Dal Vs No

[NT03]

The WILD WILD WEST

Edited April 18, 2008 by NT03

[UNT_playmaker]

Mavs in 6, hope im right

GO MAVS and STARS, finish off the ducks

[greenminer]

in 5.

Kidd and Co kick it into high gear.

[Green Mean]

This is obviously a favorable matchup for Dallas but I think Paul is a transcendant type player...he has it all and if the starting 5 play to their potential I wouldnt be surprised at them beating the Mavs. However that being said, if Dallas plays like they have been playing the last couple of weeks I say the Mavs take this series in 6 or 7.

[Eagle1855]

well you know, Dirk is always steps it up in the playoffs, so Im sure Dallas will be fine...

[Quoner]

well you know, Dirk is always steps it up in the playoffs, so Im sure Dallas will be fine...

Don't get all antsy in the pantsy just because T-Mac is going to fail again...

[Eagle1855]

Don't get all antsy in the pantsy just because T-Mac is going to fail again...

I thought this was a Dal v NO thread, but since you wanna drag the Rockets and their 2 Championships into, I'll roll with it.

T-Mac probably wont get out of the playoffs this year but it wont be his fault. Kind of hard to have the center-piece of your team out for the season. I'm impressed they managed the 4th-best record in the West. What was Dallas' excuse?

[Quoner]

I thought this was a Dal v NO thread, but since you wanna drag the Rockets and their 2 Championships into, I'll roll with it.

T-Mac probably wont get out of the playoffs this year but it wont be his fault. Kind of hard to have the center-piece of your team out for the season. I'm impressed they managed the 4th-best record in the West. What was Dallas' excuse?

Sigh....such a tired-head chest thump. I only drug T-Mac into it because I can't handle anyone who sings the praises of Yao Ming and T-Mac calling out Dirk. Just wanted to stick up for Dirk because he continues to improve and has been such an amazing story the last few weeks that questioning him whips me. When is the last time T-Mac or Yao have gutted out anything? t-Mac is out with a busted Vag 8-10 times a season and the Yao injury is one of the certainties of Winter.

The Rockets always have an injury or something to point back to to excuse the failure (and several Mavs fans will whine about refs until they are brown in the pants)... but in the end, all of these teams are what they are and Dirk, choker or no, has done more than T-Mac ever did or will unless he leaves Houston.

[Green Mean]

I agree with Eagle and Quoner. I am really impressed at how they got such a high seeding after Yao went out. As for Dirk, he clearly has big balls...sure he has his flaws but I give a lot of blame to Donnie Nelson becuase I think he has done a horrible job in getting the right role players around Dirk to offset his weaknesses. I hope this offseason he can make some decent moves to where we are getting a little more young and athletic on the bench.

[Quoner]

I agree with Eagle and Quoner. I am really impressed at how they got such a high seeding after Yao went out. As for Dirk, he clearly has big balls...sure he has his flaws but I give a lot of blame to Donnie Nelson becuase I think he has done a horrible job in getting the right role players around Dirk to offset his weaknesses. I hope this offseason he can make some decent moves to where we are getting a little more young and athletic on the bench.

I would also like to add that I am bitter because the window for everyone I like or respect is closing and we are about to enter a world where the Lakers, Blazers, Jazz and Hornets dominate in the next few years...

[Eagle1855]

I would also like to add that I am bitter because the window for everyone I like or respect is closing and we are about to enter a world where the Lakers, Blazers, Jazz and Hornets dominate in the next few years...

thats actually very true.

I personally think Dallas missed it's opportunity- as things are- when they blew the finals against Miami. I'm not trying to go off on a vitriolic anti-Dallas rant or incite an argument- it's just a personal opinion. Dallas really needs a center.

Anyways, San Antonio is already on the backslide. I think the Rockets have one more year to make it all come together... As much as an excuse as it may be, I DO think they need Yao and McGrady to be at full-strength for it to happen. Maybe I'm wrong. It's happened a time or two.

I dont completely agree that Houston is T-Mac's problem. Unless he wants to play a secondary role on another squad, he's always gonna be the guy a team trusts with the final shot. Last year the Rockets flat-out blew it... and T-Mac had the shot.

also, I HATE THE JAZZ.

[Eagle1855]

Sigh....such a tired-head chest thump.

It is, but it's no different than Cowboy's fans talking about all the rings they won in the early 90s...

And just to be clear, Im not singing the praises of Yao or McGrady- both clearly have their faults.

I tend to live in past (as a Rockets fan, it's much easier), the glory days of the Rockets. I loved Hakeem, Ellie, Clyde the Glide (even if only a short time)... even Kenny Smith before he went Benedict Arnold on the Rockets.

Edited April 18, 2008 by Eagle1855

[Quoner]

thats actually very true.

