Opinion:"Dallas Mavericks: Time To Let Dirk Go" - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 08:16 PM

I know that this probably isn't going to be a very popular thread, but I still thought I'd share and see what you guys think.

I have copied and pasted the article to the site to prevent you from having to leave the forum to view it, but if you like what you read, please visit the link below. It helps my writer rankings (I know, pretty dorky to worry about my internet writing status, right?! haha)

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...k-go/show_full

Quote:

Dallas Mavericks: Time To Let Dirk Go

In the midst of what has now turned into a four game losing skid, one ugly truth has become more apparent than ever.

Despite Jason Terry arguably playing the best ball of his career, Jason Kidd exceeding all of his critics' expectations, and Dirk Nowitzki continuing to play like...well, like Dirk Nowitzki; these Dallas Mavericks are not good enough to contend for an NBA title.

In fact, they are barely good enough to contend for a playoff spot.

With just under half of the '08-'09 season completed, the Mavs have a mediocre 22-17 record. They are sitting at fourth place in the Southwest Conference and ninth place overall in the Western Conference, just one spot out of playoff contention.

Ordinarily, it would be premature, and even pessimistic, to suggest that it is time to blowup a team that is still very much in the thick of things. However, the Dallas Mavericks are not your ordinary team.

Just three years ago, the Dallas Mavericks finally emerged as one of the NBA's elite teams by knocking off the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns en-route to the franchise's first ever NBA Finals appearance.

Despite giving up a 2-0 series lead and ultimately falling to the Miami Heat in heart breaking fashion, the Mavericks gave their fans reason to hope for the future.

Two years ago, the Mavericks picked themselves up off the mat and took the NBA by storm. In a season that saw the Mavs win 67 games, good for the one-seed in the Western Conference and the overall best record in the NBA, it looked as if nobody could stop the Mavericks in their fight for redemption.

As luck would have it, however, the only team to own a regular season winning record over the Mavs that year, the Golden State Warriors, was the same team to draw the eight-seed in the West. They became the first ever eight-seed to knock off a one-seed in a seven-game series, and the Mavericks once again ended their season in heartbreak.

One year ago, after a disappointing first half of the season, the Mavericks made what may go down as one of the most infamous trades in NBA history. The Mavericks, in return for Jason Kidd, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright, sent Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, Van Horn via sign-and-trade, two first-round draft picks and $3 million in cash to the New Jersey Nets.

It was a trade that could only be considered a success if the Mavericks won, and won now. One year later, despite Jason Kidd's superb play, the trade is a disaster.

The Mavericks are floundering. Devin Harris is almost assured his first all-star selection and looks to be one of the great up-and-coming point guards in the league. Perhaps most disconcerting, with a lack of draft picks and few attractive tradable parts, the Mavericks have almost no way of building around their current team's nucleus.

This leaves the Mavs with only two real viable options:

The first and easiest option is to stand pat. The Mavs can stick with their current roster in hopes that something suddenly changes within the organization. More than likely, the Mavs will continue to be a good, but not great, team. They will win some big games, lose some big games, and will likely squeak their way into the playoffs, where they will win at most one series.

The second option is harder. It is by far the more painful road. However, it is also the road that is not only best for the team, but best for everyone involved.

It is time for the Dallas Mavericks to trade Dirk Nowitzki before it's too late.

For any Mavs' fan, this is the last thing that they would want to do, but it is the only thing that makes sense. He is the only name on the Mavericks that has enough trade value to help this team's long term success.

Jason Terry is a great player, but he is a role player. Jason Kidd is getting up in years, and although he has performed better with the Mavericks than anyone could have ever hoped, there will always be the question about how much longer he can keep it up. Josh Howard has done just about everything he can in the past year to hurt his trade value.

What the Mavs need is good, young players to start building on the next era of Dallas Mavericks basketball. The only player on this current roster that will be able to help the Mavs get what they need is Dirk Nowitzki.

Perhaps more importantly than all of that, however, is the future success of Dirk Nowitzki. One of the hardest workers in the league, a great teammate and a leader by example, and one of the most revolutionary players ever to enter the league, it is hard to argue that anyone deserves to become an NBA Champion more than Dirk does.

