It made us all sick last night. We will continue to be sick today. And, I am not sure when that feeling of illness will pass. This sucks.
It is May 4th, and I guess it is Cowboys’ season.
Notes:
• Dirk. How? How is this even possible? I have never seen such a shrink-to-the-occasion as we saw last night. To see Baron Davis dominate him for 2 straight weeks was shocking on many levels, and the final chapter surely did not improve anything as Baron played on 1 leg, Dirk played with 0 heart. Please, please, please, please don’t let him win the MVP next week. Please, please, please spare us that embarrassment!
• The worst thing about Golden State bouncing the Mavs is that I am pretty sure Golden State isn’t that good. I am reasonably sure their next opponent will make quick work of them, and who knows what they will do next year. It was just the perfect storm, I guess. It was the coach, the players, the crowd, everything. It isn’t supposed to go this way. They were playing out of their minds, and the Mavs were to weak to stop it. Consider: Baron Davis in the regular season shot 30% from 3, and Stephen Jackson shot 32%. In this series, Baron was 46% and Jackson 48%. They never missed a big shot. They went and grabbed the series by the neck. And the Mavs packed their bags.
• The only guy with the fire in his eyes when adversity hits on this team is free agent-to-be Jerry Stackhouse. What can you possibly do with this team in the summer? Everyone is tied down with a very wealthy deal. I would never say you are married to this roster because Mark Cuban has proven every contract is tradable, but do you blow up a team that went to the NBA Finals and then won 67 games? I know this morning we all want to blow it up, but let’s give it a moment to let the emotions calm tad.
• Don Nelson must be having the time of his life.
• Mark Cuban must not be having the time of his life.
• Perhaps we all knew it was a very bad sign when the Mavs were staying in the game because of the 3 point shot. Nothing concerns me more than seeing the boys hit 3’s early in the game. This goes back years. When they hit the outside shot early, it is “fool’s gold”. They then think they don’t have to pay the price to get to the rim. And, as one 3 falls after another, I fear the worst. And so it happened.
• Baron Davis might be able to get a free beverage in Oakland right now. That is the most amazing performance by one guy against the Mavs in a playoff series since...last series when D-Wade did it.
• An emailer this morning pointed out something worth considering. The late 1960’s Dallas Cowboys tried and tried year after year. They fell short every year. But, they stayed the course and eventually won the title in Super Bowl VI. Along the way, I am sure many said they would never win with these guys, but it did eventually happen. Panic is never the proper reaction to day’s like this.
• Nice deep bench, Mavs. At least Austin Croshere plays now. It looks like
he is willing to commit a hard foul. Wasn’t that Kevin Willis era wonderful?
• How are we going to roll through another regular season after that?
Friday, May 04, 2007
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32 comments:
"I feel like somebody took my heart and dropped it into a bucket of boiling tears and then another guy is hitting my soul in the crotch with a frozen sledgehammer. And then another guy walks in and starts hitting me in the grief bone. And I'm crying but nobody can hear me, because I'm terribly, terribly........terribly alone."
- Michael Scott
This team is Utah of the 90's... Great cast, even a real stud or two. But when it comes down to it, there is always someone better come playoff time.
Does anyone know a good, but affordable attorney? I need to divorce my team. She's cheated me, and not just once.
The 1st time (I think it was around June of last year), really hurt, but I eventually forgave her. You know she would shower me with gifts, like 67 of them. She'd really show me the goods.
But man, I caught her at it again last night. She was flat on her back, and those guys were just a pumpin' and a sweatin' on top of her - in full public view. That one cannot, nor will not, be forgiven. How can I ever show my face again. Shameful.
Seriously. I'm. Out.
Spurs? No effing way they get by the Suns.
You can print that in 3" headlines.
(crow prep underway, you know, just in case)
"I hurt myself today......"
What a f'n dissapointment!
Good thing I live in Phoenix so I can be beaten down with Spurs/Suns talk.
Maybe a good time to actually try to pay attention to soccer.
The pain of this loss for this fan is great, but still not equal to the joy I felt when the Hatshorts upset Utah six seasons ago.
Perhaps the worst part of all this is that today we see the Dallas sports fan's ugly side, where he says, 'this team isn't worth my time' and turns his back. Yes, it totally sucks to lose. Be frustrated, mad, demoralized, whatever, but if you hop off the bandwagon, don't expect to be welcomed back. Those of us who got ripped in 1993 for wearing Mavs gear have long memories...
If you want to know how true fans react to adversity, dial just about any phone number in Buffalo, NY. Sorry, Addisonites, but if you consider yourself a sports fan, you have to take your medicine here in this bout of decidely unfair weather, and dust off your green shirts again in November.
How do you say "needs to grow a pair" in german?
How are we going to roll through another regular season after that?
That's the real after-effect of this. What's the point of the next 82 regular season games from a 'get excited' perspective? Could you have designed a more effective sequence of sucking the life out of a fanbase over the last year?
