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Old 05-11-2011, 09:27 AM   #121
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Tyson Chandler Receiving Well-Deserved Recognition

http://www.mavsfastbreak.com/2011/05...d-recognition/
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Old 05-11-2011, 09:54 AM   #122
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Tyson Chandler Receiving Well-Deserved Recognition

http://www.mavsfastbreak.com/2011/05...d-recognition/
good stuff bryan. didn't know that about S.A.'s DRtg
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Old 05-13-2011, 07:39 AM   #123
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BTW, do you remember... ?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...ge=Kidd-080217
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Old 05-13-2011, 10:03 AM   #124
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Thats for me one of the biggest "what if..."

What if the Mavs dont trade Kidd and Kidd is still here in 2000+ when Dirk rises to Allstar and above level. Combining prime Kidd and prime Dirk for like 6 years, take that any day over Mavs Nash+Finley. The Nets lacked the true 1st scoring option, the game closer.

And much more easy to build a great team around Kidd+Dirk. Just add a shooter and guys that can run the floor and play defense.

Damn....

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Old 05-13-2011, 11:29 AM   #125
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Brendan Haywood interview.
http://www.accsports.com/blogs/david...ood-may-13.php

- Pretty savvy dude...Talking about the mismatches they caused.
- About Dirk -- A testament to him and his work-ethic.
- Brendan talked about joking with dirk that he's gotten some blocks on his shot.
- Then a bunch of talk about North Carolina..

Good stuff...nice sober interview.
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Old 05-13-2011, 01:51 PM   #126
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Originally Posted by sefant77 View Post
Thats for me one of the biggest "what if..."

What if the Mavs dont trade Kidd and Kidd is still here in 2000+ when Dirk rises to Allstar and above level. Combining prime Kidd and prime Dirk for like 6 years, take that any day over Mavs Nash+Finley. The Nets lacked the true 1st scoring option, the game closer.

And much more easy to build a great team around Kidd+Dirk. Just add a shooter and guys that can run the floor and play defense.

Damn....
If Nelson got to town a bit earlier, you might have had your wish. Nellie would never have traded Kidd.
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Old 05-13-2011, 02:01 PM   #127
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Reminds of Jim Cleamons, wonder what he'll be up to without PJax around. The guy hasn't done much on his own.
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Old 05-14-2011, 10:46 AM   #128
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Jason Terry is Flying High in the Playoffs

http://www.mavsfastbreak.com/2011/05...-the-playoffs/
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Old 05-14-2011, 11:03 AM   #129
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Originally Posted by BGMaverick9 View Post
Jason Terry is Flying High in the Playoffs

http://www.mavsfastbreak.com/2011/05...-the-playoffs/


The 2008-09 playoffs (10 games):

14.3 points/game, 38.9% (49-126) shooting from the field, 37.3% (22-59) from three-point range, 1.9 assists and 0.6 steals.


The 2009-10 playoffs (six games):

12.7 points/game, 37.7% (22-69) shooting from the field, 40.0% (12-30) from three-point range, 2.0 assists and 0.7 steals.


This season (10 games):

18.3 points/game, 52.4% (66-126) shooting from the field, 50% (22-44) from three-point range, 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals.

Wow, I knew JET was doing better this postseason, but I didn't know he'd improved THAT much - he's increased every stat across the board!
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Old 05-14-2011, 03:51 PM   #130
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http://www.mavsfastbreak.com/2011/05...report-051411/
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All remaining the Mavs’ home playoff games at American Airlines Center will be a MAVS ROYAL BLUE-OUT! Every seat at the American Airlines Center will have a MAVS ROYAL BLUE playoff T-shirt placed in it. We need for you and every Mavs fan to show their Mavs pride. So, dress ready to put on your MAVS ROYAL BLUE playoff T-shirt when you get to your seat.
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Old 05-14-2011, 05:09 PM   #131
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http://www.nba.com/2011/news/feature...s=iref:nbahpt1
Quote:
Debacle in Portland turned Mavs into a playoffs monster

Posted May 14 2011 11:11AM

DALLAS -- Exactly what changed, besides everything, is up for debate.

"We took a day off and celebrated Easter is what happened," coach Rick Carlisle said.

OK, so the calendar. That changed.

But there had to be something else. There had to be some supernatural force at work, some catapult that sent the Mavericks on a contender's path, some internal alarm clock that went off immediately after Brandon Roy did. Something.

It can't be a coincidence that Dallas went from surrendering a 2-0 series lead to the Trail Blazers, gagging on a 23-point lead with 13 minutes remaining in Game 4 in Portland, to tearing through the next six games. Of course something changed.

"It changed this team," center Tyson Chandler said.

The defeat did. Not because Game 4 was April 23, a Saturday, and the Mavericks flew back from Oregon in time for Easter at home the next day. Because the Mavericks flew back from Oregon.

"It was the long plane ride home of feeling defeat," Chandler said. "From Portland to Dallas is a long way. We had to play another game that we didn't need to. It was unnecessary."

It has to be more of a coincidence that this trip to the Western Conference finals came in the immediate aftermath of summoning memories of the old Mavs, the ones who lost the 2006 Finals to Miami in a historical collapse, who looked intimidated in losing to the 42-40 Warriors in '07 in one of the NBA's great playoff upsets, who hadn't made it out of the opening round in three of the last four seasons. Their turning-point Saturday in Portland that at first seemed to bring back the past was actually the impetus of the new future.

"Everybody knew where things were at," Carlisle said. "We just needed to circle the wagons and continue to play. We had done so many good things in Game 4. It wasn't a situation where you're trying to re-invent who you are or anything like that. It's just keeping the belief and knowing that, hey, we've got to win a home game and it was a chance to go back and it was unfinished business. But that's way in the past now. We've moved on. The important thing is, we've got to concentrate on what helps us play well."

Moved on?

That makes it sound as though the Mavericks have been solid. They've been more than solid.

The Mavs answered back at the Trail Blazers at the first opportunity, playing aggressive -- for all four quarters this time -- to score a 93-82 victory in Game 5 as Chandler set a franchise record with 13 offensive rebounds and had 20 boards and 14 points in all while Jason Kidd contributed 14 assists.

Dallas then responded to the first chance at clinching by winning Game 6 on the road 103-96 as Dirk Nowitzki had 33 points and 11 rebounds.

That led right into two more away from home, against the Lakers no less, with the two-time defending champions seeming to have reclaimed their swagger in eliminating the persistent Hornets. Los Angeles needed only a little more than the first half of the first game to build a 16-point lead and take control of the series. Or so it seemed. The Mavericks got off that mat too with a forceful last two quarters to win 96-94.

Game 2 was a 93-81 victory, Game 3 a 98-92 decision as Dallas again showed more composure down the stretch than the former champions.

Finally, the dismantling, the ultimate display of perimeter firepower, the 122-86 rout that sent the Mavericks to the West final and the Lakers into a rare humbled offseason.

Six victories in a row, most with fourth-quarter execution, all without the defense giving up more than 96 points, and three on the road. All since the intersection April 23 against the Trail Blazers.

"We were playing pretty good," Kidd said. "We were playing good in Game 3 and 4 in Portland. The Game 4, we let it get away from us. That's just something that a team goes through. You can go either way. We could easily have folded tent and had a little hangover. But we didn't. We pushed forward.

"It was maybe an embarrassing moment for us, which helped us understand that we can't just let one guy beat us when we have that type of lead. We've got to be able to do something different. I think that just put us on call. I think we just started to focus a little bit more."

