Bleacher Report - Articles by John Flinchbaugh

Rangers Lineup Grades: First Month

John Flinchbaugh — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:27:34 -0400

About one month is in the books for the 2009 Texas Rangers season. Before jumping into grading each hitter for their first month performance, lets look at the team's overall rank for key stats in the American League

Current place in the Standings: 16-13, 1st in the AL West

Home Runs: 50, 1st in AL

Runs: 166, 3rd in AL

Batting Avg: .282, 4th in AL

Stolen Bases: 23, 4th in AL

On-base Pct: .334, 10th in AL

What stands out from these stats is that the Rangers are hitting well and scoring runs, but their on-base percentage is still lacking. Nevertheless, they are near the top of the league in stolen bases, which is a pleasant surprise.

BATTING LINEUP

1. 2B Ian Kinsler .325, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 8 SB

Grade: A+. Kinsler is a phenomenal player and is the most fun to watch on this team. He's also the team's best player now. He will make a run at the AL MVP trophy this year if he stays healthy.

2. 3B Michael Young .328, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 12 Doubles

Grade: A. Michael Young has re-found some power and is hitting as well as he ever has. It's good to see him rebound after a sub-par season by his standards.

3. OF Josh Hamilton .242, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 3 SB, 3 BB, 15 SO

Grade: B-. Josh is struggling this year so far. Hopefully he comes back strong from his injury. Only drawing three walks is unacceptable, but he only has 66 AB so far. His fielding though is still very valuable to this club. If not for the fielding, his grade would be in the C-range. I expect Josh to have a great season, but if we're grading by the first month, it's hard to give him a high mark.

4. DH Hank Blalock .245, 7 HR, 19 RBI

Grade: B. I personally would like to see Hank hit for AVG. more than HR. That being said, 7 home runs in the first month is encouraging to see. Half his hits are for extra bases. If he hits 25-30 home runs with a .270 AVG, it's a very successful season for the Hammer.

5. OF Nelson Cruz .282, 7 HR, 20 RBI

Grade: A-. Great start to the season for Nellie, as he's picking up where he left off in Oklahoma City (AAA). He struck out four times Friday in Chicago during the Rangers' 6-0 win over the White Sox, but the stats speak for themselves. He's hitting for power and his average is very solid. If he keeps this up, he will have a special season.

6. OF Marlon Byrd .323, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 10 SO, 12 Doubles

Grade: A-. Byrd had a very slow start last season. Normally a second-half of the season guy, he's hitting for average, collecting his doubles, and not striking out very often. Very valuable middle of the order presence on this team, and his fielding is solid as well.

7. OF David Murphy .200, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Grade: D. Murphy had a great rookie season last year. A double machine, he has gotten off to a slow start this year. He is showing signs of picking up the pace, with two hits Friday at the White Sox. Expect Murphy to end up with numbers like a .270 AVG, 15 HR, and 60 RBI. Anything can happen in this Rangers lineup, and when Murphy is on, he's on fire.

8. 1B Chris Davis .212, 7 HR, 14 RBI, 47 SO

Grade: C+. The power numbers are impressive. The average is not. The strikeout total is absolutely unacceptable, 47 strikeouts in 99 AB's. That speaks for itself.

9. Elvis Andrus .265, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB

Grade: A. Very pleased with his debut. The guy is 20, he deserves an A.

What Is the Greatest Sports Trophy?

John Flinchbaugh — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:19:46 -0400

Recently, I've been having a debate with my friends about what is the best sports trophy of all time. Instead of deciding this, I want to leave this up to the readers in deciding this one. There are several criteria that have to be examined here.

Criteria

Hardest to win
Best-looking
Most prestigious
Best tradition/history
Most recognizable

Your comments and votes would be greatly appreciated. When you comment on the article, please give your vote for each of the above categories. Just number them accordingly. After a couple weeks, we'll see what appears to be the greatest sports trophy. In the meantime, answer the generic poll question: "What is your favorite sports trophy?"

Memorable Sports Game Shows

John Flinchbaugh — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:47:04 -0400

Some of TV's most memorable game shows have asked everyday people to tap into their inner athletes.

