PGT: Mavs fought hard. Refs were awful. Spurs were hot

[EricaLubarsky]

We all knew the Spurs were going to get home cooking.

We all knew the Spurs were going to have a game where they couldn't miss. We couldn't let them stay in it until they had a hot game like this.

No one predicted the Mavs to go this far. Three wins on the best team in the league and we outplayed the Spurs for most of 5 of 7 games. We just had too little experience playing together.

Still, I'm very proud of this team. I really hope we see Ellis and Dirk return with some better players around them.

Return
Dirk - still has some tread on his tires, but needs to be protected with fewer minutes and a stronger defensive center
Ellis - Played pretty poorly next to Dirk, but will develop better chemistry with time. Flat out fearless.
Wright - got better all year and is a nice backup 4/5 who can flatout score and block some shots

50/50
Carter - Still has some and not a bad 4th or 5th option. Needs a diminished role, but has a decent contract
Calderon - decent contract, decent leader with decent size. Awful defensively and cannot rebound. Can hit some nasty, clutch threes.

Dump
Marion - one of the reasons we have a championship, but he's just too slow. He's a one-trick pony, whose losing his ability to do his trick (defend).

[sefant77]

Please retire Ginobili...fking disgrace to the game.

Im all in to sell high on Wright because of his advanced stats. Hopefully someone will bite. Im trading him for Sanders all day long.

Any new player HAS to be an above average defender if your core is Ellis/Dirk (and probably Calderon). Deng is almost a must have, same goes with one of Gortat/Sanders/Asik.

I would love to get Rondo but wont happen...

And be careful how many millions of the capspace we spend with Carter and Marion., specially if we sign Deng...


And please get a true backup PF, i dont think 36y old Marion is an option for 18-20min backup PF

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I hate Ginobili more than any player in the league. Just a gimmick player nowadays.

But other than him, I don't really hate the Spurs like I once did. I think Portland is going to beat them in round 2. Surely hope so.

[GermanDunk]

[Sportstudi]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I hate Ginobili more than any player in the league. Just a gimmick player nowadays.

But other than him, I don't really hate the Spurs like I once did. I think Portland is going to beat them in round 2. Surely hope so.

Couldn't agree more. I have nothing against Duncan and Parker, but Ginobili? I can't stand him one single bit. He's such a flopping piece of sh*t. Carter's flop in game 6 was bad, but Ginobili is doing this shit in every single game. And that's just a disgrace to the game.

The refs were just bad today. Horrible officiating and homecooking. Bad that shouldn't be any excuse. The Spurs were simply the better team today.

[Underdog]

That was an embarrassing loss, but it's hard not to be proud of our Mavs taking this series to Game 7 when everyone was predicting a Spurs sweep.

That said, we desperately need some defensive-minded players on this roster... Your move, Mr. Cuban.

[Vinsanity]

It's always disappointing when you lose, but I'm proud of this Mavs team.

Everyone thought we'd win no more than 40 games, we won 49. Everyone thought we wouldn't make the playoffs, we did. Everyone thought Ellis was nothing but an inefficient shot chunker, he proved them wrong. Everyone thought Dirk was washed up, he made the allstar team and had an extraordinary season. Everyone thought we'd get swept by the Spurs, we pushed them to 7 games.

No shame in what Dallas was able to do this season. Had a lot of fun watching my Mavs all season long. Can't wait for next year!!



MFFL STRONG

[Hansolo]

Sigh...

Moving on.



May the force be with the Mavs next season.

[ffballer]

CANT BE PROUDER OF MY MAVS(YES CAPS ON)

[Underdog]

Ellis will be back next season, no doubt there... I like that he cut down on his turnovers in the playoffs - especially against a strong defense like SA.

[DirkFinMcCloud]

Originally Posted by sefant77

Please retire Ginobili...fking disgrace to the game.

Im all in to sell high on Wright because of his advanced stats. Hopefully someone will bite. Im trading him for Sanders all day long.

Any new player HAS to be an above average defender if your core is Ellis/Dirk (and probably Calderon). Deng is almost a must have, same goes with one of Gortat/Sanders/Asik.

