Mmm, Yummy Crow

I guess after being nigh on suicidal after game 1 and incredulous after game 2, I should write about the Mavericks unbelievable championship. It shocked the basketball world. In fact, I think it shocked the Mavs. It seemed at the end of the game that as time was ticking down they just looked at each other as if they were saying, did that just happen? Am I dreaming? The Heat were stunned, too. After one of the Heat's final baskets, when they had to foul to try to prolong the game, they let Jason Terry dribble around like it was a shoot around. They seemed to mail the last 5 minutes of the game in, which was a common theme in the finals.

I listened to a podcast of Miami sports writer Dan Lebatard with Bill Simmons recapping the finals. I didn't count, but he probably said 10 times that the Heat were close to winning all the games and if Lebron James had played to his averages then they would have won. I obviously can't dispute any of that, but the question has to be asked why did those things happen? Why did Lebron struggle so much in the series and the fourth quarters in particular? Why did the Mavs own the last few minutes of the games they won? How were they able to take apart the Heat defense late in games? These are legitimate questions because that is what happened on a consistent basis throughout the series.

After the historic comeback in game 2, the assumption (at least on my part) was that the Mavs it was a blip on the radar. They made a few shots and surprised the Heat, but it wouldn't happen again and game 3 seemed to prove that out. But in game 4, Mavs outscored the Heat by 7 in the 4th and won by 3. In game 5, the Heat were up again by 4 with four mins to go, but lost by 9! In game 6, the Mavs led most of the game, but after the Heat got to within four early in the fourth, the Mavs answered quickly and the Heat never got closer than seven after that.

The thing is in just about every playoff game or series, one can always point to a couple of plays here and there that won or lost the game. Rare is the game, especially late in the playoffs when a team gets so outclassed that they can't play the "what if" game. What if that borderline call went our way? What if the shot had fallen in instead of out (or vice versa)? What if that guy didn't get hurt? In the 2006 Finals, Mavs fan were asking what if the Mavericks had been able to pull out game 3 when they had a big lead and looked poised to go up 3-0? What if the refs hadn't given game 5 to the Heat? Here in 2011, what happened in the fourth quarters goes beyond what if. If it happens once, ok, those things happen. Four times? Whatever happened (and I'm still not quite sure how it happened) was real. The Mavs, shockingly enough, were better than the Heat. The Heat clearly had the talent advantage, but this is a case where the Mavericks' whole was great than the sum of it's parts.

For me, I didn't truly believe until the end. I expected them to collapse or the refs to make sure there was a game 7. At last, the Mavs were stronger than whatever forces were arrayed against them. It was a ton of fun.

The Airing of Grieviences

Today is Festivus and with it comes the airing of grievances, because as the Festivus patriarch Frank Costanza said, "I've got a lot of problems with you people!" Because this is a sports blog (such that it is) it will only have my sports grievances. They are in no particular order, just as they come to me.

1. I'm looking at you, Dallas Cowboys, first, because you are foremost in my mind right now. Every one of you should be ashamed of yourselves for way you've performed this year. I look back on the season and see 1, maybe 2, well played games. But I swear, you have got to be the worst coached, most undisciplined, stupidest team in the history of professional sports! How can you continue to get ridiculous penalties at the worst times? Without fail, every game, there will be at least one snap that comes at the wrong count, 5 false start or offsides calls, several absolutely awful throws by Tony Romo, 2 dumb personal fouls, atrocious special teams play, a crying wide receiver, and 6 dumb looks from Wade Phillips. Has there are ever been a higher profile, less accomplished team than this one? Norm Hitzges call you the Dallas Resumes and that is exactly what you are. A bunch of resumes that have done absolutely nothing. It makes me sick watching it. This last game against the Ravens is just a case in point. Every single part of the team had a hand in that debacle. Romo throwing two of the worst thrown pics I have ever seen, just throwing it up for grabs, and would it kill the receivers to play a little defense on those plays? Two Ravens scoring drives made up mostly by Cowboys penalties. Every offensive play, there was someone coming free, and no adjustment? I know the Ravens are good on defense, but no one should get free runs at your QB every single play! I don't even want to think about those last two runs by the Ravens where there was almost no resistance, a couple of arm tackles and then nothing but space. And the special teams are a laughing stock. And somehow, through no doing of your own, you are on the precipice of the playoffs with a win in Philly on Sunday. Is there any one who has confidence in the your mental make up to win this game? I don't. Forget the mental make up. Does anyone think this coaching staff can come up with a game plan that might make a lick of sense? I don't. The blame for all this lies at the feet of Jerry Jones. This off season, Jerry, cut Terrell Owens, fire Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett and every one else on the staff, and take a dump truck full of your money and drop it in Bill Cowher's lap and give him control of the team. I know you won't do it. Your ego is too big.

2. Ok, Mavs. How stupid do you look for the most recent dumb Jason Kidd trade? Way to go Mavs! Most teams only get a chance to blow the trade of a player once. You did it twice. And what do you have for your trouble? A 35 year old point guard and a ninth place team. Awesome! You aren't even in the same zip code as the Lakers or the Spurs or the Hornets. Good bye challenging for NBA titles, hello mediocrity where you're just quite good enough to get run out of the playoffs in the first round, which is exactly what happened the last two years.

3. Stars. Are y'all even playing? I have no feelings one way or the other.

4. If I had written this a couple of weeks ago, I'd would have ranted for pages at the injustice of college football. Quite frankly, I'm ranted out on that. The bottom line is how the hell does the Oklahoma Sooners get away with losing to Texas on a neutral field and making the national championship game? Remember a few years ago when OU got plastered in the Big 12 Championship game and still made the national championship game (only to get predictably run off the field in that game)? Does OU have pictures of someone? There is something screwed up about the system and it's not gonna change because people are stupid. At the same time, Texas, you should have just stopped Tech. You had the game won and gave it away.

