I have loved the Mavericks ever since I began watching basketball - since their first foray into play-offs against the Jazz. I have liked Mark Cuban regardless of other people’s perception of the guy. I still think Mavericks are a great team - they are doing awesome so far - 61 wins with 10 more games to go…Dirk reaching the milestone of 15,000 points - nothing to hate about these guys.
Mark Cuban OTOH, has turned out to be something else altogether…the moron seems to financing “Loose Change”, a conspiacy theory laden fakumentary that has nuggets of information only the blindest conspiracy theorist can follow or believe.
I could forgive Mark Cuban’s antics on the sidelines of the arena - I could forgive his overwhelming need to make the Mavericks all about him - I can even forgive him for “The Benefactor” (OK, I will still laugh at him for that) - I cannot forgive him this. I thought he was more intelligent than this…As far as I am concerned, he stepped way over the line and the franchise and Mark Cuban’s pockets will not be getting another dime from me.
Well, last night’s loss to the Suns still hurts so much I cannot talk about it…Also, exhausted tending to the little one who kept waking up every hour on the dot in the night. Thank Goodness, the weekend is close :)
Oh, here is a cool new tool or an incredible annoyance depending on the way you look at it - they give you a unified phone number that links to all your regular phones and makes all of them ring when someone calls this one number. Makes it even harder to make an excuse to not pick up an unwanted phone. Gotta keep it away from the husband ;)
I am watching Tim Legler, Greg Anthony and some chick debate between Dirk and Nash for MVP and I think I just lost a few brain cells. Tim Legler has got to be kidding me, when he says Dirk doesn’t deserve MVP since he didn’t win the Finals last season. That is crazy, especially since he picks Nash for losing the Western Conference Finals…that too, only by a freakishly lucky bracket that let the Phoenix Suns coast to the Conference Finals while the Mavs had to battle through Memphis and San Antonio.
The woman on the show made some great points - she asked Legler who would make a bigger impact if transplanted into, let’s say, a Sixers team - Nash or Dirk? I am glad at least that out of the four people on the show, three said they will vote for Dirk.
Ultimately, I couldn’t care less if Dirk wins the MVP or not…for the regular season. I am angling for MVP of the Finals ;)
What a sweet thing it is, to have the Mavs kick the crap out of San Antonio Spurs while playing like crap themselves…on the road…on the second night of a back-to-back! Phew! I am way too drunk and jazzed (“jazz”ed? Hmmm… - Ed) to post more, but I shore happies ;)
Oh, isn’t it crazy how incongruous the jock talk is against the pink template for this blog?
So, NBA establishment introduces a brand-new kind of ball into the game - the people who are going to use it the most, the players - hate it!
ESPN.com - NBA - Intel Report: New ball
Given the track record, what will NBA do? I know, they will simply dig in and say, “deal with it!”. I mean it isn’t like we pretend this is about the game anymore, do we? We might as well come out in the open with the business of it. Call it the NBBA - National Basketball Business Association and be done with it already. Like the WWF, alteast us viewers and the players might start enjoying this crap once we are rid of our pretensions about what this is all about anyways!
Wow! If someone had told you an year ago that Desagana Diop would be the final piece that would put Dallas over the hump in their quest for a championship…..would you believe that person?
Yes, he does - I mean, does he seriously believe that the entire NBA league is out to get his poor, poor Ming? Does he realize that Erick Dampier and Shawn Bradley got into as much foul trouble as Yao Ming in the play-offs? Yao has 3.3 PF/game average in the regular season vs. 4.8 in the play-offs. Damp has 3.1/gm in regular season vs. 4.2 in the play-offs. Another big stat? Yao Ming has been 30 mpg in the play-offs vs. Dampier playing 20.6 minutes. Do the math and you will see who is getting more fouls called on them per minute.
All stats aside, I think even ethically what Mark Cuban did was right (and I admit 90% of the time Cuban goes over the top on issues). Cuban had a problem with the way Yaoi was setting moving picks and he sent the league the tapes to review - if that results in the refs being more careful while calling fouls and more vigilant, I am all for it. If JVG thinks they are missing calls (I can think of the obviously missed call against Finley when he was out-of-bounds while stealing from Barry), he should do the same. Just like the non-called fouls on Yao that may have made a difference for the Mavs in the first two games but didn’t, these missed calls while reviewed, will not help anything but to prevent such mistakes in the future.
I don’t think NBA officiating is all that great - every single fan out there feels like the referees have it out for them. That doesn’t mean it gives the coaches free rein to talk conspiracy theories. Play ball and leave the “truth is out there” fantasies to the X-files crowds, JVG! I hated it when the Mavericks used to whine for calls last year (they are much better this year) and I feel JVG is as pathetic in not recognizing his team’s weaknesses that are killing them and trying to focus the issue on stupid things instead.
Whoa, what was Geoff Petrie on when he pulled the trigger on a deal as ridiculous as this?
ESPN.com - NBA - Kings ready to end Webber era with 76ers dealThe Sacramento Kings traded Chris Webber to the Philadelphia 76ers late Wednesday night, parting ways with the cornerstone of their renaissance in a six-player deal that dramatically reshaped both teams.
I really don’t see how any Kings benefit from this deal except for Peja who wants to be the man (we will find out soon if he has what it takes) and Billy King, President of the 76ers etam. AI must have peed in his pants when he learned that Webber and a talented role player like Matt Barnes are going to back him up now.
What on earth does Petrie think he can achieve with undersized scrubs like Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas and Brian Skinner? It isn’t like he got any expiring contracts either. Oh, did I mention Peja is still a free agent next season and might not even stay with the Franchise anymore?
OT, good job Mavs, for taking care of business and putting the Jazz away last night. I hope the Queens have become a little easier to beat tonight.
Did you guys realize ESPN has trackback? The link I posted above has a trackback ID that my post will be pinging now. I think it is cool as long as they are not using it to shutdown people linking back to them.
update: Has there been a busier trade deadline in the recent years? Najera traded to Nuggets, Antoine Walker back in Boston (I wonder what Danny Ainge had to do for that!), Malik Rose to Knicks and Nazr Mohammad to Spurs, K-fricking-VH to Mavs and Booth and Alan Henderson to Bucks, Jiri Welsch to Cavs, Baron Davis to Golden State, Jamaal Mashburn to 76ers, Glenn Robinson to New Orleans, Vin Baker to Houston - Phew, what a day!
One more update: Poor Alan Henderson - to be traded right after he got married - he tied the knot on Saturday during the All-Star Game weekend :(
I mean seriously, you have all probably heard Kobe hinting all over town that Karl Malone tried to hit on his wife. Quoted below is the entire text of that so-called hitting-on session.
FOXSports.com - NBA - Deion rips Kobe for taking Malone feud publicThe recent Malone-Bryant feud boiled over when Vanessa Bryant told her husband on Nov. 23 that Malone had made inappropriate comments to her that night at the game at Staples Center.At worst, I think this is harmless flirting - at best, a frigging joke. Kobe must have been out of his mind trying to make a mountain of this molehill. At best, he is trying to make his wife feel desirable again by implying other men are hitting on her - her desirability must have taken quite a hit after revelations of his numerous infidelities, y’know! I think the dud just needs to shut up and grow up. He has made more enemies int he league since his rape allegations than anyone else…that too, people who atleast publicly stood by him and had his back. Not cool in the least.The comments in question reportedly happened after Vanessa invited Malone to sit with her in the second half of that game. Malone, decked out in a cowboy hat and boots, went over and gave Vanessa Bryant a hug.
“Who are you hunting?” Vanessa reportedly asked when she saw Malone’s outfit.
“Little Mexican girls,” Malone responded.
And when that comment was relayed to Kobe, he called Malone and reportedly vowed to “(mess) him up” if he ever went near his wife again.
