Three years ago, people would be laughing at me if I told them that the Dallas Mavericks would reach the NBA Finals within the next year.
They were of course proven wrong by one heck of a playoff run before collapsing in the NBA Finals.
A year later, we witnessed the Mavericks having their greatest season ever and once again we had believers. They pulled out all the stops and reached 67 wins and possibly one of the greatest regular seasons of all time. But they faced the Golden State Warriors and of course we know of the great collapse that occured at the hands of the Warriors.
Mark Cuban, Avery Johnson and Donnie Nelson attempted to convince themselves that this team was legit, that it could once again reach the summit and overcome the two seasons of disappointment. Dallas had the key to winning the NBA finals; there was just one piece missing. They looked at every position that they can improve on and they decided stupidly that it was the point guard position that needed the most help.
They might be regretting that now.
The powers-that-be decided that they needed an All-Star point guard instead of their exponentially improving point, Devin Harris. So, in a move made necessary by the great Pau Gasol heist of the Los Angeles Lakers, they made probably one of the worst trades in recent memory. They traded their growing point guard, the back up center and future draft picks for an aging point guard, Jason Kidd.
The impatience of the Mavericks has come back to bite them. Mark Cuban and the management were blinded by the fact that Devin Harris was improving on all cylinders. His scoring was up, his defense was improving and he was actually trying to improve his assist game!
No. That wasn't enough for the management and they traded him away because they believed he was the reason why they failed in the first round last year. Devin Harris was NOT the SOLE REASON the Mavericks lost to the Warriors in the playoffs.
Weeks ago, people were hailing this as a new revival of the Mavericks, the trade that would bring them back to the top of the Western Conference.
But has this trade even advanced the Mavericks to be any better then they were before? No. Actually they went backwards.
People in Dallas were calling for Jason Kidd because they thought that the major problem was our point guard position. Yes, Devin Harris is not a true point guard and his assists totals are barely better then a shooting guard. But when he was a Maverick there was something that they would actually do, BEAT TEAMS WITH WINNING RECORDS!
Believe me, I love Jason Kidd. I have so much love for a guy who can get triple-doubles in no hurry. I have respect for a guy who will be in the Hall of Fame but may not ever touch a championship ring. But Jason Kidd was not the answer to the Mavericks' woes. The last time the Mavericks beat a WINNING team was back when HARRIS was at the point.
The answer to Dallas was patience and a big man. Yes, Erick Dampier has gotten better with Jason Kidd around him but what could of been better for the Mavericks was to actually aquire or trade for a big man instead of trading your rising talent point guard and a back up center. Patience was also needed but the entire Mavericks team hit the PANIC button after they lost a couple of games in a row WITHOUT Harris.
Every team has their share of losing streaks to happen but going all nuts about it and throwing away players and draft picks was not the way to go at things. You freaked out because you were losing games without a starting player. Isn't that just EXPECTED to happen? Isn't there some common sense in that?
People who still support the Kidd trade give all the excuses for the Mavericks at this time.
"Oh, Kidd's system is too unique for the Mavericks and it needs time."
"Oh, He never played with a good team before so he has to get used to it."
Maybe their right in some sense. But that doesn't excuse the fact that the Mavericks can't beat a team with a winning record anymore. There should be ABSOLUTELY no excuse given for the failure to finish a game. The Mavericks were fine before but their impatience and inability to see the rising talent of Devin Harris grow and they paid the price for that. I will have one thing to say though.
Atleast they're not the Miami Heat.
5 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Derek Curry about 1 year ago
I agree, Dallas has gotten worse, adn your also right about Harris, he has much improved.
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Max Fischer about 1 year ago
I don't blame Kidd at all for the mavs problems. Avery has a history of being unable to adjust to anything or anyone. He has never adjusted his style to Dirk.. he was unable to adjust to Riley and Nelson's attacks. He is unable to adjust when coaching against running teams like the Lakers, warriors or Suns. And we are seeing the same thing with Kidd.
I think if we changed coaches right now we could win a championship with this team. I doubt Cuban will do it though.. I honestly think Cuban likes having Avery too much because he can control him. And that's all Cuban really cares about, IMO. He wants to be in control of everyhting on that team. He's the ultimate fantasy basketball owner. He would be out there shooting jumpers if he could.. And if you think about it.. he probably has more control of Dirk on the court than he would any other superstar as well.