I personally think Dallas missed it's opportunity- as things are- when they blew the finals against Miami. I'm not trying to go off on a vitriolic anti-Dallas rant or incite an argument- it's just a personal opinion. Dallas really needs a center.

Anyways, San Antonio is already on the backslide. I think the Rockets have one more year to make it all come together... As much as an excuse as it may be, I DO think they need Yao and McGrady to be at full-strength for it to happen. Maybe I'm wrong. It's happened a time or two.

I dont completely agree that Houston is T-Mac's problem. Unless he wants to play a secondary role on another squad, he's always gonna be the guy a team trusts with the final shot. Last year the Rockets flat-out blew it... and T-Mac had the shot.

also, I HATE THE JAZZ.

Oh I agree - but I think they have a small sliver of hope for next year and then all bets are off. I cannot stress how small the sliver is, unless Kobe's jokes about playing with Dirk come true in 2009.

I agree they need them both, but I still don't think they are good enough unless you get Tracy and Yao giving a minimum of 50-60 points each playoff game because they are not deep enough. They need a Terry or Stackhouse type who can really join them and be the man - just like the early Cassel years. He is the best alien player ever.

We ALL hate the Jazz...even if I slightly enjoy Deron Williams.

[Quoner]

It is, but it's no different than Cowboy's fans talking about all the rings they won in the early 90s...

And just to be clear, Im not singing the praises of Yao or McGrady- both clearly have their faults.

I tend to live in past (as a Rockets fan, it's much easier), the glory days of the Rockets. I loved Hakeem, Ellie, Clyde the Glide (even if only a short time)... even Kenny Smith before he went Benedict Arnold on the Rockets.

Last night leaving the Stars game, so jack ass in cowboys gear was chanting "Let's go Cowboys" so we kept yelling "This is a football town...woooo!" (this is a common joke with Nappy Headed Ho of TY Sports fame.) The guy got excited and started cheering with us, then realized he was being mocked and started yelling about the draft.

I hate this city so much sometimes.

[Green Mean]

I think Houston will be good for another 10 years because Yao is still young and he is still exploding his game. If he can just keep his darn injuries to a minimum I think the Rockets will be very good for a long time.

[Quoner]

well you know, Dirk is always steps it up in the playoffs, so Im sure Dallas will be fine...

Here is a pretty good response from Tim MacMahon on Dirk

[Eagle1855]

Here is a pretty good response from Tim MacMahon on Dirk

I think you mean Timmy "the Dildo" McMahon. And I tend to agree... I was just piling on because Im hungover and bored (which might be the title for my first book).

[Green Gas]

Not to bash the Mavs but I was at the game Wednesday and I will take the Hornets in 5. Mavs may have won that game but the Hornets seemed to let up in the 4th. In the last two minutes they hardly tried. Whenever the last two minutes takes three minutes to play there is no effort by at least one team.

I hope the Mavs win but I don't feel good at all about it, Dirk looked horrible most of the night. Kid has a record of poor displays in the playoffs, so says Norm.

Hornets in 5, subject to change my mind after todays game.

[Green P1]

NO has never won a game in Dallas. I say that holds and Dallas takes it in six. That, of course, is dependent on at least two of the Jet/J-Ho/Stack trio waking up and contributing anything at all.

If J-Ho's going to continue being content to hoist up bricks from the perimeter, whats stopping Avery from giving a couple of those minutes to Bass at the 3?

[greenminer]

Not to bash the Mavs but I was at the game Wednesday and I will take the Hornets in 5. Mavs may have won that game but the Hornets seemed to let up in the 4th. In the last two minutes they hardly tried. Whenever the last two minutes takes three minutes to play there is no effort by at least one team.

I hope the Mavs win but I don't feel good at all about it, Dirk looked horrible most of the night. Kid has a record of poor displays in the playoffs, so says Norm.

Hornets in 5, subject to change my mind after todays game.

Norm is on the money. Dirk's career averages only go up a few points in the post-season, and Kidd only led those Nets to 2 finals and became the 2nd player ever to average a triple double through a playoff.

I understand your point, but people are full of knee-jerk biased NBA opinions (including myself). We see a player miss a big game shot and suddenly he's a choker. Or a PG can't get his team past the 1st round and it's all his fault. I'll give you this: you've seen them live. What can you add about depth? I think the Hornets will show their lack thereof, and the Mavs' playoff experience not only translates into that extra notch, but also focus and pace.

Keep in mind that the Hornets played the heaviest/thickest schedule in the NBA the last 30 regular season days (18 games). The Game 1 loss can be a combination of Paul going f'n nuts, and the Mavs showing a 2nd half collapse that was reminiscent of last year's 1st round.

Surely, the stars can't align like that for 3 more games? The Hornets will get tired, Kidd will make some adjustments, and a few more Dirk shots will fall during the final 20 minutes.

