Don't look now, but the Mavs have caught up.

[Fool]

Originally Posted by rapsuhdee

they come here to get our attention because unlike with Detroit we ignore their teams completely and dismiss them as non contenders. That's why we never see Detroit fans making stupid claims here.

I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks.

[Czar Fivvink]

I finally understood,
"SpursReport.com, stastifaction garunteed"

[mckennaspur1]

Is it time to revive the old graphic of Dirk seeing Tim in the rear view mirror?

[Malice]

Originally Posted by inkwell

anyways, dallas is far from full strength. KVH is back on the list, daniels has been there. so has howard. Harris has spent time there, terry, stackhouse is finally back. so yeah if you want to compare injuries, youre gonna lose that one.

thing is, you can "coast "all you want. but the playoffs will looks quite different from the 4 seed position. tims injury isnt getting any better, and wont be till the offseason. so if youre expecting a miraculous recovery, youre in for a long wait. so this is what you have, and if thats the case, you wont make it out of the second round.

Wow, pretty tuff talk for a team who KOBE lit up for near 70, but descided to take the 4th off and spare your team the embarrassment. Great team D there...like I said come back when you team has actually accomplished something....until then, just GO AWAY!

[james_austintx]

Whatever happaned to Mouse..?

[SpurInDallas]

Originally Posted by james_austintx

Whatever happaned to Mouse..?

The cat in my AV ate him

[DreamQuest2020]

Originally Posted by inkwell

thing is, you can "coast "all you want. but the playoffs will looks quite different from the 4 seed position. tims injury isnt getting any better, and wont be till the offseason. so if youre expecting a miraculous recovery, youre in for a long wait. so this is what you have, and if thats the case, you wont make it out of the second round.

Got to love (laugh at) the wishfull thinking of Mavs Fan. Now they are experts on Tim's medical injury. Yea right!

While I am not an expert, it does appear he is better with more time off between games. Most Spurs playoff runs have plenty of rest. TV schedules and the Spurs finishing business faster than their next opponents give plenty of time soak your feet.

[abmccray]

I don't see how you guys deal with Mavs fans, they're like Pacers fans two years ago/before the brawl blabbing about regular season victories constantly.

Dallas beat Detroit and San Antonio on back to back nights for both teams in the regular season in games neither team cared -that- much about. Woopie-doo.

When Dallas gets past the second round, then other teams/fans will notice them. Until then, nobody cares. Same really goes for Phoenix and them beating a real contender in the playoffs.

At least we don't have to deal with Miami/Pacers fans anymore. Poor Spurs :P

[coyotes_geek]

Originally Posted by inkwell

thing is, you can "coast "all you want. but the playoffs will looks quite different from the 4 seed position. tims injury isnt getting any better, and wont be till the offseason. so if youre expecting a miraculous recovery, youre in for a long wait. so this is what you have, and if thats the case, you wont make it out of the second round.

Well if anybody would know about not being able to make it out of the second round it would be a mavs fan................

[dude1394]

Well to be honest I come to the spurs forum to get some inside information on our competition.

Of course there is no use for the mavs to be crowing that we'll beat the spurs, but neither do I fear the spurs that much. Even if the spurs or the mavs had injuries.

Both teams will know pretty early in the playoffs who will be playing the pistons as the two teams will be 1-4 and meet in the second round.

[SoupIsGood]

Originally Posted by abmccray

At least we don't have to deal with Miami/Pacers fans anymore. Poor Spurs :P

Yeah, at least we have that

[RichB]

Dallas is a joke. Oh, I give Cuban and AJ credit - the're headed in the right direction. But unfortunately, they may have wasted valuable years of Nowistki's prime just realizing that. I think they're still 2-3 years away from being able to win the whole thing. Depending of course, if Cuban doesn't blow it all up by then.

I don't think they have enough pieces to get it done. As a matter of fact - I think they still have the wrong kinds of pieces. When their leader and best player is such a dramatic liability on defense (especially in the West) and someone with questionable guts and determination - I just don't see them making that leap into the NBA Finals.