And win a lot more. That's what changed most of all.

Scott Howard-Cooper has covered the NBA since 1988. You can e-mail him here and follow him on twitter.
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Old 05-16-2011, 11:10 AM   #132
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http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba...eff&id=6535331


"Not having a mental edge dulls the physical edge you have been working toward. Develop and train the mental aspect of your game" -- @think2win via Twitter (aka Dr. Don Kalkstein, Dallas Mavericks sports psychology coach).

DALLAS -- Who are these swashbuckling Dallas Mavericks? The ones who unraveled the weakened two-time world champs while reaffirming their own team-wide belief of upgraded mental toughness?

They've talked all season about being "different" from past Mavs teams. The four-game sweep of L.A. is entered as evidence, although the physical work and mental challenges only mount from here.

"It's tough because every game, every series is a new challenge and is going to be a new test," Mavs guard Jason Terry said. "And for us, mentally, it's always going to be there, that factor. Any time it looks like there's a crack or we're in a fragile mental state, they're going to point back to what happened in '06. So it's a thin line and we always know that if we keep pushing, pushing and pushing forward, eventually we're going to shake that."

Can they be trusted? Are these Mavs truly mentally tougher than their well-chronicled, gut-wrenched predecessors?

And what does it really mean?

"First of all, it means that they're on an absolute mission where their priority in life is to win the world championship, and no petty stuff becomes more important than that," preeminent sports psychologist Bob Rotella said. "That means that every guy on the team's got to know their role and feel good about their role and embrace their role and say, 'I don't care if it's the dream role that gets all the glory or some other role, we're all going to do whatever we need to do for the good of the team.' "

Don Kalkstein sends text messages to Mavs players every morning with a positive note.
For the first time in five years, the Mavs are back in the Western Conference finals. They've shaken off years of self-inflicted criticism, skepticism and cynicism. In these playoffs, they've overcome a terrifying, "here-we-go-again" collapse in Game 4 at Portland, a near-tragic letdown in Game 6 and an end-of-half meltdown in Game 1 at Los Angeles that could have -- but, importantly, did not -- cost them the game.

"I think what the Mavericks are showing is when they all play together and they play hard and they play fast every day they can beat anybody," said Rotella, a longtime confidential ears and voice to scores of PGA Tour golfers and NBA players and coaches. "It's a very, very fine line and a lot of times under pressure -- and I think this is another part of what mental toughness is -- when you get deep in the playoffs you are going to have moments in almost every game where you're either going to hang in there and do what you normally do and believe in yourself, or people are going to start getting selfish and things start splitting apart.

"And when you do that, you start blaming everything on somebody else rather than taking responsibility for it."

Rotella has a unique interest in the Mavs' plight. The former University of Virginia sports psychology professor mentored Mavs coach Rick Carlisle as a student in the classroom and on the basketball court. Rotella traveled with the Cavaliers, including Carlisle's surprise 1984 Final Four squad, and routinely met with the team's players and coaches.

"Rick was one of those guys as a player who was great at getting everybody to pull together and be a part of the team," said Rotella, who lives in Charlottesville, Va., and currently is at the PGA Tour's The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra, Fla. "He was a great leader and a very tough-minded guy."

Those qualities have served as Carlisle's strengths before and after injuries threw the season for a loop. He has exuded supreme confidence in -- and camaraderie with -- his players. His ability to get veteran players to sacrifice and buy into specific roles has been the feel-good theme and recipe for success of this team.

2011 NBA Playoffs: Mavericks vs. Lakers


The Mavs beat the Blazers in the first round and now have swept the Lakers. Get all the latest playoff information here. Mavs Center » Mavs Blog »

At Carlisle's first two head coaching stops, at Detroit and then Indiana, neither club employed a full-time sports psychologist. The Mavs do, and Carlisle fully endorses Dr. Don Kalkstein, who is always with the team at home and on the road. He is on the court during workouts wearing team-issued practice gear like any other assistant coach, and he roams the court with a basketball tucked between his hip and arm like any other assistant.

Kalkstein is constantly chatting up players, sometimes one-on-one as he was with Ian Mahinmi leaning against a wall of the practice gym Tuesday morning, and then later sitting against a wall with Rodrigue Beaubois. Or he might engage guys together as he did when he shared a laugh and a conversation with Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic.

He sends positively focused text messages to the cell phones of each player every morning. He has his own office at the American Airlines Center, and players are free to drop by whenever they want.

"I talk to Don every day. I make it a point to go through him," Terry said. "He's like the weatherman. When you talk to Don Kalkstein, you're going to find out the mood of the team. And so doing that, and being one of the leaders, I try to find out what button we got to push today to get guys motivated."

Kalkstein, who earned a World Series ring in 2007 as the Boston Red Sox's psych coach between his two stints with the Mavs, declined an interview for this article. However, he is a frequent user of Twitter, posting his messages of positive mental techniques and tips under the handle, @think2win.

"When you lose control of your focus, you will lose control of the ability to make quality decisions during competition." -- @think2win

How else can the Game 3 meltdown in the 2006 NBA Finals be explained? Or the 2007 first-round series exit against Golden State? Or a Game 6 ouster last season against San Antonio? Or a Game 4 loss than three weeks ago at Portland?

While the rosters and even the coaching staffs have changed, the hard lesson remains the same.

"Part of being mentally tough is having the resilience and acceptance to just take whatever mistakes you make and accept them as part of the game," Rotella said. "It's about not letting it bother you or get you down."

The potentially catastrophic events in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against Portland have now come to be defined by the Mavs as their mental tipping point.

"That was the best thing that could have happened for us because it took us back to the past, and it was something that no one here wants to revisit," said center Tyson Chandler, who is in his first season with the Mavs. "That was the longest plane ride that we could have possibly had going from Portland back to Dallas, and no one wants to feel like that anymore."

Dallas hasn't lost since, winning six in a row. Even after the mental meltdown at Los Angeles in Game 1 of the conference semifinals when Terry hacked Lamar Odom on a half-court heave at the halftime buzzer, Dirk Nowitzki followed with an elbow for a technical and the third quarter opened with three consecutive turnovers for a 60-44 deficit, the Mavs responded positively.

This time the tables were turned and it was the Mavs who came together and made the comeback. The Lakers unraveled into a chaotic mess and never recovered.

"I think mental toughness comes from believing in yourself and at the same time not getting rattled," center Brendan Haywood said. "If a team runs off eight, nine, 10 points in a row, you don't get rattled, you stay the course, you stick to the plan and you don't fray from the team system. That's mental toughness to me."

"Mental mistakes can make a difference, but Mental composure WILL make a difference." -- @think2win

Whether the Mavs face the Memphis Grizzlies or Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals, Dallas will be by far the more experienced playoff team and it would figure to give Dallas an edge in pressure situations and handling adversity throughout a series.

It's why the Mavs traded for point guard Jason Kidd in 2008. They wanted a proven hand, a floor general to guide the team through rough situations. In his fourth postseason with the Mavs, Kidd, 38, is delivering those qualities, from his 42 combined points in the first two games of the first round, to his insatiable desire to spread the ball around on offense, to defensively locking down Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter of Games 1 and 3 in the second round.

Shawn Marion has described Kidd as the head of the snake. Assistant coach Dwane Casey said Kidd is a calming influence.

Conversely, cracks have already shown between Oklahoma City's 22-year-old stars, point guard Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Neither the Thunder nor the Grizzlies have proved capable of holding a substantial lead, and both have shown a measure of poor decision-making during the course of games and especially in crunch-time situations.

