<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (PiN0Y Ba11a @ Aug 24 2006, 09:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Who has the better team and offense?</div>Do you mean the 02-03 Mavs? Because this current Suns team more or less is the team that beat the 04/05 Mavs 6 of 9 times (2-1 regular season, 4-2 WC semis). Regardless homerism aside I would take the Suns for 2 reasons.1. Steve Nash is better now then he was back then.2. Dirk wasn't as good back then as he is now.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Do you mean the 02-03 Mavs? Because this current Suns team more or less is the team that beat the 04/05 Mavs 6 of 9 times (2-1 regular season, 4-2 WC semis).</div> Reading over what I put and what this question was asking. I said Amare was the difference and agreed with Diawsome till I came to the conclusion of the current Suns don't have Amare(going by this year's Suns). So with that advantage gone from the Suns, it would be basically the same result of this year's WCF imo. Mavs over Suns. Unless pinoy your basing off this upcoming year's Suns, which is pretty much baseless and makes this comparison null. We don't know how the current Suns will play.
Im talking about last year suns becuase both teams are similar with there ways they think they can with their offense
I think the 04-05 mavs are better. The suns without Amare a totally different team and weak in the halfcourt.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Im talking about last year suns becuase both teams are similar with there ways they think they can with their offense</div> Were the Mavs that different from this year's team minus a couple players and another year under Avery? I think the major changes were Bradley/Finley to Diop/Griffin. Nothing else really stands out.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Diawsome @ Aug 26 2006, 11:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I would take the Suns for 2 reasons.1. Steve Nash is better now then he was back then.2. Dirk wasn't as good back then as he is now.</div>I couldn't agree more!!!! It would be over in 4 games. Dirk was supersoft instead of just plain soft. And Nash's offensive game was being stiffled by the mavs offense.
Are you telling me Dirk was that bad from a year apart? <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>And Nash's offensive game was being stiffled by the mavs offense.</div> What?
The thing that pushes the Suns ahead (IMO) is that the Mavs defense would be as bad or worse then that of the Suns. It would turn into a battle of 2 jumpshooting teams in which should favor the Suns. The key in which the series would be determined would be Boris Diaw. That Mavericks team would be forced to put an Eric Dampier or Keith Van Horn on him because they wouldn't have someone like Diop.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Diawsome @ Aug 27 2006, 07:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The thing that pushes the Suns ahead (IMO) is that the Mavs defense would be as bad or worse then that of the Suns. It would turn into a battle of 2 jumpshooting teams in which should favor the Suns. The key in which the series would be determined would be Boris Diaw. That Mavericks team would be forced to put an Eric Dampier or Keith Van Horn on him because they wouldn't have someone like Diop.</div>Alan Henderson would probably guard Diaw along with Michael Finley. Josh Howard would guard Bell. Dallas wouldn't have nearly as much trouble guarding Phoenix with Diaw as they did with Amare.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Alan Henderson would probably guard Diaw along with Michael Finley. Josh Howard would guard Bell. Dallas wouldn't have nearly as much trouble guarding Phoenix with Diaw as they did with Amare.</div> Pretty much agree, I mean that series you talk about in 04/05 was closer then you think diawsome. We blew it in game 6 after having what, a double digit lead in the 4th and Steve Nash hit a running three to put it into OT. Who knows what happens if Mavs tightened up more and it went to game 7. Bottom line, Mavs were not that bad and that was with a pre injury Amare. Diaw is no where near Amare and I still think with that kind of dropoff, Mavs should be able to take it. As come on, how is our d bad one year with a similar team and good another?
I know it was close I am not saying the Suns would just walk right through the Mavs but the Mavs also had just as much of a difficult time beating the Suns this season. The mistake you made in the defending Diaw approach is you looked at from a "he isn't going to drop 40 on us at will" perspective and by putting Finley or Henderson on Diaw you over expose Dallas's biggest weakness interior defense. Diaw's ability to play on the perimeter would force Dallas to leave the paint open and Steve Nash would have a field day all series. This is where DeSagana Diop made a huge impact on this year's series as he is athletic enough to where he could go out and defend Diaw yet recover to make it back to alter shots in the paint and limit Nash's drive and dish options. Without him the Mavs more then likely would have lost that series.
