Sports Talk with MC

by MC

Hello everyone! Thanks for taking time to visit my blog!

As my inaugural entry, allow me to talk about the team that has been the toast of the NBA for 2006-2007, the Mark Cuban owned Dallas Mavericks.

After a disheartening defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat in the 2006 finals, and after losing their first four games in the ‘07 campaign, the Mavs have ravaged the competition, going 52-6 since posting an 0-4 mark.

What has allowed the boys from the Big D to steamroll through any and all comers?

For one thing, they have a newfound commitment to defense. Head coach Avery Johnson’s gritty style has rubbed off nicely onto his players, and while they won’t become the Detroit Pistons of 2003-2004 any time soon, they’ve become decent enough to consistently make stops when they count and allow their offensive schemes to take flight. Wingmen like Josh Howard and Jason Terry have proven themselves to be athletic enough to clog up passing lanes, and bigs like Dampier and Diop have become good stoppers down the middle. Couple the passion and the ingredients with impeccable work with regards to spacing the floor and what you have is a system which is not only flexible, but also unflinchingly stable under pressure.

For all intents and purposes, it was cracking under duress that killed Dallas in the ‘06 coup-de-grace. Cuban spent more time crying over spilled milk rather than encouraging his men to play hard. His complacent demeanor invariably rubbed off on his players, who, seemingly in lieu of keeping their eyes on the ball, keep their eyes attuned to purportedly partial officials’ calls. All of these distractions led to Dirk and the Mavs blowing a Game 3 fourth quarter advantage, Josh Howard calling an ill advised timeout in regulation in Game 5, and consequently, the boys in black and blue becoming just that- black, blue, and beaten inside, en route to losing a 2-0 series lead and a chance at hoisting up the franchise’s first NBA championship trophy.

This year’s Dallas team, however, seems more calm and collected under duress than any other. Dirk Nowitzki has become more vocal a team leader and has become the team’s designated 4th quarter marksman. Should teams choose to double off Nowitzki, lying in wait is Jason Terry, a gunner who isn’t afraid of taking big shots. Josh Howard’s game has expanded by leaps and bounds this season, and his physical gifts, tandemed with experience, ought to make for an inside/outside, end to end threat that the Mavs will have the luxury of using in late game situations for some time to come. Veterans like Devean George and Austin Croshere provide grit and composure to a squad that severely lacked such during certain stretches last season. Although erratic, gunner Jerry Stackhouse seems to still have enough left in the tank to make a run at being more of a propagator of success rather than being a deterrent to it, should his minutes be managed aptly.

Dallas can thrive in an up and down Phoenix Suns-esque game, and at the same time, can grind it out with the Rockets and San Antonio Spurs of the world. The Mavs can beat opponents from the outside with perimeter gunners like Stackhouse and Terry, and at the same team can pound you with slashers like Howard and the lightning quick Devin Harris. Nowitzki has developed his post game to the point that a defender’s best recourse would be to foul or risk being burned by a fallaway J. Avery Johnson is the consumate players’ coach. Avery’s guys are consumate listeners and learners.

The Big D as the home of the NBA Champions? That remains to be seen, but with the way things have been going as of late, one would be led to believe that such a reality wouldn’t be too out of reach than initially anticipated.

What a difference a eventful basketball year makes indeed.