They're playing reeeaaalllyyy well right now. Last night's Memphis game shoulda ended the streak, but they gut it out yet again w/ some crucial Damps D on Paul in the 4th Q.
Mavs will be on National TV 3 times next week, including hosting the Lakers (who own us currently) on Tuesday. Lookin forward to it since I was to cheap to throw down on the League Pass this year.
A.J. inherited this team from Nellie. And A.J. just implemented a defensive mindstate. There's not that much of an overhaul. It's the old system tweaked. I'm glad they have turned the corner, 'cause they were just a "circus act" for a minute.
Well I think Nellis is a great coach, but they weren't going anywhere with him big picture wise as the coach. With him, they were all offense period. With AJ they've brought a whiff of defense to the team which means all the difference when you get to the playoffs. They have a legitimate shot to get to the Western Conference Finals.
With AJ they've brought a whiff of defense to the team which means all the difference when you get to the playoffs. They have a legitimate shot to get to the Western Conference Finals.
Man, cats are begrudging when it comes to realizing what these new-look Mavs are all about. Mavs are currently 8th or 9th in points allowed and 4th in rebound margin. Seems like more than a "whiff" to me. But I'm being pedantic. Glad to see eyes are slowly opening, regardless. But yeah, during the current ten game win streak, no team has cracked triple digits and I believe all or all but one have been held beneath their season average. Excitement.
NBA tri-division playoff format is wach though. Spurs/Mavs are gonna end up throwin down in round two. That should be the West finals. 'Sokay though, I know Phoenix w/ a healthy Amare is gonna be a playoff powerhouse too.
Anyone catch that Heat/Cavs game. The Heat look like things are coming together,but then again Illgaskus got injured early in the game. Wade put a krazy globtrotter move on some kid.....
damn forgot about Amare! too bad, Phoenix won't be winning rings any time in the near future. THEY JUST DON'T PLAY D.
i disagree. nash/marion/amare is easily the best trio in the NBA - best PG, best all-around SF, best low post scorer - and their defense is underrated. they do give up their fair share of points, but that's pretty much because of their up-and-down style of play. their +/- PPG is amont the best in the league (detroit +9.1, SA + 6.7, dallas +6.1, PHX +5.9) and they have excellent perimeter defenders in bell/marion and good enough frontcourt defenders w/ thomas and stoudemire. stoudemire could still improve a bit in his defense and rebounding, but he's not bad .. nash is really their only relatively weak defender.
so it's easy to say "they don't play D" without backing it up but this team isn't the don nelson mavericks or the kings from 3 years ago or anything. they're a lot more legit than that. in fact, if stoudemire is able to come back and contribute this year i'd put them right in the championship mix. i'd actually be surprised if they didn't at least go to the finals within 2 or 3 years. that team is scary good .. that's what happens when you have the best (and most underappreciated) management team in basketball.
damn forgot about Amare! too bad, Phoenix won't be winning rings any time in the near future. THEY JUST DON'T PLAY D.
i disagree. nash/marion/amare is easily the best trio in the NBA - best PG, best all-around SF, best low post scorer - and their defense is underrated. they do give up their fair share of points, but that's pretty much because of their up-and-down style of play. their +/- PPG is amont the best in the league (detroit +9.1, SA + 6.7, dallas +6.1, PHX +5.9) and they have excellent perimeter defenders in bell/marion and good enough frontcourt defenders w/ thomas and stoudemire. stoudemire could still improve a bit in his defense and rebounding, but he's not bad .. nash is really their only relatively weak defender.
so it's easy to say "they don't play D" without backing it up but this team isn't the don nelson mavericks or the kings from 3 years ago or anything. they're a lot more legit than that. in fact, if stoudemire is able to come back and contribute this year i'd put them right in the championship mix. i'd actually be surprised if they didn't at least go to the finals within 2 or 3 years. that team is scary good .. that's what happens when you have the best (and most underappreciated) management team in basketball.
