Mavs' lack of respect is comical

[Freelance]

I found it funny last week when Steve Francis criticized Dallas for "not having the guts to play us man-to-man and hiding in that zone."

Rudy Tomjanovich admitted afterward that the Rockets played more zone in the game than Dallas.

Along the same line, Charles Barkley and Tim Hardaway keep saying Dallas isn't capable of making a run at a championship.

What in the hell would Barkley and Hardaway know about championships.

Dallas has a long, long, long way to go, but the numbers don't lie. The Mavs are the top scoring team in the league, and among the league leaders in points allowed and shooting percentage against. They are winning by a margin of 14. 4 ppg, way ahead of the second-place Nets at 8.3.

Frankly, they are beating the crap out of their opponents. Only one team has stayed within 7 points by the final buzzer.

Del Harris has built a mouse trap that no one has seen before. The mavs are using NINE different zone defenses to go with their man-to-man. When they've given up points, they've been able to keep switching up their zone until they find one that works. So far, they've solved every offense they've faced.

The acid test won't come until playoff time, but there's nothing fluky about 13 consecutive butt-kickings.

In a year or two, you'll see all teams doing this. This is a copycat league.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

And you, actually listen to the media?

It's funny how you just talk about the media's involvement.

Respect doesn't come in a month's worth of effort. If the Mavs can hold onto this streak of theres until the playoffs and actually DO SOMETHING in the playoffs, maybe they'll get respect.

Respect isn't earned as easy as you think it is.

[BigTigLSU]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

Not to knock a 13 game winning streak but NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND. Its only 13 games out of 82, holla at me after the all star break and we can talk about if Dallas is as good as they look.

[Freelance]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

I wouldn't exactly call Barkley and Hardaway "the media." They can barely string a complex sentence together.

The streak is immaterial. It cute and all, but it's not like they're going to string 13-game streaks together all year.

But the way they're winning is no fluke. The league is confused by this right now.

Seattle gave Dallas fits because they can put five guys on the floor that can pass and score. They found ways through every zone Dallas threw at them until the fourth quarter.

But the boring days of isolation offense are over. Francis is just pissed that when he gets the ball on the wing, Dallas can overload that side of the floor and force his TEAM to pass and shoot Dallas out of the zone. They don't have enough scorers to do it.

[SoMiss2000]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

Hardaway is just bitter that Dallas traded him. He had the nerves to say that he would have been the difference in the playoffs last year against Bibby. Bibby would have ate his ol a s s alive

[ShaKobe]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

Good post guys. I like the witty banter that is going back and forth. Good stuff.

I personally think that this is no fluke. The Mavs are the real deal. Their zones definitely frustrates opponents. They switch it up constantly and trap and help each other like no other team. The T'wolves used a zone effictively last year, but only used one or two. Once teams figured them out, then it was overs for them. The Mavs have really commited themselves to playing D. Good solid D. They offense is obvious, so they worked on the only part that they lacked and now they are showing the fruits of their labor. Good for them. I have nothing but mad respect for their game.

[kujo21]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

The NBA need to get rid of the zone. Can you imagine how boring '80s basketball would have been with a zone? I also think the NBA needs to Contract. Get rid of 4 teams: Toronto, Memphis, New Orleans and Miami. No one in South Beach cares about basketball.

[3rdAnswer]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

For once we are staying on topic? What is the world coming to...

Anyway..The Mavs are good. The Mavs are VERY good. The Mavs will always have extremely above average offense, but I think that after last year, they've noticed that if they want to make some noise, they have to play defense too. Shawn Bradley is playing the best I've ever seen him play... I think they are the best team in the league when the play good defense. That is shown, because they've won 13 games str8...

[mcpriceless]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

I think Charles Barkley made a hell of a run at an NBA Championship, the only thing is he had to do it against the greatest player of all time.

The Mavs are a great team, but the three best in the West are San Antonio, Sacramento and Los Angeles Lakers......though the Mavs are in there too, the best team in the West is Sacramento, LA has no chance this year (of course since everyone is on their balls, and I'm gonna get hated for that). San Antonio and Dallas are both capable of beating LA this year, I think it could come down to Dallas/ San Antonio v. Sacramento, if at all possible.

[keRplunK]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

Barkley never should have made it to the finals. If you think the lakers and kings was bad, it was even worse for the sonics.

[Saxophone_Pie]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

The day Dallas eliminates either Los Angeles or Sacramento from the Playoffs will be the day they earn my respect. And my respect is well sought after in the NBA, believe me.

[Mr_Gopher]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

This is the best basketball Dallas will play all year. Better enjoy it now while it's here. They don't have a prayer in the world to get past the Lakers and Kings in the Playoffs.

[captaink]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

Obviously we have a lot of Sacramento and LA Laker fans posting in here, since when did Sacramento deserve that respect either, last time I checked they haven't won any championships either.

[Mr_Gopher]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

I for one haven't respected Sacramento until last year. Mike Bibby has turned that team into something special and after how they played against LA last season, I was impressed. What I don't like is the the maturity level of Webber. If he matured at all from last season, I think we might see Sacramento stealing this year away from LA. Dallas on the other-hand has a phenomenal team, but they don't have what it takes to be a champions this year. Let's see if they prove me wrong... but I doubt it.

[SportsGameLover]

Re: Mavs\' lack of respect is comical

Regardless of who's your favorite team, if you don't think Dallas is one of the elite teams in the league, you haven't been paying attention the last couple of years. Sure, neither Dallas or Sacramento have won a championship, so they don't yet deserve the ultimate respect, but they are both awesome teams, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if either of them won the title this year. Same goes for the Lakers and Spurs, for that matter.