Thursday, May 29, 2008

Resources, or Stealing From The Better Informed

Over to Mavs Moneyball, here's a readable and very handy outline for the NBA salary cap:

http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2008/5/29/541881/nba-salaries-101

Must research further; it's a concept that's come up a lot lately, as the blowhards dissect all the ways and means the Mavs have available to get fresh meat.
-BJ

The Boss Speaks, Field Trips, and Other News

From the homefront:

- Mark Cuban spoke on Randy Galloway's radio program earlier today, giving an extended interview. Among the subjects covered, reputation-rehab for Josh Howard, failures in leadership over the past season, failed trade scenarios (among them one where we gave up Dirk and J-Ho for Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, the idea of which has Mr. Fish over at DallasBasektball.com crying into his beer), votes of confidence in Coach Carlisle, and the work between him Jerry Jones to get the NBA All-Star game to the new Cowboys stadium in Arlington (which would be mega-awesome with cheese). Podcast here.

- Coach Carlisle's in Orlando at "predraft camp," checking out the stuff. The Mavs have a second-round pick, 51st overall. There's plans to go to Italy, where the European draftees will be gathered -- because of financial issues, that's most likely where the FNGs are coming from this year. Little help from the Basketball Gods would be good there, neh?

- A remark from Mr. Cuban's interview clarifies a lot to me -- "Guys were breaking plays a lot. They didn’t trust the play-calling . . ." No wonder Avery Johnson was damn near throwing a coniption fit over by the bench, and no wonder the folks on the floor had this bad habit of standing around looking confused. He's also saying that Dirk's the one who broke rank there originally. Good in that the Organization's been screaming for him to take up a leadership role for the last five or six years; bad because such behavior could be construed as childish and counter-productive. I'm erring on the side of goodness, mostly in light of Johnson's actions since he was fired (revisionist and egotistical would about cover it). It could also be inferred that the disconnect between the coach and the players tainted Jason Kidd's adaptation to the team, which made all the other chemistry problems worse.

- The NBA has decided to impose fines on players for "flopping" -- exaggerating impact when one is fouled. Sort of like screaming bloody murder when your sister gets a good lick in during a pillowfight. Discouraging melodrama that doesn't come from the game itself is a good thing. Several years of following figure skating has me good and sick of manufactured melodrama.

- And finally, Dirk landed in Germany last week, prepping with the national team. And get this, the inconsiderate bastard got a girlfriend. Wah!
-BJ

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Well As Fuck-Yous Go . . .

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/specials/playoffs/2008/05/20/spurs.delayed.ap/index.html

My Fellow Dallasites,

Why didn't we think of that?

Yours,
-BJ

My Humble Opinions, Football Edition

In other sports blatherings . . .

I've been dreading football season. Why? Because I hate the Cowboys.

I mean, I have nothing against the team or the players thereon. I do have reservations about letting a near as no nevermind felon play, but I can accept that that's a buisness decision and what the hell the guy might've reformed. Cowboys fever as it's practised here annoys the piss out of me, and their fans seem to encourage and celebrate the type of toxic fan nastiness that I've described earlier -- the folks who follow sports because it gives them a socially acceptable reason to behave like total stinking assholes.

I did it rather than root for the Texas Rangers -- Ti-grrs! -- and I was seriously considering doing it here too; leaving my loyalty with the Motor City.

That's before I read this:

http://deadspin.com/5009927/the-lions-continue-to-be-a-feel+good-story-in-detroit

Fuck this shit, if I want to get my gridiron on, I'll watch the NCAA. Fuck the Lions, fuck the Cowboys, fuck the whole business. The Mom Rule on Thanksgiving applies. No football.
-BJ

My Humble Opinion, May 20

Spurs advance, squashing the Hornets in Game 7. Check it out:

http://www.nba.com/games/20080519/SASNOH/gameinfo.html?nav=scoreboardhome

Whoop-dee-shit. Honestly, it was a matter of soul-searching to decide who I wanted to lose more. Goes double for the conference final.

If anybody's gotta win it all, I'm going to let my homerism show and say Go Pistons. Detroit needs all the feel-good and hard cash it can get.

