What's Wrong With the NBA Today??
- Thread starter RunawaySlave
- Start date
Q4 of game 3 mavericks v. spurs IS A FARCE.
the officiating has been SO terrible i am having a difficult time watching it...
mark cuban wrote this before the playoffs:
How to improve NBA Playoff Officiating
Note:This was written BEFORE the playoffs started. It wasnt posted till after I had presented this to the league. I stand corrected on the lack of 4 games in a night. There have been. THat doesnt change the validity of the concept. Rather than using the playoffs as an opportunity to promote officials, it should be where only the very best officials work.
I have also turned off comments because as I feared, they end up being off topic.
Here is the post:
Refs miss calls. Its part of the game. Better refs that approach the game objectively miss fewer calls.
During the regular season new refs will come into the league and as might be expected, there will be ups and downs that come with new officials.
The playoffs are different. THe playoffs are where teams and the NBA itself earn their money. Its where team profits are made, its where TV ratings are made and when TV ratings are good, the league makes more money.
In other words, the playoffs are our money product. As with every business, the best people should be on the job with the money products. Thats not the way the NBA does it when it comes to officials.
In the first round, the NBA reduces the number of officials elgible to officiate games from about 60 to 33 (give or take a couple). The first question is how did they arrive at that number ? I dont know, but I can calculate how many officials are actually needed.
In the first round, there 4 series in each conference or 8 series in total.
But the thing about the first round is that the games are spread out. There rarely if ever are 4 games in a single night. ( it hasnt happened since i have been here). The most I have seen is 3 games in a night. 3 games in a night is 9 officials.
But when you look at the schedule further, you realize that because of time zones and TV needs, you never get more than 2 games in the same time zone. Which means that its not unreasonable to ask officials to work games on back to back nights in the first round of the playoffs. THey can travel to the next assigned game in the same or at worst adjoining time zone. Because of the spread out schedule, its unlikely they would work back to backs more than twice in the first round.
So in the first round alone, the number of officials that should be assigned could be as few as 9, plus 3 alternates.
Would the officiating improve if the top 12 officials worked the games instead of the top 33 or so. There is absolutely no question about it.
Would it strain the officials more to possibly work a back to back ? Yes. So pay them a bigger bonus for being selected for the playoffs. Its certainly no more a strain on the officals than it is the players and we have no problem asking players to work back to back.
The numbers get better for the 2nd round. 4 series. 2 games in a day. Sometimes 1 game in a day. Thats 6 officials plus alternates. If the league was absolutely convinced we have 12 finals quality officials, then use 12
But the NBA has a huge problem. It doesnt view the playoffs as a place where the very best of the best of officials go to work. It views the playoffs as part of a reward system for officials. YOu get promoted to the playoffs. Its not unusual to see an official work a single playoff game in the first round . In fact, if the info i have is correct, there are officials who havent even been promoted to full time crew cheif who get playoff assignments. How crazy is that ?
Thats also a huge, huge, huge business mistake. The playoffs are our most important, most visible product. They should never be used as a stepping stone for promotion.
Instead, the NBA should rank its officials, seed them if you will. Top 12 get playoff assignments. Thats it. If an official does a great job and rises to the top 12, he or she gets the reward. If not, not.
Giving less qualified officials an opportunity to officiate playoff games as a reward gives the official a nice attaboy, but it risks the quality of our product.
It makes absolutely no sense to do it the way it is currently done. If the league wants the best officiating in every game, only use the best officials. Anything less cheats us all.
the officiating has been SO terrible i am having a difficult time watching it...
mark cuban wrote this before the playoffs:
How to improve NBA Playoff Officiating
Note:This was written BEFORE the playoffs started. It wasnt posted till after I had presented this to the league. I stand corrected on the lack of 4 games in a night. There have been. THat doesnt change the validity of the concept. Rather than using the playoffs as an opportunity to promote officials, it should be where only the very best officials work.
I have also turned off comments because as I feared, they end up being off topic.
Here is the post:
Refs miss calls. Its part of the game. Better refs that approach the game objectively miss fewer calls.
