Clippers/Mavs Thoughts - Page 2 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Murphy3 · 04-11-2006, 11:08 AM

Well, I can't really agree with you there. He did have a couple of bad looking shots, but for the most part, he took his normal shots that just didn't fall.

Thespiralgoeson · 04-11-2006, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

Well, I can't really agree with you there. He did have a couple of bad looking shots, but for the most part, he took his normal shots that just didn't fall.

He took his shots from the normal spots on the floor sure, but watch the game game again if you can. I DVR'ed the game and watched it again, and I'm tellin ya, most of his shots were forced and/or off-balance.

sike · 04-11-2006, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

As long as the Mavs are helping out on Brand...Kaman will have some pretty good games against the Mavs.

and that is just fine.

Male30Dan · 04-11-2006, 11:30 AM

I actually agree with spiral in that Dirk took maybe 3 or 4 shots that made me ask "WTF?". The 3-4 shots I am referring to were shots that he over-faded away on, (if that is a phrase). I mean he dug down and jumped as far back as he could to get a few of those shots off and he just normally doesn't shoot those shots like that. Almost like he was expecting a block or something so he jumped back as far as he could and looked very off balance and clumsy doing it.

I would say at least 4 of his shots were really poor shot selection, but the other misses were just misses, (normally shots he makes too so I am not worried).

At least he hit the one that mattered, (which had his normal amount of fade by the way).

orangedays · 04-11-2006, 12:20 PM

Post-game quotes

Mavericks guard Jason Terry
Re: Game winning shot by Dirk Nowitzki

Quote:

Coach drew up the play for Dirk, and that’s the way we like it. You’re in good hands with Allstate, and Dirk was Allstate tonight. We got the ball to him, and he got it done. That’s why he is an MVP candidate.

Ha! Re-sign this man!

Male30Dan · 04-11-2006, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangedays

Ha! Re-sign this man!

He was Allstate on that last shot, but he was that overpriced Geiko for most of the game!

MVP is right though... Clutch shot baby!

Just211 · 04-11-2006, 01:37 PM

If Quise keeps making shots, I don't see how AJ can keep him off the floor. He looked real good last night.

ddh33 · 04-11-2006, 01:39 PM

I know we're all fans, so I expect a certain amount of bias.

Dirk was played well by the Clippers. We're talking about one of the toughest covers in the league. The best you can hope to do is challenge his shot and hope he misses. The Clippers did a good job of that, and Dirk missed shots he usually hits. They deserve credit, but I don't think they shut him down or anything. I don't really think that's possible.

As for the Maverick centers, I think someone deserves credit for challenging Brand. Like Dirk, he missed some shots that he usually hits, but at least the Mavs made things difficult for him. Included in there were some nice moments from Dampier. Personally, I don't think Damp played great, by any stretch. But he did use his body against Brand, and he tried to make him work. That's all you can do. And it was Damp was on the floor for the last .7 seconds to protect the basket and help knock away the Clippers final try.

MavsX · 04-11-2006, 09:58 PM

Dirk is the man.

Murphy3 · 04-11-2006, 10:40 PM

Was Dirk played well by the Clippers? I suppose they did a decent job DDH...but no better than your average team.

Murphy3 · 04-11-2006, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

He took his shots from the normal spots on the floor sure, but watch the game game again if you can. I DVR'ed the game and watched it again, and I'm tellin ya, most of his shots were forced and/or off-balance.

I watched the game again and you're wrong. The word 'most' is extremely wrong. ...perhaps there were three questionable shots.

Thespiralgoeson · 04-11-2006, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

I watched the game again and you're wrong. The word 'most' is extremely wrong. ...perhaps there were three questionable shots.

We'll just have to agree to disagree here because it seemed to me that just about every shot he took in the second half was forced and/or off-balance. But hey, who cares? Either way, a night like that is something that we're VERY unlikely to see again, and when the game was on the line he delivered.

