Mavs Recap

It’s getting harder and harder to stay up until 12:30-1am to watch these home games. But that means absolutely nothing.

That was such an enjoyable game to watch…for 24 minutes highlighted by stout defense by primarily Barnes, Hill and Amundson on Dirk.

Two things from this game stood out.

 

1.) How amazingly poor Shaq and Nash work together for extended periods of time both offensively and defensively.

2.) How much this team misses Amar’e.

I know nothing about Phoenix Stan, but I bet he and I could run pick and rolls vs Shaq and Nash. And I don’t know how to roll properly…I hope he does. I don’t want to spend much time on the defense, it’s the offense I’d rather point out more specifically. So…

Dampier gets in foul trouble, it seems like Shaq should have a field day, but Nash still has no idea how to use Shaq. I don’t know if it is Nash’s reluctance, how he is engrained to play, or if he honestly doesn’t see how to use Shaq. I don’t know which it is, none are good. Two players in this NBA’s generation that are very proud of how they make everyone around them better, yet they can’t make EACH OTHER better. Kind of ironic isn’t it?

Nash is programed to dribble around to create space for his teammates by drawing defenders to him in the paint, then dishing off at just the right time for a lay up or open jumper. The side of Nash that makes him our bff, yeah I said bff. This doesn’t work for Shaq, Shaq doesn’t thrive off of dribble movement. What Shaq needs is 4 guys stationed around the perimeter.  And continually reversing the ball with crisp passing, the kind we see out of everyone non-Canadian. This allows Shaq to do most…all of his work without the ball.  With this type of continuous ball reversals Shaq can seal his man, spin, respin, reseal, catch and dunk. Hill or J-Rich should occassionally flash to the foul line.

If Shaq doesn’t come down on the fast secondary  a-little-bit-after-everyone-else-break and completely collapse and pin his guy for the dunk, then we need a plan B. He cannot sustain the glimpses of quickness and athletecism he shows  from time to time, for the entire game. He can’t pound with 3 or 4 dribbles and get consistant good shots.

So I don’t know how they plan on mending this problem. But I know they need to figure out how to play together 3 months ago or we are in some serious trouble.

 

2.) I’ll keep this short and elaborate later. Amare isn’t going to stop Dirk, Dirk isn’t going to stop Amare. So at least Dirk has to work on defense, and Amare can cancel out with Dirk.. Each NBA team shows all sorts of different matchups, and differents areas a good team need to utilize. Sometimes good teams just don’t match up with other teams (Mavs Warriors). Sometimes good players just don’t match up with teams (Shaq vs the Warriors, D’antoni knew to put Shaq on the bench). Well since 04 I have felt that Amare is the difference maker vs the Mavs. They have no answer. Still want to trade him Phoenix?

 

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