Tag Archives: Josh Howard

by | November 13, 2011 · 5:12 AM

Josh Howard’s Celebrity All-Star Basketball Game

Charity rocks!

Oh, you had better believe we were there, and we live Tweeted it. The NBA is not going on right now, and may not be for quite some time, so we took in the best basketball game our city has seen since game five of the NBA Finals. No, it was not as hype as a playoff game. No, it was not super packed and yes, the game was played on a DISD court, but this is all we have right now and dammit, we enjoyed it.

Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas estimated about 2,000 spectators to be in attendance for the game. However, having tweeted him during the game he might have had that number confused with the amount of three-pointers that Damon Jones took. Seriously, Kevin Durant was just feeding him the ball all night (Russell Westbrook take notice). Honestly, the game could not have been more entertaining. It was a perfect mix of pickup game, meets no defense, meets traveling galore, with sprinkles of flash.

Josh Howard, Nick Young, Andray Blatche (yes, it was a Wizards’ scrimmage essentially), Jarrett Jack, LaMarcus Aldridge, Desanga Diop, Corey Brewer, D.J. Mbenga (in Dallas we still love him), Reggie Evans, Marquis Daniels, Damion James, Jeremy Evans, Anthony Randolph, Trevor Booker, who coached the blue team, Damion Wilkins, Jason Maxiell, Hamady N’Diaye,  and would-be rookie Isaiah Thomas were among the notables playing.

Unfortunately, both Jeremy Evans and Mbenga had to leave the game after both being walloped in the face at one point.

Other than Durant shoveling the ball to Jones on every possession, Young was doing everything in his power to command this game. He was streaking out on the break (there was no transition defense), he was driving the lane (there was no interior defense except for a couple of Diop and Mbenga blocks), and he was knocking down an off-balance outside shot (sometimes). Look, this is what we have and it was fun. Jason Terry and John Wall were in the building as well but they were not dressed out.

Yes, it was sloppy. At one point Durant just tossed the ball out-of-bounds intentionally. It looked as though he may have been going for the off the wall dunk but he missed horribly. He was more concerned about assists on this night. At one point he ran over to the scorer’s table to ask if they were keeping statistics because he wanted to set a personal high in assists. They were not. However, he probably did set that mark.

Without an official score keeper it is safe to say that Damon Jones led all scorers. All of those three-point attempts (and they were plenty) gave him that edge. Yet, his game is boring and he is not even in the NBA anymore.

Howard’s team won the game, despite him not playing in the second half, 139-128.

Thank goodness there were people with Ball is Life t-shirts on there filming the event. The highlights will be posted here when they are available for YouTube embedding, but right now you can view them here. We will post our grainy camera phone pictures on our Tumblr.

After the game was over outside, I shouted at Blatche and Young that I hoped they have a season. Young said that he hoped they did too. Blatche was more occupied by the two women in front of him. Oh, Andre.

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by | October 12, 2010 · 3:07 PM

The Heartbeat of Texas

The Mavs are looking to change things up a little more than just an outdoor preseason game this year.

It’s going to be a stacked season that’s full of surprises but to be honest, one of the biggest may be coming out of the Lone Star State.  We aren’t talking Rockets or Spurs either.  If the cards fall in the right place and the stars align, Dallas could be looking at having one of the best teams in the west.

After loosing in the first round to San Antonio last season, the Mavericks have a chance to turn it around this season and compete for that Western Conference title that has eluded them for the past few seasons.  In fact, just getting out of the first round has been a problem in Dallas for the past four seasons but that’s about to change.

It was the trade of the season last year.  Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood came to town as the Mavericks finally decided that Josh Howard’s lackadaisical efforts and attitude weren’t going to fly anymore.  They then went on to win 13 in a row and take control of the second seed in the West.  However, you can’t solely attribute Haywood or Butler’s efforts for the wins.  Butler averaged just over 14 points per game during the winning streak while Haywood only mustered about eight a game.

Instead, the two strengthened their sections of the court and added to the much-needed depth.  Dirk Nowitzki went on a scoring streak where the fewest points he saw were 12 in that streak’s last win against New Jersey.  Tough night but before that, he never scored less than 23 and that was against the defensively minded Orlando Magic.  Other than that, no one on the team really “popped off.”

Shawn Marion saw a slow start to scoring with the newly acquired players but increased his stroke in the latter half of the streak.  Jason Terry missed the last four games of the streak due to injury.

It was a funny win streak as well that was actually marred by some very bad play by the Mavericks that somehow turned into wins.  In their last win against the Nets, they only shot 44 percent from the field.

