Warriors @ Mavs: The Aftermath

Phase one of the Mavs's Worldwide Revenge Tour: Complete.

The Mavericks laid a beatdown on the Warriors last night to the tune of 117-93. They outscored the Warriors in three quarters, and tied them in the 3rd.

Now, a win over a bad team isn't necessarily something to crow about, except for a few things.

What's more important is that they held the high-flying Warriors to under 100 points, which is a step in the right direction. This is despite Stephen Jackson turning into Michael Jordan for the first part of the first quarter.

Also, Josh Howard (30) and J-Kidd (33) were the only starters to crack the 30-minute mark.

While this saves wear-and-tear on the starting five, this also gives the reserves some much needed minuted, minutes in which they didn't blow a lead.

Bass had 16 and 11 in 24 minutes, and he also got to the line eight times, hitting all eight free throws.

Good stuff.

Here's the bad: This just shows how tragic the loss to the Warriors in 2007 was.

If Avery hadn't sat out his starters against the Warriors the Mavs could have abused the Clippers in the first round.

That year, the Spurs, Mavs, Suns triumvirate was a veritable game of paper, scissor, rock, with the Mavs beating the Spurs, the Spurs beating the Suns, and the Suns beating the Mavs.

A win over G-State would have pitted the Mavs against a Jazz team that was coming off of a 7-game series with the Rockets, and the Spurs could have taken care of the Suns.

Then you have a Mavs-Spurs Western Conference Final, which could have been an epic series, which I think the Mavs could have one.

And if you don't think that Mavs would attack a team with a 2003 draft superstar in the Finals, then you're crazy.

And now I'm depressed again. Pardon me while I wander into incoming traffic.

Ah, that was better. Back to the game.

The bigs played very well. Dampier put up 10 and 11 in 26 minutes, and Bass abused them in the low post.

In fact, Bass is the perfect player to go small with. He's small in size, but he's got the physicality to overwhelm a small center like Biedrins and Jacko playing at the 4.

Dirk, while Stephen Jackson contained him a little bit, abused Azubuike on offense.

Howard did struggle to guard Jacko, but Ellis at the two solved their undersized two-problem for them.

The Mavs' size was able to lock down the interior, although that's not usually where the Warriors burn you.

In the end, it was the kind of win the Mavs needed, 20+ points, short minutes for the starters. If this was early to mid-December, I'd be happy. End of Janurary? Not so much.

Warriors @ Mavs: Preview

Stop one on the Dallas Mavericks Worldwide Revenge tour is tonight.

The Golden (shower) State Warriors head into the AAC with some old and new faces to try and extend the Mavs' woes.

Because, as bad as the Warriors are, I don't trust a single game with these Mavericks. I would not be surprised if any of the following happened:

• Monta Ellis drops 40 points, the first time he's looked comfortable since he's been home.
  
• Stephen Jackson nails a game-winner from the free-throw line. On the opposite side of the court.
  
• Someone on the Mavericks getting fined.
  

Who knows what else?

Self-loathing aside, the Mavs should be able to win this one. They do have superior talent, and hopefully the three days off has recharged their defensive batteries.

But if the Warriors get comfortable in the run-and-gun, look out. The Mavericks have given up 100 points six times already in 2009, only winning two of those.

The Mavs don't have the consistent offense (at least, when they're shooting nothing but contested jumpers) to hold up in a shootout.

The prediction?

Mavs win 110-103, Dirk scores 35, Terry 25. Monta Ellis scores more than 30 and Jamal Crawford suddenly looks like the Chris Paul.

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.