Mavs 87 Hawks 95 (UGH UGH UGH) - Page 2 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

LonghornDub · 03-20-2009, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

you say this often... at some point occasional cigarettes means you *do* smoke.

I think he was joking. As in, he doesn't really need a cigarette, he's just on edge and wants something to calm his nerves.

LonghornDub · 03-20-2009, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bayliss

I'm not sure that is the best course of action. The Mavs will get slaughtered against the Lakers.

Making the playoffs is always the best course of action over not making the playoffs. Losers whine about wanting draft picks. Give me four (or maybe more, if we're lucky) extra, high-energy games. I don't care about being "embarrassed"--it's much more embarrassing for miss the dance.

BGMaverick9 · 03-20-2009, 12:25 AM

If they did get swept...wouldn't they reload ANYWAY? They can reload with the assets they have going forward in the summer.

I'd at least want to say we were in there and gave it a go. I agree the bigger embarrassment would be not being in the playoffs in the first place. There isn't shame or embarrassment losing to the f'n Lakers...seriously. Do you think the Suns are content with their situation and are willing to settle for the lottery, they wanna get in the playoffs. They probably know they will run into the Lakers and the chances might not be great at winning, but they want in.

Why should I care about "national TV embarrassment?" Why should I care what everyone else thinks about my team? The only thing that really matters is what I think about them. If you get in the playoffs, it doesn't grant you the power to defy the odds, it gives you a fighting chance. Anything can happen in the playoffs...you just have to get in.

fluid.forty.one · 03-20-2009, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

I think he was joking. As in, he doesn't really need a cigarette, he's just on edge and wants something to calm his nerves.

Well, he has said many times that he'll be "back after I have a cigarette". So either he really sticks to his jokes, or...

Not that it matters at all.. I was just pointing it out

fluid.forty.one · 03-20-2009, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

Making the playoffs is always the best course of action over not making the playoffs. Losers whine about wanting draft picks. Give me four (or maybe more, if we're lucky) extra, high-energy games. I don't care about being "embarrassed"--it's much more embarrassing for miss the dance.

This.

walter · 03-20-2009, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bayliss

I'm not sure that is the best course of action. The Mavs will get slaughtered against the Lakers.

To be honest, ive been thinking lately that we would be better off missing the playoffs. I mean everybody knows we will be destroyed by the lakers, so whats the point of being the 8th seed? If we missed the playoffs we would get a better draft pick, a late lottery pick actually. Plus, it may finally be the wake up call to cuban that this team as presently constituted will not win anything and force him to make some drastic changes.

Maybe trade howard and contracts for shaq (we all know how close they were to trading him at the deadline, they were even rumored to have offered him to miami for marion of all people, so maybe they will want a small forward), resign kidd for a reasonable sum, sign a free agent or 2, and ride it out for 1 or 2 more years; if it doesn't work out, shaq's contract will be up after 09-10 so we can blow the team up and start over.

I'll never root against our mavs, but they are simply a mediocre team right now, even with all the injuries.

Anyhow, tonight the shots werent falling, and we all know this team lives and dies by the jumpshot (and dirk playing like a superstar night in and night out). Atlanta is a pretty decent team so its not a terrible loss. Forget about it and look forward to indiana.

nowhereman · 03-20-2009, 12:38 AM

i'm still in disbelief over how unintelligently we played in the 4th quarter. i've played smarter basketball at the rec.

walter · 03-20-2009, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

Making the playoffs is always the best course of action over not making the playoffs. Losers whine about wanting draft picks. Give me four (or maybe more, if we're lucky) extra, high-energy games. I don't care about being "embarrassed"--it's much more embarrassing for miss the dance.

I will have to respectfully disagree with this. Being the 8th seed and a sacrificial lamb to the lakers is beyond pointless; being mired in mediocrity is the nba version of hell.

That said, while I think the lottery would be better for this team than the 8th seed, they should not tank. They should play hard the rest of the way and let the chips fall where they may.