So what exactly would happen if professional athletes were invited to play on these game shows? From the Nickelodeon classics like "Legends of the Hidden Temple" and "Guts" to the Japanese "Unbeatable Banzuke" to the recent "Hole in the Wall," it would be intriguing, absurd, and life-changing to watch athletes compete in these shows.

First, I have to mention one athlete who would work for basically any of these competitions. That athlete is Terrell Owens. Love him or hate him, Owens already has practice at this "sport" by participating in the NBA All-Star Celebrity game.

In fact, he's won more MVP's in that event than in the NFL. Inherent truths like these have Bill Walton screaming "Goodness gracious, Terrell, where are your priorities?"

Anyway, it's time to announce the ideal athletes I have participating in these game shows. Feel free to suggest who you would like to see as well.

Legends of the Hidden Temple

You have to think of safari-type people for this game show. It's hard to find athletes that fit this category. Personally, I think one of the best game show endings is when these contestants have to go through the Hidden Temple.

Undoubtedly, more than half the time, the contestants do not actually arrive at the final destination. They also could get "kidnapped" by the temple guards, which was frightening to me when I was a kid.

I'd like to see Louis Amundson and Anderson Varejao as teammates in this competition against Jon Barry and Brent Barry. In other words, a set of brothers against two crazy-haired kids that could easily be brothers. I know, Varejao is from Brazil.

My point is that I think the Barry family would get crushed by Louis and Anderson. I'm talking the type of performance that would leave Rick Barry crying in the stands afterwards.

Guts - The Aggro Crag

As you can see from the featured picture, I'd like to see a battle between Steve Nash, Tony Romo, and Manny Ramirez.

Third place: Romo has never won a playoff game, so he would naturally come in third place. Why? Numerous reasons. Jessica Simpson would be screaming from the stands, obviously distracting him.

He'd also probably remember the embarrassments of the past three Cowboys seasons. Believe me, I'm a Cowboys fan. I love Romo, but I also get the humor involved with him.

Second place: It's just Manny being Manny. Manny would throw several falling styrofoam rocks at Romo. By the end of the game, Romo would be at the bottom of the aggro crag mountain. Manny would be camping out midway up the mountain, just waiting for Romo to attempt to climb again.

First place: I mean, come on, who is the two-time MVP out of this trio? Steve Nash would not even be challenged in this competition. With the double entente of Jessica Simpson and Manny Ramirez making Romo's job nearly impossible, Steve Nash would race up the mountain in lightning speed.

Of course, he'd take time at the top of the mountain to look down at the Manny-Romo humor. In fact, he might even throw an assist to Manny by passing him one of the aggro crag styrofoam squares. After awhile, he'd get bored, and slam that button at the top to claim his Guts Aggro Crag Championship.

Unbeatable Banzuke - Stilts Obstacle Course

If you haven't seen Unbeatable Banzuke, start watching G4. This is a pretty amazing gameshow. There is much more athleticism and skill involved than the aforementioned Nickelodeon shows.

I don't like every competition on this show, but the one where people attempt to surpass obstacle courses on stilts is particularly incredible (and dangerous).

Naturally, I would like to see two "athletes" who are already on stilts in comparison to the rest of society. Former NBA Height Super Stars Shawn Bradley and Gheorghe Muresan have to face off in this competition.

On stilts, they would be around 8.5 to 9 feet tall. Not only would this look hilarious, but they would be in severe trouble once they fell. I mean tall people like these guys sprain their ankles just from walking around.

Imagine how badly they would be injured by falling on stilts. They might even break a leg. A normally built human on Unbeatable Banzuke is subject to extreme pain when failing on this show, so I can't even imagine what would happen to Bradley and Muresan.

In the end, I think Shawn Bradley would win this battle. His ability to hit 16-foot baseline jumpers shows his finesse. Also, he would win despite only staying on the stilts for five seconds. My apologies to Muresan.

Hole in the Wall

I decided to include this show because it is painfully terrible and hilarious. I probably have watched it for a combined 30 seconds, but I think I get the point. Shaquille O'Neal and Nate Robinson need to square off in this.

I want to see if Shaq could be knocked off the platform and actually fall into the green (correct color?) water. Nate Robinson would dominate. That guy could fit into any hole. And yes, that's what she said. Shaq would provide some nice humor though.

