eagles_victory
06-13-2011, 04:14 AM
Rather you were pulling for Dallas or Miami you have to acknowledge how refreshing it was to watch the Dallas Mavericks play. Ball movement like the NBA has been missing for what seems like years. The Miami Heat defense was one of the fatest and best the league has seen in awhile; however the old saying reigns true ball always beats man. As fast as Miami was, the Mavericks ball movement was just too much. Dallas's roster was so carefully crafted together around guys who were thought to be past their prime or would never have a prime. JJ Barea, Brian Cardinal, and Deshawn Stevenson almost would of been laughable to say these guys would have an impact on the NBA finals at the start of the year. This Mavericks team just shows you how far an unselfish superstar and a coach with a great scheme can carry you. While Miami was looking lost in the fourth quarter these Mavericks knew exactly what they were going to do.
In the sports world, everyone always wants to make comparisons to other great teams or great players. The NBA is the worst of any of the major sports leagues about this. This is the reason why every year around this time all you ever hear about is Micheal Jordan like he is still an active player. So the question begs when is the last time we saw a team like the Mavericks? I think the first answer many people come up with is the Detroit Pistons from 2004 that beat the LA Lakers.Both had two of the best "x's and o's" coaches in recent memory with Larry Brown and Rick Carlisle. But, the dynamics between the two strike me to be a little different. Larry Brown was a new coach Rasheed Wallce was new in town and so on and so fourth. This Dallas Mavericks core has been together for 3 years under head coach Rick Carlisle. This team has failed together and that Pistons team didn't have that dynamic. If not Detroit then who?
Game 2 Dallas trails Miami by 15 points with around six minutes left. I watch this and think "these guys are dead in the water". Everyone probably thought that, how could you not Lebron James and Dwyane Wade two future hall of famers are going nuts and Dallas looks shaken. Dallas fights back to make one of the most historic comebacks anyone has ever seen in the NBA Finals. In game four, Dirk is playing with the flu and a torn tendon in his finger. Many are asking how will the Mavericks win with their superstar who has carried them injured and sick. Dirk fights through the injury and Dallas pulls off another miracle win. At this point you are probably asking where are you going with this?
Lets take this back a few years, October 2004. The Boston Red Sox trail 3-0 to the hated New York Yankees. Hall of famer Mariano Rivera is on the mound the best closer to ever step foot on a major league mound. The Red Sox are dead now no way Rivera gives this lead up. Dave Roberts baserunning and David Ortiz have different ideas. The Red Sox come back and win to force a game 5. Later in the series, a battered warrior steps to the mound (see where I am going with this) Curt Schilling fights through a serious toe injury to shut down an all-time great Yankee lineup. The Red Sox goes on to win the series and easily win the World Series.
Lets take a deeper look into this comparison from the 04 Red Sox and the 2011 Mavericks. As a Mavericks fan, I would think the worst moment in team history would be the 06' finals loss to the Miami Heat. No doubt in anyones mind how much the Red Sox hate the Yankees. Also, consider in 2003 Aaron Boone had just crushed the hearts of Red Sox nation similiar to what D-Wade did to Dallas in 2006. Next, consider the construction of this years Miami Heat roster who does it remind you of? Putting a ton of superstars on one team is signature New York Yankees. All of America that didn't have a so called "dog in the fight" banwagoned the Red Sox like none other that year. Back to 2011, you would of thought the United States was playing the Soviets with the way this country was backing the Mavericks. America loved the failure of the "Evil Empire" in 2004 and they did again in 2011. As much as they loved the losing of the Yankees and Heat America loved it even more to see then Alex Rodriguez and now Lebron James fall. The Dallas Mavericks are now Americas darling just like the Red Sox were in 04. Across the metroplex in Arlington the Dallas Cowboys may claim to be "Americas Team", but no doubt in anyones mind that right now Mark Cuban, Dirk, and company are the real Americas team. How did they do it? Team chemistry and never doubting one another. Noone ever believed in Dallas or Boston except the guys in the locker room and their fan bases. As Stephen A. Smith use to say " quite frankly"that is all you need. I am a Heat fan, but everyone can learn a lot from this team.
Couldnt sleep after the loss so I wrote this for my blog thought I would share it with Mavericks fans.
In the sports world, everyone always wants to make comparisons to other great teams or great players. The NBA is the worst of any of the major sports leagues about this. This is the reason why every year around this time all you ever hear about is Micheal Jordan like he is still an active player. So the question begs when is the last time we saw a team like the Mavericks? I think the first answer many people come up with is the Detroit Pistons from 2004 that beat the LA Lakers.Both had two of the best "x's and o's" coaches in recent memory with Larry Brown and Rick Carlisle. But, the dynamics between the two strike me to be a little different. Larry Brown was a new coach Rasheed Wallce was new in town and so on and so fourth. This Dallas Mavericks core has been together for 3 years under head coach Rick Carlisle. This team has failed together and that Pistons team didn't have that dynamic. If not Detroit then who?
Game 2 Dallas trails Miami by 15 points with around six minutes left. I watch this and think "these guys are dead in the water". Everyone probably thought that, how could you not Lebron James and Dwyane Wade two future hall of famers are going nuts and Dallas looks shaken. Dallas fights back to make one of the most historic comebacks anyone has ever seen in the NBA Finals. In game four, Dirk is playing with the flu and a torn tendon in his finger. Many are asking how will the Mavericks win with their superstar who has carried them injured and sick. Dirk fights through the injury and Dallas pulls off another miracle win. At this point you are probably asking where are you going with this?
Lets take this back a few years, October 2004. The Boston Red Sox trail 3-0 to the hated New York Yankees. Hall of famer Mariano Rivera is on the mound the best closer to ever step foot on a major league mound. The Red Sox are dead now no way Rivera gives this lead up. Dave Roberts baserunning and David Ortiz have different ideas. The Red Sox come back and win to force a game 5. Later in the series, a battered warrior steps to the mound (see where I am going with this) Curt Schilling fights through a serious toe injury to shut down an all-time great Yankee lineup. The Red Sox goes on to win the series and easily win the World Series.
Lets take a deeper look into this comparison from the 04 Red Sox and the 2011 Mavericks. As a Mavericks fan, I would think the worst moment in team history would be the 06' finals loss to the Miami Heat. No doubt in anyones mind how much the Red Sox hate the Yankees. Also, consider in 2003 Aaron Boone had just crushed the hearts of Red Sox nation similiar to what D-Wade did to Dallas in 2006. Next, consider the construction of this years Miami Heat roster who does it remind you of? Putting a ton of superstars on one team is signature New York Yankees. All of America that didn't have a so called "dog in the fight" banwagoned the Red Sox like none other that year. Back to 2011, you would of thought the United States was playing the Soviets with the way this country was backing the Mavericks. America loved the failure of the "Evil Empire" in 2004 and they did again in 2011. As much as they loved the losing of the Yankees and Heat America loved it even more to see then Alex Rodriguez and now Lebron James fall. The Dallas Mavericks are now Americas darling just like the Red Sox were in 04. Across the metroplex in Arlington the Dallas Cowboys may claim to be "Americas Team", but no doubt in anyones mind that right now Mark Cuban, Dirk, and company are the real Americas team. How did they do it? Team chemistry and never doubting one another. Noone ever believed in Dallas or Boston except the guys in the locker room and their fan bases. As Stephen A. Smith use to say " quite frankly"that is all you need. I am a Heat fan, but everyone can learn a lot from this team.
Couldnt sleep after the loss so I wrote this for my blog thought I would share it with Mavericks fans.