West Coast Report: Tom Tolbert - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

birdsanctuary · 04-11-2006, 09:58 PM

On the way home I listen frequently to KNBR radio which is broadcasted from San Francisco. Tom Tolbert has a daily radio show with another local sports talk guy Ralph Barbarie. The conversation turned to the Spurs....

Tolbert flat out thought the Spu*s are hanging on by a thread. He thought Duncan looked pretty bad in the last game and thought that the plantar something -itis is catching up to him. He insinuated that he wouldn't be surprised if the Spu*s are unable to hang on and get the #1 seed. Ralph asked Tolbert who he thought was going to come out of the west and Tolbert emphatically said Dallas. He thought the Clips game last night was pivotal for him in this realization, he said the Mavs now play serious D. In the past there was no way the Mavs could have won a low scoring game like this one, and he thinks the two teams to be most worried about in the western conference are the Mavs and the Kings. He thinks the Kings should try to somehow secure the 7 spot so they do not have to face Dallas or the Spu*s.

Let's hope he's right...

MavsX · 04-11-2006, 10:02 PM

good work birdman

Dtownsfinest · 04-11-2006, 10:11 PM

From what i've heard the Duncan thing seems to be something to comes and goes. Especially on the end of back to backs.

Tolbert has always loved the Mavericks. Even the 02-03 team. I wasn't sure if it was because he use to play for Nellie or what but he's always had nice things to say about the Mavs.

Murphy3 · 04-11-2006, 10:34 PM

Tolbert has almost always been highly complimentary of the Mavs...

birdsanctuary · 04-11-2006, 10:49 PM

Of all the announcers out there. Tolbert is the only one I will actually give some credibility. He is candid, and seems to have a good feel for how things are. I do think he is a bit partial to the Nelsons since they were the only ones who really gave him a legitimate shot to play in the NBA; he did go on to have a respectable career for a non-drafted player...

chumdawg · 04-11-2006, 11:49 PM

I'm going to keep saying it and keep saying it until someone will listen: the Spurs are under extreme stress to even make it out of the first round.

And along those same lines, it would not shock me if Sacramento knocked off the Suns in the second while the Lakers were knocking off the Spurs in the first. Given that chain of events, a good ol' Mavericks/Kings series may well be in order.

dirno2000 · 04-11-2006, 11:54 PM

Chum you're underestimating the Spurs' heart. They're not going to be an easy out.

chumdawg · 04-12-2006, 12:04 AM

Oh, I never said it would be easy. But I see the writing on the wall. I'm sure it will be grudgingly, but I have them losing in the first round. I'm sure that will set some sort of record. Or did Seattle do that once upon a time? Regardless, even if Seattle did, this will be the first time in a seven-game series.

Trust me, the stars are aligning.

dirno2000 · 04-12-2006, 12:30 AM

With all due respect. theres no way in the hell the Spurs are losing to the Kings or the Lakers...I doubt they'll even go six.

chumdawg · 04-12-2006, 12:42 AM

I'm surprised you would go out on such a limb. I would certainly be interested in the substantive reasons why, if you wished to let them on. From what I have seen, the Spurs are nowhere near a prohibitive favorite against either team--for what it's worth, I don't think the Mavs are agains tthe Clips or Grizz, either--and I have a suspicion that this is the best odds a #8 team will have had against a top seed in the history of the NBA playoffs.

I put the Spurs at about a 2/1 favorite, 66 to 33. But I just have a gut feeling that says they find a way to lose four.

dirno2000 · 04-12-2006, 12:58 AM

I’m saying 1 is going to destroy 8...I don’t think that’s going out on much of a limb. When Denver upset the Sonics, they were a young team that had never accomplished anything in the playoffs. Besides the seed, I don’t see any connection between them and a team that has two titles under it’s belt. I know Duncan and Manu are hurting but they’ve been hurting most of the year and they’re going to win 62 or 63 games.

