Detroit Pistons vs Dallas Mavericks 2:30pm ET ABC

[japanair21]

I sure hope you think AI will.

The only reason that the Mavericks didn't win in 05 is because of a whistle. That's it.

 

[datznasty]

Probably the last 2 recent historic playoff failures

 

[SneakerProSr.]

Originally Posted by chitown4eva

Dirk is the worst MVP EVER.

No Dirk led team will win a championship.

AI has more talent around him and still ain't winning one. Dirk has led his team just as far as AI ever has.

 

[suprafly36]

Dirk is terrible when it comes to crunch time

 

[chitown4eva]

Originally Posted by SneakerPro

Originally Posted by chitown4eva

Dirk is the worst MVP EVER.

No Dirk led team will win a championship.

AI has more talent around him and still ain't winning one. Dirk has led his team just as far as AI ever has.

Individually, AI or Dirk?

Wait, I just noticed your sig says "Devin Is The Key" which only proves my point.

 

[japanair21]

Wait, I just noticed your sig says "Devin Is The Key" which only proves my point.


Don't watch much Dallas basketball homie?

My dude, just because your not the most valuable player to the "Fans," doesn't mean you aren't more valuable.

Devin Harris changes the whole game when he's in there, Jason Terry as our PG? Maybe in the past, but now? HELL NO!

And Dirk KILLED the Spurs, he's KILLED the Suns. People remember two series, Heat and GSW. Heat series, we got killed by fouls. GSW, horrible match-up, noexcuse there. The Mavericks (AND DIRK NOWITZKI) has beat more teams in the Playoffs more than "__________," unless your San Antonio, and that'sall that really matters, the Playoffs right? The Mavericks overcome upset, they beat Sacramento when they were our rival, the Mavericks beat the Spurs, theybeat the Suns, all in the Playoffs. They're 2-0 against the Warriors this season, we get revenge, we stay a strong force in the L.

Who has AI beat? Dirk doesn't need to get traded to a team where he has back-up support and have someone else take the blame. Dirk takes all the blame, andhe's brought this team to greatness. He's carried this team for the past 10 years, and has stayed in the top-tier of the strong west for the past 6-7seasons. What has AI done that Dirk hasn't? Some scoring titles, okay, yeah he's a better scorer then Dirk, but Dirk is more versatile then AI.

Try making an argument when AI does something.

 

[SneakerProSr.]

Originally Posted by chitown4eva

Originally Posted by SneakerPro

Originally Posted by chitown4eva

Dirk is the worst MVP EVER.

No Dirk led team will win a championship.

AI has more talent around him and still ain't winning one. Dirk has led his team just as far as AI ever has.

Individually, AI or Dirk?

Wait, I just noticed your sig says "Devin Is The Key" which only proves my point.

Proves that your starting point guard is the key to team?

 

[N41D]

People remember two series, Heat and GSW.
That's EXACTLY it. And that's all there is to it.

People choose to ignore the fact that Dirk took over the end of Game 7 in San Antonio in the WC-Semis against the Spurs two years ago to finally lift theMavericks over that hump.
They forget he gave Phoenix 50 and 25 in back-to-back games two years ago to close out the series and reach the Finals.
Dirk averages 23 and 11 in the Finals, and honestly played one bad game (Game 4) in the series. They forget Dirk knocked down a jumper with 9 seconds left inGame 5 at Miami to take the lead, before an official gets whistle happy and Dwyane Wade wins the game at the FT line... Dirk's 29 and 15 in Game 6 of theFinals wasn't good enough for people.

He got outdone by Dwyane Wade, but Dirk was far from the reason Dallas didn't win that series.

Last year was inexcusable, fine. I completely agree. But everybody with a brain knew the Mavericks were going to struggle against Golden State in that series.

 

[chitown4eva]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Wait, I just noticed your sig says "Devin Is The Key" which only proves my point.

Don't watch much Dallas basketball homie?

My dude, just because your not the most valuable player to the "Fans," doesn't mean you aren't more valuable.

Devin Harris changes the whole game when he's in there, Jason Terry as our PG? Maybe in the past, but now? HELL NO!

