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Today's write up will be more of a grab bag of thoughts. Organization is for the healthy minded, of which I am not, after feeling the effects of last night's close loss all the way up to the local saloon. A different sort of effect than the morning jubilation felt after celebrating the Mavs comeback in Game 2. Ah, the ups and downs of the NBA Finals. I'll try and bring it from the beginning instead of waiting until I get down 15 points to write like I mean it. (Note: If you need organization, read Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo, he good.)
What the Mavs must do - Win the next 2 games. It's that simple. Well, simple for me to say, not for them to accomplish. But this series isn't over. Yet. Lose 1 of the next 2 and it is. But winning two in a row at home isn't that too much to ask. And if the Mavs are able to win the next 2 games, I would favor them taking 1 of 2 in Miami and taking the series. The blueprint is there. They just gotta go out and take it.
Sense of Urgency - The Mavs have dominated this series once they're behind 15 points. They play with a certain desperation and sense of urgency that has proved effective against the lockdown Heat defense. They look to get out in transition more (how they came back in the 3rd quarter) and Dirk looks to be more aggressive (how they came back in the 4th quarter). They have to find a way to play like this to start the game. They have played the entirety of this series from behind it seems (exception - 1st half of Game 2), and this is a team that when they do get a lead, they can extend it to 20 at the drop of a courtside drink. I worry that they're mentally exhausted after battling from behind so often in the first 3 games. I don't think they have another 15 point comeback in them, so they must come out firing in Game 4.
Why the Mavs lost Game 3 - The possession that nobody talks about. Dirk was not only heating up, he was on fire. He had scored the last 12 points for the Dallas Mavericks, and the Heat had no answer for him. The game was tied and the Mavs had the ball with a chance to take the lead with just under a minute to go. Terry CANNOT take that shot. If your name ain't Dirk, you cannot take that shot. I screamed "Noooooo" before he even shot it. Of course, the very next possession Bosh hit what eventually came to be the game winner. The next possession, the Mavs were too preoccupied on getting a 2-for-1, leading to a Dirk turnover after Wade made a great defensive play. On Dirk's last shot, he got exactly the look he wanted, just didn't knock it down.
Jeff Van Gundy's rant - I was very excited to hear a voice of the NBA discuss the problem that is flopping. Van Gundy supports fining players for flopping, (or as he says, "ruining them financially") which makes the already-difficult-enough job of a referee infinitely tougher. It was great to hear somebody speak up about the problem at a time when so many people could hear it. The weird part is that nobody else ever brings it up. Hopefully, Van Gundy's voice reaches enough people that we do, in fact, see a change in the future.
Mario Chalmers - This guy. My goodness. He's been something of a difference maker in this series. He's hitting enough 3's that helping off of him isn't really an option for the Mavs, which in turn is allowing all of those easy layups. Game 1 he hit three 3's. Game 2 he hit the biggest shot of the game for the Heat. Game 3 he went 4-6 from downtown (which really should be re-nicknamed "the suburbs" if you think about it). I have a very appropriate comparison for Lil' 'Rio - Robert Horry.
I was wrong - I'm ready to admit that it is, in fact, the Miami Heat defense causing all the problems for the Dallas Mavericks. I truly believe the length of the Heat defenders are disrupting the flow of the Mavs' offense, and is especially bothersome for the Mavs' shorter guards - Jason Terry and JJ Barea, both of whom are severely struggling. In fact, I believe the onus of the Mavs' struggles falls on Barea. If he isn't better in the next few games, they will not win. During the Thunder series, Barea had spurts where he was more dominant than Lebron James, with his ability to penetrate and finish or find an open shooter. He has given them almost nothing in these Finals so far, which cannot happen for the Mavs to win.
As for Tuesday night's Game 4, I am taking the Dallas Mavericks. I got nothing to lose and have no problem going down with the ship. The question I have for my audience is - If the Mavs win the next 2 games and head back to Miami for Games 6 & 7 with a 3-2 lead, who you taking to win the series?
