4pointsplay

Leaders Lead

2011-06-10T10:33:00.001-05:00

Last Dallas Mavericks huddle held by Jason Kidd with R. Carlisle listening in. Leaders Lead

Red River Rivalry

2011-05-16T15:16:00.001-05:00

By Mo Diaby

Way back when the Mavs were 26-9, earlier this season, Jan 7th to be exact, the Thunder marched into Dallas to play the Mavs and the question was brought up as to, whether the Mavs had found a new rival 3 hours north of Dallas.

Jason Terry specifically addressed it during pregame warm ups and this is what he had to say:

“I was in Spain with Serge Ibaka, and he made it a point to tell me that they’re our rivals,” sixth man Jason Terry said after the Mavericks’ morning shootaround when recalling his trip alongside the Thunder big man while participating in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Program.

“And I was like, ‘You guys haven’t really beat us that many times.’ And he was like, ‘No, we look at y’all as a rival, and we’re gonna try to beat you every time we play,’” Terry added. “If your name is not the San Antonio Spurs, I don’t think there’s a rivalry there. But we know that they’re a dangerous team.”

“It doesn’t become a rivalry until you have playoff victories and playoff losses and it’s multiple years,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “With the location, it does make sense. But right now, they’ve been places we want to go. And until it becomes a rivalry, we have to be able to get to those places.”

That, all but sets the tone for what is to take place on Tuesday night in Dallas 8CT when Game 1 of OKC vs. Dallas tips off.

Hilarious Vids of the day

2011-05-05T16:40:00.005-05:00

Outcome I have never seen these videos is a complete surprise to me but I absolutely loved them and you will too:

Favorite Pics from Game 1: Dallas Mavericks vs LA Lakers

2011-05-03T13:27:00.000-05:00

Gasol starring down J. Kidd

High Five! Dirk and Ty share a moment of their own in 7 ft territory

Jet putting on his: "Damn I messed up" face

Kobes' : "I will eat your babies" face

Tyson with the reverse and Ron Ron a bit concerned

Um.. This seems like a bit too much abuse for a 38 yr old. Love the emotion big guy

Tyson Chandler: Love or The game

2011-02-15T15:25:00.001-06:00

Came across this tidbit of Tyson Chandler on the ESPN show, "For Love or The Game". A show, which pits Teammates vs. Wives in a modern day (Newlywed) format game show. Enjoy! Click Here

The Usual Suspects: Test of Depth

2011-01-06T20:51:00.002-06:00

By Mo Diaby
     Coming into the season, the word out of the Mavericks locker room was how deep this team really was. Both owner Mark Cuban and Coach Rick Carlisle touted how interchangeable guys were. It was the very foundation of what was to be accomplished this season.

     But as much as they loved that depth, neither of them really wanted it to be tested. Who would? A team that boasted two legit centers (Chandler and Haywood), 2 former all star forwards (Marion and Butler) was loaded and no doubt capable of challenging the Lakers.

      With the hot streak that the Mavs got off to, few would protest that they weren't contenders. They had the occasional let down game in which they played down to their opponents' level, but overall they had very impressive wins over opponents like: (Spurs, Celtics, Thunder, Heat, Jazz, Magic). Their point differential in wins was 3rd best in the west, and the camaraderie they were developing was perhaps the best it had been since the team that went to the '06 Finals.

     But as the saying goes: "Life is supposed to be a series of peaks and valleys". And the Mavs who were in a tight race to catching up to the ever elusive first place in the west received a hiccup, followed by a valley.

   On December 27th, during a road game against the Thunder, Dirk Nowitzki, the teams' leading scorer, went down with a sprained right knee. The team put up a tremendous effort and won that game in a very tough building. However, they lost the next two games at home. One to an injury depleted Raptors team, and the other to their rivals, the San Antonio Spurs.

      During the stretch with dirk out, it was obvious that a new leading scorer needed to emerge, and perhaps as a good sign, Caron Butler did just that with a 30pts performance versus the Spurs. It was all the more interesting to see what Butler would follow that performance with, when presented the opportunity to play in front of his hometown crowd. See Butler, is a native of Racine,Wisconsin and had several family members at the game the day after New years.

However, as faith would have it, Butler suffered a torn patella tendon, while going for a rebound from a made shot by Jason Kidd. He clutched to the floor as he dealt with the pain.


