What Is A Valuable Player?

First of all, with victories over Cleveland and Denver, the Mavericks gave me everything I wanted for Christmas. I love my guys. :-D

It's interesting, though. If you tuned in on Sunday looking for an epic duel between two top ten scorers and MVP canadites, I do apologize. The 'Melo versus Dirk matchup could be in the dictionary under 'anticlimax,' both performing under their scoring averages.

Carmelo Anthony: 16 points, 5-19 for 26% FGP, 12 rebounds (5 offensive), 4 assists
Averages: 30 points, 47% FGP, 6.4 rebounds (2.1 offensive), 3.3 assists

Dirk Nowitzki: 13 points, 6-15 for 40% FGP, 11 rebounds (zero offensive), 2 assists
Averages: 25.5 points, 48.5% FGP, 8.1 rebounds (0.9 offensive), 2.6 assists

Last week, Chauncey Billups went down with a strained groin muscle, and as of Sunday the Nuggets were 1-3 without him. Situation for Denver; at home, second night of a back-to-back for the Mavericks, the go-to guy not putting up his usual numbers. This should have been an opportunity for Anthony to rally the Nuggets around him, settling his teammates down when the Mavericks went on runs, kibitzing with Billups and Coach Karl on how to stop the Dallas centers -- Drew and Damp lit up Nene and the Birdman like cigarettes -- not letting his frustration getting the better of him when the calls weren't going Denver's way. A chance to set his seal on the Nuggets, to announce to the world that Billups might call the plays but he is their heart and spirit and best hope for excellence.

Instead, Anthony played faces with the refs, failed to inspire his teammates into performing above and beyond, spent key stretches of the game on the bench in foul trouble, and finally got himself disqualified in the fourth after knocking Josh Howard off his feet. Anthony got pissed and added some arm-action to body-ing up Josh. (BTW, JR Smith's foul on Jason Terry in the third was a flagrant.)

In short, because Anthony couldn't control his temper he was not on the floor to help the Nuggets capitalize on several late mistakes by the Mavericks and take back control of the game. At the risk of being called a homer, Carmelo Anthony does not mean a tenth so much to the Nuggets as Dirk does to the Mavericks (or Kobe does to the Lakers, LeBron to the Cavaliers, Nash to the Suns, etc). In the last six games Denver has demonstrated who their leader is, and 'Melo ain't it. He does not belong in the MVP discussion, I don't care where his averages are.

I'll go even further. Here's Billups's postgame thoughts:

"I thought we fought hard at different spurts at the game, but we didn’t fight very smart," Billups said. "So much of this game, especially when you are playing against good teams, is being smart, not making the same mistakes over and over again during the course of the game. Knowing what they are going to do throughout the game and try to take certain things away. We just didn’t do a very good job of that."

I'm going to do a little guesswork and give you a prediction. Denver is an passionate, yet immature bunch of guys who require a certain amount of management to be most effective. That manager has just publicly called them morons. Now if I'm a hypercompetative fourteen year old boy, how do I take that? Billups hasn't lost the team, but I think their confidence in him's gonna take a hit.

The Nuggets will finish in the top eight, of course -- they're too talented not to. But they have very little depth and might be coming to a crisis of leadership. MavsMonkey says . . . upper-four seed, out in the second round.
-BJ

Let The Record Reflect

I was not dreaming of a white Christmas.

For analysis of the first 29 games this season, the Good King of Numbers David Lord is on the case.

When it comes to the Mavericks, our two biggest weaknesses are the same as they usually are; unreliable depth at the center position (with apologies to Dampier who's playing like an All-Star and fuck you NBA for not putting him on the ballot), and no pure scoring shooting guard. Jason Terry's shooting slump has gone from being annoying to being downright terrifying and JJ Barea's tragically undersized with all the problems that go along with that. Howard's coming off the bench in what I think is Coach's attempt at carrot-and-stick (and might be on the verge of blowing up in the team's face).