Let me know in the comments. Best comment gets a name drop in my next write up.
His Dirkness
Showing posts with label jj barea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jj barea. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Key to the Dallas Mavericks' Success
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Dallas Mavericks have been the best team in the NBA Playoffs up to this point. The Miami Heat have received infinitely more publicity for their run, but it's been the Mavs who have disposed of the Champions of yesterday (Lakers) as well as the Champions of tomorrow (Thunder). I can't understand how eeking out victories against a Rondo-less Celtics team and an overmatched Bulls team is wowing everybody so much. And yet, most people's sentiments are that the Miami Heat are on cruise control right now and an NBA Title is a foregone conclusion. I don't want to get ahead of myself too much, so I'll save most of this rant until after the Mavs bury the Thunder.
But just how are these Dallas Mavericks doing it? I tiptoed around their team dynamic about two weeks ago, having this to say in the middle of the Lakers series....
"A Collection of Misfits"
Well, mis-fits that is. As in, these players didn't seem to fit in with whatever team they played on before (some of them with the Mavs). They have now come together , unified and singularly focused, with one goal, and one goal only, in mind - to do what none of them have been able to do before - win a ring. It's unbelievable, really, when you examine all of their backgrounds to see how many of them have been dragged down, counted out, cast off, or been so close to a Championship they could smell it. I believe this has been a major bonding factor as far as team chemistry goes, as well as a root for how tough the team is in persevering through adversity.
Lets take a look at what each player has encountered throughout his career and why he fits in so very well with this current Dallas Mavericks squadron...
Dirk Nowitzki - It's truly amazing how much scrutiny one of the NBA's all time greats has faced throughout his career. Even now, immersed in the greatest run of his career, most of the discussion of him remains on the negative side (speaking out against Rick Carlisle's Top 10 of all time claim, and scoffing at Larry Bird comparisons - ironic given how quickly the league is to anoint the next Jordan). Needless to say, he took the majority of blame from the Finals meltdown against the Heat (time for revenge?) and Golden State upset (didn't hear much aimed at Duncan or Ginobili this year). I challenge you to come up with another all time great, in any sport, that has faced more disrespect throughout his career. And I don't think anybody wants to win a Championship more than him right now. He's on a mission.
Jason Kidd - Qualifies under the so close he could smell it category. He took a mediocre New Jersey Nets team through the weak Eastern Conference twice to reach the NBA Finals, but was ultimately bested (rather easily) by the Lakers and Spurs in back to back years. Has since been dismissed due to fossilization, but has reinvented his game by improving his jump shot. He's a big reason the Mavs are doing what they are doing.
Tyson Chandler - Fought through the adversity of being labeled a bust after being drafted #2 overall by the Chicago Bulls. The high school draftee from straight outta Compton never flourished with the Bulls in 5 years, and was shipped off to the Hornets where he enjoyed his most success. Has since been traded by the Hornets and Bobcats, winding up in Dallas, where he has been the biggest single difference maker from the Mavs teams of the past to this current team.
Shawn Marion - A former all star at the tail end of his career (the running theme of this Mavs team) who thrived playing with the run-n-gun Suns, a team who's downfall coincided with the decision to get rid of The Keanu Reeves. After 2 forgettable seasons in Miami and Toronto (didn't know they happened), he too has reinvented his game as less of a scorer and more of a defender for the Mavs, evidenced by swatting Kevin Durant's sausage to end regulation in Game 4.
DeShawn Stevenson - Bounced around from team to team because he's halfway crazy. This is evidenced by his Wikipedia page, which I encourage all of you to read. Here are some of the highlights - In 1993, when Stevenson was 12, his father Darryl murdered his own mother, Clara, by strangling her. He originally committed to the University of Kansas until he was red-flagged for improving his SAT score from 450 as a sophomore to 1,150 as a senior. In 2001, Stevenson finished second in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Later that year, Stevenson pleaded no contest to having sex with a 14 year old girl. He is the first player in NBA history to wear the number 92 on his jersey. Oddly, how I remember him (no Wiki mention) is losing to Gilbert Arenas in a 3 point shooting contest that Hibachi shot one-handed. Not much doubt where this man gets his toughness from.
