Wish list for 2003-2004 Mavericks

[Hitman]

This is what I am requesting from the key Mavericks for the upcoming season.


1. Dirk - Ruthless aggression. He can not care how many all stars are on this team. This is HIS team, and he has to play like he knows that. The Mavericks will be at their best when he has the ball early and often. If this dude would just flat out make the MVP award his personal goal, the I think the Mavericks would win 65 games. When he is aggressive there is no player in the NBA better. None. 28 points and 9 rebounds.

2. Steve - Pass, pass, pass. And shoot. I would like to see Stevie make 10 assists a game a personal goal of his this year. 10. When you are passing to three offensive all stars in a super high tempo game, it is certainly feasable. While I know that Steve will probably be limited to 33 minutes a game to "save him", I think with this lineup 10 assists is within his grasp. Stevie, give us 15 and 10.

3. Fin - D it up baby. Now is the time that Finley needs to show what kind of leader he truly is. He needs to concentrate on defense and also..defense. He showed at times in the playoffs that he can be a VERY GOOD perimeter defender, and now we need to see that kind of effort from him EVERYNIGHT. I want him to score 16-17 to keep the other defense honest. Every 15 games or so let him go off for 30, but I want to see his three pointers go DOWN and his free throw attempts go UP. There is no reason that his total field goal attempts to be close to Nowitzki's. If he can give us 16-17 ppg and start to make one or two journalists around the league think about maybe, just maybe annointing him to second team all defense then, well...we can win 65 games.

4. Tawn - Ruthless aggression, within reason. We need Tawn to be the second horse on this team. Sure, we know Dirk is the lead dog, Steve is the QB and Fin the vet and inspirational leader, but on this team Twan is the #2 dog. If only one other Mav besides Dirk goes to the ASG this year, it needs to be Tawn. Mix it up down low, take pride in your defense like you say you already do, get us 19-20 points and 8 boards a game. We need Dirk and Tawn to be our 1-2 scoring punch, because they are a matchup nightmare for any team. Put a small guy on Dirk and he will shoot over him. Put a big guy on Dirk and he will go around him. Same goes for Tawn. Put a small guy on him and he should take him inside, put a big guy on him and he should, I don't know, pass it to Dirk.

5. Raef - Stay on the blocks. Sure, when we got Raef the idea was to bring Shaq out to the perimeter and open up the lane. That notion is so 2002. You are 7 feet tall and you are American. Stay the fuck inside. Fight for rebounds, loose balls and block shots. Take 1 three pointer a game and make 40% of them so the opposing coach will tell the opposing center to not let you shoot unapposed from the outside. But other than that, stay inside. Give us 30 minutes, 10 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Hey, if you have to foul out it is not the end of the world because we have...

6. Big Shawn - Fall of the 2002. You remember it, don't you? When Bill Walton, Don Nelson and I all loved you. Replicate that performance the whole year. Stay in the lane and block shots. Dunk every once in a while like we know you can. In essence, THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN!

7. Fortson - Kill Somebody. Not literally. Just be a monster. Grab boards like a demon. Hey, I'll say it: BE A PRICK. Not to your teammates, just the opposing team. Maybe start a fight with somebody after he fouls Nowizki hard. Get a few flagrants called on you. Have people wonder if you are a little crazy. Give us 10 boards in 30 minutes a game. Be the "Soft White Boyz" enforcer. If you do this, the Mavs fans will love you and we will 65 games.

8. Don Nelson - A little confidence. You have one of, if not the most talented team in the NBA. Yes, Nellie. Let me reiterate. YOU, have what might be the BEST team in the NBA! YOU! Stop being scared of everybody and take heed of a little of what little Nicky left behind. This is your chance to do what Pat Riley and Phil Jackson have done multiple times: win an NBA championship. And neither one of them EVER won by constantly portraying their team as the underdog.


Bottom Line: It is 7:20 A.M. in New York and I have been out all night. What am I doing typing all this? I don't know.




Bottom Line, part 2: I think the Mavericks front office should read this, and apply these principles, because if they did, they would win 65 games.





And an NBA championship.





Hitman

[NVDA]

What the Mavs need is:

1) Dirk needs to get stronger, and heavier; not by adding fat, but pure muscle mass. If Dirk could bulk up considerably he would be the ultimate PF defender, better than KG (KG is as light as a toothpick, which hurts his defense, but of course he's still an All NBA defender because of his incredible talent). Bulking up also gives Dirk the huge bonus of being an inside presence on offense, something he is most definitely not. This isn't as big a deal because he can score from anywhere, but it's an important bonus if he wants to get more rebounds of the offensive variety.