As a Bills fan, those four years of SB losses sucked. And sucked some more. But there was a certain pride in making it to the SB each year. With the Mavs, there is no pride in folding in the finals and then folding in the first round.
Cowboys marketing just got a whole lot easier.
Simply stunning. We may not live to see another choke on as grand of a scale as this was. This team simply flat out quit when they faced any adversity.
Sure, Dirk was totally invisible when it mattered most, and Avery's coaching was highly questionable during the entire series, but this was a total and complete team effort from the idiotic owner on down.
This is absolutely the greatest collapse ever in any of the big 4 professional sports, and it's not something they'll ever be able to live down.
"We may not live to see another choke on as grand of a scale as this was."
Well, there's a silver lining to everything.
And point well taken, Robert.
It's just that as another poster said, how am I supposed to get excited next year when the regular season rolls around?
I and several thousand MFFL's put our trust in this team after 67 wins during the regular season and this is how they repay us?
It's going to take a lot to forgive the little Mavericks.
What more needs to be said than the 3 D's disappointment, Dirk, Diop and Dampier. Absolutely no inside presence, jackin' 3's the whole effin game. Jason Terry may be the first to go. Is Garnett available? We need an absolute stud big man. Failed smile, and fyi, Gordo's tv show is terrible.
I don't feel this way after every playoff loss, but I'll be rooting for Golden State in the next round. It's not like the Heat last year, when we can rightly say that we beat ourselves. In this series, we were beaten by the better team. This wasn't a fluke--GS dominated us last year, swept us in the regular season this year, and beat our collective asses in the playoffs this year. If there was something to "figure out," or some catchy "Any Given Sunday" speech to give, it would have happened before now.
Avery's biggest mistake this year didn't happen on the court in Round 1; it happened in the final two weeks of the season when he (they) decided to rest the starters & face GS instead of the Clippers.
Want a do-over?
As for being there next year, yeah, I'll watch. It took a while for the hangover to go away this season (win streaks will do that), and next season's will be longer (especially with the new faces we'll have), but I'll be there.
Closing thought: On June 3, 2006, when we beat the Suns to advance to the finals, how would you liked to have heard that we wouldn't win another playoff series until *at least* May, 2008?
This is a great day. The Mavericks are always touted on the Ticket about how great they were. And now they are the biggest chokers. HAHA! I'm so glad that they lost. Yes, I'm a bitter Dallas Stars fan.
look familiar folks?
Us Stars fans have been going through this for awhile. And unless the Mavs have a makeover, I bet it happens again next year.ve
Is it possible for Dirk to return to this team as a second fiddle? He's clearly proven that he cannot be burdened with the title of "Team Leader" because he won't do what it takes to win (i.e. develop a post game and be aggressive). My question is this: if Avery decides to groom Josh Howard as the team's "go-to-guy" for next year, is it plausible that Dirk comes back as just another guy or will he have to pack his bags because his "pride" won't let him? Yes..the same "pride" that allowed him to lay such a massive turd in this year's playoffs and not really care that much about it.
Sorry, the NBA is way different than the NFL. With only five players per team on the court at any one time, the heart and guts of each of the individuals really habors major importance in pro hoops, even compared to skill positions in the NFL.
Dirk will never, ever, ever in the history of ever lead a team to a title. He could be a good second player, a Gilligan to somebody's Skipper, but he just doesn't have it on his own. He is soft as Charmin and disappears when the spotlight shines.
Keeping him as the centerpiece of this team without either replacing him or bringing in somebody better is akin to basketball resignation. We will be the Utah Jazz of the 1990s. No better. Ever.
Keep:
Howard
Ager
Diop
Stack
Harris
Cro
Whatever:
Dirk
Jet
Buck
George
Damp
Mbenga
Willis
Avery
Good luck getting equal value for Dirk. The only time his trade value was probably lower was after his uninspiring rookie year. Plus, the Lakers are already posturing to make big moves this offseason via trades. DFW, do you really want to see Kobe and Phil Jackson rehabbing Dirk's confidence in the perfect second banana role on their way to a title? Do Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum put you any closer to a title? Garnett? He hasn't exactly carried any teams to the brink of a championship, not to mention his same tendency to forgot he is a 7 footer and fall in love with the jumpshot.
cynicthemance.blogspot.com
Not sure if Dirk will "never" lead his team to a title. Although I, too, am dumbfounded and disgusted by his complete collapse as an apparent superstar, I will eventually get over it in time and look to see if this strengthens him this off-season or destroys him.
As a fan of the Michael Jordan Bulls, I can remember next-morning instant-experts who deemed Jordan incapable of EVER winning a title back when the Bulls would exit early. There was a time when the Bulls would NEVER get over the hump called the Detroit Pistons. And people were far more certain than any of the blow-hards posting comments here. If you think he's forever relegated to second-tier status, tap the brakes.