Out of the last 13 games I see 7-8 games that there would be no shame if we lost: Denver, @ Cleveland, Miami, Phoenix, Utah, @ New Orleans, and Houston. I want them to play hard, but I wouldn't sweat it if we lost any number of these games, and if that leaves us with the 9th seed so be it.

Just my opinion

LonghornDub · 03-20-2009, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walter

I will have to respectfully disagree with this. Being the 8th seed and a sacrificial lamb to the lakers is beyond pointless; being mired in mediocrity is the nba version of hell.

That said, while I think the lottery would be better for this team than the 8th seed, they should not tank. They should play hard the rest of the way and let the chips fall where they may.

Out of the last 13 games I see 7-8 games that there would be no shame if we lost: Denver, @ Cleveland, Miami, Phoenix, Utah, @ New Orleans, and Houston. I want them to play hard, but I wouldn't sweat it if we lost any number of these games, and if that leaves us with the 9th seed so be it.

Just my opinion

Being the #9 team and missing the playoffs isn't appreciably more likely to take you out of mediocrity via the draft than is being the #8 seed and losing in the first round. Do you really think there's that much of a difference between, say, the #12 pick and the #16 pick?

But even if there was a big difference, I still say it's a loser's mentality. The draft is a cool thing and it's a way to build your team from the ground up (or plug holes, as the case may be), but as long as the team is good enough to make the playoffs every year (i.e. as long as Dirk is good), F a damn lottery pick.

Dirkadirkastan · 03-20-2009, 01:19 AM

Due to a temporary glitch, nba.com currently lists us as leading the Western conference standings.

Edit: Actually, we're #0, whatever that could mean.

walter · 03-20-2009, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

Being the #9 team and missing the playoffs isn't appreciably more likely to take you out of mediocrity via the draft than is being the #8 seed and losing in the first round. Do you really think there's that much of a difference between, say, the #12 pick and the #16 pick?

But even if there was a big difference, I still say it's a loser's mentality. The draft is a cool thing and it's a way to build your team from the ground up (or plug holes, as the case may be), but as long as the team is good enough to make the playoffs every year (i.e. as long as Dirk is good), F a damn lottery pick.

Well, maybe not much difference between 12 and 16 but what about the 14th pick vs no pick at all? If I'm not mistaken, the mavs gave up this years pick in the kidd trade but it's lottery protected. So 9th seed= pick, 8th seed= no pick.

Call it a loser's mentality if you like, but i'll take a late lottery pick over no pick and the right to be crushed by the lakers in 4-5 games. Besides, I don't think sacrificing 4 meaningless games in the present for a chance at adding talent for the future is all that bad a trade. Besides, losing out on talent will only prolong the losing in the future. So, isn't it possible that losing now will actually yield more wins in the next, say, 5 years than making the playoffs this year would? Thats all im saying.

Even if we dont yield a ton of talent from a late lottery pick, it would still be worth it to me to at least have a chance at making an upgrade vs having no chance, which is what would happen if we made the playoffs this year. And make no mistake, we would have a chance: Thaddeus Young, Al Thornton, Jason Thompson, and Brandon Rush all were drafted between 12 and 14 the last couple years and all of those guys would be a big help to us right now. Sure we are just as likely to end up with Yaroslav Korolev as we are Al Thornton, but at least we would have a chance at a big upgrade; who knows, maybe we get lucky.

You got to see the big picture, there is a future beyond the next couple months. So as much as people like to say that we should only be concerned with the here and now, that really only works when you have a very good chance at winning a title in the next couple years, something this team simply does not have the potential to do.

The goal is to win a championship, not win every regular season game or lose in the first round.

ghazi · 03-20-2009, 01:56 AM

Look, I know the beloved Mavs are inconsistent, but why are people assuming we'll get the 8th seed?

We've won 25 of the last 29 at home, and after tonight 8 of the final 12 are @ home.