I believe they can give us an entertaining series - but win? I seriously doubt it.

Phoenix and Dallas puts about as much fear into me as Indiana and New Jersey do at this point.

The only team we should be seriously concerned with is Detroit. That's it. They're the only team I think is capable of beating us in a 7 game series.

Until we play Detroit - I'm not going to lose any sleep over some pretender.

[curiousspirit]

Originally Posted by dude1394

Well to be honest I come to the spurs forum to get some inside information on our competition.

DDDoooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by dude1394

Of course there is no use for the mavs to be crowing that we'll beat the spurs, but neither do I fear the spurs that much. Even if the spurs or the mavs had injuries.

Both teams will know pretty early in the playoffs who will be playing the pistons as the two teams will be 1-4 and meet in the second round.

Dude1394, I noticed you joined SR in May 2003 and only have 4 posts. Wasn't that the time of the WCF when the Spurs knocked the _allas Mavs out of the playoffs and went on to win our 2nd championship? I'm sure you joined to congratulate us back then as you probably did earlier this year when we won our 3rd championship? Just checking.

What is the point of your post? To say that you're not crowing and then crow?????

[capitalcity]

Originally Posted by curiousspirit

What is the point of your post? To say that you're not crowing and then crow?????

1. We are even in the standings, which is indicative of the narrowed gap

2. Being that we are the two best squads in the conference, we'll see each other in round 2

cs those were observations not taunts. your just looking to get all riled up.

[RichB]

Originally Posted by dude1394

Well to be honest I come to the spurs forum to get some inside information on our competition.

Of course there is no use for the mavs to be crowing that we'll beat the spurs, but neither do I fear the spurs that much. Even if the spurs or the mavs had injuries.

Both teams will know pretty early in the playoffs who will be playing the pistons as the two teams will be 1-4 and meet in the second round.

I had a pretty crappy day today, but reading this dilusional crap put a smile on my face.

Thank you.

[mg06]

Originally Posted by capitalcity

1. We are even in the standings, which is indicative of the narrowed gap.

It's indicative indeed. Spurs at 60% = Mavs at 100% is truly indicative.

[capitalcity]

Originally Posted by mg06

It's indicative indeed. Spurs at 60% = Mavs at 100% is truly indicative.

Go sell crazy somewhere else, you know damn well those numbers aren't even ballpark correct.

Why is Adrian Griffin starting for the mavs if they're at 100%. At the moment Harris, and Armstrong are questionable and our STARTING SG is still on the injured list.

Yes Manu has missed a significant amount of time. Yes Tim is ailing - but 60/100? please.

[mg06]

Originally Posted by capitalcity

Go sell crazy somewhere else, you know damn well those numbers aren't even ballpark correct.

Why is Adrian Griffin starting for the mavs if they're at 100%. At the moment Harris, and Armstrong are questionable and our STARTING SG is still on the injured list.

Yes Manu has missed a significant amount of time. Yes Tim is ailing - but 60/100? please.

Ok, Ok, you got me... 59-99%? dude, of course there's no accurate measure for the percentage a team is playing relative to it's capacity, you're not meant to read it literally... the point is, if you're arguing that the Mavs are close enough because their record is, you're either delusional or you just refuse to see. The Spurs TWO best players have been battling injuries ALL SEASON LONG... and who is it you counter? Marquis Daniels? but wait... Armstrong is questionable?

[capitalcity]

Originally Posted by mg06

Ok, Ok, you got me... 59-99%? dude, of course there's no accurate measure for the percentage a team is playing relative to it's capacity, you're not meant to read it literally... the point is, if you're arguing that the Mavs are close enough because their record is, you're either delusional or you just refuse to see. The Spurs TWO best players have been battling injuries ALL SEASON LONG... and who is it you counter? Marquis Daniels? but wait... Armstrong is questionable?

Josh Howard was gone for two weeks in dec (remember vs spurs?) and is now hobbled again. Stackhouse has missed all but 17 games. Marquis has been on and off the IR now twice as has Keith van Horn. Any one of those guys is our #2 on any given night.

