NBA Title Series

[WyldemanATX]

Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Well that's just youranalysis...

The battle continues!

[Yssup Rider]

Not on this one. We're on the same side. Mark Cuban's!

[WyldemanATX]

I was saying the battle continues for the Mavs! I hope the Mavs experience and bench are what make the difference. GO Mavs!

[Yssup Rider]

Bwaa-haa-haaa-haaaa!

[SpeedRacerXXX]

This has been one strange series so far. Miami outplays Dallas the greater part of the last 3 games and falls apart in the last few minutes. Miami had no turnovers in the 3rd quarter and something like 6 in the last quarter. Even that last out-of-bounds play where they almost lost the ball and ended up with a terrible shot.

Don't get me wrong. I am rooting for Dallas but man, this series could have been over in 4 games for Dallas.

[Yssup Rider]

You're right. But there's a vulnerability brought on by arrogance and overconfidence. Seen a lot of "better" teams implode as a result. Rarely over a seven-game series.

Miami is an arrogant bunch. They are expected to win. If they do, I won't be surprised if some of them don't smile for the pictures.

[Booth]

Lebron was pathetic last night. What a heel.

[Yssup Rider]

At least his mama didn't come out on the court and start beating people over the heads with folding chairs!

I'm becoming more and more a Dallas fan with each passing scowl!

[homer13]

[quote=SpeedRacerXXX;1337725]The best part of the NBA playoffs has been Dirk's performances putting him into the NBAs elite player category. He has always been recognized as an outstanding player, but not in the same category as James or Bryant. That has definitely changed.

Dirks not an elite player. Dirks an elite scorer. Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Jordan etc.. all excell or excelled on both sides. Look at how Wade is playing, 10 plus rebounds, 30 points, steals, blocks (hell he blocked Chandler the center twice last night). Look at how Jordan played, Bird etc.. They all do it all. Dirk isn't a good defender, never has been and doesn't rebound particularly well for a 7 footer. He just scores points. He'd be a great #2 on a team with a superstar and have rings in that case. I like him, I like the Mav's but I'd put him in the category with the other top scorers who don't do much else ( like win rings)

[homer13]

It's an exciting series so far. If Miami didn't colapse at the end of every game though it would probably be over. Miami gets careless with the ball at times or go on streaks where they do to much one on one and then take a rough shot at the buzzer. That was the knock on them during the season but they seemed to shrug it off during the Boston and Chicago series. If they don't improve Dallas has had the chance to wind the last 3 games at the end.

[Budman]

Originally Posted by homer13

It's an exciting series so far. If Miami didn't colapse at the end of every game though it would probably be over. Miami gets careless with the ball at times or go on streaks where they do to much one on one and then take a rough shot at the buzzer. That was the knock on them during the season but they seemed to shrug it off during the Boston and Chicago series. If they don't improve Dallas has had the chance to wind the last 3 games at the end.

If the Mav bench scored like they normally do it would be over.

If Dirk had played at his best each game it would probably be over.

If JJ Barea had scored like he did in the Laker series it might be over.

If either team had won 4 games it would definitely be over but they haven't.

You make it sound like the Mavs had nothing to do with the Miami collaspe. This is a great series to watch regardless of which team you are pulling for.

Go Mavs

[SpeedRacerXXX]

[quote=homer13;1366535]

Originally Posted by SpeedRacerXXX

The best part of the NBA playoffs has been Dirk's performances putting him into the NBAs elite player category. He has always been recognized as an outstanding player, but not in the same category as James or Bryant. That has definitely changed.

Dirks not an elite player. Dirks an elite scorer. Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Jordan etc.. all excell or excelled on both sides. Look at how Wade is playing, 10 plus rebounds, 30 points, steals, blocks (hell he blocked Chandler the center twice last night). Look at how Jordan played, Bird etc.. They all do it all. Dirk isn't a good defender, never has been and doesn't rebound particularly well for a 7 footer. He just scores points. He'd be a great #2 on a team with a superstar and have rings in that case. I like him, I like the Mav's but I'd put him in the category with the other top scorers who don't do much else ( like win rings)

Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, George Gervin, Pete Maravich, Steve Nash, and Reggie Miller -- what do they all have in common? Great NBA players who don't have a championship ring. I'd take any one of them on my team when they were in their prime.