If we just beat the Pacers, and protect the mf'n house, and beat the Twolves/Grizz on road... lose to Cavs/Hornets on road (like we're supposed to :-P) we'll finish 52-30 and that IMO will be good enough for a higher seed.

It's easier said than done, but I ain't giving up on our boys. We're a much better team @ home IMO and 2 of the remaining 4 road games are cupcakes after the Pacers (although we've lost our fair share v cupcakes this year, just saying).

Spurs, Rockets, Nuggets... bring em the hell on.

We're not locked into the 8th seed jeeeez.

But maybe we are if we lose to the Pacers. Every game counts at this point. EVERY single game.

walter · 03-20-2009, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghazi

Look, I know the beloved Mavs are inconsistent, but why are people assuming we'll get the 8th seed?

We've won 25 of the last 29 at home, and after tonight 8 of the final 12 are @ home.

If we just beat the Pacers, and protect the mf'n house, and beat the Twolves/Grizz on road... lose to Cavs/Hornets on road (like we're supposed to :-P) we'll finish 52-30 and that IMO will be good enough for a higher seed.

It's easier said than done, but I ain't giving up on our boys. We're a much better team @ home IMO and 2 of the remaining 4 road games are cupcakes after the Pacers (although we've lost our fair share v cupcakes this year, just saying).

Spurs, Rockets, Nuggets... bring em the hell on.

We're not locked into the 8th seed jeeeez.

But maybe we are if we lose to the Pacers. Every game counts at this point. EVERY single game.

Well, a lot of things have to go right for the mavs to earn homecourt advantage at this point, and they have not shown an ability to win on the road, so even if we got up to 5th, 6th, or 7th I doubt we can beat the spurs, rockets, or even the nuggets on the road in the playoffs.

In fact, I don't think this team is good enough to beat any of the 7 teams ahead of us in a 7 game series. Just not enough talent, not enough consistency on the road, and too many injuries. A team bound to the whims of the jumpshot as much as the mavs are cannot win in the playoffs, so i really dont like our chances against the spurs, nuggets, rockets, hornets, blazers, or jazz much more than i like our chances against the lakers. Maybe you are just more optimistic than me.

This isn't to say that I will be rooting for the team to lose; I hope we win, but I wont lose sleep if we don't.

ghazi · 03-20-2009, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walter

Nah, I don't think this team is good enough to beat any of the 7 teams ahead of us in a 7 game series. Just not enough talent, not enough consistency, and too many injuries. A team bound to the whims of the jumpshot as much as the mavs are cannot win in the playoffs, so i really dont like our chances against the spurs, nuggets, rockets, hornets, blazers, or jazz any more than i like our chances against the lakers.

maybe you are just more optimistic than me

Spurs- probably a bad matchup but they're kinda banged up and our jumpers seem to fall more consistently v them :-P

Nuggets- frick em, softies. Carmelo's 4-20 in the playoffs, bring it on

Rockets-Yao leading a team, lol

Hornets-Yeah this one is tough, we have no answer for Paul

Blazers- 3-0 v them in regular season + they're young/soft

Jazz- Eh, if they had home court they'd have an edge. But yeah... Jazz ain't that great except at home w/ mormon refs and opponents on back to back.

But yeah... I didn't say I was optimistic about the playoffs, I'm just saying the door is still open, even if barely, to gain a higher seed.

there's 30 teams in the league and probably 25-26 of them know they can't win it all, that doesn't mean our guys in blue should throw in the towel and it doesn't mean we should hope for our guys in blue to get 9th. If you think the franchise is doomed a 14th pick isn't gonna change that.

It's not any more embarrassing getting spanked by the Lakers than it is getting 9th just a year after the Kidd trade. We'd never hear the end of that!

ghazi · 03-20-2009, 02:14 AM

FWIW the Mavs do have a pick this year, you're thinking 2010 and I don't think it's lottery protected.

walter · 03-20-2009, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghazi

there's 30 teams in the league and probably 25-26 of them know they can't win it all, that doesn't mean our guys in blue should throw in the towel and it doesn't mean we should hope for our guys in blue to get 9th. If you think the franchise is doomed a 14th pick isn't gonna change that.