It has become apparent that he will not win one with Dallas. This team's window has shut, and has probably been shut for some time now.

So trade Dirk to a contender, and let him win a title. Bring in some younger players and try to build this thing back up. It is the best thing for the team, the best thing for Dirk, and though initially painful for the Dallas Mavericks' fans, it is the best thing for them as well.

It is time to let Dirk go.

MainEv3nt · 01-15-2009, 08:18 PM

cuban won't let em go lol.

bobatundi · 01-15-2009, 08:37 PM

A. Correct use of semicolons and apostrophes might also help your writer rankings
B. Kidd and Stackhouse both have trade value because of their contracts
C. Trading Dirk would probably cost the Mavs whatever fans they have left

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobatundi

A. Correct use of semicolons and apostrophes might also help your writer rankings
B. Kidd and Stackhouse both have trade value because of their contracts
C. Trading Dirk would probably cost the Mavs whatever fans they have left

A. No need to be a dick. I am not a grammar wiz, and there are editors on the website that take care of that stuff for me

B. I think our trade for Kidd is evidence enough that, while Kidd is a great player, he is not worth giving up much for. I love Stack, but are you really going to argue that he has enough trade value to turn this thing around??? I'm not.

C. If the fans leave over one player being traded, then they weren't real fans in the first place. I would be sad, no doubt. But I would still be a Mavs fan. I would just have to start rooting for Dirk's new team as well.

alby · 01-15-2009, 08:49 PM

I don't want to be the T-wolves. No thanks on trading the franchise player.

twelli · 01-15-2009, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobatundi

C. Trading Dirk would probably cost the Mavs whatever fans they have left

Depends on what they get in return. I would seriously explore all options regarding a Dirk trade.

Thomas86 · 01-15-2009, 08:52 PM

I remember Cuban saying he didn't care how bad it got that he wouldn't trade Dirk, the Mavs can get alot of young players to build around with Kidd's huge contract, on top of that does anybody think Cuban is gonna trade Dirk when he's still getting bashed for trading Devin?....the only way I see Dirk leaving Dallas is own terms.

Kidd, Howard, Stack, Bass and Diop could bring us something back good to build around.

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas86

I remember Cuban saying he didn't care how bad it got that he wouldn't trade Dirk, the Mavs can get alot of young players to build around with Kidd's huge contract, on top of that does anybody think Cuban is gonna trade Dirk when he's still getting bashed for trading Devin?....the only way I see Dirk leaving Dallas is own terms.

Kidd, Howard, Stack, Bass and Diop could bring us something back good to build around.

Wouldn't that be a shame? The fact of the matter is there isn't a whole lot of other ways to build this team. We don't have draft picks and we don't have sexy tradable parts that will get us the draft picks or good young talent that we need to turn this thing around.

I could see Dirk sticking with us no matter how bad things get, but I also wouldn't fault him one bit for leaving when his contract is up.

I hope I am wrong, and I sincerely hope that Dirk can stay AND we can be contenders, but there are two things I really really want:

1) The Mavs to win an NBA title
2) Dirk to win an NBA title.

If those two things have to be done separately, then so be it.

aquaadverse · 01-15-2009, 08:59 PM

A different GM seems to be in order. Not real sure what's going on there, but considering the needs the bench seems a bit disjointed

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twelli

Depends on what they get in return. I would seriously explore all options regarding a Dirk trade.

Agreed. Dirk is too valuable to just throw away for nothing, but it would be irresponsible at this point to not atleast explore what is available.

GermanDunk · 01-15-2009, 09:05 PM

2060 : Dirk telling JJB how to drive...

Janett_Reno · 01-15-2009, 09:05 PM

I don't think we will stand pat. I believe Stack and Diop is gone but no they won't bring much but even if we can get a better bench will be good. Just maybe they will shop Kidd and see if it is any takers but i think the big door prize is Josh Howard being shopped around for a good player comming back. If Cuban screws the pooch on Howard or get's nothing much for Kidd, then Dirk might ask to be traded.

This team has no physical paint players on offense. They also have no one that can penetrate in half court. We all might be surprised if you put the right players around Dirk and Terry. I would be shocked if they deal Dirk right off.

MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs · 01-15-2009, 09:32 PM

There's very limited options on trading Dirk. Dirk wont get us Lebron, Kobe or Dwight Howard. He would possibly land us Amare Stodemire and that would be interesting. Dirk gets the reunite with Nash he'd be happy with that. Or maybe a Carlos Boozer. Give us that true power forward that we need.

purplefrog · 01-15-2009, 09:33 PM

excuse me but I'm feeling a bit ill.

Underdog · 01-15-2009, 09:44 PM

The title of this thread leads one to believe that the Mavs intend to trade Dirk...

(whereas the truth is that it's just some random douchebag's opinion of what the Mavs should do with this franchise!)

Thespiralgoeson · 01-15-2009, 09:46 PM

I have to wonder what the Mavs could get back for Dirk at this point.

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

The title of this thread leads one to believe that the Mavs intend to trade Dirk...

(whereas the truth is that it's just some random douchebag's opinion of what the Mavs should do with this franchise!)

If you read the title and interpreted it as the Mavs intend to trade Dirk, then I can't help you. I didn't say "Mavs to trade Dirk" or "Cuban exploring options of moving Dirk". Those titles would have portrayed that message. The title for my piece is pretty obviously an opinion piece.

And what is with the personal attacks? I (AKA "douchebag") have just as much right to voice my opinion of what the Mavs do with the franchise as anyone else. Have you never made a statement of opinion in regards to the Mavs and shared it on this forum?

I posted this as a means to start an intelligent discussion and debate about the directions this franchise should talk, not so that I could get into a childish round-about of smack talk.

Its posts like yours that remind me why I spend more time on the Bleacher Report website than on forums nowadays. More intelligent and logical sports talk and less mindless insults and smack talk. Grow up!

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs

There's very limited options on trading Dirk. Dirk wont get us Lebron, Kobe or Dwight Howard. He would possibly land us Amare Stodemire and that would be interesting. Dirk gets the reunite with Nash he'd be happy with that. Or maybe a Carlos Boozer. Give us that true power forward that we need.

I would not be interested in trading Dirk for a single star player. None of those trades would be worth it to me. If we were to trade Dirk, it would be an acknowledgment that we are going back to rebuilding. Therefore, I would only pull the trigger if we could get some solid young players that still have not reached their maximum potential in addition to draft picks.

By having young guys with smaller salaries, it would also help us to be bigger players in future free agents. It is definitely a longer and harder road than standing pat, but at this point in time, it may be what this franchise needs to do

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purplefrog

excuse me but I'm feeling a bit ill.

you and me both dude... Its a terrifying topic to even discuss, but at the same time, I think it is time that this discussion is actually becoming relevant.

Underdog · 01-15-2009, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robo98564

If you read the title and interpreted it as the Mavs intend to trade Dirk, then I can't help you. I didn't say "Mavs to trade Dirk" or "Cuban exploring options of moving Dirk". Those titles would have portrayed that message. The title for my piece is pretty obviously an opinion piece

How is "Dallas Mavericks: Time To Let Dirk Go" obviously an opinion piece???

That sure as sh!t sounds like "Mavs to trade Dirk"...

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

How is "Dallas Mavericks: Time To Let Dirk Go" obviously an opinion piece???

That sure as sh!t sounds like "Mavs to trade Dirk"...

I am sorry you have poor reading comprehension... You're the first person who has thought so...

I can certainly say it was not my intention to mislead. I have no problem with criticism, but I also don't see any need for the personal attacks just because I might have a different take on things than you do.

twelli · 01-15-2009, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

I have to wonder what the Mavs could get back for Dirk at this point.

You want a younger top ten player with room for improvement who can lead a team to a championship.

I am not sure about Amare any more. Maybe too injury prone?

Dirk would NEVER go to Utah and Boozer is good and all but not in Dirk's league.

Carmello might be an option, cause he's younger and has yet to reach his prime. But you would trade away a likeable role model for, well, Carmello...

Bosh might be a good trade.

How about Oden? If Portland would be championship contenders with Dirk straight away, maybe.