So, a center and a good two guard. Too bad that's what everybody else needs too. Price is determined by demand, and good God there's a lot of demand.

Some other general notes --

- If Rasheed Wallace isn't careful he's going to get a free sick day, courtesy of the league. After sixteen technical fouls a player is automatically suspended for one game. Look, I appreciate passion, outspokeness, and a certain amount of chutzpah in people. But a player that can't play is no good to me. Situation in the playoffs couple years ago; yes I would've loved watching Dirk coldcock that asshole-that-walks-like-a-man into the floor. Which would've earned him an ejection and a suspension during a playoff series the Mavericks were still thinking they could win. Learn when to put your pride in your pocket.

- I hereby waive my right to bitch any more than necessary about injuries. Why? Look at Portland. Greg Odem is out for the season (again) with a fractured kneecap, and in the game with the Mavericks on Tuesday their other center, Joel Przybilla, went down with a ruptured patella tendon. Don't look too close at his knee if you're queasy about joint injuries. On top of that, their leader, floor general, and all-around good egg Brandon Roy's got a sprained shoulder. And yet-- they're in the playoff picture and are playing their guts out.

- So much for our hope that the Lakers would hit the wall when they started hitting the road. The word came down that Pau Gasol's signed a 3 year extension to his contract. Motherfucker.

- Good God, teams can fall fast. From taking the Celtics to a damned exciting seven games in the first round last postseason, the Bulls have lost to the Nets, watched helplessly as Lebron danced on their grave (as he was digging it), and blew a home game earlier this week to the Sacremento Kings. How big of a lead? Wellll . . . put on your protective eyewear. The Kings were down by 35 points before Tyreke Evans went Nova. I think the bronze of His Holiness The Jordan retched when nobody was looking. Hasn't happened yet, but Coach Del Negro's got a barbeque waiting to grill his ass. Incidentaly, Del Harris -- friend of the Mavs and basektball priest -- was an advisor and assistant to Del Negro last year when the Bulls were going above and beyond. He's not there now; he's in New Jersey trying to save their souls. No Del Harris = trip to Basketball Hell. Coincidence?

- Christmas presents from the league this year include Miami at New York (meh), Phoenix hosting the LA junior varsity squad (Sideshow Bob shudder), and Denver at Portland (Roy and Billups probably not playing) on ESPN. Stocking stuffers. But look at what's under the tree (on ABC) -- Los Angeles hosts Cleveland and Boston goes to Orlando. Should be fun.

- By the way, open presents Christmas morning, not Christmas eve. Bloody savage.

Merry Christmas and have a joyous and blessed New Year. :-D
-BJ

Phew!

Word around the knitting circle is Nowitzki has avoided an infection and is a game-time decision for tonight against the Trailblazers.

Bear in mind -- I adore Dirk, love watching him play, and want him back soonest. But. In my judgement, he should sit this one out. The next game isn't until Saturday against Memphis. The extra three days of letting the wound sit easy will help. Also, I'm not okay with even the slightest chance of anything ripping, tearing, or splitting back open -- the odds of which are quite high if he takes contact with that arm.

And in the final wash, a victory or a loss against the Blazers is just a checkmark. Memphis -- along with San Antonio, Houston, and New Orleans -- is another story because they're in our division. Divisional record is a tiebreaker in determining playoff seeding. I like being second in the conference. The #2 seed is one we can work with.

So, Coach, Mr. Smith. Spike his Gatorade and lock him in a spare office. Better yet, let me do it. ;-)
-BJ

Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Smelting Furnace

The Imps of Injury aren't done with us yet.

Game against Houston on Friday night. Whilst contesting a shot, Carl Landry and Dirk Nowitzki collided. Dirk's arm slammed into Landry's mouth. The impact punched Landry's incisors through his mouth guard and broke them off in Dirk's arm just below the elbow. Landry lost five teeth and went to the hospital to have his mouth rebuilt. Dirk dashed back to the locker room after splitting free throws. He sat out on Saturday's game versus Cleveland.