During the regular season new refs will come into the league and as might be expected, there will be ups and downs that come with new officials.
The playoffs are different. THe playoffs are where teams and the NBA itself earn their money. Its where team profits are made, its where TV ratings are made and when TV ratings are good, the league makes more money.
In other words, the playoffs are our money product. As with every business, the best people should be on the job with the money products. Thats not the way the NBA does it when it comes to officials.
In the first round, the NBA reduces the number of officials elgible to officiate games from about 60 to 33 (give or take a couple). The first question is how did they arrive at that number ? I dont know, but I can calculate how many officials are actually needed.
In the first round, there 4 series in each conference or 8 series in total.
But the thing about the first round is that the games are spread out. There rarely if ever are 4 games in a single night. ( it hasnt happened since i have been here). The most I have seen is 3 games in a night. 3 games in a night is 9 officials.
But when you look at the schedule further, you realize that because of time zones and TV needs, you never get more than 2 games in the same time zone. Which means that its not unreasonable to ask officials to work games on back to back nights in the first round of the playoffs. THey can travel to the next assigned game in the same or at worst adjoining time zone. Because of the spread out schedule, its unlikely they would work back to backs more than twice in the first round.
So in the first round alone, the number of officials that should be assigned could be as few as 9, plus 3 alternates.
Would the officiating improve if the top 12 officials worked the games instead of the top 33 or so. There is absolutely no question about it.
Would it strain the officials more to possibly work a back to back ? Yes. So pay them a bigger bonus for being selected for the playoffs. Its certainly no more a strain on the officals than it is the players and we have no problem asking players to work back to back.
The numbers get better for the 2nd round. 4 series. 2 games in a day. Sometimes 1 game in a day. Thats 6 officials plus alternates. If the league was absolutely convinced we have 12 finals quality officials, then use 12
But the NBA has a huge problem. It doesnt view the playoffs as a place where the very best of the best of officials go to work. It views the playoffs as part of a reward system for officials. YOu get promoted to the playoffs. Its not unusual to see an official work a single playoff game in the first round . In fact, if the info i have is correct, there are officials who havent even been promoted to full time crew cheif who get playoff assignments. How crazy is that ?
Thats also a huge, huge, huge business mistake. The playoffs are our most important, most visible product. They should never be used as a stepping stone for promotion.
Instead, the NBA should rank its officials, seed them if you will. Top 12 get playoff assignments. Thats it. If an official does a great job and rises to the top 12, he or she gets the reward. If not, not.
Giving less qualified officials an opportunity to officiate playoff games as a reward gives the official a nice attaboy, but it risks the quality of our product.
It makes absolutely no sense to do it the way it is currently done. If the league wants the best officiating in every game, only use the best officials. Anything less cheats us all.
Forget all that....the final 8 minutes of this game is EXACTLY
what I am referring to when I complain about the NBA
I hope everybody is watching this. Watching while this man
SEVEN FOOT ONE INCH TALL flops and gets foul after foul
called in his favor...This man has at least EIGHT FREE throws
in the past 5 minutes that are complete and utter bullshit
And to show you how important they believe that euro to
be over any and ALL African ball players, they have deliberately
fouled out TIM DUNCAN. Watch the replay and you will see
Duncan with his hands IN THE AIR and BACKPEDDLING while
Dirk is falling down (without contact), but they are willing to
call a foul on the best player in the NBA
I'm done with this game...this shit is PHONY!!!!
As bad or worse than "professional" wrestling
what I am referring to when I complain about the NBA
I hope everybody is watching this. Watching while this man
SEVEN FOOT ONE INCH TALL flops and gets foul after foul
called in his favor...This man has at least EIGHT FREE throws
in the past 5 minutes that are complete and utter bullshit
And to show you how important they believe that euro to
be over any and ALL African ball players, they have deliberately
fouled out TIM DUNCAN. Watch the replay and you will see
Duncan with his hands IN THE AIR and BACKPEDDLING while
Dirk is falling down (without contact), but they are willing to
call a foul on the best player in the NBA
I'm done with this game...this shit is PHONY!!!!