Underdog · 01-15-2009, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robo98564

I am sorry you have poor reading comprehension... You're the first person who has thought so...

I can certainly say it was not my intention to mislead. I have no problem with criticism, but I also don't see any need for the personal attacks just because I might have a different take on things than you do.

Defensive some?

You're just pissed because I called the author of this article a "douchebag" without realizing that you were the author...

I stand by it...

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twelli

You want a younger top ten player with room for improvement who can lead a team to a championship.

I am not sure about Amare any more. Maybe too injury prone?

Dirk would NEVER go to Utah and Boozer is good and all but not in Dirk's league.

Carmello might be an option, cause he's younger and has yet to reach his prime. But you would trade away a likeable role model for, well, Carmello...

Bosh might be a good trade.

How about Oden? If Portland would be championship contenders with Dirk straight away, maybe.

I agree with this post completely. I certainly wouldn't have any interest in Carmello, but Oden is an interesting thought.

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Defensive some?

You're just pissed because I called the author of this article a "douchebag" without realizing that you were the author...

I stand by it...

Well you are again showing your lack of reading comprehension, because I clearly identified myself as the writer in the first post of this thread.

And don't worry dude, I'm not defensive, and you certainly haven't hurt my little feelings.

I just have little patience for the "internet badass" that comes into forums to trash talk and name call instead of contribute intelligent conversation and debate.

I know that you're feeling like a "cool guy" right now because you can call someone you have never met a douchebag for the simple reason they chose a title to their article you were too dumb to understand, and you're certainly doing a great job at upping your post count so congratulations on that.

But why don't you consider posting less, and actually posting something with substance when you do post...

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 10:24 PM

Underdog:

I also find it funny that you chose to actually reply with your thoughts on the thread topic in your neg-rep to me, but saved your insults for inside the thread... I thought it was supposed to be the other way around haha

Silk Smoov · 01-15-2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robo98564

Underdog:

I also find it funny that you chose to actually reply with your thoughts on the thread topic in your neg-rep to me, but saved your insults for inside the thread... I thought it was supposed to be the other way around haha

He did me the same way today, while calling me a bitch in the negative rep comments, which is suppose to be an automatic ban for his comments like that. Guys like that are the same ones who walk around with black eyes all the time telling people that he got drunk and started a fight. Real reason is that his little smart mouth got his ass smashed while being perfectly sober.

robo98564 · 01-15-2009, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silk Smoov

He did me the same way today, while calling me a bitch in the negative rep comments, which is suppose to be an automatic ban for his comments like that. Guys like that are the same ones who walk around with black eyes all the time telling people that he got drunk and started a fight. Real reason is that his little smart mouth got his ass smashed while being perfectly sober.

No room for disagreement in internet forums... You either agree with me or your an idiot!! Haha

quietsavant · 01-15-2009, 11:37 PM

What Fish monger wrote this thread??

DirkFTW · 01-15-2009, 11:48 PM

I agree with Underdog that the thread and article title strongly suggest the "Dallas Mavericks" have decided it is "time to let Dirk go." But misleading/shocking titles seem to be a fad around this forum lately, so it didn't faze me.

dude1394 · 01-16-2009, 12:19 AM

It would be stupid. See minnesota for what it would look like. You'd have a crappy team and you'd be hoping for the next dirk.

robo98564 · 01-16-2009, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirkFTW

I agree with Underdog that the thread and article title strongly suggest the "Dallas Mavericks" have decided it is "time to let Dirk go." But misleading/shocking titles seem to be a fad around this forum lately, so it didn't faze me.

I guess I can see your point there, never thought of it like that. The reason for that is that is a common way to do titles for the website I posted this on. You put the team name you are writing about, in this case the Dallas Mavericks, and then you put your title. It just helps to generate more reads because people that search "Dallas Mavericks" will have this article pop-up

Sorry for any confusion cause... was certainly not trying to mislead anyone into thinking I was "reporting the news". This is strictly an opinion piece....

Underdog · 01-16-2009, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silk Smoov

He did me the same way today, while calling me a bitch in the negative rep comments, which is suppose to be an automatic ban for his comments like that. Guys like that are the same ones who walk around with black eyes all the time telling people that he got drunk and started a fight. Real reason is that his little smart mouth got his ass smashed while being perfectly sober.

