Hey KD, I’m Not Impressed

I know.  You’ve already labeled me a “hater”.  You already know what you think about what you think I think before you read how I arrived at thinking it.  The heading gives me away, but it got you to click.  Would you have paid me any mind if I had titled it “How Impressive is KD’s title…By the numbers?”  Unless you’re a KD fan, Warriors fan, or a stats geek like me, probably none.  But now you’re here, either up in arms, or looking for more proof for what you already believe.

After 10 years in the league, Kevin Durant finally has his first championship, along with Finals MVP Honors.  The rangy superstar played with the same franchise for the first 9 years; but became frustrated with an inability to win a ring, despite 6 playoff appearances, 4 conference finals, and 1 NBA finals.  Last summer, as an unrestricted free agent, he turned down a max offer from the Thunder and joined the already-loaded Golden State Warriors.

The previous season, the Warriors set the record for regular season wins (73), eclipsing Jordan’s ’96 Bulls, so it should be no surprise that they made playoffs history after adding Durant.  You add a top-3-in-the-world player to one of the greatest teams ever and…yeah, championship or bust.  Some have argued that this 2017 Warriors squad is THE best team to have played in the NBA, and after matching the greatest playoffs record in history, it’s hard to argue against.  Not since 23 himself laced ‘em up have we had an “all-time” discussion as bonafide as this one.

In Curry and Durant, you have the league MVPs of the last three years.  That’s two elite players in their prime on the same squad.  It’s only happened once before, when Dr. J and Moses Malone joined forces in Philadelphia for each of their only championships (also only lost one playoff game).  They had both made it to the finals once in the previous 2 years and come up empty-handed.  On the other hand, this was Curry’s 3^rd straight Finals appearance; and he, Klay, and Draymond already had an O’Brien without Durant’s help.  It begs the question: how impressive is KD’s title, really? What load did he bear that wouldn’t already have been carried by his teammates?

Michael Jordan marks the change of an era in the NBA, so I’m looking at the list of champions since his reign.  To compare how Durant’s accomplishment stacks up, I’ve taken the highest scorer from each team’s playoff run and compared their average to that of the next two scoring options.  Basically, “Batman” v. “Robin and Alfred”.  The greater the difference between the averages, the greater the load the star carried for their team.  I realize this doesn’t account for important stats like rebounds, assists, and steals.  But most of us would agree that what makes a player great is their ability to score consistently in high-pressure situations.  “Being clutch”, “having heart”, “willing his team to victory.”  However you want to say it, it’s about buckets when they count most.  The players listed here are also those typically identified by fans as the team’s star, so it passes the eyeball test.  Here are the most impressive finals performances since His Airness, by the numbers:

 

1. Kobe Bryant- 2009 Los Angeles Lakers

Perhaps the closest thing we’ve seen to Jordan since, that was Kobe’s first trip to the finals after his ugly breakup with Shaq in LA.  The big guy had already won a ring apart from Bryant (more on that later), so Kobe felt he had something to prove.  He averaged 30.2 points while the two next best contributors, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, averaged 15.3.  Kobe almost doubled their output on his way to sweep the Magic and earn his first Finals MVP.

 

2. Shaquille O’Neal- 2000 Los Angeles Lakers

This year was the beginning of a lot of things.  It was Shaq’s first ring, first (and only) league MVP award, and first Finals MVP.  O’Neal steamrolled opponents in that run, averaging 30.7 pts (highest on our list).  His wingmen were Bryant and Glen Rice, who contributed 16.75 per game.  More to come from these Lakers.

 

3. Kobe Bryant- 2010 Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe and Shaq were a special duo.  Who knows what could have happened if they had worked things out and stayed together.  What we do know is Bryant makes another top 3 finish here, with 29.2 pts to Gasol and Metta World Peace’s 15.4.  This earned Bryant his second finals MVP and fifth and final ring.  Say what you want about Kobe, he was clutch.

 

4. Dirk Nowitzki- 2011 Dallas Mavericks

If fills me with joy to list Dirk above everyone not named Kobe or Shaq here.  In my heart, his performance was the most impressive, but I’m admittedly a Mavs homer.  The big German averaged 27.7 pts against the first incarnation of the James/Wade/Bosh superteam in South Beach.  Jason Terry and Shawn Marion poured in 14.7 of their own, but it was Dirk’s leadership and grit that earned Dallas its only title in franchise history.  To form, he was also awarded finals MVP.

 

5. Dwayne Wade- 2006 Miami Heat

It slightly kills my buzz to list Wade next on this list.  Buoyed by Shaq and Antoine Walker’s 15.85 pts, he averaged 28.4 pts to lead the Heat back from 0-2 against my Mavs and win four straight for his first title.  You guessed it, also a finals MVP.

 

6. Stephen Curry- 2015 Golden State Warriors

The unquestioned leader of this Warriors team, Curry averaged 28.3 in his first finals appearance against LeBron James.  That statement works no matter how you read it, because Curry has only played in the finals against James.  Fellow Splash-Brother Klay Thompson and spark plug Draymond Green added 16.15 of their own.  This is the first time on our list Batman doesn’t get all the credit, with Andre Igoudala receiving the finals MVP for his defensive effort on James.

 

7. LeBron James- 2012 Miami Heat

There are people who doubt LeBron’s place as the greatest player in the world today, and showing up 7^th on this list despite 3 rings may have something to do with it.  After deferring to Dwayne Wade in the ’11 finals against Dallas, LBJ took the reins and led Miami to a title with 30.3 per game.  Wade and Chris Bosh still played a big role, with 18.4 pts.  It was James’ first, and he also won finals MVP.

 

8. LeBron James- 2013 Miami Heat

The Heat were looking for a repeat, and they got it behind James’ 25.9.  Wade and Bosh did their thing once again with 14 pts, and handed the Spurs their only finals series loss in the Duncan era.  James, on the other hand, was handed another finals MVP.

 

9. Tim Duncan- 2003 San Antonio Spurs

When speaking of the greatest big men of all time, you shouldn’t get far before naming Tim Duncan.  However, most people tend to overlook him, and it may be because he never really gave us spectacular playoffs performances.  The Big Fundamental won his first title without David Robinson with 24.7 a game.  His supporting cast constituted of Tony Parker and Stephen Jackson, who brought 13.75 to the table.  Blowing opponents out has never been the Spurs’ style.  Duncan did win finals MVP for doing something fundamental, I’m sure.

 

10. Shaquille O’Neal- 2002 Los Angeles Lakers

This was the last ring Shaq and Kobe won together, with O’Neal averaging 28.5 and Bryant plus Derek Fisher at 18.4.  It was also a threepeat, not only for the Lakers, but for Shaq and his finals MVP collection.  That had to get on Bryant’s nerves.

 

11. Tim Duncan- 1999 San Antonio Spurs

The year after Jordan retired (the second time), Duncan led the Spurs to a finals win over the Knicks (Patrick Ewing probably thought this was his year to get a ring, not so much.)  He put up 23.2 while David Robinson and Avery Johnson chipped in 14.10.  It was Tim’s first championship and finals MVP.