I wont say they dont play D outright, but last year exposed/revealed this weakness in the playoffs. They have yet to bring it to the , which is what Dallas has figured out. Putting the ball in the basket isnt enough, Defense wins championships. The Suns almost,ALMOST, proved that theory wrong last year during the REGULAR season. But the PLAYOFFS is a differeny story. All that high flying shit comes to a halt. The Spurs play both. And Detroit now plays both.
When Stoudemire comes back, It'll take a couple of weeks for them to figure out the team direction/identity. Remember, he hasnt played with this current team all season. Its not like he injured himself in December, where they've become familiar with the roles. Shit just aint happening this year.
yeah, last year they were much worse defensively. that was pretty much because they always went small and started marion out of position at PF (he'd have to play way above his head against guys 3 inches taller and 40 pounds heavier). but did you forget all the moves they made in the offseason? with bell and kurt thomas they got much, much better defensively, and shawn marion is one of the better on-ball perimeter defenders in the league. he's the guy they can throw at a kobe or a ginobili in a playoff series.
it seems like dallas and phoenix will never be able to shake their reputations with the fans. they're not nearly as bad on the defensive end as they were, but they still get knocked for it. same with sacramento - they do have a long way to go, but bonzi and artest are going to be nasty on the perimeter. that team is going to bang.
Rose, 6-8, 225-pounds, is averaging 12.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 46 games, including 22 starts, for Toronto this season. The 11-year NBA veteran held career averages of 14.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 822 career games for the Nuggets, Pacers, Bulls and Raptors games entering the 2005-06 season. The Detroit, MI-native was the recipient of the 2000 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award, named to the 1995 NBA All-Rookie Second Team and the recipient of the 2003 Magic Johnson Award by the Professional Basketball Writers Association.
Part of it is the coaching philosophy of the Suns. They tell their players not to commit a lot of fouls because they think it slows down the game, and they want to keep the tempo up and score 110+ a game. You'll hear over and over when a player goes right down the middle for a layup commentators saying that's bad D. Phoenix will let that happen because they think even if a team scores on them, they can run right back on them and score on them in return.
so do you just not guard them? of course it matters. they might get their numbers, but in a 7 game series it's important how easily those numbers come. guys get worn down.
the real key is stoudemire. last year he really broke out as a superstar and he's still unbelievably young. marion is probably the best complementary player in the league and nash style of play gives them their identity/personality, but how far they can go really depends on stoudemire and whether he's going to be able to take over in a series. i think he can, but he's still a relatively unknown commodity. i personally think they're much better than just a regular season team, but that's only because of the moves they made between last year and this year. don't forget they also got two first round picks out of the joe johnson deal. dang!
their +/- PPG is amont the best in the league (detroit +9.1, SA + 6.7, dallas +6.1, PHX +5.9)
this stat is kinda deceiving for the Suns. Because when they win, they score a LOT of points, which means "on average" the point differential will be in favor for the Suns. Giving up 100points/game to opponents is not a good idea regardless.
i'd actually be surprised if they didn't at least go to the finals within 2 or 3 years.
i wouldn't be, and i don't think they will, as long as SA keeps their core group of players. What i see in the Suns is raw talent, great teamwork, and definite potential. What i see in the Spurs is a composed and balanced team with highly effective players at each position, all of whom can step it up in the clutch. Detroit is the same. I haven't seen enough of Dallas to speak on them.
Not knocking their style of play though, cuz they're far more fun to watch than the two best teams in the league.
I actually think the Spurs have kinda slipped this season mostly because of their injuries. Manu has been in and out of the line-up and Duncan has a bum foot or something with his leg. Detroit gave them a whooping. They're still a top team, but I don't see them playing as well as last year. We'll see towards the end of the season when it really counts though. Regular season doesn't really mean much to teams like them.
well the only thing that worries me about the suns is whether they can switch gears and play the half court game if/when they need to. both detroit and san antonio can do that - they win games scoring 110 points or scoring 85 points. i expect phx to get better in this aspect as stoudemire improves though - he's too good a player not to be able to make phoenix a more than competent halfcourt team. and they've already improved quite a bit without him.