It's even more encouraging that even when he was having such a poor shooting performance, AJ didn't think twice about going to him when it mattered, and Dirk didn't think twice about sinking that shoot right in Kaman's Beetlejuice-looking face.

Murphy3 · 04-11-2006, 11:06 PM

No, you're wrong... We'll agree on that.

Thespiralgoeson · 04-11-2006, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

No, you're wrong... We'll agree on that.

Man, don't be a dick. I was trying to be nice and meet you half-way about it. I made it as clear as I could that I respected your opinion, and you go and give that condescending remark.

ddh33 · 04-12-2006, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

Was Dirk played well by the Clippers? I suppose they did a decent job DDH...but no better than your average team.

Like I said, I thought they did a pretty good job. At the same time, I have seen other teams do an even better job, and Dirk would still get 30. The most recent Spurs game comes to mind.

The Clippers did the best they could hope to do. They really tried to get into his space and play him physically. They seemed conscious of his fakes and tried to stay down on them. They used size to make those mid range jumpers a little more difficult. Thats all you can hope to do...

We have the wonderful luxury of knowing that Dirk still simply missed some shots that he usually hits. As hard as they tired, the only thing that kept Dirk from getting his customary 30 was missing, and that happens to everyone every once in a while.

chumdawg · 04-12-2006, 12:14 AM

Superlative defensive players in this league are so few and far in between that guys like Dirk are never going to be shut down. I mean it: never. You want to cut off Dirk's drive or low post maneuvering? Fine. But he will just pull up over you for the deadly 15-footer. (This was much the conundrum that Kaman faced in the waning seconds night before last.)

You can defend single-faceted players, in that you can take away the think they like best. But you can never defend a Dirk Nowitzki, any more than you can defend a Kobe Bryant or a Dwayne Wade or a Lebron James. Multi-faceted offense ALWAYS has it over defense, no matter how good the defense is. To put it simply: there are some things you can't get around.

And so the other teams are left to figure out how to stop everybody else. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But they will never stop the elite guys, unless it absolutely cuts their throats in defending the rest of the team.

orangedays · 04-12-2006, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Superlative defensive players in this league are so few and far in between that guys like Dirk are never going to be shut down. I mean it: never. You want to cut off Dirk's drive or low post maneuvering? Fine. But he will just pull up over you for the deadly 15-footer. (This was much the conundrum that Kaman faced in the waning seconds night before last.)

You can defend single-faceted players, in that you can take away the think they like best. But you can never defend a Dirk Nowitzki, any more than you can defend a Kobe Bryant or a Dwayne Wade or a Lebron James. Multi-faceted offense ALWAYS has it over defense, no matter how good the defense is. To put it simply: there are some things you can't get around.

And so the other teams are left to figure out how to stop everybody else. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But they will never stop the elite guys, unless it absolutely cuts their throats in defending the rest of the team.

Amen brother - if I hear another person talk about how Bowen or Marion 'will shut down' Dirk Nowitzki I'm going to slap them...then refer them to this post.

nashtymavsfan13 · 04-12-2006, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Superlative defensive players in this league are so few and far in between that guys like Dirk are never going to be shut down. I mean it: never. You want to cut off Dirk's drive or low post maneuvering? Fine. But he will just pull up over you for the deadly 15-footer. (This was much the conundrum that Kaman faced in the waning seconds night before last.)

You can defend single-faceted players, in that you can take away the think they like best. But you can never defend a Dirk Nowitzki, any more than you can defend a Kobe Bryant or a Dwayne Wade or a Lebron James. Multi-faceted offense ALWAYS has it over defense, no matter how good the defense is. To put it simply: there are some things you can't get around.

And so the other teams are left to figure out how to stop everybody else. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But they will never stop the elite guys, unless it absolutely cuts their throats in defending the rest of the team.

Great post! I hate hearing "Bowen shut down Dirk" because it never happens. All the defense can do is make it harder for the offense.