You have to look at the talent around Dirk -- a few have had good years, a few have had good games in these playoffs, but none of these guys are all-stars. Nowitzki was league MVP in 2007. That's saying a ton.

You mention a few players in today's NBA that you consider better than Dirk -- LeBron, Kobe, and Dwayne. Won't argue with you. But how many more current NBA players can you name that you would pick for your team before picking Dirk? My guess is somewhere between 0 and 2.

[homer13]

Originally Posted by Budman

If the Mav bench scored like they normally do it would be over.

If Dirk had played at his best each game it would probably be over.

If JJ Barea had scored like he did in the Laker series it might be over.

If either team had won 4 games it would definitely be over but they haven't.

You make it sound like the Mavs had nothing to do with the Miami collaspe. This is a great series to watch regardless of which team you are pulling for.

Go Mavs

All excellent points. What I was talking about was Miami's problem of collapsing at the end of games this season when playing againts elite teams like Dallas, LA, Chicago, Boston etc.. Dallas has a lot to do with their collapse just like the other elite teams they lost too at the end of games this year. It looked like they had worked that out in the last two series but it has reared it ugly head yet again. Of course you can't discount how Dallas has done this 6 times in the playoffs this year against Oklahoma, Miami and Portland. Dallas just seems to have the eye of the tiger at the end of games while Miami doesn't. All in all it is making for an exciting and great finals this year.

[homer13]

[quote=SpeedRacerXXX;1366672]

Originally Posted by homer13

Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, George Gervin, Pete Maravich, Steve Nash, and Reggie Miller -- what do they all have in common? Great NBA players who don't have a championship ring. I'd take any one of them on my team when they were in their prime.

You have to look at the talent around Dirk -- a few have had good years, a few have had good games in these playoffs, but none of these guys are all-stars. Nowitzki was league MVP in 2007. That's saying a ton.

You mention a few players in today's NBA that you consider better than Dirk -- LeBron, Kobe, and Dwayne. Won't argue with you. But how many more current NBA players can you name that you would pick for your team before picking Dirk? My guess is somewhere between 0 and 2.

I agree that those players you mentioned would be a welcome addition to any team trying to capture a championship. Some of them had talent around them like Patrick, Malone, Kidd etc.. but they played in the Jordan era and I don't think I would take any over him. What wins championships though is great defense to go with the offense which the players I mentioned all have and Dirk and his teams have always lacked. Has Dirk ever been on the all defensive team. I don't know but doubt it. Kobe has, Jordan has, Wade, Lebron and the others have. I would list Dirk in the top 50 players of today but I can name a lot more then 0-2 I would take over him. He is a great scorer and almost impossible to defend but so were Iverson, Stoutemeir(sorry don't know how to spell) Marbury, the player from Denver that went to New York, Ellis etc.. but I wouldn't build a team around any of them. I would add them as a second or third player. Dirk has had talent around him just never a solid center or great defenders. I would argue that Dirk has had much better talent then Lebron around him until this year and yet they have the same # of finals appearences. Some players just can do more then others. It takes 3 all stars on a team to win nowadays. Just look at Boston, LA and San Antonio who have dominated the last 10+ years and even Detroit and LA before that. Dirk is 7ft and yet has never been a good rebounder or shot blocker, he reminds me of Sampson and the admiral who where solid scorers but couldn't win until they added players like Duncan and Akim ( who might have played after Sampson left) I stand by Dirk is a great scorer but not an elite player.

[Booth]

I wouldn't completely dismiss Dirk as a rebounder. He's averaging double digit rebounds in this series and has done so throughout his playoff career. His rebounds always increase during the playoffs. Not bad for a guy who spends so much time on the perimeter.