However, the trade translates to one that was procured for the sheer fact that it added depth to the squad.  When Erik Dampier rested, Haywood could easily fill his shoes on the court.  Butler could start and added to players Terry could fill in for.  It was a personnel trade as you would expect by receiving those two players who aren’t marquee athletes.  A smart trade that added to the team’s overall performance and they pretty much got them for nothing.

This season, Tyson Chandler will add to this depth.  He will be able to have minutes that will result in actual productivity and not sheer point holding as the center position proved to be in the past in Dallas.  For example, a starting player gets the production on the floor but when he goes out there are a few things that can happen with the bench player.  He can score, he can maintain or he can actually hurt the team with turnovers.  Chandler will score and add in minutes that are usually held for maintaining.  This is the key to building a good bench.

The same works for Caron but as a starter.  He gives them a lot of versatility with Marion and Terry.  Rick Carlisle just needs to figure out what works best over the course of both games and the season itself to determine who needs to go in when.  And again, it’s all about maintaining production when starters are on the bench or even injured.

The point guard is the next position or interest that could make or break these Mavs.  Jason Kidd is 37-years-old but with 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.2 3-pointers a game, his tank is far from empty.  However, age will show at some point especially in an 82-game season.  Dallas does have options though.  J.J. Barea is showing that he can actually be consistent.  In the last two seasons, he has averaged over 7 points and 3 assists a game.  Those numbers double what he did his first two seasons and we can only assume that he will get better.  His determination on the court is unquestionable but his intelligence definitely is.  Let’s see how he does in his fifth season and hope that he has learned a little from Kidd.

Rodrigue Beaubois was a pleasant surprise last season but injuries are really an issue with this young man.  He has shown that he can score and plays with a heightened level of confidence.  With only 1.3 assists per game last season, it’s obvious that he shouldn’t be running point but he does add depth to the guard position.

Next, it’s the sheer state of the Western Conference that gives the Mavericks a good shot to shine.  It is by far the better of the two conferences but a lot of teams in the West didn’t really do a lot to improve this offseason.  Kobe Bryant is already complaining of knee problems in LA.  Phoenix lost an All Star in Amar’e Stoudemire.  Utah lost a few good players and Denver could be in a crisis with Carmelo Anthony’s contract.

Oklahoma City improved greatly last season but we have yet to see if the franchise can maintain two years of competitive play.  Houston made efforts to get better but I don’t have much confidence in the myriad of shooters they have there.  San Antonio is getting old and beating the Mavericks last postseason was mainly due to hubris on Dallas’ part.  Portland is going through injury problems and firing Kevin Pritchard will hurt how this team grows this season.  Of all the teams out west that missed the playoffs, the Kings and Memphis are the best but neither is ready to take it to the postseason and compete (Tyreke Evans is good but it took Kevin Durant a few years to turn OKC into an above .500 team).

Lastly, it’s how badly they want it.  The hangover from the Finals against Miami seems to still be lingering at American Airlines Center and hopefully it has turned into a taste for blood.  Nowitzki and Kidd know that their careers wont last much longer but still have the gas for another run.  The West is weaker than a lot of people are making it out to be.  Granted, the lower seeds are going to be harder and harder to get but nearly every team has a glaring weakness that Dallas could exploit.  They need to get hungry and now is the time.

It may be a bold statement now but the Mavericks have a lot of good pieces in place.  They have had an entire offseason to settle as a team and figure out what it’s going to take to win.  Dallas needs to shake off the dust, bury the past and move on before the twilight settles in on North Texas basketball.

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by | August 4, 2010 · 1:43 AM

The NBA releases ‘Marquee’ Games Schedule & Shaq to Boston

Future teammates?

The NBA has released its schedule…of ‘marquee’ games for the upcoming season. Sorry, Nets, you did not make the cut. Do not feel left out though, many of the NBA’s best teams were snubbed. This is yet another in the league’s attempts to drum up attention for itself during the summer doldrums. It would be more successful if there were not leaks that have led to many game matchups having already been reported by various outlets. Simply put, this is the NBA and David Stern at their pandering best. Hell, the NBA is accustomed to pandering so why would they stop now? It loves to showcase its preferred and anointed teams to a national audience even though many fans detest these teams but may like a player or two on them. So this year will be the year of the Miami Heat. It seems like they have the nationally broadcast game of the week nine times a week. Less than one tenth of the actual schedule has been released thus far and the Heat are the winners. (By the way, Miami plays in Cleveland on 2 December.) Stern loves to pander to ratings and the advertising revenue that it brings in above all else. He completely ignored claims of tampering in the Miami Thrice coup d’état but will now reap the financial benefits of having the trio on national television all the time. (And he says the league is losing money…) The only way that Stern would not have had the schedule arranged (I am well aware that he does not personally make the schedule but as the commissioner he has a say as to what teams will be spotlighted on certain days, i.e. Christmas Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and opening night.) such as this would have been if Mark Cuban had lured LeBron James to Dallas. Seems that if Cuban even breathes Stern is going to fine him or investigating him.

