the key to the mavs this series - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Murphy3 · 05-06-2002, 12:37 PM

more than anything, dirk is going to have to step up and have a very good offensive series.
No, it doesn't all rest on his shoulders. However, if Dirk struggles, the Mavs have no shot this series.

He is the offensive leader. He is the biggest mismatch the mavs have offensively.

I know I will hear some crap about this, but the mavs simply must have dirk clicking to to be able to win this series.

the good news is, is that I definitely see that happening

Chicago JK · 05-06-2002, 12:40 PM

Of course Dirk needs to step up and I expect he will. I also think Nash needs to play at a higher level. When nash is getting to the hole it really makes defenders scramble and opens a lot of kickouts. Nash needs to control the battle at the point.

Murphy3 · 05-06-2002, 12:54 PM

of course..the thing with nash, if he's struggling, there is a guy that can take up some of the PG slack in nve

digit · 05-06-2002, 02:06 PM

I am pretty sure Dirk and the boys will have a huge game, that will end up in a W to tie this series. I think, the first game was an exception from the rule...the Mavs need to make sure, that it was an indeed an exception and don`t turn this into a negative trend. Let`s get that damn win and head back home to kick Sacto`s BUTT...

Nuff` said, let the greatest "O" on earth out of the gates...

DTL · 05-06-2002, 02:43 PM

Got to have an answer to the Kings' inside game. Raef'll have to step up and just do *something* on the court, be it scoring, rebounding, or whatever, but something! and someone needs to start to knock down those open-look shots.

TheKid · 05-06-2002, 02:50 PM

I agree with DTL, or atleast that's my biggest concern is our inside (Raef being the most worrisome in my mind) stepping up. I don't doubt that Dirk will find his groove, as well as Nas and even Fin. However Dirk needs to be a man down there, and Bradley needs to get some minutes. I don't like the fact we have six fouls over on the bench but we leave Raef in and he gets in foul trouble all the time.

Murphy3 · 05-06-2002, 02:53 PM

oh yeah..raef must play solid inside defensively..of course.. and bradley must step up if nellie decides to give him a chance.. but the mavs can possibly overcome this.. the only thing the mavs can't overcome in a series is dirk not playing up to a similar level as last series

MFFL · 05-06-2002, 02:57 PM

Raef will get it done - he played decently the second Minn game - 14 points and 12 boards so he can do it.

DTL · 05-06-2002, 03:14 PM

The more I think about it, I don't worry so much about Raef's defense. The way the Mavs play, guys like Divac will get theirs. (And I don't see Divac having consecutive career games....I just don't.) What the team really needs is Raef being more aggressive on offense. He's got to knock down those open three's so we can draw Divac out for a more open lane.

Raef still seems a bit too deferential, or timid. He's got to start to think of himself as one of the "Big Five" on this team (along with Fin, Dirk, Nash, NVE) and step up.

Hoopsmeister · 05-06-2002, 03:20 PM

<< The more I think about it, I don't worry so much about Raef's defense. The way the Mavs play, guys like Divac will get theirs. (And I don't see Divac having consecutive career games....I just don't.) What the team really needs is Raef being more aggressive on offense. He's got to knock down those open three's so we can draw Divac out for a more open lane. >>

I agree. We can live with Vlade getting 20. What killed us last game is that our offense didn't go.

DTL · 05-06-2002, 03:21 PM

Hoops - are you still tailing me? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

TheKid · 05-06-2002, 03:23 PM

See I'm the exact opposite as everyone else, I don't think we will have another offensive game like that (Rather pray). Do I think Nash will shoot like that again??? NO, and if he is we can counter attack with NVE. Fin didn't shoot that bad, he just took a few bad shots, hopefully he won't do that this game. Dirk, like I said on another thread, if he gets off 24 shots again, he WON'T only convert on 8 of them!!! That I'm sure of.

Hoopsmeister · 05-06-2002, 03:23 PM

<< Hoops - are you still tailing me? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] >>

I think I've posted 10 times since yesterday morning to, what 50? I only actually tail you on the post-padding threads.