I would love to get Rondo but wont happen...

And be careful how many millions of the capspace we spend with Carter and Marion., specially if we sign Deng...


And please get a true backup PF, i dont think 36y old Marion is an option for 18-20min backup PF

Definitely Wright for Sanders all day..but you think Bucks would actually do that? I doubt it. I saw we sign Deng and let Marion go. Keep Vince..

get a big man, my choice is Zach Randolph. As much as I hate the Heat, Chris Andersen (birdman) is a free agent. If we could sign him for really cheap as a backup, wouldn't be too bad. He's a hustler down low with experience. I really don't think Gortat can do too much for the team...

[j0Shi]

I don't know. Frustrating, but this year finally seems to be something to build on. Would have loved to give them a fight today, but all things considered such a game was overdue.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Ellis will be back next season, no doubt there... I like that he cut down on his turnovers in the playoffs - especially against a strong defense like SA.

Particularly impressive when you consider he was playing on a new team and that team was basically like a first-year expansion team because there was so much turnover. I could see Ellis being 7-8 assist, 1.9TO guy with enough chemistry.

[DirkFinMcCloud]

Lol Mark looks pissed in that pic though. Kinda like he's thinking, don't worry Monta, you're not going anywhere..but I got other plans for some of the other guys

[Underdog]

Marion only played 20 minutes today, and 28.8 MPG for the series after averaging 31.7 MPG in the regular season. Usually minutes go up in the playoffs, not down... I have a feeling this might be the last time we see Matrix in a Mavs uniform (and as much as I've loved him over the years, I'm okay with the idea of moving on).

[sike]

This season is a WIN.

NOW, they MUST make the most of that cap space. Resigning vets like Marion shouldn't even be high on the agenda...if done at all.

Get younger. Get faster. Get DEFENSIVE.

GO MAVS!

[DirkFinMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Marion only played 20 minutes today, and 28.8 MPG for the series after averaging 31.7 MPG in the regular season. Usually minutes go up in the playoffs, not down... I have a feeling this might be the last time we see Matrix in a Mavs uniform (and as much as I've loved him over the years, I'm okay with the idea of moving on).

We need someone that can shoot AND defend. I cringe every time I think Marion is about to shoot. Just can't get comfortable with his shooting form, it's always like depending on luck most of the time. He's kind of a reckless player too. Although I will miss his defense...but it'll be worth it to get someone who can score more efficiently.

[DirkFinMcCloud]

But hey..good to know we have a pretty solid team. Could have easily turned those 49 games to 60 if it wasn't for some close ones and lead blows. I see us improving, but the worst part about it is rebuilding new chemistry. Nellie, get some super athletes on this team.

[GermanDunk]

Are they heading home by bus or will the use the Mavs-plane ?

[DirkFinMcCloud]

Originally Posted by GermanDunk

Are they heading home by bus or will the use the Mavs-plane ?

whichever enables them to think most about improving our team next season is fine by me. If a rickshaw does the trick, let's get on it.

[GermanDunk]

I think, that is BG now asking Parker.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by GermanDunk

Are they heading home by bus or will the use the Mavs-plane ?

Pretty sure they fly to every city and only take the bus from the airport to the arena.

[Vinsanity]

Originally Posted by DirkFinMcCloud

But hey..good to know we have a pretty solid team. Could have easily turned those 49 games to 60 if it wasn't for some close ones and lead blows. I see us improving, but the worst part about it is rebuilding new chemistry. Nellie, get some super athletes on this team.

It sounds crazy but you're absolutely right... so many gamesthis year were thrown away and we still managed to win 49 games... pretty impressive

[Jack.Kerr]

Mavericks Season Performance Evaluation: Met Expectations +

They played above their heads in this series and gave the fans a thrill (okay, G7 not so much). Good on 'em. But one series shouldn't obscure the fact that team personnel has an acute need of upgrading. And it's far from clear how to make the Mavs from a Round 1 underdog into WCF contender.

Didn't see the officiating in G7 as a problem, but I do hate how confused NBA officials seem to be about flagrant fouls. It wasn't like the Mavericks were pulling any Bynums out there.