Anyway, that's that. Memorable sports game shows with memorable athletes. Could it get any better for reality TV? I'd watch it, that's for sure.

P.S. I apologize for the horrid Photoshop editing on the picture.

Comparing and Contrasting Dallas Mavericks-Phoenix Suns

John Flinchbaugh — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:55:09 -0400

These are two teams that were part of the “Big Three” in the West slightly more than a year ago.

Both teams were extremely exciting and featured old buddies.

It's not a secret the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns aren't what they used to be. The Mavericks are fighting for the playoffs and are seemingly glued to the No. 8 seed.

Meanwhile, the Suns appear to be headed to their first directly awarded lottery pick since Steve Nash returned to the desert.

Let’s break down each player in both starting lineups right now, along with their coaching and bench.

Coaching

Rick Carlisle has done a fine job with the Mavericks, considering the injuries (Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse) he has had to put up with. When Antoine Wright is forced to start every game, it is impressive that the team can still be 43-30.

Carlisle’s player rotations are much more logical than Avery Johnson's. Needless to say, the defense is suspect. Johnson was much better in that category.

Former Suns head coach Terry Porter is an idiot. I'm sorry; there's nothing else to say. Alvin Gentry has brought the Suns back where they need to be. I mean, they lead the league in scoring for the season, even with Porter at the helm for a while.

Winner: Tie

Point Guard

Jason Kidd has done a fine job this year with the Mavs. Yes, his passing is magnificent, but his 41 percent three-point shooting is what stands out the most.

Kidd is a great point man for Dirk Nowitzki. What this team really needs is a shooting guard.

Steve Nash is Steve Nash though. I think we know who wins here.

Winner: Steve Nash

Shooting Guard

Antoine Wright or Jason Richardson? Yawn.

Winner: Jason Richardson

Small Forward

Josh Howard or Grant Hill? Well, Howard has only played 45 games this year. Hill has played every game. People would think it would be opposite considering Hill is injury prone. Phoenix has clearly had the edge at this position as well.

Winner: Grant Hill

Power Forward

Nowitzki has had arguably the best season of his career, and it's a shame it has to come with a supporting cast like this one. The Mavericks have a better record than the Suns, and they are missing out at every other position. Do the math.

Winner: Dirk Nowitzki

Center

Shaq > Erick Dampier. Shaq currently has a free-throw percentage of 61 percent. That being said, I've appreciated Dampier's effort this season. He's had moments of brilliance.

Winner: Shaq

Bench

The Mavericks are not made up of just Nowitzki. When you have Jason Terry, Brandon Bass, James Singleton, and JJ Barea coming off the bench, it definitely helps your team out.

Arguably, if the team wanted to put its best five players in the starting lineup, they would throw Kidd, Terry, Bass, Howard, and Nowitzki. In reality, only two of those players get to start.

The Suns do not have a better bench. If they did, then they wouldn't be out of the playoff race.

Winner: Dallas Mavericks

The 2008-09 Dallas Mavericks: What Should Fans Expect?

John Flinchbaugh — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:39:17 -0400

It's less than two months until the start of the NBA season. One of the most boring offseasons in recent Mavericks history leaves many fans with a sense of doubt for the future of this franchise. Is all hope lost? Could this team somehow still find a way to squeeze themselves into a better situation?

Maybe, and maybe not. I'll give my preseason grades for the status of all five positions (PG, SG, SF, PF, C) on this team.

PG: Jason Kidd, Jose Juan Barea

Kidd is coming off another Olympic gold medal-winning performance. The thing that doesn't make sense to me is that he gave his gold medal to a lady associated with the Wynn Las Vegas casino. I do not like the Wynn casino. That was the casino I lost the most money from when I paid a visit to Las Vegas in March.

That being said, Jason Kidd is 35 years old. The main issue for Kidd is whether or not he will work better for this team under Rick Carlisle's system. What that system is? I'm not sure yet, but I hear it is supposed to blend offense and defense together.

Barea, well, his insertion into the lineup during a playoff game aganist New Orleans last year may have been the downfall of the season. I like him, though. He provided a nice spark during the regular season. Unfortunately, Avery decided to put Barea into the lineup at the wrong time. Is that Avery's fault? Is that Barea's fault? I'm not sure.

