the month.