No Storybook Endings in Dallas
By Albert Nguyen
Two years. Two playoff meltdowns. Two tragic endings.
It's been a pretty rough time for the Dallas Mavericks nation to say the least. There are obvious holes and glaring weaknesses that the Mavericks must address; outside shooting, a legitimate low post threat, point guard play, and back court defense to name a few. Even though they shattered the previous franchise record with 67 regular season wins in their 2006/07 campaign, many of you know that the success of this team should not be graded by how well they do in the regular season but how they finish in the playoffs.
A first round defeat is always tough to swallow no matter how you spin it, but being the #1 seed makes it historical and embarrassing. Winning 67 games was and still is fools gold for Dallas, because it gives the organization the false impression that the team does not have much left to do and are not far off from finally winning that elusive first title. However, with the improvement of the teams in the Western Conference--again, Dallas should look more closely with what is going on around them.
Not to mention the bottom teams of the Western Conference improving, Portland and Seattle picking one and two in this year's NBA draft respectively have put them back on the basketball map. Greg Oden is a solid pick and will be a legitimate center in this league averaging a double double, but watch out for Kevin Durant. Once his body catches up with his skills, he is going to be an offensive machine, just look at Team USA's scrimmage this past weekend for evidence.
It gives me a sick feeling in my stomach watching other teams improve while Dallas stands pat and ultimately does nothing. Sure, the re-signings of Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George should not be taken lightly but they were already on the team from last year. Looking at the big picture, if the summer ends with Dallas only making lateral moves, then I don't see how it can not be considered as a failure especially considering the fact that it is widely known there are big name superstars on the trading block.
For the Mavericks, the core of players have been together for a few years now, which means they all know one another well and have good chemistry on the court, so it won't be surprising if Dallas has another 60-win season. However, when it comes to playoff time, the NBA is built around superstars and superstars receiving superstar treatment. Unless the Mavericks add another legitimate superstar to team up with Dirk, I see another season that will fall short of expectations in 2008.
Copyright © 2007
Email: alnguyen84@gmail.com
By Albert Nguyen
Two years. Two playoff meltdowns. Two tragic endings.
It's been a pretty rough time for the Dallas Mavericks nation to say the least. There are obvious holes and glaring weaknesses that the Mavericks must address; outside shooting, a legitimate low post threat, point guard play, and back court defense to name a few. Even though they shattered the previous franchise record with 67 regular season wins in their 2006/07 campaign, many of you know that the success of this team should not be graded by how well they do in the regular season but how they finish in the playoffs.
A first round defeat is always tough to swallow no matter how you spin it, but being the #1 seed makes it historical and embarrassing. Winning 67 games was and still is fools gold for Dallas, because it gives the organization the false impression that the team does not have much left to do and are not far off from finally winning that elusive first title. However, with the improvement of the teams in the Western Conference--again, Dallas should look more closely with what is going on around them.
- San Antonio Spurs - Re-signed all of their veteran pieces for another run and Parker looks like he has reached a whole new level after his NBA Finals MVP performance. And oh yeah, they still have the best coach/player 1-2 punch in the game with Popovich and Duncan.
- Phoenix Suns - Added a more than capable Grant Hill for basically nothing to an already stacked roster full of talent. They have at least eight players that can start on any other NBA team.
- Houston Rockets - Vastly improved their bench this off season, which was their biggest flaw from last year. They still managed to win 52 games with injuries to both Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming in 2007. No doubt, they will be better this year.
- Utah Jazz - Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are riding high after their splendid playoffs catapulting them into stardom, they might even end up being better than Stockton and Malone.
- Denver Nuggets - Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony will have a training camp and a full year to play together which gives them a lot more opportunities to coexist.
Not to mention the bottom teams of the Western Conference improving, Portland and Seattle picking one and two in this year's NBA draft respectively have put them back on the basketball map. Greg Oden is a solid pick and will be a legitimate center in this league averaging a double double, but watch out for Kevin Durant. Once his body catches up with his skills, he is going to be an offensive machine, just look at Team USA's scrimmage this past weekend for evidence.
It gives me a sick feeling in my stomach watching other teams improve while Dallas stands pat and ultimately does nothing. Sure, the re-signings of Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George should not be taken lightly but they were already on the team from last year. Looking at the big picture, if the summer ends with Dallas only making lateral moves, then I don't see how it can not be considered as a failure especially considering the fact that it is widely known there are big name superstars on the trading block.
For the Mavericks, the core of players have been together for a few years now, which means they all know one another well and have good chemistry on the court, so it won't be surprising if Dallas has another 60-win season. However, when it comes to playoff time, the NBA is built around superstars and superstars receiving superstar treatment. Unless the Mavericks add another legitimate superstar to team up with Dirk, I see another season that will fall short of expectations in 2008.
Copyright © 2007
Email: alnguyen84@gmail.com