“Karl and his son were at the game sitting in the front row,” Pelinka said. “Vanessa was on the cell phone talking to Karl’s wife, Kay, and Vanessa said that her son looked bored. Kay told her to call Karl to have her son join her in her seats. Kay gave Vanessa Karl’s cell number and she called him. When she called, Karl’s response was, ‘Why don’t you come over here and sit next to me and give me a big hug?’ Vanessa said, ‘Why? For what?’ And Karl replied, ‘If you do that it will be on the cover of every magazine in the country.’If the new version is true, then Karl Malone is a true lech and is a horrible human being to hit on a woman who is already going through a tough time.“Vanessa didn’t know what to say because this was the first time she had ever spoken to Malone without Kobe or Kay being around. Karl continued. ‘Do you like me?’ Malone asked her, to which Vanessa said, ‘As my friend, Kay’s husband,’ ” Pelinka said.
“From there Malone asked Vanessa if she could keep a secret, and that he would like to tell her something. At which point Vanessa told him she was a married woman and he was a married man who was old enough to be her father. To which Malone replied, ‘Oh, like your daddy?’ At that point she told me she ended the conversation,” Pelinka said.
Boy, was that a good game by the Mavs last night or what! I am loving the new look Mavs. Dirk looked like a monster and really aggressive last night. Dampier looked like a real center and will do great if he can not attract so many fouls. Josh howard and Marquis Daniels rocked as usual. Devon Harris was so good I was thinking “Steve Who?”. The kid can pass - it will be nice once he learns how to score consistently. It was just amazing to see him matched up with Mike Bibby and Bobby Jackson and see him rip them to shreds.
Go Mavs!
Yeah, I know it will only be the pre-season. So what? It is better than nothing and I way too excited about “The Mavericks, Reloaded” that I cannot wait!
I am not kidding when I say I will go to war with Nowitzki, Dampier, Jason Terry, Devon Harris, Finley, Marquis, Josh Howard and Bradley - ESPN.com - NBA - Sources: Warriors to send Dampier to Dallas.
I cannot stop grinning and cannot wait for the season to start. We are going to kick some serious butt this season, dudes! There is not absolutely no reason for failure. Oh, and Steve Nash? Eat your freaking heart out when we make it farther into the playoffs than your new team!
If a dynasty falls in Detroit, does it still make a sound?
Hell, yeah! Screw the Lakers! :D
Basketball monsters on the homecourt and NBDL pussycats on the road - that has been pretty much the story with my Mavericks all season long this time. They beat LA in LA after 13 years and got swept by Atlanta Hawks. They have the best homecourt record in the NBA for the season, but don’t have homecourt advantage in any of the playoff rounds owing to a fifth seed for which they barely beat out Memphis Grizzlies making their first playoff appearance ever. They have the tallest player in the league, but are famous for their “small ball”.
They sucked bad enough in the first two games of the first round playoffs in Sacramento that people started talking about a sweep - and then they come home for the third game and play like they deserve the championship. Offense? the Mavs always had it. Defense? What do you call 19 steals, 26 TOs forced and holding the Kings down to a scoring average about 20+ points less than their season average. What a rollercoaster ride it is to be a fan of this team - Whew!
Dear God,Well, I guess we can now change the prayer to say we want to kick Laker ass in the WCF ;) Update: Here is a later exchange of the Mavs fan quoted above with God about the unanswered prayers…I haven’t asked you for much over the years, but I come to you today to ask a special favor.
I know that the favors you grant are few and far between, so up till now I’ve been content to let you do your work without my input. And you have been kind over the years.
You gave us Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, and Derek Harper. You gave us Roy Tarpley (for a while anyway, before you took him away). That cast made it to Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals. I wanted to ask you for a win that day, but I assumed you had already chosen the Lakers’ side.
Through your infinite Wisdom, you forced us to suffer through the 1990’s. Though we didn’t know it at the time, we needed that experience. We needed to strengthen our commitment to the team, to fully appreciate the forgiveness and humility required of true fans.
You saw that we had suffered long enough, and then you granted us the Three J’s. In our foolishness and ungratefulness, we sinned against you. Intoxicated by our newfound richness, we became arrogant and unappreciative. We were undeserving of such a gift, and so you took the Three J’s away and punished us again.
You could have banished us from basketball heaven for good, but through deep love and grace you delivered us our savior: Michael Finley. You granted us an unproven point guard from Canada, and he flourished here. You sent a seven-foot marksman from Germany to assist in the cause. You showered us with the riches of Mark Cuban.
You watched your children grow, and you helped them out along the way. You gave Calvin Booth a miracle. You granted Nick Van Exel game-breaking ability for a few short weeks. You guided us once again to the Promised Land that is the Western Conference Finals.
When the big German injured his ankle against the Spurs, we turned our backs against you. We felt that you had let us down. And so you saddled us with Antoine Walker.
You could have made it even worse, but in your infinite grace you still protected your children. You gave us Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels. You gave us Small Ball. You gave us a chance.
Thank you so much, Dear God, for the gifts you have given. And now, may I ask of you a favor. Will you please be with the Spurs and Kings tonight? Will you please grant them the strength they need to defeat their enemies? Please, Dear God, if you could just grant this one little wish. If you could just do this one little thing for us.
Because I want to BEAT THE LAKERS’ ASS in the playoffs!!!
Amen.
From: chumdawg@d-m.com To: God@God.comPure genius!
Subject: my prayer from yesterdayGod,
Thanks for nothing. I’ve long suspected that you were a Lakers fan.
Chumdawg
P.S. Your Lakers can run, but they cannot hide.
From: God@God.com
To: chumdawg@d-m.com
Subject: re: my prayer from yesterdayI forgive you, my son, for you know not what you ask…
The path of the righteous team is beset on all sides
By the inequities of playoff seeding and the tyranny of home court advantage.
Blessed is he who shepherds the Mavs through the Western Conference
For he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of Marquis Daniels.
And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger
Those who attempt to defeat and eliminate my Mavericks.
And you will know my name is the Lord
When I lay Small Ball upon thee.
Crap like this incident mentioned by Donald Sensing really gets my goat. Now, I don’t follow college basketball, but I am fanatic enough about the NBA to say that the Boston Globe sports writer Rob Ryan is full of shit! Hasn’t the man ever heard of Larry Bird, Dirk Nowitzki, Peja Stojakovic, Yao Ming, Steve Nash or other white stars playing superb basketball day-in and day-out and shooting the lights out of the stadium? Maybe Ryan thinks they are all overrated because of their skin color or maybe he prefers the slam-dunking, no-fundamentals game like the one that was played at Got Milk Rookie Challenge this All-Star season. Fact is, it is as irritating to have people write off players for being white/brown/green as it is when people do it to black players. Why won’t these people get that?
For that matter, it is very obvious to a regualr viewer of NBA that the league itself takes a similar view of the situation, though in a slightly different way - rewarding flash over substance. Why is it that accused-rapists like Kobe, crybabies like Allen Iverson and never-done-much-except-dunk-in-my-life Vince Carter are marketed as superstars, while genuinely good players and role models like Tim Duncan, David Robinson, etc. are simply ignored…Frustrating, really!
Update: Just found out from Sensing’s comments section that Ryan is the idiot who made awful comments about slapping Jason Kidd’s wife, with full knowledge of the fact that the woman was once physically abused by Jason Kidd. Hope the bastard rots in hell!
LOS ANGELES - The pregame image was anything but subtle. The postgame image was historic.I guess classless acts glorifying violence against opposing teams’ players are not worthy of fines as are simply tasteless teasing skits. Sheesh!…
Before the first tip, highlights of the Lakers’ domination over the Mavericks shined on an oversized screen hanging from above the scoreboard. …
But then came the most damning clip. Hollywood couldn’t have made it any more dramatic. In slow motion, Karl Malone turns, leading with his elbow, and cold-cocks Steve Nash. The Staples Center roars with approval.
