Grizzlies at Mavs: Game 1 Thoughts

[ddh33]

It's been very interesting to me to hear and read so much discussion that supposes that Dallas will have no problems walking all over Memphis in this series. I just don't see it. I have too much respect for Mike Fratello and the guys Jerry West has brought in. I think they are going to fight and scrap every single second of this series. In the end, I like the Mavs to win, but I think every game is going to be hard fought.

Tonight's game lived up to my expectations. I believe that game one of any playoff series is a very difficult game to play - especially if you are the home team, and I know how odd that sounds. You have a lot of pressure to hold serve with the home court. Your emotions are sky high. You're a little nervous about what the opponent may do that you haven't seen before and what changes they may have made.

In getting this win, I thought the Mavs showed more maturity and resolve that some previous teams did. Dallas seemed very focused on taking care of business tonight. They made a conscious effort to play physical and play with a lot of energy. That was one of the biggest differences in the game.

The Mavs dominated the boards in the first half and seemed a step quicker to every loose ball. They also did a good job of running their offense against a very good defensive team, although they had a couple more turnovers than I preferred. Despite allowing the Grizzlies to shot 53%, I even thought the defense was good. To me it shows to the room for improvement the team can make as the playoffs progress.

Desagana Diop got his first taste of playoff basketball tonight. Obviously, I was interested in how he would respond. I thought he was active and brought energy. I have said from the first day of the season that as long as he does that, he'll be an asset. He did a good job of working the boards in the first quarter. He did get himself into a little bit of foul trouble. That was part of the reason why his minutes were so low, but it wasn't the only reason...

Erick Dampier played like a mad man tonight. Dampier, at least on this night, was everything the Mavs could have hoped for when they have him his contract. In more of a half-court game, Dampier was one of the dominant forces in the game. He challenged every shot and every driver that came down the lane. He was physical in his defense. He seemed to gobble up almost every rebound. He even scored well around the goal. He put in 33 minutes of hard work, and the result was a great double double of 12-12 with 2 blocks and 2 steals. Most importantly, he had a huge hand in helping his team to the victory.

Dirk Nowitzki for MVP? There were several impressive game one performances, but Dirk's came against the best team. Nowitzki made sure that people remembered exactly what kind of player he is. Hopefully someone will go to the trouble of actually realizing that Dirk has always picked his game up when the playoffs rolled around, with the exception of struggling some against the Rockets last season. Dirk single-handedly got the Mavs off to a great start. He was aggressive in looking for his shot. He made sure that he found his teammates for open looks. He did his typical work on the boards. There was no doubt that he was the leader of this team, and it wasn't just in action. Dirk seemed more vocal tonight, and he seemed to really be building up his mates. It's just the next step.

Josh Howard didn't play very well or very much tonight. Josh got in some foul trouble and was never really a factor. It would have been great to have more of him tonight, but he wasn't really needed because of the efforts of others. I must admit, the thought did keep crossing my mind though of whether or not his back was an issue. I have my fingers crossed that tonight was just one of those nights.

Marquis Daniels played a heck of a ballgame though. Marquis has always been the "X factor" on this team for me. To be honest, I don't really know what to expect from Quis from night to night. He's been a little inconsistent this season, and his injuries may have had a lot to do with that. Tonight, Daniels made some key plays that helped assure the victory. In particular, a couple of plays from the third quarter stand out to me. When Memphis was in the middle of making a significant run that cut the lead down to a single possession, Marquis got the ball along the baseline and went in and converted a dunk off a Memphis defensive breakdown. A few possessions later, Daniels again gets free along the baselines and ends up converting a nice little runner. Those shots quelled momentum and kept Dallas in charge. His work on the defensive end also stood out to me. Daniels got several deflections tonight, and he was able to track down several rebounds. All in all, he was very impressive: 13 points on 6-9 shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Adrian Griffin should have a cult following. How can this guy not be the absolute favorite player of every non-athletic guy who ever considered himself to know the game well. Griff doesn't wow you with speed or jumping ability, but he has one of the highest basketball IQs of players I've seen all season. He's always in the right spot. He has very quick hands that he uses to get deflections and steals. He sneaks in for rebounds. He quietly picks up a couple of buckets a game. 22 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals. He might be the defacto backup power forward now as well. I hope the play that stands out in everyone's mind is the play near the end of the first half where Griff shows complete disregard for his body and well-being, dives into a pile, battles Battier for a loose ball, somehow actually gains possession, and throws the ball to Dampier who takes a dribble or two before a thunderous one-handed slam.