Jason Terry - The other remaining Mav throughout the years, along with Dirka. This means that he, too, has faced much of the same criticism as Dirkness, but to a much lesser degree. However, every Mav remains scarred from what happened in the 2006 and 2007 Playoffs. The Mavs' emotional leader is just as motivated by the team's past and determined to prove the NBA worlds wrong as El Dirkarino.
JJ Barea - The captain of the counted out aspect of the Mavs. It's no secret why he's always been counted out, but it is a secret how tall he actually stands. The roster lists him as 6'0, but those are just lies, ALL LIES! Barea is the rare breed of player who can dominate a game with his repertoire of offensive moves, but can also cost your team the game because of his defensive shortcomings (pun intended). At least he still has his patented defensive move, keeping his face down by the opponent's elbow, waiting for them to strike at any moment, with an assured offensive foul soon to follow.
Peja Stojakovic - Stojanky Nutz was a key member of the Sacramento Kings team that fell short time and time again to the Los Lonely Lakers in the early 00's. Not only that, but he's the culprit of the worst clutch shot I have ever seen in the NBA, when he uncorked a wide open 3 from the corner against the Lakers that hit the side of the backboard! Perfect fit for the previously-perceived-as-soft Mavs.
Brendan Haywood - Always been a decent player, never experienced much playoff success, doesn't really fit the mold. Love watching him shoot free throws though.
Rick Carlisle - Last, but not least, lets not forget the coach of these Mavs. Jim Carrey with cancer won the Coach of the Year award with the Detroit Pistons in 2002 and was fired the next year (replaced by Larry Brown who won a Title and subsequently destroyed the team). Then he took the Indiana Pacers to the best record in the East before ultimately being defeated by Brown's Pistons in the playoffs. The next year, the Pacers were on their way once again until Ron Artest ran into the crowd or something, I can't really remember. It sounded bad though.
So if you're watching the Mavs, wondering how they have seemingly became tough overnight, this list might enlighten you. Every one of these players has a reason to be carrying an extra chip on their shoulder for this team in these playoffs. And sometimes, the will of a team can overmatch the talent of a team, which, in short, I believe is the reason the Mavs have proved everybody wrong throughout these NBA Playoffs.
His Dirkness
The Dallas Mavericks have been the best team in the NBA Playoffs up to this point. The Miami Heat have received infinitely more publicity for their run, but it's been the Mavs who have disposed of the Champions of yesterday (Lakers) as well as the Champions of tomorrow (Thunder). I can't understand how eeking out victories against a Rondo-less Celtics team and an overmatched Bulls team is wowing everybody so much. And yet, most people's sentiments are that the Miami Heat are on cruise control right now and an NBA Title is a foregone conclusion. I don't want to get ahead of myself too much, so I'll save most of this rant until after the Mavs bury the Thunder.
But just how are these Dallas Mavericks doing it? I tiptoed around their team dynamic about two weeks ago, having this to say in the middle of the Lakers series....
Beyond that, they have just been slowly acquiring other people's garbage and molding it into something of a masterpiece. And I believe this collection of misfits have grown very tired of the world speaking out against them with the unified belief that this team is soft and can't get it done. That can be a gigantic motivator.
"A Collection of Misfits"
Well, mis-fits that is. As in, these players didn't seem to fit in with whatever team they played on before (some of them with the Mavs). They have now come together , unified and singularly focused, with one goal, and one goal only, in mind - to do what none of them have been able to do before - win a ring. It's unbelievable, really, when you examine all of their backgrounds to see how many of them have been dragged down, counted out, cast off, or been so close to a Championship they could smell it. I believe this has been a major bonding factor as far as team chemistry goes, as well as a root for how tough the team is in persevering through adversity.