And Dirk KILLED the Spurs, he's KILLED the Suns. People remember two series, Heat and GSW. Heat series, we got killed by fouls. GSW, horrible match-up, no excuse there. The Mavericks (AND DIRK NOWITZKI) has beat more teams in the Playoffs more than "__________," unless your San Antonio, and that's all that really matters, the Playoffs right? The Mavericks overcome upset, they beat Sacramento when they were our rival, the Mavericks beat the Spurs, they beat the Suns, all in the Playoffs. They're 2-0 against the Warriors this season, we get revenge, we stay a strong force in the L.

Who has AI beat? Dirk doesn't need to get traded to a team where he has back-up support and have someone else take the blame. Dirk takes all the blame, and he's brought this team to greatness. He's carried this team for the past 10 years, and has stayed in the top-tier of the strong west for the past 6-7 seasons. What has AI done that Dirk hasn't? Some scoring titles, okay, yeah he's a better scorer then Dirk, but Dirk is more versatile then AI.

Try making an argument when AI does something.

Greatness? A great team with NO rings? That's laughable on so many levels...just...WOW. You try to make a case and yet blow it at thesame time.

With AI, it is what it is. I'm not a blind fan. I also see no need to defend him as a player.

People remember two series, Heat and GSW

What is this supposed to mean? Are people supposed to forget it? Those are the last two playoff memories we have of this team. And all within a year ofhis MVP award.

Proves that your starting point guard is the key to team?


Proves that Harris is your MVP.

 

[datznasty]

Proves that Harris is your MVP.
Mavs haven't won since he went down. Defensively, he is just lights years ahead of Jet and JJB, but his main importance is that he is the onlyMav who can dribble penetrate. Since the Mavs are primarily a jumpshooting team, the one guy who slashes and compresses the d then kicks out for open/looserjumpshots is made that much more important. Without him, it's just difficult contested jumpshots, because nobody else on the team really handles wellagainst pressure or can get passed their own defender, so you're just going to shoot with a hand in your face all game. And furthermore, Jet is NOT a pointguard. See his turnovers late in the Boston game for exhibit A of that

 

[japanair21]

If your a bottom-feeder in the NBA and you bring a team to the NBA Finals after so many doubters in your career, you deserve to be called great. You deserve tobe an MVP, you deserve to get some recognition. So with your logic, John Stockton and Karl Malone aren't great because they never won a championship? Allthe teams of the 90's where Jordan dominated the NBA weren't great just because the Bulls were that much better? Dirk Nowitzki has brought this teamfrom the bottom of the West to a contender for the West YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT FOR THE PAST 6+ SEASONS. How many players can you name that have almost basicallysingle-handedly done so? Okay you say he has had help throughout his career, Nash gone, Antawn Jamison gone, Michael Finley gone, yet where are the Mavericks?Still a top team in the West? Hm, I wonder why. The Mavericks got used to running Devin Harris at the point, and when you take that away of COURSE your goingto struggle, HE'S A POINT GUARD FOR HEAVENS SAKE. I see NO REASON to attack Dirk for a poor performance in this game when he has in fact lit it up since 08started.

What is this supposed to mean? Are people supposed to forget it? Those are the last two playoff memories we have of this team. And all within a year of his MVP award.

No of course they're not supposed to forget it, but you can't lay the blame of the series on Dirk's back, it's a team game, and even thoughhe's carried this team for almost his entire career, he's going to take most of the blame yes, but not all of it should be on him, because if itweren't for Dirk, the Dallas Mavericks wouldn't be more than a mediocre team. Dirk is a threat night-in and night-out because of his versatility. TheMavericks probably had the hardest Playoff schedule of anyone in the 06 Playoffs until now. I will deny that comment when someone beats the Spurs and Suns inthe same year, and then wins the Finals, because that's what the Mavericks would have had to do to win in 06.

Any knowledgeable sports fan should know that the 06 Finals were a joke. Last year, the Warriors had our number, just a horrible match-up, simple as that.

Proves that Harris is your MVP.


