Why are the Spurs struggling with this Mavs team?

[Hoopz2332]

This Mavs team has some talent but when I watched them play the Heat this season, I wasn't impressed at all. Maybe the Spurs aren't that great afterall:confusedshrug:

[dr.hee]

This Mavs team has some talent but when I watched them play the Heat this season, I wasn't impressed at all. Maybe the Spurs aren't that great afterall:confusedshrug:

Then you should maybe start watching more games than a few Heat ones. Might help you getting to know the other teams as well :cheers:

[Hoopz2332]

Then you should maybe start watching more games than a few Heat ones. Might help you getting to know the other teams as well :cheers:


I've seen numerous Dallas games (league pass) and they were pretty mediocre.

[westsideozzie]

Its just an even matchup.

[leMVP]

Mavs are hitting their shots.

And Spurs are having a medicore series especially from their best player.

[BuffaloBill]

Because the Mavs are good.

[Dresta]

Because VC has been playing awesome.

[dr.hee]

I've seen numerous Dallas games (league pass) and they were pretty mediocre.

Winning 49 games in a brutal conference while scoring 105 ppg is pretty mediocre? They also choked away some ridiculous games and could've easily had a few more wins, a 55 win season was possible.

They're overachieving in my opinion, on the other hand having Rick Carlisle and Dirk surrounded with a solid but far from great cast is dangerous. Could be worse like, I don't know, Kevin McHale and James Harden?

[StephHamann]

the mavs are better than every leastern conference loser team except miami

[JellyBean]

Because the Mavs are making their shots.

[jzek]

They're old.

[Hakeem>Duncan]

This Mavs team has some talent but when I watched them play the Heat this season, I wasn't impressed at all. Maybe the Spurs aren't that great afterall:confusedshrug:

Manu Ginobili :banghead:

[Marlo_Stanfield]

Dirk still only had one good game this series.
and even that was nothing special for playoff dirk:coleman:

[~primetime~]

Blair, Calderon, Carter, and Ellis have all been playing amazing ball in addition to Dirk

[DMAVS41]

Dirk still only had one good game this series.
and even that was nothing special for playoff dirk:coleman:

Meh...Dirk is averaging 21/9/2 on 49% shooting (what everyone hated on him for) over the last 4 games now in this series...

He had 1 bad game...which was game 1...and him staying in to stat pad in the game 2 blowout wouldn't have changed anything in this series.

I agree it's nothing special for Dirk, but that is only because of crazy high expectations for a 36 year old having to face arguably the best defense in the league in terms of guys that can stop him and a game plan to stop him. He's playing just fine given those circumstances and has come through with back to back big games and made some huge and difficult shots to keep us alive until Monta took over.

Now, that isn't to excuse game 1 for him. The Mavs really needed him to step up late in that game and make some shots and he just couldn't do it. He missed a layup and a wide open 3 in crunch time and either of those makes change the game. And this series is so fragile...it's a total toss up and the difference might be the Mavs blowing that game 1 lead.

But this is exactly how I would expect Dirk to play, outside of like a handful of easy misses, given how the Spurs have chosen to defend him and the Mavs...

[chocolatethunder]

This Mavs team has some talent but when I watched them play the Heat this season, I wasn't impressed at all. Maybe the Spurs aren't that great afterall:confusedshrug:
That's a great sample size. You should conduct studies for a living.

[DMAVS41]

I've seen numerous Dallas games (league pass) and they were pretty mediocre.

This is all semantics.

We would easily be the 2nd best team in the East and the difference between the Mavs and the Warriors/Rockets/Blazers is minor in my opinion.

This is not some throw away 8th seed like the Bobcats or Bucks or something.

This is a team led by a championship level coach and all time great playoff performer (even if he's aging) with a team of veterans that know how to win.

Nobody gave the Mavs a chance in this series because of the bad matchup and respect to how good the Spurs are. If the Mavs had played OKC they wouldn't have been nearly as big as underdogs...and I actually think we would already have advanced to the 2nd round playing the Thunder.

[screeningnick]

The mavs are a perfect example of how having a balanced roster all of which play unselfish team basketball is more important than having a bunch of 'stars' e.g. Houston rockets

[DirkNowitzki41]

Because the Mavs are good.