DALLAS (Ticker) — Michael Finley had the best aim in a Texas-style shootout. Finley scored 23 points, including a key jumper with two minutes left, as the Dallas Mavericks extended their winning streak to eight games with a 108-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
If you are Howard Dean, you know you are in trouble when TNT’s residential “basketball analyst” Charles Barkley plays your speech at half-time and threatens to sic you on the Lakers if they lose to the Mavs ;)
In all fairness to Dean though, when I saw the video as opposed to just listening to the clip of his scream, it seemed like he was trying to smile after it and didn’t look all that mad as he sounded…
p.s. Btw, we are going to have our 100,000th visitor to the site sometime today :)
When he is not busy making up fantasy trade scenarios in which the Dallas Mavericks trade Michael Finley, Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison for Eddy Curry or Tyson Chandler, Sam Smith has put together a list of hits and misses from the 20 years of David Stern era in the NBA - ESPN.com - NBA - Smith: Stern’s greatest hits and misses - an interesting miss not present in the list? Stern’s and NBA’s refereeing woes and the lack of responsibility and accountability from the referees to the players and the teams as is often brought up often and ad nauseum by Mark Cuban.
For the person who came to this blog looking for the Shaq, Greg Ostertag fights video, here is the link - it is hilarious, though the music that the video is set to might not exactly be workplace or kid-friendly.
Update: While we are talking NBA, congratulations to Michael Finley for being chosen the Western Conference Player of the Week
The Knicks and Suns finalized a blockbuster trade Monday that will return Stephon Marbury to his hometown. New York acquired Marbury and Penny Hardaway from Phoenix for Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, the rights to Milos Vujanic, two first-round draft picks, and cash, ESPN.com has learned.
Taking a slight break from my “break” to congratulate the team on a gutsy performance on the road and a huge win over the Sacramento Kings in the nationally televised game. Good one!
p.s. I know the Kings are missing Peja and Webber, but hot damn, that was a good win to end our 4-game-losing streak :)
The Command Post - Iraq - Saddam Captured Alive, Iraq Official Says - it is a jolly good day to be alive :)
So, my Mavs whup some Laker butt in LA on the 13th anniversary of their last win there on Friday - my husband buys me an $1100-pair of diamond chandelier earrings on Saturday and I hear the Saddamonster is captured this Sunday morning - can my weekend be any more perfect? Funny you should ask :) I would love for Darrah or Sandra to beat sour-puss Lillian on Survivor, thankyouverymuch! ;)
I would give anything to be able to down a cool glass of Reisling right about now, but I guess I have to wait another 6 months before I can complete my celebration. heh!
Wallace added that teams are drafting high school players because they want athletes who are “dumb and dumber.” “That’s why they’re drafting all these high school cats, because they come into the league and they don’t know no better. They don’t know no better, and they don’t know the real business, and they don’t see behind the charade.”I had no idea Rasheed Wallace had this much of deep thinking in him - sure, Rasheed! Of course, people want “dumb” players - it isn’t like they are sinking millions of dollars into them that they would lose if the players turned into dumb potheads like…you and Bonzi, maybe? Why don’t you just shut up and play like we sometimes think you can? That would help you a lot more than this crazy talk.
This is quite a shock! ESPN.com - NBA - Rebuilding? Blazers ship Bonzi to Grizzlies I guess the Zach Randolph debacle was the straw that broke the Blazers’ back. Talent-wise, the deal is stupid, considering Bonzi is all-star-level, while Wesley Person is pretty mediocre, but the Blazers management must have been really desperate to bring some class to the organization to have made such a move.
Considering Wells’ 27-years-age to Person’s 32, it is even harder to not sympathize with the Blazers about how against the wall they must have been to pull the trigger on such a deal. This is going to make the Grizzlies even scarier than they were - Pau Gasol and Wells together is going to be a WC nightmare, if only Wells performs up to his talent.
LOS ANGELES — Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs was suspended for one game by the NBA on Monday for pushing an official to the floor.I think it was a bad deal - I admit I did not watch the game, but from what I heard of it, Duncan was clearly lost in the game and the push on the official was totally accidental. It isn’t like he is some kind of thug like Sheed Wallace or Bonzi Wells with a known tendency towards intimidation. The league overdid the punishment in this case, IMO.
Update: Did I just mention Sheed and Bonzi? Add Zach Randolph, the one so-called silver lining in a team of misfits to the mix.
Another update: These reactions from Blazers’ fans over the Randolph situation are funny in a pathetic way.
“Having been convicted or having pled guilty, it is likely that Mr. Richardson and Mr. Webber will be suspended at the start of the season,” Granik said. Commissioner David Stern said because Webber is injured, the suspension would be held off until he is healthy.
All-Star forward Antoine Walker was traded by the Boston Celtics to the Dallas Mavericks in a five-player deal Monday.I am still trying to make my mind up on if this is a good thing or a bad thing for the Mavs - I really liked Jiri’s potential and what he was capable of doing for the team. Not a good way to start a Monday off at all. I am wondering if this means there is another trade in the works, seeing as we are log-jammed in the PF position and have more shooters than possibly any other team in the league. I think this is a good one for Raef - he will probably be an all-star in the Leastern Conference.Walker and LaFrentz can still battle, after they switch uniforms.
Dallas is sending Raef LaFrentz to the Celtics along with Jiri Welsch and Chris Mills. Boston also will get Dallas’ first-round pick in 2004. The Mavericks will get guard Tony Delk from Boston.
So Lebron James, the biggest hype since oh-let-me-see…Yao? played awful against LA yesterday - big deal! I wish NBA would just stop hyping up individual talent to the point of ignoring really good teams around the league, already. Sometimes the NBA hype machine makes me sick the teams and people they choose to highlight - Vince Carter (bust!), Lebron James (who knows! - more importantly, who cares when the Cavs won’t even make playoffs), LA (the all-geezer team gets more respect than the defending champs). Seriously, I wish they would hype people like Tim Duncan who won championship rings with a team of scrubs than Kevin Garnett, who set a record in the number of first-round playoff exits. Bleah!
All this talk of course, is as stupid as most sportswriters and so-called experts predicting the Mavs might as well get ready to be a lottery team now that, that powerhouse scorer.ball hog called Nick Van Exel is no longer with us. It isn’t like we have one of the best PGs in Nash, one of the top 5 players in Dirk and an excellent team leader in Finley - I wonder if those that taken by Nick’s attitude in the Sacramento series last year even remember what he did against SA in the next series - I will tell you what! A big, fat nothing! He took more shots shooting at 37.5%, while Fin was sizzling at 50% shooting and trying ot lead the team to victory! So much for experts!
Alcatraz or Honolulu? Solitary confinement or the NBA? … yeah, I always get those confused. Cut the gibberish. Kobe Bryant is a great basketball player. He’s a husband who acted like a knucklehead at least once. But he’s not a rapist until a jury tells us he is.Update: On a related note, Phil Jackson says he might call Jordan in to play in Kobe’s place, if it “absolutely becomes necessary”. I don’t know what is funnier - the thought of Jordan dropping his retirement plans for the 5000th time to go and play for Phil, or the all-geezer-line-up the Lakers would feature with (hypothetically) Payton, Malone, Jordan and Shaq ;) Maybe if they try hard enough to get Stockton out of retirement and play a two-PG backcourt of Payton and Stockton, with a frontcourt of Jordan, Malone and Shaq…. ;)Likewise, he’s not worthy of the unconditional puffery that’s being served up in his honor.