Dirk - "Still has some tread on his tires, but needs to be protected with fewer minutes and a stronger defensive center."

Season Grade: A Basically agree, but I think realistically he needs to be made a 3rd option. He's productive, but not dominant. If he can't get to the foul line anymore, he's going to have to accept a narrower role. Spurs really exposed a lot of his physical limitations, particularly defensively. Will be fun to watch him stalk Olajuwon, Hayes and Malone next season on the All-Time Scoring list.

Ellis - "Played pretty poorly next to Dirk, but will develop better chemistry with time. Flat out fearless."

Season Grade: B+ Still quite ambivalent about Ellis. Simply do not trust his decision-making, and don't think that he and Dirk realistically have that much time to develop chemistry. Ellis is quite productive, and played better than I expected him to this year, at times spectacularly better. I would hate to see them continue the revolving door policy by trading him, but I'm not that confident that he will fully transition from gunner to winner.

Wright - "got better all year and is a nice backup 4/5 who can flatout score and block some shots"

Season Grade: B- Agree. He is a nice backup. Not sure that he ever projects as a full-time starter.

50/50
Calderon - "decent contract, decent leader with decent size. Awful defensively and cannot rebound. Can hit some nasty, clutch threes. "

Season Grade: B- He's fine as a backup PG. Reminds me of Brad Davis--better shooter, but slower.

Dalembert Season Grade: C- Don't trust his late-season rally. He's adequate as a backup, but if he has to be packaged in a trade in order to upgrade elsewhere, I'll be the first to start his appreciation thread.

Harris Season Grade: B Keep him, as long as you don't have to overpay. Give him contract incentives if he can raise his 3-pt% over 37

Blair Season Grade: C- Keep him as a gut-busting 10th-12th man.

Dump

Marion - "one of the reasons we have a championship, but he's just too slow. He's a one-trick pony, whose losing his ability to do his trick (defend)."

Season Grade: Thank you. Agree. He's done. Thanks, Trix.

Carter - "Still has some and not a bad 4th or 5th option. Needs a diminished role, but has a decent contract."

Season Grade: C+/B- I've never been a Carter fan, even when he was leaping over Frederic Weiss. But I can give him credit for being a valuable contributor to THIS Mavericks team, given the circumstances of THIS season. Afraid he'll become dead wood next year. Won't be a good sign if he's on the roster after the All-Star break.

Bernard James F
Shane Larkin F
Jae Crowder D

[GermanDunk]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Pretty sure they fly to every city and only take the bus from the airport to the arena.

How far is it to SA ? 150 miles ?

[grndmstr_c]

Proud of the team's effort this series. Once the dust settles they should be able to look back on the entirety of the 2013/14 season and feel good about how they acquitted themselves.

Re: free agents, I agree with the consensus that this was likely Shawn's last game in a Mavs uniform. If so, he's had a great run, and will be fondly remembered. As for the rest of them, I obviously want to see Dirk back, and would love to see Devin re-sign as well. Not sure what the market will be for Vince, but I'd like to see him play one or two more seasons to finish his career out in Dallas, and tend to think there's a realistic chance that he'll have the opportunity to do so. Even if he stays, though, SF, along with center, remains the team's biggest need. Should be an interesting summer.

[Cerberus]

Disappointing how we lost, BUT I AM ABSOLUTELY PROUD OF THE MAVS AND BEING A MAV FAN.
What Carlisle did to get this group to game 7 against the best team in the league is amazing considering our major defensive liabilities and with 1 legit inconsistent Center. We give him a lot of criticism but he made a lot of great adjustments and clutch set ups this season with 3 game winning buzzer beaters, they were awesome, it would have been 3-4 years prior to this one that I saw Dirk hit one against the Bucks (not sure if that was the last one )

Dirk had it tough this series but his legacy should never be questioned. At 35 playing at a high level, with his little athleticism and still average over 20 points this is indeed something special. Can't speak much higher because words can't truly portray him.

