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They may not win these NBA Finals, but nobody (and The Rock means, NOBODY) can question the heart of the Dallas Mavericks.
On a night when Dirk Nowitzki resembled His Dirkness at a 6AM meeting following a night of multiple Dirk No-Whiskeys (shot concoction soon to sweep the world), the Mavs refused to lose. Dirk hit the biggest shot of the game on a night when he was rushed off the court and hurried into the press room only to hack up Maverick green phlegm all over my man, Shan Shariff. Dirk did his damage by putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim on a night when he shot the ball Like a Bosh. Dirk put up 21 points and 11 rebounds on a night when he was visibly exhausted down the stretch of an NBA Finals game that was taxing for players that were 100% healthy. All of this coming in a series that has seen him sustain a torn tendon in a finger, an injured right wrist, and now this feverish game where Dirk resembled Lebron in a 4th quarter (zing!). All of this in a series that will define his career. (P.S. I'm currently the highest bidder on Ebay for Dirk's game-used towels that he coughed into throughout the game. I want them germs).
But the Mavs game 4 victory wasn't about Dirk NoQuitzki (eh? eh?), although he is the main power source for the team's resilience.
It was about Tyson Chandler, who was the Mavs' MVP of Game 4. On a night where he admittedly had to pick up his game because of Dirk's fever, the man straight outta' Compton snagged 16 huge rebounds, including 9 on the offensive end. After drawing my ire for most of the first 3 games, Chandler finally brought the necessary amount of energy to the floor for Game 4. Despite being crutched by the injury to backup Center Brendan Haywood, Chandler did his best rim protecting job of the series on Tuesday night. Tyson is absolutely vital to the success of the Mavs in the series. He has to continue to play with that level of energy, avoid all foul trouble, come down with double digit rebounds, and not allow any easy buckets. Just remember, if it's not him, it's The Custodian.
It was about DeShawn Stevenson, who desperately deserves some love right now. After playing well in Games 1-3 (6-9 from 3, good defense), he was told that he had been demoted for Game 4 in favor of a player who is strugg-a-ling (Barea). Did you see or hear anything from him that would make you think he didn't have the team's best interest in mind? I sure didn't. And he was rewarded with crunch time minutes, playing a key role with the lineup that ultimately won the game for the Mavs (he usually doesn't sniff the 4th quarter). I believe this may have been the strategy when he was replaced in the starting lineup all along. Despite the benching, DeShawn ended up playing a series high 26 minutes in the game. Try and guess the other game that saw him play over 20 minutes in this series? You bet your sweet ass it was Game 2.
This series is all even because of the Mavs' resolve, toughness, and heart.
It's laughable to me how 95% of the world still believes the Mavs have no chance to win this series. What are they watching that I'm not? It has me questioning their chances because I feel like it must be my biases that are blinding me when I wonder aloud, "How could this series be anymore even?" The total margin of victory of the first 4 games has been 15 points, the lowest total since 1969. And yet people are treating this series like it's Spurs-Cavs or Lakers-Nets. It's not all bad, necessarily, because the outpouring of smugness makes me care about the Mavs winning that much more, but it is definitely strange. I cannot even comprehend why. These two teams are even during the regular season. Even through the Playoffs before this series. Each game has been relatively even. The series stands even. What am I missing?
My best guess is because the Heat have led throughout most of the NBA Finals. However, if the roles were reversed, then I believe people would still believe in the Heat over the Mavs.
This brings me back to my original point. I am amazed the Mavs are alive and well in this series. They've been trailing for a majority of 7 of the 8 halves. Their will and determination not only outweighs the Heat's, it catapults the Heat through the air when measured against. I'm not sure the Mavs have any business being in this series, but that shouldn't discount the fact that they are.
I thought the Mavs were done. I thought it was over. I had begun the rationalizing process, putting the series into perspective, at the beginning of the 4th quarter of Game 4. The Mavs were down 9, and Dirk didn't seem like he had it in him to lead a comeback. But then Jason Terry stepped up, making the next 2 shots, the most important two of the game (not to mention the 2 FT's at the end). They stepped up their defense with a beautifully designed 4th quarter switch to zone, stifling the Heat, who suffered an end-of-the-game meltdown for the second time in 4 games. This was supposed to be a time dominated by the Heat, but it's been the Mavs, and their collective heart, that have dominated the 4th quarters of this series, leaving their prior reputation in the dust of a Texas sunset.
The question now is can the Mavs heart, will, and determination overcome the Heat's advantages in terms of talent and athleticism? These 3 games will tell, but I'd never bet against heart.
His dirkness
Showing posts with label tyson chandler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tyson chandler. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Mavericks/Lakers Thoughts - Series Over?