 

12. Shaquille O’Neal- 2001 Los Angeles Lakers

More Big Diesel.  More 30+ average (30.4).  More help from Bryant and Fisher (21.4).  More finals MVPs.  Most dominant player since Jordan?  Sure seems like it.

 

13. Kevin Durant- 2017 Golden State Warriors

Here he is.  13 of 19.  Bottom of the middle tier.  If you watched this finals, you know Durant played like a man on a mission.  Virtually unguardable and unstoppable.  He averaged 28.5 for the playoffs while Curry and Thompson dropped 22.  If you dig a little deeper, you find that Durant and Curry were only separated by .4 pts, the slimmest margin of any top duo on this list.  Basically, no one had a better Robin.  And what about the often overlooked Alfred?  By points, Thompson was top four.  Only Tony Parker (twice) and Ray Allen scored more for their teams.  Of course, Durant got finals MVP.  I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve it.  I’m saying it’s not that impressive, and I believe an honest assessment supports that.

For the fun of it, let’s look at the rest of the list…

 

    14. Richard Hamilton- 2004 Detroit Pistons

If you’re taking the whole team into account, I say no accomplishment is more impressive than what this Pistons team did.  Those O’Neal/Kobe SuperLakers?  They beat those guys in 6.  They were led by Rip’s 21.5, while Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace gave 14.7 of their own.  Every guy played a role, but Mr. Big Shot’s (Billups) leadership and clutchness earned him the finals MVP.

 

    15. LeBron James- 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers

This was probably LBJ’s favorite championship.  It would be mine if I were him.  After leaving Cleveland for Miami, he returns home with the experience of 4 finals and 2 ‘ships to bring the Cavs back from a 1-3 hole and clinch the franchise’s first title.  James dropped in 26.3 that run, while Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love added 19.95.  Absolutely the finals MVP.

 

16. Tim Duncan- 2005 San Antonio Spurs

In one of the most fundamentally sound (albeit boring) series of all time, the Spurs beat the Pistons in 7.  Timmy led the way with 23.6 and Ginobili/Parker added 19.  Duncan earned finals MVP.

 

17. Tim Duncan- 2007 San Antonio Spurs

He doesn’t care how ugly it is, as long as it gets done.  Duncan put up 22.2 and Ginobili/Parker 18.75 in their sweep of James’ Cavs.  Tony Parker would earn Finals MVP that year.

 

18. Kevin Garnett- 2008 Boston Celtics

This is a great sports story.  After getting no further than the conference finals with Minnesota in an already Hall-of-Fame career, he joined forces with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in Boston to chase a ring.  This is arguably the first collaborated superteam of the modern era, before the 2011 Heat, although this trio was considered by most “past their primes.”  Every man pulled his weight, as KG scored 20.4 and Pierce/Allen added 17.65.  Garnett was handed the finals MVP trophy by Bill Russell, legendary Celtics big man.  A great moment.

 

19. Tony Parker- 2014 San Antonio Spurs

The only finals Duncan was involved in where he wasn’t the leading scorer for his squad, Parker led the way with an anemic 17.4.  Duncan and Leonard followed up with 15.3, this was the team that essentially broke up the superfriends in Miami.  Much like Iggy the following year, Leonard won finals MVP for his defense on LBJ.

The NBA is a superstar league.  With only five players from a team active at one time, individual performances are valued more than in any other sport.  That means the less the supporting cast does, the more is required of the star, of Batman.  And while any title should be celebrated, not all Batmans perform equally.  Not all leading men can be Keaton or Bale, some are Kilmer or Clooney.  Don’t know if you saw those guys as the Dark Knight, but they weren’t very impressive.

Why Don’t Free Agents Feel the Mavs?

Some would say it’s too soon to call two days in, but I’m calling it–free agency was a bust for the Mavs. Sure, players like Lebron, Kevin Durant, and Dwayne Wade (not that we would want him) are still technically uncommitted, but there’s a pretty good idea of where they’ll wind up; and it’s not in Dallas.  After deciding early on to not give Chandler Parsons a max contract, knowing it meant he would likely be with another team next year, Dallas set its sights on three guys: Hassan Whiteside, Mike Conley, and DeMar DeRozan.

All three will command max money on the market. DeRozan is probably the best individual player, but Conley and Whiteside play premium positions, point guard and center, respectively, which typically require inflated contracts, or “overpaying.”  As of today, both DeRozan and Whiteside agreed in principle to resign with their current teams (nothing can be official until July 8), and that should surprise no one. NBA free agency rules are structured in a way that prefer the incumbent club. A player’s current team can offer a 5 year max deal, while other teams can only offer 4.  With the projected salary cap over the next 5 years, that’s a difference of around $40M. That’s some serious coin–not sure I could turn it down either. As I write this, I just received notification that Conley received a 5 year max deal from Memphis. For realz.

You know who else went to Memphis? Chandler Parsons on a 4 year max. I’m sure that acquisition by the Griz weighed heavily into Conley’s decision. So yeah, it’s a bust.

The Mavs have a history of not being able to land the “big fish” in the Cuban era. I would define that individual as an elite free agent in the prime of his career.  All the big names in Mavs’ recent history were drafted (Dirk and Nash) or acquired by trade (Finley, Terry, Marion, Kidd).  Dallas has made pitches to free agents like Lebron, Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams, only to come up empty-handed each time. They were then forced to fill out their roster with the Darren Collisons, OJ Mayos, and Monta Ellises of the world. Good players, but not elite.  

Three years ago, they landed their biggest catch to date in Chandler Parsons.  Parsons wasn’t an elite player, but he was in his prime.  And with the right coaching and some tutelage from Dirk, who knows… Unfortunately, Parsons didn’t live up to expectations here, mostly due to injury problems, which is why he wasn’t offered a max deal this year. In 2015, however, one of Chandler’s greatest off-the-court skills, recruiting, did play a significant role in securing a commitment from “the one who got away.”

After a lengthy courtship, filled with late night sushi, conference calls, Twitter mentions, and emoji-filled texts (mostly from Parsons), DeAndre Jordan agreed in principle to sign a max deal with the Mavs on July 3rd. They did it! They had finally convinced an elite FA to be a Maverick. After letting Tyson Chandler walk following the 2011 championship, they found the next franchise big man. There was much revelry in Big D. The future looked bright. But there was one problem: like I said earlier, signings don’t become official until July 8th. Over the next 5 days, the Clippers systematically turned Jordan’s heart back to LA, culminating in a July 7 quarantine of DJ in his own home by the Clips. Apparently, the night was filled with card games, music, cigars, drinks, and blocking any and all communication from Cuban and the Mavs. Parsons made one last ditch effort, flying out to Houston to try and see Jordan. He announced it with an emoji plane tweet, of course. Alas, it was all in vain, as Jordan signed a max deal with the Clippers on July 8.  Once again, Cuban and Co. had failed to close the deal.

So what is it about this franchise that keeps the best players in the league from signing on? A franchise that hasn’t had a losing record in 16 years and missed the playoffs only once in that span. It obviously isn’t the lack of a winning culture or a proven track of success. It must be something intangible, a mental roadblock they can’t seem to get past. I have some ideas as to what it may be.

Them and Dirk isn’t enough.