Jason Terry (right) consoling an injured Caron Butler (on the floor)

    Though the severity of the injury has not been disclosed by the Mavericks, it is assumed to be bad, as the Mavericks announced this week after Butlers' surgery that he would be out for the remainder of the season. Tough blow for a team that was clicking on so many levels and coming together.

     The injury is unfortunate, as Caron Butler, who is on the last year of his contract, was putting together a solid season to receive a decent contract as a free agent, with the new CBA rules approaching. One is left to think how unfortunate he is, as he will now be rehabbing and maybe just getting back into shape by the time teams are shopping for a new forward this summer.

     Butler however, was not one to be down on himself as he was immediately back upbeat. The day after his injury, Caron was seen at the Milwaukee airport taking photos with fans:

As if that effort wasn't enough, Caron followed it with very inspirational tweets for the fans and his teammates, that hint at him wanting to stay in Dallas if and when he recovers from his injury:


Caron tweets this picture of him going in for surgery

He tweets:

"Championship! Remember that fans that's what its about and we have what it take in that locker room to get it done, ill be 100 percent"

"In no time, and I will be the biggest supporter on the sideline until healthy thanks for the support again I'm going in...."

Caron Butler, brought something to the Mavs that they needed: another scoring option, Defense, and toughness. And the Mavs have to retool on the fly to feel in his output. However, other than Rodrigue Beaubois and perhaps JJ Barea, no other Mavs player can step into the lineup and create their own shot as Caron did so effectively when in an ISO.

That is where the usual suspects step in. Shawn Marion and Deshawn Stevenson as a committee can bring in the toughness on defense and help shoulder the scoring load by increasing their aggressiveness on offense.

Though, it remains uncertain if the Mavs will trade Caron, or try to weather the storm in hopes that things will turn around with the return of Dirk Nowitzki and Roddy B; Marion and Stevenson will have very big shoes to fill and for now appear to be able to do so.

Follow me @diabym

Strength in Numbers

2010-12-28T00:12:00.002-06:00

By Mo Diaby
With the holiday hangover done, the Mavs looked to regain the intensity they had going into the break. A break which allowed the team, mostly comprised of veterans, a 5-day break from action as well as time off with their families.

The Mavs head coach, Rick Carlisle, didn't make the trip to Oklahoma after having Arthroscopic sugery on his knee. Another Mavs player missing was Brian Cardinal, who was out with an illness.

With that said, the Mavs started this out slow, but went on a big run immediately after that. Dirk, jumped out with a 11 points performance with a little over 9 minutes left in the 2nd Quarter. However, in a very scary moments for the Mavs, Dirk came down awkwardly after being fouled by Serge Ibaka. After shooting his free throws, the Mavs superstar was led to the locker room to examine his injury, which was thought to be a knee injury.

As they have shown all season, the Mavs saddled up their defense and looked at Caron Butler, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry to lead their offense. As the Coaches and players have preached all season long, their bench proved to be more than enough to supplement the scoring output, they lost with Nowitzki out.

Six players scored in double figures, led by 21 point from Caron Butler and 20 from Shawn Marion. As has been the case recently, with the game tight during the 4th Quarter, Mr. 4th quarter himself, Jason Terry, closed the game out by pouring in 11 points in the 4th to close the game out.

Notable Contributions:
Alexis Ajinca - stepped in briefly at the PF position and made a contested 3pt shot to keep the Mavs in the game(79-80) during the 3rd Quarter.

Tyson Chandler - had a quiet 7pts and 10rebs but altered many shots including a late attack at the basket attempt by Russell westbrook which sent the young PG out of the game. (He was alright after the game)

Tweets after game:

Caron Butler: "That was a huge win for us coming off the break let's keep it going 2marr... Another challenge"

Shawn Marion: "great team win get that knee right @swish41 (Dirk)that's whats up"

Dirk: "Thx for askin everybody. I will be ok. Got an mri 2mor mornin. Great win. guys came through bigtime and defense down the stretch was sick"

Great note from Eddie sefko from DMN about Dirk's evening after he took off for the locker room found here

Jameer tries to Ice the DirkMan

2010-12-24T03:29:00.002-06:00

Click on Image to enlarge
By Mo Diaby
It's Tuesday night and with 24.1 seconds to go in the game, after a Jason Richardson clutch 3pt shot, Dirk is fouled and is on his way to the line. But on his way there something funny happens. Jameer Nelson reaches and touches Dirks' arm to get his attention (as seen on photo on the left). Dirk doesn't look his way; So Jameer follows Dirk closely and whispers something to him (seen on the photo on the right). What does he whisper you ask? Two words: Miss It...

