2006 Western Conference Finals: Mavericks vs. Suns

One thing I love the about Rockets of the early to mid 90's was how they proved that media perceptions about their offensives deficiencies as BS.

In their two titles- they showed that they can grind it out or match points for points before pulling away with clutch shooting and timely D.

I think this flexibility is what separates H-town and SA as champions. SA excels in grinding out wins but not as good when it becomes a shoot-out as this series proves.

I'd pit the 95 team against whatever version of a Dallas team anyday.

Just as long as I get to pick who refs.

 

Pro - Avery
Anti - Raja Bell


Simple

Rocket River

 

I can't believe I'm rooting for the east

 

This will actually be the first year in a long time that I'm not. The Pistons are the Spurs where all five guys on the court whine about every single call. The Heat, eh, I just can't muster up any kind of support for Shaq to get his fourth ring.

If Dallas wins, it's only their first. At least they play an entertaining brand of ball. Plus, there aren't nearly as many Mavs fans here that will annoy me as there are San Antonio fans.

I'm pulling for the Suns. In part because my parents now live there and also because they're also fun as hell to watch.

Mavs in 5, though. I just don't think the Suns will have a lot left in the tank.

 

of course you would root for the Suns, that's what your nick indicates.
Yeah you love Raja Bell and Amare's ugly suits.

 

First, thankfully the Spurs are dead. That makes any of this years champions more palatable.

I agree with most of the assessment. But IMO the most important overall factor is style of play. The Suns would have had no chance versus the Spurs, and will have little chance against the Heat or Pistons, but have some chance versus the Mavs. Why? Tempo. The Mavs have to take a complete about face with what they were trying to do with the Spurs. Against the Spurs the Mavs were trying to make it a faster pace and increase shots. Now the Mavs should try to make the games a plodding half court affair. It is very possible guys like Harris, Terry, Howard and Stack don't show much discipline play right into what the Suns want to do.

If turned into a jumpshooting contest the Suns are capable of smoking anyone, you saw it in both game 7s. Dallas does not want it to come down to whether the role players like Harris, Stack, Howard, Van Horn or Daniels hit shots (particularly 3s) versus role players like Thomas, Bell, Barbosa, Jones or House, Dallas will probably lose if it comes down to this. Dallas wants it to go very slow, fewer overall shots, with Dirk and Terry taking a high % of Dallas's shots.

Remember, Nash and the Suns last year smoked Dallas in the playoffs. Granted Amare was there, but Dallas's backcourt needs to play very mature and slow things down.

Dallas should win, but this may turn into a very tough series. Phx won't stop Dirk, but does not have to. Dirk can average 40+ but if Phx gets a lot of other Mavs taking a lot of shots and get the affair to the 110s+ where lots of other Mavs are taking shots too (except Terry) they have a chance. Phx also faces much less 3 point defense versus the Mavs (who leave wing players to help more) than what they would face with the Spurs or Pistons.

Phx is fortunate they are not facing the Spurs, the Mavs just may play into their hands.

 

I think we're saying the same thing in different ways. Completely agree that the Suns are probably less talented (and hence my original post), though come to think of it, they do have Matrix. I should clarify that I was talking about the '94 team. There has been a number of threads on the BBS over the years debating whether the '94 team was the only championship team over the last 20 years without 2 bona fide superstars (that is, until Detroit, circa 2004, and to a lesser degree, '88-'90, proved to be the exception to the rule), so we won't rehash that. No disrespect to the '94 team, but aside from the chemistry argument, would you really take Thrope/Horry/Mad Max over Kareem/Worthy, Ho Grant/Quitten, Rodman/Quitten, Kobe, Ginobili/Parker?

No argument from me that our 1995 team was the best team of the 1990s, with Hakeem. But the year before, Derek freakin' Harper was murdering us, and the best sixth man on the championship team was John Starks. You take Hakeem away from that team, and it would probably get punked by any championship team from the last 20 years without its best player (Lakers without Magic, Pistons without Zeke, Bulls without Jordan, etc.).

 

I think all the remaining teams do their fair share of whining. It'll be interesting to see the Mavs and Suns get physical though. Given their past antics, I'm waiting for a slapping fight to break out of nowhere during game five. What would be the penalty for that....

The more I think about the matchups, the more I hate all 4 teams. I have no problems with WC team's play, but hate their character, and vice versa with the EC. But it's because of their matchups, that it'll hopefully be an exciting series.

Why can't there be 4 losers....

 

Of course. All teams and most players whine. I've just never seen all five players whine simultaneously about the same call as the Pistons and Spurs have done in these playoffs. Of course, that could be because the NBA has been so hard to watch until these playoffs, so I haven't been paying all that much attention to non-Rocket games.

 

I'm definitely rooting for the Suns, mainly because they are the exact opposite of what a 'championship' team is normally defined as. They play no defense. They have no interior presence. And they try to outscore you with 3 pointers. If they won the championship, it would defy anything any 'expert' has ever said.

 

I cannot go for the PRO VERSION of Lyola MaryMount
so we go from being TOO DEFENSIVE to being TOO OFFENSIVE

this series comes down to HOW THE REFS call the games

I just going for Avery . . .
The lil general may get a bit more respect with his wins

He has made some good coaching moves
and
He has definately made this HIS TEAM not Nellie's

Rocket River
AJ truly deserved Coach of the Year

 

Absolutely, Max, Thorpe (made the all star team), A young athletic Horry, Sam (rookie).. That 1st championship's chemistry was amazing from the 15 game winning streak to the end. Dream was MVP. We destroyed teams, we had the 2nd best record in the NBA. The defense was tough as nails.

 

Wow wow wow...in the same bundle as the Lakers and Celtics? No.

Good players? Definitely.

 

a young and raw Hakeem (along with Ralph)devestated the Lakers in their prime of Magic's showtime.

MVP Hakeem added better passing and refined dreamshake and cross over.
Plus a young Horry and a prime Otis Thorpe controlled the lane.

A fiery Vernon, a sharp shooting kenny, and a quick and fearless Sam..

A Carl Herrera > Rambis

 

Mavs deserve it this year. Hopefully, it'll charge up our team to take the title from them next year.

 

I like the Mavs in six. I don't see the Suns defending Dirk, the Spurs put their best man on man defender Bowen on Dirk and Dirk played him like a violin. I don't see Diaw, Thomas or Marion doing any better. The Suns are lucky to be in the conference finals after being taken to 7 games against both LA teams. They won't be as fortunate against the Mavs who are now battle tested after beating the world champion Spurs.

 

...and Rasheed Wallace does a whole team's worth on his own.

 

I hate to say it, but I think the Mavpricks will win...I hope not as I don't need to hear all the obnoxious Dallas fans all year long...

 

Josh Howard left with an ankle sprain. No Josh Howard = Suns win in 4.

 

Hip hip hoooray!