Preview: Mavericks at Kings
by Tom Ziller on Apr 10, 2010 12:00 PM PDT
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SCOUTING REPORT
So the Mavericks played a thriller in Portland Friday night. But it wasn't a thriller like a Game 7 thriller or a March Madness thriller. It was apparently more like the basketball version of Saw, an two-hour atrocity you can't turn away from. Some gnarly missed calls killed both the Mavs and Blazers, apparently, but Dallas reacted in a more composed fashion, Dirk Nowitzki could not be stopped, and the Mavs kept pace with the Nuggets for the No. 2 seed. The Blazers find themselves in position to need to be beat the Lakers Sunday to avoid the Lakers in the first round.
Back to Dallas: Dirk scored 40 of the team's 83 points Friday. Only two other Mavs (Caron Butler with 18, Jason Terry with 12) hit double-digits. Dallas shot 33.8 percent from the floor. The Mavericks not named Dirk shot 27.6 percent. Marcus Camby had 17 defensive rebounds for the Blazers. There was some bad shooting going on!
That wasn't the case when Dallas last met Sacramento. Back in early March, the Mavericks shot 48.8 percent from the floor, with an eFG of .529. (League average is .500.) The Mavs offense just slaughtered the Kings, canceling out highly efficient 20+ point performances from each of Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih and Carl Landry. (Those three combined for 61 points on 40 FGAs and 13 FTAs.) But Dirk was Dirk (31 points) and Rodrigue Beaubois went nuts off the bench (22 on 14 FGAs), and c'est la vie, mes amis.
The Mavericks don't rebound well on offense. But they are at least average in every other offensive or defensive "Four Factor," and quite good in shooting, turnovers, opponent turnovers, and opponent foul-drawing.
KEY BATTLE
Andres Nocioni vs. Caron Butler. Butler used to shred John Salmons with his speed. Chapu is big and strong, but he's certainly not quicker than Salmons, and hence, les problems. Also, Nocioni may be summoned to meet Dirk's eyes in a small line-up, which would leave the frontcourt susceptible to Brendan Haywood Brand Domination, or at least a couple guards running unchecked to the rim. (This is all to say that matchups be damned, I want to see Landry-Thompson together most of the game.)
BOLD BROCKLAMATION
As a part of "The Brockprint," Mancakes will uncork a J.R. Rider Special during warm-ups, adding to the buzz of the Legend of the Dunking Nessie.
DETAILS
Another 7 PM PT start. Two game threads (7, 8:15) and a post-gamer (9:45). Second-to-last home game of the season. Third-to-last game overall. You'll miss Tyreke over the summer, you know you will.
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Prediction for Tyreke
23 pts, 8 rebs, 8 asts
Can someone check this kids ID???Hes only 20 years old??
....yes u say that every game peaches, i think we got it by now
Lets just have him get it over with and score 51.
with a triple double for good measure.
Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order and Originator of the "Brock Ness Monster".
including one poster dunk on dirk
and a side order of a spin cycle on jason kidd to go please.
Can someone check this kids ID???Hes only 20 years old??
....yes u say that every game peaches, i think we got it by now
by Surprise Team on Apr 10, 2010 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Nahh
Let’s go with 56. And a quadruple-double for good measure. :)
by madmavmathews on Apr 10, 2010 1:48 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't see us winning this game
But doesn’t mean we shouldn’t play our hearts out. Anything can happen. Go Kings!
Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order and Originator of the "Brock Ness Monster".
Beaubois torched us last time
and I can see JJ Barea killing us as well. We have trouble stopping small speedy guards.
I hope we can address that need next season, assuming we will draft a big.
Dunking Dutchman
As long as the big man they draft isn't Rik Smits.
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
by Ice_9ine on Apr 10, 2010 12:24 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
The blazers game was one of the worst officiated i've seen. Ever.
Send Brockness after Najera. I hate that sonofabitch even more than I hate Kobe.
by avishai on Apr 10, 2010 12:17 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I'm with you 100% on Najera.
Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order and Originator of the "Brock Ness Monster".