2) Finley needs to become a sort of Bowen/Christie player; a defensive specialist. With his pure shot, Finely becomes a mini-Kobe without all the slashing and dunking.

3) Jamison just needs to be Jamison. He's young and strong, and if he simply works on his defense he'll be eons more effective than Nick was.

4) Nash just needs to communicate with Nelson well enough that they both understand exactly how they're going to run their new Dirk-Jamison offense. That way, Nash can effectively distribute the ball and get a league leading 8, 9 or 10 apg.

Bottom line; if the Mavs improve their D just a little and Dirk bulks up, the Lakers become the only obstacle between the Mavs and a title.

[seelenjaeger]

I disagree with Dirk having to bulk up. Dirk relies on his versatile set of skills, and adding much more muscle mass will effect his agility. We´re not playing a half court set where you rely on pure muscle mass often, Dirk should be fine with his current strength, he just needs to post up a little more.

In addition - Finley will never become a defense specialist. He´s fine doing what he does, though a little more hustle on defense won´t hurt.

[nowitzki_prophecy]

Totally agree,SJ,bulking up would seriously hurt his game,making him slower and much less agile and quick.
Bulking Dirk up means changing his entire way of playing the game,all he'll be is a good PF who can shoot,right now he can do whatever he wants to.

[Fah Q]

My wish list is for the Mavs to package Mills and some other spare part for a legit center.

[Drbio]

My wish list starts and ends with a championship.

[Fah Q]

Originally posted by: Drbio
My wish list starts and ends with a championship.

Can I change my answer to that?

[MFFL]

Originally posted by: Hitman
This is what I am requesting from the key Mavericks for the upcoming season.


1. Dirk - Ruthless aggression. He can not care how many all stars are on this team. This is HIS team, and he has to play like he knows that. The Mavericks will be at their best when he has the ball early and often. If this dude would just flat out make the MVP award his personal goal, the I think the Mavericks would win 65 games. When he is aggressive there is no player in the NBA better. None. 28 points and 9 rebounds.

I absolutely agree. Dirk needs to get it in HIS head that HE is the only chance the Mavs have to win a championship. The last run in the playoffs gives me hope that he will continue to do so.

2. Steve - Pass, pass, pass. And shoot. I would like to see Stevie make 10 assists a game a personal goal of his this year. 10. When you are passing to three offensive all stars in a super high tempo game, it is certainly feasable. While I know that Steve will probably be limited to 33 minutes a game to "save him", I think with this lineup 10 assists is within his grasp. Stevie, give us 15 and 10.

And play a little defense. A couple of years ago (before we acquired NVE) Steve had the reputation as a decent to good defender.

3. Fin - D it up baby. Now is the time that Finley needs to show what kind of leader he truly is. He needs to concentrate on defense and also..defense. He showed at times in the playoffs that he can be a VERY GOOD perimeter defender, and now we need to see that kind of effort from him EVERYNIGHT. I want him to score 16-17 to keep the other defense honest. Every 15 games or so let him go off for 30, but I want to see his three pointers go DOWN and his free throw attempts go UP. There is no reason that his total field goal attempts to be close to Nowitzki's. If he can give us 16-17 ppg and start to make one or two journalists around the league think about maybe, just maybe annointing him to second team all defense then, well...we can win 65 games.

Finley is the key IMO. If he accepts his role as a defensive specialist and DOES it then the Mavs will be hard to beat.

4. Tawn - Ruthless aggression, within reason. We need Tawn to be the second horse on this team. Sure, we know Dirk is the lead dog, Steve is the QB and Fin the vet and inspirational leader, but on this team Twan is the #2 dog. If only one other Mav besides Dirk goes to the ASG this year, it needs to be Tawn. Mix it up down low, take pride in your defense like you say you already do, get us 19-20 points and 8 boards a game. We need Dirk and Tawn to be our 1-2 scoring punch, because they are a matchup nightmare for any team. Put a small guy on Dirk and he will shoot over him. Put a big guy on Dirk and he will go around him. Same goes for Tawn. Put a small guy on him and he should take him inside, put a big guy on him and he should, I don't know, pass it to Dirk.