As bad or worse than "professional" wrestling
Oh yeah, let me add that this goes way deeper than just officiating
If you are listening to the COMMENTATORS, they are telling us that
these are GOOD CALLS. They are NOT on the court. This thing is
systematic. They are NOT telling us the truth. They are not blind...
they are not stupid....they are doing this for a reason
When a so-called respected basketball man like Hubie Brown says
it's a "good call", you know something foul is going on here.....
pro wrestling
If you are listening to the COMMENTATORS, they are telling us that
these are GOOD CALLS. They are NOT on the court. This thing is
systematic. They are NOT telling us the truth. They are not blind...
they are not stupid....they are doing this for a reason
When a so-called respected basketball man like Hubie Brown says
it's a "good call", you know something foul is going on here.....
pro wrestling
What's Wrong With the NBA Today?
maybe you shouldn't have given $136M to some euros...
Utah Jazz suffering huge financial shortfall
/ Associated Press
Posted: 21 hours ago
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - On the last day of regular NBA play last month, the Utah Jazz reached a break-even record for the season.
Financially, however, they're not even close. The team was more than $10 million in the red, according to owner Larry Miller. And losses for the last two seasons combined approach $25 million, Miller said.
"We're losing a lot of money. Huge numbers," Miller said of the team he has owned for 21 seasons. "Blow-your-mind numbers."
Miller says the losses are painful, but concedes, they're self-inflicted pain.
During the summer of 2004, Miller authorized a quarter-billion dollars in long-term contracts to Jazz players, including $86 million to Andrei Kirilenko, $68 million to Carlos Boozer and $50 million to Mehmet Okur.
That doubled the team's payroll, but Miller hopes those players will eventually put the team in championship contention.
"Being competitive on the floor is important to us, and we believe we are headed in the right direction," Miller said. "You have to be smart about it, and I think we have been. This (loss), it's an eight-digit number. ... But it's something we were prepared for."
maybe you shouldn't have given $136M to some euros...
Utah Jazz suffering huge financial shortfall
/ Associated Press
Posted: 21 hours ago
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - On the last day of regular NBA play last month, the Utah Jazz reached a break-even record for the season.
Financially, however, they're not even close. The team was more than $10 million in the red, according to owner Larry Miller. And losses for the last two seasons combined approach $25 million, Miller said.
"We're losing a lot of money. Huge numbers," Miller said of the team he has owned for 21 seasons. "Blow-your-mind numbers."
Miller says the losses are painful, but concedes, they're self-inflicted pain.
During the summer of 2004, Miller authorized a quarter-billion dollars in long-term contracts to Jazz players, including $86 million to Andrei Kirilenko, $68 million to Carlos Boozer and $50 million to Mehmet Okur.
That doubled the team's payroll, but Miller hopes those players will eventually put the team in championship contention.
"Being competitive on the floor is important to us, and we believe we are headed in the right direction," Miller said. "You have to be smart about it, and I think we have been. This (loss), it's an eight-digit number. ... But it's something we were prepared for."
I KNEW this mufukka wasn't hurt
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Dirk Nowitzki: (Ankle) Expects to Play Monday Night</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER height="1" width="1" type="block"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com
Monday, May 15, 2006
Update: Nowitzki (ankle) expects to play Monday night in Game 4 of the Western Conference playoff series between Dallas and San Antonio, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Recommendation: Nowitzki didn't practice Sunday because of the injury, but plans on being there for his team on Monday. "It's pretty stiff," Nowitzki said. "I rolled it pretty good, and I got up every two hours to ice it. It's got a little swelling, and it's nothing I haven't seen before."
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
If you saw that last "foul" called when Dirk fell and they called the
phantom shit on Duncan (his 6th foul), you would swear that Dirk
was going on the IR list from the way he was writhed in pain. They
even called a TO for this punk...