He’s a sure fire hall-of-famer.  The greatest European to play the game, and a revolutionary, archetyping the stretch 4. Despite winning an MVP, championship, and a finals MVP, free agents have seemingly decided that a team built around them and Dirk isn’t enough for a shot at a ring.   One of those free agents, Chris Bosh, found out he was wrong in the most painful of ways–beaten by Nowitzki in the finals his first year with the Heat. Bosh had made the decision that joining Lebron and Wade in Miami gave him the best shot at a title. Anyone who is being honest with themselves would have done the same.  I’m not sure this rationale held water for most of the last decade, but it’s hard to argue with now. Sadly, Dirk is still the best player on his team, while putting up some of the lowest numbers of his career.  The front office has done very little, aside from whiff on free agents, to put a competitive team around the aging superstar.

Mark Cuban is perceived to be a jerk.

It’s hard to refute Mark’s claim that he’s the team’s #1 MFFL. Even if he weren’t the owner, you get the notion that he would be court side for every home game, decked out in Mavs merch and high-fiving fellow patrons.  He is fiercely loyal to his own, and passionate about his team; but if you’re on the outside looking in, or God forbid a rival, he can be petty, insulting, and immature.  Whether he’s bad-mouthing the refs after a loss, dumping on the city of San Antonio, mocking Jordan for the way things went down, or saying that Durant is the only “All-Star” on the Thunder (a slight to Westbrook), Cuban comes across as a jerk to many outside of Dallas, and even some within. And who wants to work for a jerk?

Leadership lacks diversity.

You can tell how much an organization values diversity by the makeup of its leadership. In basketball, that means the faces of the franchise. By default, the coach and star player are representatives of the team. In some cases, like in Dallas, the owner is also a very public figure. In a league that has been largely white owners and coaches and black players for the last 30 years, diversity in the front office is crucial to luring free agents. It shows the black players that they’re seen as more than just athletes, and have the opportunity to ascend to positions of influence in the organization, should they want that. In the Mavs’ organization, you have to get to the level of assistant coach before you find a non-white member in visible leadership. I’m not commenting on whether this measure is right or wrong, just or unjust. I’m simply saying it may be a factor in a league that’s looking to become more diverse at the highest levels.

Whatever the reason is: partnering with Dirk isn’t enough to contend, not wanting to work for Cuban, a lack of diversity in leadership, or any other hangup they’re trying to get past, one thing is obvious–elite free agents aren’t feeling the Mavs. And with the important role free agency plays in roster building today, they better figure out what the problem is, and change their vibe.

Cowboys Skip Leg Day in First Round

This is what the Cowboys look like after selecting Ezekiel Elliot with the 4th overall pick last night.  In weight training, much emphasis is placed on the importance of balance.  You want to devote near equal time to your upper body and lower body to develop strength and stability.  Not to mention actually look good.  (Not that I’m a picture of fitness, but at least I’m chunky everywhere).  When you rattle off the stars on the Dallas Cowboys, it probably goes something like this: Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Tyron Smith, Sean Lee…it takes at least 5 names before you mention a defensive player.  Tyrone Crawford, Orlando Scandrick, and Byron Jones are good players who could become more; but are they considered stars?  No.

That trend will continue as the Boys preferred the talented running back over a talented defensive back/safety in Jalen Ramsey last night.  Ezekiel Elliot is the best RB in this draft, no doubt.  He’s a heck of a football player with electric play-making ability.  He’s impressive and flashy.

Bulging biceps and ripped delts–beach muscles.  The look that catches the eye of everyone who walks by.  And if you put that much effort into your body, you want people to notice.  But the Cowboys already have a dependable running game.  With that O-Line, McFadden, and Morris, you could already tell they “work out.”  Now, they’re all swoll up top and scrawny in the legs.

Since the Boys are hoping their personnel decisions get them to the Superbowl, let’s take a look at the teams that made it there the last 5 years.

2012- Giants v. Patriots
2013- Ravens v. Niners
2014- Broncos v. Seahawks
2015- Patriots v. Seahawks
2016- Broncos v. Panthers

Now let’s rattle off some of their stars (winners in bold):

2012- Eli, Cruz, Osi, Tuck v. Brady, Welker, Gronk, Wilfork
2013- Lewis, Flacco, Reed, Rice v. Kaep, Gore, Bowman, Aldon Smith
2014- Peyton, Demaryius, Bailey, Moreno v. Sherman, Chancellor, Wilson, Lynch
2015- Brady, Gronk, Wilfork, Revis v. Sherman, Chancellor, Wilson, Lynch
2016- Miller, Peyton, Demaryius, Talib v. Cam, Kuechly, Norman, Olson

Is it split 50-50?  Not quite, but almost.  Interestingly enough, the winners have an even split.  I understand that this is an arbitrary list of stars; but I think it’s pretty close to what most people would name, and it illustrates my point.  You must have a balance.

Leg day is hard.  It takes more energy, oxygen, and blood-flow than arms day.  It hurts more the next morning.  The results aren’t as noticeable; but a solid base is key to strength and fitness.  There’s a reason they say “defense wins championships”–defense is the base of a winning team. The Cowboys are celebrating, carrying a crate of cold ones and mixers to the after-draft party, biceps and pecks rippling.  But when you look at the larger picture, it’s actually kind of sad.  And they’re not winning any awards with that look.

 

 

Dirk’s Hope For Another Ring Here is Anderson

I will be accused of being a schizophrenic fan; and it will be on good grounds.  Not too long ago, before the Mavs were .01 seconds from being swept by the Thunder in the first round, I wrote a blog on how they need to cut Dirk loose in order to accelerate the rebuilding process and allow him to play out his days with a legitimate contender.  Reviews were mixed.  I also criticized the Mavs for mortgaging the future by shipping away picks and young talent in short-sighted trades.  While watching Westbrook and Durant put the final nail in the 2016 coffin a few nights ago, I must say, I saw a glimmer of hope–not as much for the Mavs, but for Dirk.

Rick Carlisle is notorious for waiting too long to develop young talent.  He makes guys sit on the bench and watch when everyone thinks they should be taking reps.  It’s probably his biggest criticism as a coach.  Throughout the season, fans and media alike were clamoring to see more of Justin Anderson, the powerful, athletic wing we drafted in the first round last summer.  It wasn’t until Chandler Parsons went down for the season that Anderson got any real attention from his coach.  By the time Dallas clinched a playoff spot, he had solidified a role on the team (many argue it should have been larger), and he used this playoff series as a coming-out party to the rest of the NBA.  Catching oops, hitting 3’s, earning trips to the line, blocking shots, soaring for boards, doggedly defending offensive stars, diving head-first (elbow-first at times) into scrums for a loose ball, Justin showed everything you want to see from a developing baller.

If they hadn’t already, front office execs and coaches across the league took notice of Anderson and are now curious about what he can become.  For Mavs fans, he’s brought excitement and hope for the future of the franchise.  So, if you’re one who wants to ride it out with the Big German and try to build a contender around #41, it’s time to take trade calls for Justin.  I know…fellow MFFLs…you’re disgusted.  “He’s one of the only young, dynamic players we have.  He may be the future of the franchise.  How can you talk about trading him?!”  I don’t think we should trade him.  My thoughts on what the Mavs should do are well documented in my last post.  But if you’re going to acquire a polished veteran who can help Dirk make another push to the finals, the time is now (before next season starts), and Justin must be a part of the deal.  His stock has never been higher.

