Dirk is good... - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

The Crippler · 05-02-2001, 10:50 AM

Man alive, how good is the Hoop Nazi gonna be? Me and some buds were sitting around last night watching the game (drinking a bud...true), and I am still just amazed at how good this kid is.

I did have one beef at the beginning of the game. Why doesn't Nellie make it mandatory that either dirk or fin (preferably both) get a touch EVERY possesion? Basketball is an easy game when you play it right, and the right way for this team to play is to give it to one of those two everytime down the court and run your offense through them. It took the mavs 6 possesions after donyell picked up his second foul before they posted dirk down on the block against the coke head benoit...why so long? What happened when he got the ball? thats right, he gave benoit a pump fake and hit an 8 footer on him. Not coincidentaly, it opened up the outside game, and subsequently, game over.

The kid can do it all...of course, he can hit the jumper we all know that, but he was the best rebounder out there last night, he can play 1 on 1 defense now (big charge against donyell to get foul #2), he can block shots from the helpside, and he finds open teamates on the break and in set offenses. All of that is great, but the thing that is going to make him possibly one of the greatest is the fact that he can take the damn ball to the hoop. The nail in the coffin last night to me was after the timeout in the third and nellie set up a play for dirk to curl to the basket and take a feed from eisley. Did you guys see dirk explode to the goal and finish with the foul? Of course you did. That, my friends is the greatness of dirk and what you will be seeing more of as his game becomes more Americanized...

Lam, how was the crowd last night in person? Were the rowdies back? It sure looked like it on TBS.

The Crippler · 05-02-2001, 10:58 AM

also, one last beef. Why do the mavs insist on getting juwan shots even when he can't make crap? I know, they won by 30 so quit bitching, but this needs to change.

djb · 05-02-2001, 12:10 PM

Man that crowd was something else last night! I mean, it was pretty rowdy last Sunday, but last night things were just CRAZY! Great way to close out Reunion if that ends up being the final game.

djb · 05-02-2001, 12:12 PM

I have to agree with the Howard thing. The guy kept jacking up the EXACT SAME shots..and he kept bricking them. At least try a different move or shot for crying out loud! People in my section were booing his ass each time he missed a shot (horribly) or flubbed a rebound.

Murphy3 · 05-02-2001, 12:29 PM

juwan, well, his game doesn't necessarily fit with the mavs up tempo style.
yes, he can run the floor a bit, but when the mavs revert to the half court game and start getting the ball into juwan on a consistent basis, the offense stagnates..no one goes to the offensive glass.
it's just that style of play. it doesn't fit with the mavs
juwan will have to change his game to fit the mavs needs
he has to learn to play defense and rebound.
he also has to learn to be the teams 4th option on offense

Murphy3 · 05-02-2001, 12:32 PM

dirk and nash were huge throughout the first 3 quarters.
finley got involved in the third
how good is that trio going to be?

One person that hasn't gotten enough credit is Bradley.
the guy had 6 blocks and did a pretty good job of guarding malone. well, he was much more effective at guarding malone than howard or even booth.

Murphy3 · 05-02-2001, 12:38 PM

dirk is showing some tremendous flashes in the post season
even when his shot has been off (1st two games) he's shown an amazing ability to take the ball to the hole, get fouled and drain the shot.
he's also been getting the ball on the block alot more.
the more his game develops, the more it opens things up for nash and finley.

the thing is, is that the jazz can talk all they want about playing poor defense in game four.
but, you can't double up on dirk, finley, and nash like they often tried.
when you double up on dirk, there's a good chance that nash or finley will be able to spot up for the open jumper or will be open as a cutter going to the bucket.
if you don't double dirk, nash, or finley, any of the three can take you to the bucket and get the deuce.

Dirk is the real deal.
he's a guy that may average 24-26 points and 10-12 rebounds while shooting 48-52% from the floor, 38-43% from three point, and 83-90% from the foul line.
he can take it to the hole, he can hit the three, he can hit the mid range jumper and he's getting more and more comfortable from the low post..at the same time, his defense is getting better and he's a very solid rebounder.

sweet.

this will just open things up for nash and finley,
re-sign finley, and the mavs are set for years to come.
they need to re-sign dirk ASAP. i think next year is the last year on his contract?

Fidel · 05-02-2001, 12:39 PM

good to see you all come along (not to be arrogant).
I´ve said it before: the Finley/Howard bullshit had to stop.
it stopped (partialy): the Mavs won!

Mavs in 5 !!!