"We're probably the oldest team still left," Kidd said. "We have to use our wisdom and our experiences. Yes, they might be younger, but also they are talented."

It can also be argued that either of the Mavs' foes will be more fragile and more susceptible to the kind of mental lapses that have sabotaged Dallas time and again. To advance to the franchise's second NBA Finals, the Mavs must act like the older, wiser team and the one more committed to the success of the group.

"If what you learn from experience is to believe in yourself more and to get more confident and more committed to really coming together as a team, well, that's an advantage," Rotella said. "Young teams, they may have the experience of feeling like they have no pressure. But I think sometimes veterans have, 'OK, we don't have many more chances; we've got to go do it.' And that can really help you."

That urgency, realized in training camp, has spurred these Mavs to attain the mindset to focus on a championship goal.

To accomplish it, the belief that they are mentally tough enough will have to be continuously proven out on the court.

"Your thoughts will affect your performance and your performance will affect your thoughts. Learn about this connection." -- @think2win
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Old 05-16-2011, 03:03 PM   #133
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Analyzing the Rest Versus Rust Factor for the Mavericks

http://www.mavsfastbreak.com/2011/05...the-mavericks/
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Old 05-25-2011, 03:55 PM   #134
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Kind of like that quote:

Quote:
"Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento versus L.A., he didn't get it done," guard Jason Terry said. "Myself and Dirk, Finals 2-0, didn't get it done. Coach Carlisle, two Eastern Conference finals, never made it to the championship. Jason Kidd, two Finals appearances, didn't hoist up the trophy. Shawn Marion has been to the Western Conference finals twice, hasn't got to the Finals.

"Those unique stories are what drive us and motivate us to get it done this year."
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap..._Past_Failures

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Old 05-25-2011, 04:03 PM   #135
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Dead-on... This is what drives this team.
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Old 05-26-2011, 09:51 PM   #136
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Default Of Dirk & the Dallas Satellites, and a looming contrast in crunch time style

I found this article to be profoundly well-written. I thought I'd share it with you guys.

Quote:

May 26, 2011

Several months ago, ESPN.com’s Henry Abbott wrote a brilliant piece debunking the myth of Kobe Bryant as the unquestioned, unimpeachable king of crunch time. Predictably, Abbott took a ton of heat from those who worship at the throne of Bryant’s clutch credentials, but to do so was missing the point: this was no ad hominem attack, laced with a hidden agenda meant to undermine Kobe’s accomplishments. It was simply an impeccably well-researched, insightful, thought provoking and provocative piece delving into the heart of what works and what doesn’t when the clock is ticking down and the game is on the line.

In other words, Abbott’s column wasn’t so much about Bryant as it was about our own misconceptions concerning “closing time” in the NBA. Hero shots are hardly the way to go. Because while ball-hogging might earn you a rep, ball-sharing will ultimately lead to more wins. And isn’t that the point?

It’s a topic that’s just as relevant today, despite the fact Bryant and the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs nearly three weeks ago. Time after time over the last few days, we’ve watched close, incredibly intense games that see teams seemingly ditch their offensive schemes and systems in favor of a steady stream of isolation plays for their respective superstars. And far more often than not, the results have been no different than the underwhelming crunch time numbers Kobe’s team tends to produce relative to how the Lakers’ often-stellar offense performs outside of those situations.

Whether it’s Derrick Rose repeatedly attempting to beat LeBron James one-on-one, or Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant trying to do the same to various Dallas defenders, the outcome – a bevy of missed shots and turnovers – has already led to the elimination of one team (Oklahoma City), while putting another (Chicago) on the brink. It’s also drawn the ire of critics (though bear in mind many of the same talking heads crushing the Bulls and Thunder right now are the same people who love to trumpet Kobe’s classification as the game’s ultimate “closer”), who are rightfully begging for these clubs to employ better ball distribution, movement and offensive diversity when the game is on the line.

That’s easier said than done given the elite competition they’re facing, but it’s doubly difficult because the “give the ball to the superstar and get the heck out of the way” mentality has become the accepted go-to offense of nearly every team in the NBA. Somewhere along the line it got ingrained in our minds that that’s simply the way it’s supposed to be. It should hardly be surprising, then, to see crunch time play calls routinely abandoned in favor of far simpler, but frequently less successful, isolation sets that ask Player X to put the game on his shoulders and deliver the goods.

One team, however, has largely steered clear of this strategy and, perhaps not surprisingly, they remain very much in the title hunt. Throughout this postseason the Dallas Mavericks have executed their offense at a far higher level than any other club, scoring a jaw-dropping 111.2 points per 100 possessions, a number that’s more than four points better than the league’s second-ranked team (OKC). The Mavericks, of course, have enjoyed the electric offensive exploits of Dirk Nowitzki, and it would be disingenuous (not to mention flat out absurd) to suggest they have not reaped the immense benefits of riding his superstar coattails down the stretch of tight games.

Dallas differs, however in its approach to riding said coattails. When the going gets tough, Dirk does not become a black hole but rather the sun of the Mavs’ magnificent solar system. Everything revolves around him and instead of being sucked in to a ball-hogging vortex, the satellites in orbit are made all the more vibrant and vital precisely because of the life-giving light he exudes and is ever so willing to share.

Put in less prosaic terms: Dallas stays true to its schemes and principles regardless of the situation and its crunch time offense is so much the better for it. So while the easy story is to say that the Mavs are enjoying this success because they’ve finally shed their "soft" label, the far more accurate tale should focus on the fact that Dallas is simply unwavering in its identity. And that has far less to do with toughness than it does to a tireless devotion to proper execution.


The looming dénouement to this particular postseason’s passion play lies in the fact that the Mavericks’ likely Finals opponent is none other than the Miami Heat, a team that has had well-documented issues with its propensity to devolve into superstar isolation mode. Miami has certainly shown improvement in that regard thus far in the playoffs, but still suffers from the occasional fit of handing the ball to a member of its Big Three while the other four players on the floor stand around watching.

It is, in fact, a testament to the breathtaking skill of the Heat’s triumvirate that Miami has repeatedly come through in the clutch despite an excessive reliance on hero shots. LeBron James especially has delivered time and time again, most memorably against Boston and Chicago, but you’d be hard pressed to call many of his big shots the by-product of exquisite offensive execution. Far more often he has, for lack of a better term, pulled a Kobe, winning the day and bucking the odds by hitting shots of extreme degree of difficulty. To be sure, Nowitzki has done this too, but when he’s done so it’s often come in the flow of Dallas’ offense, whereas James’ heroics have frequently had more one-on-one origins.

If Miami does move on to face Dallas then, this delicious matchup would not just be a mere grudge match of the 2006 Finals. Nor would it be as simple as the Good vs. Evil motif that is sure to be bandied about by the population at large. What it likely would be, however, is a fascinating contrast of crunch time style. Can Dallas’ execution hold up in the face of Miami’s withering defense? Can the Heat keep relying on acts of singular brilliance to carry the day in the clutch? Or will the Mavericks make Miami rise to their level of offensive trust and telepathy – in other words, conform or be conquered – in order to emerge victorious?

