***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

[Sheets]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

Nellie has come in there as cool as you like...while Avery has come in there post games looking like someone's died in the family. After game 3, he honestly looked desolate. His head was down, he was mumbling his replies, he didn't provide a single answer as to why they could turn it around...it was all just we need to have more effort...no real feeling of "this guys in control".

That's Avery, though. He's a flake. People just don't see it very often because the Mavs hardly ever lose

[utexas]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

Avery is very emotional all the time, Nelson is alwys laid back, especially by the post game interview because he has had a few cold ones by then.

[Court_vision]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

That's Avery, though. He's a flake. People just don't see it very often because the Mavs hardly ever lose

You see it in so many sports though, that ultra intense guy...the one who's just 10000% into every game...

When things go bad...those guys don't seem to always be able to turn things around. The "more intensity, more effort" lines just don't seem to work.

No way in hell a team that knocked out the Spurs last year should have lost four games straight to anyone...yet the Mavs did.

2-0 up v Miami...up 14 in the 4th of game 3...lost four straight.

Avery looked clueless to stop that...and he looks lost now.

I don't know...I just feel a tactically better coach wouldn't suffer these kind of capitulations.

Because the Mavs did just that, they capitulated last time...and they're doing it again. The coach has got to avoid that happening.

[Court_vision]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

Avery is very emotional all the time, Nelson is alwys laid back, especially by the post game interview because he has had a few cold ones by then.

Listen to them both when they talk tactics though...Nellie sounds like a guru. Avery sounds clueless. His strength, IMO, is motivation. That wears off after a while though.

[Vince]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

Sam Mitchell needs to go.

[Court_vision]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

Sam Mitchell needs to go.

Has the COTY ever been fired?

[coogrfan]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

Sam Mitchell needs to go.

Straight swap-Mitchell for Van Gundy. How bout it?

[Vince]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

Straight swap-Mitchell for Van Gundy. How bout it?

no.

Anyone who watches the Raptors on a consistent basis knowns that Sam has limitations as a coach. As much as i wanted him to succeed cause he's a good motivator, he has no playbook and is clueless after timeouts.

Outside observers will probably call out BC when COTY-Mitchell is fired, but it's absolutely the right move.

[Vince]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

Has the COTY ever been fired?

Carlisle?

not sure

[aa2ba]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

no.

Anyone who watches the Raptors on a consistent basis knowns that Sam has limitations as a coach. As much as i wanted him to succeed cause he's a good motivator, he has no playbook and is clueless after timeouts.

Outside observers will probably call out BC when COTY-Mitchell is fired, but it's absolutely the right move.

with you on that 100%

To take it a step further, Mitchell will demand a high amout of money (as he should being the COTY).

And BC will take a look around and see the likes of Larry Brown, Rick Carlisle, Paul Silas, Stan Van Gundy and he should really think of letting Sam go elsewhere and taking one of these other more proven coaches.

And why wouldn't one of the names above want to coach the Raptors?

[Kruza]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

The Mavs are simply getting outplayed and I don't think it's all Avery Johnson's fault

the players are playing like ***

I agree with this for the most part. But Game 4 was hanging in the balance and I think the results could've been different had Diop stayed on the floor late in the 4th quarter.

And what KDRE had mentioned before, Dirk has to get in the post and remain there all game long. The Warriors are committed to trapping him everytime in his favorite isolation spots on the floor like 16- to 20-feet away from the hoop. So he can't make anything happen without taking jumpers, which is what the Warriors want him to do. The Warriors are also zoning up on those Pick-and-Rolls that he's involved in too, so no dice there either. The only ways he can really impact the games in this series is to post up close to the basket and use his height advantage. Bully those little guys near the basket, draw fouls down there, find open teammates if the Warriors collapse on him, and also punish them on the offensive boards. The question is does Dirk want to win badly enough to do all of that?

Kruza

[Psyblast]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

Ehh...what are you so pissed at Arenas for? Any NBA player who will sell 8,000 personalized autographed jerseys plus a shoe to his fans for $25 each is pretty damn cool in my book. The NBA needs more players like him.

Eh?

If that's about the jerseys and shoes, I don't get what's wrong with that. That's pretty nice of him, actually.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nba_experts/post/Zero-tolerance;_ylt=An0SCkFA9kCy7QA2Wtn3Ukm8vLYF?urn=nba,30607

Out of the all times for Gilbert Arenas to come out of his self-induced silence, for all the reasons to do so, his choices on Saturday did little to dispel a growing suspicion that Agent Zero is all about Agent Zero.

So, the Wizards are getting destroyed in their Eastern Conference first-round series, on the way to a humiliating sweep by Cleveland, and Arenas calls a press conference before Game 3 in Washington to congratulate himself on getting his picture on the cover of a video game?

That's a franchise player?

