Well That is Not How This Week Was Supposed To Go
Posted by pguimaraes3 on March 24, 2008
Oh good god how did we get here? It was not supposed to be like this, we were told that Jason Kidd was supposed to solve all our problems. Problems I am not sure we even had. Well he is here and we have more problems, real problems. However none of that matters now because our superstar is injured.
When I decided to start my blog on this day, it was because I wanted to start it on a big day in the Dallas sports scene. Nothing like a Mavericks Spurs tilt to bring out playoff type drama. Well I got what I asked for, I got a 7 foot tall German pile of drama. It was laying on the floor in the middle of the third quarter, in front of a sold out crowd creating about as much noise as a teenager trying to sneak in the house at 4 in the morning. And the crowd was silent with good reason because they knew, whether they admit it or not, this team is Dirk. This team is constructed as a bunch of good pieces around one superstar. We saw what it looked like without him against Houston and it was not pretty.
There is no time to mourn because in the next two weeks the Mavericks play the Nuggets, the Warriors twice, the Lakers, and the Suns. There are two games against the Clippers and those are must win games. The Mavericks are in seventh place in the absurdly talented Western Conference. One half game ahead of Golden State and two games ahead of Denver who is in ninth. One aside the last game Devin Harris played with the Mavericks they were 30 -13 and in first place, but I am sure this trade will make sense some day.
So who needs to step up? More importantly, who do I actually think is going to step up? The first question is easy to answer and its not everybody (that is the obvious cop out answer). Everyone needs to step up but the games will be close in the fourth quarter and thats when Nowitzki’s immense presence will be missed. Josh Howard and Jason Kidd need to step up to fill Dirk’s void, they are the most talented, they are the all-stars(allegedly) and the responsibility will fall to them. Jason Kidd might step up, he already has on the defensive end. Josh Howard must step up, he has to change into the same player in the fourth quarter as he is in the first. He has spent his whole career getting ten points in the first quarter and none in the fourth. It has gotten so bad that I have not wanted him on the court in the fourth quarter because clearly does not want the ball. He now has his opportunity if he wants to take it. Now that we know who should step up I will tell you who will. Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse will carry this team to the best of their abilities because they want the ball and they take and make big shots. However Terry and Stack already have roles to play in the fourth and their contributions might not be enough. For the Mavericks to make the playoffs it has to be. Even though they have the superior talent and accolades depending on Kidd and Howard really does not seem like a reliable option at the moment.
We did have another player who routinely made plays in the fourth quarter and took the pressure off of Dirk and Terry, too bad we traded him away for someone who was supposed to…. routinely make plays in the fourth quarter. As far as I am concerned Kidd and Howard not only need to step up for this team, they need to step up for themselves if they want to survive the summer, Mr. Cuban runs this team, no matter what his shirt said, and he does not like losing.
Sphen said
One GLARING omission here…AVERY! I was at that game. If Dirk is out, who is going to guard Duncan? Dampier! Even if Duncan’s having a mediocre game, Damp has to be out there. I’d understand if he was in foul trouble, but he wasn’t and yet he was still on the bench. AND he was having a good game. In fact, Damp has been GREAT since Kidd showed up. It appears to me that since Kidd has showed up, and some of our bench players have been lost, that Avery has lost the ability to keep either keep hot players in the game or recognize that someone needs to be on the bench (see San Antonio in both cases). Norm pointed out an interesting irony today: If the Warriors end up beating Dallas in both games and, let’s say, drive them out of the playoffs, Cuban will not be held responsible, and most of out players are untouchable…Avery and Donny will be. So, Don Nelson (former Mavs coach and current GS coach), could end up causing his former assistant and good friend, as well as his son’s jobs. Interesting days loom in our future…and let’s not forget the Stars…surely to be the subject of next weeks blog.
pguimaraes3 said
Avery is gonna get his own post. Yeah that will be funny when it happens because if we beat the warriors it will be a miracle, they just beat the Lakers last night. I agree Dirk is untouchable but why is Howard? What has he done? besides score in the first quarter when no one plays defense?
Tony said
As far as the Mavericks go, their franchise is going down the drain. They traded away the one person who would be dubbed the “FUTURE” of the franchise (Devin Harris) and any hope of getting any new ones anytime soon unless a big trade move is made (being as how they traded their picks away because they actually thought that with old buddy Kidd they wouldn’t have a lottery pick because they could…Dare I say…Win a championship). Nice going Cuban. Now all he has is a superstar who is going to be out longer the people think with both a high ankle and knee sprain and a team where everybody is just about over 30. Not only that, but the west is the strongest conference anyone has seen in decades. To expect a team who is in seventh place in a tight race with no superstar to get into the playoffs is ridiculous and certainly not going to happen. And as far as Howard goes, hes a big wimp who is scared to carry a team on his shoulders. Either he grows some balls and starts scoring thirty a game with at least 10 coming in the fourth, or the mavericks have NO SHOT! I would have said a little more than 10 but not everybody has Kobe on their team. Go Lakers!
Sphen said
josh howard is going to be the next michael finley, so get ready for 10 years of overrated jump-shooting.
hale said
The worst part of all this is when you look at next year. sadly, we need to miss the playoffs just so we can get a first round pick. We traded our first round pick in the Kidd trade unless its a lottery pick. We don’t really have much to trade and we’re getting old fast. Meanwhile, the west is getting better every year, and is young. Portland will get Oden back next year and they got some good experience this season and are going to be a good team next year. The Lakers, Jazz, and Hornets are all very good and very young teams and should all just be getting better over the next few years. The rockets will be good again next year, but once the seven plus foot asian or the alien eyed t mac go down they’ll be out. The spurs will be up there again next season with parker still young and ginobli having the best season of his career, and lets not forget duncan who doesnt miss in the playoffs. Anyways the question is what are the mavs going to do? We have seven free agents this off season, mostly all spares, so theres going to be some new faces, but who? We need a better two guard and a big man. Emphasis on big man…I guess all we can do is pray there will be one of them in free agency this off season, bc we dont have dick to trade.
pguimaraes3 said
Oh thank god its lottery protected Ill post up some guys i think we should take that i think will be that that can help at the two spot. its a deep draft there and everyone is gonna take those big time freshman early.