It's not any more embarrassing getting spanked by the Lakers than it is getting 9th just a year after the Kidd trade. We'd never hear the end of that!

You're right, a 14th pick alone won't help right this ship, but a first round exit will help even less. Besides, I never said I thought one 14th pick is all we need, but a 14th pick + smart future trades and free agent acquisitions would certainly be a step in the right direction correct?

Again, you have to see the big picture, you say I'm hoping to lose and throwing in the towel, I say I'm hoping we give ourselves the best future we can. And I even said I wasn't going to be rooting for the team to give up and tank the rest of the season. We should prepare for these coming games as well as we would any other game, but if we find ourselves getting blown out in any of the 13 remaining games i wouldnt mind seeing carlisle pull the starters a little earlier than he would earlier in the season. say what you will about that.

also, i could care less about the embarrassment of missing the playoffs a year after the kidd trade. this year is lost, either gather up our assets and make one last push with dirk in the next couple years, or blow it up and acquire as much talent as we can for the future as we can. either scenario would be boosted by a late lottery pick. Al thornton and anthony randolph were the 14th picks the last 2 years, i'd say guys like that would be helpful next year. dont underestimate how much even a 14th pick can help a team, especially an old team desperate for youth and athleticism like our boys in blue.

you have to balance your passions as a fan with the reality of the current situation. all im saying is that at the point in the season, there isnt a whole lot to play for. Its not like i wanted them to tank this whole season, but with 13 games to go and the fate of this years team pretty bleak, we are simply better off with a draft pick. lets get this season out of the way, let dirk, terry, kidd and the guys rest up this summer and come back strong next year.

walter · 03-20-2009, 03:30 AM

nevermind

ghazi · 03-20-2009, 03:32 AM

-_-

That was written a year ago and "this June" referred to the 2008 draft, Nets used our pick to draft Ryan Andersen. 2008 and 2010 picks yielded.

walter · 03-20-2009, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghazi

-_-

That was written a year ago and "this June" referred to the 2008 draft, Nets used our pick to draft Ryan Andersen. 2008 and 2010 picks yielded.

haha yeah your quick, i thought i caught that before anyone else saw it. yeah my bad i read it wrong and thought they gave up this years pick.

either way, as much as i want the mavs to win, if they dont then i wont be losing any sleep.

maybe im wrong; i dont really think i am, but hey, it happens. regardless, i never said for them to give up and tank the remaining games, i just dont think killing ourselves to earn a first round ass kicking is all that beneficial. just trying to think big picture

Thespiralgoeson · 03-20-2009, 03:49 AM

This team has got quite a few problems. I don't think it's surprising to anyone that 3 point shooting is not the least of them. Whatever the Mavs do in the offseason, they have friggon GOT to get a couple of decent shooters. I am so sick of guards that can't shoot. We've had an array of them since 2004. I call it the Marquis Daniels syndrome.

Re-Dirk-ulous · 03-20-2009, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

This team has got quite a few problems. I don't think it's surprising to anyone that 3 point shooting is not the least of them. Whatever the Mavs do in the offseason, they have friggon GOT to get a couple of decent shooters. I am so sick of guards that can't shoot. We've had an array of them since 2004. I call it the Marquis Daniels syndrome.

our shooters are so bad, it sometimes rubs off on Dirk

sphincs · 03-20-2009, 07:27 AM

very bad shooting game! good Hollins, Kidd too much turnovers

Underdog · 03-20-2009, 08:01 AM

GermanDunk · 03-20-2009, 08:33 AM

6 of 31 threes? The must have smoked something.

tcat075 · 03-20-2009, 09:23 AM

I wish JET would stick to pull-up jumpers from now on. I know he won't, because he's a 3 point shooter at heart, but still, he's not that great with the 3's.

