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05-02-2007, 01:01 PM
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Member
Join Date: May 2006
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Latest Hollinger Insider Chat--Much said about Dirk and Mavs
I am sending the full Hollinger chat contained in ESPN Insider.
There is much said about Dirk and the Mavs. (This is before last night's game). ESPN Web Chat with John Hollinger Welcome to The Show! On Monday, NBA columnist John Hollinger will stop by to talk about the NBA season. Send your questions now and join John in The Show Monday at 11 a.m. ET. Hollinger archives: Columns | Chats John Hollinger: Greetings from Denver eryone, where we're about 12 hours away from Game 4 of the Nuggets-Spurs series. Before we get started,thanks to everyone in Big D who emailed dining tips -- I especially enjoyed the pizza at Wazee Supper Club. Now, onto more important matters: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vic ( only Bulls fan in NJ): You were the One of the few who believed Bulls would beat Miami. So, how do you think they will do against Detroit. They beat up on them during the regular season, will that carry ovr into the playoffs?? John Hollinger: Vic, I greatly doubt you're the only Bulls fan in New Jersey. But as far as the second round goes, I think it's basically a 50-50 series. The reason I'm picking Detroit is because the last game will be on their home court. I really wouldn't put much stock into the regular-season matchup, there are all kinds of weird things in-season (back-to-backs, injuries, trades, etc.) that are irrelevant to a playoff series. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris (LA): Obviously the play of Gordon and Deng has upped their price for extensions in the off-season. Are the Bulls really going to be able to afford them at the end of all this?! John Hollinger: This is why I thought they should have gone for Gasol -- because they're going to have pay Deng anyway. But don't worry too much about their price going up just yet -- remember, it's always what you did last that matters most. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kim: (Dallas, TX): Will the Mavs playoff performance hurt Dirk's chances of winning the MVP? John Hollinger: To review, the MVP vote is for the regular season only. All the ballots had been cast before the Mavs-Warriors series started. Which is as it should be. Dirk was the most valuable player in the regular season; he just hasn't bee in the past four games. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris(Chicago): The winner of Detroit-Chicago goes on the the finals right? John Hollinger: Yes, I believe so. But one thing you have to consider is a fatigue factor -- if this thing is a physical seven-gamer and Cleveland breezes through in five, then that may give Cleveland some daylight -- especially if they play Chicago, whom they would have homecourt against. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charles Barkley: I was looking pretty foolish after last night's game. Any chance the Mavs come back and put those uppity migdets in their place? John Hollinger: Yes, they absolutely have a chance, because only one of the final three games are in Oakland, and also because Baron Davis is capable of getting injured at any time. But Nelly's underdog schtick is growing tiresome. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vin: (Dallas, TX): John, what's going on with the Mavs? I don't understand how a team can collapse they have, especially after how well they did in the regular season. John Hollinger: The Mavs aren't collapsing; Golden State is playing out of their minds. Look at the run they went on to end the season; this is NOT your typical 42-win team, and if they get past Dallas I would give them great odds if making the conference finals. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ali Nagib (Chicago): "...and Cleveland breezes through in five..." Do you have any reason to think that Cleveland is going to breeze through the second round? I'm not saying they won't, but I'd be shocked if Cleveland plays fewer than 6, even if it's against New Jersey. John Hollinger: I don't expect it to be that easy for the Cavs either, just because nothing comes that easy for them, but we have to at least consider the possibility. That's more what I was getting at, was a scenario where the Cavs might have the upper hand against the Bulls-Pistons winner. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- James: (Hershey, Pa.): Can the bull's offense be effective against the tough Detroit defense? John Hollinger: They're not going to run circles around Detroit the way they did with Miami, that's for sure. Prince is going to make Deng's mid-range Js a much dicier proposition, but I think the guards can get shots against Rip. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tim (Boston, MA): Is there a schedule yet for the Bulls/Pistons series? John Hollinger: Haven't seen one. I'm thinking they play the opener Saturday, but that's just an educated guess. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jay in Charlotte: I love your stuff, but you can't tell me that if Steve Nash was on Dallas he would find a way to get Dirk the ball in a spot he was comfortable and "make him better," also why doesn't Avery get Dirk the ball on the move? John Hollinger: Well, except for the fact that they played on the same team all those years and Nowitzki has had his three best seasons since Nash left. As far as Avery getting Dirk the ball, I think a problem here that nobody's talking about is that the pressure from the guards (especially Davis) is resulting in Dallas just taking an eternity to get into their offense. If Avery can address that, Dirk's shots should come more easily. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jason (NJ): Don't write off my Nets in the 2nd round just yet. We have 3 of the top 4 players in that matchup with the Cavs and we have a lot of momentum. John Hollinger: As always, so much depends on RJ. If he's as spry as he's looked against Toronto so far, then you're 3-of-the-best-4 point is accurate. What we won't know until the next round is how much of this is the Raps' fault and how much is the Nets. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alex (Little Rock): I may be jumping the gun here, but Baron Davis Finals MVP? John Hollinger: That's not just jumping the gun, that's more like running the entire race, taking a victory lap and assuming a spot at the medal stand before the gun goes off. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris (San Fran, CA): True or False: Just getting into the playoffs and getting that experience made this a successful season for the Magic? John Hollinger: False. I think they had higher hopes than just getting a No. 8 seed and absorbing a four-game beatdown. Yes, the experience was nice, but from mid-December on few teams were more disappointing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adam (Chicago): John, what will be the key matchup for the Bulls vs. the Pistons? I fear Ben Gordon trying to hang with Rip Hamilton. John Hollinger: Well, you've hit the nail on the head -- Gordon and Hamilton will both be wearing targets at the defensive end, and whomever does a more credible job of holding his own gives his team a leg up in this one. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryan (denver): The Nuggets are pretty much done for this season, can we expect a much better season out of them the next go around so they don't have to play a team like the spurs in round 1? John Hollinger: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Ryan, c'mon now. Your team is down 2-1 and you're calling them "done." If they lose tonight you can break out the forks, but this has been a very competitive series and I have no reason to think tonight will be any different. But in the spirit of your question, I absolutely think the Nuggets will be better a year from now. Much, much better. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doug (NY): That's the team spirit, Ryan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve (SLC): NO questions answered on the Jazz/Rockets series yet....do you think winner of tonight's game takes the series? John Hollinger: Haven't seen many questions on it -- everyone's talking Bulls-Pistons or Mavs-Warriors. But that's an underrated series, and while I don't think it's an ironclad guarantee, statistically you'd be a fool not to bet on tonight's winner to also win the series. As I wrote in my column this morning, which you should be seeing soon, it really is on T-Mac. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RC (Toronto): Should the Raps play Calderon more? What good is TJ's quickness if he can't even finish around the basket? John Hollinger: I don't think the Calderon-Ford thing has been the problem. Both guys give Kidd problems turhning the corner on the pick-and-roll, but neither has been able to make him pay for going under the screen and leaving them wide-open 17-footers. Raptors' bigger worry right now is getting something from the 3 and 5 spots. Graham, Bargnani, Peterson, Rasho ... they're not getting much of anything from those guys. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alex (Little Rock): The good thing is that the Mavs can't blow a 2-0 lead. But they are choking big-time, anyway. And the way the season ended, it sure looked like they WANTED to play GSW. Sounded like a great idea at the time, huh? What do they need to do different to win this series? John Hollinger: Alex, I disagree on the "wanting to play GST" thing -- I actually think they were hoping GST would pass the Lakers and get the No. 7 spot, which they nearly did. And you can't just focus on the Mavs here -- Golden State has played insanely well since Davis came back, so watching them play well in this series shouldn't constitute a big surprise. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Max: (Houston): I don't understand how the Rockets can be last in offensive efficiency when they have Yao and Tracy McGrady. What's wrong with the Rockets offense? John Hollinger: Two things -- 1) T-Mac isn't scoring consistently on some beatable defenders, and 2) the supporting cast has been awful. The second point isn't getting enough play, but Luther Head has been useless, and Battier and Alston haven't been much better. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Humza (Chicago): John, love your stuff. Are you rubbing it in to the rest of the boys there at ESPN for calling the Bulls to come out on top? John Hollinger: Not while the Nets are up 3-1 on Toronto, no. I believe I was swimming against the tide on that one too, and right now it's drowning me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matias, Europe: But even with GS playing insanely well, the Mavs should've at least won two out of four. They still are the number one seed! John Hollinger: The only big mistake Dallas has made was starting George in Game 1. Otherwise, although Dirk hasn't been playing at quite his usual level, this has been much more about Golden State rising up than about Dallas choking. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Patrick (Warrior Nation): Hey John, last week you told me I should cut out the paper in case I needed it for the next 12 years - If I'm not mistaken, we still have as many wins as the Mavs AND Spurs in this playoffs so far. John Hollinger: Point taken. It's turned into an awfully good time to be a Warriors fan. Let's hope they don't have to go so long between good times in the future, because that's a heck of a fan base out there.. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- James (Arkansas): So if GS beats Dallas, Spurs to the Finals is pretty much a sure thing, right? With the way the Spurs can handle PHX, GS (poor man's PHX) has no chance against San Antonio - assuming they make it that far.. John Hollinger: You're getting way ahead of yourself James. Yes, I believe the Spurs would be elated if Golden State knocked out Dallas, but that doesn't mean much until they take care of Denver and Phoenix -- neither of which is an easy out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phil (LA): I'm surpriesed no one has posted a Lakers question yet. Or are you just not accepting them because they're practically done with the playoffs already? What do they need to focus on this offseason to actually compete against the elite next year? Who can they acquire (realistically) to do this? Thanks! John Hollinger: Actually, haven't seem much chatter from Lalaland this morning. Don't overreact to what you're seeing in the playoffs -- Odom and Walton aren't at full strength. But they have to address point guard and center in the offseason. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jorge (Chicago,IL): What factor, if any, will Tyrus Thomas play in the Bulls/Pistons series? I think Skiles needs to find minutes for him because he's one of the few who will push back if bullied on the court... John Hollinger: The bullying stuff is overrated, and Chicago is easily the more physical team anyway. but I expect Thomas to get more minutes against Detroit because it's tough to get away with playing Nocioni at the 4 against Webber or Sheed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RC (Toronto): I thought Bynum is supposed to be the answer at the 5 seeing as how LA didnt want to include him in a possible Kidd trade. John Hollinger: Long-term, he still is. But his development has been a two steps forward, one step back type of deal. L.A. will include him in a deal if it gets them an A-list superstar, but I'm not sure if they felt Kidd qualified. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- josh (la): John can you explain to me how Golden State seems to make these incredibly lucky shots only against Dallas but is terrible against every other team? Thanks John Hollinger: If you're talking about bank shots from halfcourt, remember that Stackhouse made a similar shot in the fourth quarter, so they were even on that front. The fact is that the Davis-Richardson backcourt combo is a handful, and the Warriors surround them with role players who can score. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matias, Europe: Could the Lakers go after Gasol in the summer and would he make them better? John Hollinger: I think they should take a hard look at him, because he can play high post in the triangle or score from the block. Not sure if they have the right pieces to entice Memphis though; certainly Bynum would have to be part of it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ari (Miami): I heard down here the Heat are looking at VC in the offseason, would that be a good pickup? Or set them back?? Thanks! John Hollinger: Oh sure, they'll look -- and that's about all they'll do. Heat have no pieces to pull of a sign-and-trade and no cap space to sign him outright. They need to set their sights a whole lot lower. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chase (Fort Worth, Texas): If the Mavs lose this series 4-1, what changes do you expect to be made personnel wise by Mark Cuban? John Hollinger: One thing Dallas needs to re-evaluate is getting all these veteran non-scorers like George and Buckner, who have spent this series wearing a big neon sign that says "leave me to double Dirk." That said, they have to resist making panic moves -- they won 67 freaking games after all -- and understand they've run into a buzzsaw. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joe P (Mile High City): Hey John: What is Steve Blake's PER? Everyone seems to love him on the Nuggs, but I'm not convinced he's the answer at PG. Thanks John Hollinger: His overall PER is poor, but a lot of that is because he played so horribly in Milwaukee. He's done much better since the trade. The Nuggets do like him and would like to have him back next year (he's a free agent). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris: How does it feel to have pie in the face after picking a softy like Dirk for MVP just because you did not want to see Nash win 3 MVP's in a row? HOw does it feel to be lame? John Hollinger: Nowitzki was the regular season MVP. Period. What's happened in the four games in the postseason doesn't invalidate what he did in the previous 82. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John (Seattle): Should Seattle/Las Vegas/Oklahoma City sign and trade Lewis to Utah for Kirilenko? I think he's still a great player but in the wrong situation John Hollinger: That would be a very intersting deal for both sides, but the problem is that AK would still have to play the 3 in Seattle. He needs to go someplace where he can play the 4; that's when he's really a nuisance defensively and he can do more things close to the basket on offense. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy (DC): Can we just take a moment to appreciate how comparatively atrocious the East is? The Clippers or Hornets would've been a top 4 seed over there. John Hollinger: Yes. Detroit-Chicago is the best series the East will offer us this year ... and in terms of the quality of the teams, I think the 4-5, 1-8 and 3-6 series in the West's first round all are better. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill(Orlando): If the Magic resign Darko who would they go after with the rest of the cap? John Hollinger: If the Magic re-sign Darko there is no "rest of the cap" -- depending on the dollar figure, he'll use so much of it that they'll be effectively capped out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim (GS): Looks like the Mavs are playing in "allas" again...What happened to their supposed defense that won them so many games? And just out of curiousity, what does their end of season and playoff point differential tell you about how many games this team was expected to win? John Hollinger: I disagree that the Dallas defense has been the big problem -- it's been the offense and especially the turnovers that have led to easy GST transition buckets that have hurt them. As many of you know, Dallas's point differential was not that of a 67-win team, which is why they were No. 2 in the Hollinger Power Rankings for most of the year. That, combined with GST's torrid finish, should have pointed us to the conclusion that this wasn't your typical 1-8 matchup. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jed (chicago): What are your criteria for mvp? There are clearly several players in the nba who are better players than Dirk, especially when his defense is factored. John Hollinger: Everyone is killing Dirk in here, and I presume on talk radio too ... all I can say is you have to look at the full body of work. Dirk doesn't look great when his shot isn't falling because he doesn't appear to be 'doing' stuff -- his biggest strength, as I keep saying, is the absence of mistakes, and that can be tough to notice. That said, he actually played a strong defensive game last night, with several deflettions, he had double-digit boards, and he would have had several more assists if his guys had put down the shots. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve (Chicago): Isn't the "white hot" theme a little ridiculous? They have to cover the seats with what looks to be bed sheets just so the empty red seats don't stick out like a sore thumb. John Hollinger: I prefer it to "hot pink", certainly, but it was a lttile freaky last year seeing everyone dressed in white like that. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris (Miami): Dirk deserved the MVP, in my mind. But what is making him struggle a little now? Does he have enough of a post game that maybe he could receive the ball closer to the rim, because he is having trouble putting it on the floor against GS's qucikness. John Hollinger: Here's the thing -- Dirk isn't a guy who can get post position right under the basket, he's not built that way. so even when he posts up he ends up catching 12 feet away or so. From there, GST is bringing a double and pushing him baseline and forcing tough looks. But I don't know why the foul line play is giving so muich trouble -- you'd think if he could abuse Shawn Marion on that play, he could do the same to Stephen Jackson, but so far it hasn't happened. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chad (Austin, TX): John, How do you see the Spurs/Nuggets ending? I would not be surprised if the Nuggets won the series, they are better than there seeding. Thanks, Chad John Hollinger: Well, I do too or I wouldn't be in Denver right now. This is a very dangerous team, and that's something the Spurs know full well -- they aren't treating this like a first-round series, in case you couldn't tell by Duncan playing over 40 minutes on Saturday. That said, Denver pretty much has to win tonight or they're toast. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marc Stein: John, where are all the Indiana fans now that were saying the GS-Indy trade was better for Pacers? What were they thinking letting steve jack and big al harrington go like that!!!? Off the court actions? Might this be considered the worst trade ever? John Hollinger: I presume this isn't actully Marc, but I'll go ahead and answer anyway: The trade wasn't nearly as big a deal as people make it out to be. Harrington and Jackson were marginal upgrades on Murphy and Dunleavy; in fact Harrington has been a basket case this whole series. The reason GST is playing so well is because Davis and Richardson are finally healthy at the same time. So why'd I like it for Indy? Because I think Diogu is a real diamond in the rough, and if they move Jermaine you're going to see what I mean next season. John Hollinger: Folks, that's all the time I have, but check out my column today looking at all the weekend's action, and my missives from Pepsi Center tonight. I should be back at my regular chat time next week. |
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05-02-2007, 01:31 PM
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The Preacha
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: The Rock
Posts: 36,066
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great stuff.