In the 09-10 season, the Mavs had a promising rookie named Rodrigue Beaubois.  He had point guard height, with the wing span of a small forward.  He had quicks, hops, and handles–potential in spades.  On March 27, 2010, Roddy burst on the scene with a 40 pt game against the Golden State Warriors.  Fans and media alike went wild!  Despite that performance, Avery Johnson, another rookie-averse coach, kept a tight leash on Roddy B, limiting his minutes and benching him at crucial points in ball games.  An underground movement dubbed “Free Roddy B” swelled among the the Mavs faithful lobbying for a larger role for the rook–with impressive t-shirt and merch sales, I must say.Even the king fanatic, Mark Cuban, fell in love with Beaubois’ upside.  So much so that when the Indiana Pacers offered their first round pick in 2010 for Beaubois, Cuban said “thanks but no thanks.”  That pick wound up being Paul George, who is now a perennial all-star.  Meanwhile, Roddy hasn’t played in the NBA since 2013.

Of course, hind-sight is 20/20, and we now know that was a terrible decision by the front office.  So what should the Mavs learn from this mistake?  Trust your coach, and don’t overvalue potential.  In basketball, there are three roles that are essential to a contender: the star player, the floor general, and the above-average big man.  Sometimes these overlap, meaning one player serves multiple roles, but all three must be represented.  The star player is self-explanatory.  Practically speaking, they’re the best player on their team.  LeBron, Steph Curry, Durant, Leonard, Dirk…the value of these players is undeniable.  The floor general is a facilitator, with great court vision, making split-second decisions that put his team in the best position to score.  He knows where his guys’ “spots” are and gets them the rock where they like it.  He runs the offense.  Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Rajon Rondo…these are floor generals on their squads.  Steph Curry and Damian Lilliard are examples of players filling both the floor general and star player roles.

Then there’s the above-average big man.  I would prefer to say “excellent”, or “superior”, but in this increasingly guard-driven league, above-average bigs are nearly as useful as their elite counterparts.  This guy’s job is to protect the rim, grab rebounds, and score from time to time.  Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside, DeAndre Jordan–great examples of this role.  In Boogie Cousins and Anthony Davis you again find the dual role.  When all three are represented, a team is ready to do work and chase a ring.  If you don’t have these in place, you either need to develop them or trade for them.  Back to Justin Anderson.  Can he fit into one of these roles?  He’s not tall enough to be a big, although he plays “big” for his height.  He is a decent ball-handler, and his passing will improve with time, but he doesn’t appear to have the skill-set necessary for a floor general.  So, can he be a star player?  He is obviously talented, able to finish at the rim with authority or hit from beyond the arc—but can he develop into a Paul George, James Harden, or even Klay Thompson?  I’m inclined to say “no.”  He could become an exceptional role player, like Jimmy Butler or C.J. McCollum; but I don’t think he has the talent to be anything beyond that.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.  Players like that are necessary to fill out the roster of a contender; but they’re readily available throughout the league.

If, in fact, Justin doesn’t fill an essential role on the team, and the front office is intent on keeping Dirk and chasing a title, Anderson has to be at the center of trade talks.  After high-flying for boards and buckets, frustrating Durant, and fronting Westbrook this last series, his star shines as bright as ever.  If he is traded, it needs to be in a deal that brings a floor general, an above-average big, or a potential star.  If he isn’t, and Dirk finishes his years in Dallas, get ready for more futility and frustration; just start designing the “Free Justin Anderson” gear now.

 

 

It’s Time for Dirk to Go

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) walks back up court after the Mavs turned the ball over to the San Antonio Spurs in the second half of the NBA Western Conference Quarterfinals Game 7 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, Sunday, May 4, 2014. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)

My sports soul has been in pain for years now.  It’s been like watching the family dog’s health deteriorate–knowing the inevitable is coming .  It doesn’t see or hear as well as it used to, maybe a limp is developing, and it spends more time sleeping than awake.  Sure, there are still good moments from time to time; but you know, as a good owner, you’ll need to put it down soon while it still has some quality of life. Some dignity.  You’re dreading that day.

That day has come for the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki.  I’m writing this two days after the Mavs clinched their 15th playoff berth in 16 years.  A team that was picked by some pundits to finish near the bottom of the west is still in contention for the 5th spot in the conference.  Sounds like cause for celebration!  But really, it’s just one of those “good moments” I’m referring to. “But Dirk is averaging 19 pts and 7 boards a game, with no signs of slowing down.  He’s still the best player on his team.  What in the world are you talking about?!”   You’re absolutely right; but in my scenario, Dirk isn’t the aging dog, the “Dirk Championship Window in Dallas” is–and those are two very different things.

Nowitzki is the consummate pro, maintaining a level of fitness and focus into his late 30’s that is largely unseen in the league.  He is already a sure-fire hall-of-famer and #8 on the all-time scorers list.  At his current clip, he will surpass Wilt Chamberlain for the #5 spot in about 100 games.  That’s 1.25 seasons, not counting the playoffs.  Barring an injury, he will accomplish that before he retires–and Michael Jordan may not be safe at #4.  He is 27th this year in points per game, and with 32 teams in the league, that means he is a guaranteed top scorer on at least 6 of them.  So why can’t we win another championship with him?  Why must he go?

Because in the NBA, one top 32 player is not enough to win.  Even with two it’s no guarantee.  You must have multiple scoring options with the right pieces around them.  Jordan never won a ring without Pippen.  Kobe never hung a banner without Shaq or Pau.  LeBron James had no titles until he joined forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.  Even Dirk, in order to hoist the O’Brien 5 years ago, needed fellow hall-of-famer Jason Kidd and other key players.  When you look at that list of top 32, the best teams, at least those in the west, have multiple players listed.  Golden State has Curry and Thompson, San Antonio has Leonard and Aldridge, OKC has Durant and Westbrook.  If you’re going to the finals, you’ll have to go through at least two of those teams.  And of those six players, the oldest is Aldridge at 30–7 years younger that Dirk.  Dallas doesn’t even have another player in the top 50.

Truth is, no matter how legendary and transcendent Dirk remains in the twilight of his career, the front office has not surrounded him with the kind of talent that translates into deep playoff runs.  Dirk will be good enough to keep the Mavs playoff relevant as long as he laces them up; but even if they manage to scrape their way in, they’ll be eliminated by a real contender one or two rounds in.  It’s literally a no-win scenario.  Just good enough to make the playoffs, removing you from the lottery in the following draft, and not good enough to win a title.  Not rebuilding and not contending.  So how did Dallas find themselves in this situation?  The answer is simple: neglecting the draft.

The three best teams in the west, Golden State, San Antonio, and OKC, have built their teams around their first round draft picks.  All the guys named above, except Aldridge, were selected by their current team in the first round.  Aldridge, who came to SA as a free agent, was still a 1st round pick by Portland.  Heck, even Dirk was a first round pick (technically drafted by the Bucks, but the Mavs traded for him on draft day).  Since the 2011 championship, they have either traded their 1st round pick on draft night or not had one because it was included in another trade.  The exception is Justin Anderson, last year’s pick, who is currently a starter.  Rudy Fernandez, Lamar Odom, Rajon Rondo…all players for whom Dallas gave up at least a first round pick.  And why did they make those deals?  Why did they mortgage the future?  To keep the “Dirk Championship Window” open.

