How the Mavs can win the title THIS year

The Dallas Mavericks will open up the playoffs facing the San Antonio Spurs. While this will prove to be a daunting task, no Ginobili and a banged-up Duncan could make the raod easier. I'll go deeper into this matchup when I break down the individual matchups for the first round.

Let's just say that this series is entirely winnable, and with the way the Mavs have been playing of late, they should be able to stop the Spurs.

They will play the winner of the Hornets-Nuggets series, which will probably be the Nuggets. While Chris Paul will probably have a big series and David West should have some good games, I think Chauncey will make enough of a difference to help the Nuggets finally advance past the first round.

The Mavericks haven't fared well against the Nuggets this season, but I see no reason why they can't beat them in seven games. Chauncey Billups provides a good matchup for Kidd, but I think that Kidd wins that battle, since Billups lacks the explosiveness of Paul and Parker.

They can put someone like Howard or Wright on 'Melo, and I don't see J.R. Smith dropping 30 points a game like he tends to do against the Mavs in their regular season matchups.

If the Mavs can steal one at the Pepsi Center, then they could very well advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Let's look at the other side of the West. We assume the Lakers will beat the Jazz, probably in four or five games. We can also assume that the Blazers can beat the Rockets, although Aldridge will have his hands full with Scola, the combination of Pryzbilla and Oden and their 12 fouls should be enough to stop Yao.

The Blazers are the one team that the Lakers should be afraid of in the playoffs. They matchup very well with one another, and I think Aldrige and Pryzbilla/Oden can really make life hard for Gasol and Bynum down low, and I think Outlaw could make things hard for Odom.

Let's say the Blazers steal either game one or game two at the Staples Center. The Rose Garden will be on FIRE, and the Blazers should be able to take care of business there. Let's say the Blazers win in five, maybe six, because they are capable of stealing more than one at the Staples Center.

Then you've got a Mavs/Blazers western conference finals, which is the perfect scenario for any Mavs fan. They Mavs have had the Blazers' number at the Rose Garden, and they match up very well with the Blazers.

Steve Francis isn't the kind of explosive PG that can exploit Kidd, and Jerryd Bayless is too young to really make a difference, although he should be capable of it one day. Wright should be able to stop the bleeding with Roy, and the only real worry is Aldrigde.

He averaged 18.7 PPG on 57 percent shooting this year against the Mavs, but I don't think he's ready to take over a series yet. Mavs can win in five or six.

Now, let's look at the East. I think we can safely assume that the Cavs, Heat, Magic and Celtics will advance to the conference semi-finals.

The Cavs will have their hands full with Wade, but the Heat won't beat them. The Celtics should already be afraid of the Magic, and with KG out, I don't think Pierce and Allen will be able to handle the load, particularly when the Magic's interior defense is so strong.

I don't think the Celtics can win four games from the perimeter.

So you've got the Magic and the Cavs in the Eastern Finals, which is exactly what the Cavs should be afraid of. The Magic are a great road team, going 27-14 on the road. If any Eastern team is capable to getting a win at the Q, it's the Magic.

And we've already seen what kind of beatdown the Magic are capable of laying on the Cavs. With a player like Howard ruling the paint, LeBron's go to scoring isn't so easy, and he can expect to earn every point he gets (barring of course, a 2006 Finals version of the officials, which actually isn't that far fetched).

The biggest hurdle is that the Magic will have to win in five games, which will be tough. But if they can take care of business at home, and avoid a LeBron in game seven, they can do it in six.

It's not a lock by any means, but stranger things have happened.

Then you've got yourself a Magic-Mavs finals, which would be something. Finally, some fresh blood in the finals.

While the Magic are a good team, after all, they beat the Cavs and Celtics, the Mavericks match up well with them. Don't expect J.J. Barea to get much time, because the Magic have a lot of tall shooters, but the Mavs are pretty good perimeter defenders, and I think a combination of Hollins' speed and Dampiers' bulk should be able to stop Dwight Howard, at least, as much as can be hoped.

And there you have it, how the Dallas Mavericks can win the title in 2009. At 60-1 odds according to Vegas, I would think about placing that bet.