Tawn needs to work on his passing and defense. But he also needs to be the 2nd option if the Mavs can be successful in the playoffs.

5. Raef - Stay on the blocks. Sure, when we got Raef the idea was to bring Shaq out to the perimeter and open up the lane. That notion is so 2002. You are 7 feet tall and you are American. Stay the fuck inside. Fight for rebounds, loose balls and block shots. Take 1 three pointer a game and make 40% of them so the opposing coach will tell the opposing center to not let you shoot unapposed from the outside. But other than that, stay inside. Give us 30 minutes, 10 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Hey, if you have to foul out it is not the end of the world because we have...

Raef needs a clearly defined role. He needs to have a narrow series of goals that are achievable so he can build confidence and grow into a good player. This season will determine whether Raef has a future with the Mavs or not.

6. Big Shawn - Fall of the 2002. You remember it, don't you? When Bill Walton, Don Nelson and I all loved you. Replicate that performance the whole year. Stay in the lane and block shots. Dunk every once in a while like we know you can. In essence, THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN!

Shawn has grown as a player since he stopped bitching at the refs so much. If Nellie can avoid tinkering with the lineup and give ALL the center minutes to Raef and Bradley EVERY NIGHT then they will both have a chance to make mistakes and learn from them.

7. Fortson - Kill Somebody. Not literally. Just be a monster. Grab boards like a demon. Hey, I'll say it: BE A PRICK. Not to your teammates, just the opposing team. Maybe start a fight with somebody after he fouls Nowizki hard. Get a few flagrants called on you. Have people wonder if you are a little crazy. Give us 10 boards in 30 minutes a game. Be the "Soft White Boyz" enforcer. If you do this, the Mavs fans will love you and we will 65 games.

IMO Fortson is the key to the trade. If he gets back into shape and gets his head screwed on tight then the trade will be a slam dunk success for us. Nellie wants a player like Fortson but only if he flies straight.

8. Don Nelson - A little confidence. You have one of, if not the most talented team in the NBA. Yes, Nellie. Let me reiterate. YOU, have what might be the BEST team in the NBA! YOU! Stop being scared of everybody and take heed of a little of what little Nicky left behind. This is your chance to do what Pat Riley and Phil Jackson have done multiple times: win an NBA championship. And neither one of them EVER won by constantly portraying their team as the underdog.

Can an old dog learn a new trick? I guess we will find out.

Bottom Line: It is 7:20 A.M. in New York and I have been out all night. What am I doing typing all this? I don't know.

Bottom Line, part 2: I think the Mavericks front office should read this, and apply these principles, because if they did, they would win 65 games.

And an NBA championship.

Get some sleep. Damn fine post though. I think a championship is more possible now - at least we have more than a shooters chance.

[MavsFanatik33]

Hitman, excellent post,....best I've seen in awhile, maybe we should e-mail Mark Cuban that and get him to deliver it to the team. This year could be the year....but hey, i'm an optomist.

[Dirks Cuzin]

i dont know about u guys but my wish list is to aqquire Shaq to the minimum, get Kobe in the slammer for a year... and win a championship

[one long blue sock]

Originally posted by: Hitman
This is what I am requesting from the key Mavericks for the upcoming season.


1. Dirk - Ruthless aggression. He can not care how many all stars are on this team. This is HIS team, and he has to play like he knows that. The Mavericks will be at their best when he has the ball early and often. If this dude would just flat out make the MVP award his personal goal, the I think the Mavericks would win 65 games. When he is aggressive there is no player in the NBA better. None. 28 points and 9 rebounds.

I to totally agree on this part, but I think to become an MVP on this team he would have to focus more on the rebounds. Of course teams can't win without an MVP, but trying to become an MVP by scoring would mess up the Mavs passing game. But I see, if we was to become MVP, 27, 11. Hit those boards Dirk.

[i]2. Steve - Pass, pass, pass. And shoot. I would like to see Stevie make 10 assists a game a personal goal of his this year. 10. When you are passing to three offensive all stars in a super high tempo game, it is certainly feasable. While I know that Steve will probably be limited to 33 minutes a game to "save him", I think with this lineup 10 assists is within his grasp. Stevie, give us 15 and 10.

This one, I have no arguments what so ever, you are totally right. If he could get the other 3 more points, and limit his, that would be a major key to a championship. It would also relax him, he wouldn't have to try and find his own shot, he could just shoot when Fin makes an extra pass out on the 3.