Injuries suck, but championship teams work through them. I think both pop and Aj should be commended for being able to maintain a consistent level while shuffling lineups.

As for the narrowed gap? Your perception obviously differs from mine... I'm going try to hold my water until April 7.

[mg06]

Originally Posted by capitalcity

As for the narrowed gap? Your perception obviously differs from mine... I'm going try to hold my water until April 7.

Excellent... see, we do agree afterall!

[curiousspirit]

Here we go again trolls: Regular season records are just W or L. It has nothing to do with performance during playoffs. _allas is simply not a very good or even good D team, yet. Depending on who makes the playoffs, _allas may not even make it to the second round, especially if they play LAL in the first round. If by some chance they do, the series will be entertaining, but I bet it all on the 3-time defending champions over a team that has never been to a finals. _allas is too soft to last through the playoffs.

In any event, it is way too early to even be discussing standings when we are only halfway through the regular season. Get a grip and stop celebrating too early. Phoenix came in last year with the best record in the league and yet it only took 5 games for the Spurs to move past them. Your celebrations and declarations are a bit premature, as always.

[capitalcity]

Calm down cs... don't wear out your _ key just yet.

[curiousspirit]

so sorry, didn't mean to get riled up

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by curiousspirit

DDDoooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!



Dude1394, I noticed you joined SR in May 2003 and only have 4 posts. Wasn't that the time of the WCF when the Spurs knocked the _allas Mavs out of the playoffs and went on to win our 2nd championship? I'm sure you joined to congratulate us back then as you probably did earlier this year when we won our 3rd championship? Just checking.

What is the point of your post? To say that you're not crowing and then crow?????

You spurs fans sure are a sensitive lot. I don't know if I congratulated you or not, I put in my post why I come here.

So crowing is stating the fact that we will be playing each other in round 2?? I don't get that?

Saying that I don't "fear" your spurs is just a fact, I don't. I think the spurs have a great team and it will be (of course imo) a really tight series as I said. I don't really recall predicting it either.

I sort of take Bill Parcells approach, you are what your record says you are. I usually look at a scoreboard and what I see is a team that is easily the third best and arguably 2nd best behind detroit. I don't recall coming on this board and pulling out that tired old, what was it by the lakers fans, *purs or something.

If you think this is crowing you really DO have some thin skin..

Originally Posted by curiousspirit

_allas is simply not a very good or even good D team, yet. [/b].

This one is interesting to me. So let's try to determine how you do/do not measure defense by stats versus lung power. Jump in here if you have something to add.

PPG For/Against : Spurs 95-88, Mavs 100-94
FG% Against : Spurs 43%, Mavs 44%
3PTFG% Against : Spurs 34%, Mavs 34%
Rebounds For/Against : Spurs 42-41 , Mavs 43-39
BPG : Spurs 6, Mavs 6
SPG : Spurs 6, Mavs 7

Are you charles barkley by chance? Your assertion makes about as much sense as his do.

[curiousspirit]

Originally Posted by dude1394

So crowing is stating the fact that we will be playing each other in round 2?? I don't get that?

Fact?? We are only halfway through the season and you are stating a fact. Okayyyy.

Originally Posted by dude1394

I sort of take Bill Parcells approach, you are what your record says you are. I usually look at a scoreboard and what I see is a team that is easily the third best and arguably 2nd best behind detroit. I don't recall coming on this board and pulling out that tired old, what was it by the lakers fans, *purs or something.

That's probably what the Suns thought last year.

Originally Posted by dude1394

This one is interesting to me. So let's try to determine how you do/do not measure defense by stats versus lung power. Jump in here if you have something to add.

PPG For/Against : Spurs 95-88, Mavs 100-94
FG% Against : Spurs 43%, Mavs 44%
3PTFG% Against : Spurs 34%, Mavs 34%
Rebounds For/Against : Spurs 42-41 , Mavs 43-39
BPG : Spurs 6, Mavs 6
SPG : Spurs 6, Mavs 7

If you spend your time lurking around our forum, then you would know that this issue has been discussed way to much to do it again. So I'll provide you with a link that will direct you into that discussion.

http://www.spursreport.com/forums/sh...t=48321&page=2 (Twenty-five teams have been eliminated from championship contention.)