Jerry Stackhouse takes a lot of grief here, but I can't help but like him. if you watched the game, in the first half you might have noticed several Grizzlies being knocked to the ground. Jerry Stackhouse was responsible for several of those plays. Stack, as much as anyone else, brought that intensity and toughness to the team tonight. He was not going to be bullied. In fact, this Mavs team was going to be the bully! After starting hot from the field, Stack cooled off considerably and ended up only 3-11. He did get to the line 9 times though, and he ended up with a big 14 points off the bench.

Surely I wasn't the only one holding my breath almost every possession that Devin Harris was involved with, right? I have made no secret of how important I think Devin is to the overall success of this team. Devin made an early entry tonight, but seemed to be playing under defined, limited minutes. He took a couple of shots to his legs trying to fight around screens that made me nervous, but he didn't seem to show any damage. On the court, he looked rusty and like he was forcing things. That's understandable. He hasn't played much in a long time. He just needs to relax and let things come to him. (Oh my gosh, I think I sound like Reggie Miller now, although I have no chance to break his record of most non-applicable cliches used in one game. Did Dick Stockton know the Mavs played in Dallas, by the way? That was pretty painful.)

Jason Terry, meanwhile, did his usual. Terry is quickly entering into the "most underrated" conversation, as far as I am concerned. All he does is hit big shots. Tonight, he finished with 20 points and 4 assists. He also did a good job defensively on containing Chucky Atkins and Bobby Jackson.


All in all, I think you have to be happy with getting a win. Every win is so hard to come by in the playoffs. Just ask Memphis. And don't be fooled, this series is a long way from over. The Grizzlies are going to fight every possession of this thing. As long as the Mavs compete like they did tonight and bring that kind of effort and intensity, the talent here should win out.

[jleefilled]

Repost from the GDT:

Great game tonight!

Daniels really stepped up today with both Harris and Howard struggling. That was great to see. A pretty good indication of how well Daniels played tonight is his defense on Mike Miller. He made Miller work for everything he got out there. My favorite moment of the game: Quis makes the finger-roll layup on a fast break, Memphis call a timeout, and both Harris and Howard sprint to half-court to mob Quis. The camaraderie between those three is great.

Some of Stack's shots were questionable, but overall, I liked his game tonight. I tell y'all what, that 'tude that Stack brings is a nice thing to have for the playoffs. His ability to get to the freethrow line was big tonight.

Adrian was Adrian, which is great because we know what to expect out of him game in and game out. He was big both on defense and on the boards.

Dirk put his stamp on this game very early. Crucial because otherwise the Mavs would have been fighting from behind in the first half. He certainly was the MVP of this game.

As they have practically all season long, the Damp and Diop combination came through again tonight. I loved the ovation the crowd gave Damp, and I imagine Damp liked it as well.

I thought Jason Terry was big tonight. Not only offensively, but his defense was outstanding. He has certainly grown from the day he first put on a Mav uniform.

As mentioned earlier, both Harris and Howard struggled out there. Of course, it was mostly due to injury issues, but I'm pretty sure the butterflies got to them as well. Neither logged many minutes so I expect them to play much better in game two.

Lastly, I absolutely hated the TNT broadcast tonight. Did it not seem like we were watching the Memphis Grizzlies' broadcast team? I know it's always fun to root for the underdog, but man, that might have been more biased than Ortegal and Followill are for the Mavericks.

[chumdawg]

Adrian Griffin should have a cult following. How can this guy not be the absolute favorite player of every non-athletic guy who ever considered himself to know the game well.

Ha! Not that I'm non-athletic, but I told my buddy tonight that Adrian Griffin is probably my second-favorite Maverick of all time.

Maybe the thing that intrigued me most about this game was Johnson opting not to take a time out on at least three occasions where one may have seemed warranted. Big difference from his early days.

Did you see Dampier's postgame press conference? Wow. I have never seen any player so uncomfortable during one of those. I'm starting to believe would just much prefer to keep to himself. What a game he had tonight, though. He's the X-factor, I think. If he keeps bringing that, we are going to be tough to beat.

I will disagree that Terry is starting to become "underrated," especially if this game is any evidence. I thought he had a poor game. I didn't like his defense. You may have heard Dirk talk postgame about the problems they had stopping penetration.

Harris looked horrible. I only hope it's just rust.