Lets take a look at what each player has encountered throughout his career and why he fits in so very well with this current Dallas Mavericks squadron...
Dirk Nowitzki - It's truly amazing how much scrutiny one of the NBA's all time greats has faced throughout his career. Even now, immersed in the greatest run of his career, most of the discussion of him remains on the negative side (speaking out against Rick Carlisle's Top 10 of all time claim, and scoffing at Larry Bird comparisons - ironic given how quickly the league is to anoint the next Jordan). Needless to say, he took the majority of blame from the Finals meltdown against the Heat (time for revenge?) and Golden State upset (didn't hear much aimed at Duncan or Ginobili this year). I challenge you to come up with another all time great, in any sport, that has faced more disrespect throughout his career. And I don't think anybody wants to win a Championship more than him right now. He's on a mission.
Jason Kidd - Qualifies under the so close he could smell it category. He took a mediocre New Jersey Nets team through the weak Eastern Conference twice to reach the NBA Finals, but was ultimately bested (rather easily) by the Lakers and Spurs in back to back years. Has since been dismissed due to fossilization, but has reinvented his game by improving his jump shot. He's a big reason the Mavs are doing what they are doing.
Tyson Chandler - Fought through the adversity of being labeled a bust after being drafted #2 overall by the Chicago Bulls. The high school draftee from straight outta Compton never flourished with the Bulls in 5 years, and was shipped off to the Hornets where he enjoyed his most success. Has since been traded by the Hornets and Bobcats, winding up in Dallas, where he has been the biggest single difference maker from the Mavs teams of the past to this current team.
Shawn Marion - A former all star at the tail end of his career (the running theme of this Mavs team) who thrived playing with the run-n-gun Suns, a team who's downfall coincided with the decision to get rid of The Keanu Reeves. After 2 forgettable seasons in Miami and Toronto (didn't know they happened), he too has reinvented his game as less of a scorer and more of a defender for the Mavs, evidenced by swatting Kevin Durant's sausage to end regulation in Game 4.
DeShawn Stevenson - Bounced around from team to team because he's halfway crazy. This is evidenced by his Wikipedia page, which I encourage all of you to read. Here are some of the highlights - In 1993, when Stevenson was 12, his father Darryl murdered his own mother, Clara, by strangling her. He originally committed to the University of Kansas until he was red-flagged for improving his SAT score from 450 as a sophomore to 1,150 as a senior. In 2001, Stevenson finished second in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Later that year, Stevenson pleaded no contest to having sex with a 14 year old girl. He is the first player in NBA history to wear the number 92 on his jersey. Oddly, how I remember him (no Wiki mention) is losing to Gilbert Arenas in a 3 point shooting contest that Hibachi shot one-handed. Not much doubt where this man gets his toughness from.
Jason Terry - The other remaining Mav throughout the years, along with Dirka. This means that he, too, has faced much of the same criticism as Dirkness, but to a much lesser degree. However, every Mav remains scarred from what happened in the 2006 and 2007 Playoffs. The Mavs' emotional leader is just as motivated by the team's past and determined to prove the NBA worlds wrong as El Dirkarino.
JJ Barea - The captain of the counted out aspect of the Mavs. It's no secret why he's always been counted out, but it is a secret how tall he actually stands. The roster lists him as 6'0, but those are just lies, ALL LIES! Barea is the rare breed of player who can dominate a game with his repertoire of offensive moves, but can also cost your team the game because of his defensive shortcomings (pun intended). At least he still has his patented defensive move, keeping his face down by the opponent's elbow, waiting for them to strike at any moment, with an assured offensive foul soon to follow.
Peja Stojakovic - Stojanky Nutz was a key member of the Sacramento Kings team that fell short time and time again to the Los Lonely Lakers in the early 00's. Not only that, but he's the culprit of the worst clutch shot I have ever seen in the NBA, when he uncorked a wide open 3 from the corner against the Lakers that hit the side of the backboard! Perfect fit for the previously-perceived-as-soft Mavs.