How silly can you be dude. How do the Suns do without Steve Nash. How do the Spurs do without Tony Parker. How did the Hornets do without Chris Paul last year.How bad would the Nets be without Kidd. How HORRIBLE are the Heat this year without a PG. How much better are the Lakers with Derek Fisher. How bad are theHouston Rockets struggling without a solid starting PG. How bad were the Kings until Bibby came back. How good is Denver without a real PG. How bad wouldToronto be without Jose Calderon right now. HOW HORRIBLE ARE THE MAVERICKS WITHOUT DEVIN HARRIS.

We can't penetrate to the basket without getting knocked on our +$%@+ and JET doesn't get foul calls because he doesn't ever go in. Devin is theonly person on the team with the quickness to spread defenders, and we're struggling without him. We'll manage eventually yes, but it's not easywhen you lose your starting PG, REGARDLESS of what team you are.

 

[chitown4eva]

He's a jumpshooting 7 ft'r who shoots fadeaways from the post on point guards. You can't say he "almost basically" singled handedlycarried your team, go on and on about his versatility and then blame the team's struggles on losing your starting pg.

You're right, losing four straight in the finals is a joke.

Just a lil refresher:

When the halftime horn sounded on Thursday's Game 6, Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki found himself sprawled out on the ground underneath the Warriors'basket and missing a shoe.

It was a fittingly ugly way to end a half that was at least that precarious throughout. The league's probable MVP played nothing like it, scoring onlyeight points for the night on 2-of-13 shooting as the Warriors won a 111-86 laugher at Oracle Arena.

"I really didn't give anything to my team in a deciding game, so that's disappointing," Nowitzki said. "Obviously, I put a lot ofpressure on myself to perform, and in this series, I couldn't really put my stamp on it."

Coming off his best performance -- a 30-point effort that included 12 of the Mavericks' final 15 points during a fourth-quarter comeback -- of the series,Nowitzki missed his first eight shots and didn't score from the field until 38 seconds remained in the first half Thursday.

It's been a series-long drought that will add to the growing belief that Nowitzki goes from the German Giant in the regular season to the German Goat inthe playoffs. Just a year after playing the lead role in Dallas' finals collapse, he was again at the heart of the problem as the Mavericks became thefirst No. 1 seed to lose a best-of-seven, first-round series in NBA history.

"He just struggled," Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. "He struggled to get free. He struggled to get open. The five or six times he got openlooks, they just didn't fall."

Coming into the decisive game, Nowitzki's field-goal percentage was down nearly eight percent in the playoffs as compared to his regular-season average,and his three-point shooting had fallen almost 11 percent. Golden State did a good job of changing its defensive looks, and when it doubled Nowitzki, the helpcame quick.

"It wasn't a good match up for us, and it especially wasn't a good match up for Dirk," Dallas guard Jerry Stackhouse said. "I don'tthink anything was missing. It was just the match up."

Such was the trend of the series when Nowitzki got the ball.

He didn't turn and face. He didn't drive to the basket. And he rarely even looked for the jumper that he hit so often in the regular season.

He simply passed the ball.

Johnson challenged Nowitzki to be more aggressive after almost every game of the series. He must have told him that Dallas went 19-1 when he scored at least 30points this season. He must have told him that the Mavericks went 23-4 when he shot at least 10 free throws.

Still, Nowitzki made little attempt to do either, attempting just three second-half shots.

The rest of the Mavericks took the uninterested cue from their leader. The whole team looked lost in the second half as Nowitzki wandered around the perimeterand left them to fend for themselves.

"It would have helped if we had a low-post presence, and I take a lot of that on myself," Nowitzki said.

Just when it appears that Nowitzki doesn't covet the national attention that comes in the playoffs, it's all going to come his way. Only now, it willall be negative.

"It's so disappointing, you can't even describe it," Nowitzki said. "You play your heart out (all season), and it really means nothingnow."

Easily forgotten are the 67-win regular season and the three winning streaks of at least 10 games. The enduring memories will be that Dallas couldn't winthree in a row when it mattered and that its go-to guy didn't want the ball.