Ok, enough rambling about the flaws of the NBA and its commissioner. There will be plenty of time for that in the future. On to the games (that have been officially released).

Opening Night(s): 26 October

The first game of the national double-header will be those Miami Heat traveling to Beantown to face the Boston Celtics. By itself this is a good matchup between the reigning Eastern Conference champion and the team that some (*cough* Hollinger *cough*) think will win 70+ games. That sure is some billing, but there is something else that will be brought into the already loaded equation. According to a tweet by Stephen A. Smith, Shaquille O’Neal will join the Celtics today. He was right on the whole Chris Bosh and James to Miami so I am going with him on this one. Shaq will be a Celtic. “The Big TD Garden” or “the Big Leprechaun.” Shaq played with both LeBron and Dwyane Wade. He helped Wade to the most tainted ring in NBA history. Before the Shaq factor, the tag line being thrown around was about opposing big threes, but the story should have really been about Eddie House facing off against his former team. Who care if Shaq is in the last year(s) of his career, he still steals the story. (Really just wanted to jump the gun and write about Shaq as a Celtic so the rest will be light info. Read Marc Stein’s breakdown of the games for more information and analysis.)

The second game of the double-header will be the Houston Rockets at the Los Angeles Lakers. Clearly the first game will overshadow this one due to star power and time zones but this should be one to watch. Houston is good and Yao Ming should be back barring any serious setbacks in training camp. If Yao is back and healthy Lakers fans may get familiar with Theo Ratliff before they ever imagined they would. One key matchup will be between Shane Battier and Kobe Bryant. They are always fun to watch compete against each other. This will also be Ron Artest versus Trevor Ariza, but we are too over that to even bother discussing it.

27 October

Chicago travels to Seattle…er, wait, Oklahoma City to take on the very young, very exciting, and very lacking in the department of serviceable big man Thunder. Since the Bulls acquired Carlos Boozer this summer they should have the edge in the paint along with Joakim Noah mopping the glass. If the Bulls can slow Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook it would be something. Derrick Rose should be taking notes during his time with Durant on Team USA.

Portland gets one of their obligatory appearances because of time zones in the second nationally televised game. Yet, they will be on the road in Los Angeles…facing the Clippers. The Clippers are rarely seen on a national broadcast and there is a reason for it. Expect this to be their only game televised nationally. Do not worry east coast dwellers, the game will be on so late you will not even have to watch the Clippers lose.

28 October

Ah, John Wall gets his first national exposure in the NBA…against the Orlando Magic. The Wizards have made some decent moves this summer in bringing in Kirk Hinrich and resigning Josh Howard and they should Beretta Gil back too but against the Magic, who have played in each of the last two Eastern Conference Finals, do not expect a coming out party for Wall or Washington.

Phoenix will travel to Utah in the Western Conference matchup of the evening. Both teams have had to retool at the power forward positions this summer after their former fours decided to head east. The Suns brought in Hakim Warrick and the Jazz traded for Al Jefferson. There will be a good matchup at the point as well with Steve Nash and Deron Williams squaring off.

29 October

Here come those Heat again. They will host the Magic in what is a tough, tough, tough first two games for Miami. Jeez, why can they not play New Jersey of the Wrath of David Kahns every game? Gee golly it just is not fair! By the time this game is over we should have a good idea of how vulnerable Miami’s interior defense is.

In the west the Lakers travel to Phoenix in what has become a classic regular and post season matchup. However, the Suns really do not have anyone to defend/piss off Kobe Bryant anymore so the rivalry has dimmed a bit.

Christmas Day

The NBA has put together a set of five games for this day. Can you guess one of the matchups? Wrong. If you said that the Heat would play the Lakers you are wrong. Miami will play Los Angeles in all five games! How do those schedule makers do it? First they will play a game at 4 am in Madison Square Garden, and then they will fly to Miami for another game, after that it is off to Chicago, then Denver and finally they will face each other in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. Phew! Incredible right? Boy, the NBA has it figured out this year. Bravo David Stern, bravo.