Fascinating questions all. The answers won’t provide a final referendum on the issue of the most effective means of crunch time execution – the sample size will be far too small for that – but you better believe the topic will be front and center on several occasions. Kobe Bryant might not be involved, but the discussion was never really about him, anyway. This is a matter of basketball philosophy, plain and simple. And in a matter of days it could be time to choose a side, consider the evidence and watch as the players make their closing arguments on the court.
http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rock...011_04_18.html

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Old 05-26-2011, 11:08 PM   #137
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Awesome article. A sportsman with insight.
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Old 05-27-2011, 10:15 AM   #138
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Brendan Haywood is Feeling It at the Free Throw Line - Mavs Fast Break http://bit.ly/j6lhXV
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Old 05-27-2011, 12:15 PM   #139
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Nice article, offense with a different look. One on one, gives the opponents time to rest. I hated when the Nets got Carter, he killed the offense, the ineveitable black hole, it's hard to train an old dog new tricks. Kidd always got him the ball in position for an open jump shot. These guys aren't afraid to shoot when open and that alleviates the pressure on Dirk, he can draw 2-3 defenders and fight Tyson and Marion cutting, Peja, Jet or Kidd spotting up. Its beautiful, the way basketball was meant to be played, 5 on 5.
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Old 05-27-2011, 04:16 PM   #140
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Love it!

Quote:
“I’d definitely rather be a backup center on a championship team then a starting center on a team that loses in the first round,” Haywood said.
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Old 05-28-2011, 02:33 AM   #141
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http://www.iamagm.com/news/2011/05/2...ence.order.are
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Old 05-28-2011, 08:31 AM   #142
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Love it!
Was that quote a dig at Eric Dampier?
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Old 05-28-2011, 10:50 AM   #143
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Was that quote a dig at Eric Dampier?
No. It was in reference to his roller coaster ride of a season. He was brought back with the vision of being the starting center before Chandler arrived. Things changed, but he pretty much stayed on the reservation and played team ball.
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Old 05-28-2011, 03:03 PM   #144
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Slow news day - MacMahon making some decent points while taking his usual shots at Cuban...


Quote:
Mark Cuban hits self-mute button

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DALLAS -- Mark Cuban grabbed something to nibble on from the postgame buffet, across the room from the StairMaster on which he's conducted hundreds of impromptu pregame news conferences, and warmly greeted the only media straggler in the Dallas Mavericks' locker room.

The wait wasn't worthwhile. Cuban, wearing a Western Conference championship hat and T-shirt about an hour after the Mavs earned a return trip to the NBA Finals, politely but profanely declined an interview request.

In doing so, the normally (formerly?) outspoken owner asked why he would screw things up now. (Well, except that Cuban used a four-letter synonym as a verb.)

Enough said.

That actually might be the smartest thing Cuban has said in his 11 years as the Mavs' owner. And that's saying a lot, considering that Cuban is a self-made billionaire whose ideas about marketing, technology and statistics among other things have had a revolutionary impact on the NBA.

The Mavs are in the midst of a magical playoff run with Cuban being uncharacteristically quiet. With the way his team is cooking, Cuban obviously recognizes it'd be ridiculous to stir the pot, so he's opted to say little or nothing at all.
"Mark's a smart guy, one of the smartest I've ever been around," said coach Rick Carlisle, whose Mavs lost only three games while marching through the West bracket. "Like all of us, he has great humility and respect for the position that we're in right now. We're all doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best possible position to do well."

Added Dirk Nowitzki, speaking after the Mavs' first practice to prepare to face the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals again: "It's fine with me. It should be all about the players."

That's quite a stark contrast to the Mavs' Finals run five years ago. Cuban's colorful antics drew a lot of attention then, as has been the case throughout most of his ownership tenure.

He offended the fine folks of San Antonio and fanned the flames of an intense interstate rivalry with the Spurs by referring to one of the Alamo City's most popular tourist attractions as "that ugly-ass, muddy-watered thing they call a River Walk." That could be chalked up as being in good fun.

Cuban's anti-referee rant during the 2006 Finals definitely wasn't good-natured. The NBA fined Cuban $250,000 for his on-court tirade and angry postgame comments after the controversial ending of the Heat's Game 5 overtime win, when Dwyane Wade matched the Mavs' total of 25 free throws, including the game winner after a questionable call by Bennett Salvatore with 1.9 seconds left in overtime. (Cuban has since said several times he'll never change his opinion about that game or series but won't discuss it further, noting he has already been fined for his thoughts.)

A few days after Dallas' Finals flop was over, Nowitzki strongly suggested that Cuban tone it down, saying that the owner creating controversy often works against the Mavs. Those were especially strong words, considering the close relationship between owner and superstar.

Maybe it took five years for those words to sink into Cuban's thick head.

That's not to suggest Cuban, whose ties to the Mavericks began as a nosebleed-sitting fan at Reunion Arena, has been bad for the franchise. That'd be foolish. The NBA's most passionate, dedicated owner has been a driving force in turning Dallas from the league's laughingstock into one of three franchises with at least 11 consecutive seasons with 50 or more wins.
"Mark's been nothing but positive, really," Carlisle said, adding that Cuban's commitment to winning sends a strong message to the Mavs.

It's more accurate to say that the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to Cuban.

On a lot of occasions, Cuban's antics have been counterproductive. That's especially true if you buy the conspiracy theory, fueled by disgraced former referee/ex-con Tim Donaghy, that some officials reacted to Cuban's constant, public criticism by making calls against the Mavs. Even if that isn't true, Cuban created distractions and an atmosphere with built-in excuses for his team.

Cuban, who has mellowed while becoming a family man in recent years, made a conscious decision to stay out of the media spotlight before the Mavericks' conference semifinal series against the Los Angeles Lakers. That was especially disappointing to the media horde, which fully anticipated Cuban to continue his verbal feuds with Phil Jackson and Ron Artest and peppered him with questions courtside before the Mavs' two games at Staples Center.

The brash billionaire bit his tongue and offered bland responses to every inquiry that had even a hint of controversy. On several occasions, Cuban borrowed Rasheed Wallace's famous line from the 2003 Dallas-Portland playoff series: "Both teams played hard."

After the series shifted to Dallas, Cuban simply stopped talking on the record to reporters. He even finished his workout before the media pack made it to the StairMaster, although he found a sarcastic way to self-promote by putting ABC's "Shark Tank" on the nearby television.

When the Mavs finished the stunning sweep, Cuban didn't gloat. When two media members twisted his arm for some sort of reaction, he offered only two words: "We believe."

That was his last public comment until the Western Conference trophy presentation, when Cuban kept it short and sweet in front of a packed American Airlines Center and ESPN national television audience.
"All I can say is there's 20-some thousand people in this building who believed in us when nobody else did," Cuban said. "There's all the guys in this organization and on the court who believed in us and in coach and fought every game, every minute of the way.

"And all I can tell everybody is, we ain't done yet!"

It seems that Cuban is done being the center of attention, at least for the rest of the playoffs. Of course, the true test would come if the Mavs trail in a series for the first time this postseason.

It would be in the Mavericks' best interests, if not the media's, if Cuban keeps quiet for a couple more weeks.
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Old 05-28-2011, 03:16 PM   #145
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He is a surly one...
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Old 05-28-2011, 08:22 PM   #146
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Although my friend didn't know what he just had brought up, the question was legit: What does this stat of consecutive 50+ winning seasons mean anyway if the West is so competitive that you will need 50 wins in some years to even make the playoffs? And furthermore: Is it, statistically, completely improbable to miss the third round of the playoffs on 4 consecutive seasons with a record of 50-32 or better?
http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2011/5/...past-this-year
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Old 05-29-2011, 12:40 PM   #147
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Quote:
For the Mavs, Two Heads Are Better Than One

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks are in a unique position. They have a skilled head coach in the form of Rick Carlisle. They also have one of the greatest minds in the game as their floor general in the form of Jason Kidd. “It’s very unique because we’ve got a coach on the floor and then we’ve got a coach on the bench,” Mavs center Tyson Chandler said. “They communicate with one another and tell each other what they’re seeing out there. It’s very beneficial for us.”