Well, that window is closed.  It slammed on Mark Cuban’s and Donnie Nelson’s fingers years ago.   All they have left is a loyal icon carrying the team and a group of veterans looking to get their careers back on track.  If Dirk wants a realistic shot at another ring before he retires, if the Mavericks want to get back to being a real contender, the best thing for everyone is to trade him to a current contender for undeveloped talent and future first rounders.  Dirk would have to sign off on it, because he has a no-trade clause in his contract.  The time is now, while he’s still a top 32 player.  It’s time for Mark Cuban to be a good owner, leave the fans with good memories, and put this dog down.  There’s a puppy out there looking for a good home, and everyone loves a puppy.

 

Kobe Bryant: The First Loser?

(I realize this has nothing to do with Dallas sports, but I love the NBA and this is a historic time for our generation of hoops fans.  So thanks for bearing with me.)

I’ve never liked the phrase  “second place is just the first loser.”  It’s a statement without any perspective, any concept of legacy.  The second greatest at anything is still incredibly great at something.  Ever since the world was introduced to the greatness of Michael Jeffrey Jordan, there has been no one greater to play in the National Basketball Association.  The one who has come closest to reaching His Airness’ loftiness is Kobe Bean Bryant, the son of an NBA player who crafted his game all around the world, patterning himself after Jordan.

Kobe and Michael both played the shooting guard position, both were clutch scorers, and exceptional on-the-ball defenders.  I speak of Kobe playing in past terms not because he’s retired, but because we can all see the writing on the wall: that his best years, even his years of playing at an all-star level, are behind him.  This season, the 2013-14 campaign, Kobe has played 6 games all year, and according to the news out of LA, The Black Mamba is going to shut it down for the rest of the season due to an injury.  Kobe is talented enough to still play at a high level; but after 18 years in the league, we can expect to see Kobe on the court less and less.

In most sports, greatness is measured by hardware–rings, MVP’s, all-star selections, and the sort.  This is especially true in basketball, where the small number of players participating at one time means magnified individual performances.  Jordan and Bryant’s trophy cases hardly compare though, as you can see below:

	Jordan	Bryant
Championships	6	5
Finals’ MVP’s	6	2
League MVP’s	5	1
All Star	14	16
All Star MVP’s	3	4
Scoring Champ	10	2
Def POY	1	0
NBA 1st Team	10	11
NBA 2nd Team	1	2
NBA 3rd Team		2
Def 1st Team	9	9
Def 2nd Team		3
Olympic Gold	2	2
FIBA Gold	1	1

There are a few categories where the two are close, such as NBA and Defensive 1st Team selections, All Star selections, and the all-important championships.  But in most other categories, especially in big time awards like MVP’s and Scoring Champ, Air Jordan remains strata over the grounded Mamba.

Even in the category of championships, where Kobe comes close to catching Michael, the numbers are misleading.  For clarification, look at the category right below it, Finals’ MVP.  Every time Jordan won a ring, he was the best player on his team, 6 of 6.  But of Kobe’s five Larry O’Briens, only two came when he was the lead dog.  The majority of his rings actually came when he was Robin to Shaquille O’Neil’s Batman in the early 2000’s.  Jordan was always Batman.  And not the pathetic Val Kilmer/George Clooney portrayal of Bruce Wayne, but the awesome Michael Keaton/Christian Bale variety.  Five League MVP trophies, ten scoring titles, and a Defensive Player of the Year greatly overshadow Kobe’s one MVP and two scoring titles.

After hardware, the next criteria for greatness is career stats.  Jordan only played in the league 15 years, and Kobe is in his 18th season, so in order to compare apples to apples, let’s handicap Kobe’s per game stats and take his 15 best seasons, that is, let’s take out his first two years and current season, and see how they compare to Michael’s numbers.  With career totals, we’ll compare them straight up.  Here’s how they stack up:

	Jordan	Bryant
Pts/game	30.1	27.2
Ast/game	5.3	5.1
Reb/game	6.2	5.7
Stl/game	2.3	1.5
Career Pts	32292	31700
Career Ast	5633	5925
Career Reb	6672	6601
Career Stl	2514	1835

Jordan edges out Bryant in every per game category, and the only career category that Kobe claims is assists; but that is to be expected when you’ve been in the league for 3 more years.  When 24’s career is over, he’ll surpass 23 in career points and rebounds; but he won’t catch his steals numbers.  And the way things are looking in LA, he won’t catch his championship numbers either.  Certainly not as any team’ Dark Knight.

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in NBA history, and in my Top 5 All-Time list (MJ, Magic, Russell, Jabar, Bryant).  If after he graduated from Lower Marion High School in Philadelphia, 18 year-old Kobe set out to be one of the greatest to ever play, then he has more than accomplished his goal.  But if he set out to be the greatest player of all time, to surpass Michael Jordan, then he is, in fact, the first loser.

Dallas Mavericks: Throwing Back the Big Fish

“Dallas can’t contend with Dirk and Chandler making max money, it doesn’t leave them with enough cap space to sign anyone else, at least not with the new CBA” they said.  The one and only year Tyson Chandler was in Dallas, the Mavs went on to win their one and only franchise championship.  At the end of that season, Chandler was an unrestricted free agent and rather than ponying up the money to resign him, the Mavs let him walk.  And walk he did, all the way to the Big Apple, where he got a 4 year, $55 million deal with the Knickerbockers.  In order to understand the rationale the Mavs used to justify letting him go, you need to understand a bit about the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) the teams were working under, both before Chandler became a free agent and after.

Now I’m no CBA expert, but I know enough to have an idea of what the Mavs were thinking.  The off season after the Mavs’ championship, the league and the players’ association had a nasty, drawn out disagreement of what their new multi-year deal, or CBA, should be.  Once they reached a decision, some things changed, and some stayed the same; but the most important details for our purposes are the changes in penalties for going over the cap limit.  The NBA has what is called a soft salary cap, which means that teams have a certain amount of money they can spend to put together their roster, and if they go over that number, they are charged penalties.  In contrast, there are leagues with hard salary caps, like the NFL, meaning you can’t go past a certain payroll number at all, and leagues with no salary cap, like MLB, where teams can spend as little or as much as they want.

Under the previous CBA, teams who were over the salary cap would pay a dollar to the league for every dollar they were over.  So if the league imposed a $100M cap, and a team had a $125M roster, the team would cut the league a check for $25M in penalties.  With the new CBA, the 1 to 1 ratio remained, but only up to a certain point, and then it would be $2 for every $1 over (2:1), and 3:1, 4:1, and so forth.  It made it a lot more expensive for teams to be over the cap, especially if they were significantly over the cap, like the Mavs had been for years.  Mark Cuban was never afraid to spend money, even if it included cap penalties, in order to put together what he felt like was a competitive team.  But the new agreement brought stiffer penalties, and Mark wasn’t as ready to venture into the waters of cap overages as he had been.  Also, the new CBA removed or limited roster perks, like the mid-level exception, for teams who are over the cap.  The mid-level exception is basically a roster spot, up to a certain amount, that doesn’t count against the salary cap.  The new rules made it much more difficult to be and stay competitive, never mind profitable, if you were over the cap.

