Tough times ahead for DallasPublished June 25, 2006Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks would like to believe this was just a preview of things to come -- that they knocked on the door to a championship, and they will kick it down in 2007 -- but they sadly are mistaken.Their only real shot to win an NBA title was lost last week.The Mavs -- not the Heat -- were the one-year wonders.When they fell asleep in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Miami, blowing a 13-point lead and the chance to build a 3-0 series lead, they never totally woke up again.They will be remembered as the team that spent too much time worrying about the officiating, and too little time driving hard to the basket.They are considerably younger than the Heat, but their foundation isn't strong enough yet to last. Their fame will be fleeting. They have only one real all-star in Dirk Nowitzki -- and it usually takes two to dance an NBA title.The Phoenix Suns, when Amare Stoudemire returns healthy to rejoin Steve Nash next season, won't let them pass again. Neither will the San Antonio Spurs, who fell to the Mavs only because Tim Duncan was struggling with a foot problem, leaving Tony Parker to carry too heavy a load.If Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady are healthy together in Houston, the Mavs might be only the third-best team in the state of Texas next season.Mavs guard Jason Terry, a free agent this summer, got a taste of real glory during the playoff run, and he wants to be paid handsomely, either in Dallas or elsewhere this summer. That will cause a problem. Josh Howard doesn't always get the big picture, either. Their center combination of Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop is too much of an offensive liability to overcome in the future.The Mavs had a wonderful run this season. They should bask in their success as an NBA finalist. They overachieved, but they will fade much like the New Jersey Nets did when they reached this point in back-to-back seasons (2002, '03), then dropped into the pack of the Eastern Conference.Congratulations to the Mavs, but this is as far as you get.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/bask...=orl-sports-col---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If the Rockets are better than the Mavericks this coming year, I will smear dog poop on my face. If Terry resigns (I think he will), then we will still be better than the Spurs. This guy is the biggest moron ever. Duncan averaged about 30 points in the SA-Dallas series, how is his foot injury the reason they lost? This guy should be banned from journalism forever.
That's a weird article for a team coming off a Finals appearance. But who cares, the media is on us again like always. No one even expected us to go this far this year, just like no one expects us to do anything for this season.
That article is a bunch of BS. If I were a mavsfan I would have nothing to worry about. I really think Jason Terry will be back, he seems like the type of guy that would recognize his situation and stick with a team that has NBA Finals potential over getting a ton of money and playing for a terrible team. He did spend three or four years with the Hawks so he knows plenty about that. The Mavs have tremendous role players. Josh Howard is without a doubt one of the most underrated young guys in the NBA, Dirk is a MVP calibar type of player, Stackhouse has been flourishing in the 6th man role, hell, even Desagna Diop had his moments on the boards/blocking shots. The Mavs have nothing to worry about.
^^^ Word up.I don't think any Mavs fans are worried. He is a complete idiot who obviously hasn't watched the Mavs in the last two playoffs. He shouldn't be writing about sports at all. Listen, Houston is a damn good team, and they'll be a lot better this coming year. But come on, they didn't even make the playoffs this year. The Mavs were nearly the best team in the west even with injuries. Even if we lose JET, we will be better than Houston.
Wow, isn't this what everyone said when we lost Finley? We win 60 games. " Nash is gone, not good thing for mavs". We had a 58 win seaosn. Let the haters hate.
I'm not worried about it.I don't think it's a foregone conclusion the Mavs are going back to the Finals...the Spurs won't go away, and the Suns get Amare back and the Rockets get healthy...But they aren't going to fall off a cliff or anything.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Jun 25 2006, 08:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Tough times ahead for Dallas Published June 25, 2006 Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks would like to believe this was just a preview of things to come -- that they knocked on the door to a championship, and they will kick it down in 2007 -- but they sadly are mistaken. Their only real shot to win an NBA title was lost last week. The Mavs -- not the Heat -- were the one-year wonders. When they fell asleep in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Miami, blowing a 13-point lead and the chance to build a 3-0 series lead, they never totally woke up again. They will be remembered as the team that spent too much time worrying about the officiating, and too little time driving hard to the basket. They are considerably younger than the Heat, but their foundation isn't strong enough yet to last. Their fame will be fleeting. They have only one real all-star in Dirk Nowitzki -- and it usually takes two to dance an NBA title. The Phoenix Suns, when Amare Stoudemire returns healthy to rejoin Steve Nash next season, won't let them pass again. Neither will the San Antonio Spurs, who fell to the Mavs only because Tim Duncan was struggling with a foot problem, leaving Tony Parker to carry too heavy a load. If Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady are healthy together in Houston, the Mavs might be only the third-best team in the state of Texas next season. Mavs guard Jason Terry, a free agent this summer, got a taste of real glory during the playoff run, and he wants to be paid handsomely, either in Dallas or elsewhere this summer. That will cause a problem. Josh Howard doesn't always get the big picture, either. Their center combination of Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop is too much of an offensive liability to overcome in the future. The Mavs had a wonderful run this season. They should bask in their success as an NBA finalist. They overachieved, but they will fade much like the New Jersey Nets did when they reached this point in back-to-back seasons (2002, '03), then dropped into the pack of the Eastern Conference. Congratulations to the Mavs, but this is as far as you get. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/bask...=orl-sports-col --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </div> I think you can change your sig now. Maybe put this stat: Shaquille O'Neal - 4 rings Erick Dampier - 0 rings lol But this article is terrible and Dallas being the 3rd best team in Texas next year is idiotic. I say #1.