5. Finally, the Rangers. Why does anyone remain a fan of a team determined to hold the payroll below that of the Kansas City Royals? As Tom Hicks smugly says, "I'll be glad to expand the payroll when attendance rises." What happened in the last 10 years to make people think that anything is going to change? At least they didn't finish in last place in the division. They finished 2nd! Wow! A full 21 games out of first place! That's progress. Oh, we may sign Ben Sheets, but we're gonna have to trade Hank Blalock and his 6 million dollar salary. We could get Randy Johnson, but we are going to have to trade Vincente Padilla. Your payroll isn't going over $70 million dollars while legendary spenders like the Royals and the Pirates laugh at that total. Now I am not one of those people that think spending hundreds of millions of dollars is the way to the promised land, but Tom Hicks, you are deliberately ham stringing this team. If you can't belly up to the bar, sell the team. Hey, I think the Rangers are going in the right direction. The Rangers are generally considered to have, if not the best, then a top 2 or 3 farm systems in baseball. But no one cares about the minors. We want results in Arlington. It better happen soon or you'll really see what an empty ballpark looks like.

So, those are my sports grievances. I feel a little better. I think.

The State of the Dallas Sports Scene

It's been a while for me, so I'll jump back in by evaluating the state of Dallas sports. Putting it briefly: it isn't pretty. A year and a half ago we were looking at a series of near misses. Who knew those were the good old days?

Dallas Cowboys: Dallas has underachieved this year, but the problem is not Pac-Man Jones, Jerry, Wade, or any of the other "distractions" that get all the talk. The real problem is that this team has had to deal with something this year that they have avoided for a few years now: injuries. Since they have gotten most of their players back, they have been 3-0, although against weaker competition, bringing their season record to 8-4. The real test will be the last quarter of the season against playoff-caliber opponents. As tough as that will be, it has been made even tougher with the injury to MB3, especially with Felix Jones already out. Going at least 3-1 will be tough enough against these opponents, and having to do it for at least one game with a third string running back makes it even tougher. But if the Cowboys can do that, they should make the playoffs. They have left themselves no wiggle room, but if the Cowboys can't go 3-1, they aren't good enough anyway. For Dallas, the playoffs begin today.

Dallas Mavericks: I'm getting tired of reading articles or hearing radio personalities say that nobody could have seen the Mavs falling like they have. According to this, this, this, this, this, this and this, here at 110 Percent, we are nobodies. The Mavs are as soft as ever, but at least before they were young and soft, leaving hope that they would become grizzled veterans. Now they are just getting old and soft. They talk the same game of stepping up their defense and taking the ball to the basket, but as always, it's just talk. It stings even more seeing Devin Harris blossom into the Tony Parker starter kit that we were always told he would be. As for Josh Howard, not only is he an immature nutcase who can't play four quarters, but now he is also injured. Meanwhile, Ron Artest, who the Mavs could have aquired by dropping Howard, is a strong contributor down in Houston. Sure, the Mavs are on a 9-1 run, but like the Cowboys' last few opponents, it's been done against weak competition: eight of the ten teams have records worse than Dallas. Bad sign: the Mavs only have three players averaging double digit points. Worse sign: JJ Barea, Devean George, Antoine Wright, Shawne Williams and DaSagana Diop all get significant minutes with this club, and the Mavs are trying to convince us that this is OK. I am reminded of the mid-90's when Popeye Jones, Fat Lever, Loren Meyer and Sean Rooks were all supposed to be viable players. Hello, mediocrity!

Dallas Stars: Such high hopes. The Stars ended last season in the Western Conference Finals, but they haven't been able to carry that over to this season, instead fighting to stay out of the bottom spot for the entire league. Things went from bad to worse with the Sean Avery Incident, who likely has played his last game in Dallas. Tom Hicks has always been kinder to his hockey team than his baseball club, but I don't think he's going to enjoy buying out Avery's four year contract. Oh, well, at least everyone in the lockerroom will like each other as they miss the playoffs this year.

Texas Rangers: The Rangers have so far been inactive in the trade and free agent market, and I'm OK with that. Wheeling and dealing has not been this team's strongsuit. Imagine if the Braintrust had left well enough alone: we could have Edinson Volquez, John Danks and Chris Young at the top of the rotation. Hopefully, the Rangers will stick to their new plan of drafting smart, developing their own and making smart decisions. Who knows, in a couple years, the Rangers may be the most competitive team in Dallas.

Championship!

I said in my last post that this season has failed written all over it. But now I've seen the light. I believe in the Mavs. Now they have what it takes to go all the way. Finally, the free agent signing that's going to put us over the top! The too-awesome-for-words Deavan George!! We bow down Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson, and Rick Carlisle. They are surely leading us to the promised land!

Scattershooting Opinions

I haven't written in a while (but neither has anyone else, so I don't feel bad), mainly because I haven't had a whole lot to say. It seems a waste of time to post a couple of sentences and be done with it, but if you put them all together you can become Blackie Sharrod or some other guy with opinions.

1. So the last four games have put a damper on the Rangers and they have continued to fall out of playoff contention. As I write this, they are winning the last game in the series against the Orioles, but are 7.5 games out of the wild card and fourth behind the Red Sox, White Sox, and Yankees. They were never really serious playoff threats, but those first two games against the Yankees were fun. The problem with the Rangers is, stop me if you heard this before, pitching. Their team ERA is 5.31, a full run more than next closest team. Because of injuries and ineffectiveness, they've ran a bunch of rookies and young guys (Hurley, Harrison, Hunter, Mathis, Madrigal, Mendoza, Feldman, etc). Theoretically, they are going to get better, but raise your hand if you're confident in that. I have hope, but a wise man once said hope is not a strategy.