So with these new rules in place, the Dallas front office felt it was the better decision for the team, long term, to not bring back a number of the players who had brought the first NBA championship to Dallas and stay “financially flexible” for the future.  Specifically, they wanted to have enough money to go after one of the 3 free agents who were about to be on the market around that time, in hopes that they would become the next cornerstone for the franchise: namely Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams.  On the surface, it sounded like a good plan, and you can’t blame Cuban for not wanting to tie up all his money in a few players, but the problem is that in the NBA, generally speaking, you have to have an above average center in order to contend for a title–and those guys come at a premium.  Chandler was arguably the best center the Mavs had ever had, and after spending years and years handing out bad contracts trying to find a franchise center, it seemed they had found one in him.  A concern about Tyson, which has been the case for most of his career, is that he’s injury prone; although he managed to stay healthy for the year he was in Dallas.  It was a big risk for a guy who had a history of injuries and gave you around 10 pts/10 rebs a night.

So Dallas opted for this “financial flexibility”, and after swinging an missing on all 3 of those big free agents we mentioned before (Howard opted in for the last year of his contract with Orlando and eventually signed a multi-year deal with Houston, Paul re-upped with the Clippers, and Williams, a Dallas native, chose to stay with the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets over coming to the Mavs), the team had to settle for lesser free agents in order to fill out their roster.  The post-Chandler years have gone like this: 2012 regular season 36-30 (shortened season due to lockout), eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in a sweep by OKC, 2013 regular season 41-41, missed playoffs for the first time in 13 years, and in this 2014 season, they sit at 32-23, 3rd in the Southwest division, and 8th overall in the West.  With all that in mind, do we as fans feel that the team has made the best use of the money they saved by not signing Chandler?  Was the financial freedom to make moves worth avoiding the risk they would have faced in resigning a proved, albeit oft-injured big man?  Let’s see what the numbers say.

Let’s compare Tyson’s numbers since he left the Mavs against  the guys the team signed with the money they would have spent on him.  We’ll compare games, minutes, points, and rebounds using a weighed average of the new players.  What I mean by this is, if Player A scored 20 pts per game in a season and was paid 60% of the available money, making his weighed points per game 20 x 60% = 12, and Player B scored 15 pts a game and collected the other 40%, making his weighed pts/game 15 x 40%= 6, their weighed average points per game would be 12 + 6= 18.  This will show us if the Mavs got a good bang for their buck with their new players.

During the 2011-12 season, Chandler  made $13.1M, and Dallas was able to sign Lamar Odom at $8.9M, Vince Carter at $3M, and Delonte West at $1.1M, leaving a surplus of $61,500.  Here’s how they performed.

2011-12	Chandler	Players
Games	62	51.9
Minutes	33.2	30.0
Points	11.3	7.6
Rebounds	9.9	3.3

Chandler went on to have a strong season that year, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award.  He also outperformed the collection of players the Mavs brought in to replace his production handedly.  He played 10 more games than them that year, gave his team 3 more minutes, scored almost 4 more pts a game, and most significantly, grabbed over 6 boards more per game.

The following season, TC raked in $13.6M, and Dallas upped Vince to $3.1M, and signed a trio of big men in Chris Kaman for $8M, Elton Brand at $2.1, and Bernard James for $470K.  They also paid West almost $1M although he didn’t play a single game that season, figures and stats which I will not use in the weighed average for simplicity and benevolence’s sake.

2012-13	Chandler	Players
Games	66	66.3
Minutes	32.8	21.7
Points	10.4	10.4
Rebounds	10.7	5.2

Chandler had just a strong a year his second season with the Knicks, although he didn’t repeat as DPOY.  Dallas’ players did a better job at earning their pay by increasing their games played, but were collectively on the court 10 mins less a game than Chandler.  That is in large part due to Chris Kaman’s inability to rebound well enough to stay on the court.  They did manage to match Tyson’s point output; but came up short in boards, averaging less than half of his rebounding stats.  At least they’re getting closer!

This season, 2013-14, Tyson is collecting $14.1M, while the Mavs are finishing VC’s contract with $3.2, giving James an additional $788K, and adding Monte Ellis for $8M, and Samuel Dalembert at $3.7M.  Now these additions total around $15.7M and exceed Chandler’s contract by about 11%, so I’m going to decrease the Mavs’ numbers by that percentage to give us a more accurate picture.

2013-14	Chandler	Players
Games	30	52.1
Minutes	28.9	28.2
Points	8.5	13.5
Rebounds	8.8	4.0

Fifty four games into the season, Tyson is having a hard time staying healthy; but when he does play, he’s averaging about 29 mins/9 pts/9 rebs, which is right at his career averages.  The Mavs’ big off season acquisition of Monte Ellis has bolstered the team’s offense, evidence by the pts numbers above; but rebounding by the replacement players is down from last season, in spite of adding, theoretically, the best defensive center they’ve had since Chandler in Dalembert.  Due to a compromised Tyson Chandler and a healthy set of Mavs players, the team has gotten the best return out of their investments this year over the last three.

Let’s look at one last chart, a standard average of the three we have above:

Average	Chandler	Players
Games	52.7	54.9
Minutes	31.6	25.9
Points	10.1	10.2
Rebounds	9.8	3.6

Over the last 2.5 seasons, the Mavs have gotten 2 more games a season, 6 less minutes a game, basically the same points, and a gawdy 6 rebounds less a game out of their players than they would have for the same money with Tyson Chandler.  Thus far, letting the defensive anchor of the 2010-11 has proven to be a bad decision by the numbers.  And the numbers weren’t even what Chandler was most lauded for on the team; it was intangibles like toughness, energy, and heart, which are also gone.  Winning is the great deodorant, and if the Mavs can get in the post season pull off an epic run in the playoffs, then the stink of this snafu will be all but forgotten.  But if they don’t, which is the more likely scenario, considering they’re hanging on the the last playoff spot in the West as I write this, they will have one more shot to make this right this off-season.  If, with the cap space they create by this summer, they can sign the next superstar of the franchise, a proven player that the team and the fans can rally around, then it may all be worth it.  However, if the season opener comes and goes, and the Dallas Mavericks look pretty much like they do now, with Dirk Nowitzki as the best player on the team, needing to carry the team on his back in order for them to have a hope at title contention, this may go down as the greatest mistake by the Mavs’ front office in the Cuban era.  Once that ball tips on opening night of the 2014-15 season, Tyson Chandler is on the last year of his contract, making him  a financial asset for the Knicks leading up to the trade deadline.  An asset that could have been Dallas’ if they had chosen to take the gamble and bring Chandler back.  Looking back over the last 3 years of Mavericks basketball, as yourself, would this team have had a better chance at a title with the guys they’ve brought in with their financial flexibility, or with a true franchise center?  I think we all know the answer to that question.

Can This Year’s Mavs Contend?

