ESPN Predictions - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

dirno2000 · 10-22-2008, 05:34 PM

J.A. Adande - SOUTHWEST: 3 | WEST: 8 Would feel better about having Jason Kidd around for a full season if he hadn't looked so average during the Olympics. Rick Carlisle has a tough job changing the mentality of a team that has folded in its past three playoff series.

Jon Barry - SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 7 Time for this team to be broken up. It's not the right mix since the 2006 Finals meltdown. Just not a championship-quality team. Maybe they'll deal Howard if they get off to a slow start. Don't be surprised if Cuban mixes it up.

Chris Broussard - SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 8 The Mavs are younger than the Suns, but the story lines are the same: Like the Kings of C-Webb, Bibby & Co., they missed their opportunity for a ring. Carlisle's newness will have them all saying it's not the same ol' song. But it is.

Ric Bucher - SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 8 Biggest challenge of Rick Carlisle's career. He'll get more out of Jason Kidd, but this team needs a major overhaul. The psychological scar of the 2006 collapse is still visible.

Chad Ford - SOUTHWEST:4 | WEST: 8 The Mavs' problem is that they didn't make that significant infusion of youth to an aging franchise -- they went opposite. The trade of Devin Harris and two first-round picks for Jason Kidd will haunt them for the next five years.

Jemele Hill - SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 8 Dirk Nowitzki is a franchise player who is unable to be a closer. The Mavericks have been sliding backward since going to the 2006 NBA Finals. This might be the year they don't make the postseason.

John Hollinger - SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 7 The Jason Kidd panic trade likely ended their title-contending days, but any team lining up Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard at the forward spots should at least make the playoffs, especially given new coach Rick Carlisle's track record.

Jalen Rose - SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 9 It will be very important for this team to get off to a fast start. Especially with so many changes made and distractions this offseason. They will be led by Nowitzki, Kidd and Howard. Rick Carlisle has proven to be a great coach.

Chris Sheridan - SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 9 Although owner Mark Cuban tries to subcategorize all of ESPN's talent by what he sees as their respective shticks, we'll categorize his team as what it is: a mediocre assemblage of talent whose long-term hopes were ruined by the Jason Kidd deal.

Marc Stein - SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 6 Just a thought: If they won 51 games last season when everyone in Mavsland was so unhappy, should we hold off on all those obituaries until we see how the Mavs look (and feel) under Carlisle?

Tokey41 · 10-22-2008, 05:43 PM

Blowing it up before it's too late to get any real value from anyone would realistically be the best option... but since when has this franchise ever been about realism? The experts for the most part, are spot on... except Hill who obviously has no clue who Dirk Nowitzki is and Stein who's Dallas ties are showing his biases quite clearly here.

Kidd Karma · 10-22-2008, 05:51 PM

Dallas Mavericks, NBA Champions!!......bitches is what I'll e-mail each of them in June.

MavsX · 10-22-2008, 05:54 PM

G D

LSMF · 10-22-2008, 05:56 PM

Wow they really think that we are done...

grndmstr_c · 10-22-2008, 05:56 PM

Oh well. If you're going to prove people wrong, might as well prove a whole hell of a lot of people wrong.

dude1394 · 10-22-2008, 06:02 PM

F'em...

jthig32 · 10-22-2008, 06:04 PM

I'm going to assume they messed up Adande's predictions, because he has us finishing 3rd in the Southwest and 8th in the West, while he has the Spurs finishing 4th in the Southwest and 5th in the West.

Unless he thinks there's going to be a 4 way tie for 5-8, I guess.

AxdemxO · 10-22-2008, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tokey41

Blowing it up before it's too late to get any real value from anyone would realistically be the best option... but since when has this franchise ever been about realism? The experts for the most part, are spot on... except Hill who obviously has no clue who Dirk Nowitzki is and Stein who's Dallas ties are showing his biases quite clearly here.

Wow what happened to you?? that is sadd

sike · 10-22-2008, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Oh well. If you're going to prove people wrong, might as well prove a whole hell of a lot of people wrong.

genius.

sike · 10-22-2008, 06:16 PM

Every single one has us at 4th in our division....and two have us out of the playoffs...

