PGT: Mavs tried hard-- again

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

I'm emailing Cubes now. I would advise you share your thoughts with him, too. Be pleasant but be honest.

Mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com

Honest question: what do you hope to accomplish by this? Do you really think that there is a move out there to be made that will make the team better and Cubes hasn't done it?

Or are you just going to e-mail to "voice your opinion" (complain) about the offseason moves these past couple of years? If this is the case.... again, what in the world do you think it will accomplish?

[NorwegianMavsFan]

Man, I hate the Jazz commentators. They talk like the Jazz are one of the premier teams in the league. Maybe with the exeption of Tommy Heinsohn, they are the worst homer announcers in basketball. "That`s good nasty" on the Dirk takedown.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by Ninkobei

What did your email to him look like? It is great that he responded to you. If it really was him...

Mark,

I have to say that I've been an MFFL for 13 years and I admire what you've done for this team, but Dirk deserves better than this.Do you have any plans to improve the team or is this the new normal after so many years of good fortune?

Signed,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Cuban replied:

You think I like to lose?!?!

[SMC0007]

That's a Clown question bro!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvkKd572vCw

[dude1394]

I must admit, that question hardly deserves much of a response.

Cubes: let me spend hours describing what we are doing to better the team. I'll get someone to print out our blueprint for you.

Or

Cubes: yes, how did you like that championship.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I'd give Roddy the start next game. Collison just can't run a team or get the ball to Dirk with any consistency. I have no clue when it happened, but Roddy suddenly looks like something clicked in his brain. He is also a much better defender than Collison.

[NorwegianMavsFan]

And it seems Mike James has come to the rescue. According to mavs moneyball James will sign a 10 day contract.

[jthig32]

This seems like a weird time to be calling for a Collison benching. He wasn't great last night, but he wasn't bad either. And all in all, he's been pretty good the last two weeks. He's certainly not the reason we're losing games right now.

[NorwegianMavsFan]

Originally Posted by jthig32

This seems like a weird time to be calling for a Collison benching. He wasn't great last night, but he wasn't bad either. And all in all, he's been pretty good the last two weeks. He's certainly not the reason we're losing games right now.

I hope they aren't signing James to take over Collison's starting job. Like you said, he hasn't been terrific, but I think he has been solid, and good at knowing when to push and when to slow down. I also think he's been better at attacking in P&R.

[markus1234]

Collison had 2 assists in 30min. That's not good. Esp. with Dirk and Kaman on the floor.

And against MIA he had 3 assists in 40min....

It would be OK, if he could finish his "one man" fast breaks. But he can't. He gets blocked or loses the ball way too often.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by jthig32

This seems like a weird time to be calling for a Collison benching. He wasn't great last night, but he wasn't bad either. And all in all, he's been pretty good the last two weeks. He's certainly not the reason we're losing games right now.

I don't think the bench is really that bad because he'll still get his minutes. I really don't see Collison as the starting pg this team needs at the end of the day. I don't mind if they keep him here after this season, but I'd like to see him as an energy guy who brings offense off the bench.

[NorwegianMavsFan]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I don't think the bench is really that bad because he'll still get his minutes. I really don't see Collison as the starting pg this team needs at the end of the day. I don't mind if they keep him here after this season, but I'd like to see him as an energy guy who brings offense off the bench.

There is some truth to that, but then the question is whether you want Mike James to start, or Roddy or DoJo.

[SMC0007]

I don't agree with taking Roddy and Collison minutes to give to a 37 yr old James. Trust me, there is nothing JAmes is gonna bring that turns this around. Let the young guys make or break it.....their future here.

Also, It doesn't matter if Collison or Roddy starts but IMO, you have to let Roddy finish the game if things are running as well as they were last night.

These MRFRS need to get tough. All of them, period.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I'd give Roddy the start next game. Collison just can't run a team or get the ball to Dirk with any consistency. I have no clue when it happened, but Roddy suddenly looks like something clicked in his brain. He is also a much better defender than Collison.

Darren's already been benched (in a nice way) once, though. I don't think you do it again unless you're ready to keep him there, and as I hopeful as I am based on how Booby's looked of late, I wouldn't personally be ready to hand him the starting job. Increase his minutes some, give him a chance to build on what he's been doing, switch Brand and Kaman in the starting lineup, get back at it.

[LonghornDub]

Start Collison, give Roddy consistent minutes. It's that simple. Don't bench Collison cause he has 2 bad games in a row (or whatever). Don't put Roddy in a suit because he isn't that great and sometimes is terrible.

Just play them, consistently. The playoffs aren't really on the line at this point, and the Mavs don't have any better options. The fact that they'd go out and sign Mike James is just baffling to me.

[Kante]

Missed the game but good to hear Roddy played well. Learning how to run a team a bit, eh?

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Some of you are missing why I said that. I like Collison's play lately, and he is a decent player. He still can't run a team though, and the assists speak for themselves. It just looked to flow better with Roddy in there. The team isn't winning so I'd still try different things.

I wouldn't mind seeing Kaman off the bench as long as Brand keeps up his decent offense lately.

[j0Shi]

If Roddy continues to improve at this rate, I like him as a backup very much. Starter? Questionable.