2. About the Cowboys preseason gamethe Chargers scrubs beat the Cowboys scrubs. Big deal. My only concern is this: the Cowboys played undisciplined: lots of penalties and lots of bad special teams play. Maybe it was just the spares, but still, Wade Phillips is not running a tight camp. There's no denying that the Cowboys have awesome talent, maybe the most in the league, but if they lead the league in sloppy play (penalties, special team problems, turnovers, etc.), they'll win a bunch of games, but start to lose them down the stretch when the games get tight. Sound familiar?
a. I know Hard Knocks is just a show and they can show whatever they want, but Wade Phillips sounds like he's just glad to be there. He doesn't inspire much confidence.
b. I'm not real worried about the cornerback formerly known as Pacman. It's been a year since he played, of course he's gonna be rusty.
c. The Cowboys need a real live backup QB. I have a stronger arm than Brad Johnson. I heard Moose Johnston say on the broadcast that he was comfortable with Johnson as the back up. Maybe Brad Johnson, circa 2000, but this is 2008. He can't be counted on to play meaningful time. As a Texas, I hesitate to long for Chris Simms, but the Cowboys desperately someone they can rely on behind Romo.
d. Felix Jones looked really good. Again, mostly against scrubs, but he looked really good. Their 2nd rd draft choice, not so much. But you can tell from Hard Knocks that they love Martellus Bennett, because the TE coach was on his butt the whole time.

3. The Mavericks summer just keeps getting worse and worse. Josh Howard continues to go off the deep end. I mean, granted, if they traded him now they'd be selling low, but at least they'd trade him before he got suspended or killed for drag racing. Then they get nothing.
a. I was skeptical of getting Ron Artest, until he went to Houston. The Mavs just keep falling further and further from their Western Conference rivals.
b. Jason Kidd is in the olympics, playing behind Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Oh, Kidd starts, but played fewer minutes than the other two. In the first game, in 13 minutes this Kidd's line: 0 Points, 0 Assists, 3 Turnovers, 2 Rebounds. Makes you proud to be an Ameican!
c. Then, their only draft choice, Shan Foster, is going overseas. Another in a long line of the Mavs "draft and stash" strategy that has worked so well over the last several years.
This season has FAILED written all over it. Anyone get the feeling that Mark Cuban is interested in buying the Cubs, because he sees the writing on the wall about the inevitable decline of the Mavs?

4. Every couple of years, the Olympics roll around and I think that this year, I'm not going to care. Then I get sucked into it and watch as much as I can. The 4x100 relay last night was awesome! I hate the human interest stories and I can't hardly watch gymnastics, but everything else is great.

Finally, I don't want to turn this into a political post, but is anyone else wondering why George Bush just seems to be hanging out at the Olympics when stuff is going on all over the world. I know in these days of instant access and internet and global cell phones, but it's just a little disconcerting to hear about the Georgia/ Russia crisis, which I think will probably end up being more important in the global situation than the war in Iraq, and he's playing grab ass with the beach volleyball players, waving a flag at Michael Phelps, and leading the basketball team in a "1-2-3 hustle" chant? Is he just mailing it in?

The NBA treadmill

I'm back.

Ever play tennis? Baseline or net? Maybe you like staying on the baseline, where you have more time and can place your shots strategically. Or maybe you're aggressive and charge the net, hoping to force your opponent's hand. Either way is fine, but you don't want to get caught in no-man's land.

Stop me if you've heard this one before: the Mavs have acquired a shooter and. . . what, already?

Yes, that's right. With the 51st overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks selected Shan Foster, 6-5 shooting guard out of Vanderbilt. Word is he's a phenomenal shooter, 42% in his college career, 47% as a senior. Great. Another jumpshooter.

I realize there are few options when you are picking at 51. But does the Mavs braintrust (and I'm starting to use that term very loosely) realize that the last thing they need is another shooter? According to the Dallas Morning News, he "needs to work on his strength and defensive ability." Which, of course, is the punchline of another tired Mavs joke.

And I don't know what the Mavericks have done with the Morning News's Eddie Sefko, but the police might want to investigate. His article is ridiculous in it's praise of a very average draft selection. At one point he says that because the Mavs need more shooters "to help open up the floor for Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard, Foster seems to be a wonderful fit." Funny, I thought they needed strength in the front court and slashers to take pressure off the shooters. And wasn't the trade for Kidd supposed to open up the floor?

And after telling us about his shooting, Sefko spends a fair amount of the article on Foster's second best skill: the piano. That's right, the piano. No other commentary necessary here.

I've seen it coming since their '07 playoff loss to Golden State, and particularly since the Kidd trade, but this team has been caught in no-man's land. If this season had been five games longer, they wouldn't have made the playoffs this year, and they won't make it next year. Mavs fans, get ready for a string of near misses to get in the playoffs and the mid-first round picks that go with them--just good enough to keep you from the bottom of the standings, but not good enough to make some noise in the conference. This team is now running in place on a treadmill: they aren't going anywhere, and they can't get off, either. And they're staying there until the "braintrust" realizes that this team as currently constructed can't compete.

Source: Dallas Mavericks stay put at 51, pick shooting guard, Dallas Morning News

Blow. It. Up.

There is nothing left to do than to blow up the Mavericks. Trade Dirk and Kidd and Josh and cut anyone else who isn't nailed down. Only an idiot looks at this team and says they are legitimate championship contender. Unfortunately, it seems idiots are running the Mavs. They are not in the same zip code as LA Lakers, New Orleans, or San Antonio. They are about to get passed (if they aren't already) by Portland and Golden State. The Mavs are about to be the Kevin Garnett led Minnesota Timberwolves, a mediocre team that gets kicked out of the playoffs in the 1st or 2nd round every year. A wise man once said "You are what you are." In 2007, the Mavs lost to the team that lost to the team that lost to the team that won the championship. In 2008, they stumbled into the playoffs then lost to the team that lost to the team that lost to the team that lost the championship. In terms of tradable parts they have Dirk, Josh, Brandon Bass, and, and, and.... what else? Maybe Kidd? The Kidd trade last year just looks worse and worse. Stackhouse is nothing. Terry is nothing. George is nothing. Jones is nothing. Damp is nothing. This team is done. I'm listening to the draft and Norm and Ben and Skin are talking about the 51st pick in the draft (Shan Foster from Vanderbilt) getting time on this team! Avery was a problem, but he was not THE problem. Changing the coach is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic and this team is on it's way to the bottom of the ocean.