Actually the five matchups are between the Bulls who travel to New York to face the Knicks, followed by Boston at Orlando, then the aforementioned Lakers versus Heat in Los Angeles, Denver at Oklahoma City, and finally the Golden State Warriors (sans Nellie?) will host the Portland Trailblazers.

MLK Day

Chicago at Memphis; Orlando at Boston; Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers. Blah, blah, blah. Really like the inclusion of the Grizzlies though. They should be a good team this coming season. Probably will be another case where if they were in the east they would make the playoffs.

Is anyone else starting to get tired of certain teams? The season has yet to begin and already the homogeneity is vomit-inducing. Can we not be treated to New Jersey vs. Minnesota? Ratings be damned! What about Toronto vs. Miami or Toronto vs. Phoenix? People would watch these games. Not everyone cares solely about ‘star’ players. Some of us like the sport for what it is and will watch any and every game we can. Speaking of which, more games need to be shown on ABC during the regular season. The cable monopoly has got to stop. The league needs to get the product out to the most people possible and the best way to do that is on network television.

Notable Snubs

Dallas Mavericks: Really no surprise here. Stern and the NBA have never shown love to the Mavericks despite the fact that they have been in the playoffs every year since 2000 and were the second seed in the west last year.

San Antonio Spurs: This team will probably still make some people’s lists as championship contenders when the season starts. They have won four titles and are methodical and precise. Oh, that’s right, people hate methodical basketball. Last time I checked, George Hill is far from methodical.

Milwaukee Bucks: Don’t you dare go to sleep on this team, NBA. This team is made to be a giant killer. They took the heavily favored Hawks to seven games in the playoffs last year and have only gotten better this offseason. With a healthy Andrew Bogut they will be the most dangerous team in the east.

Atlanta Hawks: They really did not do much of anything this summer other than resigning Joe Johnson to a giant contract. Good thing for the Hawks that during the regular season Johnson will play like he is worth it. Come playoffs however, a whole different story unfolds.

Sacramento Kings: If you watched them in Summer League play you know that DeMarcus Cousins is the real deal. He and Tyreke Evans should work well together. Add Samuel Dalembert and Carl Landry and you have the makings of something good.

Philadelphia 76ers: They acquired Spencer Hawes, Andres Nocioni, and drafted Evan Turner. Sure they had a bad year last season going 27-55 but injuries did not help anything. (Nor did Allen Iverson.) The previous two seasons the 76ers were just shy of making the playoffs so it is reasonable that they could get back to form.

New Orleans Hornets: You would think with all the Chris Paul chatter and trade demands that they would show at least one ‘marquee’ game featuring the Hornets. If they did we could see Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton, who cares about Paul anyway? “LeBron did it so I want to do it too, waaaah.” Boo-hoo.

Cleveland Cavaliers: This is a team that is the most spurned in sports history. However, they should still be a .500+ ball club. Antawn Jamison is more than capable of scoring points in droves and being a double-double machine. The addition of Ramon Sessions should help speed up the tempo, which is what Byron Scott likes, for them as well. They no longer are living in the shadow of one player but now we must see if they are living with his ghost.

The full 2010-11 schedule will be release on 10 August but it will likely be completely leaked before then.

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by | July 31, 2010 · 8:28 PM

NBA: Free Agency, News, Notes, Trades, Judaism & More

Together at last

As the first full month of full-fledged free agency mayhem draws to a close, we here at the Beef bring you yet another update of what has transpired since our last posting on the subject as well as trades, a few other musings, and bits of news. It is hard to believe that free agency has only been going on since July 1 with so much that has happened so far. It seems like the events that have taken place in the span of one month could fill a span of six months. Without further adieu here are the latest moves:

Movement:

Last time we wrote on the subject of Matt Barnes his future remained in limbo as the Toronto Raptors did not think to adjust for currency exchange rates, or for that matter even look at their cap room, when attempting to acquire him. Barnes, the Canadian faithful believed, would make the team tougher. With this belief the Raptor’s fan base revealed their subconscious belief that what Bryan Colangelo is not meeting with their full approval. (Chris Bosh may have relaxed on the team in the final months but Colangelo is the one to be blamed for not fostering a constructive and successful atmosphere.) Bringing in a player who now gets spotty minutes and frequently sits out games because of an ailing back is a rather unlikely candidate to make a team any tougher. Oh, Canada. At least Torontonians can take solace in their consolation prize, David Andersen. Andersen easily qualifies as the poor man’s Brian Cardinal but since he is Australian it would translate more like this: David Andersen, Australian for Brain Cardinal.