In a perfect world I'd introduce myself to Lauren and Mandy over at Girls Gone Sports and together we'd hatch a cloak-and-dagger plot to get the Finals cancelled. Burn the flag, steal the rings, scratch Property of Dallas all over the trophy, whatever it takes. We can't have it; neither can you. So there.

But then we'd start fighting over who gets to break into Dirk's house and steal his razor (Dear God, please make him keep the beard!), who gets to plant the vicious attack hamsters in Kobe Bryant's luggage, who gets to monitor the Shower Cam . . . nah, it wouldn't be a good scene. You know?

(the author would like to point out to the hopelessly literal legal eagles who might come across this blog that she is speaking facetiously and would never in ten trillion years do anything illegal or in poor taste to anybody for any reason, and would like to further point out that she is a grown woman in a free society and may say whatever the hell she damn well pleases)
-BJ

Thursday, May 15, 2008

I Could Learn To Like This Guy

“We’ll make some tweaks to this roster,’’ [Coach] Carlisle said Thursday, “and in October be ready to go to war.’’

Source: http://www.dallasbasketball.com/

Thank you God! (says the fat lady who shrieks "EXTERMINATE! ANNIHILATE! DESTROY!" at home games and headbangs to Enter Sandman)

He's talking about retooling the Mavs to be a running team, opening up offense, kicking the team's asses at training camp in October, et cetera et cetera et cetera. Be gentle with us, Coach. We've been hurt before.
-BJ

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

My Humble Opinion, May 13

Kidd? I'm going on the side of optimism and saying that he's good for another quality season. I don't think it was reasonable to expect a title three months after that big of a shift in leadership. Yes that's the Pride Salve talking, but what else have I got?

The situation is like the LBJ during rush hour in two ways; it resembles an unholy marriage between a demolition derby and a parking lot, and the victims don't have a choice but to be patient and tough it out. And hope the car doesn't run out of gas.

I'm a Michigander; I think in terms of traffic hassles.

Extending the metaphor. Back home the main north-south highway artery through town is US-131. As it goes over the Grand River, it makes a left-to-right turn in order to cross at a good angle -- the S-curve.

Photobucket

Up until a few years ago the word 'S-curve' would cause drivers in five counties to shudder in fear and loathing. As it was originally constructed, the turns weren't banked properly. Meaning unless you were clever and lucky, the odds were in favor of skidding out of your lane and into the poor slob next to you. Add in winter weather, badly laid-out interchanges, no shoulder to speak of, and traffic flowing through at ten to fifteen over the posted limits (speed limits are treated as suggested minimums), and well, it did not make for a pleasant commuting experience.

Back in '99, the entire bridge was demolished and rebuilt. Traffic was rerouted through town for the summer. The mess was considerable. But the resulting piece of construction -- with wider turns, safer banking, better entrance and exit ramps, and bigger shoulders -- is a breeze to drive through. Rather than a serious hazard to your mental health and personal safety.

That's where we are right now. The old structure was serviceable, but not up to the demands being placed upon it. So with the trade for Jason Kidd and the dismissal of Coach Johnson, it was ripped out. This off-season is for rebuilding.

The contractors and workers that did the S-curve were fucking heros, doing a damn fine job with the new road. Coach Carlisle's history suggests he can do that with our Mavs; that rebuilding is in fact a specialty of his. Remember that blurb about the fight at the Palace of Auburn Hills a few years ago? The Pacers still made the playoffs that year.

Do the job and do it well, on time and under budget. Amazing how much of life can be reduced to that principle.
-BJ

Monday, May 12, 2008

My Humble Opinion, May 12

Got this tidbit from the Morning News, when they recapped Coach Carlisle's career up to last week:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Malice_at_The_Palace

Wow! There was a fight at the Palace? Geez, shows you how much attention I paid to sports at the time. I think I was still trying to get into football (by following the Lions, cue up Hit Me Hard Hit Me Fast).

That helps explain the police presence at the AAC. Then again, this is a town where the Half-Price Books has two armed guards on patrol. I wish I were kidding.
---
In a moderate subject shift, I got a question:

What is it with Dallas fans?