Originally Posted by dude1394

Are you charles barkley by chance? Your assertion makes about as much sense as his do.

Thank you for the compliment.

[mg06]

Originally Posted by dude1394

I sort of take Bill Parcells approach, you are what your record says you are.

Ultimately, this is what it comes down to. You think your regular season's record determines how good you are, most Spurs fans would rather look at post-season performance. Something along the lines of 'you are what your record says you are' vs 'you are what you have done when it really matters'... preferably tangible accomplishments, otherwise known as championships. Too much? Ok, Ok... NBA finals it is, then. No? hmmm... I guess we'll have to wait then.

I'm sure you can see why your team doesn't gather the respect you think you've earned. And don't bother trying to explain otherwise, just come back when -and IF- you've proven otherwise.

But please, keep on celebrating those wins, and don't let any of our crap spoil your regular season by any means, OK?

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by mg06

Ultimately, this is what it comes down to. You think your regular season's record determines how good you are, most Spurs fans would rather look at post-season performance. Something along the lines of 'you are what your record says you are' vs 'you are what you have done when it really matters'... preferably tangible accomplishments, otherwise known as championships. Too much? Ok, Ok... NBA finals it is, then. No? hmmm... I guess we'll have to wait then.

I'm sure you can see why your team doesn't gather the respect you think you've earned. And don't bother trying to explain otherwise, just come back when -and IF- you've proven otherwise.

But please, keep on celebrating those wins, and don't let any of our crap spoil your regular season by any means, OK?

I'm really not doing much of any of the stuff you attest to me. Our regular season record is what it is, the same as San Antonio at the half. I'm not predicting anything other than a 1-4 matchup between us unless the Suns beat us both out of first place. If the spurs were 5 games behind the mavs you don't think that would be significant? You are fooling yourself. The playoff caveat is nice for fans since you can throw it out there like it's some sort of trump card but it's really not. You have to earn it every year and if at the end of the regular season you are in 8th place you probably deserve to be there and aren't going to win much in the playoffs, no matter what you did the year before.

As far as prove it in the playoffs..well that's in the future and can only be resolved then and speculated on now and that's what we are doing via this message board. I, nor yourself can predict it. We've been involved with some championships around here, regular season record and point differential are pretty good historical indicators of success. Not always and even I admit that Nelson was a bit of a quirky coach who had a really nice regular season start in 02-03 and cubes was pretty idiotic to turn over the team every year. But those two dynamics are gone no matter whether informed NBA observors notice it or not.

In 02-03 for example the mavs got off to a very hot start and faltered down the stretch race. You could see then that they were probably not strong enough to beat the spurs and didn't. Of course that team no longer exists(including the coach), there isn't even a player on that team remaining except Griffin/Dirk.

If at the end of the season the spurs and mavs records are still essentially the same (which I expect them to be or the mavs to be on top) it will be on. No matter how many championships the spurs have won.

Originally Posted by curiousspirit

If you spend your time lurking around our forum, then you would know that this issue has been discussed way to much to do it again. So I'll provide you with a link that will direct you into that discussion.

http://www.spursreport.com/forums/sh...t=48321&page=2 (Twenty-five teams have been eliminated from championship contention.)

Yea I went there and the only post worth reading was about the points per possession the rest of it was childish name calling.

[rjv]

Originally Posted by capitalcity

Josh Howard was gone for two weeks in dec (remember vs spurs?) and is now hobbled again. Stackhouse has missed all but 17 games. Marquis has been on and off the IR now twice as has Keith van Horn. Any one of those guys is our #2 on any given night.

Injuries suck, but championship teams work through them. I think both pop and Aj should be commended for being able to maintain a consistent level while shuffling lineups.

As for the narrowed gap? Your perception obviously differs from mine... I'm going try to hold my water until April 7.

but isn't having van horn out more of an advantage?