Murphy3 · 05-02-2001, 12:48 PM

the finely to howard connection stagnates the mavs offense.
the finley/dirk/nash connection is what makes the team a contender.
yes, it is nice to have howard as the fourth option, but he's not a guy that needs to be one of this teams top 3 options.

maybe in washington he could be that guy, but he's not in washington anymore.

i think finley and nellie now realize that juwan isn't this teams second option. and i believe that is very important to this teams success.

next year, i'd love to see 14 points a game out of howard to go along with 9 boards. that would be ideal

because dirk will need the extra shots, and with more defensive attention focused on dirk, i would like to see finley's and steve's shots go up just a bit also. yes, at the expense of juwan. he's needs to be the fourth option.
if he's on fire, yes, get him the ball but this teams success isn't going to ride on establishing him down low
next year, you're going to have dirk posting up more and probably finley posting up more....that to go along with dirk, finley and nash driving ...howard will need to get on the offensive glass. if he doesn't provide the rebounding and defense needed, well, then maybe booth should cut into his playing time some next year if booth continues to develop his game. (but, that's next year)

Tarzan · 05-02-2001, 01:19 PM

I would love to see Donnel "The Monster" Harvey take over Juwan's playing time. That guy plays the game with passion.

The Crippler · 05-02-2001, 02:12 PM

just give donnel time, he's really young and raw right now.

Why doesn't Nellie give Najera more time now though? He is a spark that I would think would only add positives to the game in the playoffs. He and Buck are gonna be tough for a couple of years as our "blue collar" boys that every great team needs.

I appreciate that everyone on this thread is excited about the now, but I really like how we are all looking to the future more. Juwan might be a good 3rd option right now, but in the future, he will be a GREAT 4th option. I agree, that is how he needs to be developed for this team.

Evilmav2 · 05-02-2001, 03:07 PM

"Animal" Harvey will become a factor in the next year or two. There is a reason that we didn't really consider including Harvey in the prospective Wizards (or Seattle) trades. He is kind of like our developing high school level player right now...

scooterj5 · 05-02-2001, 03:59 PM

Does Donnelhave a chance to be a real star, or just a Leon Smith-ish project?

giostar · 05-02-2001, 04:05 PM

You cant compare Donnell to Leon... Leon is mentally disabled. Donnell is a project. I'd say in next year he gets about 10-15 mins a game, and then lets see how he develops after that.

dallaslaker · 05-02-2001, 04:09 PM

The reason Najera isn't getting much time is because the one time he went in he almost immediately fouled Stockton in the open court. Finley had a few words with him right after and Nellie yanked him back to the bench. I think he is very simliar to Finley in the heart department, but don't forget that he is still a "raw rookie". Granted I love his playing style, but he still has some to learn especially during the playoffs.

I agree with most of the Juwan talk here. I would like to see him cleaning the offensive boards on the opposite post of Dirk. That is where he needs to get the majority of his points. Kind of like a Horace Grant player. There are no set plays for him. He gets his points off of other people being double teamed, diving to the basket for an easy catch and layup, and cleaning those O-boards.

TheKid · 05-02-2001, 04:43 PM

Murphy as I was saying before on another post, I think that Finley to Howard thing was exaggerated more than it actually happened. I said yesterday before the game that I thought Finley was giving Juwan the ball when he first got here so much to make him feel comfortable. Look at lastnight, I don't think he passed to him once, but he was looking for Dirk. He said it at the half when he was interviewed, "I have to keep my eye open for him because he's hot tonight."

Like I said, he likes to get everyone involved and he knows where the hot people are!!! When he was feeding Juwan so much at the end of the season, whether anyone agrees or not, Juwan and Fin were the only two who finished the season off strong!!! That's why it seemed like he was feeding Juwan so much. Maybe he was but it was justified at the time. Now I would have a problem if he would have kept feeding him the ball lastnight, then I think this "lovefest" that two have been rumored to have would have had some validity but I think lastnight should put all of that to rest.

djb · 05-02-2001, 05:12 PM

What's up with Harvey? He's not on IR is he? I would've loved to see him get some mins last night alongside Wang and Najera. Give the boy a taste of the playoffs dammit!

Murphy3 · 05-02-2001, 05:50 PM

actually, i don't at all believe that the howard/finley thing is exaggerated. and i'm sure alot of people agree
whether it came from nellie or whether it was finley and howard's doing, the mavs were trying to make him into a #1 or #2 option for an extended period of time and the offense was stagnant for long stretches because of it

Murphy3 · 05-02-2001, 05:52 PM

if harvey can develop, he has the ability to be the anti-juwan
a big guy that rebounds, offensively rebounds, and plays defense.
truthfully, if he works hard, he could take juwan's spot in the starting rotation in a couple of years (if the mavs are lucky)
he's the dale davis/antonio davis that alot of people have been asking for in previous posts

Mavinator · 05-02-2001, 05:59 PM

Harvey might have a similar game to Dale Davis, but he has very different physical tools to work with... he is at least three inches shorter than Davis at 6-8, but he is supposed to be an incredibly athletic leaper and a tenacious defender with great rebounding ability...

djb · 05-02-2001, 06:04 PM

Speaking of Dale Davis, who here thinks the Mavs should go after him this summer? I'm sure Portland will be blowing up their roster in the next couple months, and Davis really hasn't been doing it for them at the 5 like they'd hoped.

Mavinator · 05-02-2001, 06:20 PM

I would kill a human being to get Dale on the team, but I don't think Portland will be looking to trade good players to its western conference competitors. If there's a fire sale, it might be more likely, but still... Will Davis want to start at center?