"The Dallas Mavericks, Bringing sports writers together"

LSMF · 10-22-2008, 06:22 PM

Wouldn't it be sweet if we made some noise in the playoffs this year? =]

muzak · 10-22-2008, 06:46 PM

i'm sick of the mental b.s. it's not like this is exactly the same team. it's so contrived now.

craggmac · 10-22-2008, 07:00 PM

All I'm going to say is, the Rockets are NOT going to be as good as everyone keeps saying they're going to be, nor are the Lakers or the Eastern conference.

fluid.forty.one · 10-22-2008, 07:26 PM

Chris Sheridan - SOUTHWEST: 4 | WEST: 9 Although owner Mark Cuban tries to subcategorize all of ESPN's talent by what he sees as their respective shticks, we'll categorize his team as what it is: a mediocre assemblage of talent whose long-term hopes were ruined by the Jason Kidd deal.

wow. Bitter, party of one!

as dude said.. F EM. F EM all.

fluid.forty.one · 10-22-2008, 07:29 PM

just re-read chris sheridan's splurge of intelligence again. The "although" doesn't even make any sense. That would make sense if he was going to compliment the mavs maybe... What a moron.

Dirkadirkastan · 10-22-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

just re-read chris sheridan's splurge of intelligence again. The "although" doesn't even make any sense. That would make sense if he was going to compliment the mavs maybe... What a moron.

Sheridan has hated Cuban ever since Cuban refused to answer one of his asinine questions right after the Mavs got F'd in the A in Game 5 of the Finals.

AxdemxO · 10-22-2008, 07:46 PM

There are 2 maybe 3 team better thn us ..and thts only on paper. Lakes, Rockets, and maybe NO. I say F'em all because until the season starts and is well underway..no one will know anything for sure. But I am willing to put my money on the Mavs against any team in the West....GO MAVS

Usually Lurkin · 10-22-2008, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

just re-read chris sheridan's splurge of intelligence again. The "although" doesn't even make any sense. That would make sense if he was going to compliment the mavs maybe... What a moron.

that's his schtick

Mavs Rule · 10-22-2008, 08:08 PM

I love how Jalen picks us as missing the playoffs, but all he has to say about us are good things, other than the off-season distractions.

Rick41 · 10-22-2008, 08:18 PM

These writers have their heads so far up the celtics and lakers asses....

FreshJive · 10-22-2008, 08:58 PM

I think the rest of the world underates the extent of Avery's suck, but if I were a national writer who didn't pay alot of attention to the team I might think the same.

Plus I'm drinking the Gerald Green/ Antoine Wright koolaid right now, and that is obviously under their radar.

craggmac · 10-22-2008, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreshJive

I think the rest of the world underates the extent of Avery's suck, but if I were a national writer who didn't pay alot of attention to the team I might think the same.

Plus I'm drinking the Gerald Green/ Antoine Wright koolaid right now, and that is obviously under their radar.

I agree with you. I just happen to stumble upon this picture though.

dirno2000 · 10-22-2008, 10:03 PM

Jalen and Sheridan both have the Clippers making the playoffs over us. Sheridan actually has them finishing 6th in the West.

Wright, Green and Howard are going to surprise people this year. Wright and Green and because they've never done anything and Howard because everyone (including the board at one point) seems to have written him off after his rough summer. Mike Kahn just published a top 50 list and Josh isn't on it.

I'm really hoping that Kidd can make people (including myself) eat their words about his sever drop off. If he has a retrenching year we're as good as anybody in the league.

jthig32 · 10-22-2008, 10:08 PM

6th in the West for the Clippers seems....ludicrous.

I like the optimism Dirno. Glad to see you posting too. Ready for the season to ramp up.

dude1394 · 10-22-2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

Mike Kahn just published a top 50 list and Josh isn't on it.

That is shocking......and some pretty crappy sportswriting.

LonghornDub · 10-22-2008, 11:20 PM

This is a team that has most of the exact same players as a team that won 67 games in a season, all with a hack for a coach.

Unless you think that 1) Devin is the difference between 67 wins and 40-something, 2) 2 measly years of age is really that big of a deal, or 3) the team won 67 games because of Avery, I see no reason why anyone should be a predicting a 40-something win, 9th seed season.

Dirkadirkastan · 10-22-2008, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

This is a team that has most of the exact same players as a team that won 67 games in a season, all with a hack for a coach.

Unless you think that 1) Devin is the difference between 67 wins and 40-something, 2) 2 measly years of age is really that big of a deal, or 3) the team won 67 games because of Avery, I see no reason why anyone should be a predicting a 40-something win, 9th seed season.

There are too many new, blank slate teams to make a Mavs story sound interesting. ESPN is all about hype, not accuracy.

LonghornDub · 10-22-2008, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirkadirkastan

There are too many new, blank slate teams to make a Mavs story sound interesting. ESPN is all about hype, not accuracy.

Oh, that reminds me, I forgot option 4) The rest of the league is just soooo much better than it was 2 seasons ago that we can reasonably account for a 20+ win differential for the Mavs.