In Dallas, we’ve seen an NBA champion up close and personal in the not too distant past.  The franchise’s first championship came 3 years ago against LeBron James’ “upstart” Miami Heat.  I say upstart because, although they won the East and were in the finals, they were only a shadow of the basketball juggernaut they’ve become, winning back to back titles the last 2 seasons.  That Mavs team was an unlikely champion, as they were not the most talented team in the finals.  Miami’s Big 3 of James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, along with a solid backup cast, looked much better on paper than Dallas’ one superstar in Dirk Nowitzki, a side-kick in Jason Terry, and a team of has-beens who were making one last grab at an elusive ring.  But what the Mavs lacked in talent, they made up for in chemistry and experience.  They showed they were the better TEAM, and playing team ball, won the whole thing.

Today’s Mavericks look much different than they did in those days; but not everything has changed.  Cuban still owns the team, Rick Carlisle is still the coach, and the Big German is still dropping bombs on people from all over the court.  As long as Dirk Nowitzki continues the Mavs’ best player, the makeup of that 2010 team is the blueprint for getting back to contention.  Let’s look at that championship roster and identify the key players and their roles:

Dirk Nowitzki PF
Jason Kidd PG
Jason Terry SG
Shawn Marion SF
Tyson Chandler C
JJ Barea PG
DeShawn Stevenson SG
Brendan Haywood C
Peja Stojakovic SF
Brian Cardinal PF
Corey Brewer SF
Ian Mahinmi C

There were 3 other players on the roster, but they were injured for the final series: Caron Butler, Dominique Jones, and Rodrigue Beaubois.

Dirk- The Star

Nowitzki was the unequivocal leader of this team.  He was the team’s best player and deserves most of the credit for the Larry O’Brien trophy which sits in Mark Cuban’s office today.  He was the go to man, the closer, and the workhorse.

Kidd- The General

Jason was the coach on the floor.  He knew what everyone was supposed to do, where they were supposed to be, and how to get them the ball where they liked it.  He also played excellent perimeter defense and helped spread the floor by shooting well from beyond the arc, opening things up for his teammates.

Terry- The Gunner

Jet was the second best offensive player on the team, and was often paired with Dirk in a two man game.  That means they were on the same side of the floor and played off of each other, daring defenders to come off of one to help guard the other, leaving with just enough space to get off a good shot.

Marion- The Lock Down Defender

Defensively, Marion’s assignment was always guarding the best player on the other team, and in the finals, that meant guarding LeBron James.  A task he did quite well.  On offense, he was the slasher—the guy who moves towards to basket without the basketball and takes a short-range shot or, better yet, gets a bucket at the rim.

Chandler- The Defensive Anchor

Perimeter defenders know they can play tight against their assignment if they have a big man behind them to protect the rim in the case their guy gets past them, and that’s what Dallas had in Tyson Chandler.  He was an above average shot blocker, rebounder, and would occasionally finish with authority around the basket.

Barea- The Spark Plug

Every successful team needs a change of pace guy, a player who comes in and alters the rhythm of the game, and that was JJ for the Mavs.  Barea was not exceptional at any aspect of the game, and he was a liability on the defensive end, but his kamikaze approach to attacking the basket gave the team a completely different look and a spark that Miami had a hard time containing.

Stevenson- The Enforcer

This role was played by Brian Cardinal as well, to a lesser extent.  Some believe that if he hadn’t twice stepped in front of Dwayne Wade to take a charge, the first resulting in a blocking foul and the second in a questionable charge call, injuring Wade and diminishing him for the rest of the series, the Mavs might not have won their title.  But it was DeShawn who got in a shoving match with Mario Chalmers, and LeBron James, and anyone else willing to get within arm’s length of him.  Every team needs a guy like Stevenson, who makes the other team think he’s crazy enough to hurt them physically, and not just on the box score.

The Rest of the Crew

The remainder of Dallas’ roster was made up of guys who played lesser roles, but played them well.  Brendan Haywood was a skilled big man with a soft touch around the rim.  Peja was another sharpshooter who could stretch the floor.  Corey Brewer was a hustler who went all out for loose balls and rebounds.  And Ian Mahinmi was a raw talent, who, when he was on, could be very disruptive on the court.

All of these pieces came together to form one of the best pure teams the NBA has seen since the days of the early 2000’s Pistons, who defeated a supremely more talented Lakers squad with smothering defense and crisp ball movement.  If the Mavs hope to win another championship anytime soon, they will need to come together as a team like this again.  But do they currently have the players to contend like they did in 2010?  Let’s compare the rosters to see if they have the necessary pieces.

The Star– As it was in 2010, Dirk Nowitzki is still the star of this team.  Unfortunately, Dirk is 3 years older now and has since undergone a significant knee surgery.  In the year of the championship, he averaged 25 pts and 7 rebs a game, while this year those stats are down to 23 pts and 6 boards.  Not a huge dropoff, but due to the dependence  the Mavs have on Dirk night in and night out, that small drop could be the difference between a deep run in the playoffs and one and done.  But that’s to be expected, and someone else has to pick up the slack.  The championship squad definitely had the better Dirk, but the 2013 version can still put the team on his back if need be.

The General–  Jason Kidd might be one of if not the greatest point guard to ever play in the league, so it is no small task replacing him.  This role has fallen to Jose Calderon, who is a heady player with good court vision, a respectable 3 pt shot, and one who rarely turns the ball over; but Jose falls significantly short as a defender.  He does not have the grit and savvy of a Jason Kidd, and bigger guards, of which there is abundance in the league, usually get the best of the Spaniard.  This is probably the position with the biggest drop off, but you have to expect that when you’re replacing a Hall of Famer.

The Gunner– The second best offensive weapon on the team is Monte Ellis.  Terry was a better spot up shooter and passer than Ellis, but Monte is definitely a more versatile player with an explosive first step and an impressive mid-range game.  He is more capable of creating his own shot than Jet was, and if he can develop the same kind of chemistry with Nowitzki as Terry, this could be one of the best guard-forward combos in the league.  I’ll give the advantage to Monte on this one.

The Lock Down Defender– This role still falls to Shawn Marion, although sometimes Vince Carter steps in if the circumstances dictate it.  Marion is still a strong defender, and Carter is no slouch, but no area disintegrates more as a player ages than defense.  This is because it is largely based on speed, reaction time, and energy—and those go little by little as you continue to add candles to what now has to be a lactose-free birthday cake.  No doubt, Marion 3 years ago is a better defender than he and Carter now collectively.

The Defensive Anchor– If there is one free agent I believed Cuban needed to bring back from the title team, it was Tyson Chandler.  Above average defensive centers are so hard to come by in the NBA that once you find one, you have to lock him down.  Since the Mavs let Chandler walk, they haven’t come anywhere close to title contention, and it’s no coincidence.  Mavs’ starting center Samuel Dalembert is a serviceable big man who can go for 20 and 10 on a given night; but he can also foul out midway through the 4^th quarter after 3 pts and 4 boards.  He’s highly inconsistent and not the kind of center players can count on to clean up their mistakes if they overplay a ball-handler on the perimeter.  Definite advantage 2010.

