Dallas @ Portland 3/11/09.

Since I didn't think you guys would have a game-thread and we have been encouraged to increase activities on other boards I thought I would start one. I hope however many of you are here do not mind.

I am not sure who is starting for Dallas besides your usual suspects of Kidd and Dirk. I assume Dampier and Wright are also starting at the Center and SG/SF position respectively? Howard will be out for this game, yes?

We will be missing Oden (left knee bone chip from collision with Corey Maggette's knee brace on 2/12), possibly Rudy Fernandez (soft tissue damage to the upper-right chest and a right hip pointer after falling to the floor on Monday night), and possibly Jerryd Bayless (who plays like five minutes) due to an illness.

You guys have beaten us twice this year once in Portland and the other in Dallas. The one in Dallas was demoralizing despite a mini come-back by us near the end. We just don't match up well with you because we have a tendency to leave three point shooters wide open, concede mismatches to the other team (often leaving Dirk on our 6'2 point guard), and have had some rebounding troubles with Oden out of the lineup besides a few games where we just brought a lot of energy.

What kind of offense do the Mavericks depend on in terms of schemes? Do you guys depend on a man-to-man defensive setup or go to zone more often? Could you please not beat us in our own arena again please? Also, do you worry about Phoenix catching up at this point or do you (like I) feel they are too far behind to catch-up and are primarily concerned with playoff seeding positioning?

Thanks and sorry if I overstepped a boundary.

 

I think everybody should come over here for one game's game thread...lets make this happen

 

Listen buddy I am trying to do my part don't make me label you a troll okay. OKAY?!

 

go Blazers?

 

Yeah...I don't think we have any Mavs fans left. I think Gerald Green or Singleton has started for Josh Howard while he's been out but I could be wrong.

I have Dirk on my fantasy team, so I'm hoping he goes for 30+ at least

 

99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer! You take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall!

 

No one on our team can stop Dirk. Well, no one in the league can really stop him on offense. His fade away is fucking impossible to stop, but he was on fire today against the Suns so maybe he'll be a little cooler for our game. Aldridge struggles with his footwork and Outlaw/Batum are too easy to post up.

Having said that, I love Blake against Kidd. I usually hate Blake on anybody but Kidd wouldn't beat him on either end.

Barea (not sure if that's how you spell his name... the little crafty backup PG) and Bass kill us. Not sure why. I like us because we're at home and seemingly playing better (at least against SAS and LAL) but Dallas is a killer matchup for us and we always seem to struggle versus them.

 

Barrea and Bass kill us because (especially with Greg out) we have a lot of players that stand around flat-footed when the ball is up in the air and Joel can't get it. Barrea and Bass are very active and go after every loose ball aggressively while we have guys like Travis, Steve, Sergio and even Brandon who stand there waiting for the ball to come to them instead.

And if we post, those Mavs fans will come!

..hopefully.

 

Hold on there. It sounded like, through extension, you just praised Greg Oden.

Please edit immediately and get in line with the rest of the Blazer "fans." Thanks.

 

Wow, love the effort guys thanks for going out so much.

Just keep using that new posts link and you'll have an even better time at S2, I promise.

 

Love the idea . . . I would participate, but will be at the game.

Big game tonight . . . Dallas is playing well and the two teams are very close in the standings. Dallas is coming off a victory over the Suns . . . so I'm hoping for a let down on the second half of a back to back . . . but with playoff implications I'm not counting on a let down. Blazers have to step in up again and win these home games against good teams.

Go Blazers!

 

I don't understand how Dirk is such a match-up problem, can't Outlaw kinda slow him down like Stephen Jackson or Bruce Bowen with their quickness? Or is Outlaw just not physical enough to do the same thing?

 

Damnit. I can't watch this game.

 

Well, for one, Outlaw is a poor defender in that he'll lose his man on defense just by lollygagging/watching the ball. Granted Dirk doesn't really move without the ball all that much but it'll still probably result in a few cheap and easy buckets.

But as to guarding Dirk, Outlaw and Batum are too wiry. They could too easily allow too good of post position and get outmuscled by Dirk either below or driving to the rim.

Still our best bet for a defensive assignment, but certainly not a favorable one for us.

 

I just noticed tonight's game is on KGW. That's great I don't have to search for a link and sit at the computer. Go Blazers!

 

Not even online?

 

Fuck games on KGW... there's no HD in Eugene.