Where the Raptors have failed the Los Angeles Lakers have succeeded. Kobe Bryant, after being denied by Raja Bell, was still on his quest to bring veteran defense to Hollywood. Bryant certainly did not “flinch” at the opportunity in front of him and the Lakers. He found Matt Barnes in his state of limbo and set forth to woo him with the notion of a ring and the Lakers’ remaining $1.8 million of their midlevel exception. One of the NBA’s better known journeymen (he has played on eight teams in eight seasons) is coming home to L.A. Barnes signed a two year deal worth $1.77 million in the first year with a player option worth almost $2 million in his second year. This signing could be seen as another stinging blow that Bryant has dealt the Raptors in his career (*cough* 81 points *cough*) but chalk it up to bad front office management by the Raptors.

The same day that the Lakers signed Barnes, aging veteran Theo Ratliff, signed a one year deal worth $1.35 million. (Do not tell Dale Davis though, he may expect a knock on his door next.) This acquisition could not have come at a better time for the Lakers as Luke Walton appears to be on the cusp of missing the entire 2010-11 season and Andrew Bynum has just had another knee surgery.  It seems like Bynum has had surgery on his knee or had it drained at least once for every year he has been alive by now. Ratliff now has the opportunity to become fast friends with Josh Powell, D.J. Mbenga, Adam Morrison at the end of the Lakers bench.

While the Lakers have been keen at adding pieces to their bench they have also made an effort to unload many of the pieces that we so fondly belittle here at the Beef. Currently, Los Angeles is trying to trade Sasha Vujacic. If they could unload him it would free up room to help entice Shannon Brown, whose overhyped abilities do not work at all in the triangle, to stay with the team. It has been reported that Brown has received an offer from the New York Knicks worth around $4 million a year. That would be a lot of money to turn down for a player who would likely only get spot minutes behind Steve Blake next season.

Just when you thought that David Kahn was done associating the Minnesota Timberwolves with any more point guards, he goes and trades for two more. To Kahn, point guards are pets, not quite domesticated, however. With Jonny Flynn missing three to four months after hip surgery maybe Kahn was actually the cunning one for the first time. Minnesota finally unloaded Ramon Sessions (it was well known that they had every intention to do so for some time) and packaged Ryan Hollins in a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair. Yet, as is Kahn’s way (he is a madman), the trade is never to be taken at face value. It is likely that the Timberwolves will waive West because his contract is not guaranteed and then try and move Telfair. Kahn is after something, he is going after it with everything he has got as if it were a white whale or the genesis device. What the end goal actually is, only Kahn knows. For now the fans of the Timberwolves will have to remain trapped deep within Regula with only a glimmer of hope and where hours can seem like days.

Eddie House in an effort to remain somewhat relevant has chosen to follow the lead of many other has-been players and ride the coattails of the Miami Thrice. House joins Shavlik Randolph and Carlos Arroyo as the latest recruits to join the Miami Heat. The Heat now have a full 15 man roster and are ready to start the season. As a fantasy basketball roster, the Heat have constructed a mediocre lineup aside from four or five players. Despite this, there will likely be quite a number of W’s for this team in the coming season.

In what equates to a loss for the Dallas Mavericks will translate into a huge win for the Bay Area. Jeremy Lin, the Summer League standout who overshadowed John Wall in their matchup, has signed with the Golden State Warriors. Harvard University is known for graduating future presidents, Nobel laureates, and Supreme Court justices but Jeremy Lin is following another path after graduating from the prestigious institution. He becomes just the fourth player to play in the NBA after attending Harvard, and the first in 57 years. The others were Wyndol Gray, Saul Mariaschin, and Ed Smith. Lin grew up in Palo Alto, California which is 26 miles from Oakland so his joining the Warriors is a homecoming of sorts and has the Bay Area rather jubilant. Also joining the Warriors is Jannero Pargo who inked a two-year deal worth $2.4 million.

Lin proved that he is NBA material with his play during the Summer League

It is unfortunate that Don Nelson appears to be on his way out in Golden State once Joe Lacob, the Warriors future co-owner along with Larry Ellison (I have beef with Ellison dating back to high school, ask about it later), gets his mitts on the team. Lacob has publicly stated that “It’s not really whether Nellie is here this year or not. He’s not going to be here beyond this year, that is clear.” So obviously the writing is on the wall, not only that but it is bold, red, and embossed as well. It is a shame that that is the case. We here at the Beef have poked fun at Nelson’s coaching style and his losing ways but there is something do be said about the way he schemes and plays the most frenetic small ball in the league. Just think of a lineup with Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, Jannero Pargo/Jeremy Lin, Ekpe Udoh, and David Lee on the court.  That would be pure madness; it would be pure Nellie. At least on video games, the Warriors will still be fun once Nelson has been forced to pack his bags.