Bunch of bullshit. It was all an act. Just like "Pro wrestling". Instead
of the MVP, they should give that bitch an Oscar....the NBA has gone
Hollywood
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Dirk Nowitzki: (Ankle) Expects to Play Monday Night</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER height="1" width="1" type="block"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com
Monday, May 15, 2006
Update: Nowitzki (ankle) expects to play Monday night in Game 4 of the Western Conference playoff series between Dallas and San Antonio, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Recommendation: Nowitzki didn't practice Sunday because of the injury, but plans on being there for his team on Monday. "It's pretty stiff," Nowitzki said. "I rolled it pretty good, and I got up every two hours to ice it. It's got a little swelling, and it's nothing I haven't seen before."
Updated on Monday, May 15, 2006 12:42 pm EDT
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
If you saw that last "foul" called when Dirk fell and they called the
phantom shit on Duncan (his 6th foul), you would swear that Dirk
was going on the IR list from the way he was writhed in pain. They
even called a TO for this punk...
Bunch of bullshit. It was all an act. Just like "Pro wrestling". Instead
of the MVP, they should give that bitch an Oscar....the NBA has gone
Hollywood
what did YOU see?
ok, if you watched cavaliers v. pistons game 4, please feel free to respond.
in Q4, detroit ball, mike evans goes for an offensive rebound and knocks it out of bounds. BUT ON THE WAY OUT OF BOUNDS IT HIT LEBRON JAMES' HAND. the officials missed that? or ignored that? cavaliers ball. game over.
the officials made the game-clinching call with 2.3 seconds left, and the cavaliers went on to win...
did anybody else find that curious? revolting?
or did my eyes deceive me?
ok, if you watched cavaliers v. pistons game 4, please feel free to respond.
in Q4, detroit ball, mike evans goes for an offensive rebound and knocks it out of bounds. BUT ON THE WAY OUT OF BOUNDS IT HIT LEBRON JAMES' HAND. the officials missed that? or ignored that? cavaliers ball. game over.
the officials made the game-clinching call with 2.3 seconds left, and the cavaliers went on to win...
did anybody else find that curious? revolting?
or did my eyes deceive me?
Two words.....
professional wrestling
Forgive me for getting carried away before. I actually forgot that
I have wriiten off these playoffs YEARS ago as phony and scripted
and the outcomes have already been decided
I really only tune into the games during the regular season just so
I can get periods when the action is real, like when Michael Finley
buffed that shit in Nitwitski's FACE!!! Or when Tim Duncan showed
just what a TRUE big man is supposed to do
It's moments like that, that will keep me coming back
professional wrestling
Forgive me for getting carried away before. I actually forgot that
I have wriiten off these playoffs YEARS ago as phony and scripted
and the outcomes have already been decided
I really only tune into the games during the regular season just so
I can get periods when the action is real, like when Michael Finley
buffed that shit in Nitwitski's FACE!!! Or when Tim Duncan showed
just what a TRUE big man is supposed to do
It's moments like that, that will keep me coming back
from coach phil jackson:
"in the 1960s and '70s, players asked: "where do i fit in? how can i help this team win?" now they ask: "how do i get what i want?" given this selfish mind-set, it is remarkable, actually, that teams play with any cohesiveness. i can't help but believe that for both the players and the fans, the purity of this wonderful game has been compromised in the process, perhaps for good."
"fans, spoiled by the magic johnson-led showtime squads from the 1980s, have been condidtioned to prefer entertainment, a [t]obe slash to the hoop over a shaq turnaround in the lane. they don't appreciate the degree of difficulty in a gary patyon left-handed layup from twelve feet away or a karl malone fallaway. they only appreciate [t]obe's degree of difficulty."
"in the 1960s and '70s, players asked: "where do i fit in? how can i help this team win?" now they ask: "how do i get what i want?" given this selfish mind-set, it is remarkable, actually, that teams play with any cohesiveness. i can't help but believe that for both the players and the fans, the purity of this wonderful game has been compromised in the process, perhaps for good."
"fans, spoiled by the magic johnson-led showtime squads from the 1980s, have been condidtioned to prefer entertainment, a [t]obe slash to the hoop over a shaq turnaround in the lane. they don't appreciate the degree of difficulty in a gary patyon left-handed layup from twelve feet away or a karl malone fallaway. they only appreciate [t]obe's degree of difficulty."
