Easier opponents come to mind. One of them would have tipped off against the Mavericks today if the NBA hadn't changed its seeding format. The last thing the Mavericks needed was to trade jump shots with Sacramento for the fourth consecutive postseason. An encounter with a Denver team that loves to run but struggles with its halfcourt offense would have been of little benefit. Houston is the toughest first-round opponent the Mavericks could face. It's the best team to face to prepare them for what lies ahead. I'm not suggesting this series is over before it starts. If the teams are tied after four games, the Mavericks could be eliminated in the blink of Tracy McGrady's eye. But the days of circling the start date of the Western Conference finals, then working back down the bracket to determine the path of least resistance are over. Teams that want to establish themselves as true, championship contenders don't look to avoid a fight. They look to take one on. Chicago beat its head against the defensive wall – enough to give Scottie Pippen a migraine – until it broke through against Detroit. Utah and the Rockets of Hakeem Olajuwon's day kept bouncing San Antonio out of the playoffs until the Spurs finally punched their championship ticket. These aren't your Don Nelson Mavericks. The team won't go small or spring a lineup change to throw the Rockets or any other team off balance. Avery Johnson believes the best way to knock an opponent on its heels is to do what you do best and force the other guys to adjust. The Mavericks won't pull Houston's Yao Ming away from the basket by moving Shawn Bradley to the perimeter or try to drive him crazy with a steady diet of the smaller, quicker Alan Henderson. The Mavericks will pound on Yao with Erick Dampier, and Johnson will demand that the Mavericks' center beat Yao downcourt every possession. Johnson won't sacrifice defense for an offensive advantage. It also gives Dampier the chance to support his claim that he, not Yao, is the league's second-best center behind Shaquille O'Neal. "We talked about it today," Dampier said. "We've just got to run him [Yao] up and down the floor. Eventually, he's going to get tired. "I heard it was like a medical condition he had. We're going to keep running and hopefully get a couple of easy baskets." Offensive creativity and the element of surprise was Nelson's trademark. Johnson's personality is attention to detail and a commitment to defense. If those principles haven't sunk in sufficiently in Johnson's tenure as coach, all the Mavericks have to do is look across the court at the Rockets. People assume Johnson is trying to build this team in San Antonio's image. He's not. The Mavericks are much better and more diverse offensively. Johnson doesn't want to give that up. But he does want the Mavericks to improve defensively. Before they can obtain the Spurs level, they must first try to equal the Rockets. Houston allowed an average of 91 points during the regular season. Only the Spurs and Detroit allowed less. Opponents shot 42.3 percent from the field against the Rockets, second only to Chicago by a decimal point. "They get the loose balls," Johnson said. "They're a scrappy team. They play defense the way it should be played. "And consistently. That's the key." No team has a harder road to the Finals than the Mavericks. The team would likely have to go through Houston (51-31), Phoenix (62-20) and the Spurs (59-23) for the right to play Detroit or Miami. Any team would find it difficult to run that gauntlet. But beating the Rockets at their own game will give the Mavericks a better chance at playoff success than disposing of the Kings or Nuggets. "You know what? I can't even say," Johnson said. "Right now, I can't even think about winning a series or coming out of a series. "I'm just thinking about getting through the first minute of Game 1 and see what happens after that."
What a bunch of cocky bastards. You dont see our media saying this, on the BBS yea, but not the local media...
Yeah, Dallas blows. Houston will fight? Well, yeah, no ****. "I'm not suggesting this series is over before it starts." I wouldn't be surprised...
Sounds like some great bulleting board material to me.... I hope they keep this attitude throughout the series.....we will kick their A$$......lol
I love this quote, No team should shy away from the best if they are true contenders. This next quote is not accurate though, The Rockets would also have to go through Phoenix and San Antonio but also Dallas at 58 and 24. No team has a tougher road to the finals than Houston...not Dallas.
Why write out that long column, all he had to do was say: "We don't expect Houston to just lay down and die, they may win one game, but they may as well lay down and die, because we're gonna kick thier @$$es anyway." I mean is it just me? I think there is a 50-50 chance that this thing could fall either way, it just depends on whose hotter, but these Dallas folks think they have a walk in the park.
I think it is going to be one hell of a series. Dallas and Houston come into the play-offs smoking hot. Both teams have strengths and weaknesses. I truly think the Rockets are the better team though. Better defense, better passing, better post game and a bunch of players that can flat at shoot the ball from beyond the arc. Dallas has a much improved defense with Daniels, Howard and Avery Johnson coaching the team but their passing is not even close to what it has been in the past now that Nash is gone. Their post game is improved and while Houston has more outside shooters than Dallas, Dirk is still the best outside shooter on the court and Finely (when he is on) is just as deadly. IMO, Dirk is the single best outside shooter on the floor and he has the ability to drive to the hole and run the floor...But T-Mac while a little more streaky from the outside is a complete player. We here all the comparisons of Dirk and Larry Bird but what T-Mac does is a lot closer to Bird than Dirk. T-Mac is a playmaker not only for himself but the rest of the team plus he plays defense which is something that Dirk is just not good at doing.
I hope Yao pounds Dampier. Then he could say after the game that it must have been his "medical condition or something." Rockets in 6...
Dave2000, living up here in Dallas, you don't understand how much of a beating the Rockets are getting here. They've already decided our fate in a sweep/5-6 games and they're thinking ahead to Phoenix/San Antonio. It's ridiculous. It would be awesome to win this series and screw everyone over.
The best perimeter player on the floor in this series is TMac. The best interior player on the floor is Yao. The second best perimeter player is Dirk. The second best interior player is Dirk. Dirk is indeed a great player, but he will not determine this series. If Dallas wins, it will be because Terry/Stackhouse/Finley/Harris outplayed Sura/Wesley/James/Barry and Damp/Bradley effectively neutralized Yao. Yao has to come to play and play big.
I was wondering which eye was gonna blink, the lazy one, or the normal one. <---- What T-mac looks like sometimes.
Now that's a big pile of it. Houston-Dallas(58-24), Phoenix(62-20) & SA(59-23) Sac. -Seattle(52-30), SA(59-23) & Phoenix(62-20) Denver -SA(59-23), Seattle(52-30) & phoenix(62-20) Memphis-Phoenix(62-20), Dallas(58-24) & SA(59-23) All 4 of these teams have a harder road. Although in all reality Memphis will probably have to face Houston in the 2nd round & Sac. & Denver will have to face Houston in the finals.
Yes, this is great poster material. My ranking: Shaq Yao Ilgauskas Wallace Mutombo (as of late) Dampier Not sure I should list Stoudamire since he doesn't really play like a Center.... If the definition was broadened to include Stoudamire, Duncan would have to be thrown in as well since he plays like a Center but doesn't play the position. Anyway, both of them would be above Dampier making him somewhere between 5th and 8th... or lower. Hopefully, the good Yao will show up and pound Dampier. That said, Dampier is an excellent fit for Dallas.
What medical condition??? Is this guy serious? I don't like the thought of him having a condition where it will hinder him for the rest of his career. Because he really needs to improve his game stamina.
Clearly the article means that off all the "contenders", Dallas has the toughest road. This article shows that the writer doesn't think Houston is a contender.
I don't see this artlicle of being anti-Rockets. Just because he is a Dallas fan and is seing it from a Mavs perspective is no reason to hate. We' re the same way with the Rockets....we always see things in Houston's favor, there's nothing wrong with that. We shouldn't hate his writing just because he is in favor of the Mavs. For the most part he made good points, just because we don't agree with them doesn't mean we should hate. Peace.