My approach to live games is RPL, all the way. Small children are advised not to sit nearby -- I've been raised to be concise in my opinions and the best words aren't always nice ones. When my mother and my sister come to visit, if it's during the season I intend to take them to a game and watch them disown me at least twice before the half. "I don't know this person!" is the phrase of choice.

I try not to be mean, though.

Mostly because it's counterproductive. Home-court advantage means a lot in basketball; who am I to undermine that by being a jerk? I mean, whose side am I on? Insofar as I can contribute, way up in the rafters with nothing but my ticket price and a loud voice, I try and contribute.

I won't say I'm in a minority. I've been to half a dozen games and I've only run across truly toxic fans once. I will say this; said toxic fans were down in the platinum section, where the seats run to about what I make in a week. They were relentless -- and obscene -- in their badmouthing of the players and team. They seemed determined not to have any fun at all. And they, along with about a third of the audience, left about five minutes into the fourth quarter. (To the visible delight of the opposing team.)

That last one is what's sticking in my craw. It bespeaks a profound lack of respect for the players. This is their job; this is what they do. The least you can do is give them the opportunity to do it. All 48 minutes. And if it gets painful to watch, tough shit. That's the flip side to caring passionately about anything, that it'll disappoint you. And if all you're doing is trying to beat traffic, shame on you. To beat traffic, take the train, leave at halftime, or budget a couple hours after the game for dinner or dancing. I'll see you at the Lizard Lounge on their Goth nights.

Or better yet, stay home. Let those of us who want to be here get on with making fools of ourselves and loving it. I was there for the #4 game against the Hornets. My heart broke. I ran out of swear words. There were tears.

But I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Even unto the bitter end.
-BJ

Saturday, May 10, 2008

New General On The Field

It's official, guys. All that's left is the press conference (scheduled for Wendsday).

http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/Coaching_hire050708.html

"Rick Carlisle didn’t waste any time getting to work … even if he didn’t have the job just yet. The 48-year-old coach ran his first practice in, of all places, Dirk Nowitzki’s living room . . ."

The thought makes me smile. :-D

But now we can get on to what's next. I have visions of the kind of HR management and recruitment strategies you see in heist movies, which makes me smile some more. I know that's not what goes on, not in life as we live it, but it's fun to picture. Getting up to speed, determining what you have and what you need, and deploying resources to achieve a desired end.

Congratulations, Mr. Carlisle. Welcome to Dallas!
-BJ

Statistical Schtick, or By The Numbers

Since Kim (bows towards KC) commented first, her help gets pride of place:

Statistical Schtick

Stat Categories
Points scored, points assisted with, rebounds made, shots blocked, and steals.

Double-double
A score of ten or greater in two stat categories. The most common is points scored and rebounds made, next most common is points scored and points assisted with. Fairly frequent in NBA play.

Triple-double
A score of ten or greater in three stat categories. Usually points scored, points assisted with, and rebounds made. A great individual performace, and a player who can achieve triple-doubles routinely is a Very Good Thing to have on one's roster.

The Record
Oscar Robertson, 181
Magic Johnson, 138
Jason Kidd, 100 (and counting)

Quadruple-double
A score of ten or greater in four stat categories. This has only happened four times:

Nate Thurmond, October 18, 1974 -- 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 blocks.
Alvin Roberton, February 18, 1986 -- 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals.
Hakeem Olajuwon, March 29, 1990 -- 18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks.
David Robinson, February 17, 1994 -- 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks.

Wilt Chamberlain also has at least two to his credit -- both during the 1967 playoffs -- but they aren't official as the NBA didn't start counting blocks and steals until 1973.

Five-by-five
A quintuple-double is theoretically possible, but hasn't happened yet. A five-by-five is a score of five or more in all five stat categories.

There are further permutations on the same theme, most having to do with scores of twenty or greater -- double double-doubles and so on. All ways and means of tracking excellence in players and their work.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Basketball_statistics
See individual articles for details and additional source material.
-BJ

Thursday, May 8, 2008

My Humble Opinion, May 8

My Humble Opinions
First in a series

I'm a newcomer to the table, so don't take my opinions as canon. I'm doing a lot of reading between the lines, a lot of reconstruction with limited facts. It's like the old gag about describing an elephant when all you can see is the trunk. My sources at this point boil down to the blogs on the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram websites. Both of which are maintained by sports blowhards who happen to be better informed than most of that breed.