[FINtastic]

As Marquis Daniels' biggest fan here (I think), I have to say I was thrilled with the way he played tonight. He ran the offense really well tonight when he was point guard, which was quite often. As I was was watching the game tonight I couldn't help but think how his vision/unselfishness has really improved this season. He seems to be unselfish almost to a fault at times. That steal followed by a coast to coast finger roll was a thing of beauty. Another thing, he seemed to be around a lot of loose balls tonight. I've also been of the opinion that Marquis is the X-Factor for the Mavs. I think he gives you so many things on the court, that you gotta be able to play him at least 25 minutes a night. Hopefully he can stay healthy here on this playoff run.

Damp was incredible tonight, pretty much all that you could ask from him. If he consistently gives performances like that, the Mavs are going to be awfully tough to beat. Let's see if that can continue.

Devin looked like he had all of his quickness and fearlessness back, but he was just a little rusty with his ability to finish. I'm not worried about him too much, he just needs a little bit of time.

Dirk was amazing. To be honest, I didn't really even notice him having as big of a night as he was having except when I looked at the box score. He's just a soldier out there, consistently putting up big nights to the point that you almost take him for granted. I think he's put the playoff performance from last year behind him.

Nothing really amazing from Diop, but I thought his defense on Gasol was pretty solid when he was out there. He seems more than capable of guarding Gasol from the bits and pieces I saw.

[jleefilled]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

I will disagree that Terry is starting to become "underrated," especially if this game is any evidence. I thought he had a poor game. I didn't like his defense. You may have heard Dirk talk postgame about the problems they had stopping penetration.

Chum, not to just throw stats at you, but Atkins and Jackson combined had 15 points (5/13 shooting), 5 assists, and 7 turnovers. From what I watched, Terry played a huge role in containing those two. There was one play that I remember Jackson getting a free lane to the basket because of Terry forcing him left. Other than that, I can't really fault Terry for much on the defensive-end. I think Dirk might have been referring to Eddie Jones getting to the rim a bit too much tonight.

[rabbitproof]

I'm just really proud of our boys tonight. Nobody played above and beyond their ability - no out of the body record performances. However, they all did not waste potential and ability tonight, which makes me proud.

+ Dirk played like the best player on the court.
+ Damp played like the best big man on the court.
+ Daniels showed his pre-big deal form.
+ The defense absoloutely clamped down when Memphis got too close.
+ JET hit his big jumpers.
+ Stack got to the line.
+ Griff did everything.
+ The injured camp nutted up and played.
+ Avery showed off some of his evolution and maturation as a HC.
+ And the team held serve.

Bravo!

[jleefilled]

+ The defense absoloutely clamped down when Memphis got too close.

very good point.

[TwoDeep3]

While Harris is a star in the making. I think Cuban needs to seriously get on that negotiating hat and pay Terry.

The guy seems to have off nights occassionally but hit clutch shots.

I could live with terry and harris in the same back court at times.

I'd also like to keep Daniels. That may be more difficult to do.

But please don't let Terry go down the road.

This team needs someone who can bury a shot other than Dirk.

Nice win tonight. Like to see more of Howard. Hope he was simply having an off night.

If he can crank it up and Harris get back into the flow, this team will be a difficult match-up for anyone out there.

They still have to hit their shots.

But tonight was an example of desire and the will to take it to the opponent.

[WraithXx]

I went to the game tonight! I had such an effing blast

the crowd was absolutely intense

such a damn good game

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by TwoDeep3

This team needs someone who can bury a shot other than Dirk.

.

I'd like to see more than terry out there. Look at the sp*rs for example.

Nick, Fin, Horry, Bowen, Ginobbli. All can hit a three. For dallas it's dirk, jason.......josh........stack.... It's tough. It's also why KVH's loss is bigger than fans realise.

[orangedays]

Originally Posted by TwoDeep3

I'd also like to keep Daniels. That may be more difficult to do.

We have Daniels signed through the 2009-10 season, with a team option for that last year.

[TwoDeep3]

I thought I have read this season that he and Josh Howard will be available for offers from other teams after this season.

I'm sure i read that on a Mavs messageboard.

[Drbio]

Daniels is locked up. JHo isn't.

[TwoDeep3]

Any problems with locking up Howard?

Bird rule apply?

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by TwoDeep3

Any problems with locking up Howard?

Bird rule apply?

No problems with being able to. Being willing to, we'll see. Who is his agent, again?

[TwoDeep3]

Why would they not want to resign Josh Howard?