Josh Howard seems to be adhering to the trend of former team bashing. Howard has stated that the Wizards have given him the opportunity to play his game that he was never given previously. The one time Maverick signed a one year deal with the Washington Wizards that could net him $4 million if he meets certain incentives. Howard had surgery in mid-March and is on schedule to be ready for the start of the season, according to his agent, Derek Lafayette, but there has been no official word about when he will actually return. To resign Howard, Washington was forced to release James Singleton. Also on the injury front for the Wizards, newly acquired forward, Yi Jianlian, has injured his arm while playing in a competition in China. 哦!

Other signings:

Will Bynum has resigned with the Detroit Pistons, Joey Graham has signed with the Cavaliers, and Von Wafer has signed with the Celtics. The signing of Wafer is likely a response to Tony Allen’s departure to Memphis. Instead of coming back to the NBA and coat-tailing like Eddie House, Stephon Marbury has spurned the Heat preferring instead to sign a three-year deal with Shanxi Zhongyu in China. (There are contradicting stories about whether the Heat actually approached Marbury about signing with the team, but I’m going to give Starbury the benefit of the doubt. Miami needed players bad for a while.) It’s all about the Chairman Mao’s, baby!

Roots:

Shalom

This week Amar’e Stoudemire discovered that he has some Jewish heritage on his mother’s side and has traveled to Israel to learn more. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Stoudemire has shown interest in Judaism for some time and recently had a Star of David tattooed on his hand. This new tattoo should go along quite nicely with the prominent “Black Jesus” that he has tattooed on his neck. With the news of Stoudemire’s newly found Jewish roots the Knicks have successfully pulled off one of the greatest marketing coups that any sport has ever seen; too bad for them that he will spend the last few years of his playing career in either Orlando or Miami. (I kid, I kid!)

Team USA:

The team trimmed its roster down from 19 to 15 players this week. On the chopping block were Tyreke Evans, O.J. Mayo, JaVale McGee, and Gerald Wallace. Team USA begins training camp August 10 in New York City.

Shaq:

Shaquille O’Neal was once a professional basketball player. Now the “Big Aristotle” is just a reality television star who occasionally sings songs with Justin Bieber.

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by | April 6, 2010 · 7:01 PM

Team Hate… an analysis of the animosity.

Growing up in Dallas has been both a blessing and a curse.  We saw three Super Bowls in the nineties and a Stanley cup in ’99.  We have three amazing stadiums with the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, the American Airlines Center and Cowboys Stadium (the Death Star).  But living here does have its vices.  Our baseball team has one playoff win in franchise history and Pizza Hut Park is just up the toll road.  Yes, we have to pay just to get to the stadium that houses our soccer team and I don’t know why the hell you would ever want to.  However, there is one team that encompasses both our love and agony for sports: the bipolar Mavericks.

We’ve been through a lot with this team.  We had years of obscurity under Dick Motta.  We hold what is currently the second worst record in NBA history at 11-71, which we proudly achieved during the 1992-93 season and will probably be broken by this season’s Nets.  We somehow survived the Nelson years and the turbulence of the Triple J’s.  We brought in Dirk and Nash just to loose the latter for a giant, overpaid baby.  Now, the Mavericks stand at a crossroads of win now or never at all.  I know it’s a bit of a deadline to put on Cuban’s boys but don’t get your hopes up from this season.

Two things the Mavericks have always been terrible at are trades and development.  Right now, Jason Kidd is the only player that was drafted in the first round and remains on the team after multiple seasons.  The Mavericks have tagged prospective players into trades for years now.  Brandon Bass, Josh Howard, Maurice Ager, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Josh Powell, Devin Harris are just a few young players this team has brought in through the draft, trade, or D-League that we saw bud into promising players before disappearing to various teams.  In fact, the Mavericks have had three first round draft picks from 2000 to 2008 and none of them are on the team anymore.  Etan Thomas was selected 12th overall by the Mavericks in what would prove to be a very shallow draft in 2000.  Howard was selected 29th in the very deep draft of 2003.  Ager was selected 28th in the 2006 draft.  Marquis Daniels was a walk-on in 2003 and now plays for the Celtics.  However, in that same span of time, the Mavs were involved in seven trades involving their draft picks.  This is one reason the Mavs sit at the second oldest team in the NBA.  Winning franchises have proven that they continue winning by bringing in players to carry the torch from the more seasoned veterans.  This effect builds an early winning tradition that can then be passed on.  Magic Johnson came in when Kareem Abdul Jabbar was a vet.  Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have helped the Spurs stay successful after David Robinson.  The Mavericks have not won big and have not made any moves to make sure that they do later down the road.