That said, here we go:

- Out Johnson, in somebody. I find it very easy to chalk the team's inconsistancies over the season to failures in leadership. A lot of standing around looking confused on offense -- not a good look on you, guys. I don't know if all that can be laid at Coach Johnson's feet specifically, but I will say that calling a Come To Jesus meeting and then cancelling practise the day before an elimination game suggests poor judgement. I'd love to know the names of the players who called an impromptu practise anyway, but that's not something I'm likely to find out.

- Less than a fortnight and there's already serious courting of a replacement, Rick Carlisle. It might just be me, but doesn't that seem PDQ? I mean, are major staff turnovers routinely accomplished that fast in the NBA? The conspiracy nut in me catches a scent of premeditation, but once again that's not something I can confirm.

- Josh Howard. Like his frankness, hate his timing. Attention whores can be fun. I'll admit to being less annoyed if he'd performed up to ability. But he didn't then, and he hasn't been all season. Discretion has its place, dude.

- Trade Dirk? Yeah right. Watch about a quarter of your fanbase and *all* your playoff chances go down the drain. Or up in smoke, if you like that better.

- So other than the Big Rig -- who did everything short of walking on water -- who performed this year? Brandon Bass? Hell yes. Jet Terry? Erh, more or less. Dampier? Somebody spank him. Jason Kidd? #$%@!

- Was it reasonable to expect a title three months after that major a change in leadership and personnel? It's a question I'd like answered. Objectively. And is it reasonable to hope that, given the summer hiatus, the team next year might be better than a first-round scratching post? Good question.

- And what about the Olympics? Dirk's participating. Kidd probably is too. Will that affect the team at all, and if so how? Good thing, bad thing . . .

Outcome nonwithstanding, I had a lot of fun following the team these past few months. Bliss of love, thrill of something new. I'm disappointed in the ultimate outcome, but I can't find it in me to get angry. That will change. My expectations for next year . . . little bit higher. My admiration is for the guys who play their guts out and do the best they *can*, no matter what. That didn't happen consistantly this season. And by November enough of the new will wear off to where I won't choose to overlook that.

(And Mr. Cuban et al? Please don't put me in the awkward position of having to choose between my team and my favorite player. Please? Pretty please?)
-BJ

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Introductions!

(waves)

Hi. M'name's BJ.

Originally from Michigan, home of Great Lakes, Yoopers, and mosquitoes the size of toasters. Would've been happy to put down roots and grow, dandlion-like, out of a crack in Detroit's concrete but for two things; I hate snow and Detroit has no work.

So around Halloween last year a friend of mine asked for someone to sublet her apartment in Dallas, so's she could move back to Detroit. True love, yo. So I took stock of my life, found nothing much keeping me, and said yeah sure why not.

Now in order to assimilate myself into Dallas life, I started following the sports scene. Not intensively; watch the Stars if there's nothing else on, shake my fist at the Cowboys because I haven't learned to like them yet, shudder at the idea of rooting for the Texas Rangers. You know, as something to do. Basketball pretty much slid under my radar. To be honest, I was happy to forget the sport existed after middle school gym class. And anyone who's met me in person will understand why.

Then one day I happened to catch the tail end of a basketball game, our Dallas Mavericks against the Chicago Bulls. And on the basis of a thrilling 3-point play fell totally ass-over-applecart in love with one of the players. Seize me by the libido and the heart and mind follows.

That's what got my attention. A trip to the Amercian Airlines Center on March 18 for my first live game hooked me for good. My world was rocked.

But see above, re under the radar. I'm in all ways ignorant as to what makes basketball work. What's a triple-double, and why is it a big deal? What's a pick-and-roll, besides a cute name for fighting with my sister? Why can't I kill the obnoxious Kobe Bryant fans chanting 'MVP!' in the row behind me? And on and on.

So starting with the preseason and straight through the 2009 playoffs, I'm going to watch, I'm going to learn, and I'm going to enjoy.

Come with me?
-BJ

PS: Yes, it was Dirk. The magnificent bastard.