i agree that the spurs are showing signs of weakness. detroit hasn't just beaten them twice this year, they've straight up embarrassed them, and it looks like duncan's foot is bothering him. parker has been amazing though - i'd give him a lot of credit for their success so far. i still think they're the best team in the west, but not by much, and i absolutely believe that either dallas or phoenix could beat them in a 7 game series. i personally think phoenix is the better challenger though .. pretty much because of their core - like i said before, nash/stoudemire is the best PG/PF combo around, and marion is easily the best complementary player in the league. he does so many things so well without demanding the ball or taking anything away from his teammates. phenomenal core group ..
but we obviously see things differently ... i think the suns are WAY past the potential phase. i mean they've got three legitimate MVP candidates and great role players.
If the Suns get Amare back near full strength they'll be fine in the half court. They can play pick and roll all they want in the half court usually ending in a slam.
P.S. - And I was just going to say that Tony Parker is keeping the Spurs afloat as well. He's being a lot more aggressive on offense while at the same time having much better shot selection. One of the biggest reasons for that is that he's staying away from the 3-point line. Plus he's working with a shooting coach.
well the only thing that worries me about the suns is whether they can switch gears and play the half court game if/when they need to. both detroit and san antonio can do that - they win games scoring 110 points or scoring 85 points. i expect phx to get better in this aspect as stoudemire improves though - he's too good a player not to be able to make phoenix a more than competent halfcourt team. and they've already improved quite a bit without him.
i agree that the spurs are showing signs of weakness. detroit hasn't just beaten them twice this year, they've straight up embarrassed them, and it looks like duncan's foot is bothering him. parker has been amazing though - i'd give him a lot of credit for their success so far. i still think they're the best team in the west, but not by much, and i absolutely believe that either dallas or phoenix could beat them in a 7 game series. i personally think phoenix is the better challenger though .. pretty much because of their core - like i said before, nash/stoudemire is the best PG/PF combo around, and marion is easily the best complementary player in the league. he does so many things so well without demanding the ball or taking anything away from his teammates. phenomenal core group ..
but we obviously see things differently ... i think the suns are WAY past the potential phase. i mean they've got three legitimate MVP candidates and great role players.
i agree with most of what you said here. But when I think of Phoenix, an effective and reliable half-court set just doesn't come to mind. And yes you definitely need that form of attack during the playoffs when tempos slow down in the stretch of big games.
Phoenix definitely has heart though. Amare, Steve Nash, and Shaun Marion are straight up ballers.
I have the NBA League Pass now, so I watch every game. This was very hard to watch, but at the end of the day, it's nothing major to worry about. The only thing I would say is that Flip Saunders should have called some timeouts in key situations to slow the pace of the game. Also, Detroit was settling for mediocre jump shots (except rip) that didn't cut it.
What about no Detroit starters starting in the All-Star game? Maybe Sheed in place of Jermaine O' Neal?
I have the NBA League Pass now, so I watch every game. This was very hard to watch, but at the end of the day, it's nothing major to worry about. The only thing I would say is that Flip Saunders should have called some timeouts in key situations to slow the pace of the game. Also, Detroit was settling for mediocre jump shots (except rip) that didn't cut it.
Could u critique pleez. The Pacers are decimated this year, no way in hell I thought they could beat the Pistons. Were the Pistons just coasting and were caught flatfooted. Sometimes a winstreak as big as theirs can kill team motivation. It's hard to get up for teams u know u can beat. Did the Pacers just flat out play hungrier?
What about no Detroit starters starting in the All-Star game? Maybe Sheed in place of Jermaine O' Neal?
The AllStar game is a popularity contest. So u will never get justice as long as the fans vote. starting for the West - GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!!
The Pistons were indeed flat. Lacking energy and motivation. Rip Hamilton (31 pts, 14 of 24 from the field) and Rasheed Wallace (17 pts, 7 rebs, 5 blks) were the only consistent players throughout the game. Chauncey had two fouls halfway into the first quarter, and Arroyo wasn't doing much in his place. Chauncey, who has been their leading man (especially down the stretch) finished the game with only 10 pts. Not enough to win this one, especially with Tayshaun only putting in 13 and no one off the bench scoring (McDyees, 4, Delfino, 4, Davis, 4, Arroyo, 2). Another key factor was REBOUNDS. Detroit got outhustled and outrebounded (44 to 59) like crazy.