Brendan Haywood - Always been a decent player, never experienced much playoff success, doesn't really fit the mold. Love watching him shoot free throws though.
Rick Carlisle - Last, but not least, lets not forget the coach of these Mavs. Jim Carrey with cancer won the Coach of the Year award with the Detroit Pistons in 2002 and was fired the next year (replaced by Larry Brown who won a Title and subsequently destroyed the team). Then he took the Indiana Pacers to the best record in the East before ultimately being defeated by Brown's Pistons in the playoffs. The next year, the Pacers were on their way once again until Ron Artest ran into the crowd or something, I can't really remember. It sounded bad though.
So if you're watching the Mavs, wondering how they have seemingly became tough overnight, this list might enlighten you. Every one of these players has a reason to be carrying an extra chip on their shoulder for this team in these playoffs. And sometimes, the will of a team can overmatch the talent of a team, which, in short, I believe is the reason the Mavs have proved everybody wrong throughout these NBA Playoffs.
His Dirkness
Monday, May 9, 2011
Lakers Suck, Dirk Rules
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alright Lakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can always tell a lot more about a man following a loss than you can after a win.
Congratulations Andrew Bynum, ya big dumb animal, you have now been reduced to a punchline for the rest of your existence (people may forget - I will remind them). In your effort to prove you're a tough guy, you took out the smallest guy on the court. Maybe you didn't see the elderly woman sitting courtside? Hopefully, there were some children in the locker room for him beat on to continue his hissy fit. Although, to be fair, I guess they didn't just get done abusing your backside to the point where the police had to be called (we've got a bleeder!). I am impressed that you were able to steal the goat label away from both L'Odom (who went after The Man) and Kobe Bryant (do your scowl Kobe!). I could attach any number of characterizations to your embarrassment, however I think the most obvious might be the most fitting - Bitch.
The best part about the Lakers meltdown was that it was such a glorious sight to take in that it effectively countered watching them win the past two NBA Championships. I feel like it's almost been negated in my mind now. Dejustified. Imagine how you'd feel if you were a true, die-hard Lakers fan (are there any?) right now. Not only did your team just take a beatdown of epic proportions, but they showed their true colors in the process. And you sit back and think to yourself, "This is the team I've been supporting this whole time...?!" I can't imagine how their true fans (there's gotta be some, right?) could go on supporting this current group of players. I guess it's a long offseason though.
The weirdest part of the whole thing was how surprised everybody was. I expected everything I saw in Game 4. Magic Johnson and Mike Wilbon were shocked that the Lakers came out with a weak effort in the first half, but I fully expected a Lakers lay down. This ain't Kobe's first time either. In fact, when he loses he usually goes down with a whimper in the Playoffs (2008 Finals anybody?). So maybe they just believed in Phil Jackson? Although, he had never been in a 3-0 hole before, and anybody that heard his pre-game taped interview could easily tell that he had moved on past this series. So once the game was in hand (around mid 2nd quarter), my thoughts immediately turned to what kind of Laker meltdown we were about to see. To my surprise, people weren't expecting this either. Why did people think the Lakers exude class? Because there were no qualms during their times of success? The best part of this series is how it verified everything I had previously thought about the Lakers.
Now on to the man...
Dirk Nowitzki - How ya like me now? Can this man finally get a break when being discussed as a current superstar and/or all time great? Does publicly undressing Kobe and spanking him in front of the entire fraternity of the NBA enough? I mean he had a few bad seriesi (although it was more his team than himself) and yet he gets brushed aside when compared to rest of the league's elite. Hell, Kobe has quit on his team 2-3 times throughout his career now, yet that barely gets a mention. It's as if quitting on your team carries more street cred than going all out but falling short. That's a sad, sad state of affairs, man.
But since this is the first time they've ever met in the NBA Playoffs, I have no problem now saying that Dirk Nowitzki owns Kobe. Whatcha'll say about that?
"Yea, but Kobe is on the tail end of his career, thus lessening Dirk's accomplishment." I almost bought into this argument myself, until one quick look at Wikipedia told me that DIRK IS OLDER than Kobe!