[jleefilled]

I really hope Cuban makes an exception to his rule to not negotiate contracts before they are up and gets Howard extended this off season. I don't want to see JHo entertaining offers from other teams.

[G-Man]

It took the Grizz 9 minutes to score 8 points from the end of the third to 5 minutes left in the 4th. That's San Antonio styled defense.

Terry, in particular, needs some credit here. I'm always worried about confirmed Mav killer Bobby Jackson. Terry played him well, and when the other players rotated when he did get beat, JT was crisp in his rotations, creating few open shots. And he ran Jackson and Chucky nuts running off screens.

It was just so nice to see the whole team on the court again. We haven't seen much of everybody playing together since the All Star break. Quis was awesome, Devin still quick tho' rusty, Griff was Griff and Howard didn't limp. What more could one ask? If they stay healthy and play with the level of intensity throughout the playoffs, the sky is the limit.

[Thespiralgoeson]

I loved every minute of this game, especially when Damp got the standing ovation and the love from Dirk, Josh and the guys.

But personally, the most comforting thing I saw was Devin Harris in uniform, and apparently healthy. He didn't produce much, but he still looked as quick as ever. Luckily, his still got at least three more games to shake off the rust. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that all these guys' bodies will hold up.

[Dtownsfinest]

Its going to be interesting to see the negotiations between Josh and Cuban this offseason. I have a feeling in order to keep him we are going to have to overpay him due to that one team being out there with capspace who won't mind throwing crazy money around for a young player like a Josh Howard.

I sort of agree with what Chum was getting at earlier. Atkins and Jackson didn't hit many shots tonight however I felt they did get to the goal at will when they needed to. I just don't see JET putting up the effort when he's playing out on the perimeter. But the reason why I won't gripe on him too long is for his performance. What i've underrated from JET all season long that finally hit me last night is when he hits a basket. With more shots this guy could easily put up 25 a game IMO. But the way the offense is set up it seems he shoots whenever the shot is available or whenever this team needs a bucket. The announcers commented on how the Mavs put the extra effort in defense when the Grizz would attempt a run but I never heard them mention that whenever the Grizz made a run JET would hit the big shot. The shot that can demoralize a team. JET's appreciated from me as far as i'm concerned. I'd just like to see a little more effort out there on defense. Its not my money but I don't see how you can pay a guy 7-8 million to be 1 dimensional.

[bgantz]

Proud of the victory tonight. I was impressed with the professionalism of coming out and taking care of business in game 1. Now if only the stars could have followed suit.....

As for the Josh Howard contract stuff....I'm personally more interested in seeing what happens with Jason Terry this summer like mentioned above by someone. I mean it's quite plausible he receives a nice contract from someone that Cuban does not want to match. In that case we:

-start harris
-get a vet backup pg....(cassell maybe)
-get a good 3 point shooting guard in the draft....maybe a maurice ager or something.

[jleefilled]

Originally Posted by Dtownsfinest

I sort of agree with what Chum was getting at earlier. Atkins and Jackson didn't hit many shots tonight however I felt they did get to the goal at will when they needed to. I just don't see JET putting up the effort when he's playing out on the perimeter. But the reason why I won't gripe on him too long is for his performance. What i've underrated from JET all season long that finally hit me last night is when he hits a basket. With more shots this guy could easily put up 25 a game IMO. But the way the offense is set up it seems he shoots whenever the shot is available or whenever this team needs a bucket. The announcers commented on how the Mavs put the extra effort in defense when the Grizz would attempt a run but I never heard them mention that whenever the Grizz made a run JET would hit the big shot. The shot that can demoralize a team. JET's appreciated from me as far as i'm concerned. I'd just like to see a little more effort out there on defense. Its not my money but I don't see how you can pay a guy 7-8 million to be 1 dimensional.

Between Atkins and Jackson, they got into the paint for a total of five shots, making 3 of them. They were 5 for 13 from the floor tonight. If they really got to the rim at will, why wouldn't the Grizz just do that all game long? In the past, I've seen Mavs' teams that allowed point guards to collapse the defense possession after possession. I didn't see that kind of defense out there tonight, but I'm open to reconsider what exactly I did see since the Grizz did shoot a high percentage (.532) from the floor.

[Thespiralgoeson]

The Jet played a solid game. 7-15 from the field for 20 points and 4 dimes. I thought his defense was pretty solid as well.

If Atkins and B-Jax "got to the goal at will" they sure as hell could'a fooled me.

[jleefilled]

Not sure where to put this, but I pulled this from the DB.com boards.

