The Mavericks have plenty of people who deserve blame.

I am, for now, going to attempt to keep my thoughts on this series and how this roster should be able to play with the Hornets but is not. The Hornets look like they are by far the better team, and they very well may be but the way they have been playing and the way we have been playing. The blame can go to many people, but only two are players that are counted on night in and night out. Those are Jason Kidd and Josh Howard, those two are killing this team more Josh than Kidd. I am sorry but Josh Howard is 28 years old and has been in the playoffs every year of his career, this is not new for him, but now that we depend on him hes shown himself for what he is, weak. Hes just weak minded and you can see it in his face he does not want the ball and every shot he takes looks like its gonna miss and he is no longer one of our good defenders, he has not been since his second year in the league. We never put Josh on their best perimeter scorer anymore. Doesn’t anyone else wonder why Kobe, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Lebron James, Baron Davis, and all of the other 6-3 to 6-8 perimeter scorers in this league always have huge nights against us? Not just hit their average I mean things like Kobe score 65 in three quarters, or Baron Davis looks like Oscar Robertson, its because Josh Howard is on them, and hes not a good defender and hes supposed to be. So he kills us on offense and defense. I think he has the ability, but He just looks like hes not focused all the time. No matter what it is 25 percent shooting for the series is pitiful. Hes not even scoring early so Dirk and Terry have to carry the team the whole game. They don’t even guard him anymore.

Now Jason Kidd, I’m not going to lie, I don’t think Jason Kidd is any good anymore and I was against the trade from the beginning. Hell I was against Kidd for Harris straight up, its because come the fourth quarter hes worthless. He is a fast break conductor and can pass, but he can not beat anyone off the dribble anymore and he can only defend bigger slower guys. So its like playing 4 on 5 basketball when hes out there on offense. Of course when we have Damp and Josh out there the way they are playing its 2 on 5, and people are surprised when we get blown out. Even in the game we won I felt Jason Kidd did very little to help the team. And I don’t care about triple doubles, at all. How many triple doubles does Tim Duncan have? How bout Tony Parker? How bout Manu? Kobe? He only had them when they weren’t winning titles. To me a team that has a guy that has to get consistent triple doubles, not on a night where things are just clicking, is not a good team. It depends on one guy to do to much. And another thing I don’t care how many rebounds my POINT GUARD gets. Run the offense and make shots you chump.

My god will someone help Dirk? Hes the best player, by far, in Dallas Mavericks history and we are wasting him.

The little Mavericks

Its time to admit the Mavericks are a fundamentally flawed team. We know they are flawed mentally, though not in the places the media likes to point, but I mean as a roster on paper. This team does not compliment each other well even though they have their fair share of talent. We have one player who can create his own shot but is not that great at creating shots for others. We have a center who is all rebounding and, occasionally defense, a point guard who can pass, but who can not shoot or attack the basket anymore, and we have a shooting guard who is old and hurt. And finally we have a small forward who can score early when no one is playing defense, can’t dribble, has no left hand, can not create his own shot, can not rebound, and is not a defensive stopper. Our first guy off the bench is a gunner with no conscience, which I love, but has not seemed to be the same player lately, and is a defensive liability. These pieces when put with other parts are very good but they just do not seem to fit well together anymore. If Kidd was younger and could still penetrate and attack the basket, if we surrounded him with shooters who could defend and attack the basket, we would be the Hornets. For Josh Howard to be an all-star in this league he needs to be on a team that does not depend on him as an option to run the offense through, he is a shorter Shawn Marion with a prettier, but not better, jump shot. Josh gets his points on attacking the basket, short runners, and the occasional made jump shot. He does not fit well when the offense is run through him in isolation situations he can not dribble with his left hand. Dampier is who he is, a backup center at this point in his career. And Dirk is an all-star no matter who you surround him with but he is a top ten player in this league when you have someone else who is also an all-star on the floor with him. Some one who you also have to game plan around. When the defense is allowed to have two men watch him all the time whether he does or does not have the ball you are putting him in a situation he can handle but not in his best situation.

As for tonight I do not believe the Mavericks will win both games in Dallas, they will win one or two and go back and lose to the Hornets in five. Unfortunately the Hornets are more athletic and faster at every position. They have 5 of the best 6 players on the floor. Paul is the best, Dirk is second, and otherwise there is not another Maverick who could make the starting five on the Hornets right now.

The best Line-up I feel that could stay with the Hornets is a team with Damp Dirk and Bass all in the game where Bass can work down low while Dirk can play on the wings where he is most effective, on defense Bass guards West and Dirk guards Peja so Dirk is not as involved in the pick and roll. Josh, Terry, Stack, and Kidd make up the other two spots taking into account who is playing the best and what half it is( Josh only likes to play in the first half). That line-up is the best chance we have to defend and attack them. I don’t know if we will see it because Anthony Catfish( Avery) does not read the Musings.

Check back for a stars preview post at half time and a mavs blurp as well.