The future of the Mavericks

Well, that's that.

And that's OK. Avery is a good coach who will no doubt quickly be hired by another team. But his demanding style had run its course in Dallas. He got more out of this team than Nellie ever did, but it took only three and a half years for burnout to set in. A change in scenery will benefit him more than Dallas.

It is interesting seeing all the talk in the media about the Mavericks, though. Lots of revisionist history going on. A lot of people were all for the Kidd trade back in February--now they are saying that it didn't work, but the Mavericks had to do the deal because they weren't going to win as is. They are only partially right.

Avery certainly has his faults, but he is not responsible for the Mavericks current situation. This team's problems are a result of poor trades and out of control spending, and that falls at the feet of Mark Cuban. After Don Carter and Ross Perot Jr, it's been nice having an owner who will spend money to improve the team. But the Mavs and their fans are about to learn a painful lesson: it's not enough to spend money. You have to spend it wisely.

How do you rebuild a team? Free agency? The Mavericks have the league's highest payroll this year and are millions over the cap. How about a trade? There are no significant tradeable parts. How about the old-fashioned way--the draft? The Mavericks traded their first round pick this year and in 2010 in the Kidd deal. And that 2010 pick is going to be a good one because this team is going on a long playoff drought starting next season--you're welcome, New Jersey. Remember how bad the Mavs were back in the 90s? Those days have now returned, and with no quick way to fix this mess, they will be here for a while.

So all those trade revisionists were right about this season--the Mavericks were not going to win this season with or without Kidd. But before the trade they had flexibility and the potential for improvement, most of which was traded away for Kidd (while the rest was lost when Josh Howard opened his mouth). In a Western Conference full of young, quick point guards, the Mavs traded one of their own away for an aging has-been. Kidd has been one of the most dominant point guards of his era, but those days are long gone.

All right, so the Mavs are going to stink. But they still need someone to lead them through this playoff drought. Who's it going to be? Cuban has never actually hired his own coach so no one is really sure which direction he will go. Usually it is a safe bet that a team will go with a coach who is the polar opposite of the former coach, particularly when they are replacing someone like Avery. But I don't think that necessarily applies in this case. Cuban doesn't care if the next Mavs coach is a high-octane offensive mind or a hard-nosed defensive specialist. He's going to be looking for someone who won't rock the boat.

Maybe Wade Phillips is looking for something to do in the Cowboys offseason.

Cuban can beat his head against the wall, hire a marshmallow of a coach and keep trying to spend and trade the Mavericks out of this hole. Or he can take a step back, make a smart basketball hire and be patient.

This isn't going to be easy.

Picture from dallasnews.com

110 Percent looking for new talent, Mavs reporter

You may have heard about the flap this month about bloggers and Dallas Mavericks. If not, here's the short version: Tim MacMahon, Mavs blogger with the Dallas Morning News, was ejected from the Mavs locker room by Cuban, and a policy banning all bloggers, regardless of affiliation, was implemented a few days later. According to this Friday article in the Dallas Morning News, the NBA has told the Mavs they must allow fully-credentialed full-time bloggers proper access. But the next part shows why it is important to read past the headlines.

Cuban has implemented a new policy that does not discriminate between professional bloggers and, well, us. So any blogger, and he even mentions Blogspot by name, can apply for a press credential and get in there. This is where you come in.

Since two of the three of us currently here aren't in Dallas, and the third isn't really an NBA guy, I want you to join our team. If you live in Dallas and have always wanted to interview the players, now is your chance. Send me an email and I'll get you hooked up with us, then you can apply for your credential. Act fast, though, because there are only four home games left:

Wed, Apr 2, Golden State
Tue, Apr 8, Seattle
Thu, Apr 10, Utah
Wed, Apr 16, New Orleans

I don't expect this policy to carry over to next year, and playoffs in Dallas are looking unlikely, so let's get in on this now. I look forward to your contributions to our team.

Would the real Dallas Mavericks please step up?

I have seen the light. I have come around on the Kidd trade.

All season, the Mavs have been enigmatic. They would play well against the best teams, even winning on occasion, then they would lose to a lottery team. There was no rhyme or reason to it. Since Kidd got to town, all has come into focus.

So in a word, here are your 2008 Dallas Mavericks: eh.

Since Kidd's arrival, they are 0-8 against the best of the NBA. And they just completed a nice run against teams with worse records. So there you go. The Mavs are average.

OK, not average; they are still a very good team. If they were in the East, they would be in the top three for sure. But in the Wild, Wild West, very good isn't good enough. Very good might even get you a ping pong ball in the lottery, especially when your star player goes down to injury for a few weeks.

The truth is, the Mavs are the same team they have been since 2000, despite Avery's coaching and numerous trades: soft inside, jump shooters on the outside and below average defense. Cuban showed up for Sunday's game with an "Avery's team" shirt as a public show of reconciliation, but the fact is he hasn't provided Avery with the personnel that fit his system. And I'm with Avery on this one. His style wins championships, not jump shooters who don't play defense. Avery has his faults, but this isn't one of them.

This is not to say that this is Kidd's fault, only that his arrival coincides with the clarity. And he is symbolic of the Mavs' problems going forward: this team got old this year. And with no first round draft picks for the next two years, it's going to be hard to get younger. Not to mention that those might be some pretty good picks.

Reality check: the Mavs might miss the playoffs, and Dirk's injury doesn't help. And even if they do stay ahead of Denver, they don't have a chance against any of the top seeds in the West. I'm talking sweep.

This team and front office needs a wake up call. Over the next month, they'll get it.

I don't mean to rip Avery, but...

I really enjoy it when someone says "I don't mean to be ________, but..." because that's usually exactly what they mean to be. In fact, a Google search of "I don't mean to be" can be an amusing way to kill some time. Some examples:

I don't mean to be rude, but you're an idiot. This person is rude.