PG Grade: B

GPA: 3.00

SG: Jason Terry, Eddie Jones, Gerald Green

Hearing Terry mentioned as a shooting guard makes me cringe. I always liked Terry as a point guard, which is what he was during his first season as a Maverick and during the NBA Finals run. The reality is that Jason is 6'2". Jones only averaged three points per game last year, which was hardly worth anything.

Green gives me some hope. Why? He's the same age as me. He was born less than four months before me. I have faith in the people born during 1986. I also like his athleticism and upside. Could Gerald Green be the next T-Mac? Perhaps the next Darius Miles? Somewhere in between?

SG Grade:C+

GPA: 2.33

SF: Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George

Three words, respectively:

MARIJUANA, KNEES, I-CANT-BELIEVE-WE-RESIGNED-YOU

Additional words:

I could continue, but I think I will dedicate an entire article to the controversial enigma that is Josh Howard.

SF Grade: A- if this is 2004, C since this is 2008

GPA: 2.00

PF: Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Bass

Ah, finally a sigh of relief.

There aren't really many problems here. Nowitzki has the potential to put together his best year ever statistically, even with all the controversy. It all depends on how well Carlisle's system works for this team.

On the bench, Bass shows promise as a very solid mid-range shooter and rebounder. Don't forget his undeniable ability to throw it down. Bass and Green have the ability to make defenders just look stupid (often referred to short-hand as "POSTERIZED").

Grade: A

GPA: 4.0

C: Erick Dampier, Desagana Diop

Look, I'm a fan of getting Diop back. Did I want the team to use its mid-level exception on him? No, of course not.

I like this center situation on the defensive end, at least. Offensively, it's no secret that there is a slight deficiency. A rather significant one, actually.

Grade: B

GPA: 3.00

OVERALL GPA: 2.87

Conclusion

This is all just talk. Let's go Mavs. Who really knows what could happen this year. We could all be pleasantly surprised.

Please leave your comments, because I'm sure there will be plenty of disagreements. I'm just trying to figure out how much trouble this team is really in, or if it's not as bad as it seems.

Dirk Nowitzki Has Critics, But Where Are Steve Nash's?

John Flinchbaugh — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:15:27 -0400

As a Mavericks fan, I am used to seeing people criticize Dirk Nowitzki whenever he has a poor game.

Never mind the fact that he puts up performances like he did in Game Three of the Mavs-Hornets series on Friday (32 points, 19 rebounds, six assists).

You have to look all the way back to 2003 to find a player that has accomplished that feat in the playoffs. Oh, by the way, that player is Tim Duncan.

Anyway, after Steve Nash and his Phoenix Suns fell to down 3-0 to the San Antonio Spurs, one has to wonder, where are the critics of Steve Nash?

He has Amare Stoudemire. He has Shaquille O'Neal. He even has Grant Hill. Those are three perennial All-Star caliber players, yet Steve Nash gets no criticism?

So who does get criticism on the Suns? It seems like the ESPNs of this world are just in shock that the Suns are down 3-0. It's almost like it's a tragedy, something that the whole world is supposed to be disappointed about.

Steve Nash had seven points, nine assists, and two rebounds last night.

What is that?

As fellow columnist Robert Cenzon (see: The Decline of the Dallas Mavericks) points out, if Dirk Nowitzki were to have a night like that (maybe switch rebounds with assists), he would be labeled a huge choker.

I'm getting tired of this. Compare Dirk Nowitzki's playoff resume with that of Kevin Garnett, or really any other power forward of this era. It boils down to one simple fact that can't be disputed.

Dirk Nowitzki is the second-best power forward of this era, behind Tim Duncan.

To further back up this fact, Dirk Nowitzki has actually beaten Tim Duncan in a series! Do people think Dirk Nowitzki is a lame MVP and Steve Nash is a cool MVP?

Steve Nash hasn't even beaten the Spurs in a playoff series! In fact, they get ousted in embarrassing, scarring fashion every single time.

Winning or losing this Hornets series is irrelevant in proving Dirk Nowitzki's worth. This guy is a true professional. Critics will focus on his shortcomings and ignore his obvious success.

Meanwhile, they will focus on the obvious success of players like Steve Nash and Kevin Garnett instead of focusing on their shortcomings.

