NBA Jam Set to Return

Nothing screams Freshman year of high school like NBA Jam. Well, maybe the untimely death of Kurt Cobain, but the arcade hit, and subsequent Super Nintendo favorite played a large role in my life in 1994.  I remember sitting in class, passing notes back and forth with my friends trying to get “cheats” for the game, to unlock players like Michael Jordan and Bill Clinton.  After school was out, we would gather at one of the members of our group’s house and play the Super Nintendo version of the game all night long (and all weekend long). On a trip to San Antonio, I remember spending 4 hours and countless quarters in an arcade in our hotel, trying to master the arcade version of the game, only to find out the “cheats” for the Super NES version were different than the “cheats” for the arcade version.  Needless to say, I was overcome with joy to read that the game is being revamped and released in December 2010.

Marc Stein, writing for ESPN.Com’s “Weekend Dime,” provided a breakdown of each team’s roster from 1993-1994 and who he would like see represented in the new version of the game. Reading through the list brought back countless memories and filled my head with the voices of the game announcers–”he’s on fire!”

One point where I disagree with Stein, I would pick Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, instead of Shawn Marion, for the Mavericks. Either way, the Mavs team in this version of NBA Jam, will be a significant upgrade from the 1994 version, which featured Derek Harper and Mike Iuzzolino.

Rules for being a fan…

Last night the Dallas Mavericks recorded their 336 straight sell out. A couple of things made this game stand out from the rest. One, Dirk Nowitzki became the 34th player in NBA history, and the first not to have played college or high school ball in the U.S., to top the 20,000 point mark in his career. But what really made this night stand out was the large size of the crowd for the opposing team. The Los Angeles Lakers were in town and their t-shirt fandom was out in full force.

It goes without saying that 99% of the Lakers fans in attendance last night have never been to L.A. They have no real connection to the team, but they like to be associated with winners, so based on the past success of that franchise they buy the team’s merchandise and tickets to the game when the Lakers swim through Dallas. The Chicago Bulls attracted a similar following in the 1990′s and the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Red Wings and, yes, my beloved Dallas Cowboys attract similar followings in their respective sports.

While I am a die hard fan of the Cowboys, I grew up in the Dallas area to a family of Cowboys fans. Simply put, I am a Cowboys fan because they are the home town team and I have never turned my back on them, regardless of how tough times might have been. Similarly, I’ve been a Mavs fan my entire life–yes, even during the 90′s when the team was historically pathetic, and while I still haven’t got to celebrate a NBA title, I have had the opportunity to see the Mavs make it to the Finals, win 67 games in a season, see Dirk win the MVP and enjoy one of the most successful decades in NBA history (9 straight 50 + win seasons & 9 straight playoff appearances). With the Rangers, there hasn’t been much payoff for my loyalty, but even those gray skies seem to be clearing up.

It’s impossible for me to fathom rooting against any of the Dallas area teams. When the Lakers come to the AAC or when the Yankees visit the Ballpark, I see thousands of people who live in the same metropolitan area as me turn their back on their hometown teams and I’m left scratching my head, just as I’m sure fans in other cities wonder where all the Cowboys fans come from on Sunday afternoons. Shouldn’t there be some rules to being a fan? I think so…

1.) Live or Lived in the City – You live in Dallas; you root for Dallas teams. You live in Dallas and move to Boston; you can still root for Dallas teams. However, if you are born and live in Philly you should probably root for the Eagles instead of the Cowboys.

2.) Live in market for the franchise – This rule mainly applies to those people who live in areas without professional sports franchises. I grew up in East Texas. Dallas was the nearest city with a professional sports franchise. However, the local sports affiliates carried games for New Orleans, Houston & San Antonio teams in addition to the Dallas franchises. It’s acceptable for someone in this situation to be a fan of any of those teams.

3.) Family Ties – This is similar to rule #1, but allows for generational gaps. Your grandfather moved to Dallas in the 1940′s from Brooklyn. He was a die hard Dodgers fan, raised your father to be the same and your dad raised you the same way. It’s understandable and acceptable for you to be a Dodgers fan.

It is unacceptable to be a fan of a team simply because you like their star player, you like their team colors, or you like the fact that they have won numerous titles.

Your kiss, your kiss is on my list

It didn’t exactly go down the way that ESPN predicted, but Tim Thomas is officially a Dallas Maverick. While I’m sure the “kiss” Thomas blew at Dirk during the 2006 playoffs is forgotten, I don’t think Thomas and Dirk will ever be BFF’s. Don’t expect to see the two eating at Taco Diner or enjoying drinks at The Loon together, as Dirk and Steve Nash did. I’ve got to think that there will be at least some tension between the two. Dirk is a professional and I’m sure he will make every effort to make Thomas feel welcome on this team, but I’m sure he is with the rest of us and scratching his head at this signing.