we do need to give GS some props for hitting just about every open three they've taken in the past couple games... ...now if we could just do something about not giving them those open threes....(sheesh)
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 ok, we've talked about the problem of evil, and the extent of the atonement's application, but my real question to you is, "Could Jesus dunk?" |
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05-02-2007, 01:33 PM
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 6,653
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Why does he keep referring to them as GST? Golden State Trannies? WTF.
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Let's go Mavs! |
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05-02-2007, 02:03 PM
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Guru
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 40,410
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Nice, an intelligent sportswriter.
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"Yankees fans who say “flags fly forever’’ are right, you never lose that. It reinforces all the good things about being a fan. ... It’s black and white. You (the Mavs) won a title. That’s it and no one can say s--- about it.’’ |
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05-02-2007, 02:05 PM
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 19,413
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John Hollinger: That's not just jumping the gun, that's more like running the entire race, taking a victory lap and assuming a spot at the medal stand before the gun goes off.
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05-02-2007, 02:08 PM
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Rooting for the laundry
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 21,342
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Quote:
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05-02-2007, 02:51 PM
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Golden Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,827
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I agree. The most dispiriting factor in this series is not the poor play of the Mavs but the fact that the entire core of the 7 man Golden State rotation is permanantly "on fire" in NBA Jam terminology. They are playing ridiculously good.
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05-02-2007, 03:10 PM
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Guru
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Denton, TX
Posts: 10,373
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Great stuff from Hollinger, as usual. Encouraging stuff as well.
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05-02-2007, 07:47 PM
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Irving, TX
Posts: 642
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Wow, very level-headed stuff. It's good to hear from someone un-biased instead of Mavs fans or Warrior fans. He makes sense.
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05-02-2007, 08:27 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 314
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Quote:
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05-02-2007, 10:02 PM
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Platinum Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: north texas
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Quote:
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05-02-2007, 10:04 PM
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Guru
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 40,410
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Not particularly, that crazy leaning 3 that baron hit last night was flat out ridiculous.
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"Yankees fans who say “flags fly forever’’ are right, you never lose that. It reinforces all the good things about being a fan. ... It’s black and white. You (the Mavs) won a title. That’s it and no one can say s--- about it.’’ |
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05-02-2007, 11:13 PM
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Guru
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Arlington, TX
Posts: 13,149
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Quote:
I also noticied that Hollinger defended himself for ranking Dallas #2 as well. |
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05-03-2007, 07:08 AM
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Golden Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: In The Paint
Posts: 1,897
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John Hollinger: To review, the MVP vote is for the regular season only. All the ballots had been cast before the Mavs-Warriors series started. Which is as it should be. Dirk was the most valuable player in the regular season; he just hasn't bee in the past four games.
A lot has been made about Dirk tarnishing the MVP, well Hollinger is right, it is about the regular season. Would love Dirk to hush the critics with stand out performances in games 6 & 7. Then leading the team to the rings. |
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