Tim Thomas got the call to start at power forward. You show me anybody who seriously though Dallas would win this one, I'll show you a good liar. Everybody wrote this one off. Tactical retreat -- Cleveland's not in our division, nobody's going to blame the guys for losing to LeBron and Company without Dirk.

Um . . . yeah. LeBron might be the best player in the league, heir apparent to His Holiness The Jordan, and well on the road to becoming A Global Brand (his words, not mine). On Sunday night, he wasn't good enough -- 25 points, 9-23 shooting. And he couldn't make his team good enough -- three rebounds, six assists, two turnovers, zero clutch plays.

I couldn't watch this game because I had to be in McKinney. All I caught was the last ninety seconds. The enduring image is Shawn Marion driving to the basket, and Anderson Varejao hitting the deck at Marion's feet doing his best impersonation of a speed bump. Marion hopped up and over Varejao's body, put the ball in the basket, and landed neatly on the floor on Varejao's other side. Love it.

Mavericks, with cunning, cuteness, slump-busting (team should throw a Welcome Back party for Jason Terry's jump shot), good team defense, and a little bit of luck, kicked the shit out of the Cleveland Cavaliers. And we did it without our big guy.

Basketbawful's taking his usual potshots at Dirk's physical toughness. I enjoy his blog and I value his opinions . . . but BTFU. A bite wound is not the same as cutting yourself while peeling an apple in bed, particularly when the doctor spends half an hour fishing around making sure there aren't any other toothy bits embedded in the tissue. The biggest concern isn't the actual trauma; it's infection.

If he had to, Dirk would play through anything. His will over pain is beyond question. The Mavericks do not want, and cannot afford, having the big guy in the hospital dealing with a case of septic shock. Remember NYPD Blue? Bobby Simone dying because of an infection he got from a knife cut? That's not bullshit, and bites are dirtier.

Right now Dirk's on painkillers and a shitload of antibiotics and has probably been instructed not to move his arm around much. If he fucks with it it won't heal right, and that's his shooting arm.

The Cloudy Crystal Ball says he'll probably sit out Tuesday's game against Portland and be back (knock on wood) on Saturday.

Not saying it yet. Still too much we don't know.

But--

How can a Mavs fan be anything but optimistic after last night?

Check back with me the morning of January 4th. That's after an Away game at Denver on December 27th, another game in Houston, and an Away game against the (presumably) Gasol-centered Lakers.
-BJ

Crickets, A Ribbit Here And There

I was watching the game against the Heat last night. Know what struck me most? Wasn't Dampier playing like some sort of deep sea fangly fish, wasn't D-Wade straining his back trying to carry his team (okay, fair cop, Dirk always strikes me).

What struck me was how empty American Airlines Arena was. The box lists attendence at 18,703. That, my friends, is a damn lie. If actual asses-in-chairs attendence was over twelve thousand, I will eat my nightie.

There are things I don't like about Mark Cuban. He's an arrogant, melodramatic, loudmouthed schnook -- just can't trust a man who likes pro wrestling. What his organization has done, though, for going on ten years, is put butts in the seats. Even with a promotion-shy star, even existing in the same catch-basin as the Dallas Cowboys, the Mavericks do a good job of filling the house. Mr. Cuban's said that if he had to, he'd drive through town hollering on a megaphone if that's what it took to sell tickets.

By contrast, Miami -- and Jake's told me the situation's similar in Orlando -- has two of the most famous players in pro sports in Dewayne Wade and Dwight Howard. They're both entertaining from a layperson's standpoint; plenty of panache and slamming around. So why hasn't their individual celebrity translated into sold-out arenas? I mean, don't those fans know how bloody lucky they are?

The question-within-a-question, I guess, would be why aren't those organizations making their citizens aware of how lucky they are. And if they're trying, what's not working? We live in a capitalist society; everything's gotta generate profit for somebody.
-BJ

Reality Checks Are In

And they are bouncing.

