Don't blow up Mavs; fix them - By Randy Galloway

[mavsfanforever]

Star-Telegram
Randy Galloway

Don't blow up Mavs; fix them

Randy Galloway - In My Opinion

First, comes the failure. What always follows are the ramifications.

Locally, all of our teams in recent years except the Mavericks have had frequent encounters with both.

Now it's the Mavs' turn for the possibility of extreme internal turmoil.

Failure looms. Then what happens?

Is Nellie gone? Or is he gone only if he doesn't fire some assistant coaches, starting with Del Harris? That means Nellie is Maui-bound history, because he's not a coach who will allow an owner to dictate his staff.

Did you ever think Don Nelson would be fired because of a lack of offense?

If so, does that mean front office talent-hunter Donnie Nelson makes it a family exit?

And what about that Big Three gang of ours?

Take a good look Thursday night at one of your favorites, Steve Nash. His awful playoff performance has been poor timing for a guy opting out of his contract while intending to make a hard-ball massive new withdrawal from the Bank of Cuban.

Michael Finley? Will this be the summer when the Mavs finally deal him? Fin has been an inconsistent flop. Even his No. 1 cheerleader, me, will admit that.

But on the sunny side ...

Hey, this season has been screwed up from the very start. The Sacramento Kings can do everyone a favor by performing a quick Game 5 mercy-kill.

Then, let Mr. Cuban and the Nellies huddle up, come up with a game plan and start fixing what is broke. Start fixing what wasn't fixed last off-season. Start fixing that grab-bag trading plunge of last fall that made no basketball sense.

It would be totally stupid to blow this thing up. The unknown is much more scary than the known.

But if Mark and Don are not speaking these days, how do you talk anybody off the ledge?

As a team, the Mavericks are very repairable. It's the personalities who run the team who may have a shattered-beyond-repair relationship.

With the failure, come the ramifications.

For the opinions in this space to continue with the normal low standards of fair-and-biased, then what was said a week ago about the Stars' playoff exit must now be echoed for the Mavericks:

Heartless, gutless, overpaid wimps.

There is, of course, a slight difference about what has been seen on wood and ice.

For one, the Mavericks haven't mailed in any games. Giving effort is not the issue.

Also, the Mavs are mathematically still alive, although their days are numbered.

An over-the-edge local optimist can maintain hope, based on the Sacramento Kings having played so poorly in this series thus far.

But that rosy thought can be easily trumped because of the struggling Kings' 3-1 series lead, with Game 5 back out west Thursday.

The Mavericks have simply been the worst of a bad twosome.

This series has been an embarrassment to both clubs.

From an NBA standpoint, the damage is also immense. Totally destroyed has been the theory that the Mavericks and Kings, if nothing else, will provide basketball entertainment for a league crippled by a playoff mentality of walk-the-rock then dump-it-in-here.

Only the uniforms and the names make this any different from a December borefest of Nets-Heat. Actually, that's probably being a little hard on Nets-Heat.

But when the Stars were taking their first-round NHL plunge, an angry local backlash was aimed at the likes of Modano, Guerin, Turco, Arnott, etc.

The stars of the Stars failed horribly to make it even a competitive series against the Colorado Avalanche (currently down 3-0 against San Jose in the second round).

And now ...

Well, obviously, the Mavs' Big Three have taken the same big plunge.

Dirk, Michael, Steve. Dead men dribbling and clanging.

Look, I know everyone around here can't be expected to perform up to the April standards of Michael Young and Hank Blalock, but when your money players start bouncing these hot checks, nervous owners call for a total organizational audit.

It has happened this month with Tom Hicks and the Stars. Hicks already had plenty of experience in this area because of his red-ink Rangers' bath.

Mark Cuban will now be next.

The ramifications for the Mavericks, as an organization, figure to be severe, but the X-factor is Cuban, and how he reacts. As stated here before, we've never seen Cuban in an organizational crisis. Combine that with his wacky style, and then go ahead, guess along with the rest of us. And that's what it is -- guessing.

Even Cuban, however, has to be doing the math, although his financial soundness is beyond question.

When he purchased the Mavericks in January 2000, the Big Three and the coaching staff were both in place. The payroll was a meager $37 million.

Nobody said it then, because nobody knew it then, but for talent and payroll, Cuban had himself a great bottom-line combination.

Professional sports, outside of the NFL, is not, of course, a business venture where cost-certainty can be easily established.

