In case you missed them,
Part 3: Dallas Mavericks (Michael Lee) vs Miami Heat (Robert Jewe)
How was the offseason for your team? Are you looking stronger or weaker headed into this season?
DAL: Michael Lee
The offseason was not pretty for the Dallas Mavericks. They lost key size and athleticism in Tyson Chandler, J.J. Barea, Caron Butler, and DeShawn Stevenson who were all (save for Butler due to injury) crucial pieces for the Mavericks’ success last season. The Mavericks 1-year, $20 million dollar offer to Chandler underscores their great praise for his abilities and importance on the team, but also stresses that they are more interested in saving cap space for the 2012 free agency.
The addition of Lamar Odom, who Dallas got for merely a trade exception, will help the Mavericks cope with the loss of Chandler, but the extremely versatile Odom still does not bring the same defense intensity in the paint. The addition of Vince Carter does little to help the team as his days of scoring at will and leaping over everything are long gone. The Mavericks have lost their younger players while only adding aging players who are past their primes. Jason Terry and Vince Carter are each 34, Dirk and Marion are each 33, and Jason Kidd is 58. The Dallas Mavericks are still a good team, and their coach is not only notable for looking a lot like Jim Carrey, but also for being pretty darn good at coaching a basketball team. However, they are a much weaker team than last year and the 2012 free agency looks to be of more importance to the Mavericks organization than winning back-to-back championships
MIA: Robert Jewe
The offseason was great for the Miami Heat. Shane Battier’s signing can’t be emphasized enough, as he’ll make last year’s best perimeter defense even stronger. Mike Miller should have the usage of two thumbs this year, which apparently is valuable if you need to shoot the ball well. Norris Cole looks like an impressive rookie, and the team as a whole should be more unified and motivated than last year, coming off a long period of brooding over a tough finals loss. The Heat look stronger than ever, poised to make a return trip to the finals.
Who is the worst player on your team that will be a regular part of the rotation?
DAL: Michael Lee
Although I have great respect for this gentleman, my vote goes to Vince Carter.
His points, field goal percentage, rebounds, and assists have steadily dropped since the 2006-2007 season while still, for the most part, averaging 30+ minutes per game during that stretch. As of right now, Carter is in the starting line-up and will probably average around 25 minutes a game. My only question is… why? He doesn’t shoot well, he can’t drive to the basket anymore, he’s a defensive liability, and he shoots way too many three pointers.
He doesn’t help your team. There’s no future with him. Why is he on the Mavericks? To fit the stereotype that they’re all old, ex-superstars who have not won a championship yet? Well, he’s one year late on that one.
(Ok, I admit, I’m a little biased. I had him on my fantasy team the past couple of years and always wanted to Hadouken my laptop when I saw his stats… Piss me off.)
They should start Rodrigue Beaubois instead and develop this young player. He’s athletic, can score at will, and has a ton of potential. Plus, he’s one of the few Mavericks under the age of 50. Some might say he’s too small to be starting along side Jason Kidd. Well, Carlisle started J.J. and Kidd in several playoff games last season to much success. It can work. Trust me. I’m a genius.
MIA: Robert Jewe
Without a doubt, Juwan Howard. I’m not even sure what happened to this guy between 1996-2010, but apparently he morphed into a tough guy to start fights. I guess every contender needs that one guy to get under people’s skin and possibly hurt someone… The Lakers have World Peace (ironic?) the Celtics have Garnett, the Bulls have Noah, the Thunder have Perkins, and the Heat… they have Juwan Howard. His sole purpose on the team might be to pick fights and be embarrassed on defense, but you can’t overvalue the contribution he makes in the locker room to the team as a whole.
…who am I kidding, he’s awful.
What did you see from your team today? How does the rest of the season look? How will your team finish?
DAL: Michael Lee
My initial reaction of the Mavericks and Heat game was, “Gosh, this team is so old. So slow. So… bad!”
The loss of Chandler was apparent immediately. The Mavericks were severely out rebounded and out scored in the paint. Besides Terry, the Mavericks have no one that can penetrate the defense. They have absolutely no perimeter defense that can keep up with the Wade’s and LeBron’s of the league.
This game was ugly by all means, but give the Heat a lot of credit. The last time they played here was a pivotal game 5 to swing the momentum of the Finals. The bad taste of the defeat lingered in their mouths for nearly half a year. They came out fighting, and fighting they did.
Or maybe it’s that Lamar Odom is just cursed. The last time he played in that building, he was losing by over 40 at one point too. Hm…
It also worries me to hear that Dirk admitted for the first time in his career, he wasn’t motivated to play the next season of basketball. During the lock out he didn’t touch a basketball for two months!
Um, excuse me Dirk, winning one championship was great and all, but really? If you’re going to be unmotivated to play because you won it all, at least be boss and switch over to the MLB or something, like that one guy did. Uhh, what’s his name? I forget.
I believe the Mavericks are still a talented team with a great coach, and they can pull off 45-50 wins this season. However, I see too many teams that will give them trouble in the playoffs. The quick guards from the Clippers and Thunder will give them trouble. The front-court size of the Lakers and Grizzlies will prove to be overwhelming as well. I just don’t see them making the finals again.
MIA: Robert Jewe
I saw dominance from the Heat today. Absolute dominance. They were harder, better, faster, and stronger than the Mavericks. Lebron was out to prove he’s still the best player in the NBA, and was largely successful. I’m not sure if he’ll continue to bury 20 foot turnarounds, but his post game today was scary good. If the Heat are able to maintain that type of focus and drive throughout the season, I think 55-60 wins is well within reach. They’re that good.
The playoffs are obviously a different story, as Lebron loves to take his annual sabbatical from May-June. I’m also worried about the health of the team, as one injury to Wade or Lebron takes out about 49% of their team’s talent. #Boshjokesarehilarious.
Still, if they’re able to pull it all together, I think the NBA championship is theirs to lose this year
Select the appropriate word in each case and explain: The team we played today) is overrated/properly rated/underrated, their best player is overrated/properly rated/underrated, and their fans are _______.
DAL: Michael Lee
The Heat are properly rated. They’re favored to win it all this year and look extremely poised to do so. Their best player, LeBron James, is always an enigma. Sometimes, he looks like he can be the G.O.A.T. and sometimes he looks… M.I.A. The only person that can stop LeBron is LeBron, and he has successfully done so in the past few post-seasons. If he can figure it out and be mentally prepared each game, there can be no stopping this guy. As for their fans… I don’t think they look stupid in their all-white apparel during home games. I’m not pissed that 3 of the top players in the NBA conceived a plan to sign a 3-year extension during the 2006 season so they can have the opportunity to one day play with each other. I’m not jealous there’s not state tax in Florida… Ugh.
MIA: Robert Jewe
The Dallas Mavericks are properly rated. Everyone was worried about the loss of Tyson Chandler and I think it showed up today. It’s not so much that Tyson is a fantastic individual defender himself, but he somehow raises the defensive ability of his entire team. With his presence, Jason Kidd was able to effectively guard Dwayne Wade, and Deshawn Stevenson developed a reputation as a quality defender. Read that sentence over again.
Dirk Nowitzki is properly rated. The man finally got the respect he deserves after winning it all last year, and is widely recognized as unguardable. He has 4th graders everywhere hiking up their knees on fadeaway jumpers, and has proved that a soft reputation is only a ring away from being history.
Maverick fans are worried. Although it makes sense, Cuban’s put everything on landing Williams or Howard in 2012. If the Mavericks come away empty handed, I think we’ve seen Dirk’s last trip to the finals as a Maverick. It’s certainly not happening this year.
image by slumzboxden
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