ESPN (preseason article) Where will the Dallas Mavericks finish in the Southwest Division and the Western Conference? Get 12 different takes from ESPN's NBA experts. <font color="DarkGreen"> Chris Broussard </font> <font color="Blue"> 2nd in Division and 4th in conference Comments:</font> Finally, there's a "D" in Dallas. <font color="DarkGreen"> Ric Bucher ESPN Mag</font> <font color="Blue"> 3rd in Division and 6th in Conference Comments:</font> They should play Dirk as an undersized center and try to run teams off the floor with their athleticism and scoring. That seems way too radical for coach Avery Johnson, so I see them living and dying in the middle of the playoff pack. <font color="DarkGreen"> John Carroll Scouts Inc.</font> <font color="Blue"> 3rd in Division and 6th in Conference Comments:</font> Newcomer Doug Christie will improve the team defense. But center Erick Dampier must have a consistent and productive year for the Mavs to get past first round of playoffs. <font color="DarkGreen"> Chad Ford ESPN Insider</font> <font color="Blue"> 3rd in Division and 6th in Conference</font> The loss of Michael Finley will hurt, but not as much as people think. Good news: Dirk is entering his prime and the Mavs have several young players poised for breakout seasons. Bad news: they're in the West's toughest division. <font color="DarkGreen"> John Hollinger ESPN Insider</font> <font color="Blue"> 2nd in Division and 4th in conference Comments: </font>Dismiss them at your own peril. The Mavs have quietly built a deep and talented team that defends much better than previous editions. If the Spurs should falter, Mark Cuban's gang is lying in wait. <font color="DarkGreen"> Scoop Jackson ESPN</font> <font color="Blue"> 4th in Divison and 10th in Conference Comments:</font> The beginning of the downfall. Avery Johnson will still get consideration as Coach of the Year. <font color="DarkGreen"> Tim Legler ESPN Insider</font> <font color="Blue"> 3rd in Division and 5th in Conference See Item 7 for Legler's analysis of the Dallas Mavericks.</font> <font color="DarkGreen"> Eric Neel ESPN</font> <font color="Blue"> 3rd in Division and 5th in Conference Comments: </font>Dirk needs to play angry, with something to prove (to himself) all season long. Otherwise, they're irrelevant. <font color="DarkGreen"> Jim O'Brien ESPN Insider</font> <font color="Blue"> 3rd in Division and 5th in Conference Comments: </font>Doug Christie's and coach Avery Johnson's increased emphasis on defense will help negate the loss of Michael Finley. They have plenty of weapons and are starting to understand D. <font color="DarkGreen"> Will Perdue ESPN Insider</font> <font color="Blue"> 3rd in Division and 5th in Conference Comments: </font>Coach Avery Johnson will have this team constantly trying to improve on defense. We know they, like Sacramento, can score. Maybe they should tell Tim Duncan that Mark Cuban will pay his fines for not abiding by the dress code. <font color="DarkGreen"> Chris Sheridan ESPN Insider</font> <font color="Blue"> 4th in division and 7th in Conference Comments: </font>The departure of Finley will hurt, but not as much as many predict. This is Avery Johnson's first full season to change the culture Don Nelson spawned. It'll be a two-year project before the Mavs reassert themselves among the West's top four. <font color="DarkGreen"> Marc Stein ESPN.com</font> <font color="Blue"> 3rd in Division and 5th in Conference Comments: </font>This team doesn't look a lot different than last year's 58-win club. So pencil in 50-plus wins, even if you're skeptical about Avery Johnson wanting Dallas to be known for its D ... and the push to make Dirk more of a post-up guy.
I loved all the talk we got in the beginning of the year such as "This is the same ol` Dallas team from last year." Well look at us now, this time last year we were 28-13. Now, with the 2nd-3rd best record in the NBA, we are 33-10. Same team, I don`t think so.
Yeah Diop I think is the biggest difference between this year and last year. Also having Griffin and Devin Harris improving helps out.
People love to hate on the Mavs, but no one can deny us the recognition we deserve now. I actually like the fact that we are exceeding expectations. Also, many people criticized us for using part of our MLA for Diop, and now look at him. I can't wait until the playoffs. It seems like Hollinger knows what he is talking about though
Deeper and sharper Depth and execution on offense and defense. This year's team plays with more discipline and they have discovered that it works. The team is deep enough now that the line won't break unless one, maybe two players whose names I will not mention get hurt.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting mavsfan1000:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah Diop I think is the biggest difference between this year and last year. Also having Griffin and Devin Harris improving helps out.</div> Not really, we were still doing good with him on the bench. The change came from Griffin and Harris developing nicely. Plus the team is deep. Add in Dirk playing MVP level ball and the great play from Howard, Stack and the occasional good game from KVH and Damp and thats why we are where we are now.
