Ouch - This Article Stings a Little

[twistaeffect2004]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...r.405721b.html

It's sad to watch the Mavs play these days because we have no memories of champagne showers. Or championship celebrations. Or raising a banner at American Airlines Center.

If we're honest, all we really remember from the Mavs' magnificent eight-year run as one of the league's elite teams is how they choked away a 2-0 series lead and a 13-point advantage with six minutes left in Game 3 against Miami.

Had the Mavs won, their descent into NBA mediocrity wouldn't be nearly as difficult to accept because you'd have those unforgettable memories.

But it is.

That's because we know the window for winning a championship has slammed shut on this franchise.

Who knows when it will open again?

These Mavs, losers of four of their last five games, don't resemble a playoff team.

They often struggle to beat the league's dregs like Minnesota and Memphis, and these Mavs shoot way too many 3-pointers and make too few. Too often, they defend the paint with indifference. As usual, their inside game is unreliable.

In a loss to New Orleans last week, the Hornets treated the Mavs the way Dallas has treated so many opponents during its eight straight 50-win seasons. The Hornets allowed the Mavs to hang around until the fourth quarter, when star point guard Chris Paul and New Orleans elevated their game and won easily.

This season – all season – will be a mental struggle for the Mavs as they deal with being a middle-of-the-pack team. Already, the Mavs have had two losing streaks of at least four games.

It affects players like Dirk Nowitzki more than others because he's been a part of all the success Dallas has had this millennium. He remembers when teams feared the Mavs.

Just two seasons ago, Dallas won 67 games.

"It's never fun to lose," he said the other day, "especially for a franchise that's been used to winning for several years."

Yes, the Mavs are only 1 1/2 games behind fifth-place Houston and 2 ½ games behind fourth-place New Orleans in the Western Conference, but it seems like so much more. That's because we see no tangible evidence that Dallas can consistently compete with the top teams in the conference, even though Dirk is a superstar, Jason Terry is the NBA's best sixth man and Jason Kidd remains among the league's top point guards.

Maybe you'd feel better if Josh Howard was playing well, but he's been hurt much of the year, and he's been inconsistent when he has played.

With the trading deadline looming next month, the Mavs find themselves in a precarious position as they embark on a four-game road trip that begins today against Philadelphia and ends against Boston.

If their recent struggles continue on this trip, the Mavs will find themselves sellers at the deadline.

To stop their recent slide, the Mavs must consistently show the mental fortitude they displayed a couple of days ago in the fourth quarter of their win over Utah, a bad road team playing on consecutive nights.

Like when they rallied from a 12-point first quarter deficit after a 17-0 Utah run. Or when Brandon Bass hit an 18-foot jumper to make it 106-101 with 2:21 left after Dirk had left the game briefly with a foot injury.

Or when Antoine Wright made a short jumper in traffic, pushing the lead to six with 1:46 left. Or Terry's 3-pointer that clinched it with 52 seconds left.

It's the only way they can win. They can't just turn it on at winning time. They're not good enough.

Rick Carlisle has known that for weeks. It's time his players accepted that truth.

Sadly, the good, old days are gone. They're not coming back anytime soon.

[rabbitproof]

So much bitch for one article.

[AxdemxO]

NEXTTTTTT

[LonghornDub]

You didn't post the author's name, and I didn't click the link at first, but I could tell after reading the first 4-5 sentences that that was a JJT article.

[quietsavant]

Vintage JJT..not surprised.

[twistaeffect2004]

I'm not familiar with this author. Does he always come off as pessimistic?

[catsil]

The Kings experienced something like this

[DevinHarriswillstart]

First off, the Mavericks are not losers. They can be called Losers if, and only if, the Mavericks finish the season below .500.

You know, I actually feel better about the Mavs after this article. 1 1/2 games behind NO and 2 1/2 games behind Houston is a miracle considering the Mavs woes of late. Dirk and Terry are playing the best ball of their careers. Not bad. Life could be worse.
If we can keep Kidd, Terry, Dirk and add another star, we have as good of a chance as anyone.

