My problem with the Mavericks

[Clippersfan86]

First off.. I'd have to see this is the first season where I'd have to say I'm rooting for the Lakers to go down. I'd be happy to see the Mavericks whoop them. Why? Because they decided to be lazy all season and not put in work and think they can flip a switch and cruise through the playoffs. I'm all about the team winning that deserves to win. The team that puts in hard work all season long.

Now my problem with the Mavs though has to do with not having any guts. I'm not talking about toughness because Chandler, Stevenson and Brewer added a lot of that. I'm talking about when someone on the other team cheap shots your man you get in his face.. shove him.. throw a punch whatever you have to do to make it clear you won't put up with that sh**. Ron Artest shoved Marion in the back into the Mavs bench.. and all the Mavs turned their heads like they wanted nothing to do with Ron. Then after Ron hits Barea in the face.. Marion and Terry who were right there didn't do a damn thing about it.

These guys shouldn't be afraid. How many NBA players in the last 20 years have gotten into a real fight and thrown a real punch? Ron may be crazy but it doesn't mean he knows how to fight or should intimidate your entire team. If Ron was taking cheapshots on a team like Portland or Memphis.. who has a few guys who will throw down.. none of this shit would be happening. I've seen Aldridge, Andre Miller, Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and all those guys ***** slap, punch, tackle or w/e else other players.

Long story short.. it's really hard for me to respect a team that doesn't even stand up for itself. You don't want to be considered soft anymore? Start defending teammates. Stop getting punked when the game gets tough. I hope Dallas wins but this business of them letting other teams push them around annoys me.

[Goliath Uterus]

The only problem I have with the Mavericks is Mark Cuban. He's a ginorma douche

[Assassin]

DeShawn Stevenson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWdluT_DOxw

[DMAVS41]

First off.. I'd have to see this is the first season where I'd have to say I'm rooting for the Lakers to go down. I'd be happy to see the Mavericks whoop them. Why? Because they decided to be lazy all season and not put in work and think they can flip a switch and cruise through the playoffs. I'm all about the team winning that deserves to win. The team that puts in hard work all season long.

Now my problem with the Mavs though has to do with not having any guts. I'm not talking about toughness because Chandler, Stevenson and Brewer added a lot of that. I'm talking about when someone on the other team cheap shots your man you get in his face.. shove him.. throw a punch whatever you have to do to make it clear you won't put up with that sh**. Ron Artest shoved Marion in the back into the Mavs bench.. and all the Mavs turned their heads like they wanted nothing to do with Ron. Then after Ron hits Barea in the face.. Marion and Terry who were right there didn't do a damn thing about it.

These guys shouldn't be afraid. How many NBA players in the last 20 years have gotten into a real fight and thrown a real punch? Ron may be crazy but it doesn't mean he knows how to fight or should intimidate your entire team. If Ron was taking cheapshots on a team like Portland or Memphis.. who has a few guys who will throw down.. none of this shit would be happening. I've seen Aldridge, Andre Miller, Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and all those guys ***** slap, punch, tackle or w/e else other players.

Long story short.. it's really hard for me to respect a team that doesn't even stand up for itself. You don't want to be considered soft anymore? Start defending teammates. Stop getting punked when the game gets tough. I hope Dallas wins but this business of them letting other teams push them around annoys me.

The Mavs huddled up with 3 minutes left and all agreed to not react when somebody on the Lakers takes a cheap shot.

We knew it was coming and everyone agreed to not react no matter what.

Its called being smart.

[SinJackal]

Marion and Terry didn't get into a fight and didn't subsequently suspended for game 3. Not throwing punches or getting into a scuffle was a good thing.

It isn't like the NBA has fights in it like hockey. There's no reason to rush at guys who try to clothesline one of your bench players. Anyone who throws punches will get suspended. Not getting involved in fights on the court gives your team an advantage, not a disadvantage. . .

[branslowski]

Remember when David West smacked Dirt Nowitzki?...

[DMAVS41]

Remember when David West smacked Dirt Nowitzki?...

You mean gently touched his face?

Yea. It was really weird.

[Clippersfan86]

The Mavs huddled up with 3 minutes left and all agreed to not react when somebody on the Lakers takes a cheap shot.

We knew it was coming and everyone agreed to not react no matter what.

Its called being smart.