[BlitzKriegBop]

Originally Posted by rjv

but isn't having van horn out more of an advantage?

i concur! van horn belongs in the chokers hall of fame.

[capitalcity]

Just like van exel - van horn is feast or famine. Hopefully his services won't be needed down the stretch...

[curiousspirit]

I have finally figured out why the _allas trolls keep coming here. Their own forum is about the same as realgm. They are children who try to outdo each other in dogging the Spurs, the refs, TNT and the Suns. They rarely say anything that induces intelligent discussion and resort to blaming the Spurs and everyone else for lack of respect that they get. (how oxymoronic is that). They don't understand (or refuse to admit) that the proof is in the championships.

Most people here are intelligent enough to understand the bigger picture without throwing out stats that can be manipulated to say whatever you want them to say. They use wishful thinking and meaningless stats (like the scores of individual games that the Spurs lost vs the Mavs???) as facts that they are better.

I have finally figured out that they are not worth responding to because all they do is whine like children.

[aexchange]

Originally Posted by curiousspirit

I have finally figured out why the _allas trolls keep coming here. Their own forum is about the same as realgm. They are children who try to outdo each other in dogging the Spurs, the refs, TNT and the Suns. They rarely say anything that induces intelligent discussion and resort to blaming the Spurs and everyone else for lack of respect that they get. (how oxymoronic is that). They don't understand (or refuse to admit) that the proof is in the championships.

Most people here are intelligent enough to understand the bigger picture without throwing out stats that can be manipulated to say whatever you want them to say. They use wishful thinking and meaningless stats (like the scores of individual games that the Spurs lost vs the Mavs???) as facts that they are better.

I have finally figured out that they are not worth responding to because all they do is whine like children.

attention pot. the kettle is calling you. calling mavs fans children is a little silly when your post has 7 emoticons.

[cope]

Originally Posted by aexchange

attention pot. the kettle is calling you. calling mavs fans children is a little silly when your post has 7 emoticons.

I think trolls are silly.

[falcoz2003]

I'm very excited that Dallas is playing so well. I am very happy for Avery and the way he seems to have changed the franchise's approach to prioritizing the defense. The situation will only benefit the Spurs by keeping them focused and determined to improve during the second half of the season. I will keep my eye on Dallas and how they deal with the pressure. This group did not keep their composure during the playoffs last year. They went into the playoffs clicking at home under Avery (I believe) but were unable to respond when the going got rough. When I hear Cuban speak with acceptance that the Mavs lost a game or series fair and square, then I will fear them as a legitimate contender. When the head of the snake professes conspiracy or other paranoia, the team will not look at themselves to improve and will self-destruct when the breaks are against them. The Spurs may have never recovered from .04 without taking responsibility for the failure, but look how the team closed out on defense against the Sonics and Pistons in last years playoffs more crucial moments. The Spurs are constantly improving because of adversity, so G-d bless the Mavs.

[capitalcity]

Jazz's trouble starts very early

Before game's start: Sloan saw problems during national anthem
By Phil Miller
http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_3449595

DALLAS - When did the Jazz first realize they were in trouble Saturday night? Tough to pinpoint exactly, but it was somewhere between the dawn's early light and the twilight's last gleaming.

Yes, these aren't the same old 200-mph Mavericks anymore, the ones who consider defense a chance to rest between shots, the ones who are tough to stop but easy to circumvent. These Mavericks, the ones who hammered the Jazz 103-89 with the same sort of bloodless precision that Utah once specialized in, these guys are different. And it showed up before anyone even took off their warmups.

"It was interesting just to see them line up for the national anthem. It's very impressive," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said of the Mavericks' stand-at-attention uniformity. "I don't mean that facetiously. I think that's a terrific start, when you have a team and you have control of it. The way he [Avery Johnson] coaches that team, I think it's terrific."

That's as opposed to the night Sloan had, watching his far-less-disciplined team settle for 20-foot jumpers and three-point prayers rather than challenge the confident Mavericks inside.