To me this article really hits a nail into poor old Josh Howard. He is as good as gone IMO. I'm as confident about him being traded as I was about Diop.

[darkwitzki]

But still,this season can be saved.. Just a few tweaks will do.

[mav_love]

the window of dominance in this conference is shut. that's all.

on a weekly basis, 2nd and 9th place are separated by 3 to 6 games. etc etc. one thing i've noticed lately is that, aside from LAL, no Western team has a point-margin over +4. compare that to the past 4 years! leading teams like PHO and SAS had point-margins around +8 or even +10.

[Tokey41]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

First off, the Mavericks are not losers. They can be called Losers if, and only if, the Mavericks finish the season below .500.

The Mavericks can be considered losers along with 28 others teams this season. It's all relative. The point of the article is, as a franchise, Dallas hasn't won 'the big one'. As far as remebering the Mavs 2006 finals collapse as their defining moment, I'd have to disagree... every team has it's ups and downs, and ours might seem a bit more tragic, but we have definitely had some ups that other teams can't claim they've had as well (Dirks MVP, beating SA in OT after an amazing and 1, etc.). Our team is full of memorable moments, the ones you want to focus on is up to you.

[ghazi]

The 2006 Finals were BS RIGGED

[Re-Dirk-ulous]

Originally Posted by ghazi

The 2006 Finals were BS RIGGED

Gotta get over that man...

[basketballgirl25]

Originally Posted by ghazi

The 2006 Finals were BS RIGGED

2009 buddy, time to get over this and move on

[craggmac]

Man, does this guy really have nothing better to write about? What would possess someone to write that long ass article.

Might be time for him to start looking for something new. He's not very good at this job anymore.

[tcat075]

JJT writes very negative articles, imho. He always seems to find something bad about a team, and then writes 3 pages worth about it.

He has some good insights sometimes, but other times he just pisses me off.

[dude1394]

Not only that but he did a recap of all of his "predictions". He was atrociously bad, about 20% correct. A blind squirrel and Basketballgirl could do better.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by dude1394

Basketballgirl could do better.

Not cool, man. Low blow.

[92bDad]

Hey I enjoy this team as much as the next guy...but I have also been down on them. They've actually bounced back stronger than I anticipated...but it's not good enough.

After getting jobbed in the finals, they teased us with 67 wins and then the bottom fell out.

I have accepted that this team is mediocre at best.

Quite frankly, that is not good enough. What is it, that here in Dallas we have accepted to lower our standards to that of less than a Champion?

This team is still fun to watch, but nevertheless, they are nowhere near a favorite to succeed when it counts the most.

If the plan is anything less than a Championship, then why do we watch?

And for those who say to get over the job the NBA did to the Mavs in that Championship series with the Heat...you get over it, for the Mavs and the Mavs fans were wronged by the NBA and there is nothing that can change that fact.

Perhaps someday the NBA will no longer have Stern and his mafia friends and then maybe we can see our Mavs compete for a title without the league being fixed...until then, we as fans will go back and forth on the merits of an average team.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by 92bDad

Quite frankly, that is not good enough. What is it, that here in Dallas we have accepted to lower our standards to that of less than a Champion?

This team is still fun to watch, but nevertheless, they are nowhere near a favorite to succeed when it counts the most.

If the plan is anything less than a Championship, then why do we watch?

The Mavericks would like to extend to you their sincerest apologies for not meeting your hefty standards.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

Not cool, man. Low blow.

For who? JJT or BBG?

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

The Mavericks would like to extend to you their sincerest apologies for not meeting your hefty standards.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to LonghornDub again.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by dude1394

For who? JJT or BBG?

JJT. I don't much care for his journalism, but comparing him to BBG is just cold!

[SMC0007]

"You gotta spike those Focker"....

[xavier]

damn the truth hurts

[fluid.forty.one]

obviously this writer doesn't realize that we still have Dirk.

[Dirkadirkastan]

That "article" reads like a rushed high school paper. Bad punctuation and word choices and the like.