[i]3. Fin - D it up baby. Now is the time that Finley needs to show what kind of leader he truly is. He needs to concentrate on defense and also..defense. He showed at times in the playoffs that he can be a VERY GOOD perimeter defender, and now we need to see that kind of effort from him EVERYNIGHT. I want him to score 16-17 to keep the other defense honest. Every 15 games or so let him go off for 30, but I want to see his three pointers go DOWN and his free throw attempts go UP. There is no reason that his total field goal attempts to be close to Nowitzki's. If he can give us 16-17 ppg and start to make one or two journalists around the league think about maybe, just maybe annointing him to second team all defense then, well...we can win 65 games.

I don't really agree with this. He should of course be giving the extra effort on defense, but that is Nellie's job to construct a defense that works. The defense would be more effective if you can have all of the players playing as a unit, instead of them playing there own kinda defense. Not to mention that it would save energy. All I want from Finley is to be consistent in everything, show up in crunch, and teach the younger players.

[i]4. Tawn - Ruthless aggression, within reason. We need Tawn to be the second horse on this team. Sure, we know Dirk is the lead dog, Steve is the QB and Fin the vet and inspirational leader, but on this team Twan is the #2 dog. If only one other Mav besides Dirk goes to the ASG this year, it needs to be Tawn. Mix it up down low, take pride in your defense like you say you already do, get us 19-20 points and 8 boards a game. We need Dirk and Tawn to be our 1-2 scoring punch, because they are a matchup nightmare for any team. Put a small guy on Dirk and he will shoot over him. Put a big guy on Dirk and he will go around him. Same goes for Tawn. Put a small guy on him and he should take him inside, put a big guy on him and he should, I don't know, pass it to Dirk.

I agree on this one to, he is comfortable being that second man, and thats where he should be. He adds a different element to the Mavs with his inside game, 20, 7 is what i see.

[i]5. Raef - Stay on the blocks. Sure, when we got Raef the idea was to bring Shaq out to the perimeter and open up the lane. That notion is so 2002. You are 7 feet tall and you are American. Stay the fuck inside. Fight for rebounds, loose balls and block shots. Take 1 three pointer a game and make 40% of them so the opposing coach will tell the opposing center to not let you shoot unapposed from the outside. But other than that, stay inside. Give us 30 minutes, 10 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Hey, if you have to foul out it is not the end of the world because we have...

Actually i think it should be stay on the boards, and your man. The Mavs need someone to hold there man back, they all ready have the god of weak side blocks. All I want from Raef is 5, 8-9, 2.

[i]6. Big Shawn - Fall of the 2002. You remember it, don't you? When Bill Walton, Don Nelson and I all loved you. Replicate that performance the whole year. Stay in the lane and block shots. Dunk every once in a while like we know you can. In essence, THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN!

All the Mavs need from him, is for him to do his job. BLOCKING, and some scoring. If he could stay consistent, that would be perfect.

[i]7. Fortson - Kill Somebody. Not literally. Just be a monster. Grab boards like a demon. Hey, I'll say it: BE A PRICK. Not to your teammates, just the opposing team. Maybe start a fight with somebody after he fouls Nowizki hard. Get a few flagrants called on you. Have people wonder if you are a little crazy. Give us 10 boards in 30 minutes a game. Be the "Soft White Boyz" enforcer. If you do this, the Mavs fans will love you and we will 65 games.

Fortson, Meh.

[i]8. Don Nelson - A little confidence. You have one of, if not the most talented team in the NBA. Yes, Nellie. Let me reiterate. YOU, have what might be the BEST team in the NBA! YOU! Stop being scared of everybody and take heed of a little of what little Nicky left behind. This is your chance to do what Pat Riley and Phil Jackson have done multiple times: win an NBA championship. And neither one of them EVER won by constantly portraying their team as the underdog.

I really like your thread hitman, everysingle thing was correct. Best post I have seen in a long time!

[jayC]

I couldn't have said it any better. 65 wins might be a little hard to achieve when LA, San Antonio, Minny and Sactown are all contenders.

[Psychedelic Fuzz]

my wish list
1. for Dirk to just keep what he's doing, and maybe play some D
2. a fight. not instigated by a mav of course, and no injuries or arrests or anything. maybe fortson standing up for a teammate after a rediculously hard foul. just one, preferably at a game I go to
3.and for Raef, a seat right beside mills on a plane to somewhere so we can actually get a real center.