"Yea, but Kobe has 5 rings, while Dirk has none." Well, 3 of those rings belong to Shaq. Kobe played a big part in obtaining them, but now you're walking the slippery slope of putting the likes of Rick Fox ahead of Dirk (which wouldn't shock me to hear NBA folks do). 2 of the rings are rightly Kobe's, but he needed a star in Pau Gasol to get back to that level. Remember, he doesn't even have a single series victory without Shaq or Pau. So Laker fans (crickets) might wanna reconsider that whole blaming Pau thing.
"Yea, but this series wasn't about Kobe vs. Dirk. The Mavs are just better than the Lakers. Not Kobe's fault." Tell that to Dirk's reputation of the last 10 years. But, you are right, because Kobe's Lakers have the far superior team to the Mavs. As Sports Guy tweeted last night...
"Yea, but Kobe can just buy the Playoffs a 4 million dollar ring and it'll all go away." Now that one I cannot counter. Sometimes you just gotta tip your hat to a man that has it all figured out.
Enough about Kobe though. Like his teammates, I'm gonna give up on him. However, I remain very intrigued by what drives this perception of Dirk. As my buddy Cheebah Sheebah and I discussed the issue, we wondered if he will always remain perpetually underrated because he isn't flashy on or off the court. He rarely dunks the ball (although when he does it sounds something like this). He hardly even likes to shoot 3's anymore (even though he shot 70% for the series from deep). He DOES like to always make the right play (almost never see the Mavs take a bad shot, and that starts with Him), get all of his teammates involved (the most unselfish non-point guard in the NBA), and play smart. He's very comparable to Tim Duncan in these regards, but with one big difference: He's not boring as shit.
I'm just really glad to see Dirk rise up and make atleast one more (hopefully not last) run in the NBA Playoffs. I didn't (and never will) think that the NBA didn't intervene in the 2006 Finals, giving the Heat a hockey assist to the Championship (although I've never contended the Mavs are innocent in this injustice - I just think that title should be nullified altogether). I feel like if Dirk and I can keep feeding off the same seismic energy (huge bowling victory this week for Ze Dirkness), then he might just get his second chance.
Go Dirk, go Mavs.
His Dirkness
Alright Lakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can always tell a lot more about a man following a loss than you can after a win.
Congratulations Andrew Bynum, ya big dumb animal, you have now been reduced to a punchline for the rest of your existence (people may forget - I will remind them). In your effort to prove you're a tough guy, you took out the smallest guy on the court. Maybe you didn't see the elderly woman sitting courtside? Hopefully, there were some children in the locker room for him beat on to continue his hissy fit. Although, to be fair, I guess they didn't just get done abusing your backside to the point where the police had to be called (we've got a bleeder!). I am impressed that you were able to steal the goat label away from both L'Odom (who went after The Man) and Kobe Bryant (do your scowl Kobe!). I could attach any number of characterizations to your embarrassment, however I think the most obvious might be the most fitting - Bitch.
The best part about the Lakers meltdown was that it was such a glorious sight to take in that it effectively countered watching them win the past two NBA Championships. I feel like it's almost been negated in my mind now. Dejustified. Imagine how you'd feel if you were a true, die-hard Lakers fan (are there any?) right now. Not only did your team just take a beatdown of epic proportions, but they showed their true colors in the process. And you sit back and think to yourself, "This is the team I've been supporting this whole time...?!" I can't imagine how their true fans (there's gotta be some, right?) could go on supporting this current group of players. I guess it's a long offseason though.