Murphy3 · 05-06-2002, 03:32 PM

oh..i expect a big night from the mavs tonight..especially dirk.
he has a tremendous amount of heart and pride.. i think it'll show tonight.. the whole team does

Hoopsmeister · 05-06-2002, 03:45 PM

<< See I'm the exact opposite as everyone else, I don't think we will have another offensive game like that (Rather pray). Do I think Nash will shoot like that again??? NO, and if he is we can counter attack with NVE. Fin didn't shoot that bad, he just took a few bad shots, hopefully he won't do that this game. Dirk, like I said on another thread, if he gets off 24 shots again, he WON'T only convert on 8 of them!!! That I'm sure of. >>

What's opposite about that Kid? That's what I was trying to say. That all this distress I see around the net about the Vlade-Raef matchup is misfocused. Do I hope Raef or the Mavs as a whole do a better job with Vlade tonight? Of course. But Vlade getting 18 was not the reason we lost on Saturday. And the Mavs can hold Vlade to 4 and if they play like they did on Saturday they will still lose.

We lost because the big 3 had bad, bad, and barely passable nights. Change 2 of those to good and we have that win. And I think we will get that tonight.

kg_veteran · 05-06-2002, 03:58 PM

Keys to tonight's game:

1. Get away from the odd defensive matchups.

I really didn't like Dirk trying to guard Christie on the perimeter. Not only because Dirk has trouble staying in front of him, but more importantly because I feel like it's harder for Dirk to help out inside when he's out at the three point line.

Put Dirk on Vlade, and I doubt if you'll see such a great performance out of the old man in Game 2. Dirk won't be pushed out of the way like Raef was, and Dirk can keep Vlade off the boards. Put Raef on Webber, and tell him to just play the guy straight up and make him work hard. Webber is a meltdown waiting to happen, so keep him off the line, and we should be fine.

Start Newman or Griffin and put him on Stojakovic, and tell him that we don't want Peja to touch the ball until the midway point of the second quarter. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Seriously, Peja is a key for the Kings offensively, and if you can disrupt his rhythm, you can go a long way in slowing them down.

2. Offensively, get the stars going.

I know what Murph has said about Dirk's offense being crucial to our success in the series, and I certainly agree that we need to get him going tonight, but I think just as importantly, we've gotta get Nash back to his normal self. When he is in attack mode and getting to the spots on the floor where he wants to, the entire Mavs offense clicks. Everyone gets open shots, and the opponents are left on their heels defensively.

On Saturday, the Kings attacked Nash (and NVE) when they drove the lane by doubling them once they went around a pick or started to drive, swatting at the ball and producing several steals, and by playing them for the pass (jumping into the passing lanes), causing the offense to bog down.

To counter that, the Mavs need to respond with good passing and ball movement, and they need to get Nash open looks where he can score early, so that the Kings cannot simply play him for the drive and kick.

As for Fin, I think that he'll get involved offensively simply by virtue of Nash being more effective.

Having said all that, I think Game 2 is very winnable tonight, but Dallas has to get back to the basics of what they do, and start acting like themselves.

Murphy3 · 05-06-2002, 03:59 PM

yes..it is important to get nashing going..by all means.. he has tore up sacramento this year in the mavs wins..

TheKid · 05-06-2002, 04:11 PM

Hoops, I was saying I'm opposite in the fact that my biggest concern is Raef. I'm actually not worried about the big 3 stepping up. Like you said, at worst, two of them will step up so to be honest, I'm really not worried about that. However Raef does frighten me. I hope he steps up tonight.

Murphy3 · 05-06-2002, 04:17 PM

thekid, i'm not concerned about dirk getting started.. just saying that him getting started is the key..
"if" he doesn't..

the mavs offense will get started..but the mavs must decide what they are gonna do defensively inside..
i'm interested to see what moves nellie makes

Hoopsmeister · 05-06-2002, 04:18 PM

<< Hoops, I was saying I'm opposite in the fact that my biggest concern is Raef. I'm actually not worried about the big 3 stepping up. Like you said, at worst, two of them will step up so to be honest, I'm really not worried about that. However Raef does frighten me. I hope he steps up tonight. >>

Okay, I follow you now. And I still think I'm correct. If instead of bad, bad, and barely passable, we get passable, good, and good out of the big 3, then we can live with Vlade schooling Raef.

Bayliss · 05-06-2002, 04:48 PM

The key to the series:

hold Sacremento's points below ours

Notice I did not not say "outscore them". There is a difference... one implies D, the other implies O.

MFFL · 05-06-2002, 11:05 PM

<< Raef will get it done - he played decently the second Minn game - 14 points and 12 boards so he can do it. >>

And he got it done again tonight.

DTL · 05-06-2002, 11:14 PM

<< The key to the series:

hold Sacremento's points below ours

Notice I did not not say "outscore them". There is a difference... one implies D, the other implies O. >>

started out scary, but our defense certainly came through in the second half.