He gets hot occasionally, like versus the Lakers, but he shoots around 35% or less. That's worse than Dirk, Kidd and Josh. And he's supposed to be our premiere shooter.

I don't mind him taking 5 3's a game, because some nights he is on, but to shoot 9 times and hit only 1 is something JET has to realize won't cut it.

jthig32 · 03-20-2009, 10:37 AM

I've never been more frustrated with the empty three point chucking. The last five minutes of the fourth was an absolute embarrassment.

The officiating, once again, was about as bad as you'll ever see it. The three second call in the fourth was incomprehensibly bad.

What a frustrating game all around.

FreshJive · 03-20-2009, 10:53 AM

We should have missed the playoffs last year, but this year we get to keep our pick, so we might as well get the extra playoff revenue. From a fan standpoint making the playoffs or not doesn't mean much when you have been a contender for so many years.

TheMaverick · 03-20-2009, 10:58 AM

I really hate debbie downers.

Dtownsfinest · 03-20-2009, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghazi

Look, I know the beloved Mavs are inconsistent, but why are people assuming we'll get the 8th seed?

We've won 25 of the last 29 at home, and after tonight 8 of the final 12 are @ home.

If we just beat the Pacers, and protect the mf'n house, and beat the Twolves/Grizz on road... lose to Cavs/Hornets on road (like we're supposed to :-P) we'll finish 52-30 and that IMO will be good enough for a higher seed.

It's easier said than done, but I ain't giving up on our boys. We're a much better team @ home IMO and 2 of the remaining 4 road games are cupcakes after the Pacers (although we've lost our fair share v cupcakes this year, just saying).

Spurs, Rockets, Nuggets... bring em the hell on.

We're not locked into the 8th seed jeeeez.

But maybe we are if we lose to the Pacers. Every game counts at this point. EVERY single game.

The Mavs can move up you're right. But looking a their schedule I see no games this team is suppose to win. You lose to contenders like the Hawks and you go down to the wire with a Pistons team without RIP, Sheed and AI. I'm not trying to rag on the hometown team but this team has had its chance to move up in the standings and haven't. My concern at this point isn't whether or not the Mavs will go up in the standings. Its that if they can mantain that 8th spot. I'm not sure why everyone has written off the Suns. They're talented enough to make up 3 games especially since we have to play them.

AxdemxO · 03-20-2009, 11:24 AM

WHERE THE F ARE PEOPLE GETTING THIS, WE'LL BE SLAUGHTERED BY THE LAKERS?????

All our games were pretty close this season and yes we came up short but with one luck bounce we could have had any one of those games. The playoffs are diff. and we just may get that lucky bounce. There is also a chance when Baynum returns he will mess up the Lakers flow and if we can take advantage of that we mite have a shot.

No one knows shit until it happens, soo personally I'll wait and see. Hopefully the Mavs take care of bizz and get in, after that its all a toss up and Ill stick with this team and root for them to beat the Lakers.

Dtownsfinest · 03-20-2009, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

This team has got quite a few problems. I don't think it's surprising to anyone that 3 point shooting is not the least of them. Whatever the Mavs do in the offseason, they have friggon GOT to get a couple of decent shooters. I am so sick of guards that can't shoot. We've had an array of them since 2004. I call it the Marquis Daniels syndrome.

This team is full of one dimensional players who don't even do that one thing good. In the draft thread I recommended looking at a guy like Stephen Curry in the draft if he's leaving and someone told me this team is full of shooters. Not in my eyes. Not outside of Dirk and JET and JET can't even hit 3's like he use to.

Underdog · 03-20-2009, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AxdemxO

WHERE THE F ARE PEOPLE GETTING THIS, WE'LL BE SLAUGHTERED BY THE LAKERS?????

Must be that liberal media bias...

Dtownsfinest · 03-20-2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AxdemxO

WHERE THE F ARE PEOPLE GETTING THIS, WE'LL BE SLAUGHTERED BY THE LAKERS?????