Needless to say, Dirk proceeds to knock both Free Throws down. But interesting tactic by Jameer.

Referee Oop-sie of the week

2010-12-24T02:20:00.003-06:00

Click on Image to Enlarge
By Mo Diaby
In this shot we see Tyson Chandler taking a forearm to the head on a dunk after being fed in the post by Jason Terry. Dwight Howard, who had almost no chance at stopping the dunk, swiped with his forearm, delivering a blow to Chandlers' forehead. It is amazing that both refs missed the call, specifically (#28 Tommy Nunez Jr.) standing just a few feet away, and looking directly at the play.

Bit of a comedic moment as Hedo Turkoglu is blocked by the rim last night

2010-12-22T17:24:00.002-06:00

Break out your Brooms, It's a sweep

2010-12-22T00:06:00.002-06:00

By Mo Diaby
Since the formation of the Superfriends (Wade, Lebron, and Bosh), the trip to Florida has been much more terrifying for western teams. The trip has undoubtedly always involved, a matchup against 2 of the leagues' better talents (Wade and Dwight Howard). However both teams in Florida have gone through significant roster upgrades this season. (At least on paper, they have).

Heading into the week, The Mavs knew they were going to see a different effort from both teams on what figured to be one of the more challenging back to back games on their annual calendar. After all, the Heat came in on monday, riding a 12 game winning streak that had them convinced their previous woes were long behind them.

The team the Mavs defeated nearly a month ago, sending them into a 45 minutes player-only meeting, had transformed into a fast pace juggernaut on offense and a stifling defensive team, that won 12 straight games with a point differential of +9.6 points.

The game was a game of runs and it was clear after the first half, that the victor of the game would be the team that was able to impose their defensive will on the other. While the game stayed close, Jason Terry caught fire in the 4th scoring all 19 of his points and putting the Superfriends to rest.

The Mavs however, had little time to pat each other on the backs, as they followed that win with a matchup versus the New Look Magic; Who over the weekend, had executed a blockbuster trade sending out: Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus, Rashard Lewis and Marcin Gortat for an incoming: Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, Gilbert Arenas and Earl Clark.

Dirk entered the night needing just 10 points to tie Larry Legend himself, Larry Bird, for 25th Most points scored all time in the NBA. The big German wasted little time starting the game hot, and as usual the Mavs took an early lead.

A mini run by the Magic, brought the game closer, but the Mavs kept a steady dose of balanced attack by Caron Butler and Deshawn Stevenson, both of whom combined for 12 made 3pt-shots.

Jason Kidd and Tyson Chandler also contributed to the scoring; Jason Kidd finished the game with his 3rd double-double of the season, and Tyson Chandler consistently rocked the rim with two handed jams.

Much through the night, the buzz was about Dirk closing in on Larry Birds' record. However, it wasn't until the 4th quarter that Dirk hit a 3pt-shot to settle the record breaking watch.

With that settled, the Mavs extended their lead late into the 4th. However, they weren't home-free yet, as the Hot 3pt shooting Magic team had one last run in them. A clutch 3pt shot, with 24.6 seconds to go, brought the game margin to within 2. But as has been the case lately, the Mavs stepped to the Free throw line and iced the game away, and completing the FLA sweep.

Classy move of the Night: Coach Carlisle on Larry Bird reaching out to him:
"I just got a text message from Larry right as the game ended saying to congratulate Dirk and that he's always been a huge fan," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "They've had a chance to spend some time together. I'm sure he's going to text Dirk and I'm sure that will be very meaningful for Dirk."

Privileged to watch

2010-12-17T16:46:00.002-06:00

By Mo Diaby
Often, great players are not seen for their brilliance, until long after they have retired. With the rivalry that comes with each of us, having a bias towards our own teams, it's easy to forget that the other teams' superstar may just be as great as ours.

Through the foggy glasses of a fan, we tend to view opposing superstars through their weaknesses, rather than just appreciate that we are privileged to watch one of the greatest basketball specimen in history.

