Bucher chat:

[jthig32]

A couple of choice excerpts:

Brent Dallas: Still think Pau and Dirk is a wash? Do you ever watch any games during the season???? Nash as MVP? Worst MVP ever. He shouldn't even have been on the ballot. Nooone from Phoenix should have. Maybe Marion. Definitely not Nash. Please watch a game and get up to speed on the NBA. Get an original take and earn your salary. Thanks!


Ben (Arlington, TX): DIRK!


Ben (Arlington, TX): Your MVP list is REDIRKULOUS!


Grant (Denver): How you feeling about Dirk now?

Ric Bucher: (11:19 AM ET ) Same as I always have: I love Dirk. Love how he's transformed his game to fit the Mavs' new look. Love how he's emerged as more of a leader with Nash and Finley gone. Love how he handles the ball for a big. Love that textbook J. Love that Teutonic shag. He proved he's a level above Pau Gasol. Has he proved he belonged on my MVP ballot? No, for the same reason he wasn't there at the end of the regular season: there are a lot of factors contributing to the Mavs' success. He is their biggest. Bigger than Kobe, Nash, Billups, Duncan and LeBron were to their teams? Not in my opinion.

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Ryan (Birmingham, AL): Do you think that the Mavs will be able to knock off the champs in Round 2 (if they get past the Kings)? Will the extra rest be an advantage?

Ric Bucher: (11:47 AM ET ) I give the Mavs a puncher's chance, but this is where Dirk can prove me wrong. I can't see Dallas getting by SA without a couple of dominating performances from him. Not big numbers, which he can always get, but gutcheck plays that show the rest of the Mavs he's the best player on the floor.

Ric Bucher: (11:49 AM ET ) The extra rest is a disadvantage, as is having such an easy time with Memphis. Whoever they face will have been in a dogfight and a mentally challenging series. Dallas is going to have to ramp up.

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More of the "rest is a disadvantage" rhetoric. This dude amazes me.