[superheadcat]

nice post.

however i do not understand why we should make winning 65 games a goal. as cuban said, our goal should be to win one and a half more playoff games.

i would really want to see mavs kill kings, lakers, spurs and wolves, and i seriously believe that is doable. then i won't mind they lose to lesser teams.

[Mavs Rule]

Nice post Hitman, I agree with most of your points especially the part about Nellie giving up on his underdog mentality. You think he learned from Van Exel in the playoffs. Hopefully he got embarrased enough to change his stripes.

As far as Fortson goes, do you think there is any way that he will see 30 minutes a game? IMO it could only happen if Dirk went down with an injury for an extended period of time. Otherwise he will be lucky to see eight minutes a game the way Nellie leans toward offensive players. It would be nice to see Fortson gain a little confidence here in Dallas, but he will need the PT.

[Simon2]

Originally posted by: Hitman
This is what I am requesting from the key Mavericks for the upcoming season.


1. Dirk - Ruthless aggression. He can not care how many all stars are on this team. This is HIS team, and he has to play like he knows that. The Mavericks will be at their best when he has the ball early and often. If this dude would just flat out make the MVP award his personal goal, the I think the Mavericks would win 65 games. When he is aggressive there is no player in the NBA better. None. 28 points and 9 rebounds.

I don't think Dirk will win the MVP anytime soon. Why do I say this? Because of three things:
1. Even if the Mavs have a great season, people will say that Dirk is good because he has the support of Jamison, Nash and Fin.
2. He will always be labeled soft.
3. Dirk plays in the western conference where there is Duncan and KG. To be MVP, that means he is better than those two. Not a lot of people will admit that Dirk is better. As of now, he's not a good as Duncan for only one reason. He needs to improve his defense. Dirk needs to show that he can stop Duncan.

2. Steve - Pass, pass, pass. And shoot. I would like to see Stevie make 10 assists a game a personal goal of his this year. 10. When you are passing to three offensive all stars in a super high tempo game, it is certainly feasable. While I know that Steve will probably be limited to 33 minutes a game to "save him", I think with this lineup 10 assists is within his grasp. Stevie, give us 15 and 10.

I disagree with this one. If Nash can get his points, let him get his points. The more Nash is a threat the easier it will be for the other players on the team.

3. Fin - D it up baby. Now is the time that Finley needs to show what kind of leader he truly is. He needs to concentrate on defense and also..defense. He showed at times in the playoffs that he can be a VERY GOOD perimeter defender, and now we need to see that kind of effort from him EVERYNIGHT. I want him to score 16-17 to keep the other defense honest. Every 15 games or so let him go off for 30, but I want to see his three pointers go DOWN and his free throw attempts go UP. There is no reason that his total field goal attempts to be close to Nowitzki's. If he can give us 16-17 ppg and start to make one or two journalists around the league think about maybe, just maybe annointing him to second team all defense then, well...we can win 65 games.

Actually, I think Fin can now sit outside and snipe. Dirk and Jamison will provide the low post play. Fin needs to improve his perimeter D though. Just stay healthy and be ready for the playoffs.

4. Tawn - Ruthless aggression, within reason. We need Tawn to be the second horse on this team. Sure, we know Dirk is the lead dog, Steve is the QB and Fin the vet and inspirational leader, but on this team Twan is the #2 dog. If only one other Mav besides Dirk goes to the ASG this year, it needs to be Tawn. Mix it up down low, take pride in your defense like you say you already do, get us 19-20 points and 8 boards a game. We need Dirk and Tawn to be our 1-2 scoring punch, because they are a matchup nightmare for any team. Put a small guy on Dirk and he will shoot over him. Put a big guy on Dirk and he will go around him. Same goes for Tawn. Put a small guy on him and he should take him inside, put a big guy on him and he should, I don't know, pass it to Dirk.

Jamison will be the guy who picks up the slack when Dirk is not on fire.

5. Raef - Stay on the blocks. Sure, when we got Raef the idea was to bring Shaq out to the perimeter and open up the lane. That notion is so 2002. You are 7 feet tall and you are American. Stay the fuck inside. Fight for rebounds, loose balls and block shots. Take 1 three pointer a game and make 40% of them so the opposing coach will tell the opposing center to not let you shoot unapposed from the outside. But other than that, stay inside. Give us 30 minutes, 10 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Hey, if you have to foul out it is not the end of the world because we have...