In a professional sporting environment plagued by profligate paternity, Bryant was irresponsible. Maybe worse.
No doubt he’s going through a hard time, fearful of impending court appearances, and surely feeling some chill on the home front.
If he’s exonerated, there will be time to praise his return to work and examine the terrible pressures he’s faced.
If not, then some people owe apologies to a young woman who has been going around carrying a significant burden of her own.
As for doling out sympathies, I’m going to defer until a verdict is reached.
With a grueling 82-game schedule over the regular season as it is, without counting the pre-season overseas and the playoffs, I think this is a little too much to ask of basketball teams to travel as far as China to play regular season b-ball. Not fair at all!
ESPN.com - NBA - NBA considering regular-season games in ChinaBEIJING — The NBA is considering playing regular-season games in China, where such stars as Yao Ming have boosted the popularity of the game.
I really don’t think Iverson deserves KG, Webber-like money for the what he does and for the age he is at (28). Heck, considering the current luxury tax implications, I am not sure even KG and Webber deserve KG and Webber-like money. This contract is only guaranteed to keep Philly over the cap for atleast 4 more years and thus preclude them from acquiring any good freeagents to help their team in the play-off hunt and the post-season. Bad move!
ESPN.com - NBA - Iverson extension: four years, $76.7 millionPHILADELPHIA — Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed on a $76.7 million, four-year contract extension, a team source said Tuesday.
So, Larry Bird gets hired to manage Basketball operations in Indiana and one of the first things he does is to fire Isiah - ESPN.com - NBA - Pacers, Carlisle could finish deal by Tuesday. Personally, I say good riddance! Isiah failed to contain “explosive” players like Artest and jeopardized team chemistry when he advocated “thug” basketball instead of something resembling the actual sport. It will be interesting to see what happens next.
Mavs add another country to the roster of players they sign from - Iceland - ESPN.com - NBA - Mavs go international again, sign Stefansson. It is pretty interesting that this new guy also is a combo-guard, which is a pretty loaded position for the Mavs right now, seeing as how we have Nash, Finley, Best, Jiri, Josh and Marquis already on the team. Word on the street is that this kid and others might be an insurance if Nash decides to bolt next season or that Marquis might be dropped before his contract becomes guaranteed for the year. We will keep you posted.
This got me excited about the coming season now - I think we have definitely gotten younger, taller and more versatile with this addition.I will miss Nick Van Exel, though - he was the little spark plug who put us ahead in the play-offs. Jamison is way better than Zo, Malone or Brad Miller and this trade puts us only below LA, SA and Minnesota, I think, though that could easily change if the other teams have chemistry or “court” problems.
ESPN.com - NBA - Mavs get Jamison in blockbuster nine-player tradeDALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks finally made a major offseason move, acquiring Antawn Jamison in a nine-player trade with the Golden State Warriors. The Mavericks also got guard Jiri Welsch and forwards Danny Fortson and Chris Mills from the Warriors for guards Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson and Antoine Rigaudeau, center Evan Eschmeyer and forward Popeye Jones in the deal announced Monday.
The column below says all about the ruckus that I was thinking - I agree with every single word. It was horrifying to me when I saw how so-called fans were savaging Cuban on message boards. I heard another fan on the ESPN radio saying that Cuban has to go as an owner - Oh yeah? Who would you rather have as owner? Mark Cuban or Donald Sterling? This is the man who turned a bargain-basement franchise around in a matter of three seasons - and the so-called Mavs fans turn on him so quick! Shame on you!
But then, you don’t have to be a Mavs fan to see the truth in Cuban’s word - I wanted to reach in and grab Randy Galloway’s throat, every time he screeched “But he said it was GREAT for NBA!” on ESPN radio - no Randy, he didn’t! He said it was good for the NBA in a business sense, in that it is going to generate more interest in the sport for the short term. He didn’t say it was good for NBA’s image or that all ball-players should go and rape somebody. All this is exposed as even more of a hypocritical piece of crap when you think back to Steve Nash’s comments and Nick Van Exel’s comments about the war. No one in the league said anything about that, except for teh Spurs’ David Robinson - why the double standard? At least Cuban was saying that was relevant to NBA - unlike the players he supported when they spouted off about things they DIDN’T have to talk about.
ESPN.com: NBA - Scaring the outspoken into silenceThe reaction was so painfully predictable, these pompous and protective housemen for the NBA telling Mark Cuban to stand on the sidelines, shut his mouth and cling to the company line. Everyone probes and prays for that provocative line, an original thought and when it comes, it, what happens now?They vanquish the voice.
The way the Thought Police jumped Cuban was a complete disgrace Tuesday, one more reason why the sporting culture is doomed to eternity with the mindless and milquetoast clichés of the morons and scared deer that inhabit it. Because the thoughtful figures, the ones with the courage of conviction, will soon be completely shouted into silence. Why open your mouth, say something completely plausible and not be told that someone disagrees with you, but you shouldn’t say it at all?
Work - lots and lots of it - has been keeping me glued and chained to my chair at…work! In the meantime, enjoy some good, old bashing of peecee sportswriters by my blog-mommy.
Letter from Gotham: SEXUAL REELINGGeez, the sports pages used to be the one part of the paper that was relatively free of political correctness. The last barrier was breached a few years ago and now even the Post’s sportswriters got the party line: the racial and sexual correctness is excruciating to read. You can tell they don’t really believe the peecee bullshit they write, like the Times sportswriters do. I once wrote a letter to one of them in response to some nauseatingly chirpy piece he wrote about a female college baseball team that played guys. I predicted they would lose every game. He wrote me a nice letter after the season was over telling me I was wrong: they won exactly one game. He graciously conceded the point and told me that his two “well-adjusted” daughters (ha!) told him the same thing that I did: women should not be playing men, this is not liberation, it’s a blind alley, and it ultimately leads to contempt for women. And he went right back to writing peecee pieces about women in sports.
First, Kobe allegedly assaulted a woman at a resort - then Damon Stoudamire gets caught with marijuana when he placed it in a plastic bin for security check at an airport - then Daryl Armstrong gets into a fight with a cop(?) outside a club - now Jerry Stackhouse does this -
ESPN.com: NBA - Stackhouse charged with assault on a female
Looks like we fans are not the only ones bored by the off-season!
Update: Chris Webber joins the team - Webber pleads guilty to criminal contempt.
I hate to say this, but I agree with Chris (thanks for the link - I have been trying to resist talking about this for a while now) - SI.com - Pro Basketball - Malone commits to signing with Lakers - Friday July 11, 2003 10:58 AM - with the addition of Gary Payton and Karl Malone, the Lakers are just 82+14 games short of the NBA Championship title this coming season. I was talking to a Spurs fan the other day, and we determined that the other teams might as well give the trophy to the Lakers right now and play the regular season for fun. Seriously, with a frontcourt of Malone and Shaq and a backcourt of Payton and Kobe, who does the opposing team guard on the court? Who do they double-team? I know a lot of people are predicting chemistry problems, but I am not so sure considering Phil Jackson’s coaching style and ability. This has got to come as a great news for all Laker fans, but as an outsider, all I can say is - NOT FAIR!
(All the above is going to happen regardless of any other moves in the other NBA teams - Zo to Dallas, Kidd to Spurs and everybody else to Timberwolves, will still not change a thing - the East will still play like the NBDL).
I have a tough time believing this, considering how fastidious Kobe Bryant has been so far about keeping a clean image and not acting like an Allen Iverson or other such bad boys of the NBA. If it is true, I hope he gets the maximum punishment available for his offense.