Nowitzki is averaging 30 points per game in this series, but does anyone notice that? What are people's response to that?

They're simply just waiting for Dirk to actually have a bad game, and then they will begin to criticize him again as if it was the only thing that had ever happened.

Listen, critics, you know this is true. And honestly, you can continue to do it, because it really means absolutely nothing.

Perhaps you can focus on criticizing Steve Nash instead of Dirk Nowitzki this year, because quite frankly, the Suns are about to be swept in a shorter series than Dirk Nowitzki will ever see in his career.

NBA Playoffs: First Round, Break It Down

John Flinchbaugh — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:57:56 -0400

I plan on allowing the world to know my own projections for the NBA Playoffs, starting with the Conference Quarterfinals.

First of all, I have a question, and it may only apply to the Game 1's of this series: How did it come about that the 4 most compelling series of this 1st round all fall on Saturday? The Sunday games are merely the three least interesting Eastern Conference series and the least interesting Western Conference series (Lakers-Nuggets).

Sorry for that digression. Here are my predictions for the 1st round of the Playoffs:

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Celtics [66-16] vs (8) Atlanta Hawks [37-45]

There's nothing like every year's Eastern Conference 8th seed. It seems like they always are below .500. While it's good to see the Hawks back in the Playoffs, it's hard to say they really had a successful year with that record. Ultimately, acquiring Mike Bibby probably put this Hawks squad over the hump, although they struggled at first. I think with the acquisition of Mike Bibby, his leadership will help the athletic talent that the Hawks possess (i.e. Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Al Horford) to bust out one win aganist this 66-win Boston Celtics squad. That being said, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if this is a mere sweep by the Celtics.

Celtics in 5

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers [45-37] vs (5) Washington Wizards [43-39]

I don't know if the Wizards have what it takes to win this series. Arenas has not been back for very long, but it sure does help to have him back. The Wizards improved immensely defensively this season, if anyone noticed, giving up 99 ppg, which is actually respectable in this league now. That being said, Gilbert Arenas is one of the worst "guaranteers" of wins in this league. While I find Arenas to be hilarious and entertaining, it seems like his personality is recipe for a Lebron James finding all the motivation he can get to carry his team to a series victory.

With all those thoughts, I still like the Wizards in this series, winning Game 7 in Cleveland in front of the Lake Erie faithful. Their commitment to defense this year is the reason why they finished above .500, and I think that improvement will show in the playoffs.

Wizards in 7

(2) Detroit Pistons [58-24] vs (7) Philadelphia 76ers [40-42]

The Sixers have been a team emerging without really anyone on the roster. It is quite amazing that they pulled off 40 wins this season. I tip my hat to Maurice Cheeks for getting the most out of the talent on that team currently. It's truly remarkable.

That being said, Detroit is better this year than the past years, in my opinion. I think they have an edge this year that could see them headed to the Finals. Detroit has a chance to sweep this series, but like the Hawks, I see the Sixers taking 1 from the Pistons in Philly.

Pistons in 5

(3) Orlando Magic [52-30] vs (6) Toronto Raptors [41-41]

Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu have had fantastic seasons. Toronto has fallen off after a better first half of the season. This is similar to Orlando, who fell off in 2007 after a promising start. Toronto is this year's Orlando in my mind. The Raptors lack the defense to stop Dwight Howard, but will win 2 games with Jason Kapono's incredible shooting.

Magic in 6

(1) Los Angeles Lakers [57-25] vs (8) Denver Nuggets [50-32]

This could actually be an entertaining series. If this was a first-round matchup last year somehow, then the Nuggets might even be considered the favorites. Lets be honest though, the Nuggets' defense is inexplicably atrocious. If George Karl gave the Nuggets one minute of a defensive lecture, it would be better than what the Nuggets are being taught right now.

Honestly, it's great that Carmelo Anthony will be taking a defensive driving course in the near future. What he should really be doing after that arrest though is taking some course on defense in basketball.

Kobe shows the true superior team in this series, but the Nuggets win one in LA and one in Denver. Too much offensive starpower on that team to not muster out a bit of success on an unproven Lakers team in the playoffs.