Plus the kings and the lakers aren’t very good. The LA has only two players that I’d want on my team. And when you get passed the Ron Artest hype the Kings still can’t rebound or defend and they have Artest bogging down the offense because he thinks that he should be the focal point.

nashtymavsfan13 · 04-12-2006, 01:26 AM

It's good to hear the Mavs getting some recognition. Hopefully they do awesome in the playoffs and bring home the trophy to put to rest all their critics.

chumdawg · 04-12-2006, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

I’m saying 1 is going to destroy 8...I don’t think that’s going out on much of a limb. When Denver upset the Sonics, they were a young team that had never accomplished anything in the playoffs. Besides the seed, I don’t see any connection between them and a team that has two titles under it’s belt. I know Duncan and Manu are hurting but they’ve been hurting most of the year and they’re going to win 62 or 63 games.

Plus the kings and the lakers aren’t very good. The LA has only two players that I’d want on my team. And when you get passed the Ron Artest hype the Kings still can’t rebound or defend and they have Artest bogging down the offense because he thinks that he should be the focal point.

The titles have absolutely no bearing. If anything, it could give an edge to the team that hasn't been there before, versus the team that has. But you do make a good point about the 62 or 63 games. Perhaps I overestimate the Kings or Lakers, but I firmly believe that Spurs don't make it out of Round One this year. That is, if the opponent is able to give them a seroius battle. Obviously, the bets are off if the opponent lays down and dies. But I think the Spurs go out in the first round this year.

mavsfan1000 · 04-12-2006, 02:36 AM

The Spurs will sweep the Lakers and beat the kings in 5. It is a joke to say they could challenge the spurs.

Five-ofan · 04-12-2006, 08:39 AM

The spurs will spank whoever they get in the first as will the mavs. This happens every year someone picks a flavor of the month and it rarely happens. I will give you 10-1 on the lakers vs the spurs. No way the lakers or kings beat the spurs. Or that the clips or grizz beat the mavs for that matter. Or than any of those 4 teams beat either the spurs or mavs.

TripleDipping · 04-12-2006, 09:06 AM

The Spurs will probably lose the first game, then come back to win the series convincingly.

Typical Spurs style. Ho-hum.

Murphy3 · 04-12-2006, 10:38 AM

I can see the Spurs going to 6 games if they play Sacramento.

I'd rather the Kings play Phoenix in the first round. I would see even a better chance of an upset.

sike · 04-12-2006, 10:38 AM

I'd rather the Kings play Phoenix in the first round. I would see even a better chance of an upset.

bingo.

Folterkammer · 04-12-2006, 11:23 AM

chum - bowen is as good as it gets at defending kobe . so no way the lakers stand a chance .
the kings could get them to a game 7 with ginobili out , but as long as duncan plays in this series they wil win it !

sike · 04-12-2006, 12:00 PM

some might say that Bowen is as good at raping Kobe as Kobe is at raping everything else....rock me!

Mavfan + Ravenfan · 04-12-2006, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

With all due respect. theres no way in the hell the Spurs are losing to the Kings or the Lakers...I doubt they'll even go six.

Th lakers won't last 5, but the kings with artest can push it to 6.

kg_veteran · 04-12-2006, 01:17 PM

The Spurs are a wounded animal, but the team that wants to beat them is going to have to go about it very persistently and carefully.

It will be interesting to see how the matchups shake out. I think the Kings (if they stay No. 7) could beat the Suns, but I don't think they can beat the Spurs. I think the Lakers have no prayer of beating either the Spurs or Suns. Bottom line, I think the Spurs are waiting for the Mavs in Round 2.

Of course, I'd love it if I were wrong about that. The Kings would pose a much less formidable challenge.

dirno2000 · 04-12-2006, 02:47 PM

Quote:

The titles have absolutely no bearing. If anything, it could give an edge to the team that hasn't been there before, versus the team that has.

Couldn't disagree more. Winning a title seems to make a team mentally tougher and harder to knock off. Probably because they always feel like they're going to win. Seattle was scared s***less in that series after Denver tightened the noose.

Go back about 15 years and look at the teams that knocked off the champs.
1990 Pistons – lost to Jordan’s' Bulls
1993 Bulls – lost to the finals Knicks when Jordan retired
1995 Rockets – lost to the Sonics team that went to the Finals and took the Bulls to 6
1998 Bulls - Jordan retired
1999 Spurs -Lost in the first round but Duncan didn't play
2002 Lakers – lost to the Spurs team that won the title
2003 Spurs – lost to Lakers team that went to the finals
2004 Pistons – lost to the Spurs in the finals

I could go back further but the results would probably be the same. All things being equal I’ll always put my money on the players who know how to win over the hungry up and comers. In this case things aren’t equal because the Spurs are clearly better than the Lakers and the Kings.