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Wow! Not in my wildest dreams did I expect the Mavs to take the first two games from the Lakers in Los Angeles. I really didn't think they had much of a chance in this series, given the recent history of these two teams. The Lakers have always been the team that comes up big, while the Mavs are always the team that shrinks down in the moment. That's to my extreme disliking, but that is the case. However, two people, who's opinions I hold in high regards, believed in the Mavs - Charles Barkley and Jason Whitlock - both of whom predicted the Dirks to take the series in 6 games. The fact that they're willing to go with what they truly believe, despite what popular belief tells them and how easy it would've been to pick the Lakers, is the reason I respect them so highly. 90% of analysts would've been afraid to make that pick, even if they had believed it would happen, because they're afraid of looking stupid on national TV.
So just how have the Mavs taken this 2-0 lead over the two time defending Champions? Well, one thing is for sure, this ain't your grandpa's Mavericks team. Perception doesn't always meet reality, and never is that more the case than with the Dallas Mavericks. And that starts with Dirk Nowitzki, who has the reputation of being soft and a bit of a choker, yet ranks 2nd in 4th quarter scoring thus far in the NBA Playoffs. It hasn't just been the small sample size of the Playoffs though, remember Sports Guy had this to say on Dirk's case for MVP this year (speaking for Dirk)...
But nobody took any of those numbers seriously going into this Lakers series. After all, it's the Lakers. And these are the Mavs. Well, Game 1 might've turned a few heads, when it was supposed to be the Lakers dominating down the stretch, yet the Mavs stole the game with a 10-2 run to close the game on a night where Kobe was on his A game. Can that be right? Or how bout this? It was the "soft" Mavericks battling back from a 16 point deficit in the 3rd quarter. And surely it wasn't the Mavericks getting T'd up for swinging an elbow right before the end of a first half, was it? After all, it was the Lakers' Matt Barnes, who played for that infamous Golden State team that upset the Mavs in 2007, that said that Golden State team figured out how to defend Dirk: "You have to punk him." Well, "Who's the wildman now?" asks Jon Favreau. But all of this is exactly what happened in Game 1, with the Mavs stealing a game they had no business winning, in what I would call the best game of the NBA playoffs so far.
This is all to drive home the point that these are not the same Mavericks of yesteryear. That team would've folded so fast after Game 4's meltdown against Portland (blew a 23 point lead) that not even Spike Lee in a cape could've saved them. Instead, they have now reeled off 4 straight victories, 3 on the road, 2 against the defending champs, and 1 close out game.
So what has made the difference for them? I would say it begins with Tyson Chandler (straight outta Compton). He has a brought a new attitude to this team, a toughness that has been lacking for them since the departure of DeSagana Diop (haha, I kid....kind of). He forms a perfect duo with Dirk, because while Dirk floats around the perimeter, all Chandler does is protect the paint and throw down alley oops like an O-rim-atang. 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.
The Lakers on the other hand are experiencing some serious issues that go beyond whatever it is that Steve Blake does on the court (seriously, one of the worst games I've ever seen from an NBA player in Game 2). There were 3 key stats I was keeping my eye on going into this series, 2 of which I thought the Lakers would have a huge advantage. The first was points in the paint since the Mavericks get a lot of their points via jump shots, and I thought the Lakers would have an easier time getting their points. Well, they have dominated this statistic so far outscoring the Mavs 102-74 through two games. The second was rebounding, where I thought the length of Bynum, Pau, and L'Odom would dominate the shorter Mavs frontline. However, since getting manhandled in the first half of Game 1, the Mavs have hung tough in this statistic, with the Lakers holding only a slight edge at 88-79 (this is where I think the Mavs have been able to swing the series in their favor). The last was bench points, where I expected the Mavs to dominate, but not like they have been. Terry, Stojakovic, Haywood, and JJ Barea have absolutely mauled the Lakers second team unit (despite L'Odom playing fairly well so far). The Mavs employ a strategy that I'm a big proponent of by not starting their best 5 players. The 2nd team unit needs a leader on the floor, and Jason Terry is the very best at that (ironically, losing the 6th man of the year award to L'Odom). It's not about who starts, but who finishes.
So is this series over then? Nope, not yet by a long shot. As a Mavs fan you learn to not celebrate something until it is beyond certain. I won't even feel fully confident if the Mavs take a 3-0 lead in this series. My biggest fear right now is that the Ron Artest suspension gives the Lakers some life because A. He's been awful in this series and B. Probably means more minutes for L'Odom (who is the one player the Mavs cannot guard). Dirk isn't comfortable right now though. Trust me, I know how this man thinks. We don't like big leads. And while he took my advice on growing out the beard, he knows that no lead is ever safe when you look this good.
His Dirkness
Wow! Not in my wildest dreams did I expect the Mavs to take the first two games from the Lakers in Los Angeles. I really didn't think they had much of a chance in this series, given the recent history of these two teams. The Lakers have always been the team that comes up big, while the Mavs are always the team that shrinks down in the moment. That's to my extreme disliking, but that is the case. However, two people, who's opinions I hold in high regards, believed in the Mavs - Charles Barkley and Jason Whitlock - both of whom predicted the Dirks to take the series in 6 games. The fact that they're willing to go with what they truly believe, despite what popular belief tells them and how easy it would've been to pick the Lakers, is the reason I respect them so highly. 90% of analysts would've been afraid to make that pick, even if they had believed it would happen, because they're afraid of looking stupid on national TV.