Admit it, it's not as far fetched as you thought. Everything I've proposed is possible.

The biggest leaps are the Blazers bating the Lakers and the Magic beating the Cavs, but it could happen. We've seen it happen a few times this season, and there's no reason it can't happen in the playoffs.

Been a while, crocodile, and summer trades

Wow, more than two months without an update. But it's not like anything important has happened.

It's not like the Mavs have taken some beatdowns on Sunday afternoon, dished out one of their own, clinched a playoff sport, are active on the summer trade front, and are poised to move up in the Western conference standings.

Right?

Apologies to the dozen (if I'm lucky) readers of there here blog, other writing duties, several hangovers and missing quite a few Mavs games of late have all contributed to the lack of updates.

But I'm back with an empty promise that updates will be more regular.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's take a look at where we are.

After a gutsy win over Miami, in which they were able to take Wade out of the latter half of the fourth quarter, they responded with yet another letdown game against the Grizz.

Then the Mavs took part on yet another Sunday afternoon beatdown, but lo and behold, they were the ones dishing out the punishment.

And now the Mavs are red-hot heading into the last four games, three of which against playoff teams, two of which against the New Orleans Hornets.

If you're like me, you're waiting for the Mavs collapse tonight or Sunday, and the eventual slide back to the 8th seed, followed by a swift dispatch from the Lakers.

But as Andy Dufresne told us, "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things."

Before we take a look at tonight's game, let's take a look at some of the hot rumors that have been sweeping MavsLand.

Shaq

Shaq and Tony Cubes have been carrying on a twitter romance, and if it weren't for Mark's wife, maybe the two of them could have been something more.

Shaq has wanted to go to the Mavs for a while now. Do the Mavs want/need Shaq next year?

Do they need him? Maybe. Dampier is inconsistent, but if he has a game like he did against the Jazz, he would be tough to lose.

Although he did miss four easy shots, and drop a number of easy passes from Kidd.

The problem Shaq had in Phoenix was that he slowed down their fast break too much, he was taking the place of Stoudemire or Marion.

The Mavs don't have that problem because Dampier isn't a part of their fast break, so you wouldn't lose anything on that front.

Shaq also tends to show up a little more often than Damp, although you never know what another year does to a player, especially one who's been carrying around as much bulk as Shaq.

But tell me a lineup of Kidd, Wright, Howard, Dirk and Shaq doesn't sound good. Three hall-of-famers right there, even if two are past their prime.

I would be all for getting Shaq is we didn't have to give up Howard. Howard has proved in the last few games that he is one tough M.F.er, as well as a defensive X-factor, and the man to set the scoring pace early.

Sure, he might be held together with little more than twine an chewing gum right now, but that doesn't mean he's not helping. A career-high seven steals against the Jazz show that, and he had a beaten-in face.

If the Mavs could trade Damp (now an expiring contract) and Stack (essentially an expiring contract with a $2 million buyout) for Shaq, I am all in.

I think it would help Kidd want to stay, and I think it would fire up the fans without giving up too much.

Chris Bosh

A Dallas native, Chris Bosh has rapidly become disenchanted with what was, a year ago, a promising Raptors squad. It appears Jose Calderon isn't the franchise PG we (or at least I) thought he was.

The rumors have been that he will is excited to come and play for the home team. What would the Mavs have to give up if they were to snag him before his contract expires?

Probably Howard, probably Bass, and probably one more player. Is is worth it?

To be honest, I'm not sure. Bass and Howard are becoming the glue that keeps this team together, and to jettison them as they are blossoming and finding their roles would be a shame.

But Bosh could provide a big jump shooter, which would make it very tough to double-team Dirk, he can rebound, he can hit free-throws, and he's not too shabby on the defensive end.

I think Bosh would be more effective in the 4-spot, with a true center there, but then Dirk has to move to the three, and if you think he'll be stopping the likes of Odom, Pierce or LeBron, you're crazy. So I'm not sure how that would work out. I think there are better options out there, such as:

Chris Paul (!!)

Apparently Cuban went after Paul pretty hard at the trade deadline,and he's ready to make another run.