Is this an indication that a trade is looming on the horizon?

Other blogs have speculated heavily on what the Mavs might be able to get for the Greg Buckner trading chip in September. Is it possible that either Thomas or Drew Gooden would be paired with Buckner to bring another piece to this ever confusing puzzle?

If Thomas stays with the Mavs, what will be his role? With the exception of Jason Terry, this team lacked a true 3-point threat last season. Sure, Dirk, Josh and Kidd would hit the occasional 3, but JET was the only true shooter on this squad.  Thomas instantly gives them another threat from beyond the arc. He ranks #22 all-time in 3-point field goal percentage at .413%.  Thomas, a highly emotional player, also brings a certain edge that has been lacking from this roster. Finally, while he will never be considered a defensive star, he is not a liability on defense either, especially in one-on-one situations. Look for Thomas to get minutes while Dirk rests.

As I said yesterday, free agency is unpredictable and it’s way too early to determine what effect this signing will have on the Mavs 2009-2010 season. However, at this point, it is definitely the most curious off-season move by the Mavericks this season. Almost as curious as using their mid-level exception on ‘Gana Diop last season. Let us pray that the results are not as disastrous.

How about Von Wafer

Entering the off-season, I felt the Mavericks’ three biggest needs were to address the center, shooting guard and lack of athleticism. It appeared that the Mavs had addressed the center situation by singing an offer sheet for Marcin Gortat; however, we all know how that worked out. While several rumors have swirled around regarding other potential deals to address the center position, none have materialized as of this time.

Acquiring Shawn Marion improves the athleticism of this team to some extent and the flashes that Rodrigue Beaubois has shown in his brief NBA Summer League career suggests tha the too could add some athleticism to this team. Yet this team still lacks the athleticism of many of their Western Conference counterparts.

The only thing the Mavs have done at the shooting guard position is the signing of Quinton Ross, who the front office says will provide defensive help and shoot the three. What they really mean to say is that Ross is just another Antoine Wright.  If we assume that the Mavericks will move Josh Howard to the starting shooting guard position, we can set the depth chart–Jason Terry will come in off the bench and get a majority of the minutes at the 2 and Ross will fill in, as needed, in specific situations. Theoretically, the Mavs are three deep at the 2 position.

I love what JET brings off the bench, but neither Ross nor Howard excite me.  My suggestion? Go for a change of pace, sign Von Wafer.  The little I saw of Wafer last year, I liked. He would instantly add a level of athleticism to this team that is asbsent. 

How would the rotation work at four deep? The move would make Josh Howard expendable. He could be shopped to someone like New Orleans, for Tyson Chandler, or to Charlotte, near his home, for someone like Emeka Okafor.

The Mavericks starting line-up would look something like this:

PG – Jason Kidd

SG- Von Wafer

SF – Shawn Marion

PF- Dirk Nowitzki

C – Emeka Okafor/Tyson Chandler

I realize the move has it drawbacks.  One, Wafer’s limited body of work and lack of starting experience. Terry would still get a majority of the minutes at the 2, but would start as a change of pace. Think of the way the Nuggets used Dahntay Jones last season (18.1 MPG, 5.4 PPG). Wafer put up better numbers (19.4 MPG, 9.7 PPG) as a reserve.

Could you get Okafor or Chandler for Howard? It’s worth shopping around. I hope the Mavs learned from the Gortat fiasco and would have a deal in place for Howard before inking Wafer. This is the key piece to making the deal work. If you can’t move Howard for an upgrade of Dampier, then there’s really no sense in pursuing Wafer. However, if the Mavs are serious about addressing two of the most glaring weaknesses, they should at least give Wafer a casual glance.

Mavericks back-up center options…

The Suns have reportedly offered to buy out the remainder of Ben Wallace’s contract. Let’s hope that the Mavs aren’t feeling so desperate that they express interest in him. Wallace would do nothing to addressing any of the issues facing this team. Indeed, he would only add to the Mavs problems.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Mark Cuban told NBA TV that the Mavs have contacted Lamar Odom’s agent. To me, this is a more compelling option, specifically, could he be used a small, athletic 5? With that, you could a run a starting line-up of Kidd, Howard, Marion, Dirk and Odom onto the court. As the News reports, this is unlikely though since it would probably require a sign-and-trade to secure Odom and the Lakers aren’t looking to dump salary.

We know the New Orleans Hornets were shopping Tyson Chandler last season, would he be worth using the Dampier trade chip? I would think this would be something worth looking into. If healthy, Chandler could help address several issues with this team.

Burying the lead

The top story  on the NBA page of ESPN.com features a story about the potential trade of Carlos Boozer to the Chicago Bulls, a fascinating proposition indeed. (The potential trade involves Tyrus Thomas, a freakish athlete that would be perfect for the Mavs, but I digress.)