All our games were pretty close this season and yes we came up short but with one luck bounce we could have had any one of those games. The playoffs are diff. and we just may get that lucky bounce. There is also a chance when Baynum returns he will mess up the Lakers flow and if we can take advantage of that we mite have a shot.

No one knows shit until it happens, soo personally I'll wait and see. Hopefully the Mavs take care of bizz and get in, after that its all a toss up and Ill stick with this team and root for them to beat the Lakers.

I don't know what will happen and I don't pretend to. But any team with big's like Bynum and Gasol are going to hurt this team. Especially if Damp can't find his way off the bench. We matchup with a lot contenders in this league. It means nothing because matching up with a team doesn't equal a W. However the Lakers aren't that team. My biggest concern is the length of the Lakers. All athletic guys with long arms. Those usually gives us problems. So I don't know what this Mavs team does. The NBA fan in me says we'll get murdered. I don't care how close the games have been.

Laker fans have excused the Lakers of playing down to the competition all year long. And i've seen the games and they haven't looked that great against us yet they still put out the W. But maybe that works in favor of the Mavs. They sneak out Game 1 and win on their own court things maybe could fall in place. But if they have any chance its stealing Game 1.

Dtownsfinest · 03-20-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMaverick

I really hate debbie downers.

Probably shouldn't come into a recap thread of a game where the Mavs let us down last night. Chances are you going to get "debbie downers".

BGMaverick9 · 03-20-2009, 11:35 AM

http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=1436

Quote:

Which Way To Hope?
This Season Mirrors 2003-04 - And Maybe The Solution Does, Too
By David Lord -- DB.com

In this week’s version of “As The Media Turns,” Fish objected to the recent JJT article in the local paper calling the Mavs “irrelevant.” As a result, we ended up with a return to a recurring duel: JJT takes over-the-top shallow shots from the hip, and Fish reacts with highbrow snarkiness. (Or is it the other way around?!)

And me? As I read and pondered, I felt there’s a bigger issue here: where are we now, and what’s ahead? Given the fact that there’s a perceived irrelevance – and the perception has to be indicative of something, doesn’t it? - what should we expect to happen in a few months?

It’s time for a generalized sneak preview at the summer to come, based on a look back at a most significant summer in Mavs’ history.

Before we start, yep, I agree with Fish that “irrelevant” is far too dismissive a term for a team with this many consecutive years of success and still in the mix for a playoff berth and a 50-win season. But to me, it’s still fair to believe that this team has lost some level of interest for the local sports fan base. How many diehards still believe this is a title-capable team? Any?

Aren’t we seeing an evolution in Mavs’ fandom towards the dreaded “loss of hope”? Amidst all the parsing of this move or that non-move by fans since the trade deadline, the raw truth of this current Mavs’ campaign is that it's now offering up the least Stretch Run Hope to fans since the 2003-04 year when Jamison and Walker were part of the team. That season came in the wake of a buildup from 53 to 57 to 60 wins, and in it the team sagged to 52 wins, had baffling losses, never found a excellence or consistency, and meekly bowed out in Round 1 of the playoffs. While fans wanted to believe, the struggles were so obvious that by season’s end hope was hard to find.

In my gut, today feels very similar. In recent years, the team has gone from 52 to 58 to 60 to 67 wins, offering plenty of promise each season, and even last season's slide to 51 brought a Hall-of-Fame point guard and the wonder of how good things could become once he settled in.

This year? While there have been bright spots here and there, in general it’s been a season of frustration. Clearly there are plenty of excuses to go around: injuries, implementing a new coach and personnel, and failed attempts to find the right trade. But as we near the end of the season, there's been too little to keep fans like me from feeling like the Mavs have now turned back the clock to those "hope-against-hope" days from five seasons ago.