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lynnette lewis about 1 year ago
People do ya actually watch the games? Did you not note what happened that is the most noticeable with the Celtics. The Mavs play has nothing to do with Kidd. It has nothing to do with the coaching and no it isn't Mr. Cuban eitehr. Think about it. When hte Mavs lso tthe finals what did you see? A team set up to win ok? Did you not note teh lack of calls on fouls committed to the Mavs once hte game switched to Miami? Did you not note Stackhouse being hit by a push in the back from Posey on Shaq? That is what ha sbeen going on all along. The Mavs were set up to lose. Teh NBA was notified of this yet no action was taken by them. Shaq was blamed for the foul and Posey was not suspended even though he did intentional do damage to Stackhouse. That is the year the people knew they could get away with stuff ok? But they did not act until this season. Do you not note the supposed plus 500 teams use dirty play to win? Ya know the chest bumps of Garnett in plain view of the refs? Now I don't know about you but I saw 4 fouls on Dirk with the Celtics uncalled till he fell ok? This has been going on all season. The referees are not calling the fouls. The teams are pushing the Mav players in the back as they shoot and no one is the wiser or so the NBA and these teams thought. I saw them. If you watch the games you would to. How do you think all these players are flying into posts. How do you think Harris got hurt? He was pushed in the back running down the court ok? They are this gunho to get a fast break? Not he teams in the NBA who are supposed 500 teams have decided that this is the year the Mavs sink fast and they are doing it with dirty play. How do you explain close losses since they are so good and the Mavs are so bad? How about the comebacks in game of the Mavericks. They are being set up. Every player no matter what team they came from and some of these guys came from some poor fans followership type teams have shined here. They have picked up new energy and as you saw people when Cuban wanted to trade all showed interest didn't they? Why did Miami want J. Howard and was wooing him when we were losing in the finals that year? Why did they claim they couldn't afford the players who supposedly brought them the championship. And why aren't all these players shining on other teams? The finals that year was a set up people. The Heat was bought the title. Since the Mavs came back the following year and had the best record in the NBA and didn't make it out of the first round that made the supposed champion Spurs look bad. So this season the Mavericks are being brought down early before they can do any damage to whoever is to buy a title ok? They are trying to make them the Mavericks look as they are. Not contenders ok? Here you have a team who needs no star they all shine. No one wants to admit the Lakers are a joke and the Celtics are too. These are your supposed top teams. The buy a lot big names and then cheat. Watch the games and you will see. Ya know really watch the games ok? Do you really think the Mavericks went down this fast? Then you know very little about these men don't ya? As for Chuck? If the idea of Cuban wanting to run the team into the ground were true as you think then I would say he could do it. He can make himself a player should he want to. He is after all the owner isn't he? But this is what the teams like the Nuggets, the Lakers and the other losers want to hear from ya ok? Cause then they win and you become like them. LOSERS! He doesn't buy his wins like the other owners, they are all legit. He has real talent not go from team to team taking their stars and then making a "run". And when did ya see a star actually do good on another team when he couldn't shine on his home team. I can tell ya Gasol and that cause he is a real talent. All th rest of them took prodding to do it and even then the owners are buying wins. As I said watch the game and you will see. Hey for those of you who have the guts, watch the Warriors vs the Nuggets just on tonight and tell me ya don't see the pushes in the back the Warriors took as they attacked the hoop. And the lack of a a foul call when the Warriors attacked the hoop and were fouled. They were obvious in that game. Just like Garnett was obvious in his fouling of Dirk the other night. But not one person commented on it did they? All the idiot commentators said was the Celtics have beaten all the Western teams. Sure they have. With dirty play. This is going into the colleges and the high schools and the junior high schools too. In fact just tonight the LSU team beat a team by doing it to their point guard who attacked the hoop and she came back and hit the girl ok? The refs didn't see that, the commentators did though but the player who she hit was pulled out and then the referees quit calling the fouls committed on the team by LSU and LSU "won" the game. I saw the pushes the girl took that made her miss the shot and so did the commentators. But this is women playing. They don't take the crap men tend to take and maybe just maybe that will wake the NBA up as to what is going on there. Cause lets be real if the men did what this girl did tonight, they would hurt the player not just cause her a little pride and then would there be another Detroit brawl? Pay attention people the Mavericks as I said are being set up to lose and I for one can see it. If you all pay attention you would too. And for those of you who don't know this it started when Nash left ok? The Spurs told him how to do it so that they could beat them in the playoffs cause they, the Spurs, couldn't beat the Mavs. You all should remember those game series. Where Dampier couldn't make an inside shot? Well Marion was pushing him in his lower back to make him miss. That is what lost the Mavs their run that year. And you should note it hasn't happened since has it? Now all the teams have picked it up ok? The Spurs used it this season to beat the Mavs. Hey they got a bad deal with the players they got from Argentina. Ya know the ones the U.S, was sold out for?
Pat attention people and you will see that this team is one of a few good teams in the NBA and someone is trying to bring them down in a hurry.
lynnette lewis--lynnlb@hotmail.com
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Jeff Yang about 1 year ago
While I'm at it. Did you watch the Clippers and the Mavericks game yesterday? Maggette had some many non-calls it was ridiculous. These things happen man. Every once in a while there will be a team that doesn't get a call. Do you think the Mavericks are buying wins because of those non-calls?
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Jeff Yang about 1 year ago
"No one wants to admit the Lakers are a joke and the Celtics are too. These are your supposed top teams. The buy a lot big names and then cheat."
That right there already discredits anything and everything you just said. You seriously think there is some conspiracy theory out to get the Mavericks? Hilarious.
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