What Dirk really needs is a strong, CONSISTENT supporting cast. Jordan had Pippen, Armstrong, Cartwright, Grant, Harper, Kerr, Paxson. Everyone remembers Jordan personally icing his sixth title with a steal and a jumper; few remember Kerr and Paxson nailing shots to seal other titles. They don't remember Pippen's contributions. People forget Larry Bird's support, Magic Johnson's UNREAL team, etc.
Who is Dirk's support? Josh Howard? Not consistent enough yet. Same goes for Devin Howard. What happened to the JET?
Here's my opinion:
Keep Dirk, let him work all off-season driving the basket while 5 guys slap at him with PVC pipe. Toughen him up.
Give Josh & Devin one more year to grow. Make sure Devin works on being a POINT guard.
Resign Stackhouse.
Keep Cro, Ager, Diop, and maybe Mbenga.
Package JET and Damp in a trade for a bruiser/hustle forward or a solid shooting guard. Package everyone else in the deal if you can get both.
Then see what happens.
Now everyone step off the ledge...
Whoops - got in a hurry - there is no Devin Howard. Meant Devin Harris.
Poncenomics just compared Dirk to Jordan. Stunning. The difference between MJ and Dirk, even in his younger years, is gargantuan. MJ had already led his college team to a title. Even hit the winning shot ... The only similarities between MJ and Dirk is that they're millionaires, and neither of them did jack last night.
I am more embarrased by the mutany of the Mavericks fan than I am by the Mavericks. You have abandoned the team in it's greatest time of need. Hate Dirk, Avery or anyone, keep the Mavericks sacred.
Mavs fans are such fair weathered bitches. Hope you dont pull a hammy jumping off the bandwagon. I dont remember all this Dirk bitchin last season when we were riding Dirks coattails to the greatest playoff run this franchise has ever seen. A true fan is a fan thru thick and thin. Good riddance, we dont need ya, and dont ever effing come back.
Poncenomics, you can't toughen up Dirk. He's had 9 years in this league to figure out he is a physical anomoly: put a 7 footer on him, and Dirk SHOULD be able to drive to the hole; put a 6'5" guy on him, Dirk SHOULD be able to post him up; toss in the ability to make the occasional wide open 3 and hit from the free throw line and he SHOULD be a top 3 player. Problem is, Dirk doesn't want to do that. He is scared to play inside. Dirk has had plenty of time to figure out that he COULD be a special, special once-in-a-generation type player if he'd just commit to working on his inside game...but he won't. Don't know why...but he's proven that he doesn't give a crap about playing any other way than he does now: like Tim Legler.
Ok, basketball fans, I am soooo disappointed, but it boils down to this:
matchups.
I really believe we get ANY other team, yes, the spurs and suns included, and we don't look this bad. But we drew a bad match-up. And enough with the "we could have kept them from being in the playoffs" thing. Oh really? Could we keep them from advancing in the playoffs? They are a hot team who shot lights out. It wasn't meant to be. Dirk isn't a great leader. It's the Euro thing. They're soft. But life will go on. I still like the team if Terry will go back to driving and Devin will work on his 3's if people are going to give him 15 feet.
And enough with the "we could have kept them from being in the playoffs" thing. Oh really?
Yes.
Could we keep them from advancing in the playoffs?
No. But what does one have to do with the other? We could have kept them from getting the 8 spot by winning one more game.
It's the Euro thing. They're soft.
You are an idiot.
How can you keep Stackhouse? He was the biggest participant in that three point contest last night nary approaching the basket like we all know he can. He's too expensive for an aging bench player who's very close to becoming Mike Finley 2.0.
Also, let's let JET take off. He's a point guard who can't set up his team, two-guard who can't defend or rebound and scores sparingly.
Reevaluating Dirk isn't such an awful thing either. Now is the time to overreact because we've been not overreacting for seven years now and it's regressed.
Goldenstate just beat the Mavs by there own game and with there Ex Coach.
That last game was in Oakland, which by my counts we haven't won there in two years or so. They had something to play for and we didn't. There's no way we're winning that game.
And since I'm such an idiot, you will now back that up with listing the great Euro players that are THE leaders for their team...
Jason Terry and the Mavs first round pick to Seattle for Ray Allen.
This looks like the old mavs I grew to dislike. The mavs have not changed as far as team weakness goes. The defense is still not that good and the middle of the zone is still soft. Mavs still have no post threat and no defensive big man. better get KG as fast as posisble while Cuban is still writing checks.
Ryan Welton said: "MJ had already led his college team to a title. "
Whoaaaa! MJ hit the winning shot as a freshman on a team led by Sam Perkins, James Worthy, and Matt Doherty. Please don't tell me he "led his college team to a title." When Jordan WAS his team's leader later on, UNC choked away as potentially one of the best college teams ever to Indiana in the Sweet 16. Dean Smith cried in the locker room that night. That was one of the things that dogged Jordan when the Bulls were falling short.
So please spare me your lectures on Michael Jordan. All I'm saying is that if Dirk wants to approach that kind of legendary, title-winning status, he needs to toughen up and he needs some consistent support.
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