Hollinger with the hate crime

[LSMF]

This article is spot on in my mind, Mavs won't miss the playoffs but "they just aren't that good" is correct. This team is mediocre.

[mary]

I've got no problem with the article. Its a real possibility that the Mavs will miss the playoff. My only problem is this part.

And even with everything more or less going right and most of the competition suffering form serious problems, they still can't pull away -- because basically, they just aren't that good.

I think he's overstating the "serious problems" of the other teams in comparison to what's been happening with the Mavs. For example, the Spurs have had Parker and Manu back for weeks, and haven't "pulled away" either.

[cowdog80]

Hollinger was much more likable until his formula "picked" the Spurs to win the championship in 2007.

Ever since he got that one right, he's been loving the smell of his own farts way too much.

[Dirkadirkastan]

Thousands of people predicted that without some crazy formula.

[endrity]

Why is it than when someone makes a prediction against the team you root for, than that someone is "stupid" or at the very least biased? Why is it hard to accept that the person might have legitimate reasons for that opinion.

Fact is the Mavs have had an easy schedule, yet they struggle even against weak teams. A good team in the west will miss the playoffs, and it might not be a surprise if the Mavs are that team.

Even if he doesn't predict everything correctly, Hollinger still does very well with his stats. He has been correct on the champions the last two years when popular opinion was picking another team. And his articles remain the most insightful out of any writer out there. He is by far my favourite writer, telling me something that I might have missed.

[darkwitzki]

Maybe Hollinger wants us to do some trade or else "I'll fail you on the playoff machine"..

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by darkwitzki

Maybe Hollinger wants us to do some trade or else "I'll fail you on the playoff machine"..

I can live with that explanation...

[hamb]

let them underestimate the mavs. maybe it will light a fire under their tushes and make the team play with some sense of purpose.


regardless, after the next two weeks we'll see how badly we're getting our asses handed to us and will force the front office into making a rash trade.

[joemoeschmoe]

Originally Posted by endrity

Why is it than when someone makes a prediction against the team you root for, than that someone is "stupid" or at the very least biased? Why is it hard to accept that the person might have legitimate reasons for that opinion.

The same reason you boo any call against the Mavs at a game - even if its a good call.

The biggest problem isn't that he's picked the Mavs, its the methods he used to pick them. He basically just picked the team that was 9th in his computer rankings and then made up reasons that apply to other teams just as easily for why we'll be the odd team out.

I don't have a problem with him picking the Mavs. In fact, I like it. I have a problem with his BS reasoning for picking them. He should just say that they're 9th in West Playoff odds and, because he believes in his rankings, they're the most likely team to not make it.

[RolandoP]

You guys talking about Hollinger is what justifies him in the first place, imo. If everybody would just ignore him, he probably wouldn't be around much longer. So he's actually doing a good job at keeping his job, by throwing around the stuff he does. The only reason that that guy still has a job is because everybody IS talking about him and subsequently about ESPN, which is the whole point anyways. Again, just my 2 cents.

[endrity]

Originally Posted by RolandoP

You guys talking about Hollinger is what justifies him in the first place, imo. If everybody would just ignore him, he probably wouldn't be around much longer. So he's actually doing a good job at keeping his job, by throwing around the stuff he does. The only reason that that guy still has a job is because everybody IS talking about him and subsequently about ESPN, which is the whole point anyways. Again, just my 2 cents.

He is their best writer, no doubt ESPN should keep him.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by endrity

He is their best writer, no doubt ESPN should keep him.

Marc Stein is ESPN's best NBA guy, and it's really not all that close. Hollinger is great with numbers and has devised a clever system, but Stein has built up an incredible network of sources that confide in him, and he is probably more respected than any other NBA journalist in the country.

[endrity]

I don't know how unbiased you are with that since Stein is a Dallas resident, and a not so hidden Mavs fan.

But yes, if anyone challenges Hollinger is Stein. The only one. I still like Hollinger a bit better because he says things that are not so obvious. But after those two it's a huge gap.

[endrity]

Guess he was right after all. Not even the injured Rox and Jazz are getting blown out the way we are lately. Call it a cycle, and blow the whole thing up. No need to patch what is broken. Trade Dirk to a contender so can win a championship, and aquire some cap space and picks. The rebuilding can't start one moment too late.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by endrity

Guess he was right after all. Not even the injured Rox and Jazz are getting blown out the way we are lately. Call it a cycle, and blow the whole thing up. No need to patch what is broken. Trade Dirk to a contender so can win a championship, and aquire some cap space and picks. The rebuilding can't start one moment too late.

Still... we're ahead of Rox and Utah in the standings, even after going 2-7.


Rockets just lost by 21 to Toronto while on a 3 game skid and before that have had several bad losses.

Utah kinda the same deal, the have been beaten by bad teams.

[fluid.forty.one]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/playoffodds

eat your words, john.

[Tokey41]

Injuries to Chris Paul, Jazz core players (Deron, AK, Boozer), and the Rockets constantly being unhealthy are probably things he wasn't banking on. Still, it's great to have that security for us, unless Utah makes a ridiculous push at the end of the season when everyones back and depending on how long Paul is out we should feel pretty safe right now.

[Flacolaco]

This is a fun little web site to check concerning playoff odds:

http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NBA/W...Mavericks.html

[xavier]

What he says makes alot of sense, as much as it sucks to hear. Ofcourse we want to ptove him wrong, but can we?

[bobatundi]

Hollinger's "statistics"--and I put that in quotes, because I know statistical models, and Hollinger's models don't pass the test--predicted Nick Fazekas would be one of the top ten players in his draft class. Oops.

[Rick41]

Originally Posted by bobatundi

Hollinger's "statistics"--and I put that in quotes, because I know statistical models, and Hollinger's models don't pass the test--predicted Nick Fazekas would be one of the top ten players in his draft class. Oops.

A massive LOL for that one.

[bobatundi]

If I remember correctly, he had Faz #7. I was hoping he was onto something...but clearly, he was not.

[candid_snoop41]

As far as Im concerned Josh was out for a long stretch. On paper he is supposed to be our second best player...but yah, "everything went great for us so far no major injuries."

Sometimes I ask myself if analysts even watch some NBA games...

[TheMaverick]

Originally Posted by candid_snoop41

Sometimes I ask myself if analysts even watch some NBA games...

a lot of them obviously don't