It took some time for Carlisle, Kidd and the Mavericks to click as a unit, but they have found their way as they are now in the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history. “It didn’t pan out right away with the J-Kidd thing, but I think we see what kind of leader he is on and off the floor,” Dirk Nowitzki said. “He’s been phenomenal not only this year but the last couple of years.”

When it comes to the relationship between Carlisle and Kidd, Nowitzki has seen the partnership between the two really develop as they are truly on the same page. “I think J-Kidd and Carlisle play great off of each other,” Nowitzki explained. “They know when to push him. Coach knows when to let J-Kidd do his own thing and call a bunch of different plays in a role by himself.” The flow offense that the Mavericks heavily rely on is a mesh of Carlisle’s Xs and Os skill-set and Kidd’s improvisation and pinpoint passing abilities. “When we’ve got to call plays I’ll call them once in a while, but he’s great at that too,” Carlisle said. “The more he can do it the better our team plays.”

During the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Carlisle went out of his way to describe Kidd’s basketball IQ. “Savant-like,” Carlisle quickly said, before rattling off names like Larry Bird, John Stockton, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson as deserving of being lumped with Kidd on the short list of the greatest brainiacs the league has ever seen. “He has the ability to process situations at a higher level than a lot of us. It’s part of his genius as a player and as a leader.” At age 38, Kidd has a true appreciation for the game and for Carlisle’s praise. “It’s a compliment, but I love the competition no matter at what age. I’m a big fan of the game,” Kidd said. “Seeing these young guys playing at the level that they are, I just wish I was 22 or 23 years old so I could handle the game the way they do.”

Kidd notes a major characteristic that Carlisle possesses which has kept the team poised as they’ve made their run to the Finals. “He is always calm,” Kidd said in regards to his coach. “When we’re down, he doesn’t get flustered or he doesn’t panic. He’s always reminding us to just keep grinding it, stay the course and we’ll find a way to win. When you look over to the sideline and see guys not panicking, that gives you a sense of calmness.” The two might be tied to the hip in that department as Tyson Chandler noted in the historic Game 4 comeback against the Thunder that Kidd was telling all of the players to keep their head and stay in the moment. Carlisle and Kidd’s resourcefulness and their never-quit mentality has put the team in the position they are in. It’s given them the ability to believe that they will be in every game they play as long as there is still time left on the clock.

The poise and confidence Carlisle has shown over the course of his time with the Mavericks has given them the opportunity to reduce any unnecessary wear and tear over the course of this run in the playoffs. With the closeout victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Carlisle moved to 10-3 all-time in closeout games. He is 4-0 in closeout situations as coach of the Mavericks. The 10-3 closeout record is tied with Tommy Heinsohn for best win percentage (.769) in NBA history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The win percentage ranks higher than Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich.

On player who has always been vocal in his admiration of Kidd has been Jason Terry. The overall unselfishness, day-to-day mentality and overall imprint Kidd has left on the identity of the Mavericks has not been lost on Terry. “When you look in his eyes and see what this time means to him, it makes you go out and put forth extra effort,” Terry said. Another extension of Kidd’s basketball IQ is the fact that he’s gone up against Brandon Roy, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant in this year’s playoff run and Kidd has held his own every step of the way. Kidd has continued to step up as another go-to defender for the Mavericks. Terry has noticed what Kidd does that sets him apart from the rest. “He uses his brain and that’s very underrated,” Terry said. “A guy being able to know what the opponent is about to do before they even do it.”

One of the things monitored by Carlisle was the amount of minutes that Kidd logged over the course of the season. Kidd averaged 33:12 minutes of action over the course of the regular season, marking his lowest average in terms of minutes he’s had in his career. Kidd logged 80 games played this season and last season, but the minutes tell the story. Kidd logged 2,881 minutes played last season, and the point guard logged only 2,653 minutes this season. “Even though he’s not playing the minutes that he used to play, he’s a superstar player on our team,” Carlisle said. “We knew we had to get his minutes down. We were able to figure out a rotation that helped us do that. We’re always a better basketball team when he’s our facilitator on the court.”

At 38-years-old, Kidd still feels he can leave his mark as productive player on the Mavericks. “I know I’m not going to be playing 35 minutes a night, so I still have a lot to give back to the game and hopefully a younger point guard I can help develop and share my notes with him and make him a better player,” Kidd said. “So, I still have a lot left to give to the game.”

Kidd is currently grouped together in a group of players such as John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing who were fantastic players but never broke through and won a title. The point guard has never been in the ‘He’s great, but he hasn’t won’ debate, but he does know one thing he’s been labeled during this season on a consistent basis: a 38-year-old guard. “You guys got me with the age thing,” Kidd said with a big smile. The savvy guard has one year remaining on his deal and he still has every intention of fulfilling that commitment, championship ring or not.

The player and the coach appreciate the moment of being in the Finals, but they understand that’s only part of the mission. “It’s been a long journey. We all expected things to happen a little quicker in a sense of being a little more competitive and being in the Finals,” Kidd said. “Patience is one thing and also just understanding the game of basketball can be very nice to you and cruel at the same time. We’re enjoying this moment, but we have to try to find a way to win four games.” Carlisle was more matter of fact when it came breaking down the moment of being in the Finals for the first time as a head coach. “That’s great, but we’re in it to win,” Carlisle concluded.

As the team travels to Miami for the first two games of the series, the Mavericks have stressed staying in the moment and not letting the stage that is the Finals consume them. The Mavericks are in good hands with Rick Carlisle and Jason Kidd at the helm.
http://www.mavsfastbreak.com/2011/05...er-than-one-2/
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Old 05-29-2011, 12:55 PM   #148
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Ah, I was just about to link this out here. Thanks!
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Old 05-29-2011, 01:09 PM   #149
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Ah, I was just about to link this out here. Thanks!
You're welcome BG. Great article, as always.
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Old 05-31-2011, 04:22 AM   #150
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Telephone-interview with German journalists, unfortunately, not translated.

http://www.spox.com/de/sport/ussport...interview.html

Briefly:
music as preparation? How was the preparation for the series?
- Yes, especially hard rock, Metallica, Stones, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC.
- We had time to relax and to practice. On monday we started practicing at Miami.

Do you often practice your One-Legged-Fadeaway-Shot?
- Not really. It's not the only shot I have to practice.

Why do we see that shot so often in games, then?
- The opponents defend me quite hard and so it was logical because that shot allows me to create enough space. I can execute quite quickly and I have a good touch. If the balance is okay the prospects will be good for a successful shot.
- Holger Geschwindner (his mentor) doesn't like this shot... he thinks I try the fadeaway too often.

LeBron James is excited to meet you in the series and to defend you. What kind of experiences do you have with him?
- He didn't defend me too often in the past. But I believe they will go small sometimes and it will happen: Lebron on the power forward position. He is a good defender, athletic and quick. The whole team has to react, then.

What do you think about him as a person and a player?
- I met him during the All-Star-Games a few times. Nice guy. One of the best players, without any weaknesses. He is able to post up, to shoot as small forward and he is an excellent passer. The whole team has to limit his space and to move to the ballside.

Are you surprised to be in the finals without a second superstar?
- The key of our success is to play our best basketball when it matters most. Game 4 in Portland was crucial because after the loss we developped our playoff -mentality.