Roddy has disappointed in some areas, but I think people still overlook the impact he has had during the last lockout season. Among guys that played significant minutes, Roddy ranked Top 3 in all major categories (except rebounding, percentages) among all players with significant minutes on a per minute basis. That's pretty good. He trailed only Kidd in assists, Dirk and Terry in scoring, Haywood and Wright in blocking and led the backcourt in fewest turnovers.

That's probably not too accurate as you would like to get garbage time out of the way and, like this season, often his shooting was nowhere to be found, but on this team at this stage it would be baffling if he wouldn't be a lock off the bench.

[markus1234]

Roddy plays more under control (lately) and looks more "physical" than Collison. He can also make some threes.

But Roddy is of course not a starter and he still needs to improve to be a decent backup PG. He needs to attack the basket off the dribble and he needs to find the open guy. Yesterday Dirk was wide open (and on fire), but Roddy preferred to brick a contested pullup jumpshot...

1:47 Dirk Nowitzki makes 24-foot three point jumper (Vince Carter assists) 78-70
1:27 78-70 Randy Foye misses 25-foot three point jumper
1:24 78-70 Enes Kanter offensive rebound
1:24 78-72 Enes Kanter makes 2-foot two point shot
1:04 Elton Brand makes 13-foot jumper (Dirk Nowitzki assists) 80-72
0:50 80-74 Derrick Favors makes layup (Gordon Hayward assists)
0:50 Elton Brand shooting foul (Derrick Favors draws the foul) 80-74
0:50 80-74 Alec Burks enters the game for Randy Foye
0:50 80-74 Derrick Favors misses free throw 1 of 1
0:48 Elton Brand defensive rebound 80-74
0:30 Elton Brand misses 13-foot jumper 80-74
0:29 80-74 Derrick Favors defensive rebound
0:13 80-74 Gordon Hayward misses 20-foot jumper
0:12 Elton Brand defensive rebound 80-74
0:01 Rodrigue Beaubois misses 19-foot jumper 80-74 (Dirk wide open in the corner)

[j0Shi]

Yeah that was the epitome of why he isn't a starter in this league. To be clear: Way more experienced guys make similar mistakes every game (in yesterdays game Marion took a wild shot in the paint, had two open guys waiting at the perimeter), but Roddy's decision making still leaves much to be desired.

[Ninkobei]

DColl and Roddy are very similar players it seems. The big difference is that Roddy has had a couple of glorious years under JKidd to teach him the ropes. DColl may be the better talent but right now the brains favor Roddy. It could be a year or even two before things 'click' with DColl. Especially without a veteran around to influence him.

[markus1234]

Collison played with Chris Paul last time i checked. That's a decent teacher if you ask me.

DC and Roddy, both did not learn much since their rookie season...

[Murphy3]

It's time to get the ball to Dirk a bit more and just watch everyone else get the hell out of the way.

[Budapest Maverick]

Originally Posted by markus1234

Collison played with Chris Paul last time i checked. That's a decent teacher if you ask me.

DC and Roddy, both did not learn much since their rookie season...

I'm not sure if basketball IQ is a learnable skill. All of those great passers and high IQ point guards (Magic, Nash, Kidd, Paul, etc.) were pretty much the same player at a young age, i mean from a passing standpoint.

Obviously, they got stronger, they improved their shooting, some improved their defense, but the passing was there from early on, the ability to make good decisions from all over the court. Roddy and even DC don't have that, at least not consistently.

[Bayliss]

Murphy.... pretty much.....

[markus1234]

Originally Posted by Budapest Maverick

I'm not sure if basketball IQ is a learnable skill. All of those great passers and high IQ point guards (Magic, Nash, Kidd, Paul, etc.) were pretty much the same player at a young age, i mean from a passing standpoint.

Obviously, they got stronger, they improved their shooting, some improved their defense, but the passing was there from early on, the ability to make good decisions from all over the court. Roddy and even DC don't have that, at least not consistently.

Agreed.

One will also not turn 22yo Crowder into 22yo Hayward...

No matter how much time Rick will spend with him during practice.

[oilfieldtrash]

Originally Posted by Budapest Maverick

I'm not sure if basketball IQ is a learnable skill. All of those great passers and high IQ point guards (Magic, Nash, Kidd, Paul, etc.) were pretty much the same player at a young age, i mean from a passing standpoint.

Obviously, they got stronger, they improved their shooting, some improved their defense, but the passing was there from early on, the ability to make good decisions from all over the court. Roddy and even DC don't have that, at least not consistently.

Basketball IQ is definitely a learnable skill. Why do you think you see veteran teams finishing games while young guys are usually mistake prone at the end of games? Now the vision that a Kidd, Nash, Stockton has that's just God given and you either have it or you don't.

[b_o_r]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Darren's already been benched (in a nice way) once, though. I don't think you do it again unless you're ready to keep him there, and as I hopeful as I am based on how Booby's looked of late, I wouldn't personally be ready to hand him the starting job. Increase his minutes some, give him a chance to build on what he's been doing, switch Brand and Kaman in the starting lineup, get back at it.

Demoted--yes. Benched--nope. Benching is what Roddy, Wright, and Dojo have received. I don't think his overall play is worthy of a benching, but he is a backup who was "given" the starting gig.

[j0Shi]

On completely other news: I didn't know we were using the SportVU system.

[EricaLubarsky]

Anyone willing to create the GDT? A few hours away and we are still missing one. I am about 2-9 in my GDTs. Then again, losing may be the most advantageous thing at this point.