Plus, Cuban went on his own spend-to-win spree.

The owner went for it with his hip pocket. Four years later, he is now looking at a payroll of $85 million for a team about to be bounced in the first round.

No matter if Cuban is a financial heavyweight, this team this season is also a heavyweight red-ink disaster.

And knowing Cuban just a little bit, I'd guess it's the red face that galls him more than the red ink.

I repeat from a previous sermon a month ago:

This team is fixable. So fix it. Don't blow it up.

That makes sense to me, but I don't think the congregation is listening to the message.

[jayC]

I agree with him, this team only needs tweaks. Start Walker or Jamison for a big man that can play solid man defense and rebound. Resign Daniels.

[ShaggyDirk]

n

[Murphy3]

It's difficult to read a Randy Galloway column without actually hearing the drunken verbal pauses and slurring of words.

[kg_veteran]

I don't think Galloway really said much in this column. He certainly didn't offer any ideas on how to "fix it".

[u2sarajevo]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
I don't think Galloway really said much in this column. He certainly didn't offer any ideas on how to "fix it".

That's his MO. He only says something and hopes it sticks to the wall. What he fails to realize is that in order to fix this team we will most likely have to trade Walker, get a new coach, and if we are unable to retain Nash we will have to get a new PG. I would call that blowing the thing up.

But hell, it ain't working. All offense all the time is bound to kill you. Especially when your offense hasn't been consistently great.

[Bayliss]

As the expression goes: don't fix what ain't broke."

And up until this year the Big 3 was not broke. Not only was it broke this year it was ripped through the shredder and dropped off at the landfill. This team needs a major overhaul. And if that means 2 of the Big 3 are gone then so be it. The only 3/4 players that remain on this team should be Dirk/Daniels/Jamison/Howard... in that order. Everyone else is fair game. And when it explodes, there should be a Big 1 (Dirk) with a strong 2 (Daniels/Jamison or the people we bring in from the explosion) and role players. That's it. There should be one great scorer in Dirk. One or two secondary options. And the rest should bne role players that produce when need be.

And it worked for Chicago. It worked for LA. It worked for Houston. It has worked with SA. It can work with us. If the Mav players understand their role and the regular season is a tune up for the playoffs.

[Bookit]

Originally posted by: Murphy3
It's difficult to read a Randy Galloway column without actually hearing the drunken verbal pauses and slurring of words.

Was this really necessary? How 'bout an opinion on his column.

[basketball jonessss]

Randy said nothing. Go get a bigman and he sits on the bench next to Bradley. Just play Bradley, it's so simple.

[Chiwas]

Talking of fixing, I'll tell you what I expect from the Mavs to win the game:

Full Court Press for 48 minutes.

When they do it, al least for long stretches in a game, they win it.

This time is for 48 minutes; not easy but if they are really hungry for a title, they must do it. We have a bench of 5 forgotten guys willing to help. They can help for some minutes to give some rest to the big 7.

This is not just other game. This can be the last one if they don't do it.

Full court press.

[u2sarajevo]

Originally posted by: Bookit

Was this really necessary? How 'bout an opinion on his column.

Randy Galloway's columns don't deserve opinions. They are nothing but a bunch of drivel thrown together and issued to the blind Editor.

[Bookit]

Originally posted by: Chiwas
Talking of fixing, I'll tell you what I expect from the Mavs to win the game:

Full Court Press for 48 minutes.

When they do it, al least for long stretches in a game, they win it.

This time is for 48 minutes; not easy but if they are really hungry for a title, they must do it. We have a bench of 5 forgotten guys willing to help. They can help for some minutes to give some rest to the big 7.

This is not just other game. This can be the last one if they don't do it.

Full court press.

Now there is an idea. This just might work. Dallas started playing small ball with the full court press and abandoned it for whatever reason. It is worth a shot.

[Chiwas]

[quote]
Originally posted by: Bookit

...Dallas started playing small ball with the full court press and abandoned it for whatever reason.

That's right. I don't know if either they get tired or it is a coaching change during the game, but if it is the latter, better Nelson this time order the full court press all the game, cause this time is to win or go. We don't need to score a bunch, we just need to score 1 point more.

[bernardos70]

You guys are right, whatever happened to the full court press..... I recall us doing very well with it. Wouldn't that get our centers some minutes? Since the rotation would be bigger? Of course, this is a good idea, so Nellie won't use it. Movie at 11.