Okay... people didn't stop taking cheapshots at Blake Griffin this season till his teammates almost got into 2 brawls.. and Blake himself went after Tony Battie. It's a fact in sports that... if a team is bullying you.. and your team is considered soft the ONLY way to stop the dirty plays is to stand up for yourself. I understand on them agreeing on it.. but they need one of their scrubs to retaliate. Someone like Brian Cardinal to lowbridge someone or commit a hard flagrant. Marion is too important to get involved but someone who rarely plays needs to take it upon themselves like Brendan Haywood who's done it a few times before.

A 2 game suspension to a scrub player.. will pay huge dividends when teams stop cheap shotting your best players.

[Clippersfan86]

Marion and Terry didn't get into a fight and didn't subsequently suspended for game 3. Not throwing punches or getting into a scuffle was a good thing.

It isn't like the NBA has fights in it like hockey. There's no reason to rush at guys who try to clothesline one of your bench players. Anyone who throws punches will get suspended. Not getting involved in fights on the court gives your team an advantage, not a disadvantage. . .

Scrub player picking a fight in retaliation = sends message you won't be pushed around... while not losing much to the team. You guys can afford to lose Cardinal or Haywood for a couple games.

[SinJackal]

Scrub player picking a fight in retaliation = sends message you won't be pushed around... while not losing much to the team. You guys can afford to lose Cardinal or Haywood for a couple games.

I agree, but he was talking about Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. Those are vital Maverick players. And now look at game 3. Lakers have to play without Artest because he attacked someone. Mavs have their whole team (besides Butler who's been injured for months).

[DMAVS41]

Okay... people didn't stop taking cheapshots at Blake Griffin this season till his teammates almost got into 2 brawls.. and Blake himself went after Tony Battie. It's a fact in sports that... if a team is bullying you.. and your team is considered soft the ONLY way to stop the dirty plays is to stand up for yourself. I understand on them agreeing on it.. but they need one of their scrubs to retaliate. Someone like Brian Cardinal to lowbridge someone or commit a hard flagrant. Marion is too important to get involved but someone who rarely plays needs to take it upon themselves like Brendan Haywood who's done it a few times before.

A 2 game suspension to a scrub player.. will pay huge dividends when teams stop cheap shotting your best players.

Totally disagree.

Its just not who we are and we don't need to pretend to be this really tough team in those situations.

You don't prove your toughness by taking cheap shots or retaliating. Lakers have been fake tough this series so far.....especially Artest.

[DMAVS41]

I agree, but he was talking about Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. Those are vital Maverick players. And now look at game 3. Lakers have to play without Artest because he attacked someone. Mavs have their whole team (besides Butler who's been injured for months).

If only we had Butler healthy. I'd feel so much better. Not sure who beats the Mavs this year with a healthy butler.

[Clippersfan86]

I agree, but he was talking about Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. Those are vital Maverick players. And now look at game 3. Lakers have to play without Artest because he attacked someone. Mavs have their whole team (besides Butler who's been injured for months).

True.. I did mention those 2 guys standing right there. Though Terry hasn't done much for Dallas either lately. I mean... I just know I learned a long time ago not to put up with that shit. Even if I'm playing a pickup game if someone is trying to punk me or my teammates.. I'm going to put them in their place. I know the NBA has penalties like fines and suspensions.. but as I said.. the right player needs to not allow this to happen. Besides if no punch is thrown... there won't be a suspension. Marion could of gotten in Ron's face and told him to cut the bullshit. If Ron throws a punch even better for the Mavs because he's gone the rest of the playoffs.

[adri41]

It happened fast, and then it was over. Barea was fine. The technical had been called, Artest had been rejected. What were they supposed to do, follow him to the locker room and beat him up?

The retaliation was in the win. They didn't need to act like thugs or idiots.

[Clippersfan86]

Totally disagree.

Its just not who we are and we don't need to pretend to be this really tough team in those situations.

You don't prove your toughness by taking cheap shots or retaliating. Lakers have been fake tough this series so far.....especially Artest.

Not about proving something. It's about standing up for teammates. It has a huge impact trust me.. we saw it a lot this season on the Clippers. Blake getting hit in the face, clotheslined and tackled all season long. At first none of his teammates did anything.. and guess what happened? The dirty fouls and play continued. Then vs Portland.. Brian Cook put Pryzbilla on his ass.. and our teams got into a scuffle. Then a couple occasions after that Blake was cheapshotted and we had ejections to guys like Craig Smith for shoving people. It all stopped after that.

If you're arguing that standing up for teammates and getting in someone's face or retaliating won't pay dividends you're very wrong my friend. How many people have flagrantly fouled Kenyon Martin since he retaliated and took Karl Malone's head off? None that I can recall. You don't need to "act" tough.. you need to man up and defend yourself and teammates.