I don't mean to be a total dork, but I want to remind everyone that there is a total lunar eclipse tonight and, barring really horrible weather here, we should have a great view of it. This person is a total dork. He even goes on to say "Whoo hoo! I loves me some lunar eclipse."

See what I mean? Here's one more:

I don't mean to rip Avery, but...

Last night, the Mavericks lost a close one to the Spurs, 94-97. But coming out of a game that was full of playoff-like tension, everyone is talking about two guys who were on the bench: Avery Johnson and Jason Kidd.

Yes, that Jason Kidd.

For the final thirty-five seconds, spanning two Mavs possessions, Johnson had Kidd riding pine.

Didn't they trade for him to provide leadership? To get easier shots for Dirk, Josh and Co.? To finish games? Does Johnson expect Kidd to do all that from the sideline? Why did he push for the trade if he isn't going to play him in crunch time, especially against the Spurs?

We could all understand when Avery kept a tight grip on the reins when Devin Harris was playing the point. But if you are going to bring Kidd in here, you have got to let him do his thing and get out of the way. If this team is going to have any chance at success, Avery is going to have to get the ball in Kidd's hands when the game is on the line.

Avery has had a phenomenal start to his coaching career. But look at the team he was handed. They were supposed to be good. And let's be honest: he got coached out of the gym against Nelson and the Warriors last year. And last night, his need for control sabotaged the game. Avery's offense is stagnant and Kidd was brought in to be the cure. Instead, he's on the bench.

Avery came in as the anti-Nellie, but after only a few years, he is losing this team. They have already lost some of the defensive intensity he instilled in them. And while Kidd is toeing the company line, Dirk pointedly referred all questions about Kidd's benching to the coach. When you have a superstar with a fragile nature, this is not what you want.

For his part, Avery reasoned that he wanted to spread the floor with shooters so the Spurs wouldn't double team Dirk. This ignores the fact that they acquired Kidd because Nowitzki was having to work too hard for his shots. If Kidd was on the court, perhaps he makes Dirk's shot a bit easier. Avery's decisions have been questionable this year; last night's was madness. Dallas fans thought Avery was brilliant, but since last year's playoffs, he appears to be panicking, with last night's move being the latest and perhaps greatest.

Finishing the deal

I've come to grips with it: Jason Kidd has come home. I'm still not happy with the deal, but since he's here, we might as well see what he can do in Dallas his second time through. So what is Kidd expected to do that Devin Harris couldn't? Make assists, grab rebounds and provide leadership, right? No problem.

Oh, wait, there is a problem: who is going to finish all of those beautiful passes? The Mavericks are jump shooters. All this team does is hang around on the perimeter. I could run this offense--all you have to do is pass around the arc--and believe me, I'm not bragging about that. It would be great if the Mavs introduced a little speed and motion to the offense, but these players won't do it. Howard used to, but he forgot how over the off season.

So we need to make another trade and get a slasher in here. Someone who isn't afraid to take it to the rim and finish a Kidd assist. (Please note: I'm not even going to bother on name speculation. I'm just itemizing the needs.) This team is predictable and easy to defend when everyone is standing around watching Dirk or Josh run an iso. With a finisher, things should open up for the shooters. Without a finisher, Kidd's primary asset is wasted. Most definitely.

Next up is a new back up center. Look, I think Diop was severely overrated in Dallas. Where else does three points and five boards in seventeen minutes make you a fan favorite? Back up center is the new back up quarterback in Big D. But to make it through the West, the Mavs are going to need more than Dampier's six fouls against the likes of Shaq, Duncan and Bynum. I don't care if he is a stiff--a warm body will do.

While we are at it, let's go ahead and get a shiny new back up PG, too. Anyone else comfortable with JJ Barea filling in when Kidd takes a breather? In the playoffs? Me, either.

OK, that's three more acquisitions. Avery still needs to do some tinkering with the offense, and the defensive end could use a little work, too, but as far as personnel go, that about covers it. I'm not sure who they trade away to get them (but I do know who they probably should avoid working into a deal). So working a deal might require a little time.

Wait, the trade deadline is today?

OK, in the offseason, the Mavs need...

Devean and Stack attempt to save the Mavs from themselves

This week I have discovered two new heroes: Devean George and Jerry Stackhouse.

The Kidd-to-Dallas rumors have been swirling for a few weeks now, but the deal was finally all but done on Wednesday. And I hate it.

I realize that I am very much in the minority on this. The Mavs and most Mavs fans love the idea. Kidd's gonna bring a title to Dallas! Really? How many rings does he have again? Since when did Kidd come with title guarantees? But everyone is ready to start planning the parade route again. Let's slow down, folks. If up 2-0 in the NBA Finals was too early to make those plans, shouldn't we at least wait until the players pass their physicals?

You know who else loves this deal? The Suns and Spurs. Oh, wait, that's probably a bad sign for Dallas, isn't it?

Kidd is not a better player than Harris right now. Harris gives San Antonio and Phoenix fits with his speed and Kidd can't do that. Kidd only edges him in two areas: assists and leadership, and Kidd's assists would go down in Dallas. His leadership would be beneficial to a soft team, but that's about it. I wouldn't trade Kidd for Harris straight up. Add to that first round picks this year and 2010? And no more bench? And Kidd's bloated salary as his ability declines in the next few years? Are you joking?

This is a desperate panic move on the part of Mark Cuban that will rank among the all-time great panic moves if it is completed. It'll be right up there with Randy Johnson to the Yankees, Joey Galloway to the Cowboys, and any trade by Isiah Thomas. Dare I? It will be the NBA equivalent of Herschel to the Vikings. Any Dallas fans want to be on the wrong side of that deal?

I'm not saying Dallas is going to win a title this year with Harris. I am saying they won't win a title this year with anybody. And the Kidd trade is a title-or-bust move. Harris has a long career ahead of him, and the rest of the Mavs core still have years left in their championship window. Kidd does not, and his salary hamstrings the Mavs for years, not to mention having to search for a new PG in a few years.

