Saturday, October 31, 2009

Burning The Blindfold

(deep breath)

MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!!
-BJ

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Game 1, Dallas Mavericks host Washington Wizards

Theme: Combichrist, "Shut Up and Swallow"
Game Info: Vomit.

Murphy's Law, Squared (or The Unwritten Law of Supreme Inconvience) -- to wit, if it can go wrong, it will make a specific point of going wrong, simply to ruin your day.

The day, it is ruined.

I can sum this game up in three words; total defensive collapse. The Wizards did whatever they wanted to, whenever they wanted to do it. Three point shooting? They did that. Midrange? That too. Points in the paint? Stop before I spew. Interior defense -- Coach was a little like Canute ordering the tide to stop. Dampier was ineffective, Gooden was worse, Kris Humphries had a crack at it, the Three Jacks lineup had a try . . . bupkis.

On the offensive end, other than Dirk -- not rain nor sleet nor snow, he's like the postal service that way -- nobody was worth smeg for points. JJ had a couple of thrilling moments, Marion was decent. That's it.

This was disheartening on several levels. Flashbacks to last year's slow start, a disturbing resemblence to some low moments, realization that by the third the team had fallen back on Mavs Plan A (grab Dirk's jersey and hope he sprouts wings), dismay that maybe the upgrades we made weren't nearly as performance-enhancing as we'd hoped (yes there's a dick joke in there and yes it's delibrate). What I took away from this is simple; defense was a specific point of emphasis for everything the Organization's done since losing the Nuggets series. And this game was about as poor a defensive display as I've ever seen out of them.

Lakers on Thursday, and quite frankly, I'm terrified.

Final: 102-91, Wizards
-BJ

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

To The Advancement Of Friends

Awlright, to the folks who read this blog (take off your coats, stay awhile, watch out for the leopard pit), I have some news to pass along.

JakeN's blog, NBA on the Brain, is going website. The new digs will be partitioned off -- reality based coverage on the main page and his Real Person Fic twists given their own pages named NBA Dramatique. I recommend both. Even if he is a Spurs fan.

Here's the new link: http://www.nbaonthebrain.com/
-BJ

Monday, October 26, 2009

'Tis The Eve Of The Regular Season

And thank God for that.

As usual, the immortals on my shoulders are each making their cases. The angel on my right says we've upgraded and then some, with the addition of Shawn Marion. Drew Gooden showed some good things in the preseason. The keystone pair -- Dirk and Kidd -- took the summer off, meaning they're fresh and rested. Roadrunner Beaubois looks like he could be a contender (and one of the nice things about having Kidd is he speeds up learning curves, particularly for points).

The devil on my right isn't nearly so eloquent. His arguement against the Mavs going anywhere or doing anything this year can be summed up in two words; Josh Howard.

He's our most versitile player, our best defensive guy, and when he's on he's an All-Star, full stop. For a variety of reasons, he hasn't been on nearly enough the past couple of years. Some of it is factors beyond his control -- nobody plans on losing kinfolk or rolling an ankle -- and some of it is self-inflicted.

The situation with J-Ho is simply this; he had arthroscopic repair surgery on his injured ankle about a week after the season ended. That was six months ago. Coach Carlisle is being extremely vague about his recovery timetable, and that's starting to scare me.

The devil doesn't have to say anything else. I know the rest of the list of Things That Can Go Wrong -- (insert player name) is past it, somebody gets hurt, things just don't gel.

Things will unfold the way they will unfold. Do I think this is a championship team? I can't answer that, it's too early. Being frank, in order for that to happen, we're going to need a significant chunk of luck.

But why be glum? It's basketball season! See you tomorrow. If all goes according to plan I'll be there with E. Honda face paint and a song in my heart. Mavericks!
-BJ

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Off The Beaten Path A Bit

NBA.com is running a series of columns about offbeat places that're hosting preseason games. One of them being my own hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was up there this weekend, visiting family (couldn't stay long enough to catch the game, dammit).

Everybody's struggling, these days. In the Midwest, and in Michigan particularly, the economy's been in depression mode for almost as long as I've been alive. Grand Rapids is holding on a little better than the Detroit metro region because what's left of the furniture industry is still viable and the Van Andel Institute is getting some serious backing -- the news came down just a little while ago that MSU is basing a major research study there.

As a whole, though, it's getting so that the only people left in the region are those who can't or won't leave -- and the won't contingent is shrinking. A friend of mine is a Detroiter down to his fingernails, and even he's packed up for an extended leave of absence.

Sports are a luxury, except when they're not. Sport can make life, even for one day, worthwhile. For one day, it does not suck that you are a part of that time and place. And that matters. Here's hoping the Pistons' new owners recognize that, and are both clever and lucky.

Even with clever and lucky, I think, one by one, the major franchises are going to find a way to leave. Check back in 2020 and see who's left, in a city that was once beautiful and alive. The Paris of the Midwest.
-BJ

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

God I'm Tired Of This

According to a columnist -- the column, for reasons that pass understanding, is featured on NBA.com -- there's a difference between a "franchise player" and a "foundation player." "Franchise players" are the divine accidents, the acolytes to the holy alter upon which the names of Russell, Chamberlain, Bird, Magic, Jordan et al are enshrined. They are seething cauldrons of Manliness in a sport crammed with Men. "Foundation players" are Men, but not on the same level.