The key players for Indy were Stephen Jackson, who had 20 pts, Fred Jones who had 13 and a couple important buckets down the stretch. Most importantly (imo) their young guys, David Harrison (15 pts, 7-12 shooting) and Danny Granger (11 pts 5-9 shooting) stepped up in Jermaine O'Neal's absence at the Forward and Center positions.
I have the NBA League Pass now, so I watch every game. This was very hard to watch, but at the end of the day, it's nothing major to worry about. The only thing I would say is that Flip Saunders should have called some timeouts in key situations to slow the pace of the game. Also, Detroit was settling for mediocre jump shots (except rip) that didn't cut it.
Could u critique pleez. The Pacers are decimated this year, no way in hell I thought they could beat the Pistons. Were the Pistons just coasting and were caught flatfooted. Sometimes a winstreak as big as theirs can kill team motivation. It's hard to get up for teams u know u can beat. Did the Pacers just flat out play hungrier?
What about no Detroit starters starting in the All-Star game? Maybe Sheed in place of Jermaine O' Neal?
The AllStar game is a popularity contest. So u will never get justice as long as the fans vote. starting for the West - GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!!
Comments
Well I think Nellis is a great coach, but they weren't going anywhere with him big picture wise as the coach. With him, they were all offense period. With AJ they've brought a whiff of defense to the team which means all the difference when you get to the playoffs. They have a legitimate shot to get to the Western Conference Finals.
Man, cats are begrudging when it comes to realizing what these new-look Mavs are all about. Mavs are currently 8th or 9th in points allowed and 4th in rebound margin. Seems like more than a "whiff" to me. But I'm being pedantic. Glad to see eyes are slowly opening, regardless. But yeah, during the current ten game win streak, no team has cracked triple digits and I believe all or all but one have been held beneath their season average. Excitement.
NBA tri-division playoff format is wach though. Spurs/Mavs are gonna end up throwin down in round two. That should be the West finals. 'Sokay though, I know Phoenix w/ a healthy Amare is gonna be a playoff powerhouse too.
damn forgot about Amare! too bad, Phoenix won't be winning rings any time in the near future. THEY JUST DON'T PLAY D.
Wade put a krazy globtrotter move on some kid.....
i disagree. nash/marion/amare is easily the best trio in the NBA - best PG, best all-around SF, best low post scorer - and their defense is underrated. they do give up their fair share of points, but that's pretty much because of their up-and-down style of play. their +/- PPG is amont the best in the league (detroit +9.1, SA + 6.7, dallas +6.1, PHX +5.9) and they have excellent perimeter defenders in bell/marion and good enough frontcourt defenders w/ thomas and stoudemire. stoudemire could still improve a bit in his defense and rebounding, but he's not bad .. nash is really their only relatively weak defender.
so it's easy to say "they don't play D" without backing it up but this team isn't the don nelson mavericks or the kings from 3 years ago or anything. they're a lot more legit than that. in fact, if stoudemire is able to come back and contribute this year i'd put them right in the championship mix. i'd actually be surprised if they didn't at least go to the finals within 2 or 3 years. that team is scary good .. that's what happens when you have the best (and most underappreciated) management team in basketball.
I wont say they dont play D outright, but last year exposed/revealed this weakness in the playoffs. They have yet to bring it to the
When Stoudemire comes back, It'll take a couple of weeks for them to figure out the team direction/identity. Remember, he hasnt played with this current team all season. Its not like he injured himself in December, where they've become familiar with the roles. Shit just aint happening this year.
it seems like dallas and phoenix will never be able to shake their reputations with the fans. they're not nearly as bad on the defensive end as they were, but they still get knocked for it. same with sacramento - they do have a long way to go, but bonzi and artest are going to be nasty on the perimeter. that team is going to bang.