Mavs can only point fingers at themselves
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 4 days ago
It's easy for Mark Cuban, Avery Johnson, many of the players, as well as the legions of unhappy Mavericks fans to blame the refs for the disappointing conclusion to the championship series. Too easy.
In truth, the players must bear most of the blame. For missing too many makeable shots. For losing their concentration when the pressure increased. And for taking too much for granted.
This last point was most evident at the end of Game 3, when the Mavs expected the Heat to fold when their deficit reached double digits in the closing minutes. Dallas was so shaken when Miami mounted its furious comeback that the Mavs never really recovered.
The Mavs' ultimate failure revealed a collective lack of trust in each other and also in their coaches. The side effect was an unwillingness to believe in the inevitability of their common mission. Character flaws, more than talent deficiency, led to the Mavs' downfall.
Johnson must also share the blame. His biggest failing was to not make a total commitment to get the ball out of Dwyane Wade's hands. (Unlike what Riley did to Dirk Nowitzki.) The Mavs should have doubled Wade every time he touched the ball. Shaq's point total in clutch situations can always be limited by sending him to the charity stripe. And Dallas should have forced (and dared) the likes of Antoine Walker, James Posey, Udonis Haslem and Jason Williams to take all of the clutch shots and win (or, most likely, lose) the series on their own.
Riley took the risk of betting the whole enchilada on stifling Nowitzki. But Johnson didn't have the grit to follow suit against Wade.
There's no question that the refs were another major factor in the outcome, but certain fundamental truths have to be accepted — the most important being that too many NBA refs are unexceptional practitioners of their art. In fact, their collective ineptitude is the primary reason why the NBA had adopted so many rule changes.
The charge/block arc under each basket was installed simply because the refs were incapable of making the correct calls when shooters and defenders collided down there. How ridiculous is it that a quarter-inch difference between where a defender's sneaker is relative to the line spells the differentiation between a charge or a block? How ridiculous is it that a referee must focus on a floor-marking instead of the respective positions and vectors of the players involved in order to make his call? And why is the line there? To make a difficult call easy for the refs.
Hey, if they can't make the right decision without a line, then they're in the wrong profession to begin with.
Similarly, the refs' inability to execute adequate tosses in jump-ball situations is why only the opening quarter is thusly begun. As it stands, approximately half of the tosses are somewhat lopsided and favor one team or the other.
The Heat focused on making Dirk Nowitzki's life difficult ... and that's why the Mavs couldn't make that 2-0 series lead hold up. (David J. Phillip / Getty Images)
Also, the outlawing of various previously accepted defensive tactics (such as hand-checking, and all the alligator wrestling that used to be the norm in pivot play) were instituted to create more scoring, yes, but also to simplify the resulting calls. All because the refs can't distinguish between advantageous and incidental contact.
It used to be that only the top officials got to work conference finals and championship series. Not any more. These days, incompetents like Joe DeRosa and Duke Callahan get to toot their tooters in the finals.
As far as Josh Howard's fatal timeout at the end of Game 5 is concerned, the truth is in the eye of the partisan. DeRosa reported that Howard twice signaled for the timeout, while Howard claims that he was only making a T-square gesture to assure Johnson that he understood his instructions. Even if Howard is correct, he must bear the same onus as does the inattentive spectator who accidentally raises his hand during an active auction.
If the refs were too cowardly to tag Jerry Stackhouse with the category 2 flagrant foul that he deserved in Game 4, Stu Jackson rectified their omission by banishing Stackhouse from Game 5. And had they taken a more dispassionate look at the foul, the Mavs would have lowered the heat of their vehement protests and moved on.So, aside from the players' psychological weaknesses, and Johnson's inexperience, the Mavs lost because they became too distracted by the referees' mistakes.
For sure, standing up for your guys is both admirable and necessary. And, unfortunately, whining is another necessary and acceptable reaction to questionable calls. In fact, it was Riley himself who first made his displeasure with officials' calls a matter of public record back when the Heat and the Bulls used to annually meet in passionate and memorable postseason encounters during the 1990s. (Interestingly enough, when Phil Jackson responded to Riley's out-in-the-open criticisms, Riley claimed that Jackson had instigated the entire process and even called PJ a crybaby.)