Ziller missing the most important characteristics of tonights main matchup
as players-who-hail-from-formerly-socialist-nations spar in what is sure to be a match more to be decided democratically, as each team elects a scoring leader and sends him to fight for the right to pillage. The Kings will look to no other than Tyreke, and the Mavs have been looking at Dirk so long they forgot there are other options (hello there, Jose Juan Barea). So while Chapu will have Dirk’s blood in his eye, and Landry will grin with teeth whiter than cartilage, Evans will have to look at Kidd and realize that 3pt shooting is the stimulus package of aging, deflating point guards. This will hardly be a libertarian battle, as the striped bureaucracy rampant in big government will shut down an over-matched Jason Thompson for environmental violations (the land surveyors would disagree, noting the land belongs to the Kings, but we’re dealing with NBA by-laws, not county bullshit-and-shake-hands-then-let’s-violate-the-peoples-interests… oh). Carl Landry will be an evergreen struggling between redwoods for sunlight, making his mark in winter amongst the Mavericks plutocracy of bigs. Meanwhile, though every NBA game is an oligarchy, expect vast amounts of unrest from the plebeians, as Greene finally discovers he wants to be a more athletic Caron Butler and Sean May the monarch decides to mimic Dirk’s long twos but ultimately realizes he has no dictatorship. Everyone forgets about Israel, but they (he) wait patient for the right moment to unleash Trinity-Nukes.
GREENE! You’ve been superfluously apostrophe’d! - andy sims
iashwash, you are the voice of reason - Holmdel
by iashwash on Apr 10, 2010 12:30 PM PDT reply actions 8 recs
This is... weird and good. Love it.
Heading home to rec it right now.
Also, Greene as a more athletic Butler would be great. I have a feeling he will turn out to be a less emotional Blatche.
Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Vonnegut
by Ice_9ine on Apr 10, 2010 12:41 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
to be fair to Noce
Argentina was never a socialist nation. But I’m not even sure that is what you said, so rec’d.
by VenomySnicket on Apr 10, 2010 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions
He's just spouting bullshit to support that he has a Princeton education.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985......
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
the revolution will be televised
Rick Carlisle will have the Mavs continue as they did last time – collapse on Tyreke and let the other Kings beat you.
I expect a rebound game for Beno with many opportunities for midrange Drainos. Inside, once Haywood is out of the game the painted area will be Evans to turpentine. The Dallas offense will most likely also rebound from the Portland game. Remember, besides Dirk there is Butler, Terry and the new found 3 point specialist, JKidd. Given his last performance against Sacto, I expect Roddy Buckets to start – he is young enough that his inconsistency may or may not make him a factor.
For the Kings to win (and yes, I don’t really hope for a win because I am lousy fan who puts too much faith on the lottery odds) rebounding will be their best defense. I hope Hoss Brockman will see double digit PT.
As for Eddy Najera – he is the guy you hate to play against and love to see on your team. I don’t like him, but I respect him.
ESPN Accuscore has a 103 – 97 Dallas win. The Vegas line is +5 Mavs.
Bold Proclamation:
Dirk will wear elbow floss in case he heads laneward when Top Hat is in the game. Tyreke will get 3 offensive fouls called by halftime as Najera, Barea and Kidd take turns falling down.
by betweentheeyes on Apr 10, 2010 3:43 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Good point about Portland/Dallas and the D on reke
I do expect Marion to be on Reke for much of this game unless Dallas feels it can’t defend Donte/Noc/Omri at the 3 spot with one of their other G’s.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985......
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
But with Butler & Kidd on the floor with Marion?
Yeah, forget it. Marion will be on Evans.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985......
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Nevermind I forgot Marion will be out.
That changes everything.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985......
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
...."an evergreen struggling between redwoods for sunlight"
….So the Kings formed a union
And demanded equal rights.
“The Mavs are just too greedy;
We will make them give us light.”
Now there’s no more Mav oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By Hatchet, Axe, and Saw!
The problems the Kings face is Dirk and Haywood
when Dampier is out on the floor expect JT to take advantage, and Carl Landry can fly past Damp and Dirk. Once Brendan Haywood is on the floor, however, the interior needs to be secured, since JT loses on size advantage when protecting the paint, at least for me. Dirk needs to be stopped on the perimeter because he will nail a 15 ft shot, even a 3 once in a while. Make him play inside and he will have trouble. The Kings will also need to avoid a double team, or else a kick out to Jason Tery, or Roddy B will be a 3 point attempt, and these guys are good at making them in. (From a Mavs fan in CA).
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.-1984 George Orwell.
an interesting note
the Warriors v. Clippers down at the Staples: despite being the home team, the Warriors are one point favorites according to accuscore
That because even a computer realizes the Clippers stopped playing 2 weeks ago
"Children want what they want when they want it." ... Andy Sims
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