ESPN.com: NBA - Bryant arrested on sexual assault count in ColoradoDENVER — Prosecutors are considering whether to file charges against Kobe Bryant after a woman accused the Los Angeles Lakers’ star of sexual misconduct at a hotel near Vail. Bryant, 24, was released after turning himself in Friday and posting a $25,000 bond on suspicion of felony sexual assault, the Eagle County sheriff’s office said Sunday.
ESPN.com - Page2 - The List: Most overrated athletes
Loved the rankings - my favorites -1. Vince Carter The second coming of Michael Jordan? Not quite. To quote one ESPN editor who’s seen this country through a bagful of undeclared wars, “Vince Carter is the most overrated athlete of my lifetime.”…
10. Chris Webber
Doesn’t battle it out under the basket. Averages 60 games per season. Hasn’t done what it takes to move from “very good” to “great.” It’s all been said before, and it’s all true. Page 2’s Charley Rosen, who’s forgotten more about basketball than we’ll ever know, once ran through a list of the league’s clutch players. Was C-Webb in there? You bet. As a “decoy.” Ouch.
HoustonChronicle.com - Van Gundy says yes to coaching Rockets
Jeff Van Gundy performed his first coaching miracle on Monday.With just a few words, Van Gundy agreed to become the Houston Rockets' next coach and inspired the team's 65-year-old general manager, Carroll Dawson, into youthful leaps.
The Village Voice: Features: The Foreign Invasion of the American Game by Dan McGraw
This article has got to be the most blatant way of manufacturing crap in a situation that is not really a bad one. Does this writer even watch the NBA and follow what's going on? People don't watch high-scoring games because it is white guys playing it - we watch them more because they are more fun. No one wants to watch Shaq grind his fat-ass against a defender for 20 seconds and power the ball into the basket. It is fun to see a Bobby Jackson (he is black, btw) or a Steve Nash or a Nick Van Exel (black again) run and gun and shoot the lights out at the stadium.
The author notes in passing that Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and others make huge amounts of money in endorsements and then cries over the white(?) Mavs making an Amex commercial - so what? LeBron James is getting $90 million before he played a single NBA game - should all white people cry over it because James hasn't played a single game in NBA and also happens to be black?
Another point that struck me as stupid was his assertion that NBA is as "black" as "Jazz" and letting white people into it will only marginalize it like Jazz got marginalized. Stupid, again! Yao Ming, whom the writer mentions as an example of the Whitey invasion (here's one for the Model Minority types to fume about) gets NBA more attention in a country with a billion-plus people, China. Even he probably paid less in endorsement deals than an absolutely over-rated black star like Vince Carter. What does all this mean? It means that the market chooses who they want to see and what they like and right now, the NBA is doing a good job of it. Stop whining and start enjoying the game - who knows? You might end up cheering for a few of the white guys.
So what's the point of bringing race into the equation here? Because the NBA is changing, on the court and off, getting whiter and more foreign, and many African-American fans and players think there is more going on here than international meritocracy. The perception - and perception is always important in matters of race- is that the NBA is acing out the black man because of corporate (read: white) fans and international marketing money. High-scoring white guys equals big bucks.As grassy-knoll theories go, it's not easy to see a second shooter behind the fence on this one. After all, Dallas's Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, Houston's Yao Ming, and Memphis's Pau Gasol have all proven they can hang with the brothers in the NBA. And many of the foreign players are themselves black, including Tony Parker, the San Antonio Spurs' star import from France. Still, one has to wonder what role the NBA's business model has in all of these changes. The league changed its rules a few years ago to favor the midrange jumper and discourage one-on-one play—rules that encourage higher-scoring games and less athletic players. The NBA's domestic TV revenues and attendance are flat, and the real money growth is in foreign TV rights and merchandise sales. Hell, the league even trotted out the very dead Frank Sinatra this year on its own cable network's commercials. How white was that?
Does that mean the NBA is favoring the foreign and white player? Depends on who you ask. "The brothers talk about this all the time," says Robert "Scoop" Jackson, editor at large for Slam and a contributing editor for the NBA's own Inside Stuff magazine. "The black cultural perspective is different on this one. From our perspective, the NBA is getting whiter, and not too many of the brothers like it."
I will admit it - I didn't watch the whole game last night. I saw till there were 5 minutes left in the second and we were down around 17. I gave up hope. I should have known better - they were not the "comeback Kings" for nothing :) Man, what a game it must have been. I would have screamed till my throat gave out last night if I had watched. I am sorry I didn't believe you could do it. Nothing is impossible for you guys. Go get 'em!
ESPN.com - NBA Playoffs 2003 - Mavericks turn Spurs inside out in Game 5
Basically, the softies did it again. The softies staved off elimination and gave Nowitzki an opportunity -- bet big on him to play Thursday -- to make his own heroic comeback in Game 6. In the sort of grinding playoff setting where they supposedly don't belong, this team of allegedly lightweight jump-shooters -- this time minus their best player -- wiped out the big deficit, held the Spurs to 10 fourth-quarter points, finished with more rebounds than the longer, stronger hosts and hiked the series back to Dallas."It's hilarious," said Mavericks guard Steve Nash, chuckling at the idea of hushing naysayers yet again in these playoffs. "What can I say? We're a tough team to beat."
ESPN.com - NBA Playoffs 2003 - Mavs' 'situational stop' D saves charity-filled effort
With 2:45 to play in Game 1 of the Lone Star Free Throw Invitational, Tim Duncan sank two freebies to give the San Antonio Spurs a five-point lead. The morning-after hoopla will undoubtedly focus on the Mavericks' unerring aim and the truly tortuous officiating that led to 98 foul shots combined in a three-hour tooth pull ... but don't overlook the fact that the Spurs didn't score another point in that final 2:45.
A really good article on Nowitzki - our "Great White Hope" on MSNBC. The boy has grown up into a man right in front of our eyes, proving his mental toughness in every game that mattered. Remember the Spurs series two seasons ago, when he had his tooth knocked out, but came back to score 40?
Or how about his outplaying Kevin Garnett to sweep his T'Wolves in the first round last season? How about those 40-point games against the TralBlazers this season? And how about his performance and his role in helping his team win two Game 7s in two weeks? Dude rocks!
Spurs series measuring stick for Nowitzki
DALLAS, May 19 - Five years ago, when the Dallas Mavericks engineered a draft-related deal to acquire a German kid named Dirk Nowitzki, it seemed a little strange. Then Don Nelson proclaimed Nowitzki was one of the greatest prospects he had ever seen. Nellie said Nowitzki had the size of a center, the ball-handling ability of a swingman and the shooting range of a guard. And throughout basketball circles, coaches and scouts and players rolled their eyes. Nellie, a great many of them thought, has really lost it this time.
It is going to be a wild, wild series! Bring on the Spurs!! Yee-Haw!
Van Exel shoots down old demons with Dallas
There is a new topic discussing this on the RWO Forums :)
That was an absolutely incredible game by the Mavs last night. 10 points in the third quarter? Dude, we are playing defense! A great 25th birthday gift for Mike Bibby ;)
Tim Legler was on ESPN radio this morning. According to him, Mavs and Kings will have trouble with the Nets in the Championship Finals, but the Lakers won't. Earth to Tim - Mavs swept the Nets in the regular season two seasons in a row and one of the wins was at NJ on the second night of a back-to-back, the first game of which, Mavs beat Indiana Pacers in a double OT.
Did the collective heart of all Spurs drop to the floor when Horry hoisted that potentially game-winning three-pointer at the end of last night's game? Thank God for you guys, he missed for a change.
Will someone tell the ESPN radio hosts that Donnie Nelson doesn't have a junior at the end of his name? The father is Don and the son is Donnie - see, different names.
Last night's Western conference Games were probably the most fairly called in the play-offs so far.