Smiles · 05-07-2002, 01:58 AM

<<

<< Raef will get it done - he played decently the second Minn game - 14 points and 12 boards so he can do it. >>

And he got it done again tonight. >>

Raef demonstrated that he is a jewel tonight!

I agree with DTL, He's got to have his thinking right (he's 1 of the Big 5). He's got it, he just needs to not get jammed up in his thinking...

DTL · 05-07-2002, 02:12 AM

I can't believe Valade just called Raef a role player....

<< And they needed role players such as Raef LaFrentz and Buckner to come up big on the defensive end. >>

that really makes me think she needs to find a new job.

DTL · 05-07-2002, 02:26 AM

The key to the series:

<< Nash merely stuck with his on-court performance to do the speaking. He had 30 points overall, and nine in the decisive fourth quarter. He knocked down consecutive 3-pointers early in the fourth. And one other thing:

"He fulfilled my worst prophecies," Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said. >>

Smiles · 05-07-2002, 02:44 AM

I never thought less of her until seeing this statement.

DTL, You're not fading now are you?

DTL · 05-07-2002, 11:23 AM

<< DTL, You're not fading now are you? >>

huh?

Hoopsmeister · 05-07-2002, 01:21 PM

<< I can't believe Valade just called Raef a role player....

<< And they needed role players such as Raef LaFrentz and Buckner to come up big on the defensive end. >>

that really makes me think she needs to find a new job. >>

On this team, Raef is a role player. His role is to provide a shot-blocking presence on defense and be a 3-point threat on offense--Mavs don't even really care if he makes them, they don't need his offense, just for the other team to worry about his offense.

Its like Horry--the Lakers expect him to provide great defense and hit the occasional clutch 3-pointer. Raef and Horry aren't going to win or lose games for us by themselves, but they play immportant supporting roles to the go-to superstars.

DTL · 05-07-2002, 03:57 PM

<< On this team, Raef is a role player. His role is to provide a shot-blocking presence on defense and be a 3-point threat on offense--Mavs don't even really care if he makes them, they don't need his offense, just for the other team to worry about his offense.

Its like Horry--the Lakers expect him to provide great defense and hit the occasional clutch 3-pointer. Raef and Horry aren't going to win or lose games for us by themselves, but they play immportant supporting roles to the go-to superstars. >>

I know it is a stretch to compare Raef to Ben Wallace, but would anyone call Wallace a role player? Raef's defensive and offensive games are integral to what the Mavs do. I just find it a little odd to call our starting center a "role player", even though I'd have to agree he's not quite reached a "star" level yet....

Maybe I was just overreacting after Raef's wonderful performance last night.

Hoopsmeister · 05-07-2002, 04:14 PM

<< I know it is a stretch to compare Raef to Ben Wallace, but would anyone call Wallace a role player? Raef's defensive and offensive games are integral to what the Mavs do. I just find it a little odd to call our starting center a "role player", even though I'd have to agree he's not quite reached a "star" level yet....

Maybe I was just overreacting after Raef's wonderful performance last night. >>

When Raef leads the league in rebounding to go with the block stats, we can revisit the question, but until then, I consider Wallace irrelevant to the question. The thing about Wallace is that he is like Kidd in that he is so good at what he does that he has the ability to dominate a game without scoring points. That's a very rare thing, Kidd and Wallace are probably the only two players in the league who do that right now.

Why shouldn't our starting center be a role-player? The majority of contenders in the NBA have 2 stars and then 3 starters who are role-players and a role-playing bench. The Spurs have one superstar and then a bunch of role-players--including their starting center at this point in his career. The Mavs depth starts with the fact that they have 3 stars in their starting line-up and a guy in NVE who on most teams (including when he was in Denver and if he had gone to Minnesota) could be one of those 2 stars. Everybody after that, including Raef, is a role-player.

Raef may have the potential to be more than a role-player. But he hasn't come close to fulfilling that yet. In Denver, the stars were NVE and McDyess. Even with McDyess out, Raef didn't step up to that level, so the Nuggets had one star and a wretched record.

Murphy3 · 05-07-2002, 04:17 PM

what about when wallace learns to hit a free throw or develops an outside touch?

MFFL · 05-07-2002, 04:19 PM

If LaFrentz can fill the role the Mavs want him to do (block shots, rebound, and hit an occasional 3 pointer) then I would be a VERY happy man.

DTL · 05-07-2002, 05:15 PM

<< If LaFrentz can fill the role the Mavs want him to do (block shots, rebound, and hit an occasional 3 pointer) then I would be a VERY happy man. >>

I'm definitely looking forward to the day when that happens, that is, when Raef can do all that consistently.