/thread

[mr.big35]

dallas would been eliminated if vc didnt make that 3 in game 3

[Cone]

dallas would been eliminated if vc didnt make that 3 in game 3

spurs would been eliminated if blair didnt get tossed out in game 4

[Hoopz2332]

Blair, Calderon, Carter, and Ellis have all been playing amazing ball in addition to Dirk


Dirk had one good game:confusedshrug: he's been pretty ehh for the most part

http://i.imgur.com/rVsxJvA.png

[DMAVS41]

Dirk had one good game:confusedshrug: he's been pretty ehh for the most part

http://i.imgur.com/rVsxJvA.png

How could you say 1 good game out of that?

It's actually just 1 bad game....I guess Dirk should have stayed in to stat pad in the game 2 blowout.

Dirk has been rock solid since game 1. With back to back vintage big game performances from him...with 24/10/2 53% fg over games 5 and 6...

And he's doing it as the center of the defensive attention while getting virtually no calls all series...0 ft's last night at home...absurd with how close Splitter/Diaw are on him when he shoots.

[Cone]

dirk isnt playing bad at all. the spurs whole defensive game plan is to stop dirk

ultimate respect by pop/spurs

[JustinJDW]

Blair, Calderon, Carter, and Ellis have all been playing amazing ball in addition to Dirk
This.

[Budadiiii]

This is all semantics.

We would easily be the 2nd best team in the East and the difference between the Mavs and the Warriors/Rockets/Blazers is minor in my opinion.

This is not some throw away 8th seed like the Bobcats or Bucks or something.

This is a team led by a championship level coach and all time great playoff performer (even if he's aging) with a team of veterans that know how to win.

Nobody gave the Mavs a chance in this series because of the bad matchup and respect to how good the Spurs are. If the Mavs had played OKC they wouldn't have been nearly as big as underdogs...and I actually think we would already have advanced to the 2nd round playing the Thunder.
:roll: :roll: :roll:

[[GR]]

Because Parker is playing like trash, and the guards on the Spurs cant defend for the life.

They should have spent the money to get a perimeter defender.

[Eat Like A Bosh]

Dirk had one good game:confusedshrug: he's been pretty ehh for the most part

http://i.imgur.com/rVsxJvA.png
Ehh. Dirk was playing mediocre at best throughout the first 4 games. He stepped it up a little in Game 5 and Game 6. Not a great game, but a decent game. No offense to Dirk, but watching the end of Game 6, I felt like Monta Ellis was the one carrying the team on his back.

[SCdac]

Spurs can't contain the shooting or slashing from Monta Ellis, Devin Harris, Vince Carter, and Jose Calderon. They've combined for 42 of the Mavs 50 three pointers and Monta is getting to the FT line the most. Spurs have singled covered Dirk alot with Boris or Splitter, shadowing him with help D/doubling when need be. It's worked for the most part, Dirk has been average at best, but the Mavs backcourt is exposing the Spurs perimeter D similar to the way the Rockets (Harden) and Thunder (Westbrook) did in the regular season. Westbrook in particular went off against SA in some regular season games (27 pts and 31 pts). Tony Parker is kind of a weak link defensively and the Spurs are kind of up there in age.. Parker (31), Duncan (38), and Manu (36).. Parker and Manu seem to trade off on who's going to have a bad/good night, while Duncan is amazingly consistent but lost a step or three.

[Kiddlovesnets]

I think its because of the long-lasting rivalry, the Mavs just play 120% of themselves when it's against the Spurs. If you've watched the four Nets vs Heat regular season games, you will understand what I mean. Mavs and Spurs are like archi-rivals, there's always no lack of motivation, especially from the team on the weak side.

[Haymaker]

I marvel at how underrated Rick Carlisle is. He's up there with Pop, great coach.

[mr.big35]

I marvel at how underrated Rick Carlisle is. He's up there with Pop, great coach.

he made pistons relevant in 2000s

[Haymaker]

he made pistons relevant in 2000s

Indy too before Bird took over.

[dr.hee]

I marvel at how underrated Rick Carlisle is. He's up there with Pop, great coach.

It's just absurd if you're looking at some of his rotations on paper.
Yesterday at times he went with Calderon/Harris/Carter/Crowder/Blair...I mean what the hell? How is this working?

[KevinNYC]

It's just absurd if you're looking at some of his rotations on paper.
Yesterday at times he went with Calderon/Harris/Carter/Crowder/Blair...I mean what the hell? How is this working?

He's completely unafraid of changing his lineups and probably plays more different lineups than any coach in the league.

He goes by what the data tells him is working.