Defensively, this edition of the Mavericks are an improvement over previous issues. Offensively . . . it's not gone well. In the last two games Dallas has not shot the ball over 40%. It's chiseled on the tombstone of almost every single Dallas team -- We Took Too Many Jumpshots. Especially the game against the Grizzlies, who are near the bottom of the league in defensive execution. And who, by the way, are in our division. Divisional record's a tiebreaker. That loss is gonna bite us twice.

What can we take away from our first bone fide losing streak?

Look. The reality of the situation hasn't changed. We need Josh back. Without him, and with Marion still on a sore leg, we go right back to where we were last year. I wish I knew more about what's going on with Howard (me and everybody else). The Organization's committed to him. We like him. And I'm fine with that, to a point. His production, however, is an absolute necessity and if he can't provide it, the Organization needs to find someone who can.

Are they in the process of doing so and just haven't told us? Your guess is as good as mine. The usual suspects haven't heard anything.
-BJ

Scientifc Wild-Ass Guess Incorrect

Erick Dampier did a quickie interview with Chuck Cooperstein and Brad Davis last night after the game. Coop asked him about his absence and Dampier said that it wasn't just faintness that came over him right before the Pistons game; he had numbness in one arm.

No details on what, if anything, the doctors found. But he's been cleared medically to play.

That explains a lot, about why he was scratched literally at the last second, and why he's been out for a while. Let me tell you a story. About fifteen years ago, a figure skating pairs team were rehearshing for an exhibition tour and the gentleman -- fella by the name of Sergei Grinkov, twenty-eight years old, perfect condition -- collapsed on the ice. An autopsy revealed two blocked arteries in his heart. He was probably dead before he hit the ground. Come to find out he'd been having angina attacks for weeks, but they were misdiagnosed as a backache.

Point is, when someone says they're experiencing something that might be a heart attack, you do not fuck around.

I'd still like to know what exactly was the matter. That's my starting center; I'd really rather he not, y'know, die on me or anything. But even the remotest possibility-- the team responded appropriately. Here's hoping everything's okay, and stays that way.
-BJ

The Mavs M*A*S*H Unit

The injury woes continue. Erick Dampier came down with something real sudden-like before the Pistons game a couple weeks ago and is just now coming back to play limited minutes.

If the opportunity came, I'd ask if he has a family history of adult onset diabetes. Sudden feelings of faintness are a symptom of hypoglycemia and adjusting to medication or a radical change in diet could account for his extended absence. If it were food poisioning or dehydration he wouldn't've been out for so long and the press was assured after a few days that the doctors had ruled out anything health or career threatening.

That's just a guess. H1N1 was ruled out immediately but that's not the only virus that can knock you on your ass and leave you there awhile.

J-Ho's been shelved . . . again. Once again, not enough information to make judgement calls. Fisher says it was a minor ankle repair; I'd like that confirmed. Saying it was an arthroscopic surgery doesn't tell me the extent of the repairs, nor the rehab needed, nor the recovery time. Turns out there's a lot that can go wrong with ankle joints.

I don't want to believe that Josh -- after rolling on two bad legs in the playoffs last year -- would do anything to jepordize his ability to get back on the floor and play. I really don't want to believe that.

The Matrix -- after a slow start to the season, frankly, I was hoping for more -- came down onto some moron's foot at the Milwaukee game and twisted an ankle. He's back in the lineup but hurting. Tim Thomas turned in an I Am Man And You Will Fear Me game against the Rockets, but tweaked his back and sat out yesterday. Quinton Ross, our Plan B starting two guard's been in and out with back problems. And Drew Gooden sat a few games with a chest muscle injury. When will the fun ever stop?

And with all that . . . 13-5 as of December 1. Actions speak louder, so here's some good stuff:

Kris Humphries's atom smasher:


Assist #10,335, along with some other awesomeness (that T was bogus, by the way):


And . . .:


I could watch that forever.
-BJ