Unfortunately, players, coaches, general managers, and even owners whine about what they deem to be bass-ackwards calls only because their protestations actually work. Blame the NBA powers that be for creating this particular monster.
However, there's a huge difference between whining and screaming. A difference ignored by Cuban and Johnson.
So, then, the Mavs lost because they thought that, after winning their first two home games, the ride to the promised land was a chauffeur-driven cruise. They lost because too many of their players didn't believe in anything other than themselves. And they lost because the increasing pressure caused them to pop their respective corks, on-court and off.
As a result, the Mavs' organization will either learn their lessons and move on to bigger and better things. Or else they'll be stuck in the same rut of denial and finger-pointing for the foreseeable future.
George Santayana could have been talking about the Mavs' future when he wrote, "Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 4 days ago
It's easy for Mark Cuban, Avery Johnson, many of the players, as well as the legions of unhappy Mavericks fans to blame the refs for the disappointing conclusion to the championship series. Too easy.
In truth, the players must bear most of the blame. For missing too many makeable shots. For losing their concentration when the pressure increased. And for taking too much for granted.
This last point was most evident at the end of Game 3, when the Mavs expected the Heat to fold when their deficit reached double digits in the closing minutes. Dallas was so shaken when Miami mounted its furious comeback that the Mavs never really recovered.
The Mavs' ultimate failure revealed a collective lack of trust in each other and also in their coaches. The side effect was an unwillingness to believe in the inevitability of their common mission. Character flaws, more than talent deficiency, led to the Mavs' downfall.
Johnson must also share the blame. His biggest failing was to not make a total commitment to get the ball out of Dwyane Wade's hands. (Unlike what Riley did to Dirk Nowitzki.) The Mavs should have doubled Wade every time he touched the ball. Shaq's point total in clutch situations can always be limited by sending him to the charity stripe. And Dallas should have forced (and dared) the likes of Antoine Walker, James Posey, Udonis Haslem and Jason Williams to take all of the clutch shots and win (or, most likely, lose) the series on their own.
Riley took the risk of betting the whole enchilada on stifling Nowitzki. But Johnson didn't have the grit to follow suit against Wade.
There's no question that the refs were another major factor in the outcome, but certain fundamental truths have to be accepted — the most important being that too many NBA refs are unexceptional practitioners of their art. In fact, their collective ineptitude is the primary reason why the NBA had adopted so many rule changes.
The charge/block arc under each basket was installed simply because the refs were incapable of making the correct calls when shooters and defenders collided down there. How ridiculous is it that a quarter-inch difference between where a defender's sneaker is relative to the line spells the differentiation between a charge or a block? How ridiculous is it that a referee must focus on a floor-marking instead of the respective positions and vectors of the players involved in order to make his call? And why is the line there? To make a difficult call easy for the refs.
Hey, if they can't make the right decision without a line, then they're in the wrong profession to begin with.
Similarly, the refs' inability to execute adequate tosses in jump-ball situations is why only the opening quarter is thusly begun. As it stands, approximately half of the tosses are somewhat lopsided and favor one team or the other.
The Heat focused on making Dirk Nowitzki's life difficult ... and that's why the Mavs couldn't make that 2-0 series lead hold up. (David J. Phillip / Getty Images)
Also, the outlawing of various previously accepted defensive tactics (such as hand-checking, and all the alligator wrestling that used to be the norm in pivot play) were instituted to create more scoring, yes, but also to simplify the resulting calls. All because the refs can't distinguish between advantageous and incidental contact.
It used to be that only the top officials got to work conference finals and championship series. Not any more. These days, incompetents like Joe DeRosa and Duke Callahan get to toot their tooters in the finals.