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: Bookit

Was this really necessary? How 'bout an opinion on his column.

Yes, it was necessary.
Galloway is about the equivalent of Mike Rhyner and Greg Williams when it comes to talking basketball. He's just not worth dissecting because there's really nothing of substance in what he has to say.

[Usually Lurkin]

If "blowup" means get rid of the big three and a coaching staff overhaul - then no. We shouldn't blow-up the team.
If "blowup" means get rid of Nelson, then sure. That's a possibility.

Bayliss's idea of getting rid of two of the big three and keeping Dirk/Daniels/Jamison/Howard would just turn us into last year's timberwolves.

With our big three, we've got what the timberwolves have been looking for for years - a number one guy with an incredible pair of partners. For some reason, we've not used the number one guy, and instead of fostering the big-3 have tried to build a big-5. That's stupid. Imagine the timberwolves de-emphasizing KG in favor of a big five including Szerbiak and Kandi. They'd be out in round 1. Same as they were without Cassell and Spree. Same as the mavs probably will be by de-emphasizing Dirk in favor of Walker and Jamison (all year) and Daniels lately. Same as the mavs would be without Nash and Fin.

What we need is a coach/GM that will build on our own strengths and shore up our weaknesses - not a coach/GM that will completely restructure our strenghts every year while ignoring our weaknesses.

[Drbio]

Originally posted by: Bookit

Was this really necessary? How 'bout an opinion on his column.

It probably wasn't necessary due to the fact that all of us were thinking the same thing. Galloway is a drunk no-talent bastard who clutters up my sports page with nonanalytical garbage.

[PubaNWO]

Don't do too much with this team if it was up to me.

[Bookit]

Originally posted by: Drbio

It probably wasn't necessary due to the fact that all of us were thinking the same thing. Galloway is a drunk no-talent bastard who clutters up my sports page with nonanalytical garbage.

Yeah but we still read and listen don't we? I actually like to listen to Randy and have listened for years. Rhiner and Williams are the ones I can't listen too. Those guys can't talk Mavs for more than a few minutes and even then you can sense they are just trying to get through the segment. Randy talks Mavs for hours sometimes.

[LRB]

I don't think that this team should be blowup, it just needs the cancers removed. Ditch Nellie and Walker and I think we'll be just fine.

BTW someone should email Galloway a link to AA. Maybe a 12 step program would help improve his colums.

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: Bookit

Yeah but we still read and listen don't we? I actually like to listen to Randy and have listened for years. Rhiner and Williams are the ones I can't listen too. Those guys can't talk Mavs for more than a few minutes and even then you can sense they are just trying to get through the segment. Randy talks Mavs for hours sometimes.

To Galloway? No, not really. I catch maybe 10-15 minutes of Galloway a week. No, I don't read his articles unless someone posts them here on this site.

[Drbio]

I don't read him or listen to him. Fortunately, I can't get his station very well.

[uberfan]

I vote to fix it over blowing it up. Unfortunately, in the process of fixing it a blow up may occur. Firing Nellie likely means a total coaching staff makeover.

If Nash is not resigned because he gets too much from Utah or Toronto, then we need a new PG.

No guarantees we can resign Daniels no matter how badly we want to.

How many bad contracts to we have to take back to trade Walker.

If we lose Nash, should we go ahead and try to move Fin, forcing Dirk to become the main guy?

This may be the most interesting off-season yet.

[kg_veteran]

You guys are being too hard on Galloway.

I'll admit that I've always been partial to the guy (more for his radio talk show than his columns), but he's not nearly as bad as you make him out to be. This particular column was worthless, and he's not a basketball genius by any stretch of the imagination, but he's better than most of what the Ticket throws at the listeners on a daily basis when it comes to talking Mavs. Bob and Dan generally do a pretty good job, but the Musers are the same song and dance every time and the Hardline is pathetic. I get so sick of those morons talking about how the "Little Mavericks" are going to do this and that. They're clueless. Norm is pretty good, but I wouldn't call basketball his strong point either.

[dalmations202]

Originally posted by: uberfan
I vote to fix it over blowing it up. Unfortunately, in the process of fixing it a blow up may occur. Firing Nellie likely means a total coaching staff makeover.

If Nash is not resigned because he gets too much from Utah or Toronto, then we need a new PG.

No guarantees we can resign Daniels no matter how badly we want to.

How many bad contracts to we have to take back to trade Walker.