It's far too easy to say: Tim Duncan is a whiner, Manu Ginobli is a flopper, Paul Pierce fakes injuries, Kevin Garnett is (well not a nice guy) to put it mildly, Rajon Rondo can't shoot, D-wade flops (see 2006 finals), Kobe never won a ring with such and such, Dwight Howard has no post moves, Dirk Nowitzki doesn't play defense.

Is it possible that those things might be part of the characteristics of each of those players? Yes, but do they take away from the fact that these guys possess supreme talent and players like each of them might never be seen again in our lifetimes? Not one bit.

Tim Duncan is as technically sound as any power forward in NBA history, Manu Ginobli is one of the most competitive athletes ever, Paul Pierce never shies away from the big shot, KG is the guy to lead your defense because he is so intense on the court, Rajon Rondo is as if not more important as the Big 3, Dwayne Wade is athletically gifted as any 2 guard, Kobe is Kobe, Dwight Howard is so gifted, and Dirk Nowitzki is making history every time he steps on the court and plays as unorthodox as he does.

It's far too often that we hear the blame placed on Dirk for the Mavs misfortunes, or complains about him being soft, and the rest of the propaganda that is widely spread by people who may watch 6 Mavs games all year.

The Fact is, Dirk has seen every double team, played against every kind of defender there is in the NBA and thrives through them all at a superstar level every time.

Asked about Dirks' performance after a Celtics lost to Dallas recently, Kevin Garnett had this to say:
“The vet’s crafty, man,’’ KG said “He’s played against everything - short guys, quicker guys, thicker guys, stronger guys, longer guys. Good offensive players, they have an arsenal of moves.’’

This ability to amaze only continued wednesday night as Dirk continued his bid for MVP this season and put up another "We ain't losing this" performance during the 4th quarter of a tight home game against the visiting Blazers. With the game tied at 91 all, Dirk went to work. In the final 2:24, Nowitzki hit four consecutive shots scoring 8 of the Mavs last 10 points. He had a nice reverse layup. He scored inside on a step back jumper. He then scored over Brandon Roys' tight defense and then to cap it off, made another shot with Lamarcus aldridge draped all over him. And he did it all while shooting 50% percent from the field.

Performances like these aren't going to last forever so it would behoove us all, to just watch and enjoy the performances these guys put on rather than criticize them for their short-comings.

Mess with the Buck, you get the Horns

2010-12-13T23:39:00.002-06:00

By Mo Diaby

That Breakfast Club inspired line, played so much on the events that took place at the AAC, as the Mavs watched their 12 game winning streak come to a halt against a team that had as many losses, as the Mavs had wins coming into Monday night.

The Mavs started this one of with a great defensive intensity that saw them holding the Bucks FG shooting percentage to 33% after the first quarter and a 25 to 10 advantage.

This disparity in talent and perhaps swagger, saw the lead increase to as much as 20 points in the second quarter. The Mavs impressive showing might have led you to think this one was over before the half, but as this team has shown in the past few contests, they have a tendency to get complacent and allow teams to crawl back in the game. They allowed a Nets team to come back from double digits, and saw a 25 point lead on the Jazz disappear.

This tendency to let teams crawl back into games, has been discussed before by Coach Carlisle and was addressed recently by Owner, Mark Cuban who stated that his concerns about this team, was that they tried to “Win games rather than just execute for 48 minutes”.

The Mavs went into the half with a 52-43 lead, but minutes into the third quarter saw that lead diminish into a one possession game, with the Bucks coming out aggressive. Behind the play of Brandon Jennings, Kenyon Dooling and Andrew Bogut, the Bucks outscored the Mavs 32-22 in the 3^rd Quarter and took a 1 point lead into the fourth.

An interesting strategy applied by Scott Skiles, coach of the Bucks was the Hack-a-Haywood who is now 9-38 from the Ft line, this season. This strategy paid off as Brendan clanked 4 straight free throws at the line.

Dirk again with some late game heroics drained 2 shots from the 3pt line to keep the Mavs in the game. The Defensive intensity seemed to come to life with 3:32 to go and the Mavs down by 9. Kidd swished in a 3pt shot that made the game 99-93 with 2:49 to go. Another 3 by Jason Terry made it a 99-96 game to go.