As far as Josh Howard's fatal timeout at the end of Game 5 is concerned, the truth is in the eye of the partisan. DeRosa reported that Howard twice signaled for the timeout, while Howard claims that he was only making a T-square gesture to assure Johnson that he understood his instructions. Even if Howard is correct, he must bear the same onus as does the inattentive spectator who accidentally raises his hand during an active auction.
If the refs were too cowardly to tag Jerry Stackhouse with the category 2 flagrant foul that he deserved in Game 4, Stu Jackson rectified their omission by banishing Stackhouse from Game 5. And had they taken a more dispassionate look at the foul, the Mavs would have lowered the heat of their vehement protests and moved on.So, aside from the players' psychological weaknesses, and Johnson's inexperience, the Mavs lost because they became too distracted by the referees' mistakes.
For sure, standing up for your guys is both admirable and necessary. And, unfortunately, whining is another necessary and acceptable reaction to questionable calls. In fact, it was Riley himself who first made his displeasure with officials' calls a matter of public record back when the Heat and the Bulls used to annually meet in passionate and memorable postseason encounters during the 1990s. (Interestingly enough, when Phil Jackson responded to Riley's out-in-the-open criticisms, Riley claimed that Jackson had instigated the entire process and even called PJ a crybaby.)
Unfortunately, players, coaches, general managers, and even owners whine about what they deem to be bass-ackwards calls only because their protestations actually work. Blame the NBA powers that be for creating this particular monster.
However, there's a huge difference between whining and screaming. A difference ignored by Cuban and Johnson.
So, then, the Mavs lost because they thought that, after winning their first two home games, the ride to the promised land was a chauffeur-driven cruise. They lost because too many of their players didn't believe in anything other than themselves. And they lost because the increasing pressure caused them to pop their respective corks, on-court and off.
As a result, the Mavs' organization will either learn their lessons and move on to bigger and better things. Or else they'll be stuck in the same rut of denial and finger-pointing for the foreseeable future.
George Santayana could have been talking about the Mavs' future when he wrote, "Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
RunawaySlave said:Kings with Artest get waxed, buffed and simonized
Kings w/o Artest take the defending champs into OT
Reading back on this thread I now know
BGOL knows sports bettr than ESPN
Everyone here had Dallas picked out as a whining team with on e theg ...Crackhouse
Dirk was pegged as soft
The officials were attacked as one sided
BGOL= Best coverage of sports
Havoc said:
Ricky715 said:
The amount of games played todayu is the exact amount played
10 years ago. Even 20 years ago. Was never a problem in those
days
cranrab said:
I read this entire article, yet I did not read one sentence
that was critical of Nitwitski.
The Mavs lost because they got dominated in the paint.
The so-called MVP was nowhere to be found...Period
It wasn't Josh fault, or Avery's fault, or Diop's fault. EVERY
one else did what they have done all season. Except one
man
tp2001 said:
hahaha
Spiritual Porn, calling Jerk "soft" is like calling Bill Gates "rich"
That boy so soft, he makes Twaan look like Ben Wallace. He
makes Keith Van Homosexual look like Bill Laimbeer
That boy soft as melted ice cream. He wins the title of the
new "Mr. Softee"
Yet, every announcer talks about his 7'1" ass like he is the
best thing out there. I call bullshit
I repeat
Dirk ain't shit!!!
Dirk ain't shit!!!
Dirk ain't shit!!!
Dirk ain't shit!!!!
Dirk ain't shit!!!
Dirk ain't shit!!!
Dirk ain't shit!!!
Dirk ain't shit!!!!
wow....what memories
why did I bump this thread?? Because I am watching the Jazz/Suns
game and I wanted to make a remark about Steve Nash. So I did a
search for him and this thread pops up
anyway about Nash....he has to be the ONLY PG in history that has
his own offensive line...watch him closely, those cats setting the
"screens" are moving so much they look more like pulling guards
than power forwards.
why did I bump this thread?? Because I am watching the Jazz/Suns
game and I wanted to make a remark about Steve Nash. So I did a
search for him and this thread pops up
anyway about Nash....he has to be the ONLY PG in history that has
his own offensive line...watch him closely, those cats setting the
"screens" are moving so much they look more like pulling guards
than power forwards.