2006 in mind - why will you be sucessful this time?
- In 2006 we were younger and we made the mistake not to push until the end. Now we have a lot of experience. Chandler and Haywood have to make an excellent work, as usual. Offensively, we have excellent weapons all over the floor.

Are you blocked mentally? After a possible loss you will probably be the imperfect/incomplete/unfinished player...
- I don't care about that. I want to be a part of the best team. I want the ring and I'll do everything to make this happen.

( I'm not a translator, sorry, but I think you will get the right impression of it)

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Old 05-31-2011, 11:13 AM   #151
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I believe that SportsSturm had nailed this puppy... I don't know if this has been posted before...but it looks 100% on target from what I recall. Certainly Diva got a whole bunch of free throws but that certainly wasn't the rest of the story.

http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archi...wn-the-06.html

Quote:
Perhaps this is a change-up from your 2011 NBA FInals reading, or perhaps you will decide to skip this altogether because rehashing a painful defeat can be a wonderful way to kill your buzz.
What you are about to read could perhaps be labeled "The Diary of a Madman". I don't know what makes me do some of the things I do with my sports-obsessed life, but I must follow my instincts and do what feels right at the moment.
And for reasons that I cannot quite explain, my mind told me that this weekend I must face one of my demons.
Some people think I am nuts when it comes to my sports. I am an admitted sports-nerd and sports-addict. I have no issues with gambling to report; I am simply just a person who cannot imagine anything more exciting to follow than athletics. I am lucky enough to consider my job and my hobby exactly the same thing. I don't have many vices as a human being, and frankly, not too many hobbies that aren't somehow related to sports.
So, while I love the human dramas that make up our "sports world", I also fall victim to becoming a bit emotionally involved at times. There are some sporting events that I can watch with almost no emotion. But, there are others that leave a scar.
I felt you needed to know all of this because of what this project today is all about. Over the weekend, I did something I did not ever want to do again. There is a vault in the back of my mind with a few sporting moments in my life that I have locked up and - although I acknowledge that they happened - I never want to revisit them again. Going back would be too painful and too damaging. I lived them once live, and that was plenty. At some point, I accepted the defeat as a result that I could do nothing about, so I filed them away and tried to forget as much as I could.
The 2006 NBA Finals is one of those few events that I have avoided for the last 1800 days. I considered the 2006 Playoff run of the Dallas Mavericks to be one of the most magical 2 months of sport in my life, but then I consider the 8 days from Game 3 to Game 6 some of the most depressing days of sport I can imagine. The next week was very bleak. I did not want to accept that it was over. I did not want to consider that Dirk and the rest of my guys were never going to get to the prize. They were so close. Everything was so perfect. And then it crashed. Very few franchises in sports would consider their greatest moment and darkest moment to be basically the same story. But, I would submit the 2006 Dallas Mavericks would be both.
Your memory is a weird tool. It helps you remember things perfectly from your childhood, but it also allows things from this morning to vanish into thin air. It helps you recall your first kiss or your best high school game in perfect clarity, and yet, you forget what your wife told you to buy on your way home from work.
After Thursday night, when Chicago fell in 5 games to Miami to insure that the 2011 NBA Finals would match the two teams from the 2006 NBA Finals, I decided that I needed to allow that dark place in my head to have a little time out of its cage over the weekend. I would attempt to watch as much of Games 3-6 as I could find on Youtube (and just about all of it is on Youtube if you, too, consider yourself a masochist).
It was not enjoyable. However, I will concede that since I knew ahead of time that things were not going to finish well in any of the games, that my head did not ache nearly as much and I was able to get a relatively good night's sleep both nights.
I really hope you had a chance to read Eddie Sefko's piece in Sunday's paper about this very topic. He did it in a far more professional manner, and he also fills in the gaps quite a bit. My review is a more to focus on two things - composure and strategy (more on that tomorrow).
In my memory, and from what I hear and read from many of you, too, the series was won because of A) Dwyane Wade and B) Bennett Salvatore. The further we get from the series the more the popular idea is that the Mavericks had the series taken from them and it was a gross injustice by the NBA and their officials. I accepted it as some level of fact, but I also do not like to blame refs for things that your team does not properly execute and accomplish.
But, over the weekend, I watched the game from a stand point of "How did the Mavericks handle things?" and "How did they counter what Miami was doing?" In both cases, I was very shocked and disappointed with what I saw.
Because at every turn, I kept coming back to the feeling that the Mavericks lost their heads.
Adversity and uncontrollable circumstances come at you constantly in professional sports. In the NBA playoffs, there are so many momentum swings during the course of a game and a series that you really cannot allow your head to hang and to become your own worst enemy.
But, watching the film of the '06 Finals reveal to me that the Mavericks were mostly brought down by their own lack of composure. The evidence is almost everywhere. They dominated both of the first 2 games. In Game 2, the Mavs held a 24 point lead entering the 4th Quarter. The Heat were beaten and as this series headed to Miami, the Mavericks needed to only get 1 game in Florida to set things up to where they only needed 1 win in 2 games in Dallas to win the NBA Title.
In Game 3, that fateful day where the Mavericks held a 89-76 lead with 6:15 to play, the plane began to dive. They held a 10 point lead at the 5-minute mark. And, after that scored 1 basket the rest of the way. My memory indicated that the Mavericks started settling for perimeter shots. But, in watching it with a critical eye on Saturday, I actually came to 2 conclusions. 1) Dallas began to try to milk the clock. This is a dangerous game where you don't begin your attack until the shot-clock is well under :10. When you do this, you risk not getting a good shot. You must take whatever is available when the shot-clock nears zero. and 2) Dallas just stopped hitting their tough shots. Let's face it. Especially in 2006, the Mavericks offense was very difficult to stop because Dirk and Jason Terry were so successful at making tough shots. They seldom were able to get what we consider "easy looks" by NBA standards. But, they could always make tough shots. And this was one of those cases where they were able to get shots they normally hit, but they went cold at just the wrong moment.
As the time started clicking away and the lead shrunk, things started falling into place. Shaquille O'Neal hit two very important free throws after hitting 2 for 16 in the first two games of the series. Gary Payton, who my memory had given very little credit for his ring, hit the biggest shot in Game 3. With the score tied at 95-95, the game clock was down to :10 and the shot-clock at :01 when he stepped up and nailed a huge 21-footer. It was his only shot of the game! Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki went strong to the rim and was fouled with :03 and barely missed the basket and the foul. He had made 25-26 free throws in the NBA Finals to that point, but missed the 2nd free throw that would have tied the game. This confluence of events (Shaq making his free throws, Dirk missing his) was amazing on so many levels.
With :01 to play, the Mavericks had one last chance with the ball on the side and down 98-96. In a very curious coaching decision, the Mavericks made sure that Dirk would not take the last shot because Avery decided he should be the man to inbound the ball. Words could not describe how insane that seemed to take one of your only shotmakers out of the equation - especially since he would be the easiest to find since he is 7-feet tall. Instead, a lob pass to Josh Howard which never had a chance sailed wide and the Mavericks lost a game they never should have lost. Instead of a 3-0 lead, they were hit in the head with a heavy punch.
But, still; they came to Miami to win at least 1 game. Losing the first one should not have derailed the entire train. But, oh, how it did.
As I compare the 2011 Mavericks to the 2006 Mavericks, all I can think of is the composure that I see on this team and the lack of composure and maturity that those Mavs had. Their owner, Mark Cuban, routinely had the media at his disposal during those Finals and seemed intent on poking the refs as often as possible with sharp sticks. Avery Johnson seemed to make one coaching error after another. On the roster, there were very few calm veteran personalities. Dirk was Dirk, but around him at crunch time were the very young Devin Harris, the always unpredictable and young Josh Howard, veteran Erick Dampier - a player who had almost no role in crunch time yet he played plenty of minutes, and two vets who both had moments of lost composure - Jason Terry who was ejected and suspended in the Spurs series for his punch to Michael Finley's groin and Jerry Stackhouse who was ejected and suspended in Game 4 of the finals for a brain dead tackle of Shaquille O'Neal.
If there was one Jason Kidd or one Rick Carlisle or one Tyson Chandler on that team (even an older version of Dirk), maybe they shake off the Game 3 disaster. But, this group took a small problem and made it worse and worse. One game grew into four and the Finals, which require supreme composure and nerve control, showed that Dallas had none in reserve.
The video tells the story. They missed so many big shots. They missed free throws at just the wrong time (Dirk did it in Game 3 and again in Game 5). They lost their temper. And most of all, their two authority figures - Avery and Cuban - lost their minds in front of the media.
Game 4 showed nothing from a Dallas perspective except that they were now damaged. They set the NBA record for least points in a quarter with 7 points in the 4th. They also lost arguably their most veteran presence when Stackhouse lost his mind on O'Neal with the team down 17 points. A 98-74 decision squared the series at 2-2.
Again, at any point, the team could have regained their composure if they had proper leadership. Either on the roster or in management, the right voice could have saved the season. Avery Johnson, like Dirk and Cuban, seemed to show that this stage was a bit more intense than he thought it would be. He challenged the team in the media by saying maybe they aren't getting mad enough to stop Wade. He blamed their night life and vacation-type attitude on South Beach for the state of affairs on the court. He made the team leave the Mavericks entourage and switched hotels to Fort Lauderdale. The team had players room together to attempt to get everyone to band together. If the Mavericks had pulled out the Finals, perhaps the hotel stunt would go into lore as the reason the season was saved. But, given how Game 5 turned out, it looked like another mis-step by a coach who was not finding the answers to keep his ship from sinking.
I remember the Avery Johnson era rather fondly. In my memory, he was the coach who taught the Mavericks that defense wins championships and that emotion is your friend in the playoffs. He was able to reach players better than Don Nelson and challenge their fight and desire for success.
But, the 2006 Finals demonstrate a coaching mismatch that may have decided the series. Being on a list of guys who have been out-coached by Pat Riley is not a very rare accomplishment. But, I think in viewing the "Meltdown in Miami" over the weekend, I received a much sharper image of how badly the coaching difference truly was. Riley dominated Avery. Some of it was based on Riley's strategies but some of it was back to Avery not thinking clearly.
Avery is calling the "Hack-a-Shaq" repeatedly when the Heat were not in the bonus. He even ordered it when DeSagana Diop had 5 fouls and had to disqualify himself to do so. He signaled a timeout to his team (that he wanted taken after the next free throw) and since they couldn't hear what he was saying, they called the timeout. Player error in truth, but a coaching error because of poor communication. There were moments of single-teaming Wade and quadruple-teaming Wade.
Game 5 was a game that could and should have been won by Dallas. But, lack of composure from team and coach proved to be their undoing when I watched it again on Sunday. And then, after Game 5, Avery and Cuban both blew their stacks again in front of the media. Dirk was being swarmed by the Heat and despite making some huge shots, must have felt by himself. Stackhouse, the de facto leader, was in street clothes due to his suspension. Howard and Harris were not ready to be on the floor in big moments like Gary Payton was ready for. Howard missed 2 gigantic free throws in overtime that would have likely been enough to win it. And, of course, the fouls called that sent Wade to the line again and again.
And with each passing whistle, the more the Mavericks let it into their head. The pressure built. And pressure, as they say, bursts pipes.
Game 6 was the completion of a death that was put in motion back in Game 3. By that point, Antoine Walker and Alonzo Mourning were giving them fits. Jason Terry couldn't hit a shot to save his life in Game 6, and yet he is the one who took the shot to save the season at the end. And it missed.
The Mavericks lost the 2006 NBA Finals largely because they were not composed and mentally strong enough. After watching the unraveling again, I am sure that this is more important than Wade or Salvatore.
Had Dirk, or Avery, or Cuban, or Stackhouse, or anyone been able to take a deep breath and calm the troops, assure them that things are fine, and design a plan to retake the series by the scruff of the neck, things might have been different. Surely, one gut punch should not set a team that was playing so well into a reeling state that it cannot recover from. But, alas. My eyes tell me that the collapse in Game 3 set of a chain of events that were never stopped.
The chance at basketball immortality had vanished. Perhaps, forever, for many players, coaches, and a certain owner. There were a number of strategy issues which we could elaborate on that just didn't make sense. However, more and more, I keep coming back to the idea that the lights were too bright and the tempers were too short. In a way, much of what dismantled Oklahoma City in the last round in 2011 is what took down the Mavericks. They just weren't ready.
And that is what gives me some hope in 2011. This Mavericks crew learned from that one. Cuban is almost in hiding rather than angering the league officials at every opportunity. Dirk looks so much tougher and more refined between the ears. And the rest of the cast is made up of steely veterans who have seen every situation and now unify for one purpose. I don't see their coach having to chase them off South Beach.
In 2006, I believe that lack of composure was the single biggest issue. They just didn't deal with adversity at all. It changed their ability to function; To play through bad calls; To hit shots and free throws that they normally hit.
And for that, they did not deserve to be champs. As much as it hurts, when I look back it pains me to admit that the biggest culprit to the Mavericks' disaster was the Mavs themselves.
Tomorrow, I would like to take items of strategy from the 2006 team and compare them to the 2011 team to see what can be learned.
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Old 05-31-2011, 11:43 AM   #152
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Monstergame View Post
Telephone-interview with German journalists, unfortunately, not translated.