But behind the stylish play of Brandon Jennings, the Bucks drained a stepback long 2 point shot that made it a 101-96 game with 1:06 to go. Another trip to the line by Dirk made it a 101-99 game with a few ticks and the Mavs needing a stop, which they got by a miss from Jennings.

With all signs pointing to late game heroics, Nowitzki missed a short runner to tie the game, and with that, the Mavs streak came to a halt.

The good: The Mavs know the type of team that they have. They have a core group of veterans that know they are capable of beating any squad in the league on any given night. When they come out with intensity and all cylinders clicking, they are capable of blowing anyone out as we have seen time and time again, including their first quarter against the Jazz, and tonight.

The Bad: The Mavs know the type of team that they have. And this can be a bad thing, because they seem to go into coast mode after taking a huge lead and seem to just be doing barely enough to sustain that lead, rather than go for the kill.

Conclusion: Though much will be made about this loss and the Winning streak coming to an end against a team of such caliber, the Mavs were still just one or two shots from coming back into this game after seeing themselves down 9 with 3:32 to go.

About the streak: A streak must end for another to start

Familiar face of the night: The Mavs faced former Mav Drew Gooden

Interesting fact: Since joining the Starting lineup, tonight was the first night that Deshawn Stevenson didn’t attempt a 3pt shot.

Odd Stats of the night: Three of the five starters for the Bucks combined for 5 points for the night. Mbah a Moute (0 points), Sanders (0 points), Salmons (5 points).

No such thing as Hometown Hero?

2010-12-12T13:27:00.012-06:00

By Mo Diaby
It seems a forgone conclusion that players in the NBA generally do not play for their home team. Now one might say, the draft process, especially creates a situation where a player may be forced to make his home, elsewhere. But overwhelmingly with free agents, players choose to play elsewhere when given the opportunity to be a Hometown Hero.

Listed below are a few players who chose to sign elsewhere, rather than play for the hometown team. Also listed are players who are playing for their home-team whether by choice or trade. Those players are listed in bold.

Ohio

LeBron James (We all know how this ended)

Chicago

Dwyane Wade (Chose Miami even with strong interests from Chicago)
Shawn Marion (Sign n Trade to Dallas)

Iowa

Kyle Korver (Chicago is close enough to considered home)

Indiana

1. Brad Miller (Signed with Houston, though the Pacers had the center spot covered, but would've used depth.)

Dallas

C.J. Miles (Resigned with Utah Jazz)
Kenyon Martin (Currently with Nuggets on expiring deal)
LaMarcus Aldridge (Signed extension with Blazers)
Chris Bosh (Signed with Miami)

Houston

Rashard Lewis (Signed with Orlando on a very lucrative deal)
Emeka Okafor (Signed with Charlotte who then traded him)

Denver

Chauncey Billups (Hometown Hero)

Los Angeles

Baron Davis (Hometown "Hero" of sort)
Gilbert Arenas (Signed a huge deal with Washington and has been there since)
Paul Pierce (LA's prodigal son, extended his deal with the team that drafted him)
Tyson Chandler (Expiring deal currently with the Dallas Mavericks, interesting to see where he ends up, though if the Mavs continue their roll? Might have little choice but to Re-up)
Andre Miller (Sign with the Blazers)
Jordan Farmar (Took his talents to New Jersey)

Bay Area

Jason Kidd (Signed with Dallas Mavericks)
Drew Gooden (Signed with the Bucks, Fear the Deer)
Matt Barnes (Signed with the Lakers, LA is very close)

Seattle

Jason Terry (Dallas Mavericks)
Brandon Roy (Very close)

Phoenix/San Diego/Las Vegas

Richard Jefferson (Signed with San Antonio Spurs)
Channing Frye (Hometown Hero, High school in Arizona)

Atlanta

Josh Smith (Hometown Hero)

Orlando

Vince Carter (Hometown Hero)
Tracy McGrady (Signed with the Detroit Pistons)
Amare Stoudemire (STAT signed with the Knicks)

Miami

Steve Blake (Signed with LA)
James Jones (Signed with the Heat)
Raja Bell (Signed with the Utah Jazz)
Udonis Haslem (Hometown Hero)

South Carolina

Jermaine O'Neal (Signed with the Celtics)

Philadelphia

John Salmons (Signed with the Bucs)
Hakim Warrick (Signed with the Suns)