So I'm not too fond of the trade. But before I could begin hyperventilating, Devean George pulled the brake on the deal, thanks to a little-known NBA rule that protects his Early Bird status. George is being ripped in Dallas, but he's my new favorite Maverick. And let's be honest: he is only doing this to protect his own salary. Any readers willing to give up their chance to maximize their earnings? Me either. Unfortunately, George is shooting himself in the foot, because it's not likely a team is going to offer him much anyway since he apparently isn't a "team player".

And if George's personal objections weren't enough, here is the latest: Jerry Stackhouse got caught talking a bit too much. In an interview, he said that he'll have "30 days to rest then I’ll be right back. I ain’t going nowhere." Uh-oh. First Donaghy, and now pre-arranged deals bringing Stack back to Dallas? The NBA will examine the situation and consider banning Stack from returning to Dallas if traded, and perhaps even not accept him as a piece in the trade at all. This is ridiculous. Stack would have to sit out 30 days, and any team has the opportunity to sign him. He might have a deal to return to Dallas, but nothing is stopping another contender from stealing him away. Remember when Cleveland thought they had a deal with Boozer? How did that work out for them?

Either way, though, he's another Maverick hero.

I expect this deal to go through one way or the other—honestly, the Mavs almost have to do it now or they risk losing the confidence of the team. Even though Cuban has said he wouldn't do it, I'd look for Keith Van Horn to be included in the deal as a sign and trade. He could easily replace George's expiring contract and with a bump in salary on the "contract" could cover for the Stack omission as well. This would cost Cuban some extra cash under the luxury tax, but when has money ever really stopped him? He also told us a week ago that the Kidd deal would never happen because it would cost the Mavs half their roster, so his word isn't exactly good as gold.

But if Devean and Stack can somehow keep this deal from ruining the Mavericks, I think I've got my nominations ready for this year's 110 Percent Hall of Fame.

Over the last month and the greater good

It's been a while since I've posted and alot of things have happened.

*The Mavs have been playing well. In fact, they've gone 13-4 since my last post. But Devin Harris just got hurt. I'm not to worried since he's only out for 2-3 weeks. I mean the Mavs almost won 70 last year with Jason Terry at the point, so I think they can survive for a couple of weeks. Unless someone else gets hurt. Then all bets are off. It does bring up the thought of righting at least one of the wrongs of the 90s Mavericks and trading for Jason Kidd. I'll just say this. I'd do it, but ain't holding my breath.

*The Stars have been struggling at 9-9. I don't follow them as closely, but I wonder what they're going to do with Marty Turco. I keep waiting for P.J. to post his thoughts. It seems to me that a Brian St. Louis would be a pretty good haul for Turco. But I know less about hockey than just about anything else.

*The Rangers fortified their starting rotation with the addition of Jason Jennings, who is probably going to fit in well with the Rangers rotation. As an Astros and Rangers fan, I am really really underwhelmed. Hopefully, he is over the health issues that plagued him in his only year as an Astros. But he sucked last year and it was especially bad in light of what the Astros gave up for him. Maybe he turns it around and pitches well this year. But the real problem is that he is another in a long line of pitchers signed to one year "make good" deals who end up sucking, like Pedro Astacio, Ismael Valdez, and Mark Clark. Plus the idea of bringing him and then, if he's any good, trading him ticks me off because I hold dreams (or hallucinations) of a competitive Ranger team that should not be trading off players at the end of the year. But in addition to Jennings, the Rangers also brought in pitchers Eddie Guardado and Kazuo Fukimori and toyed around with trading Marlon Byrd for Matt Murton (which I'd probably do). But overall, each of these moves are met with a collective *yawn*. I have written on my calender that pitchers and catchers report on Feb 14. Can't happen a moment too soon.

*In college sports, Texas won the Holiday Bowl. Which is fine, but really, I expect so much more from Texas. I like what Mack Brown has done so far: hiring Will Muschamp to coordinate the defense and bringing Major Applewhite home. Still don't think Colt McCoy is good enough to take this team to the national championship. Texas Tech won an exciting bowl game, and Texas A&M lost a bowl game. College basketball looks good for Texas, A&M, and Baylor. I don't pay attention to college basketball until March anyway.

*The Titans made the playoffs, but lost a tough first round game to the Chargers. Vince Young has a new offensive coordinator, but I think the real question is is he willing to do what it takes to be a great NFL quarterback. Merrill Hoge not withstanding, everyone thinks that he's got all the talent in the world and is going to be great, but he's gotta want it. Is he going to work on his passing game? Also, are the Titans going to surround him with the talent he needs at WR? In the two years that I've followed the Titans, it seems that Bud Adams, the owner, is cheap. They invested a #3 pick and millions of dollars on their quarterback, but last year completely failed to improve their receiving corp.

*Something else happened in Dallas sports over the last month, but I forgot what it was. I may be repressing memories.

*Anyway, about the greater good that I referenced in the title. With the Super Bowl coming up, the question for football fans everywhere is who to root for. Usually, if I don't have an interest, I root for the underdog. But this year, I hate almost equally both teams. I'm so beaten by the Pats and their "quest for perfection." You'd think after the whole spy thing, the arrogance, the jerkiness of Belichek, the football gods would wake up and kick them in the shorts. But the thing is the Giants aren't a love able team either. Michael Strahan just beats me. Every time I see him, I turn off the TV. In fact, to be honest, I've watched so little of ESPN and quit listening to sports talk radio over the last couple of weeks, they could have called the whole thing off and I may not have heard about it.
But beyond all this: the Super Bowl is further proof that the sports universe revolves around New York and Boston and as a New York and Boston sports hater, this is hell. But in the grand scheme of things, the Boston sports fan must be stopped! First, the Red Sox, now, the Patriots, and coming soon, the Celtics. Even the New England Revolution made the MLS championship! (Full disclosure: I had to look that up. I just guessed that the Rev (as I'm sure they're called) would have been any good this year.) I'm surprised the Bruins aren't kicking butt in the NHL. For the greater good of sports and the rest of the nation. Down with the Pats! Go Giants! (I think I'm gonna be sick).