So just how have the Mavs taken this 2-0 lead over the two time defending Champions? Well, one thing is for sure, this ain't your grandpa's Mavericks team. Perception doesn't always meet reality, and never is that more the case than with the Dallas Mavericks. And that starts with Dirk Nowitzki, who has the reputation of being soft and a bit of a choker, yet ranks 2nd in 4th quarter scoring thus far in the NBA Playoffs. It hasn't just been the small sample size of the Playoffs though, remember Sports Guy had this to say on Dirk's case for MVP this year (speaking for Dirk)...
According to 82games.com, I'm the league's best clutch scorer: in crunch-time, I make 49.5 percent of my field goals, get to the line more than anyone else and make 89 percent of my free throws. I have chunks of Kobe's crunch-time prowess in my stool.But how about the Mavericks as a whole, who probably have a worse reputation than Dirk himself? They lead the NBA in comeback wins when trailing/tied after the 3rd quarter (Dallas - 16, Portland - 14). They were tied with the Miami Heat for most road wins in the NBA throughout the regular season. Los Mavs went into Game 6 of the first round against Portland losing 18 of their past 20 playoff road games, yet all they've done since then is when 3 in a row on the road. All of these statistics contradict what the past 3 seasons of Mavs basketball have led you to believe.
But nobody took any of those numbers seriously going into this Lakers series. After all, it's the Lakers. And these are the Mavs. Well, Game 1 might've turned a few heads, when it was supposed to be the Lakers dominating down the stretch, yet the Mavs stole the game with a 10-2 run to close the game on a night where Kobe was on his A game. Can that be right? Or how bout this? It was the "soft" Mavericks battling back from a 16 point deficit in the 3rd quarter. And surely it wasn't the Mavericks getting T'd up for swinging an elbow right before the end of a first half, was it? After all, it was the Lakers' Matt Barnes, who played for that infamous Golden State team that upset the Mavs in 2007, that said that Golden State team figured out how to defend Dirk: "You have to punk him." Well, "Who's the wildman now?" asks Jon Favreau. But all of this is exactly what happened in Game 1, with the Mavs stealing a game they had no business winning, in what I would call the best game of the NBA playoffs so far.
This is all to drive home the point that these are not the same Mavericks of yesteryear. That team would've folded so fast after Game 4's meltdown against Portland (blew a 23 point lead) that not even Spike Lee in a cape could've saved them. Instead, they have now reeled off 4 straight victories, 3 on the road, 2 against the defending champs, and 1 close out game.
So what has made the difference for them? I would say it begins with Tyson Chandler (straight outta Compton). He has a brought a new attitude to this team, a toughness that has been lacking for them since the departure of DeSagana Diop (haha, I kid....kind of). He forms a perfect duo with Dirk, because while Dirk floats around the perimeter, all Chandler does is protect the paint and throw down alley oops like an O-rim-atang. 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.
The Lakers on the other hand are experiencing some serious issues that go beyond whatever it is that Steve Blake does on the court (seriously, one of the worst games I've ever seen from an NBA player in Game 2). There were 3 key stats I was keeping my eye on going into this series, 2 of which I thought the Lakers would have a huge advantage. The first was points in the paint since the Mavericks get a lot of their points via jump shots, and I thought the Lakers would have an easier time getting their points. Well, they have dominated this statistic so far outscoring the Mavs 102-74 through two games. The second was rebounding, where I thought the length of Bynum, Pau, and L'Odom would dominate the shorter Mavs frontline. However, since getting manhandled in the first half of Game 1, the Mavs have hung tough in this statistic, with the Lakers holding only a slight edge at 88-79 (this is where I think the Mavs have been able to swing the series in their favor). The last was bench points, where I expected the Mavs to dominate, but not like they have been. Terry, Stojakovic, Haywood, and JJ Barea have absolutely mauled the Lakers second team unit (despite L'Odom playing fairly well so far). The Mavs employ a strategy that I'm a big proponent of by not starting their best 5 players. The 2nd team unit needs a leader on the floor, and Jason Terry is the very best at that (ironically, losing the 6th man of the year award to L'Odom). It's not about who starts, but who finishes.
So is this series over then? Nope, not yet by a long shot. As a Mavs fan you learn to not celebrate something until it is beyond certain. I won't even feel fully confident if the Mavs take a 3-0 lead in this series. My biggest fear right now is that the Ron Artest suspension gives the Lakers some life because A. He's been awful in this series and B. Probably means more minutes for L'Odom (who is the one player the Mavs cannot guard). Dirk isn't comfortable right now though. Trust me, I know how this man thinks. We don't like big leads. And while he took my advice on growing out the beard, he knows that no lead is ever safe when you look this good.
His Dirkness
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