I just don't see Diaw having the type of attention Amare had in that series. You might see it differently but I don't think Diaw is that good to where he brings the coverage Amare did.
^He makes them from sure fire 2nd round exit(as Dallas/SA won't match up in the 2nd round anymore) to a team that has a good chance of making the Finals.I don't see Amare returning as a sign that the Suns are the Finals favorites...I still the the Spurs and Mavs are better overall teams, but the Suns would definately be dangerous, even with Amare...he just makes them that much more dangerous.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Marvinmartian @ Aug 27 2006, 07:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>^He makes them from sure fire 2nd round exit(as Dallas/SA won't match up in the 2nd round anymore) to a team that has a good chance of making the Finals.I don't see Amare returning as a sign that the Suns are the Finals favorites...I still the the Spurs and Mavs are better overall teams, but the Suns would definately be dangerous, even with Amare...he just makes them that much more dangerous.</div> :ban: I can't wait till this season when the Suns get the 1st seed and the Mavs play San Antonio again after complaining about the rule changes. Even with the 2nd seed I wouldn't be afraid of the Spurs at all next season. I think the Suns are definetly better.
But not clearly better than the Mavs...and I wouldn't sleep on the Spurs, with Duncan they are still VERY dangerous.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Marvinmartian @ Aug 28 2006, 03:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>But not clearly better than the Mavs...and I wouldn't sleep on the Spurs, with Duncan they are still VERY dangerous.</div>I don't think they are better than the Mavs but I think they have a good shot at beating them. I think the Spurs are a good team and would be a challenge if we face them but the only team that scares me right now is the Mavs. I have total confidence that the Suns can beat anyone else. If Amare can play like I think he can I think a series vs. the Mavs will be a classic. The Mavs aren't far ahead of the Suns like you seem to think.
I think your underrating the Spurs. I mean they were basically a Manu foul away really from advancing to the WCF. Mavs didn't walk over them and I still have them as a top 3 team over the Suns. I'm with BCB on the whole just because Amare comes back, they should automatically be put above other teams. How about we see the transistion and how Amare plays, if Suns do better then their previous playoff berths, then I will have them higher next season. But right now, there's too many questions and not enough answers.
I'm not afraid of their top 3 + a bunch of old geezers. Their bench is overrated. Robert Horry may be good for a big shot here and there but everyone on the bench is old and way past their prime. Finley may give them some points and Udrih may be decent but that's really it. Bowen will still give them D and give one of our players trouble. Manu has said that he hates playing against Bell when we got him last year and with better interior D than we had two years ago also I wouldn't expect him to have a huge series against us like before. Manu drove in against us at will 2 years ago but with Raja and Kurt here(two of the best at drawing charges) he won't do it as easily. Parker will kill Nash on one end(then Banks can come in and give him some trouble) but shouldn't be able to do much against him on the other end and then there's Duncan who will put up his normal numbers, but I just don't think that's enough. I am afraid of foul trouble to our big men, so it's not like I think the Suns will have it easy. I think it will take at least 6 games or 7 to beat the Spurs if we do just because experience does help in the playoffs and we don't have enough depth up front.I like our team. The only question mark is Amare but last year we had a brand new team except for Nash and Marion and it didn't take long for them to build chemistry. It may take a while at the beggining of the season but after trying some different line-ups and seeing how he plays they'll be okay later on. I think it'll be sort of like last year. They will start slow and then build their way up with Amare being sort of like how Diaw was. He's fully healthy but his problem is all mental. Like Diaw last year, he was really soft going to the basket and then eventually he learned and improved and I think as the season goes on Amare will get better and better. He'll take it slowly at first but he should be back at near 100% when they need him.Even if he doesen't dunk like before he's still able to shoot and post up a little and help us by having another big guy on the floor.