History shows that we will be seeing more of this in the years to come at the AAC

As far as trades, this season’s can be considered one of the best.  Bringing in Caron Butler has put another scoring threat on the floor and Brendan Haywood gives them some leverage in how they decide to deal with Erick Dampier’s expiring contract.  However, it’s April and after a 13-game winning streak, the Mavs are just now seeing their weaknesses.  Caron’s temper has flared on several occasions.  The guard is in a shooting slump and his frustration has come out on the court.  Dirk as well hit a slump in late March and is looking tired.  Haywood has been very inconsistent lately in both his scoring and rebounding.  The defense has looked terrible as well.  They have only held four teams to under 100 points since February.  One was New Jersey.  One was a loss against Orlando and another was against a tired Denver team coming off of a back-to-back and without their head coach.

Now the Mavericks are looking at going into what will be one of the most lopsided Western Conference playoffs.  It has upsets written all over it with the Nuggets possibly going into the first round without head coach George Karl.  The Lakers’ lack of depth is showing and Utah’s record against the upper echelon teams is horrendous (we have already discussed all of this in previous posts).  Meanwhile, since January first, the Mavericks only have five wins against teams from the West that will be playing in the Playoffs.  The Mavs have been shooting a measly 43 percent against the top eight in the West on the season.  There have been multiple times where must-wins have turned into sloppy losses as the Mavs have looked more and more defeated and sluggish.  Last week, against Orlando, the Mavs were out of the game since the second quarter when they closed the gap on the Magic’s lead before letting it slip away again before the half.  On Saturday, it was the Thunder’s game the entire 48 minutes.

The frustration has been building for years against these Mavericks.  Team Hate has shown its evil face multiple times and I don’t see it going away anytime soon.  This team has not planned for the future and sought a very immediate solution in this season’s trade.  When free agency begins this summer, where will we see the Mavericks?  History shows that they will not make the appropriate decisions to build for the future.  Dirk and Kidd will be declining in their respective games, as the 2003 draftees will begin to earn veteran status.  This growth in younger, more talented teams will eventually overshadow the Dallas Mavericks as the fan base will only have memories of the 2006 and 2007 seasons to reminisce and grow even more disgusted with.  They sit at the No. 2 in the West right now but far from that in reality.  Their weaknesses have become apparent and any team set to face them in the West will know what to exploit come postseason.  Hopefully the inopportune slumping of both Denver and LA will help these Mavs but it is inevitable that whoever wins the West will have a challenge with the powerhouses of the East.

The season isn’t over and there is still a lot that can happen.  The Mavericks have had some good stretches and their remaining games are by no means unwinnable.  Wins against San Antonio and Portland would prove a lot.  Team Hate is a terrible thing and I hate when we have to pull it out.  As long as the augmented women and rich husbands line the rows of the AAC, we will continue the hate tradition against the “fans” but hopefully not against the team.  With some good play down the stretch and some good decisions this summer, we will be singing a more optimistic tune.  Until then, heed warning.  The Kobe Beef does not offer a soft shoulder.

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by | April 1, 2010 · 3:15 PM

The Nelly Curse

Don Nelson works a powerful hex over each team he coaches

One of the most potent curses in sports is rarely discussed for fear that it might rear its head and linger for an indeterminate amount over an unfortunate team. It only brings false fortune to those who have been cast under its spell. The only way to destroy its grasp, which seeps deep into the mind of those that it infects, is to completely reject it in every way. Is it the curse of the pharaoh? No. Is it a Haitian voodoo curse? No. Is it the curse of some Shakespearean haggard witch? Not a chance. What could it be then? It is the curse of Don Nelson and the Dallas Mavericks have been plagued by it since the late 1990s and even though he no longer coaches the team it still haunts them.

A Don Nelson curse? You may be confused so let me explain. The curse of Don Nelson is worse than Mike D’Antoni’s “seven seconds or less” philosophy. It is a curse of the jump shot and complete incompetence toward defense. What? The jump shot is the essential element of the game of basketball. If you are only familiar with the game of basketball based on the movie Hoosiers (great movie, watched it the other the day) you obviously have not developed any sense of the true nature of the game. No, this does not mean the league would be better with filling each team roster with a full of Darius Miles’. Don Nelson’s curse is of the perception that the midrange jump shot stretching out to the three-pointer is always the best and highest percentage shot. Entire teams are drafted and traded around this strategy. The only time any player is ever given the green light to attempt to score in the paint is if that player is a quick, speedy point guard or, better yet under the Nelson system (curse), a combo guard.