And, of course, that lasting image of a shoeless and feeble Nowitzki lying on the court.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/05/04/SPG01PL6UL1.DTL

MVP status.

 

[knightngale]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

No, Devin Harris is hurt, for the 100th time.

When you don't have him as the threat of going inside, it's hard to get anyone else going. Devin draws attention by going inside, JET can't. He's horrible as a PG.

mvp

and I know he has killed the spurs and suns before but heseems like he has fallen off or his confidence is low

 

[japanair21]

Okay what more has Steve Nash accomplished, hell, what has any MVP accomplished in the past 10 years that Dirk hasn't? Outside of Duncan and Shaq (two ofthe greatest players of our era), Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, AI, and Malone have all done the same exact thing Dirk has, and some not even as much. Nash andGarnett have never been to the Finals. I fail to see how a dominant big man who scores 22 a night and shoots 48% from the field is low on confidence. As Istated before, ANY GOOD TEAM THAT LOSES THEIR POINT GUARD WILL STRUGGLE. It's not rocket science.

No one is making excuses for Dirk's collapse last year in the GSW series, but it's not entirely his fault, no one showed up for the games we lost. Dirkactually was the only one who continued to fight, nailing some three's that kept them close in some games. Game six he didn't show up, alright. Gamefive the Mavericks won and Dirk had 30/12, only had production from Howard and Harris other than Dirk that game. Game four Dirk had 23 and 15, JET had an offshooting night and took a few too many. Game three Dirk had 20 and 12. Game two had 23 and 7 in a Mavericks win. Dirk had a poor 14 and 12 and a bad shootingnight in game one.

You can post a story about how Dirk didn't show up, that's fine, but no man can single-handedly carry his team through a playoff run especially whenanother team has your number unless your name is Jordan.

 

[knightngale]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Okay what more has Steve Nash accomplished, hell, what has any MVP accomplished in the past 10 years that Dirk hasn't? Outside of Duncan and Shaq (two of the greatest players of our era), Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, AI, and Malone have all done the same exact thing Dirk has, and some not even as much. Nash and Garnett have never been to the Finals. I fail to see how a dominant big man who scores 22 a night and shoots 48% from the field is low on confidence. As I stated before, ANY GOOD TEAM THAT LOSES THEIR POINT GUARD WILL STRUGGLE. It's not rocket science.

No one is making excuses for Dirk's collapse last year in the GSW series, but it's not entirely his fault, no one showed up for the games we lost. Dirk actually was the only one who continued to fight, nailing some three's that kept them close in some games. Game six he didn't show up, alright. Game five the Mavericks won and Dirk had 30/12, only had production from Howard and Harris other than Dirk that game. Game four Dirk had 23 and 15, JET had an off shooting night and took a few too many. Game three Dirk had 20 and 12. Game two had 23 and 7 in a Mavericks win. Dirk had a poor 14 and 12 and a bad shooting night in game one.

You can post a story about how Dirk didn't show up, that's fine, but no man can single-handedly carry his team through a playoff run especially when another team has your number unless your name is Jordan.

I like the mavs. But I am a Kobe fan. I am

at how a HOF like Kobewont ever get an MVP like Dirk did. You shouldn't let your game slide that much after you get MVP. Not winning is one thing but playing like thatindividually is another. No excuse. Kobe's play doesn't fall off that way even when we get blown out he still ethers other teams.

 

[bullsrepeat3peat]

Dirk is the worst MVP EVER.

ever?

i don't know about that

I sure hope you think AI will.

Iverson would've won in 01 had he not been facing one of the greatest teams ever in the Finals... He took a team to the Finals with Aaron McKie as hissecond best offensive player

 

[N41D]

Kobe's play doesn't fall off that way even when we get blown out he still ethers other teams.
See: 2nd half of a deciding Game 7 against the Suns in the playoffs just 2 years ago... Get outta here with that BS. Dude scores 23 points in thefirst two quarters, comes out and takes 3 shots from the field in the second half? Kobe let his ego get in the way and gave up on his teammates in the secondhalf of that game.