Mavs/Lakers Postgame Thread...suck it fakers

[jthig32]

Man....that.was.awesome.

Let's start, once again, with Brendan effing Haywood. That dude makes my loins tingle. Having his constant potential for offensive contribution makes such a huge difference to the way this team plays offense. Being trusted with more than just the most basic pass makes such a huge difference with Kidd on the court. It's so nice to once again see what this defense does with a healthy defensive center. The idea of playing Haywood and a healthy Dampier 48 minutes in a center rotation makes me absolutely giddy.

I was glad to see Spiral mention Marion a few posts above. I think we're already to the point where we take Marion's defense for granted. I think we've already forgotten how bizarre it is for the elite scoring swingmen in the NBA to have to struggle for every point they get. There's no doubt that Marion's lack of touch around the basket can be maddening, but that dude has a dramatic effect on the game every minute he's on the court. Please do not forget what Marion does to this defense.

Talking about defense seems like a good time to bring up Stevenson. Leave it to the Mavs front office to make all of us lamenting the loss of Ross look stupid. Stevenson is clearly capable of playing defense on the same level as Ross, and he's sturdier and more athletically gifted. His shot is still pretty broke, but the defense and edginess that dude bring is great. I don't know that he's going to have a permanent role in the rotation, but he's a pretty nice backup plan and change of pace defender.

Dirk....oh Dirk how I love you. I squealed like a school girl when you threw in that and-1 with Koby draped on your back. I heart you. And you stepped it up a little on the boards tonight and fought hard in the post. You.are.the.Man.

How great is it when Jet catches his first pass and you can just see that it's going to be a big Jet night. His energy was high, he was moving with a purpose, he was finding shots in rhythm. He was just awesome. When Jet plays like that we're as good as anyone in basketball.

So we've gotten to this point without mentioning Jason Kidd. And that's kind of typical. He's probably been the most consistent player on the team this year (yes even including Dirk) in bringing the same level night in and night out. His offensive aggression has gone to a level not yet seen in this second stint with the Mavs. He's actively looking for his shot rather than only shooting when wide open, and he's pushing the action offensively more than ever. Just a true joy to watch on a nightly basis.

Fun night, seemed like a great atmosphere in the building. Let's enjoy this one boys.