It doesnt matter who you throw @ these two cats.They get their numbers regardless.
The Jury is out on Phoenix. But they can only get better.So far they have been a regular season team. Time will tell.
Rose, 6-8, 225-pounds, is averaging 12.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 46 games, including 22 starts, for Toronto this season. The 11-year NBA veteran held career averages of 14.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 822 career games for the Nuggets, Pacers, Bulls and Raptors games entering the 2005-06 season. The Detroit, MI-native was the recipient of the 2000 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award, named to the 1995 NBA All-Rookie Second Team and the recipient of the 2003 Magic Johnson Award by the Professional Basketball Writers Association.
KNICKS got him. I like this move. Now trade Q.
the real key is stoudemire. last year he really broke out as a superstar and he's still unbelievably young. marion is probably the best complementary player in the league and nash style of play gives them their identity/personality, but how far they can go really depends on stoudemire and whether he's going to be able to take over in a series. i think he can, but he's still a relatively unknown commodity. i personally think they're much better than just a regular season team, but that's only because of the moves they made between last year and this year. don't forget they also got two first round picks out of the joe johnson deal. dang!
this stat is kinda deceiving for the Suns. Because when they win, they score a LOT of points, which means "on average" the point differential will be in favor for the Suns. Giving up 100points/game to opponents is not a good idea regardless.
i wouldn't be, and i don't think they will, as long as SA keeps their core group of players. What i see in the Suns is raw talent, great teamwork, and definite potential. What i see in the Spurs is a composed and balanced team with highly effective players at each position, all of whom can step it up in the clutch. Detroit is the same. I haven't seen enough of Dallas to speak on them.
Not knocking their style of play though, cuz they're far more fun to watch than the two best teams in the league.
i agree that the spurs are showing signs of weakness. detroit hasn't just beaten them twice this year, they've straight up embarrassed them, and it looks like duncan's foot is bothering him. parker has been amazing though - i'd give him a lot of credit for their success so far. i still think they're the best team in the west, but not by much, and i absolutely believe that either dallas or phoenix could beat them in a 7 game series. i personally think phoenix is the better challenger though .. pretty much because of their core - like i said before, nash/stoudemire is the best PG/PF combo around, and marion is easily the best complementary player in the league. he does so many things so well without demanding the ball or taking anything away from his teammates. phenomenal core group ..
but we obviously see things differently ... i think the suns are WAY past the potential phase. i mean they've got three legitimate MVP candidates and great role players.
i agree with most of what you said here. But when I think of Phoenix, an effective and reliable half-court set just doesn't come to mind. And yes you definitely need that form of attack during the playoffs when tempos slow down in the stretch of big games.
Phoenix definitely has heart though. Amare, Steve Nash, and Shaun Marion are straight up ballers.
KB's TOP 10 dunks
http://www.youtube.com/w/Kobe%27s-Top-Ten-Plays?v=LV4Zeng2_O4&search=k.o.b.e.
Hey Drewn, holla @ me.
What about no Detroit starters starting in the All-Star game? Maybe Sheed in place of Jermaine O' Neal?
Could u critique pleez. The Pacers are decimated this year, no way in hell I thought they could beat the Pistons. Were the Pistons just coasting and were caught flatfooted. Sometimes a winstreak as big as theirs can kill team motivation. It's hard to get up for teams u know u can beat. Did the Pacers just flat out play hungrier?
What about no Detroit starters starting in the All-Star game? Maybe Sheed in place of Jermaine O' Neal?
The AllStar game is a popularity contest. So u will never get justice as long as the fans vote.
The key players for Indy were Stephen Jackson, who had 20 pts, Fred Jones who had 13 and a couple important buckets down the stretch. Most importantly (imo) their young guys, David Harrison (15 pts, 7-12 shooting) and Danny Granger (11 pts 5-9 shooting) stepped up in Jermaine O'Neal's absence at the Forward and Center positions.
REAL HEADZ ACKNOWLEDGE.
stop polluting this thread.
Stop posting like u know shit about basketball!
i will WORK YOU SON!