The definition of insanity

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. By this definition the Dallas Mavericks are insane.

When we last saw the little Mavericks, the completing a waste of a 67 win season being run out of the gym by the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors got to every loose ball and rebound, ran the Mavs ragged with their dribble penetration, and hit every single shoot they threw up there, while the Mavs looked old and slow. But the Warriors juggernaut lasted one round and they were booted out by the Utah Jazz. So the Mavs lost to the team that lost to the team that won the Championship. A complete and total waste of a season.

Unfortunately, it looks like we are going to get the exact same team next year. First, in the draft, the Mavs who admittedly had little to work with in only #34, #50, and #60 picks in the draft, picked another slow white guy. They have been trying to get this exact player for decades! Change regimes and leadership and they pick slow white guys. Nick Fazekas carries on the long and glorious tradition of Uwe Blab, Bill Winnington, Cherokee Parks, Loren Meyer, Shawn Bradley, and Keith Van Horn. Every thing I've read about him is that he is slow. Chad Ford of ESPN said he's Dirk without the ATHLETICISM. Oh, he'll fit right in on the matador defense of this team.

After flirting with possibly trading for Kevin Garnett (a pipe dream that I'll get to in a minute), do they make big splash in the free agent market? No, they resign Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George. I don't mind the Stackhouse move so much as he seems to bring something that they lack, but to just bring back the exact same team from last year is not a good start.

Finally, I'm really tired of the Mavs getting caught in pipe dreams while seeming to leave realistic thoughts aside. This year it's Kevin Garnett. But are they gonna trade Devin Harris and Josh Howard for him? No and they probably shouldn't. Are the T-wolves gonna take Jason Terry, et al. for him? No and they shouldn't. It's foolish to focus on that expecting Kevin McCale to go back to being an idiot. If it happens fine, but don't leave other possibilities on the table. A couple of years ago they put all the eggs in the Rashard Lewis basket even though they couldn't more than the mid level exception while the Sonics could give him a great deal more money. Predictably, he took the Sonics offer.

If this is the team the Mavs go to war with next year, you're hoping for improvements from Harris, DaSagana Diop, and Maurice Ager. At this point, I think the team is behind San Antonio, Phoenix and maybe Utah. And with Seattle getting Durant and Portland getting Oden, the window is closing for this team. And the sad part about it is that it won't matter what they do during the regular season. The Mavs season doesn't start until April. Hopefully, they'll be ready.

Dallas angst

I have heard a lot lately about the woes of various cities, so I thought I would pitch in with my Dallas sob story. But first, a disclaimer: I am fully aware that historically I have nothing to complain about. We've got five Super Bowls, a Stanley Cup, an NBA Finals appearance and multiple MVPs. More often than not, we've been competitive.

But recently, we haven't been so lucky. Oh, there have still been successes, but we've been kicked in the jimmy quite a bit lately.

A quick aside: Hey you, Boston fan. Yeah you. Shut up. Quit crying about the NBA Lotto. Maybe those three shiny new Lombardi's and the Sox breaking the Curse have spoiled you, but the NBA doesn't owe you a top two pick. It isn't your birthright. Deal with it. Isn't it bad enough that we endured your blatant tanking? Must we endure the crying now, too? That New York fan you despise? You are the same dude in a different color personalized jersey. Go get a tissue and blow your nose already. Bill Simmons, I'm talking about you.

Let's start with the Cowboys. When Tony Romo stepped in, it looked like the stars might be aligning. So to collapse in December like they did, followed by a mishandled snap on a chip shot of a field goal against Seattle in the playoffs, was a little hard to take. It was good news when Parcells left, but underwhelming when Wade Phillips stepped in. Dallas politicians actually managed to not sabotage the Super Bowl bid, despite their best efforts, but I'm not counting on the Cowboys being the first team to play at home for the big one. Overall, three jimmy kicks.

Next up is the Stars. This is probably the mildest because they had an average regular season and lost in the playoffs as a six seed to a better team. But to tease the fans by winning three straight only to lose in Game Seven was a little cruel. If you were told that your goalie would get three shutouts in a best-of-seven series, you'd take that, wouldn't you? Me, too. One jimmy kick.

The Mavs. What's left to say? They had a historic regular season and followed it up with a historically bad playoff performance. You might say you'd take 67 wins every time. I say 67 is an insult after the first round choke. Four jimmy kicks. Ouch.

But the worst comes from the Texas Rangers. The Rangers, you say? They didn't tease you with success only to fail miserably in the end. No, this is more a tale of what might have been.

The last (and only) time the Rangers were really good, their general manager was Doug Melvin. But after three playoff series losses to the Yankees he was fired and John Hart began running the team into the ground. Before last season, Jon Daniels took over that role and has continued the process. But at least he found a different way to do it. Under Hart, the team was neglected－Daniels trades the team to death.

Doug Melvin? He has assembled a team in Milwaukee that is tied for the second best record in the National League. Milwaukee!

To make it that much worse, another candidate for the Rangers GM position in 2001 was Dave Dombrowski. When he didn't get the job, he took over in Detroit and remade a bad team into World Series contenders in five years.

But don't think I'm placing all of the blame on the GM: the managers have done their part as well. It appears the the Fire Showalter Blessing isn't going to come true this time. And Ron Washington sure was contagiously enthusiastic in his interview and throughout spring training, but it sounds pretty hollow now that they have the worst record in the AL and second worst overall. We'll never know now, but I thought homegrown Trey Hillman would have been a better hire at the time. Overall, I give it five kicks in the jimmy.

Maybe Griffey should have given his jock strap to a Dallas resident.

Mark Cuban called me a moron

When Mark Cuban was asked if he had any questions about Dirk Nowitzki's ability to lead the Dallas Mavericks he replied, 'No, not at all. Not even a little bit. Anyone who suggests otherwise is a moron. You can print that.'