Wanted: Gasol to play like an All-Star
Nikki Boertman
The Commercial Appeal

DALLAS -- Someday, the Memphis Grizzlies will win a playoff game.
But it will not come on a night when their star player doesn't get a bucket until the second half.
It will not come on a night when they decline to rebound.
It will not come on a night when they give the opposition a 24-minute head start.
Someday, the Memphis Grizzlies will win a playoff game.
But they're going to have to, you know, show up.
The Mavericks extended the Grizzlies playoff losing streak to nine with a 103-93 win at American Airlines Arena Sunday night.
No, it's not fair to attribute all nine losses to this group. But as Erick Dampier once said, life isn't fair.
What?
It wasn't Dampier who said that?
Well, he just wrenched it away from whomever did.
The Grizzlies didn't particularly object, either.
Because, like, Erick Dampier is big.
Besides, fair or unfair, the incredible, expanding playoff losing streak is how this team is defined.
They aren't even the Memphis Grizzlies anymore. They're the Memphis Grizzlies Who Have Never Won A Playoff Game.
Small wonder nobody gives them a chance to win this series. That would involve four wins.
That's one win, plus another win, plus another win, plus another win.
At the current rate, that will happen, uh, never.
So the writers for the Dallas Morning News weighed in with their predictions Sunday morning and this is what they said:
Eddie Sefko: "The Mavs yawn and gear up for the Spurs."
Kevin Sherrington; "A nice tuneup for the Spurs."
David Moore: "Pau, pulled pork and Graceland are temporary diversions."
Gerry Fraley: "Mavs biggest problem is getting tickets for everyone to go to Graceland.
Kevin Blackistone: "A team that hit the 60-win mark won't have trouble with a franchise that has never won a playoff game."
Fighting words, eh?
Except the Grizzlies didn't fight.
They didn't scrap for loose balls, didn't play defense and absolutely, positively didn't rebound.
The first half rebounding numbers: 24-6.
That's not a misprint. Twenty-four to six!
The Grizzlies were ducking rebounds the way the Clippers ducked the fifth-seed.
The Grizzlies dance team could have done better than that.
And the junior dance team.
And the junior, junior dance team.
There is no junior, junior dance team?
So, what's your point?
The junior, junior dance team could certainly have scored as many first-half buckets (0) as Gasol.
The following players had field goals before the Grizzlies superstar: Shane Battier, Jake Tsakalidis, Eddie Jones, Bobby Jackson, Mike Miller, Lorenzen Wright, Brian Cardinal and Chucky Atkins.
That doesn't include the six Mavericks, so it was 14 players after all.
Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitski dropped in 19 first-half points. He had 31 points and 11 rebounds on the night.
One superstar played like a superstar.
One did not.
Yes, Gasol made a nice little comeback in the second half, and so did the Grizzlies, for a while.
At one point, they even had the lead down to a single-point.
Whereupon the Mavericks decided to look like the Mavericks again.
The Grizzlies decided to look like the Grizzlies Who Have Never Won A Playoff Game.
And if that's harsh, well, here's Nowitzki's take on the evening.
"The playoffs are tougher," he said.
Someone tell the Griz!

[dude1394]

Nice..... I really don't like smart-aleck journalists like this.

[dalmations202]

More proof that Dallas can play any style, anytime.

Mad props to Damp, Stack, and especially Dirk. They brought it tonight, and the rest of the team filled their roles admirably. Griff, Terry, and Daniels looked very good as well.

Harris, Diop, and Howard didn't play as well as normal, but they filled their roles well enough for a much deserved win.

GO Mavs!!!

As much as I have been down on Damp because he is paid like a #1 center but usually plays down to his competitions level. He played like a #1 center last night. Very very nice.

As much as Murph rags on Stack (as well he should because Stack needs to remember that he only needs to shoot enough jumpers to keep defenses honest -- Stack is not efficient at it), IMO, Dallas doesn't win without Stack. That attitude and desire to get to the rim is just what the Mavs need. I just wish a little of that attitude would rub off on Dirk.

[jacktruth]

Avery is going to chew on Devin for not taking wide-open jump shots. He better anyway. It's one thing to do what you are best at (attacking the basket), but Devin can shoot too.

The next game will look a lot different. I think we will see Howard be thier second biggest problem.

Most notables for me:
-How versatile is this team? 39 points from the bench. The ability to throw defensive matchups at the opponent. Superstar consistency.

-Marquis defense of Miller and his playoff presense in the 4th quarter. Remember when he carried this team in the playoffs against Sacramento as a rookie?