"Everyone knows that this is the takeover year and I took over a lot of stuff," Arenas said. "I surprised myself. I want to finish the season by saying Agent Zero is on the cover of NBA Live 2008."

Wonderful, Gilbert. This had to be thrilling news to his coaches and teammates getting embarrassed by LeBron James and the Cavaliers with Arenas and Caron Butler out for the season. I can only imagine how hard it was for coach Eddie Jordan to bite his lip and keep his thoughts to himself upon hearing that Arenas ended his silence for this purpose.

This was the wrong time, the wrong place, for Arenas to be celebrating his favorite topic -- himself. All that Saturday should've been about was encouraging his teammates to make an improbable bid to get back into the series with Cleveland. After all, that's what franchise players say in the playoffs.

Here's what they don't say: "I have to pat myself on the back for that one. I have the copies of the game and I have been giving them to all my teammates. I let them know that next year, October 2, they have no choice but to look at me. Your kids, brothers, sisters, they have no choice but to look at me. I'm not only in the game, I'm on the cover of it."

Arenas has been nowhere to be found since tearing a meniscus in his left knee on April 4. He hasn't traveled with the Wizards. He hasn't talked to the press. When his teammates could've used him telling the fans -- telling them, for that matter -- that he still believed in this team, to not give up on it, here was the first line of his blog after his injury: "Unfortunately, I've been catching glimpses of my team."

Just maybe, maybe, he could've understood that the Wizards could've used him around the gym here and there, just giving his guys a little nudge. He had been feeling sorry for himself, he said, and that's why he stayed away.

Arenas is a magnetic, charismatic personality. He has all the ability to make this Wizards franchise his own. Of course, the coaches and players know who the real leaders are on a team, and they'll tell you that it isn't Arenas in Washington.

Anyway, with his Wizards fighting for survival in the Eastern Conference playoffs, Arenas left everyone with this on his NBA.com blog about the video game cover.

"Do you realize how big this is?

"They can't tell me nothin'. Mannn. Ohhh. Lorddd.

"It makes my whole rehabbing that much better now. Because while rehabbing, all I'm thinking about is 'I'm on the cover of LIVE.' "

I'm sure Eddie Jordan is thrilled to hear that is Arenas' motivation for returning to Washington next season.

Listen, Arenas is a good guy with a good heart, but he's done enough to sell himself, to remind everyone that he's the second-round pick who transformed into a major star. For now, it should be about the Wizards trying to get one game on the Cavaliers, about a franchise fighting to hold onto a little pride. Agent Zero should've known better.

[ZB9]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

if Dallas loses this series (which is very likely obviously), the Mavs will still be one of the top contenders in the NBA for years.

Dirk is just now reaching his prime. Avery is gaining valuable coaching experience (whereas previously he basically had zero coaching experience). and the oldest player on the team is Stackhouse at 32 (who is a FA, and hopefully the Mavs will sign him to another one year contract)

All of the other key Mavs players are signed up, and the Mavs will finally have some cap room. Hopefully, Cuban, Donnie Nelson, and the FO will be seriously motivated to load up and upgrade the roster in FA and make some big signings. They have been known to say "screw the luxury tax" and that might be the case again.

The Mavs should be an even better team next season, although i doubt they will have the same motivation for a good record. (trust me, us Mavs fans are used to looking ahead to next year)

[ZB9]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

btw, people are being way too hard on Dirk. Sure, he could play better scoring wise, but Dirk is being constantly double and tripled. No one outside of Jordan, Kobe, or Shaq could dominate being swarmed like Dirk has been, and even they would have trouble.

The rest of the Mavs roster needs to make Golden State pay for all of the attention they are paying to Dirk. He is getting the ball to them, but they are bricking more shots than they have all year, and are making this Warriors defense look like the freakin 89 Pistons.

[Kruza]

Re: ***Official 2007 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread***

btw, people are being way too hard on Dirk. Sure, he could play better scoring wise, but Dirk is being constantly double and tripled. No one outside of Jordan, Kobe, or Shaq could dominate being swarmed like Dirk has been.

The rest of the Mavs roster needs to make Golden State pay for all of the attention they are paying to Dirk. He is getting the ball to them, but they are bricking more shots than they have all year, and are making this Warriors defense look like the freakin 89 Pistons.

The issue is that Dirk can make the Warriors pay a lot if he's in the post, but he rarely goes down there, if at all. He's not going to beat any of the small yet quick-footed Warriors off the dribble like he has done against many of the opponents who guarded him during the regular season, so he's basically making himself easy for the Warriors to defend. Dirk can pass the ball to cutters and open shooters from the low block and still be in position to crash the boards on missed shots from his teammates along with DeSagana Diop. The Warriors will then think twice about collapsing on him like they have done so often in this series.

Kruza