One small difference that is huge. I don't see Terry waving Dirk off so he can go 1 on 1. Terry's offense is generated off Dirk, not because he is taking game away from Dirk.
Dork Nowitzki did not get them out of the first round last season. His team got him out. He was shut down by Tracy McGrady and even Ryan Bowen. Dirk has a much better team than T-Mac/Yao do. And yeah, T-Mac and Yao are such dissapointments, they won't ever be able to get this team out of the first round, they've had plenty of tries haven't they?
No, no, no...there's a terrible misunderstanding here: Terry and Stackhouse and your deep, deep talented roster are the only reason the Mavs matter. The Mavs are an excellent team, but their best player is lucky he's playing with a team that has an excellent owner with deep pockets that has done a marvelous job covering up his weaknesses and surrounding him with enough talent to get them over the hump. Dirk is NOT a franchise player in MOST NBA markets and with most NBA owners who're rather thrifty. You'll go nowhere if you build around him. However, you can do well if you surround him with highly-paid talented role players like Terry and Stackhouse and Howard among others that makes him just 'one of the guys', and it helps to have an owner willing to shell out $90-$100 mil to bring that about. Dirk is a supersized jump-shooter, he'ld be a great second-fiddle, but you can't make him the 'main man' and expect to win it all. I will give you this: the Mavs organization is WAYS ahead of the Rox organization in quality and capabilities...that much is undisputed. Only the Spurs' organization trumps yours.
I think Dirk is underrated by some on this board. He scores effortlessly and does a solid job on the board. He does struggle defensively. That said, the point above seems true to me. With everyone healthy, Avery Johnson would create a dynasty with Yao/T-Mac replacing Dirk/Terry on the Mavs. The Rockets would still be stuck in relative neutrality.
Well tell Mark Cuban Dirk is not the franchise, good players have come and gone from the Mavs but Dirk is the constant he has kept. If the definition of a franchise player is one that you build a team around, then Dirk fits that definition, Cuban has surronded the guy with a new cast of characters every year and judging by the regular season record this is the year it might pay off. I guarantee you this, Dirk will be no second fiddle in the playoffs, he will either fall flat on his face trying to be the main man or he busts out and has a career playoffs.
Not going to happen. Terry can't play defense, so JVG won't give him any minutes. Anyway, JVG's system will reduce his 3 point % by 10%.
Yawn..another James waived TMac off so he needed to be traded post. What happened usual comments that follow about TMac wanting him gone. I guess that went away after watching them after the game in Toronto. Terry gets opportunities in the Mavs offense to take his man off the dribble. He doesn't just stand behind the three point line waiting for Dirk to pass him the ball. He's a great shooter and a good finisher. He's not as bad on defense as people think either (definitely better than Rafer). The one thing he's not, is a good passer. Even SF is probably a better playmaker than him.
This is actually what JVG thinks of Jason Terry: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3726994.html
I think JVG makes the best point here, that Jason is being pushed by avery to be a much, much better player. He is really starting to be a weapon and it's because Avery is pushing him to be a scorer first and point guard second. Avery thinks he'll get the scoring off of other movement. He knows what Jason can do well (score) and doesn't try to force him into a pass-first point guard. Avery is the best thing that's ever happened to Jason (dirk as well for that matter).