Always a business man, Cuban's proposal is aimed at saving Hornets owner George Shinn (who seems to have gone to the Robert Sarver school of sports ownership) close to $100 million. In these tough times, it's hard to turn that down, even when it virtually destroys your team from a basketball standpoint.

A scenario could be Howard, Stackhouse and Dampier for Paul, Peja and Chandler, or maybe James Posey. Which, despite my newfound respect and love for Josh Howard, is pretty hard to turn down for the Mavericks.

They get the polar opposite of Dampier, a guy who has trouble staying healthy, but can handle the alley-oop, play great defense, and is very athletic.

They get Peja, one of the best three-point shooters out there, but who also has health problems and is on the downside of his career, not to mention an awful contract.

But you also get some guy named Chris Paul, who is apparently pretty good.

A point guard who has spent the last few months redefining his position, still two years away from his prime, and carried a mediocre (and that's being generous) supporting cast to a seventh game against the Spurs in the Western Conferene semifinals in his first trip to the playoffs.

Having Chandler there to take those alley-oops is huge, and if you think players like Dirk, Terry and Bass aren't going to benefit from better looks, you don't know much about basketball. Bass is like a younger version of West, and that similarity can't hurt either.

I'm sorry, I think I just drooled all over my keyboard.

That is a deal that could be entirely possible in these times, and it may even lead to a scenario like the Celtics has last season, where ring-hungry veterans sign on for one last run.

If the Mavs can keep Gerald Green and Ryan Hollins around, that gives them an incredible mix of superstars, veterans and youngsters that will shoot them right back to the top of the mix in the West.

There's something to chew on for the summer, but let's take a look at tonight's game. In the next post of course.

Why it (Sometimes) Sucks Beng A Mavs Fan

Please don't confuse my headline as a result of bitterness at the two blowout losses last week. Though that does sting, thanks for bringing it up.

No, the headline and the following article result from my recent realization that being a Mavericks fan makes it hard to appreciate much of what has made the NBA fun for the last few years.

And I'm not just talking about the 2006 Finals. No, it's a deeper, more fundamental thing, and not just Tim Duncan.

What follows below is a list of people and teams that, as a Mavericks fan, I cannot root for. And you will soon see that it's no picnic being a fan of the blue and white. And sometimes green.

The San Antonio Spurs

A given. And if you're any kind of Mavs fan, you're asking, "What's so bad about hating the Spurs? I've done it my whole life." And as a Mavs fan, I have to answer:

Nothing. They should be reviled.

But in hating the Spurs, Mavs fans have missed out on appreciating the best power forward to ever play the game. I love Tim Duncan's game, and I hate myself for saying it.

Every time he hits his patented bank shot at an impossible angle, I find myself marveling at it for a second, then a dagger to the heart quickly follows suit.

The Golden State Warriors

Thinking about Stephen Jackson's gap-toothed grin, Baron Davis' scraggly beard, and Don Nelson's visual answer to the "What would Chris Farley look like if he was alive today?" question gets my blood boiling.

But guess what? As long as you weren't a Mavs fan, the Golden State Warriors accomplished something special with the 2006-07 Playoffs.

They beat the Mavericks by winning a game on the road, then letting their home crowd make it impossible for the Mavs to get homecourt back.

They beat the Mavs with amazing three-point shooting, high-energy dunks, and sheer moxie. Normally, that's everything that you want from an underdog, and more.

And my favorite team was on the losing end of it.

Not only that, but the coach that left the Mavs was the one to lead the charge. Nellie was the one who devised the defensive plan (sounds like an oxymoron, I know) to lock down the Dirkster.

I remember watching the Jazz-Warriors series that succeeded the Mavs-Warriors series, and every one of my friends were all over the Warriors. After all, who doesn't love the underdog.

Alright, now I'm getting depressed. But it's not over.

The Miami Heat and specifically Dwyane Wade

I hate Dwyane Wade. I hate him with every fiber of my being. Prior to June 2006, he was one of my favorite young players in the league. No more.

