The Diverging Tales Of Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash

Cuban wrote up the cheques that Dallas needed to win; not sure Sarver would do the same thing.

Yes, Cuban, Stern, luck etc is all a part of it, but the big reason is defense.

The Mavs could play it and the Suns never could. I’d honestly say every single Suns playoff team since 2004 was more talented than the Mavs teams. The only difference is defense. Kidd is not as good as Nash as a PG, but he can defend.

Defense wins championships. I pray for an era when it doesn’t.

The Mavs lost their 2nd leading scorer in Butler, their back-up center (could be starting anywhere else too) and their lighting fast up and coming guard who injects electricity into his teammates like a Hollywood doc injects other things into rich women – yet because of the cash hog owner who manufactured ‘the deepest team in the league’ it didn’t matter at all. Any other team in the playoffs loses their 2nd leading scorer – or just one of those 3 things the Mavericks lost and they are done-zo.

What bugs me is that 99% of the world which was rooting for the Mavericks were actually rooting for 1 dude on the other team to fail. That’s amazing… and sad.

I didn’t root for the Mavericks. As a Suns fan I hate the Mavericks. Always have, always will. I hope ya’ll had fun on the bandwagon… I personally am tired of conceited stars and being surrounded by a society/culture that can’t wait to destroy those in the spotlight – whether I’m referring to LeBron, The Prez of the U.S., some local Governor, a random contestant on American Idol, or the bum in the street – it’s getting old.

Despite all of Sarvers awful moves that kept us from becoming even better and having more years at contending we still had some years where we could have taken it, but injuries and suspensions held us back. I would also add that Jim Carry is a better coach than both Mike D and Gentry.

It’s also much harder to build a team around a PG because most of the time they don’t play defense. However, from the years 05-07, Nash was the better player than Dirk Nowitizki.

Cuban was just a great owner. He took risk and did all he could do get a title. Sarver is much more hesitant about what he does with his money. Like I said before, he cared more about the years 2012-13 – 2014-15 than going for a title in 2011 and 2012.

The next Charles Barkley to come in a save the day.

And it isn’t just player salaries. At least as important is that Cuban finally realized that his organization needed stability to improve. Look at the Suns front office changes over the last few years. And, how often does a team make the conference finals like the Suns did last year, then let their leading scorer walk, and then trade away their next leading scorer the following season? If you’re going to constantly play roster roullette, you’d better at least have a stable, competent front office to manage those comings and goings. If not, you go from 54 wins and the WCF to 40 wins the next season.

Mark Cuban’s $s are a big reason for Dallas’ championship, but so is his smarts. I always knew Cuban was into basketball analytics, but Hollinger pointed out today that Cuban has built an organization around it. He hired Rick Carlisle because he was a smart guy who knew how best to use his team and then hired Roland Beech from 82games.com to be on the bench (the bench!). I love organizations that try to use everything at their disposal to get the most of their guys; to get them playing as a team instead of individual all-stars.

It seems to me Phoenix hasn’t invested in this sort of skill in player and team evaluation; which just makes the money we spend seem so random and disappointing (’sup Hakim, Hedo, and Aaron).

If before the season you had given me my pick of 5 teams to win the title I wouldn’t have put Dallas in that group. Yet they benefited from San Antonio being a regular season team only, the Lakers wilting badly, the Bulls not being ready, and LeBron seriously gagging in the NBA Finals. Cuban threw a bunch of money at the team and it worked out for him. I think they are ultimately one of the 5 worst NBA champions you’re ever going to see and definitely one of the worst in the last 30 years (seriously who do they beat….the ‘99 Spurs?). But you know that old saying – what do they call the guy who finishes last in his med school class? Doctor. Same thing (and yes I’m jealous).

Nash’s three best years were just a bit snakebitten (thus didn’t have the luck element). In 05 they weren’t ready to take on the battle tested Spurs (although having a healthy JJ would have been super). In 06 they lost Stoudemire which helped Dirk get his first Finals appearance and in 07….well we know what happened.

The Cuban/Sarver thing has something to do with it as well. I don’t think Sarver ever would have tried to build the Dallas team that took the floor this season. Hell I’m not sure any owner outside of Cuban would have put this veteran hodge podge together. Good for them that it worked.

Grant Hill needed to win two

They were talented enough, but Diaw really sucked it up in that series.

Maybe he can sell part of it to Charles Barkley. He predicted the Grizz to be in the playoffs and the Dallas to win…so he must know how to pick the right things

http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/good_luck_chuck_charles_barkley_wants_to_be_an_nba_owner_some_day/5017876

When the Mavs went out early in the playoffs it was “Dirk is soft” or “Dirk is not a leader”. He may not be a great or even good defender but he is one of the greats to play the game of basketball. One of the most unique skills sets for a seven footer which we may never see again. Cuban stuck by him and now they are champions. Well done Mavs.

Having an owner who is willing to sacrifice his bank account a bit because of how bad he wants one would be nice; but it’s not the real issue. The real issue is the City of Phoenix, this is a transient town, and the ownership has seen from the Cards and D’backs that the people of Phoenix have no loyalties. It sucks to say it but this town may never win when you see how unsupportive this town is when the Suns are one season removed from the conference finals. In poorer and more long-lived cities fans love their team for decades of losing, and we can’t handle five minutes.

1) Steve may not have a ring but he does have 2 mvps he wouldn’t have had if not for D’Antoni and SSOL. This might be a good time to point out that William Freakin’ Bedford has a ring.

2) Welts is full of crap. If we didn’t blow up the team after the drug scandal in the 80’s, I have no idea what constitutes a blowing up. What we didn’t have was a long drought because that front office restocked us with good players.

3) While Phoenix may only halfheartedly embrace the Cards, D-Backs and Coyotes (representing leagues that came very late to the party), there has never been a shortage of fan support for the Suns. The NBA took a chance on us in ‘68, so we grew up with the Suns and they’ve grown up with us. Look at how many of us are still here commenting and reading on a daily basis months after the end of a pretty dreadful season.

Luol Deng to Chicago, Rondo to Boston, Can the Suns keep all 4 no. 1’s, no, however can we not trade everyone? Turk, Warrick also were horrible signings.
 Sarver gets my vote.