Guess he was talking about me.

There is no question in my mind about Nowitzki's disability to lead. He's a great player that has made failed attempts to lead in the past, but he just doesn't have it in him. And I'm OK with that.

There has been a lot of talk the past few weeks about Nowitzki's inability to lead, but that is not his problem. Leadership does not have to come from your best player. It's nice if it does, but it isn't necessary.

Nowitzki's fatal error is that he is not aggressive. The Mavs can fill in leadership from other players, but if their best player refuses to take the ball to the basket, they are doomed to fail. In Game 3 of the 2006 Finals, the Mavs reverted to their jumpshooting ways, and it happened again in the Golden State Warriors series, and that starts with Nowitzki. He went from regular season MVP to playoff MIA overnight.

So that's why Nowitzki's got to go. It isn't about a lack of leadership, but rather a lack of aggressiveness. Having a seven footer who can shoot from the outside is only dangerous if he has the complimentary inside game. Dirk could do it, but he has consistently refused to, particularly in the playoffs.

With Nowitzki, the Mavs will always win 55 plus, but they will never win a title. If they are content with being a perennial good to great team, then by all means, maintain the status quo. But if the goal is a NBA title, it's time to say goodbye.

What should they do with him?

Some have suggested a trade for Kevin Garnett. I don't see that as an improvement. KG and Dirk are the same animal. Or more accurately, the same non-animal.

I do not know the details of draft pick trade values, so I can't propose a specific deal. But I would agree to trade everyone save one point guard in a package for the number one pick in the draft. Do whatever needs to be done to match salaries, and make 'em a Godfather offer. Then I would select Greg Oden.

Would this be a step backwards for a few years? Certainly. Oden will spend a few years continuing to develop his game, plus the Mavs will have to restock at the other positions.

Will it eventually result in titles? Without a doubt. Oden will win multiple titles in his career.

Will the Mavs actually attempt such a trade? Not a chance. Because Cuban isn't the moron that I am.

Post Mortem

Embarrassing. There is no two ways about it. How in the world do they come out and just put out that kind of performance? I wasn't even mad last night as I watched the game. It was almost comical. The worset part about it is they got out hustled the whole night. There was no question who wanted that game. Mid way thru the 3rd Dallas acted they just wanted it to be over with. The one who even tried to do anything was Austin Croshere!!!! There was one time down when Dirk had the ball at I think was the right wing, wide open for jump shot, but instead of taking it passed it over to Croshere who shot it. Why in the world was Dirk defering to Croshere? And what happened to Dirk? We've already discussed this on this blog, but I thought that after Game 5 when Dirk took over in the last few minutes that he had fianlly broken out of whatever funk he was in. Well, I guess not. Here is line: 2-13, only 4 free throws. You can talk all day and all night about match up problems and crap like that, but Dirk came up small during this whole series. Is he the same guy that stood tall during the Spurs and Sun series from last year? He took over game 6 six against the Suns last year, 50 points. We all watched it and said that finally he had arrived. I guess Dwyane Wade was right about Dirk. I was mad when he said it, but he's right.

Anybody want to venture a guess as to what the Mavericks can do now? I don't think they trade Dirk. You can't win without a superstar and Dirk, for better or for worse, is their superstar. I heard this thrown out there and the more I think about it, the more I like it. Get Jason Kidd. They never should have traded him in the first place. But they need a point who can distribute the ball. I've never really likes Jason Terry. He's not really a point guard and I guess Devin Harris is a back up. Maybe Jason Kidd can get the things done that the current team can't. So there is my initial call for change. Any other ideas?

A radical thought

First of all, I feel compelled to say that this is not a kneejerk article. I have thought about this, I believe, clearly and rationally.

Dirk Nowitzki's got to go.

I love the Big German. He's a great player who is likely about to win a MVP award. The problem is, that award is for the regular season. No one would ever consider giving Dirk a playoff MVP award, even before this year.

Dirk's problem is that he lacks heart, or whatever you want to call it. A killer instinct, intestinal fortitude, whatever. He just doesn't have it, and I think he knows it. He was described in this article as being 'sapped', 'listless' and 'flustered' and quoted as saying, 'I've got to take what they give me, and they don't really give me a lot.' There is no question that Don Nelson knows Dirk's game, and therefore how to limit Dirk's game, better than anyone. But that's not good enough from an MVP candidate. I need some fire.

And so does Avery Johnson. In the same article, he responds to Dirk's comments, saying that if he doesn't see something better for the Game 5 shootaround, he's going to be 'highly upset'. He demands confidence from his best player: If he's not confident, it is that much harder for everyone else.

The Mavericks have slowly grown since the 1999-2000 season, getting a little better each year, the only hiccup being the Antawn/Antoine season experiment. After last year's Finals appearance, the next step was a championship. To win 67 games, only to (presumably) lose in the first round is inexcusable.

Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks should be dictating the tone and pace, not taking what the Warriors give them. If Dirk hasn't learned how to do that yet, he never will. He's a great player, but he is not a leader and he can't dominate.

If the goal is to win a championship, then Dirk should be moved. I am now convinced that he will never win a championship. I don't know where he could go or what they could get for him, but this is not going to work. And I'm not saying they automatically win the title next year if they actually do trade him. This team needs to be rebuilt as a tougher model.

As a Maverick fan, this is tough for me to say because Dirk is such a likable player, as are the rest of the Mavs. They are an easy team to root for—no thug life activity. But this team is flawed because they are too nice and too soft, and it starts with Dirk, the best player.

I don't expect a trade to actually happen, and would be sad if it somehow did, but the prize is a championship. Unless he finally puts the team on his back and digs them out of this 1-3 hole right now, I'm convinced it will never happen in Dallas with Dirk.

Which is worse?

I just assummed that last years NBA finals would be the absolute worst it could get. Boy was I wrong.

I know that they could still come back from this travesty. They won three games in a row a number of times this year. It's not impossible. But they look like crap. I honestly can't believe this.