And of course and as usual, guess who's not quite Good Enough.

This man's logic escapes me. I'll grant that Chris Paul is something special . . . but in terms of the postseason his teams have gone nowhere. By this author's own rules -- players that can win, No Matter What -- Chris Paul would not qualify. Neither would Dewayne Wade -- did Miami even make it out of the first round last spring? And just to nitpick, if Kevin Garnett were truly a Franchise player by Vince Thomas's definition of the term, wouldn't he have won a title with Minnesota?

Where our Dirk is concerned, Mr. Thomas is no better than the ESPN "analysts" who only watch the Mavs when forced by contract to do so. Dirk's averages have remained otherworldly for going on ten years. How does that disqualify him from Franchise status? As far as the Finals faceplants, how much blame can be totally assigned to Dirk is debateable. God knows he's never tried to duck any of it.

Mr. Thomas's column is nothing more than an NBA version of Top Gear's Cool Wall. Fun for arguing purposes and good for absolutely nothing else.
-BJ

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Preseason, Dallas Mavericks host Orlando Magic

Theme: Neuroticfish's cover, "They're Coming To Take Me Away"
Game Info: Click.

Overall, not the most auspicious debut. Field goal percentage just this side of bloody disgusting, our newest and most exciting FNG didn't play because of a calf injury, Dirk couldn't hit the broadside of a barn (to be fair, he got to the line plenty), Superman got an invitation to get the fuck out partway through the third, said invitation extended to Dampier shortly thereafter, an activity that normally takes a couple of hours took nearly three due to 62 (!) total fouls, and because of a miscommunication between me and a DART guy I missed my train and didn't get home until after midnight.

Welcome to exhibition basketball.

And tomorrow the debate begins -- which hurts more? Getting kicked in the Gortats or pounded in the Bass?

Final: 110-105, Magic
-BJ

Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Dallas Mavericks and Sponsors Present Fan Jam 2009!

After a week of getting their asses kicked in training camp, the Mavericks presented themselves for a Blue-White scrimmage in front of a few thousand of their fans. I missed a connection and got there just as they were announced. Smeg.

It wasn't like last year. There were more people, for one thing -- the lower bowl was mostly full. According to the AAC, the headcount was right around 7700. The guys did some stretching while the TronCam focused on individuals by turn. Everybody looks good -- tanned, fit, rested, ready. I'll admit, though, I could've lived without a closeup of Nathan Jawai's armpit. Tim Thomas and J-Ho were there, but didn't participate in scrimmage. They're both rehabbing from surgery. JJ did participate and looked pretty damn good. Instead of drill demonstrations and a *very* abbreviated scrimmage, the players warmed up, did a quick layup drill, and went straight to game time. By the way, I'd give a kidney to play Doom on that JumboTron.

Coach Carlisle greeted everyone and introduced the coaching and team support staff to applause. He passed the mic over to Jet Terry, who went through the player introductions. Cheerfully coaxing a hearty round of boos aimed at (who else?) the Spurs, mangling Roddy Beaubois's name, labelling JJ "the whitest Puerto Rican I know," and likening the unshorn Dirk to Hulk Hogan. It a few years, Jason Terry's going to make some sports show very happy. He's got a good voice, great presence, and a lovely knack for the work.

Of the FNGs, Shawn Marion got the loudest applause. The Dallas sports media, who -- let's face it -- have to drag personality bits out of Dirk with pliers, are ecstatic. He's a fun guy. Don't know how much credence to lend rumors of douchbaggery with former teams. As a Maverick, he gets rave reviews from everybody. And during scrimmage . . . if this is a preview of coming attractions, getting Marion was the smartest decision the Organization's made in a long time. It's early days, but I'm hopeful.

The news came down last week that Humble Billy Haynes, the Mavericks' arena announcer for donkey's years, has left his post because of an illness in the family. It's going to punch a hole in game time fun. How big that hole's going to be remains to be seen, but if the fill-in fella's an indication, it's going to be an abyss. It's a little awkward to chant DE-fense when you're not really rooting for or against anybody. (I was still recovering from screaming through the Metallica concert last Tuesday; I should have my voice back in time for the preseason opener.)

Scrimmage was two ten-minute halves, with a two-minute interval between. And right away, the Kidd led Blues took a lead based on some aerial work from Marion and a Matt Carroll three. Coach is calling for some slack to get cut Carroll's way -- midseason trade, no chance to get a working rythum going, etc. Okay, slack can be cut, but there's still the matter of too many men on too small a roster.

Roddy B's got legs. Looooong legs. And like the song says, he knows how to use them. There's a lot of promise there. Few beanheaded moves I could see, but hell, he's young yet. In Prof. Kidd's Point Guard Grad School, he should come along quickly. Quickly enough? Well . . . that's a dice roll. He's a roadrunner, though. Faster than hell.

The quest for a quality big man meanders onward, through. Damp and Gooden are scrapping for starter's rights and priviledges. The word around the campfire is they've hit it off interpersonal-wise, which is good news. One hopes for a good season from the two of them.

All in all, everybody had fun. I was laughing the whole way through. It's such a delight to see my guys after months away. The only disappointment was, at the buzzer the score was a dead tie, 42-all. Would two minutes OT have been so much to ask? I mean really . . .
-BJ