New York

Ben Gordon (Signed with Detroit)
Ron Artest (Signed with LA)
Lamar Odom (Signed extension with LA)
Elton Brand (Signed with 76rs)
Charlie Villanueva (Signed with Detroit)

New Jersey
1. Al Harrington (Signed with Denver)

New England/Pittsburgh

Marcus Camby (Signed with the Blazers)

Canada/Alaska

Steve Nash (Extended his deal with the Suns)
Carlos Boozer (Signed with Chicago)

The short list of home-town heroes are:

Kyle Korver
Chauncey Billups
Baron Davis
Matt Barnes
Brandoy Roy
Channing Frye

With this overwhelming evidence against any kind of hometown love, it was a pleasant surprise Saturday night for Mav Fans, as the hometown team received lavish praises from Dallas Colonys' very own Deron Williams : "This is the best Mavs team I've ever seen since I've been in the NBA," he said. "Across the board, they have so much talent and depth. But they're just playing a lot better defensively. This is by far the best defensive team we've seen from them." However, before exploring whether or not he might ever wear a Mavs' uniform, we have to admit, it all rests on the fate of Jerry Sloans' career. The only coach Williams has ever known, Jerry has high respect for the elite PG, and rest assure that feeling is mutual. Deron has a player option for the 2012/13 season and could have tough decisions facing him, especially with a team he has criticized before after watching friends' : Ronnie Brewer, Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver all depart. The Jazz have retooled on the fly however: Acquiring Al Jefferson and signing vet Raja Bell, as well as securing their young big Kyrylo Fesenko. However, such acquisitions might only patch things up for a little while. Williams is known for professing his love for Dallas and is close friends with Jason Terry and Jason Kidd. During the Allstar weekend, Williams, though a member of the Jazz, hosted many players in Dallas, an honor usually reserved for players of the home team.

In short, only time will tell what becomes of the situation. We should also note that the Jazz will be very determined to keep their star PG. But with players gaining so much voice in the league, recent occurrences (such as with Lebron and Carmelo) leaves an opening for anything to happen.

Follow Diaby for live game tweets @diabym

Utah brings some Jazz to Town

2010-12-11T23:29:00.008-06:00

By Mo Diaby
This was destined to be a great night of basketball as the Jazz, led by Dallas' own Deron Williams, came into town to exact revenge on the Mavs who coincidentally ended Utahs' last winning streak of 7 games. The Jazz, coming off a thrilling victory over the Magic, were one of two teams in the NBA having swept a 2 game series over another team thus far into the season.

The Mavs looking to keep their streak alive, especially since they have a 6 game homestretch came out shooting hot early (including 7 from behind the arc) and took a 29-4 lead early. But the Jazz having already come back from big leads to win games 8 times this season, were determined to make a contest out of this one. Behind the aggressive plays of Deron Williams in the first 3 Qtrs, came alive in the 4th to tie the game up at 89 a piece on a play that sent the Mavs talented defensive big (Tyson Chandler) to the bench with his 6th foul.

But the Mavs switched gears and behind patented Jumpshots by Nowitzki and timely shots by Jason Terry in the 4th (including a dagger with 7.6secs to go) closed this one out.

Play of the game: with 29secs to go, and the Mavs up by 2, Dirk Nowitzki drove past Al Jefferson and drew in the Jazz defense, and calmly found Jet for the 3 to seal the game.

Hot hand of the Game: Deshawn Stevenson made 5 3pts from beyond the arc in this game
The Mavs, have gone Streaking!

Special Night: The Mavs continued their annual Seats for Soldiers as season ticket holders donated floors seats to injured veterans. The Mavs are 6-1 in such games.

11th in a row, and a poetic one too.

2010-12-10T00:12:00.003-06:00

Thursday night, the new look mavs took court against perhaps the best coach in their history (Statistically speaking) and they wrung up the 11th win in a row.

Key Player review:
Nets:
Devin Harris: (It was definitely a short night for Devin who sprained his shoulder on a gutsy play to stop a Tyson Chandler alley oop)
Kris Humphries: (Kris made some nice drives to score)
Brook Lopez: (The big man got his rebs and scored in the paint though he was worked by Brendan Haywood)
Anthony Morrow: (What a clean shooter)

Mavs
Dirk: (Had a ridiculously efficient game)
JJ Barea: (Pull in 13 assists, 5 more than Jason Kidd, though Kidd a long stretch at the end)
Tyson Chandler: (this was not the big man's most impressive game as he got in foul trouble early)
Brendan Haywood: (Brendan showed a little more life than most nights and had a pretty good outing)
Shawn Marion: ( Shawn was really impressive coming off the bench in the first half as he dazzled with cuts, steals, fast breaks to score)

4ptsplay for OT

2009-09-19T02:56:00.002-05:00

Needing that fix to wet your appetite before the season?
Well we got just what you need.