Raef will only stay on the blocks if Nellie puts him there. I doubt it if Nellie does this. If the team doesn't have a Shaq or Duncan, Raef might play a little more in the inside. Otherwise, Duncan and Shaq will follow Raef in the three point line. What I want to see if isolations on Raef starting from the outside. Let him hit a few three point shots and drive to the basket. Raef one goal this season: Average 10 rbs a game.

6. Big Shawn - Fall of the 2002. You remember it, don't you? When Bill Walton, Don Nelson and I all loved you. Replicate that performance the whole year. Stay in the lane and block shots. Dunk every once in a while like we know you can. In essence, THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN!

Shawn is Shawn. He is effective in the regular season on Eastern teams. Most of them get rattled at his height.

7. Fortson - Kill Somebody. Not literally. Just be a monster. Grab boards like a demon. Hey, I'll say it: BE A PRICK. Not to your teammates, just the opposing team. Maybe start a fight with somebody after he fouls Nowizki hard. Get a few flagrants called on you. Have people wonder if you are a little crazy. Give us 10 boards in 30 minutes a game. Be the "Soft White Boyz" enforcer. If you do this, the Mavs fans will love you and we will 65 games.

Fortson needs to also contribute offensively. I am excited to see what he will bring to the table.

8. Don Nelson - A little confidence. You have one of, if not the most talented team in the NBA. Yes, Nellie. Let me reiterate. YOU, have what might be the BEST team in the NBA! YOU! Stop being scared of everybody and take heed of a little of what little Nicky left behind. This is your chance to do what Pat Riley and Phil Jackson have done multiple times: win an NBA championship. And neither one of them EVER won by constantly portraying their team as the underdog.

He needs to develop the young guys. If Howard and Daniels can contribute, the Mavs will have their players of the future. I would say no more gimmicks like Hack-a-Bowen. It is always interesting to see what Nellie does.

Bottom Line: It is 7:20 A.M. in New York and I have been out all night. What am I doing typing all this? I don't know.




Bottom Line, part 2: I think the Mavericks front office should read this, and apply these principles, because if they did, they would win 65 games.





And an NBA championship.





Hitman

[MavsFanFinley]

It's already been said, but excellent post Hitman.

No telling what Dirk will do this year, but you can bet it will be better than last year.

Hopefully Nash will be the set up man more than shoot. I'd love to see him and Finley nail those 3-pointers while Dirk and Jamison do the work inside. If Finley can play defense like he did in the playoffs, it's just icing. However, I think he'll pace himself like he has the previous years.

[dirno2000]

Best post I've seen since I've been on the board (of corse it's only been a week). I agree with every point, especially #8. Confidence has to come from the top. Until Dirk takes over the team, Nelson is at the top.

[Hitman]

Originally posted by: Hitman
This is what I am requesting from the key Mavericks for the upcoming season.


1. Dirk - Ruthless aggression. He can not care how many all stars are on this team. This is HIS team, and he has to play like he knows that. The Mavericks will be at their best when he has the ball early and often. If this dude would just flat out make the MVP award his personal goal, the I think the Mavericks would win 65 games. When he is aggressive there is no player in the NBA better. None. 28 points and 9 rebounds.

2. Steve - Pass, pass, pass. And shoot. I would like to see Stevie make 10 assists a game a personal goal of his this year. 10. When you are passing to three offensive all stars in a super high tempo game, it is certainly feasable. While I know that Steve will probably be limited to 33 minutes a game to "save him", I think with this lineup 10 assists is within his grasp. Stevie, give us 15 and 10.

3. Fin - D it up baby. Now is the time that Finley needs to show what kind of leader he truly is. He needs to concentrate on defense and also..defense. He showed at times in the playoffs that he can be a VERY GOOD perimeter defender, and now we need to see that kind of effort from him EVERYNIGHT. I want him to score 16-17 to keep the other defense honest. Every 15 games or so let him go off for 30, but I want to see his three pointers go DOWN and his free throw attempts go UP. There is no reason that his total field goal attempts to be close to Nowitzki's. If he can give us 16-17 ppg and start to make one or two journalists around the league think about maybe, just maybe annointing him to second team all defense then, well...we can win 65 games.