Check out the MP3 of parody songs making fun of the Kings at DallasMavericks.com - it is really funny. My favorite - "Vlade Divac, what do you keep talking to the refs in between plays?" - "Don't you have the time, to listen to me whine!" :D
The Kings-Mavs Game 5 today starts way early to accomodate TNT's increasingly bizarre scheduling, at 6 PM. To make fans come in that early to cheer the team, Mark Cuban is going to give all the fans who show up at the AAC at 6 or earlier, a "permission slip" for leaving work early - a coupon for 10% discount at the Mavs store at the AAC.
The local sports station (1130AM, the Ticket) had an 8-year-old Mavs fan called Elizabeth on this morning. She could name the entire Mavs roster (of course, she forgot Raja Bell and Evan Eschemeyer, but Nellie sometiems forgets that they play for him too, so no big deal). It was just really cute to listen to her talking - she said she played basketball, so one of the hosts asked her what position she played - she whispers to the hosts "what position does Steve Nash play?". When they answer "Guard", she says that's what she plays, since she thinks he is the best Mav :)
Celtics have been swept by the Nets after some 20-odd years - nice record to break, guys! Do the Celtic fans suck or what! - how tacky of them to be holding signs calling Jason Kidd a wife-beater, while Jumana was sitting right there in the front row watching the game. Another Boston radio station host wanted to "smack" her, because he was irritated with her being there - now that is what you call compassion towards a woman who was a victim of domestic violence - good job!
Oh, and after the third game between the Mavs and the Kings, when sports fans all over Dallas were celebrating the double-OT victory, there was this caller called Christy, who called in the ESPN radio 103.3 and ragged on the Mavs about so what if they won two games straight, they still can't defend, they still have a hole in the middle, blah, blah, blah. The ESPN radio hosts were drooling over the rant, talking aobut how intelligent and analytical she was. How dumb can you get, guys? all these are known problems and they have existed the entire season - do you really think any of the fans forgot them or expected them to be magically fixed in the middle of the play-offs? An "intelligent" fan celebrates victories as they come and waits till the off-season or the trading season, when something can be done to fix problems, instead moaning and groaning over them all season. Get it?
Saw a headline on ESPN.com saying Chris Webber thinks he can be back for the NBA Finals - Umm Chris, maybe you and your team should worry about getting out of the semis in the West, before you start planning the NBA championship parade......
Whew! Ok, first of all, I really believed that the performance in the 2nd game by the Mavs was a big Fluke and that they were going to lose to the Kings last night. I was happy that we pulled out atleast one good, resounding victory. I watched the game till the fourth quarter last night, but the Mavs were behind by 10 points, and I thought that was it - we were going to lose. I didn't think the loss of Chris Webber would make a big difference to the deepest team in the NBA. But did they ever pull it out! In double overtime, nonetheless! How I wish I had watched it now. Oh! Nick, you are Basketball God!!! Go Kill 'em, Nick!
I have my work cut out for me tonight - Survivor finale (this season is the best Survivor ever after the first season) and then the Mavs-Kings game. I believe the series is ours in 5 or 6 games, if we win today. Go Mavs!!!
The problem with the TrailBlazers is not that they are not talented as they proved in the previous series with the Mavs, they are extremely deep bench-wise and very talented -- too talented, wherein lies the problem. Another obvious problem is the criminal mentality of most players on the team. Finally, their so-called star (Rasheed Wallace) proved to be a spare, while Zach Randolph who is supposed to be on the bench is turning out to be a pretty good acquisition. Hopefully, things will work out better for them.
United Press International: Report: Whitsitt to leave Trail Blazers
PORTLAND, Ore., May 7 (UPI) -- Bob Whitsitt, often the lightning rod for the underachieving fortunes of the Portland Trail Blazers, reportedly will step down as president and general manager.KFXX Radio in Portland reported Wednesday that Whitsitt will resign after nine seasons with the NBA team. The sports radio station reported that Whitsitt will remain with the team in a lesser capacity while retaining his role as president of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.
This blog has been officially declared basketball-free zone....till Friday, that too only if certain conditions are met. Check out the scoreboards at nba.com or espn to know why :(
ESPN's Page2 columnist Charley Rosen has a good player-to-player matchup summary for the second round of the NBA play-offs, combined with critiques and predictions. Pretty good read - I have quoted the Dallas-Sacramento matchups - click on the link below to read about other matchups in the second round.
ESPN.com - Page2 - We're hungry for seconds
Dallas-Sacramento This series promises to be a track meet, replete with plenty of spectacular shots and fancy passes, with points galore and with the shot clock rarely advancing into single digits. Both teams favor finesse over muscle (the Mavericks' Eduardo Najera is the exception that proves the rule), and both are committed to outscoring their opponents. Add Dallas' penchant to hide its team-wide defensive deficiencies by playing zones, and the individual matchups become momentary and nearly irrelevant.Mike Bibby vs. Steve Nash: In last season's playoff series, Bibby ate Nash's lunch (and breakfast and dinner), but the zones might prevent Nash's embarrassment from being duplicated. If so, Nash will only have to equal Bibby's point and assist production. However, because the Kings are the NBA's best passing team and as such are liable to easily dissect zone defenses, expect the Mavs to be forced to employ more man-to-man defense than is their wont. Should this be the case, then Nash will have to be at the top of his game lest he suffer a rerun of his worst nightmare.
Doug Christie vs. Michael Finley: The latter is an authentic two-way player, while the former can only score in a broken field, and has unjustly gained a reputation as being a good defender, mostly because he gambles for steals and is sometimes successful. Christie is also the epitome of arrogance (even though he whimpered his way through the last five minutes of last season's Game 7 against the Lakers), while Finley is an all-around stand-up type of guy. If the series ever boils down to a faceoff between these two, bet your mortgage on Dallas.
Chris Webber vs. Eduardo Najera: Strictly offense vs. defense, with the edge going to the former.
Peja Stojakovic vs. Dirk Nowitzski: Strictly offense vs. offense, with the edge going to whoever winds up with the last possession.
Chris Webber vs. Dirk Nowitzki: Both are somewhat soft around the edges, although Nowitzki is more willing to drive the ball into the Land of the Bigs. Webber is the better passer and, when the spirit moves him, is more effective with his back to the basket. Nowitzki has the advantage in range, ball-handling and overall explosiveness. Nowitzki might not be a winner, but Webber is generally perceived around the league as being a loser.
Vlade Divac vs. Raef LaFrentz and Shawn Bradley: Also known as Floppo, Mister Softee and The Invisible Giant. Of these three, Divac has the most skills and, compared to his sheep-hearted opponents, also has the courage of a tiger. Divac is a much better fit into the way his team wants to play the game, so expect him to dominate in this battle of powder puffs.
Keon Clark, Jim Jackson and Bobby Jackson vs. Nick Van Exel: Clark is decidedly gawky and unathletic. JJ is a selfish and defenseless streak shooter. BJ is a quick-footed guard who's good enough to start for most NBA teams. And Van Exel is a scoring machine. The total numbers give the Kings the advantage in flexibility, but only Van Exel has the capability to change a game.
The Kings should be the victors because of their superior defense, and because almost every one of their starters is an accomplished passer. But the Mavericks can score in a hurry and from a wider variety of locations. And as always, rebounding and turnovers will be deciding factors.
So, put on your track shoes, eat plenty of carbos the night before the series opens, drink lots of water, and prepare to be thoroughly entertained as both teams race headlong toward the wire.