The trend was set early: Dallas set screens, popped Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard and Jason Terry open for little 8-foot gimmes in the lane, then forced Utah to step back for longer and longer shots. By halftime, Dallas had 20 points in the paint, to Utah's . . . two. Yes, two.

"You can't ever beat a team like this with outside shots," said Milt Palacio, shaking his head. "As much as they switch, and the gimmick defense they have, you've got to go right at them. That's how you beat a team like that."

Good plan. Might work. Now, let's look at what the Jazz actually did.

"We had a tendency to think, 'If I break the play and come out wide to get an outside jump shot, that will get [me] open.' Which it does - for a reason," Sloan said.

The reason is Dallas wants to encourage low-percentage shots, the sort they used to take all the time, too. The Mavs forced the Jazz away from the hoop, defended enough to allow only 39 percent shooting, and converted the misses into fast-break layups, 11 of them in all.

And when they have the ball, these newly toughened Mavs stick to makeable shots, set up by screening for each other. That's how you produce a 24-point night for Howard on only 13 shots; he made eight. Or an 18-point night by Terry on just 12 shots; he made eight, too.

Or 21 points for Nowitzki, once an indiscriminate gunner, who this time needed only eight shots (making six) to seem as dominating as ever. In short, that's how you produce a 55.4 percent shooting night, an incredible streak of scoring on 14 straight fourth-quarter possessions - and an eight-game winning streak.

The best thing about running the offense so precisely? It opened up the outside, too, so former Ute Keith Van Horn could fire away for 15 points, including three three-pointers that seemed to come at the worst possible moment for the Jazz each time.

Like, say, when the Jazz took advantage of some sloppy ball-handling on Dallas' part to close within six points just before the third quarter ended. "We kind of stopped playing," Kirilenko said. "We felt like, yes, it's going good, everything will be fine, now we're going to play. [But] no, Dallas is good team."

More than good. A local columnist even suggested in print Saturday that the Mavs might be Finals-worthy, and Sloan didn't discount the notion, saying, "This team really shows you how to play basketball."

So when the Jazz challenged, the Mavs simply responded by holding the Jazz scoreless for the first two minutes of the fourth quarter while Van Horn nailed back-to-back three-pointers.

"We relaxed out there, I thought," said Palacio. Worse than that. "We did a terrible job trying to keep them out of the middle because we didn't help each other," said Sloan, who was without Greg Ostertag due to a suspension for a locker-room argument. "I'm going through a stage here, with all the stuff we've had happen in the last few days, [where] everybody wants to point a finger. . . . But we'll get it straightened out."

In fact, in an odd way, the Mavs' success gives the Jazz hope. They were once young and undisciplined like the Jazz; now they stand like Marines during the anthem.

"It looks like we're running in mud to go set a screen. . . . We're very soft. That happens on young teams," Sloan said. "Look at [the Mavericks] - their younger players have gotten tougher and stronger and willing to set screens. Some of that is maturity, some of it is wanting to win."

Yep, Dallas is becoming the home of the brave.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by falcoz2003

I'm very excited that Dallas is playing so well. I am very happy for Avery and the way he seems to have changed the franchise's approach to prioritizing the defense. The situation will only benefit the Spurs by keeping them focused and determined to improve during the second half of the season. I will keep my eye on Dallas and how they deal with the pressure. This group did not keep their composure during the playoffs last year. They went into the playoffs clicking at home under Avery (I believe) but were unable to respond when the going got rough. When I hear Cuban speak with acceptance that the Mavs lost a game or series fair and square, then I will fear them as a legitimate contender. When the head of the snake professes conspiracy or other paranoia, the team will not look at themselves to improve and will self-destruct when the breaks are against them. The Spurs may have never recovered from .04 without taking responsibility for the failure, but look how the team closed out on defense against the Sonics and Pistons in last years playoffs more crucial moments. The Spurs are constantly improving because of adversity, so G-d bless the Mavs.

Fair enough, but I think you put too much significance on cubes. Avery is the head of this team, cubes is sort of a sideshow. And AJ doesn't really allow the team to accept excuses. Not b2bs, injuries, nothing.