4. Tawn - Ruthless aggression, within reason. We need Tawn to be the second horse on this team. Sure, we know Dirk is the lead dog, Steve is the QB and Fin the vet and inspirational leader, but on this team Twan is the #2 dog. If only one other Mav besides Dirk goes to the ASG this year, it needs to be Tawn. Mix it up down low, take pride in your defense like you say you already do, get us 19-20 points and 8 boards a game. We need Dirk and Tawn to be our 1-2 scoring punch, because they are a matchup nightmare for any team. Put a small guy on Dirk and he will shoot over him. Put a big guy on Dirk and he will go around him. Same goes for Tawn. Put a small guy on him and he should take him inside, put a big guy on him and he should, I don't know, pass it to Dirk.

5. Raef - Stay on the blocks. Sure, when we got Raef the idea was to bring Shaq out to the perimeter and open up the lane. That notion is so 2002. You are 7 feet tall and you are American. Stay the fuck inside. Fight for rebounds, loose balls and block shots. Take 1 three pointer a game and make 40% of them so the opposing coach will tell the opposing center to not let you shoot unapposed from the outside. But other than that, stay inside. Give us 30 minutes, 10 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Hey, if you have to foul out it is not the end of the world because we have...

6. Big Shawn - Fall of the 2002. You remember it, don't you? When Bill Walton, Don Nelson and I all loved you. Replicate that performance the whole year. Stay in the lane and block shots. Dunk every once in a while like we know you can. In essence, THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN!

7. Fortson - Kill Somebody. Not literally. Just be a monster. Grab boards like a demon. Hey, I'll say it: BE A PRICK. Not to your teammates, just the opposing team. Maybe start a fight with somebody after he fouls Nowizki hard. Get a few flagrants called on you. Have people wonder if you are a little crazy. Give us 10 boards in 30 minutes a game. Be the "Soft White Boyz" enforcer. If you do this, the Mavs fans will love you and we will 65 games.

8. Don Nelson - A little confidence. You have one of, if not the most talented team in the NBA. Yes, Nellie. Let me reiterate. YOU, have what might be the BEST team in the NBA! YOU! Stop being scared of everybody and take heed of a little of what little Nicky left behind. This is your chance to do what Pat Riley and Phil Jackson have done multiple times: win an NBA championship. And neither one of them EVER won by constantly portraying their team as the underdog.


Bottom Line: It is 7:20 A.M. in New York and I have been out all night. What am I doing typing all this? I don't know.




Bottom Line, part 2: I think the Mavericks front office should read this, and apply these principles, because if they did, they would win 65 games.





And an NBA championship.





Hitman

Ok, forget about Raef staying inside...now that Antoine is here, he is the one who needs to stay inside. There is no reason for him to take more than 1 or maybe a MAXIMUM of 2 threes a game. He needs to stay inside, hit the boards harder than he ever has and teach the Mavs the art of interior passing (something Vlade taught CWebb and the Kings). If he does those things, this trade will be a huge success.

[Chiwas]

Wish list for 2003-2004 Mavericks

A Center.

[Hitman]

This was made before the Walker/ Raef trade, but it looks like only #7 has come to fruition so far.

[LRB]

Please Santa, please bring Nellie a brass pair for Christmas.

[Big_Dog]

a center, somebody with an attitude, and some playing time for stefansson[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[Chiwas]

A coach who doesn't need to spoil players careers, a.k.a. Finley's, and soon Dirk's, in every turn his mind makes trying to avoid boredom of his hidden mediocrity.

A coach decent enough that wouldn't cheat his boss and fans.

A coach who could make proper use of the potential of the players brought with great effort by his boss at big cost and intelligent enough to make up a competitive team out of them.

A coach who can think on big achievements, not in midway sedative pretensions.

A coach who can give us showtime.

[MightyToine]

Originally posted by: Chiwas
A coach who doesn't need to spoil players careers, a.k.a. Finley's, and soon Dirk's, in every turn his mind makes trying to avoid boredom of his hidden mediocrity.

A coach decent enough that wouldn't cheat his boss and fans.

A coach who could make proper use of the potential of the players brought with great effort by his boss at big cost and intelligent enough to make up a competitive team out of them.

A coach who can think on big achievements, not in midway sedative pretensions.

A coach who can give us showtime.

Pat Riley???? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]