Seems like Rockets are only stand-still team in Texas

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/basketball/7065440.htm

According to the Star Telegram, Jamison will come off the bench as sixth man and Antoine Walker will play starting small forward. I am assuming Dirk would keep his role as power forward.

Henry

 

First paragraph I agree. Second, I EMPHATICALLY disagree. Neither team took the all-out offense, no defense approach to the game. The Celtics won in the regular season because they had a balanced offensive attack. They won in the playoffs because they had the kind of team defense that could just shut the other team down in the fourth quarter in a half-court game.

Even the Showtime Lakers had Michael Cooper as a defensive specialist (certainly one of the two best in the game at that point) and played better team defense than they were given credit for (only because it was lost in the spotlight of their offense). They had Kareem and before that Wilt to post up and take shots in the half court. Before the zone, they took advantage of Magic's size advantage to post him up repeatedly -- even more in the playoffs than in the regular season.

You simply can't compare the Mavs with either Bradley or Dirk at center with teams which had Wilt, Russell, Kareem, or Parish & McHale at the post positions. The only analogy you can make would be if you want to consider Fortson as their center and compare them to the Cowens-Havlicek era Celtics. And I don't think Fortson has the all-around Hall-of-Fame skills of Cowens.

The closest historical comparison to this Mav team would be the run-and-gun Denver teams. And I will even concede this team may be more talented overall. (Although nobody on the team approaches David Thompson as an unstoppable scorer). It MIGHT be able to win a single championship if they can get lucky and have somebody else knock off either the Lakers or Spurs. If they can stay hot offensively through an entire series they might be able to get past one or the other. But I can't see them (without trading one of these players for a much stronger inside presence) managing to beat two good defensive teams with a strong inside game in the same playoffs.

 

anyone want proof that the preseason is irrelevant? (if not too bad you're gonna find out)

If the playoffs started today based on the preseason the seedings in the Western Conference would be as follows:

1. Memphis
2. Golden State
3. Utah
4. Seattle
5. Denver
6. LA
7. Minnesota
8. San Antonio

 

OK...first i want to see Dallas get the ball to FINLEY, NOWITZKI, NASH, WALKER & JAMISON. these guys are going to demand the ball 15+ times...that's impossible. unless they're pushing fast and scoring well over 120 don't count on it. expect some grumbling from players when they can't hang with the Lakers Spurs or Twolves. Too much scoring and not enough defense. I see great things defensively for the Rox...Fast hands from your guards and exceptional inside defenders when and IF Eddie returns. We should be able to score efficiently...but that'll require the shooting touch of CAT...So go to he// Chad Ford...MOBES AIN'T FOR SALE.