Murphy3 · 05-02-2001, 06:56 PM

i know they have different tools, but i think harvey could fill the power forward position defensively...much the same that davis could
that was my point.
yeah, harvey is a tremendous athlete that does the dirty work, defense and rebounding.

Mavinator · 05-02-2001, 07:01 PM

I did't really make my point clear... I have real concerns about Donnel Harvey's undersized stature. Unless he puts on a lot of bulk, he will be easy to post up and overpower in the paint playing the PF position, which Dale Davis is not. Harvey, I think, had better start watching some tapes of Dennis Rodman...

Murphy3 · 05-03-2001, 08:35 AM

good point
yes, at this time, he would get posted up, but my point is that if he continues to work during the season and the off season, a couple of years from now the power forward spot could be his.

until then, the mavs do need someone that can play that position and provide a little defense. i know howard will be starting but he doesn't need to guard a top notch power forward. he can't

Murphy3 · 05-03-2001, 08:40 AM

dirk for 30 tonight

TheKid · 05-03-2001, 09:00 AM

Well in each game he's scored over 30 they've won so I'm hoping for 40 from him. We need a repeat performance from the big three.

Murphy3 · 05-03-2001, 09:04 AM

let's throw bradley into the equation and say that the mavs need a repeat performance from their big four

TheKid · 05-03-2001, 09:15 AM

We need Howard scoring more than we need Bradley scoring. If Bradley can get some put backs, make his free throws, that all we need from him. About 10 or 12 points would be a GREAT game for him if you ask me. We need from him , rebounds and blocked shots.

Murphy3 · 05-03-2001, 09:17 AM

of course we don't need much scoring from bradley
i was saying that we need the same type of game that we've gotten out of him the past couple of games
last game, 6 blocks, 7 rebounds...decent defense against malone

dallaslaker · 05-03-2001, 10:02 AM

Don't forget about Booth. If he stays, then him and Bradley will make a very effective center. As previously stated, we don't need points from them, we need defense and boards. That opens up the 4 spot for either of the Davis boys. They could play a little 5 also, but primarily focus on the 4.

Bradley/Booth/Wang
Howard/Davis
Nowitzki/Najera
Finley/Buckner
Nash/Eisley

The second unit looks very nice and is extremely young. It would be time to just pay the money and let the team gel for a while to see how they develop.

Murphy3 · 05-03-2001, 10:22 AM

i'm not sure if najera has a spot on the mavs two-deep.
he's probably a 10-12th guy. occassionally, he will get off of the bench early to provide energy, but i'm not sure that dallas is the place that najera will find his home

although, cuban may make sure he stays a mav because it provides another international audience for cuban to market to

dallaslaker · 05-03-2001, 10:43 AM

The entire second unit would only be on the court during trash-time. Eisley, Buckner, Davis, and even Booth all would probably come out before Najera. Nellie likes to use Najera like a spark plug to speed things up or give the guys on the court a shot of adrenaline. The guy is complete hustle, pure and simple.

We have enuf guys that play multiple positions to where we can go with 3 guards and Nowitzki playing center if we want to. That's just what a nice 11-man roster would look like. I would also like to get Strickland back here. He gives you very nice defense and offense at the guard position which is our weakest position after all the trades went down.

Murphy3 · 05-03-2001, 10:46 AM

yeah,
with the mavs talent and abilities, some of them can play 3 - 4 different positions.
that creates enormous mismatches

i like najera, but i just don't see him ever getting much playing time other than occassionally being a spark off of the bench or a trash time player

dallaslaker · 05-03-2001, 10:53 AM

I dont' think he will be a superstar, but he will be a very important role player. Very similiar to Derek Fisher and Rick Fox for the Lakers right now. If those guys don't contribute their 10-12 points, 5-7 rebounds, and good defense, the Lakers lose even with Shaq and Kobe.

Najera will develop into one of those type of players. Very stable and very important.

Have you been watching San Antonio? Danny Ferry is lighting it up from outside!! The guys is 34 years old and is providing an extremely important piece to their puzzle.

Murphy3 · 05-03-2001, 10:54 AM

yep, he is

the only thing i'm afraid about with najera is that he might have already maxed out...or peaked.
we'll see, time will tell

dallaslaker · 05-03-2001, 11:33 AM

if he's maxed out now, then he won't last in the NBA. At most, just becoming a journeyman. I hope he doesn't become that.

Murphy3 · 05-03-2001, 12:29 PM

well, he's not maxed out..he still has some things to learn..but i'm not sure how much more his skills will develop
i would hate to see him not last awhile in the nba
i'm sure there are some places in the nba he can contribute.....
he can contribute for the mavs in a very limited role though.
i'd like to see him stick with the mavs for awhile

Murphy3 · 05-05-2001, 10:50 AM

30 from dirk and fin, and 20 from nash would be nice tonight

MFFL · 05-06-2001, 12:01 AM

28 for the three combined will not win us very many games.