Go with Christ, brah...

dude1394 · 01-16-2009, 12:22 AM

And if you are going to post original work...deal with the criticism.

Underdog · 01-16-2009, 12:22 AM

Mark Cuban's ego can't afford to lose Dirk...

robo98564 · 01-16-2009, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dude1394

It would be stupid. See minnesota for what it would look like. You'd have a crappy team and you'd be hoping for the next dirk.

Just because Minnesota went to hell doesn't mean that if we traded Dirk, we would too. We very well might temporarily, but who's to say our long-term success wouldn't be greater.

I guess the way I see it is why kill Dirk's years in his prime with a team that just is not equipped to win it all, or even compete to win it all. We have backed ourselves into a corner with that Harris trade, among other less than stellar acquisitions, and now its going to be really hard to get enough talented role players around our nucleus to make this a championship-level ball club again.

If this is the case, I would rather trade Dirk while he is still in his prime, get as much young talent and draft picks as I can, and build for the future. Maybe it won't work out, but I'd rather take that chance than to watch Dirk rot here in Dallas.

I hope I'm wrong and Cuban has something up his sleeves, but I just don't see it.

Either way, I want to win a Championship and I want Dirk to win one... If he can't do it with us, let him do it with someone else and lets rebuild for the future.

robo98564 · 01-16-2009, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dude1394

And if you are going to post original work...deal with the criticism.

I'm all for criticism dude... no worries there.

What I am not going to stand for is personal attacks over a simple difference of opinion. Feel free to rip my arguments to shreds. Hell, I HOPE I am wrong.

But I love to debate, criticize away! haha

chumdawg · 01-16-2009, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robo98564

I know that you're feeling like a "cool guy" right now because you can call someone you have never met a douchebag for the simple reason they chose a title to their article you were too dumb to understand

Too dumb to understand? I think that *you* don't understand what the title you wrote meant. When you say "Dallas Mavericks:", with the colon after Mavericks, you are saying that the Dallas Mavericks themselves say what comes next.

A) If you don't understand how to use certain punctuation/usage, you shouldn't use it.

B) If you don't understand how to use certain punctuation/usage, and someone calls you on it, you look like both an idiot and a douchebag when you when you ironically call that person "too dumb to understand" what you were getting at.

Get a better title, douchebag. Learn how to use a colon and semi-colon and a hyphen. Do that, and you won't make your editor do the job that you should be doing in the first place.

dude1394 · 01-16-2009, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robo98564

Just because Minnesota went to hell doesn't mean that if we traded Dirk, we would too. We very well might temporarily, but who's to say our long-term success wouldn't be greater.

I guess the way I see it is why kill Dirk's years in his prime with a team that just is not equipped to win it all, or even compete to win it all. We have backed ourselves into a corner with that Harris trade, among other less than stellar acquisitions, and now its going to be really hard to get enough talented role players around our nucleus to make this a championship-level ball club again.

If this is the case, I would rather trade Dirk while he is still in his prime, get as much young talent and draft picks as I can, and build for the future. Maybe it won't work out, but I'd rather take that chance than to watch Dirk rot here in Dallas.

I hope I'm wrong and Cuban has something up his sleeves, but I just don't see it.

Either way, I want to win a Championship and I want Dirk to win one... If he can't do it with us, let him do it with someone else and lets rebuild for the future.

Show me the team that traded their superstar and came right back to contend. It doesn't count when you have two (shaq/kobe) for example.

I want dirk to play with the mavs as long as he wants to...period. You'd rather take that chance...well it's damn easy to take the chance when you have nothing to lose from it. No money, no headaches, nothing. You'll just turn the channel...the management, the rest of the players and the fans at the arena who would (maybe) have to watch a putrid team certainly have more invested than that.

dude1394 · 01-16-2009, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robo98564

I'm all for criticism dude... no worries there.

What I am not going to stand for is personal attacks over a simple difference of opinion. Feel free to rip my arguments to shreds. Hell, I HOPE I am wrong.

But I love to debate, criticize away! haha

If you are this thin-skinned...I think you should take up another hobby.