Let’s observe that when that 03-04 season ended, there was a respectable 52-win record. But it didn't feel like success or progress. Likewise, while this season looks like it will be a success on paper with 50-plus wins and a playoff berth, isn't there a sense of "this won't ever work" that has set in? Would a few playoff wins - if they happen - change anything? It sure doesn't feel like it. (And frankly, given the inconsistent nature of this team this season, doesn't it feel like raging optimism just to predict a few wins in the postseason?)

Let me note that I recognize I’m not being completely objective here. But this isn't about objectivity or standings or what might be possible; this is about how this season makes us feel as fans. So while Fish argues that “feel’’ doesn’t play a role in the standings – and while he is technically correct – fans still feel what they feel.

And that’s real.

At this point, there’s no way to backtrack. An excuse that this is merely due to a shortage of talent is going to ring especially hollow, given the many preseason pronouncements by the front office that this is the most talented team in Dallas this decade. Yes, the Mavs want to project confidence by incessantly repeating "We love our team" instead of "We are the Pismo Beach Panthers just trying to find a few wins."

But there’s a risk to that: if you talk the talk, without walking the walk, skepticism ensues. Fans tend to bail.

The next thing you know, Hope has taken a bus out of town.

So the real question is, what's next for this franchise? While we'll have a definitive answer to that question in a few months, we can get a possible preview by looking back to that summer of 2004, the offseason that followed the last season to end with hope on the wane.
Back then, the Mavs promised a few minor tweaks to fans looking for hope.

Tweaks, you say? Not hardly. Instead it became a bam-bam-bam summer of one move after another, some big and some small, but all of them meaningful. Some worked out well, some didn't, and a few led on to other moves ...but the Mavs pulled the trigger repeatedly and shook things up.

Remember? In chronological order, starting in June and ending in late August (with some follow-up ripples that came later), here's what we saw back then.

1. Antawn Jamison traded for Stackhouse, Devin Harris rights, and minor stuff
2. Future #1 traded for P-Podkolzine rights
3. Steve Nash left in free agency
4. DJ Mbenga signed to free-agent contract
5. Danny Fortson traded for Calvin Booth (later, Booth for Van Horn)
6. Walker and Tony Delk traded for Jason Terry, Henderson, and misc
7. Eddie Najera and stuff traded for Erick Dampier, Dan Dickau, and stuff

(later, Dickau for Darrell Armstrong)

8. Jon Stefansson released

9. Travis Best released

10. Scott Williams released

What a housecleaning. When the dust settled, nine players (including starters Nash and Walker, and sixth-man Jamison) were gone, and the only players retained were Dirk, Michael Finley, Shawn Bradley, Josh Howard, and Marquis Daniels.

The result? That new set of players became the core that went to the only Finals in Mavs history, came within a whistle or two of getting a title, and won 67 games in a season.

Fast-forward now from the summer of 2004 to the summer of 2009. In theory, the Mavs currently have tradeable assets with similar market value to those in 2004. There’s a mix of talented players out of favor, underachievers, and expiring contracts that should be able to offer a variety of desirable choices.

But keep in mind there's been noteworthy change in the decision-making mix since then. This time any decisions will have to be made without the input of basketball lifers like Nellie and Del Harris. Key voices still remain of course, from Mark Cuban to Donnie Nelson to Keith Grant, with some fresh additions (most notably Rick Carlisle and Paul Westphal). What will we see from the current group? Will they have the same level of aggressiveness? The same sense of urgency? An eye for talent and negotiating skills? And the chops to get it all done?

The past gives us a clue to the way this franchise operates. Back in 2004, when hope waned, changes followed. Massive changes, in fact. Ones that brought promise – and ultimately even the reward of better days. If the past is still a guide, look forward to an interesting summer, one where the Mavs chase that fragile beauty named Hope.

11am mar 20 2009

Dtownsfinest · 03-20-2009, 11:39 AM

Does this team have a Jamison on it right now to even trade though? I think the difference between now and 2003 is we had trade value. A lot of it. Right now? Josh? Maybe? Jet?