Lakers in 6

(4) Utah Jazz [54-28] vs (5) Houston Rockets [55-27]

A rematch of last year's playoff series promises to be...well, not as interesting. With Yao Ming, the Jazz beat the Rockets in 7 games. Without Yao Ming? Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the Jazz win in 5 here, but since Houston has home court and the Jazz are a horrible road team, this could go to 7 games. I'll stop a bit short of that. Jazz finish off the series during their last home game.

Jazz in 6

(2) New Orleans Hornets [56-26] vs (7) Dallas Mavericks [51-31]

This has to be the 2nd most interesting playoff matchup, besides the Spurs and Suns. A likable star, Chris Paul, leading a likable city in their first appearance in the Playoffs since moving from Charlotte. In addition, Peja Stojakovic incites a piece of the Mavs-Kings rivalry that existed for many years at the beginning of this decade.

Honestly, if the Mavericks had not won their last game of the season, they would not have momentum going into this series. Since they won, they undeniably have it. I don't know if the New Orleans crowd will be as rowdy as they need to be. They surely won't be as rowdy as Golden State's crowd last year. I think that will allow the Mavericks to steal one of the first two games in New Orleans and move on from there. I think the Mavericks will then win their two games at home, give up one on the road to New Orleans, and finish off the Stinging Bees at home in game 6.

That being said, I have respect for what this Hornets team has done. They are younger, more athletic, and have a superstar point guard that is only getting started. This sort of team has the potential to really cause the Mavericks problems, but their lack of a dominant big man (don't get me wrong, David West and Tyson Chandler are solid - just not dominant) will help the Mavericks and allow them to play more small ball.

Mavericks in 6

(3) San Antonio Spurs [56-26] vs (6) Phoenix Suns [55-27]

I can't believe this is a 1st round series. Shaq vs Duncan in the first round? Well one of the two players that have been on 8 of the past 9 championship teams is going to have to leave early. There are many ways to go with this series, but seeing what the Suns have done to the Spurs since acquiring Shaq, it's hard to not pick the Suns here.

Suns in 6

Mavericks-Suns: A Dallas Victory and Waterless Cries from the Big Cactus

John Flinchbaugh — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:35:36 -0400

Those were the two main events on display at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday afternoon.

The Dallas Mavericks appeared to be headed to another loss to a West playoff team. Then, the seemingly impossible happened. It appeared the Mavericks had their hands on a miracle.

Led in full force by Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks executed an improbable comeback in the last eight minutes of the game. As the Mavericks took a timeout trailing the Suns 91-78 with 8 minutes left in the game, I muttered to my fellow columnist Robert Cenzon that my GameCast showed Devean George was entering the game for the first time of the evening. I immediately questioned Avery's decision making, as it didn't seem wise to let George play after seeing hardly any action in the game up to that point.

I was delighted to discover that I was completely wrong. Devean George may have finished with only 2 points and 3 rebounds, but it was the size-able lineup of Kidd, George, Howard, Nowitzki, and Dampier that jump started an incredible 27-7 run for the Mavericks to close out the game.

To think that the Suns only scored 98 points in this game is astonishing, as the Mavericks played horrid defense for the first three quarters. What transpired in the fourth quarter has the potential to be a season-saving boost of confidence for a team that had not experienced an emotional high like this since acquiring Kidd.

Nowitzki's off-balance left baseline "jumper" gave the Mavericks a 102-96 lead and virtually sealed the deal. Interestingly enough, as Nowitzki stumbled before getting the shot off, this spot on the court was the same area that Dirk suffered an injury merely two weeks ago on a Sunday matinee game in San Antonio.

If you were to tell me that Nowitzki's day only two weeks after the seemingly devastating injury would include a comeback leading, MVP-worthy performance against Nash, Amare, and overly confident Shaquille O'Neal, I would've thought you just had a very pleasant dream.

Thankfully, this is not a dream. As for Shaq, it's tough to find water in those tears down in the desert, but Dallas knows how this cactus feels now after a humiliating collapse.

Phoenix has to hope this loss does not serve the same purpose as the loss they dealt the Mavericks which ended a 17-game win streak dating from January to March of 2007. Will this cactus dry up and crumble to the desert's terrain, or will Shaq muster the tears to drive Phoenix into the playoffs with momentum?

All I know is, the Mavericks, out of all teams for heaven's sake, may actually enter the NBA Playoffs with some momentum. Imagine that.