If we lose Nash, should we go ahead and try to move Fin, forcing Dirk to become the main guy?

This may be the most interesting off-season yet.

I vote for fixing it up as well. Of course that may mean blowing it up to fix it, but hey. Here is my opinion whether it ends tonight, or they win it all.

Have actual meetings with the players, and find out what they think happened this year, and how to fix it. You may not take their advice, but at least you will know what they are thinking, and they will respect you for listening. Nash may not want to resign if Nellie is gone. Dirk may have hated trying to work with player X. Walker may think that Dell Harris's Defense totally screwed them. Don't make rash decisions, but make thorough and sound decisions based upon everyone's input, and the "cost" to make that decision.

Don't make one person a scapegoat (if you do, you have already messed up the team concept). If you make changes, make sure you make the changes to better the team. That goes for coaches and players. Making changes to make changes just keeps everyone on edge, and none feeling security at their job.

Find the problems, develop a strategy to FIX the problems, and then move to fix the problems.
---------------------------------------

Problems that need addressing, IMO:
1) Center position: Need to upgrade and coach needs to play them
2) Walker : he doesn't fit......good player, but doesn't fit this team....use him as a trading chip for 1.
3) Defense : It needs to be the most important thing from now on
4) Attitude : From Coach down, need to be humble, but not have that inferiority attitude heard from Nellie quite often.
5) Nowitzki needs to take over as the LEADER of this team. If that is forced by moving Fin, then fine, but Dirk has to take over, and this team needs to rally around Dirk, not the Big 3 or 5 or anything.

[PubaNWO]

Originally posted by: LRB
I don't think that this team should be blowup, it just needs the cancers removed. Ditch Nellie and Walker and I think we'll be just fine.

BTW someone should email Galloway a link to AA. Maybe a 12 step program would help improve his colums.

Nellie and AW are not cancers.

Please get a grip on reality.

[MightyToine]

Originally posted by: LRB
I don't think that this team should be blowup, it just needs the cancers removed. Ditch Nellie and Walker and I think we'll be just fine.

That's harsh, LRB. Walk may not be the right fit for this team but he is BY NO MEANS A CANCER.

[uberfan]

Originally posted by: dalmations202

I vote for fixing it up as well. Of course that may mean blowing it up to fix it, but hey. Here is my opinion whether it ends tonight, or they win it all.

Have actual meetings with the players, and find out what they think happened this year, and how to fix it. You may not take their advice, but at least you will know what they are thinking, and they will respect you for listening. Nash may not want to resign if Nellie is gone. Dirk may have hated trying to work with player X. Walker may think that Dell Harris's Defense totally screwed them. Don't make rash decisions, but make thorough and sound decisions based upon everyone's input, and the "cost" to make that decision.

Don't make one person a scapegoat (if you do, you have already messed up the team concept). If you make changes, make sure you make the changes to better the team. That goes for coaches and players. Making changes to make changes just keeps everyone on edge, and none feeling security at their job.

Find the problems, develop a strategy to FIX the problems, and then move to fix the problems.
---------------------------------------

Problems that need addressing, IMO:
1) Center position: Need to upgrade and coach needs to play them
2) Walker : he doesn't fit......good player, but doesn't fit this team....use him as a trading chip for 1.
3) Defense : It needs to be the most important thing from now on
4) Attitude : From Coach down, need to be humble, but not have that inferiority attitude heard from Nellie quite often.
5) Nowitzki needs to take over as the LEADER of this team. If that is forced by moving Fin, then fine, but Dirk has to take over, and this team needs to rally around Dirk, not the Big 3 or 5 or anything.

It may be a good idea to meet one-on-one with the players. Give them a chance to blow off steam, although I think it is very clear what needs to be done. We go into this off-season with the same needs we have had for the last few off-seasons.

1. Solid center rotation. You pointed this out as well, however it is imperative that the coach play that rotation.
2. Solid backup PG who can become the starter sans Nash. Can trading Walker get us a decent role player at C and a solid (not necessarily All-Star) PG?
3. Consistent SF play on both ends of the court. I am not sure Howard is the answer and Jamison is not the defender we need, but both can be counted on to contribute at SF if we do not get a significant upgrade here.
4. Attitude: coach sets the tone. Coach needs to understand this and be responsible for setting the tone.
5. Dirk should be the number one option. He needs to be surrounded by solid role players. The basic starter kit is here. But I wonder if Dirk will ever step forward as long as Fin is a starter here.