The Spark Plug– Looking at this year’s roster, no one guy has really established himself in this role, although most fans hope that it will be Devin Harris who seizes it.  Harris was drafted by Dallas as a rookie, and a lot of fans were sad to see him go as part of the trade that brought Jason Kidd to Dallas.  We now all know that it was the right decision, but the young Harris had been a part of a Mavs finals team before and looked like he had his best years ahead of him.  Now, Devin is a seasoned vet who, aside from an All Star selection in 2009, hasn’t had much success to speak of since he left Dallas.  Fans are hoping that he can find some of that old magic and be a 6^th man who throws defenses for a loop when he comes in the game.  But hope doesn’t win championships, and until I see it consistently on the court, I’m going to have to give Barea the nod here.

The Enforcer– Former nemesis and San Antonio Spur DeJuan Blair embraced this role in Dallas.  He is a hard-nosed, tough center, albeit undersized, who makes people think twice about strolling into the paint.  He’s a good pick-setter, and is not afraid to throw a cheap shot or two.  It’s hard to argue with the success of Stevenson, but I think Blair has the makings of a great tough guy.  I’m going to call this a wash.

The Rest of the Crew– With Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright, and Shane Larkin leading the pack, this year’s squad has a promising group of young talent, not to mention Ricky Ledo, Gal Mekel, and journeyman Wayne Ellington.  I revere the 2010 squad all the way down to the 15^th man, but I’d have to say, based on potential alone, this year’s deep backups are a notch above the former ones.

In comparing 8 roles (technically, 7 roles and 1 group of players) from the 2010 title team and the 2013-14 Mavs, five of those roles favor the championship team, two favor this year’s squad, and one is a tie.  Based on that, I’d have to say that our Mavs are a ways of from recreating the kind of chemistry and dynamic they had when they were at their best, and I don’t consider them contenders for this year’s crown.  If they do make it into the playoffs and they’re playing near full capacity, they’ll be the team no one wants to play in the first round, cause you never know what a hot team can do.  They have the talent to beat any team, anywhere from now until the post season, but they don’t have the pieces needed to win a best of 7 series.  Sorry Mavs fans; I recommend you just sit back and enjoy some entertaining basketball, and temper your expectations about what this team can accomplish.  And do like I do, go to You Tube and watch some of those old 2010-11 playoff games.  It’ll make you proud to be a MFFL all over again!

Dallas Cowboys: One Thing Remains

It’s another disappointing Dallas Cowboys season in the books, and no one in Big D is surprised.  Honestly, I don’t know that many Cowboys fans who are even bummed about it.  I guess 18 years of mediocrity will create that kind of apathy in a fan base.  But this wasn’t always the case.  There was a time when the Boys were the marquee franchise in the NFL, regarded as a legitimate title contender every year; much like the New England Patriots now.

Those were the Cowboys of the 90’s.  From 1990-1999, the Boys had only two losing seasons and thus two seasons where they missed the playoffs.  They went to the postseason 8 of 10 years, winning at least one game in 6 of those 8 trips, claiming 3 conference championships in 4 appearances, and hoisting up 3 Lombardis in as many Super Bowls.  All under the leadership of one Jerry Jones.  That’s a far cry from the .500 culture that’s become the norm around here.  Since those “glory days”, they’ve only managed 7 winning seasons out of 14, with 4 playoff berths and 1 playoff win.  It’s a tale of two teams.  Two Jerry Joneses.

The story begins on February 25, 1989, when Jerral “Jerry” Jones purchased the franchise from H.R. Bright for $180 million.  The team was coming off of three consecutive losing seasons, and new boss Jones wanted to shakeup the organization.  Tom Landry was the only coach the Cowboys had known in their 29 year existence, and despite Landry’s past successes, including 7 conference championships and 2 Super Bowls, Jerry unceremoniously fired the legendary head coach and replaced him with former Arkansas teammate Jimmy Johnson.  Many believe Landry’s firing was less about football and more about rebranding the Cowboys, as the fedora, worn by the coach on the sidelines, had become the de facto team symbol rather than the star.  Jerry himself admitted later on that he could have handled the situation better, but felt it was something he had to do.

A few months after firing Landry, Jones went ahead and completely moved out the old guard, releasing long time general manager Tex Schramm, and assumed complete control of football matters.  As you can imagine, these moves were very unpopular with many Cowboys fans, and it looked like it was going to backfire on Jerry right out of the gate as the Boys went 1-15 in his first year.  The following year, 1990, was not great either, although they improved to 7-9.  It wasn’t until the third year that the young talent Jerry and Jimmy had brought in was able to put it together, going 11-5 and winning the club’s first playoff game in 8 years.  Talent like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Leon Lett, Charles Haley, and Darren Woodson, who joined the likes of Michael Irvin, Nate Newton, and Ken Norton Jr. to become the foundation of the success that was to come.

In 1992, Jerry Jones’ Cowboys won their first of 3 Super Bowls in 4 years, with Jimmy Johnson coaching the ’92 and ’93 squads, and Barry Switzer on the sidelines for the ’95 championship.  It was a golden time to be a Cowboys fan!  With those 3 championships, we pulled ahead of the Steelers and 49ers as the most decorated champions in NFL history.  But little did we know there was poison mixed in the sweet cup of victory.  With the Cowboys’ historic success, Jerry Jones believed he was the one with the football Midas touch.  He had, after all, won 3 Super Bowls as general manager with two different coaches.  He was the common denominator, and therefore, in his mind, the primary reason for their success.  It would have been hard to argue against that on January 29, 1996, a day after Jones’ Boys won their third title.  But what none of us knew back then is that Super Bowl 30 was a high-water mark for Jerry’s Boys, and a long, hard drought lay ahead.

The-team-that-Jerry-owns-and-runs hasn’t come anywhere near to that kind of success again.  What has followed is a carousel of coaches, coordinators, quarterbacks, schemes, and personnel.  To try and recapture the old magic, the team has gone through 6 different head coaches, 17 different starting quarterbacks, and even added the position of Director of Player Personnel, currently filled by Jerry’s son Stephen Jones, since 1996–all to no avail.  The only football related position that hasn’t had any turnover: general manager.  The same guy who marvelously helped assemble the greatest collection of players in the franchise’s history has also been the only constant in 18 years of postseason futility, save one game.

Early on in his career as owner, Jerry was forced to make a hard decision– to remove a stalwart of the organization, an icon with a great track record, who had helped the Cowboys become who they were but was now standing in the way of their progress.  Going into his 26th year of ownership, Jones finds himself in the same spot again, except the legend doesn’t stand on the sidelines, famously profiled in a fedora and overcoat; he sits in the owner’s box and dons the title “general manager.”

I’m not one who believes that the Cowboys would be better off without Jerry Jones.  I’m not sure the dynasty teams of the 90’s would have happened without him, and I’m almost certain the Dallas Cowboys would not be the most valuable team in the NFL at $2.1 billion without him.  He is the best owner in sports, a genius marketer and promoter; but a below average general manager.  Lucky for us fans, the two positions are not inextricably bound.  The team is 146-142 since their last championship, slightly above .500, and that is not the team that we more seasoned Cowboys fans are accustomed to.  I know it’s not the team Jerral Jones dreamed off when he purchased the franchise.  One thing remains to be changed in order to make an honest effort at making this team a winner again, one common denominator; and the solution, Jerry, lies entirely within you.