It wasn't that he went to the free-throw line if someone breathed on him wrong (okay that's part of it). It's the fact that he had the nerve to call out the Mavericks and the Dirkster specifically, for choking in the Finals.

Guess what Dwayne? Joey Crawford and co. helped you get your ring much more than any of your teammates did. Just because the league decided to make you it's newest superstar and leave ol' Tony Cubes holding the bag, doesn't mean you need to be a jackass about it.

I get so mad watching Heat games, because Wade still gets the same treatment. He goes to the line almost at whim, which is usually a skill, but in his case, it's just the star treatment.

People complain that Bron Bron whines too much, well Wade never whines, because nothing ever goes against him.

I was giddy with glee reading all of the things about D-Wade that came out in his divorce proceedings. Serves him right. He's got this image of a religious, down-to-earth guy, but his own kids don't know him, and he gave his wife an STD, which he contracted through adultery.

Sorry, but with D-Wade, this time it's personal.

The New Orleans Hornets

Chris Paul. More than Kobe, almost more than LeBron, he does things on the court that defy rationalization, if not the laws of physics themselves. His passing. His stealing. His shooting. His movement in transition. All of it, as close to perfection as you can find.

And as a Mavericks fan, you can't root for him. Sure, he's not as bad as the Spurs or the Warriors, but he still tears us apart every time the Mavs play him. He makes Kidd look like a high-schooler. His alley-oops to Chandler make Dampier look like a boulder (which isn't far off).

David West pulled one of the most obnoxious stunts I've ever seen in last year's playoff, and not only did Dirk do a great thing by not escalating it, Dirk's toughness was called into question while David West felt no consequences.

In Conclusion

Quick, name the top five players in the NBA. In no particular order, Kobe, Bron Bron, Chris Paul, D-Wade, and Dwight Howard. Maybe some leeway there, but hear me out.

Kobe plays in the West, and he beats the Mavericks, which is more than enough reason to root against him, except when he plays the Spurs.

To recap the article, three out of those five should, nay must, be hated by any self-respecting Mavs fans.

So what can we as Mavericks fans root for, besides our team. More than you might think.

• LeBron James. He doesn't really have an effect on the Mavs, besides playing them twice a year. Until he beats us in the Finals (which, at the point, we would be lucky to see), there's no reason to dislike him, at least from a Mavericks point of View.
  
• Chris Bosh. Man, is he fun to watch. A Dallas native, he's stashed all the way up in Canada, and his team isn't good enough to beat the Mavs. Sounds like a winner in my book.
  
• The Boston Celtics' Big Three. Despite the beatdown they gave us yesterday, there isn't much to dislike there. I always liked Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, and since we only play them twice, and we sure as hell won't be meeting them in the Finals anytime soon, they're safe.
  

And that's about it. The good news? The Celtics just beat the Lakers, and Bron and (hopefully) the Cavs look to have a good shot at keeping the rest of the teams from winning anytime soon. Sure, that could eventually include the Mavericks, but we'll pass that bridge when we come to it.

You might be wondering, after reading this, why Mavericks fans don't just hang themselves with their Dirk jerseys. Well, because A) a Tony Romo jersey would offer more support, and B) It's not all bad.

Every time Dirk hits one of those completely undefendable fade-aways, it's worth it. Every time you see Mark Cuban on the sidelines, screaming for his team harder than any fan, it's worth it. Every time you see Jason Kidd use spin to put the ball where it has absolutely no right to be, it's worth it.

And maybe one day, when Dirk is holding the Larry O'Brien trophy far above his head with a beaming-from-ear-to-ear Cuban next to him, and David Stern looking like he's rather eat a bullet that hand that trophy to Cuban, it will really be worth it.

Heat-Spurs

I'm watching the end of the Heat-Spurs game, and I couldn't be more filled with hatred.

The two teams I hate the most in the NBA playing each other. The only satisfactory result? A nuclear explosion at the AT&T Center, wiping both teams from the face of this earth.

I don't know who to root for, I was rooting for a Spurs comeback, because that would cause the most pain, but I'm happy with another Spurs loss at home.

Really fun fact: The Spurs are now 0-3 at home to start the season for the first time in the history of the franchise. I love it.