Look at the current makeup of the Golden State Warriors. They are truly a team built from the evil genius (?) that is Don Nelson’s mind. This is a fast, long, quick off the dribble, three-point shooting, undersized team. Look at their regular starting five: Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Corey Maggette, Anthony Morrow, and Ronny Turiaf. This is a deep ball shooting, small ball handling team, slash to the bucket (if there is an obvious lane), and fast break team; Perfect for Nelly. At a whim Ellis or Curry can drive to bucket and get a quick layup but if their shot is challenged they can dish it Maggette, Morrow, or even Anthony Tolliver when he is on the floor for a nice midrange shot or a corner three. The problem is all the positive attributes are only one side of the court. Yes, Turiaf is a good rebounder and shot blocker but one man cannot stop five. This, as evidenced by their record (injuries aside), does not translate to wins.

Nelson tricked the NBA world, however, as coach of the Dallas Mavericks, into thinking that it did work. The Mavericks are just now, finally starting to recover from the curse but they are not over it yet. They still rely heavily on the jump shot for much of their scoring. When it falls it is a wonderful thing. When it bricks it is agony. The Mavericks are a great jump shooting, one of the best you say. You’re right. However, it seems like they do not want or care to do anything else at times and will carelessly put up very low percentage shots just because they are there. This happens especially when they are down. Instead of getting into the lane and drawing a foul the jump shot seems to be the preferred method of a comeback for them. (I have been yelling at my TV during Mavs games for years now, “Get in the paint!!”) It is the curse.

The Mavericks are cursed in terms of personnel issues to go along with shot selection. Where have all the two guards gone? Ever since Michael Finley was sent packing the Mavericks have had nothing but issues (as if Finley at the two was not an issue in itself) with the off guard position. The curse continues. What about Caron Butler? Didn’t the Mavericks just pull off a blockbuster trade for him? They sure did but Caron Butler is a natural small forward, not a shooting guard. He and Shawn Marion play the same position and aside from where they prefer to take their jump shots (Marion: 10 feet and in; Butler: 12 feet and out) they are essentially the same player. The difference being that Marion can switch to the four spot in small ball situations. These two players combined embody everything that Don Nelson wanted out of Josh Howard but just could not get and the Mavericks have simply gone out and found replacements. Swing men are crucial to a teams success but to have a team replete with them is not. Nelson strikes again!

What is Jason Terry? To Nelson, he was a beloved combo guard. But this is not the reality of Terry’s game. He is a pure scorer plain and simple. He is not what Nelson tried to mold him into; essentially he is not Monta Ellis or Stephen Curry. Terry is one player that the Mavericks have been able to develop outside of the grasps of the curse. You can thank Rick Carlisle for that. Recognizing that Terry’s energy and scoring was more suited in a sixth man role than as a combo guard starter alongside either Jason Kidd or the traded Devin Harris who was a Nelson point guard experiment.

Carlisle has his work cut out for him if he truly wants to sever all ties with the Don Nelson style of play and his lingering curse on the Team. Avery Johnson could never escape the curse and it is the curse, and Don Nelson himself that destroyed Avery. Carlisle must get the team to focus on the defensive end of the floor consistently. It looked as though he had gotten through to his players when they went on a 13 game win streak just after the All-Star break. Since then the curse has begun to work its old magic again. The Mavericks have looked sluggish and lackadaisical on the defensive end of the floor, falling behind early during some games and needing a herulische Anstrengung from Dirk Nowitzki to squeak out a win. Last night’s game in Memphis is a perfect example. The Mavericks shot terribly and continued to do so throughout the game but instead of getting into the paint for higher percentage shots and the possibility of going to the line they continued to shoot jump shots. It is astounding that when Hasheem Thabeet was in the game they still did not drive the lane in an attempt to draw a foul. Nelly’s lifeblood, the jump shot, remains at the core of this team.

Rick Carlisle has the best opportunity to banish the curse of Don Nelson forever. The trade was essentially his trade. He knows what the team needs. What he did in Detroit and Indiana is what he needs to do in Dallas. This is not the grind it out East though. Carlisle has some tricks up his sleeve and more wisdom. Several summers ago he spent the offseason with the D’Antoni Suns to pick up on more offensive schemes and learn the art of the fastbreak. Under him, the Mavericks are slowly breaking the curse. It will take the full cooperation of each player, Mark Cuban, and the front office with Carlisle to break Nelly’s grasp. If this cannot be done the curse may remain indefinitely.

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