Why do we see that shot so often in games, then?
- The opponents defend me quite hard and so it was logical because that shot allows me to create enough space. I can execute quite quickly and I have a good touch. If the balance is okay the prospects will be good for a successful shot.
- Holger Geschwindner (his mentor) doesn't like this shot... he thinks I try the fadeaway too often.
I think Holger is right and I hope the dirkster listens to him. I'd like to see quite a few quick fouls right into guys in this series. They always expect a fadeaway, a little more traditional shot into their grilll would get a couple of quick ones.
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Old 05-31-2011, 11:56 AM   #153
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I like this strategy, and early foul trouble would be a nice thing. But I can't help but notice the elephant in the room. Will they call it?
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Old 05-31-2011, 02:00 PM   #154
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Default Watch Live Stream - Dallas vs Miami - Game 1

watch live - Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat!!

click here: http://nba-livestream.blogspot.com

happy watching..

enjoy!
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Old 06-01-2011, 01:12 PM   #155
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"20 reasons to pull for the Dallas Mavericks - ESPN"

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6614490

Quote:
MIAMI -- Pull for Dallas to win these NBA Finals because Miami will get forklifts of rings someday. This might be Dallas' last chance.

Pull for Dallas because it got screwed in the 2006 Finals worse than Bartman. To lose to the same team five years later would be tantamount to basketball waterboarding.

Pull for Dallas because Mark Cuban hasn't opened his mouth once.

Pull for Dallas because Dirk Nowitzki deserves this title more than anybody else on the floor, more than LeBron James, more than Dwyane Wade.