Five-ofan · 04-12-2006, 03:45 PM

I think it also has to do with respect from officials but the biggest thing is expectations. Whichever of those teams gets the spurs, other than Kobe or Artest or sam cassell would legitimately expect to win a series against the spurs because they are just that damn cocky(in this sense its a good thing) The rest will be hoping to win. Every single spur will expect to win. That is a HUGE difference. If things are equal the team that expects to win will beat the team that hopes to win 8 out of 10 times. Everything isnt equal as dirno said though. THe spurs are much better than any of those teams.

Bookit · 04-12-2006, 04:41 PM

I will be rooting for the Lakers but the Spurs will take them in 5 or 6 games.

Rooting for the Lakers? What? This is weird.

chumdawg · 04-12-2006, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

Couldn't disagree more. Winning a title seems to make a team mentally tougher and harder to knock off. Probably because they always feel like they're going to win. Seattle was scared s***less in that series after Denver tightened the noose.

Go back about 15 years and look at the teams that knocked off the champs.
1990 Pistons – lost to Jordan’s' Bulls
1993 Bulls – lost to the finals Knicks when Jordan retired
1995 Rockets – lost to the Sonics team that went to the Finals and took the Bulls to 6
1998 Bulls - Jordan retired
1999 Spurs -Lost in the first round but Duncan didn't play
2002 Lakers – lost to the Spurs team that won the title
2003 Spurs – lost to Lakers team that went to the finals
2004 Pistons – lost to the Spurs in the finals

I could go back further but the results would probably be the same. All things being equal I’ll always put my money on the players who know how to win over the hungry up and comers. In this case things aren’t equal because the Spurs are clearly better than the Lakers and the Kings.

I'm not sure I follow. It appears that teams fail to repeat far more often than they succeed. No?

If you want to put it in psychological terms, you also should consider that sometimes teams get fat and happy after they reach the ultimate pinnacle. And teams on the way up are often fueled by an intense hunger.

dirno2000 · 04-12-2006, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chumdawg

I'm not sure I follow. It appears that teams fail to repeat far more often than they succeed. No?

If you want to put it in psychological terms, you also should consider that sometimes teams get fat and happy after they reach the ultimate pinnacle. And teams on the way up are often fueled by an intense hunger.

The point is, the teams that beat them are solid teams that at least go to the finals. Barring injury (major, not nagging), defending champions don't lose to teams like the Lakers or the Kings.

I can't think of an example of an NBA champ getting fat and happy. They either lose to a better team or they lose they're best player. Nobody is hungrier than the Spurs, they want to win just as bad as we do. To beat them we're going go have to match their talent level and out execute them.

EricaLubarsky · 04-12-2006, 05:52 PM

Didnt Tolbert play under Don Nelson in Golden State 1990, when Nelson took the team from
37-45 in 1990 to
44-38 in 1991 to
55-27 in 1992
where he played the point-center position.

He also played under Bob Weiss in LA which could explain some of his early-season opinions on the Sonics.

Anyway, I like the guy, but everyone has a bias. Tolbert is just one of the few guys that likes us.

blahblehblah · 04-12-2006, 05:54 PM

There is no way in hell the lakers upset the spurs! I doubt the series even goes 5. Besides for Kobe the lakers are a HORRIBLE TEAM...

The Kings however might be able to challenge the spurs and give them some troulbe... However it is highly highly unlikely they will be able to upset the Spurs. This series probably goes 6 games.

As for the Mavs first round opponent... I doubt they will have much problems with the Grizzly who while well coach, disciplined, and good defensively just dont have the talented to poze any real danger to the Mavs. Beside for Gasol, the rest of the team is ordinary and unless Bobby Jackson and Eddie Jones suddenly become 4 yrs younger, The Mavs take them out in 5.

The clippers on the other hand are dangerous, especially because of all the talent they have. Everyone knows about Brand and his career year, but its Cassel, Maggette, Mobley, Kaman and radmonavic who are scary. All of them can score 25 on a given night and could present a major problems for the Mavs if more than one of them get hot in the first round. That said... they arent as scary as last years first round opponent and the Mavs got through that... so Mavs in 6 if they face the clippers.