Oh! My! God! What super-frikkin-awesome game that was, between Dallas and Portland today - we won!!!! we are going to into the second round of the NBA play-offs and we will be facing the "Queens" in Dallas this Tuesday. Just amazing! Absolutely un-frikking-believable! I was this ready to throw the towel in, after the horrendous loss in Portland on Friday, but then my boys, the "comeback Kings", the "Cardiac Mavs" came back and won the seventh game by 12 points. My throat is hoarse after all that screaming at the TV - my dogs will now need therapy to make them normal after witnessing my crazy scream-dances, but I am just extremely happy to see my boys advance :-D
More thoughts:
Dirk has just become a superstar - I mean it, this is the series that proved to the basketball world that he is a force to be reckoned with.
Nick Van Exel proved again that he is star-material and that if he decides to do so, he can not just take over a game, but win it in the face of adversity.
Najera - what can I say about him? He is the "glue" that keeps the Mavs defense together and his contributions today equal that of Dirk or Nick or Nash, regardless of what the boxscore shows. I am glad he is on my team. I hope he didn't hurt his knee to bad and will be there full-strength to take the Queens on! Heh!
1. Top seed Spurs lead the series 3-2 over Phoenix Suns after the win last night. I give the series to Spurs over the next one or two games (The Suns are the kind of team that has been hard for the Spurs to put away this season).
2. Second seed Kings will "cake-walk" over the Jazz to finish the series in Sacramento in the fifth game. They lead 3-1 right now.
3. Third seed Mavs lead their series 3-1 over the Trailblazers and will try to close the series out today in Dallas (all fingers crossed).
4. KG put his foot in his mouth when he made the comment about beating the Lakers before the 4th game. He awakened the literal giant, Shaq and the Lakers have taken a 3-2 lead in the series with the win at Minnesota last night. I expect them to close the series out at LA in the next game.
In other news, the Dallas Stars are down 2-1 in the second round of play-offs with the Anaheim Ducks (this is the same position they were in with the Edmonton Oilers in the frst round - they came back to win that series).
Update:
Now you can discuss our various posts and issues on the messageboard!
Whew! Did my boys - the Mavs - deliver or what! Dirk! I bow before you and hope to see many more of such games in the future. I am just totally exhausted and my throat is still sore from all the screaming I did at the TV. I am still celebrating!
Mavs in 6 at the most, baby! In 4 if Bradley brings his A game every night and Nash and Finley shake the rust off :)
Atleast one Dallas team has clinched the top seed in the West. I am still keeping my fingers for the Mavs to keep the top seed in the West and the league - it would so awful to lose it this close to the end, when they had pretty much lead wire-to-wire. Unfortunately for us though, the San Antonio Spurs just refuse to lose. If only Tim Duncan and David Robinson were not such great guys - I would so hate them! Grrr!
BTW, I finally got the Mavs comic book last Friday. It was a kinda cool and the villainous Gargamon does look a little like Shaq..... if Shaq were gree and hairy :) The comic would have done much better with a little less Mark Cuban and a little more Mavs, but I guess it is cool. One thing I was wondering about though, was about the absence of Nick Van Exel - the comic has the Nelsons, Dirk, Nash, Finley, Raef, Shawn Bradley and Popeye Jones (why?) - why not Nick? Oh well, it just costed $2.96, so I guess I can't complain too much about it.
DALLAS (AP) - At the beginning of the season, goaltender Marty Turco and the Dallas Stars had the same objectives as everyone else in the NHL. Turco wanted to allow as few goals as possible and the Stars wanted to get as many points as possible.When the regular season ended Sunday, both met their mark.
The Stars beat the Nashville Predators 2-0, wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference while Turco's seventh shutout of the season dropped his goals-against average to 1.72, lowest in the NHL's modern era.
OK, I have read this on Dean's blog, JK's blog and he got it from another blog - all of them saying that the tallest player in NBA is Chinese - I know it sounds clever and all and fits with the theme of the stuff it is included in - unfortunately, it is not true, unless you think 7'5" (Yao Ming, Houston Rockets) is taller than 7'6" (Shawn Bradley, Dallas Mavericks). Sorry, just a pesky little detail, but ruins the joke a bit.
Gotta love these losers' way of thinking. They think it is American, patriotic even, to make anti-war comments. They are basketball players, not foreign policy analysts, but let's let it go, in the name of the freedom of speech. So what are disgruntled fans to do when they don't like something their team's player does? They boo them. They, as paying customers to the team, as the people who indirectly pay the players' salaries, if they want to boo the player, isn't that their right?
What makes these morons think that they can say anything they want and get away with it, never having to face any negative reaction for it?
Van Exel's night vexing despite solid play
The game also served to take Van Exel's mind off the tempest that he created when he said on his radio show Wednesday that President Bush "is giving American people a bad name." He was booed on a couple of occasions early in the game against the Spurs, presumably by those who had heard or read his comments."I was very shocked, and very disappointed because I didn't want that to happen," Van Exel said. "That was the last thing I wanted to have happen. It kind of hurt me because it was like I was anti-American. And that's not it at all."
Asked if he regretted saying it, he said: "That's not even the point. The point is I was upset with the reaction it had because I didn't want it to be a negative reaction."
I hope someone rescues Ron Artest from Isiah and himself, before he goes too out-of-hand and hurts someone seriously enough to jeopardize that person's and his own career in the process.
ESPN.com: NBA - NBA slaps Artest with two-game suspension
INDIANAPOLIS -- Another flagrant foul, another suspension for Ron Artest.The Indiana Pacers' swingman was banned for two games Thursday, raising the total of games he's missed because of NBA punishment this season to 10.
This time, the league upheld a flagrant foul call on Artest just five seconds into Wednesday night's game against Boston, calling for an automatic two-game suspension for exceeding the limit on flagrant-foul points.
What the heck is wrong with Isiah Thomas? He had a good, young, talented and fearless team in the Indiana Pacers. He tried to mold them in the shape of the "bad boy" Detroit Pistons (his old team). Unfortunately, one of the current Pacers happens to be Ron Artest, a completely deranged person. He took Isiah's teachings so much to heart that he cannot seem to play in a single game without being ejected or flagrantly fouling someone. And what does Isiah do about this? Does he try to control this madman and his anger? Nooooo. He blames Dallas Mavericks' Don Nelson instead.
Earth to Isiah - Don Nelson doesn't coach your team and doesn't own the NBA refs. Take responsibility for the monster you created and just shut up!
Artest hit with another flagrant in loss to Sixers
Thomas pins the blame for the close officiating on Dallas Mavericks' coach Don Nelson.According to Thomas, Nelson has been publicly critical of what he perceives as rough play by the Pacers, who have lost six in a row and 12 of 13.
"I have to give Don Nelson a lot of credit, he really put it to us," said Thomas. "I think our games are definitely officiated differently now. Nellie, you're the best."
I really like this guy, Najera. I stilll remember the days when he would get blasted by Nelson for every small, silly mistake he ever committed on the court. Now he is almost as important as the "Big Three" (or Four, depending on your point-of-view) and brings such great intangibles to the game that we really missed him in the game against Sacramento. If only some of the other players put this kind of effort day-in and day-out.
Najera's energy is a spark for Mavericks
Eduardo Najera is the bugle blower for the Mavs' cavalry. Since returning from knee surgery, the 6-8 Najera has established himself as the catalyst to carry the Mavericks through these challenging weeks when it's still too early to zero in on the playoffs."We were getting stale," coach Don Nelson said of the Mavericks in recent games. "And we needed somebody to come in and give us a spark. You can't expect Raja Bell to do it every time. Eddie's been an inspiration for everybody."
Nelson added that Najera has provided the Mavericks with much-needed intensity.
"Eddie is our new idol on the team. Anybody who can spark our team like that, it's great," Nelson said. "If we can get our [centers] to emulate Eddie Najera, that will really help our ballclub. There's no reason Raef and Shawn can't play with that same intensity."