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
You guys are being too hard on Galloway.

I'll admit that I've always been partial to the guy (more for his radio talk show than his columns), but he's not nearly as bad as you make him out to be. This particular column was worthless, and he's not a basketball genius by any stretch of the imagination, but he's better than most of what the Ticket throws at the listeners on a daily basis when it comes to talking Mavs. Bob and Dan generally do a pretty good job, but the Musers are the same song and dance every time and the Hardline is pathetic. I get so sick of those morons talking about how the "Little Mavericks" are going to do this and that. They're clueless. Norm is pretty good, but I wouldn't call basketball his strong point either.

KG, Galloway just isn't worth a damn when it comes to basketball regardless of whether it's on the air or in print. As far as basketball goes, he is the equivalent of the hardline. He can state the dreadfully obvious, but nothing else.

[grndmstr_c]

2. Solid backup PG who can become the starter sans Nash.

This, to me, is not the team's biggest area of need. Quis has shown that he can play the point, and if we do resign Nash we're at least a few years off from needing to worry about the position. I would like to have a third guy on the roster who can play the point, but a vet backup is all that's necessary there. Not a future starter.

3. Consistent SF play on both ends of the court.

We may not quite have an All NBA guy at SF, but there are precious few teams that are better off at that position than the Mavs. This only becomes an area of need if we end up having to use AJ or JHo in a trade for a big. Beyond that, assume we did want to upgrade. Who would you get? Artest?, Marion? AK? There just aren't many guys who would be a clear upgrade, and I seriously doubt any of them are realistically attainable.

[PubaNWO]

There is no glaring weakness on the Mavs except the Center position.

But when you get into the playoffs that's the same problem you have on all the teams except the Spurs and Lakers and to some extent the Rockets.

I think the players are there...the talent is there....all you need is the proper guidance and leadership.

The Mavs were going to win the title last year with just the Big 3 !!!!

This team has enough players and enough talent......Cuban has seen to it!

[LRB]

Originally posted by: MightyToine

That's harsh, LRB. Walk may not be the right fit for this team but he is BY NO MEANS A CANCER.

MT it is harsh what I said, but I don't apologize. The Mavs went from being a hair's breadth of being the best team in the NBA last year, to being an also ran this year. They took major steps backwards in almost every category. And the great chemistry that they have exhibited over the past few years was crushed. All year long Walker hurt this team by trying to do far too much for his extremely limited talents. And while I concede that he might fit in with some other team possibly and be an asset, that he has done nothing but erode at the chemistry and play of the great team that he joined. Like any cancer he needs to be removed as soon as possible before he does any more damage or in the worst case scenario cause the death of this team by breaking up it's core. I wish him luck at his next stop, but I never want to see him in a Mavs uni again and would only be overjoyed to see him in street clothes tonight.

I am a Mavs fan and have been since day 1. I stayed a fan all through the dreadful 90's. It was terrific to see this team grow and have continued success over the past 4 seasons prior to this one. However the major step back the Mavs has been extremely painful to endure. IMO and by my observations Walker has been the player that has had the largest impact in causing this. He has dragged this team, which I love, down and I want nothing more than to see his back as he exits. I wish him luck on his next team, but do not want to see him adversely affect the Mavs any more.

[MightyToine]

Originally posted by: LRB

MT it is harsh what I said, but I don't apologize. The Mavs went from being a hair's breadth of being the best team in the NBA last year, to being an also ran this year. They took major steps backwards in almost every category. And the great chemistry that they have exhibited over the past few years was crushed. All year long Walker hurt this team by trying to do far too much for his extremely limited talents. And while I concede that he might fit in with some other team possibly and be an asset, that he has done nothing but erode at the chemistry and play of the great team that he joined. Like any cancer he needs to be removed as soon as possible before he does any more damage or in the worst case scenario cause the death of this team by breaking up it's core. I wish him luck at his next stop, but I never want to see him in a Mavs uni again and would only be overjoyed to see him in street clothes tonight.

I am a Mavs fan and have been since day 1. I stayed a fan all through the dreadful 90's. It was terrific to see this team grow and have continued success over the past 4 seasons prior to this one. However the major step back the Mavs has been extremely painful to endure. IMO and by my observations Walker has been the player that has had the largest impact in causing this. He has dragged this team, which I love, down and I want nothing more than to see his back as he exits. I wish him luck on his next team, but do not want to see him adversely affect the Mavs any more.

