Das boot I would expand on Davis' analysis. I think the Mavericks played perfect for four games.
I did not expect this. If you say you did, you are a liar.
I predicted the Lakers to win in seven games. You can make a good argument that picking the Lakers to sweep is the total opposite of the Mavericks actually sweeping.
I daresay that picking the Lakers to go in seven is the complete opposite of the Mavericks actually sweeping.
I picked the wrong team. I picked the wrong amount of games. I picked a totally different series.
It isn't my fault. It's the Mavericks'. Just because they played like a totally different team. Also, blame is due to the Lakers. They also played like a totally different team.
Something happened to the Lakers in these four games. Not to take anything away from the Mavericks. They won four straight games, no doubt. However, I would not be totally shocked to hear about some kind of turmoil within the Lakers' locker room, not unlike the chatter about Delonte West and Lebron James' mom.
There was a fundamental breakdown in their chemistry and game. It resulted in Phil Jackson breaking his mold. It resulted in Pau Gasol looking awful. It resulted in Lamar Odom and Andy Bynum getting ejected on punk-ass plays. It resulted in Kobe Bryant attempting to score every point. It resulted in the Lakers completely losing focus to the point that they missed a TON of easy baskets the entire series.
It resulted in the Lakers getting run out of the building.
Enough of the Lakers, this is about the Mavericks.
I do not want to talk about today's game. The Mavericks are not going to hit 20 three pointers again in the franchise's history. Peja Stojakovic, Jason Terry and those shooters look awesome when the ball's going into the rim.
I also do not want to talk about overstating certain individuals' impact. Chuck Cooperstein on the radio call this afternoon called Brendan Haywood "tremendous" in the series. Hardly. Bynum was pretty good in this series and Haywood was averaging less than six rebounds a game in about 16 minutes per.
J.J. Barea's another. What you hope for is for Barea to come in and for the Mavericks to break even. I can't tell you how many times I saw Barea break down the Lakers' defense and get to the rim. I can't tell you how many times I saw Barea completely break down defensively. The difference was that the Lakers were hitting nothing, including wide-open jumpers.
Corey Brewer played in eight significant minutes. Let's quit pretending he's Michael fuckin' Jordan.
Let's talk people that do matter:
Tyson Chandler, I felt was pretty quiet this series. He's been pretty quiet the entire playoffs seemingly logging more minutes on the bench in foul trouble than minutes on the actual court. However, it seemed that Chandler didn't just make a basket. He lived at the rim and his alley-oops dunks seemed to suck the life out of the Lakers and it exhilarated the home crowd.
Jamey Newberg -- typically one to comment on Rangers pitching -- called Jason Terry a dumb basketball player who can shoot. Could not be more right. Terry has shit for brains. However, no one gets off a more effortless shot any time they want than Terry. When he's hitting, opponents quake in their sneakers. I don't like Terry as a basketball player, however, in these four games, it seems I was always noticing him for (mostly) good things. He filled up the box score and was not a total waste on the defensive end.
I do not find the Mavericks an overly likable team. Seems like Dirk Nowitzki and a bunch of mercenaries. Fact is, the Mavericks of a year or two away will look completely different than they do today. Hopefully. However, I'm all about them now only because if this bunch of goofballs can dick around and win an NBA title for Nowitzki, then I'll be thrilled.
In these four games, we saw Nowitzki play like the MVP that he was honored with in 2007. We saw him catapult himself up two echelons of greatness. We saw the whole country and the bulk of commentators and pundits undoubtedly realize that Nowitzki is one of the greatest players in the history of the game. A repeat performance in the next seven games would only solidify that opinion.
The Mavericks now await the outcome of the Memphis-Oklahoma City series. Frankly, I want no part of either. Still, they get a week to rest those bones. We can hope for two things: That those three pointers keep going in and that the Mavericks haven't peaked.