Monta has won many games for us this season and was a true sidekick to Dirk. Yeah he has liabilities but his offense outweighs his deficiencies. He changed his game to more a efficient one for a better. I love his drive to the basket, never I have seen a Mav drive relentlessly to the basket. Hats off to proving doubters and his adjustments.

I would love to see Carter return rather than Marion, he spreads the floor well and is still decent defensively against other small forwards. His post all-star games was huge coming off the bench along with Wright and Harris (who also I want back), these 3 are X-factors. Calderon's 3's throughout the season was just lights out and with crucial timing. But having 2 guards that can't defend, as you saw this series, can't cut it.

Congrats to the Spurs. Have a lot of respect for Pop, Duncan and Parker.

[Thomas86]

I'm very proud of the Mavs this season...some People said they wouldn't make the playoffs and they did...some people said they wouldn't win more than 1 game in the playoffs and they did so I have nothing to be upset about.

I really hope Cuban sees the flaws in this team like we all do and fix them...at some point you have to win with defense and the Mavs didn't have enough of it, I applaud RC for getting the most out of this team and he's the real coach of the year to me.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by GermanDunk

How far is it to SA ? 150 miles ?

Try 275 miles... Texas is a big place.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I know this is predicting the unknown, but I don't think we had a shot against Portland either way. They are just too deep and too talented. Can't wait to watch that series.

[Underdog]

I wonder what the Mavs record is with early-start games? Seems like we lose most of them...

There were only 2 games today - no reason the NBA couldn't have scheduled them farther apart. Hell, the first game wasn't even done when ours started.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I wonder what the Mavs record is with early-start games? Seems like we lose most of them...

There were only 2 games today - no reason the NBA couldn't have scheduled them farther apart. Hell, the first game wasn't even done when ours started.

Especially on Sunday. I feel like we never in early Sunday games.

[sefant77]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I know this is predicting the unknown, but I don't think we had a shot against Portland either way. They are just too deep and too talented. Can't wait to watch that series.

Portland is everything except deep. Their bench is still awful and short, basically nothing else than Mo Williams.

Thats why i gave us like an almost 50:50 shot against them. Because of our bench advantage and their terrible PnR defense (they were allready worried about Dirk&Ellis).

I think the Spurs bench gonna kill the Blazers.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Proud of the team's effort this series. Once the dust settles they should be able to look back on the entirety of the 2013/14 season and feel good about how they acquitted themselves.

Losing to the #1 seeded Spurs in Game 7 after a 49-win season was a helluva lot better than that .500/no playoffs crap we had to suffer through in 2012/13, that's for sure!

If nothing else, free agents will probably take a harder look at Dallas this summer.

[Murphy3]

Dirk's coming off of basically a 50/40/90 season. It's going to be very difficult to make him a 3rd option anytime soon especially considering his points per minute were extremely comparable to many of his better years.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by sefant77

Portland is everything except deep. Their bench is still awful and short, basically nothing else than Mo Williams.

Thats why i gave us like an almost 50:50 shot against them. Because of our bench advantage and their terrible PnR defense (they were allready worried about Dirk&Ellis).

I think the Spurs bench gonna kill the Blazers.

I guess I mean more depth in their starting lineup. All of their starters are damn good. Plus, they can use a player like Mccollum as an X factor if they get in a bind. Amazing that they have a young talent like that and don't really need him.

[Melonhead]

Cuban says the more continuity the better (on the roster for next season)

Carlisle says he'd like to have everyone back next season.

Marion and one center has to go. I don't know which though

[sike]

Originally Posted by sefant77

I think the Spurs bench gonna kill the Blazers.

Yup. I'm predicting the re-emergence of the 62Win Spurs now that those pesky Mavs (with their brilliant coach) are out of the way.

[jthig32]

Skin thinks there's a good chance Marion stays here on the cheap in a backup 4 role (obviously with some 3 mixed in). Says he loves it here.

I'd be surprised if that happened but would love Marion to retire a Mav if he's willing to move to the bench.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

Cuban says the more continuity the better (on the roster for next season)

Carlisle says he'd like to have everyone back next season.

Oh, okay... Since we're not going to use that cap space for anything, I suppose we'll just pay Dirk $30m next season.