Pull for Dallas because Nowitzki stayed with his team, never took his talents anywhere but to the damn gym every day.

Pull for Dallas because Nowitzki has stuck it out through 13 seasons so far with this one team, stuck it out through all those depressing playoff springs, all those one-and-dones, all those words people called him -- "loser" "choker" "soft" -- stuck it out even when Steve Nash left, leaving Nowitzki with a lot of nobodies and some mops.

Pull for Dallas because when you ask Nowitzki why he didn't bolt the way everybody else does, he simply says, "Because this is where my heart is."

Pull for Dallas because Nowitzki didn't try to win a title the new way, didn't pick the best kids on the playground and take on everybody else, didn't get a bunch of super-human friends and schedule himself a ring, like you might a kegger or your birthday party.

Pull for Dallas because Nowitzki has this crazy idea about trying to win one the old fashioned way, by getting better.

Pull for Dallas because James is so heaven-sent talented that he'll get more than his share of rings before he's done.

Pull for Dallas because Nowitzki is much closer to done than starting now.

Pull for Dallas because 38-year-old Jason Kidd deserves one, too, despite what he says. "I want this more for Dirk than for me," says Kidd, who's played in three decades -- 17 years -- in this league without champagne in his hair. "All the work Dirk's put in, all the time. Man he deserves it more than anybody on this team. Plus, if he gets it, that means I get one too, right?"

Pull for Dallas because Kidd is the guy everybody likes, the Ray Bourque of the NBA, the one everybody wants to see hold the trophy over his head someday. If he doesn't win it now, in his third Finals try, he'll never win it.

Pull for Dallas because it has the best locker room in the NBA, not a whiner among them. There are more good guys in that room than in some divisions.

Pull for Dallas because it doesn't do pre-championship celebrations. Dallas has this crazy notion that you should actually hold the trophy in your hands before you throw the parade. Wouldn't it be nice to give them one?

Pull for these Dallas Mavericks because the way things are going, the Dallas Cowboys may never win a title again.

Pull for Dallas because it's clear they're the underdogs in this, sort of the way a squirrel is the underdog vs. an owl. You knew that after Tuesday night's Game 1, the way LeBron James was flying over people like Air Florida and Dwyane Wade was dazzling everybody else, the way he does in NBA Finals. You knew that the way they pulled away to that win in Game 1.

Pull for Dallas because its best player, Nowitzki, has a torn tendon in his left middle finger now and yet never once blinked when we asked if he'll keep playing.

Pull for Dallas because it's not about The Decision. It's about one team taking the easy way to a title and another team taking a way that just keeps getting harder.

Pull for Dallas, because, my God, how many good things can happen to Pat Riley in one lifetime?
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Old 06-03-2011, 07:21 PM   #156
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Good read
For Dirk Nowitzki, championship ring not necessary to validate career
http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/201..._finals_1.html
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Old 06-06-2011, 03:39 PM   #157
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Jason says it's over.

Finals entertaining, but Mavs are done


http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/L...-Finals-060611

Quote:
It wasn’t close. In a game that both combatants agreed was critical, the Miami Heat dominated Dallas and the three-man officiating crew of Mark Cuban’s wildest fantasies.

Yes, Dirk Nowitzki unspooled a would-be, game-tying fadeaway as the buzzer sounded on Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but an answer to Dirk’s prayer would’ve only stalled the inevitable.

Miami’s 88-86 victory Sunday night revealed the flukiness of Game 2 and the shakiness of Nowitzki’s supporting cast.

The Heat could wrap up this best-of-7 series before leaving Dallas. That’s not a prediction. It’s a simple observation.

If the Mavericks can’t beat Miami inside the American Airlines Center on a night Chris Bosh plays with one good eye, LeBron James struggles with his stroke and the refs openly flirt with Mark Cuban, then it’s preposterous to believe Dallas can win this series.

This wasn’t a two-point game. This was a millionaire armed with Viagra, condoms and a best-of-Barry White CD striking out at The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

As you read this, J.J. Barea is bricking another wide-open 3-pointer and the refs are waking Nowitzki from a nap to send The Germanator back to the free-throw line.

Seriously, how did Dallas lose this game?

The refs called nearly twice as many fouls on Miami (27-14) as Dallas. Down the stretch, the refs sent Nowitzki to the stripe for no reason and looked the other way when Shawn Marion flew into LeBron James.

There are two theories to explain Sunday’s officiating:

1) Cuban called in his marker from 2006.

2) The refs are trying to stop James and Dwyane Wade from turning basketball into soccer.

I’m going with No. 2. Wade and James are disgracing the game with their flopping and whining. Maybe I’m romanticizing the NBA glory years, but I don’t remember basketball being played this way by Jordan, Magic, Larry, Isiah, Duncan, Hakeem, etc.

James and Wade are actors who seem to delight in baiting the refs into bad calls the way soccer players do. When they don’t get a call, they resort to demonstrative tantrums.

I’m not a James-Wade hater. I’m bothered by their tactics because I want to celebrate their brilliance. I’m bothered by their tactics because I don’t want basketball to become anything like soccer. The refs have a tough enough job without trying to decide who is and isn’t flailing their arms and vaulting to the ground.

As a fan, I find that flopping, flailing and whining detract from the game. I hope NBA dictator David Stern does something to discourage the behavior. We have flagrant fouls. I say let’s add flagrant flops. Have a replay official monitor the game and award flagrant-flop free throws at the beginning of each quarter. There’s no reason to interrupt the flow of the game.

If replay reveals Wade flailed-flopped in an effort to draw a bogus foul, the opposition gets a single free throw at the start of the next quarter. If the flail-flop leads to a bogus foul call, then the opposing team gets two free throws.

I know it’s a judgment call, but aren’t they all? Plus, it would take only about a month to eliminate flailing and flopping all together.

I’m sorry for that tangent. It needed to be said.

My original point was that despite the refs blatantly favoring the Mavericks, the Heat dominated Sunday’s game. Miami took several double-digit leads and pretty much controlled the game from start to finish.

Dallas went on a couple of good runs and flirted with stealing another game when it was clearly outplayed. But Sunday’s game and this series aren’t competitive. They’re exciting.

You could make a persuasive argument the Heat should be going for a sweep Tuesday night. Unlike Game 2, Erik Spoelstra allowed Wade to initiate the offense late and Udonis Haslem to guard Nowitzki.

To paraphrase Moses Malone, we’re looking at “fi, fi, fi.”

We’re looking at a Miami team being every bit as dominant during these playoffs as it promised to be during its preseason championship celebration.

Would this series be different if the Mavericks had Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood? Maybe. Or maybe the refs wouldn’t take so much pity on Dallas.
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Old 06-06-2011, 03:57 PM   #158
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^What a fucking shitty article. The refs gave us some calls last night, but Miami got some dubious 4th Quarter calls in Game 1 that could have given us a win. If we had any of our supporting cast step up, we could easily be up 2-1.
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Old 06-06-2011, 04:58 PM   #159
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Whitlock doesn't know anything about basketball.
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Current Mavs Salary outlook (with my own possibly incorrect math and assumptions)

Mavs Net Ratings By Game
(Using BRef.com calculations for possessions, so numbers are slightly different than what you'll see on NBA.com and ESPN.com
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Old 06-06-2011, 05:04 PM   #160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nowitzness81 View Post
Jason says it's over.

Finals entertaining, but Mavs are done


http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/L...-Finals-060611
If you removed the byline and photo, one might easily think this article was written by a longshoreman who was just given his first stab at sports journalism.
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