I personally think that the Clippers so loaded with talent that firing Donald Sterling who will "nickel and dime" them to death will do them a lot more good than firing their coach will ever. Yes, I know Sterling owns them and cannot be fired - I just think he is very bad for the team. Maybe Mark Cuban can give him a call ;-)
Gentry fired by Clippers; Dennis Johnson promoted
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Coach Alvin Gentry was fired by the Los Angeles Clippers during a disappointing third season Monday and replaced by assistant Dennis Johnson.The Clippers went into Monday night's game against New Orleans with a 19-39 record, last in the Pacific Division, despite a roster loaded with young talent.
Or, we can call it - "shut up and play basketball!". Looks like Steve Nash has been listening to one too many Sheryl crow albums or has taken so many charges on the court that his brain seems to have turned into mush and he thinks he is some kind of foreign policy expert (but then he also thought "stupid, white men" and "bowling for Columbine" were like awesome, dude!).
Nash's world knows no boundaries
"Because, as a humanitarian and borderline pacifist to begin with, I was already very skeptical of war," Nash explained the other day in the soft voice that belies his intensity as the Mavericks' floor leader. "I think that in the year 2003, it's embarrassing that we're still pointing guns at one another and threatening each other with violence."Oh, so you are OK if we point nukes and poison gasses at each other?
"I realized that with minimal effort and education, I could have an incredible effect on the situation on her [Nosh], and help her group help the world, with very minimal work," Nash said, "just by wearing a T-shirt and voicing my opinion."Emphasis on minimal effort, since I am not man enough to give up my millions of dollars in salary and go be a human shield in Iraq.
For the few who asked him about his T-shirt, mostly Canadian and European media, he explained his position dispassionately. He cited UN figures on the deleterious impact sanctions have had on Iraqi children. He pointed out how containment of Saddam Hussein has worked. On and on the point guard went about things that had nothing to do with points and assists and wins. He was written about in glowing terms from Vancouver to Edmonton to Montreal to Toronto and overseas. Here, he was mostly ignored, although a Mavericks spokesman said the club received a miniscule number of phone calls complaining of Nash's anti-war protest.But of course, sanctions are bad, but containment is good. So according to him, we should let Saddam make all the money he wants to and just sit outside and wait for him to let the UN inspectors in. Right, Stevie? Then somehow, Saddam would miraculously become this gently giant who would start investing all the money into humanitarian causes and not use it at all to build weapons. Nope, nothing like that. And boy, look at how good containment worked - with what, exactly? - Saddam still has his nuclear scientists - he kicked the inspectors out and only let them in because Bush threatened war and will kick them right out as soon as the troops go away. Looks like Antoine, Tariq and Dirk (to be fair, he still hasn't spouted any "wisdom" inspite of being German) have rubbed off on you a little too much, doncha think? Take my advice - leave foreign policy for people who are good at it and do what you are best at - running the team on the way to the Championship.
So, my Mavs topple the unbeaten-since-Jan-27- SA Spurs on thursday playing some "D" - yes people, they actually played some defense on Tim Duncan and effectively shut him and Tony Parker down. Now they went and swept the series with Rockets and Bradley totally whupped some Ming butt last night. We are pretty much a lock for the top seed in the conference - which means home court in all the play-off games. Awesome!!! Can't wait to meet the Kings on the 27th - hopefully, we will whup some King butt too this time :-)
Nash Goes Anti-War, Fuels Controversy
Calling himself a "humanitarian," Steve Nash used Friday's NBA All-Star Game media day in Atlanta to take a controversial anti-war position.
"I believe that us going to war would be a mistake," said the Mavs star guard, while wearing a T-shirt that read, "No War – Shoot For Peace". "Being a humanitarian, I think that war is wrong in 99.9 percent of all cases. I think it has much more to do with oil or some sort of distraction, because I don't feel as though we should be worrying about Iraq."
MJ, Shaq Lead List of All-Star Reserves
So, the NBA All-Star reserves have been chosen - no susrprises here - did anyone really think that they would have the All-Star game without Shaq and MJ? Nowitzki and Nash made it from the Mavericks, but I think it is unfair that Sacramento has only Chris Webber. I think Peja definitely desrved it. Sacramento deserves to have two All-Stars a lot more than Phoenix, which has Marbury and Marion making hte cut.
Yao power: Center gets starting call for All-Star Game
So, we now know that Western All-Star starters are Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers), Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) and Steve Francis and Yao Ming (Houston Rockets). Not a single starter form the team with NBA's best record, the Dallas Mavericks. Not a single starter from the arguably the best team in NBA right now, the Sacramento Kings. What is the Lakers' record in the seasoon? 19 wins and 23 losses. What about the T-wolves? 26-18, the Spurs are 28-15 and the team with two All-Star starters, Rockets have a pathetic 23-19 record.
I am all for fan participation in the All-Star ballots and stuff, but then we should probably call the All-Stars by a different name, maybe All-Fan Favorite or All-Hype or All-the-time-on-the-TV-but-cannot-shoot-10-feet-from-the-hoop, or something like that. Kevin Garnett has failed to take his team out of the first round of playoffs for what 5 seasons so far? And this guy makes half the salary cap's worth of money this year, so his team cannot even sign anyone else. Kobe, he puts up his numbers, but has so far failed to inspire his team mates to ratchet up their play and play like the defending champions that they are. Steve Francis and Yao are the most hyped team in the NBA history, but they cannot deliver on it and their record proves it. Tim Duncan is the only guy I respect to be slogging away and carrying his team on his solitary shoulders without a single complaint (see, Kobe). He deserves all the accolades he gets. The rest, All-Flash-no-substance.
The reserves are the only ones that deserve respect of any kind, since they are picked by people who know what they are talking about, the coaches. This is why I think a much fairer system would make the fans vote for the reserves and let the coaches pick the starters. It will not only make sense to real basketball enthusiasts (not the kids who see the athletes in commercials and think that that proves their greatness), but it will be a true measure of someone being All-Star calibre. As an example, how fair is it for Vince Carter to be staring in the East, even though he played only 10 games in the season so far? Start campaiging, people - let's get the NBA to recognize true All-Stars, not loo-at-me-I-am-so-cool-I-am-dunking flashes that cannot win a game for their team by themselves.
Mavs win ugly, but focus is off the court
(link courtesy Dallas Morning News)
I wish they had won a better game, I mean it is the Denver nuggets for crying out loud. The surprise package again, I guess, is the “second coming” of Shawn Bradley - Again, if he plays half as well as his breakout season in ‘00-‘01, I will give the Mavs very good odds of making it past the second round this time. But then, hey, I am a Mavs fan, so you don’t have to take my word for it.
I know this is just the pre-season and all, but it is good too see Mavs whupping Kings’ butts 105-94. Even more exciting is the news that Shawn Bradley and Raef helped them do it. Nowitzki, Nash and Finley were in a good form as expected, but Shawn and Raef playing good is an added bonus this season and hopefully will provide the impetus to help Mavs push forward further in the play-offs.
Mavs Need Comeback to Open Preseason Victorious
Sacramento comes up with the usual excuses after losing
Can you tell I am gloating?
Mavs are going to face off with the Sacramento Kings for the first time after the humiliating defeat in the second round of play-offs last season. Here’s to hoping that they will kick some serious King butt ;-)
(Photo Courtesy Dallas Morning News)
Well, looks like the Mavs are tying to start off on the right foot this time around - Let’s hope their new resolution holds! (BTW, to the uninitiated, the Dallas Mavericks had an excellent season last time around, but lost woefully to the Sacramento Kings in the second round of play-offs, 1-4. This was the same team that the Mavs beat 3 out of 4 times in the regular season, once even without Dirk Nowitzki, Mavs’ star-player. The picture shows Adrian Griffin on the practice fiesld in American Airlines Stadium under a banner needling the Mavs about their biggest failure post season.