The weirdest part of the whole thing was how surprised everybody was. I expected everything I saw in Game 4. Magic Johnson and Mike Wilbon were shocked that the Lakers came out with a weak effort in the first half, but I fully expected a Lakers lay down. This ain't Kobe's first time either. In fact, when he loses he usually goes down with a whimper in the Playoffs (2008 Finals anybody?). So maybe they just believed in Phil Jackson? Although, he had never been in a 3-0 hole before, and anybody that heard his pre-game taped interview could easily tell that he had moved on past this series. So once the game was in hand (around mid 2nd quarter), my thoughts immediately turned to what kind of Laker meltdown we were about to see. To my surprise, people weren't expecting this either. Why did people think the Lakers exude class? Because there were no qualms during their times of success? The best part of this series is how it verified everything I had previously thought about the Lakers.
Now on to the man...
Dirk Nowitzki - How ya like me now? Can this man finally get a break when being discussed as a current superstar and/or all time great? Does publicly undressing Kobe and spanking him in front of the entire fraternity of the NBA enough? I mean he had a few bad seriesi (although it was more his team than himself) and yet he gets brushed aside when compared to rest of the league's elite. Hell, Kobe has quit on his team 2-3 times throughout his career now, yet that barely gets a mention. It's as if quitting on your team carries more street cred than going all out but falling short. That's a sad, sad state of affairs, man.
But since this is the first time they've ever met in the NBA Playoffs, I have no problem now saying that Dirk Nowitzki owns Kobe. Whatcha'll say about that?
"Yea, but Kobe is on the tail end of his career, thus lessening Dirk's accomplishment." I almost bought into this argument myself, until one quick look at Wikipedia told me that DIRK IS OLDER than Kobe!
"Yea, but Kobe has 5 rings, while Dirk has none." Well, 3 of those rings belong to Shaq. Kobe played a big part in obtaining them, but now you're walking the slippery slope of putting the likes of Rick Fox ahead of Dirk (which wouldn't shock me to hear NBA folks do). 2 of the rings are rightly Kobe's, but he needed a star in Pau Gasol to get back to that level. Remember, he doesn't even have a single series victory without Shaq or Pau. So Laker fans (crickets) might wanna reconsider that whole blaming Pau thing.
"Yea, but this series wasn't about Kobe vs. Dirk. The Mavs are just better than the Lakers. Not Kobe's fault." Tell that to Dirk's reputation of the last 10 years. But, you are right, because Kobe's Lakers have the far superior team to the Mavs. As Sports Guy tweeted last night...
On paper, LA has 4 of the best 5 players in the series. Their 4th best player (Odom) would be #2 for Dallas.So that would mean that Dirk would have to severely outplay Kobe to give his Mavs a chance at this shocking upset right? A quick look at point totals doesn't give you that impression. However, a deeper look at games 1 & 3 reveal that Dirk made the plays down the stretch, while Kobe came up empty (or was the 2nd choice behind L'Odom). Best closer in the league? Nein.
"Yea, but Kobe can just buy the Playoffs a 4 million dollar ring and it'll all go away." Now that one I cannot counter. Sometimes you just gotta tip your hat to a man that has it all figured out.
Enough about Kobe though. Like his teammates, I'm gonna give up on him. However, I remain very intrigued by what drives this perception of Dirk. As my buddy Cheebah Sheebah and I discussed the issue, we wondered if he will always remain perpetually underrated because he isn't flashy on or off the court. He rarely dunks the ball (although when he does it sounds something like this). He hardly even likes to shoot 3's anymore (even though he shot 70% for the series from deep). He DOES like to always make the right play (almost never see the Mavs take a bad shot, and that starts with Him), get all of his teammates involved (the most unselfish non-point guard in the NBA), and play smart. He's very comparable to Tim Duncan in these regards, but with one big difference: He's not boring as shit.
I'm just really glad to see Dirk rise up and make atleast one more (hopefully not last) run in the NBA Playoffs. I didn't (and never will) think that the NBA didn't intervene in the 2006 Finals, giving the Heat a hockey assist to the Championship (although I've never contended the Mavs are innocent in this injustice - I just think that title should be nullified altogether). I feel like if Dirk and I can keep feeding off the same seismic energy (huge bowling victory this week for Ze Dirkness), then he might just get his second chance.
Go Dirk, go Mavs.
His Dirkness
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