[Guest JohnDenver]

I think Houston will be good for another 10 years because Yao is still young and he is still exploding his game. If he can just keep his darn injuries to a minimum I think the Rockets will be very good for a long time.

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but weren't the Rockets better (statistically) without Yao? Have his year over year statistics indicated that he is exploding his game? Have they had any playoff success with him? Same for T-Mac.. I think T-Mac is the star of the team, without question. However, he can't finish a season healthy, nor has he proven to be a playoff player.

I don't understand the confidence. Last year the Rockets didn't make the playoffs (if I remember correctly). This year they were barely a .500 team before they got hot on a *very* soft schedule.. and finished with 55 wins and are now 0-2 in the playoffs.

[Green Mean]

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but weren't the Rockets better (statistically) without Yao? Have his year over year statistics indicated that he is exploding his game? Have they had any playoff success with him? Same for T-Mac.. I think T-Mac is the star of the team, without question. However, he can't finish a season healthy, nor has he proven to be a playoff player.

I don't understand the confidence. Last year the Rockets didn't make the playoffs (if I remember correctly). This year they were barely a .500 team before they got hot on a *very* soft schedule.. and finished with 55 wins and are now 0-2 in the playoffs.

This year it was a little skewed since during that 22 game winning streak, I think only 11 or 12 were with Yao. If you give me the chance at having McGrady versus Yao then for me its a no brainer. Yao is a bonified 20/10 guy and he is only getting better and more dominant. There have been several times too in which McGrady was out and the Rockets played better. All in all I think Houston has just had the crappiest luck since Yao and T-Mac have been injury prone and havent played just a whole lot together. If they can ratchet things up with their injuries and play together for a full 82 games and post season, theres no telling what they can do in my opinion.

[Green P1]

This year it was a little skewed since during that 22 game winning streak, I think only 11 or 12 were with Yao. If you give me the chance at having McGrady versus Yao then for me its a no brainer. Yao is a bonified 20/10 guy and he is only getting better and more dominant. There have been several times too in which McGrady was out and the Rockets played better. All in all I think Houston has just had the crappiest luck since Yao and T-Mac have been injury prone and havent played just a whole lot together. If they can ratchet things up with their injuries and play together for a full 82 games and post season, theres no telling what they can do in my opinion.

I'd say that it's a no brainier that I'd want McGrady over Yao. McGrady's proven himself to be one of those very rare guys that can take a game over at any moment. Sadly he's never had any talent at all around him. Nothing about Yao scares me. He is probably the most polished of the 7"5 and above guys ever in this league, and a great commodity to have on a team, but I don't see him getting any better.

[Green Mean]

I'd say that it's a no brainier that I'd want McGrady over Yao. McGrady's proven himself to be one of those very rare guys that can take a game over at any moment. Sadly he's never had any talent at all around him. Nothing about Yao scares me. He is probably the most polished of the 7"5 and above guys ever in this league, and a great commodity to have on a team, but I don't see him getting any better.

McGrady is a great talent but I would choose the big dominant center any day. Every single year Yao gets better and better and I think he's only 25 or 26. Remember it takes longer for big men to fully develop and I have seen Yao single handedly elevate his team as well. I guess they are both such great players but you can build around Yao a lot quicker and better than you can with McGrady. McGrady hasnt had the best talent but he's had good enough talent that makes it to the post season. He has just never been able to elevate his team in the playoffs. I am not trying to diss T-Mac but he's not a Kobe or Lebron in my opinion.

[Green P1]

McGrady is a great talent but I would choose the big dominant center any day. Every single year Yao gets better and better and I think he's only 25 or 26. Remember it takes longer for big men to fully develop and I have seen Yao single handedly elevate his team as well. I guess they are both such great players but you can build around Yao a lot quicker and better than you can with McGrady. McGrady hasnt had the best talent but he's had good enough talent that makes it to the post season. He has just never been able to elevate his team in the playoffs. I am not trying to diss T-Mac but he's not a Kobe or Lebron in my opinion.

I'm not sure why I'm defending him, I don't really like McGrady, but I'd put him at a level right below Kobe. Look what Kobe did after Shaq left, no talent, miss the playoffs, and get knocked out in the 1st round a couple years in a row. Now with talent, he's the #1 MVP candidate. T-Mac has a dude named Scola, a playground baller, an old Bobby Jackson, and an even older Mutombo. I think Yao's a great piece, but geez, why not give T-mac even a little help?

I don't know what you see in Yao to call him dominant. He's good for sure. Better than most 7"5 and up guys. But he's always going to be injury prone, you can't be that big and play minutes like he does. I don't watch the Rockets that much, but when I have I can't recall ever seeing a game and thinking that Yao was dominating.

All that being said, I hate the Rockets and hope T-Mac never makes it out of the first round.