GREAT POST! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]


Actually, LRB, I think Nellie is the Mastermind behind Walker's "Cancerous" effect on this team. Had Nellie nipped this thing in the bud and had WALKER be the 6th man instead of Jamison, then perhaps things might have been slightly different....a few more wins here and there....Home Court advantage.....

But alas, Nellie is an epic Moron so he helped Walker's "Cancerous" presence fester until the team was TERMINALLY ILL......


The Cure? Just like any other cancer.....REMOVE IT.

[PubaNWO]

Some fans just don't like certain players.....no matter what they do.

Fans are turning on Finley and Nash now when they're not playing well......

...pretty soon it's Dirk.

I'm beggining to think every city, with time, will become just like Boston......well not exactly just like Boston but closer than before [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

[jayC]

More about don't break up the big three this time from Marty Burns of CNNSI

Keep it together
Breaking up the Mavs would be bad for the league and the fans
Posted: Thursday April 29, 2004 1:35PM; Updated: Thursday April 29, 2004 3:20PM





With his exciting game, Steve Nash is a perfect fit on the Mavericks.
John W. McDonough/SI
An open letter to Mark Cuban:

Don't break up the Mavs.

For the sake of the NBA -- and fans everywhere -- resist the urge. Don't dismantle the Big Three. Don't send Nellie back to Maui.

Don't heed those calls from the talk radio hosts and other windbags to blow it up and start over with Pat Riley or Kiki Vandeweghe.

OK, so maybe your Dallas squad isn't good enough to win an NBA title. Maybe the team took a step backward this year. Maybe it's blown a golden opportunity in falling behind 3-1 to a Kings team that looks ripe for the picking.

And, yes, maybe your squad doesn't play any defense and never will.

But the Mavs have one thing going for them that few other NBA teams can match: they're fun to watch.

They can shoot. They can pass. They can run the floor.

In a league dominated by half-court defenses and coaches who insist on calling every play, the Mavs are a breath of fresh air.

Dirk Nowitzki is a 7-footer as comfortable behind the 3-point arc as he is putting the ball on the floor. Steve Nash is a wizard who plays with the clever style of the national-level youth soccer player he once was. Michael Finley has that cool sinister mien to go with his strong two-way game.

Perhaps most remarkable of all in today's NBA, the Mavs have players who can actually shoot the ball (granted, though, they have gone cold in this series against the Kings).

Meanwhile, Nellie is a mad scientist without the white lab coat. He might mess up on occasion, but at least he keeps things interesting. What other NBA coach would put Shawn Bradley on Earl Boykins?

Clearly, Dallas needs some tweaking. The Antoine Walker/Antawn Jamison Experiment didn't work. One or both needs to go.

But why not write off this season as an aberration, and give Nellie Ball one more year? After all, the Mavs' core is still the same one that made it to the Western Conference finals a year ago. Dallas made a huge improvement in rebounding this season; perhaps with another year together it could take a similar step forward in terms of help defense.

Right now the NBA can't afford to lose one of its most entertaining acts. The Lakers are about to implode. The Kings' window is closing fast. Carmelo's Nuggets and LeBron's Cavs are still at least a year away.

Take your high-octane Mavs out of the NBA next season and who's going to keep the scoring average from plummeting to 1950s levels? The Spurs, Pistons and Pacers are all excellent well-coached teams. But who wants to see 70-point games every night?

I understand you want to win an NBA title. That's great. So tweak it, don't smash it to pieces.

Mark, do what you can to get that big man the team desperately needs. Talk to the Bulls about Walker for Tyson Chandler and Antonio Davis. See if Jamison could fetch a Theo Ratliff- or Marcus Camby-type. Throw in Danny Fortson and a guest spot on your next reality TV show if necessary.

Yes, we know there are solid reasons to think a change of direction is needed. Nash is 30 years old and a free agent after the season. Finley is erratic and settles for too many jumpers. Nowitzki still doesn't play defense.

And, yes, it's clear you and Nellie don't see eye to eye all the time. But it's better to have a good coach than a sycophant. Besides, Riley's not exactly going to jump for joy when he sees you all casual, hanging around practice every day and excoriating the refs from behind the bench.

The bottom line is the Mavs, as presently constituted, are still a good team. Maybe not the best team. But a pretty good one.

Besides, there's no guarantee that blowing it up will make it any better. In terms of playing style, it almost certainly will make it worse. For NBA fans, that would be a shame.


Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.