You're absolutely right though. ESPN is a hype machine.

dirno2000 · 10-22-2008, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthig32

6th in the West for the Clippers seems....ludicrous.

I like the optimism Dirno. Glad to see you posting too. Ready for the season to ramp up.

I feel better about this team than I did a month ago. At that point I forgot that Wright was on the team and my only hope for Green was that he could crack the rotation by the All Star break. Now it looks like Wright has forced his way into the starting lineup and Green should provide scoring and energy off the bench from day one. That plus the continued emergence of Bass could make this team more young and athletic than the experts realize.

Burn this City · 10-22-2008, 11:44 PM

I'd probably agree with Stein and have them slotted as 6th. It would be extremely difficult to make the case that they're as good as the consensus top 4 in the west (Lakers, Hornets, Spurs, Jazz), so they're probably in that next batch with the Suns, Rockets, and Blazers IMO.

sike · 10-22-2008, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

I feel better about this team than I did a month ago. At that point I forgot that Wright was on the team and my only hope for Green was that he could crack the rotation by the All Star break. Now it looks like Wright has forced his way into the starting lineup and Green should provide scoring and energy off the bench from day one. That plus the continued emergence of Bass could make this team more young and athletic than the experts realize.

Josh, Bass, Wright, Green, Williams, Diop...all young (I consider Josh young-ish) and talented.

LonghornDub · 10-22-2008, 11:50 PM

When you throw Wright and Green into the mix, this team isn't nearly as old as people think. The whole perception is tainted by the fact that we have an old PG, but it's not like he sucks (even if he has lost a step).

dirno2000 · 10-22-2008, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burn this City

I'd probably agree with Stein and have them slotted as 6th. It would be extremely difficult to make the case that they're as good as the consensus top 4 in the west (Lakers, Hornets, Spurs, Jazz), so they're probably in that next batch with the Suns, Rockets, and Blazers IMO.

The Rockets are in the consensus top 4. Most of the ranking I've seen have the Spurt 5th.

BGMaverick9 · 10-22-2008, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

When you throw Wright and Green into the mix, this team isn't nearly as old as people think. The whole perception is tainted by the fact that we have an old PG, but it's not like he sucks (even if he has lost a step).

That's going to be the new "it" description of the Mavs this year: OLD.
It's been soft, fragile, inexperienced, whatever...it's going to be Old now. Add on top that they are actually getting one part of it right, uptempo...but to mix it with the old idea and they see a recipe not so great results vs our expectations.

This is going to be a real chance to run people out of the gym and confuse the hell out of them. People are ready to leave this team for dead and say the window has sealed shut on them. A lot of us here believe that is not the case. We just need to knock them right on the chin right away and come out running, don't let up and the next thing they'll know they lost to the "geezers." A little misinterpretation will work fine for us.

dirno2000 · 10-23-2008, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

This is going to be a real chance to run people out of the gym and confuse the hell out of them. People are ready to leave this team for dead and say the window has sealed shut on them. A lot of us here believe that is not the case. We just need to knock them right on the chin right away and come out running, don't let up and the next thing they'll know they lost to the "geezers." A little misinterpretation will work fine for us.

We'll run bad teams out of the gym but we did that last year. I want to see how we match up against the contenders. 3 of our first 7 games are against he Rockets the Spurs and the Lakers so it won't take long to see where we are.

sike · 10-23-2008, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

We'll run bad teams out of the gym but we did that last year. I want to see how we match up against the contenders. 3 of our first 7 games are against he Rockets the Spurs and the Lakers so it won't take long to see where we are.

I'd be oh so happy with 2 out 3...

BGMaverick9 · 10-23-2008, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

We'll run bad teams out of the gym but we did that last year. I want to see how we match up against the contenders. 3 of our first 7 games are against he Rockets the Spurs and the Lakers so it won't take long to see where we are.

True, it's nice to get those wins and try to see where you stand but it's also a little tricky to put a whole lot of stock into those in terms of where you actually stand. It's as early as you can get and teams will be tinkering with new pieces and etc. You wanna get the Ws for sure, but it won't be a true measuring stick. It'll be good for the first phase of the season though.

LonghornDub · 10-23-2008, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sike

I'd be oh so happy with 2 out 3...

I remember when we said that last year during that stretch against the Lakers/Spurs/Celtics. Then we lost all 3.

Good times, good times.

BGMaverick9 · 10-23-2008, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

I remember when we said that last year during that stretch against the Lakers/Spurs/Celtics. Then we lost all 3.

Good times, good times.

I remember that, and the massive state of panic that ensued because of it...sheesh. I'm SO ready for this season to start.