-Terry's defense was very solid. Did you all follow the 4th quarter pushing and shoving. I like that attitude.

I don't see how you could be a Memphis fan and be encouraged. The mavs got better as this game went on, and by the end, dominated.

[sixeightmkw]

great game, they dominate except for that little push the Grizz made, other than that, total domination. the Mavs pretty much could do whatever they wanted the whole night.

[dongtouch]

Who guarded Gasol?
If it wasn't Dirk, who did Dirk guard?

I remeber Reggie saying that he didn't pick Dirk as the MVP because Dirk always guards the weakest player on the court.

[kg_veteran]

Originally Posted by dongtouch

Who guarded Gasol?

Diop and Dampier, for the most part.

If it wasn't Dirk, who did Dirk guard?

Their center.

I remeber Reggie saying that he didn't pick Dirk as the MVP because Dirk always guards the weakest player on the court.

Reggie was a great player, but that's a stupid comment. Duncan always guards the weaker frontcourt player, too. Seems to me that he's won a couple of MVP trophies.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by dongtouch

I remeber Reggie saying that he didn't pick Dirk as the MVP because Dirk always guards the weakest player on the court.

Reggie should really stick to 3-pointers...I don't recall Nash taking Kobe during crunch time of yesterday's game, but anyway....

A coach would have to be an idiot to put Nowitzki on the other teams best offensive threat front-courter. a) Dirk would have to work that much harder, taking his legs out from under his jumpshot; and b) he'd be more likely get into foul trouble, which could curtail his direly needed minutes.

Miller might as well say that Dirk isn't the MVP because Avery Johnson has at least enough coaching skills to coach a high school junior varsity squad.

[sixeightmkw]

Reggie Miller is a dumbass and will liklely be canned after this postseaon.

[Murphy3]

Well, you usually don't want your superstar guarding the opposing team's top scorer unless it's necessary. For the Mavs, it's not. For the Spurs, it hasn't been.

As for the penetration issue..... Guards penetrating DOES NOT always equal points or assists for the guard. But, that does not mean that they don't break the defense down. It's much like when Dirk gets doubled. He may make the correct pass out of the double team, but that doesn't mean that there's still not one more pass to be made. Yes, Dirk might break the defense down by drawing the double, but it usually doesn't show up in his boxscore. It can be the same with guard penetration. They can penetrate and draw a crowd...kick it out to the outside, but one more pass may still need to be made. So, they guy doing the penetrating might actually be responsible for breaking down the defense, but he doesn't necessarily get any of the credit in the boxscore. This isn't hockey. They don't give out more than one assist per scoring play.

[dirno2000]

Maybe the thing that intrigued me most about this game was Johnson opting not to take a time out on at least three occasions where one may have seemed warranted. Big difference from his early days.

I picked that up too. I was speed watching the game on Tivo and there were a couple of times when the Grizz scored and I, sensing a timeout, instinctively hit the fast forward button only to have to rewind as play continued.

[dirt_dobber]

I thought it was interesting how much Del Harris was in Avery's ear. Several times the cameras showed him talking a lot and Avery taking it all in. What an advantage to have a coach of his caliber to offer advice.

I also noticed Rolando being active around the players.
.

Also agree with the time out management.

[Scoobay]

[QUOTE=dongtouch]Who guarded Gasol?
If it wasn't Dirk, who did Dirk guard?
QUOTE]

I don't think there's any question of who's the better player between Dirk and Gasol seeing Damp guard him when he got the ball at the elbow. His jumpshot is relatively terrible compared to Dirk and just makes Gasol so much more guardable, regardless of his post up ability (which didn't particularly impress me that much). Dirk in that same position no way you lay off him and give him the jumper - he'd bury that 90% of the time or go by his man off the pump fake. Gasol is a nice player but nowhere near Dirk...

[sike]

thoughts?: Go Mavs!!!!!!!!!

[nashtymavsfan13]

great win, about resigning Jet, this is a must.

Locking up Jho is a must too.

[G-Man]

"Someday, the Memphis Grizzlies will win a playoff game.
But they're going to have to, you know, show up."

That was one brutal article in the Memphis paper.Mavs fans forget, but when our team 1st returned to the playoffs, they won their first round in one of their most exciting series ever, beating Karl Malone and john Stockton's Jazz. Imagine how we'd feel if they'd gone 2 years without winning a game. Still, Jerry West is a genius, Cube and the Donns treated as barely competent by many critics.