Seven loaded NBA clipettes!!!

1. Here is a great list of the top 25 talent in the leagues and what effort they need to put fort to help their teams.

2. The 9 lives of this cat are proving useful. Though it seemed T-mac was all but done, we hear that he may come back earlier than expected??? good news or maybe bad news for Rocket fans.

3. Flip Murray is known for flat out lighting it up. Well, It seems the Denver Nuggets are interested in his services to fill in the lost bench roles of the departed Dahntay Jones and Linas Kleiza.

4. Kobe defeats Carmelo in a one on one match up. ....on NBA2k10 of course. what were you expecting?? lakers would never allow a street game. you knew that!

5. Delonte West re-enacts Desperado/Once upon a time in Mexico. Both great flicks by the way. He loads up and decides to end the reign of the drug cartel in Akron himself.

6. Great picture exclusive of delonte west right before the arrest.

7. The great Lord of the Sith David "vader" Stern decides to proceed in this pissing contest he has going with the Refs.

4ptsplay for the tie.

2009-09-17T10:36:00.006-05:00

Welcome Hoop Troop,
7 daily items delivered to you for a quick NBA fix.

1. It seems though the Jazz would prefer to net some real talent for Boozer, they just cannot get a break. Early yesterday, some reports surfaced from Ric Bucher about the knicks being interested in a Boozer-Lee swap. Well last night, Alan Hahn refuted those claims and responded.

2. Well, it seems former Mavs player, Jerry Stackhouse may have a thing or two left in the tank.

3. Speaking of left in the tank, could it be? Starbury in the D-league. Folks, we wish, but I couldn't imagine him with that much freedom.

4. Seems the refs are making progress in deciding on what their worth is.
Update there may be a lockout imminent.

5. With so much interest in the Hawks this week, here is a good analysis on their upcoming season.

6. Does it surprise anyone as much as it does me, who the 6th highest player is on the Lakers squad?

7. In a minimal move, it seems the Pacers are close to acquiring Luther Head

8. Great read on D-Wade

4ptsplay for the win.

2009-09-17T01:34:00.005-05:00

Morning HoopTroop,
What do we have buzzing today. 6 daily scoops of NBA news delivered to you:
1. The Offseason hasn't been kind to a couple of Ballers out there, namely Richard jefferson of the San antonio Spurs and Tim Thomas of the Dallas Mavericks.. For more on this, follow up with Spurs and Mavs.

2. With all the chaos going on this off season in the world of hoops, the refs seem hell-bent on getting a raise. Now, my opinion is certainly not the end-all but does anyone remember all the BLOWN calls this past season. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
Blown Call # 1
Blown Call#2
Blown Call#3
Blown Call#4
And you want a raise?? Yeah, I'm sure you deserve one too.

3. The red headed step child distant cousin in LA (the clippers) seem to be making never ending moves this off season. I'm curious how they plan on making use of all their Bigs. Griffin, Camby, Kaveman, and now Skinner?

4. People, Enough with the MJ talks already. The man made a speech, Good or Bad, He was the greatest and he can say anything he damn well feels like saying up there. For that moment, time stood still for him. He was telling stories. GET OVER IT!!!

5. Agent Zero is back with a vengeance. Make sure you don't sleep on him during fantasy pickups. Is he going to make this team a Top 3 team in the east? Only time and injuries will tell. Will they be a 1st round nightmare matchup if healthy??? People, let me just say, regardless of what you think about the wizards, a motivated Agent Zero can be a force to be reckoned with.

6. Ladies and Gentlemen, let the antics begin in Los Angeles because Ron Ron has arrived. I actually think, it will be "interesting" to see how ron ron fills in the shoes Ariza left behind.

7. Vinsanity @ his best. man do I miss those highlight reel days. Caution, watching this will only make you wish basketball was that much closer to tipping off. speaking of which oct 4th preseason starts!!!