ESPN buried the lead. If you read the entire story you learn that Bulls were potentially the 4th party in the Shawn Marion trade, before dropping out. If the Bulls had stayed in the trade, the Mavs would have received Tim Thomas from the Bulls in addition to Marion from the Raptors.  As I’ve previously stated, I’m glad to have Marion, but I would have loved to have Tim Thomas as well.

Can you imagine how awkward it would have been for Thomas to be on the same team with Dirk, after the infamous kiss (and Dirk’s subsequent 50+ plus performance) in the 2006 playoffs?

Would that be more awkward than John Kitna playing on the same team with Bradie James?

Dirk v. ‘Melo

Sure, Carmelo Anthony has one bogus game winner in this series, but Dirk Nowitzki is actually putting up better numbers than ‘Melo. These numbers are from today’s Dallas Morning News:

Stats through Game 4 of Dallas/Denver series.

Melo:

PPG:  30.0

Rebounds: 7.5

FG%: .464

3-pt. %: .389

FT %: .854

Dirk Nowitzki:

PPG: 35.0

Rebounds:  12.0

FG%:  .535

3 PT %:  .375

FT%:  .900

 

Toughest Dallas athlete

During the playoffs, a lot has been made about the Dallas Mavericks lack of “toughness.” Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, TNT’s version of Bert & Ernie, and Chris Webber, Mr. I-Don’t-Know-How-Many-Time-Outs-I-Have-Left-and-Ruined-My-Alma-Mater’s-Basketball-Program, constantly criticize Dirk Nowitzki for this very issue. Dirk, a guy who has almost every one of his teeth knocked out, is considered “soft.” Dirk, a player I’ve seen more than once put up 30+points and 10+boards on bum ankles, is not tough in their eyes.

It got me to ask the question, which athletes are tough, specifically, which Dallas athletes are the toughest in the city’s history.

My vote, Nolan Ryan.

What do you all think?

Racism in the NBA?

I was reading a post on the Mavericks blog on the dallasnews.com this morning and noticed  a comment from a Nuggets fan. The Denver fan expressed frustration with Mavs fans labeling the Nuggets as “thugs,” and charged that their was a racist element involved in these accusations.

I can’t speak for all Mavs’ fans, but I’ve stopped short of directly calling the Nuggets, “thugs.”  I called them “miscreants” and “social deviants,” but I intended for those adjectives to describe Chris Andersen as much as they described Kenyon Martin.

The true racism in the NBA, whether among fans, players or analysts, and the true elephant in the room no one is willing to discuss is the obvious racism towards Dirk Nowitzki.

Think of the term people use to describe Dirk–he’s soft, he’s a good shooter, he works hard, he’s  a gym rat, he’s slow,  he’s not athletic enough, etc. They are code for saying that Dirk is too white to be a true NBA superstar.

When was the last time you heard someone who wasn’t white and not part of the Maverick’s organization–either past or present–say anything positive about Dirk’s game?  The best you will hear them say is something like, “Dirk is no Larry Bird, but he is a Larry Bird-like.”

Why? Because they were both white and great shooters?

I despise racism in any form. All bigotry is evil, but racism drives me more crazy than any other form of bigotry. To hear someone charge that Mavs’ fans calling the Nuggets “thugs” is racist, but in the same breath for them to criticize Dirk with racist code words just makes me sick.

Mavs Nuggets Game 1

Under normal circumstances, I would probably be a fan of the Denver Nuggets. I love a team with attitude that plays with swagger and I love athleticism on the basketball floor. However, I am Mavericks fan first and a basketball fan second. With that said, Game 1 was extremely frustrating to watch.

There are no excuses for what happened yesterday in Denver. The Mavericks looked the Mavericks from the 2007 and 2008 Playoffs, as the Nuggets came out and played with more energy annd intensity. They drove the lane, caused turnovers, ran the fast break and contested shots better than the Mavericks.  Anything the Mavs did, the Nuggets did better. They pushed the Mavs around and our team recoiled into the sloppy patterns that resulted in post-season failure in years past. Simply put, the Nuggets wanted the win more and they got it.

With that said, the Mavericks now have a chance to respond. I think Rick Carlisle is a better coach than Avery Johnson and I believe that he has shown that he is willing to make adjustments–adjustments that make a difference–that Avery would not have tried. Throughout this season, the Mavericks have shown the ability to bounce back from bad losses. I’m not sure whether that has more to do with pride or coaching, but probably a combination of the two.

The Mavericks know the Nuggets gameplan–use their athleticism to wear down and annoy the Mavericks. They’re going to swarm the ball, force turnovers, run the break, score in the paint and send three guys to Dirk. This philosophy worked in Game 1 and now Carlisle must find a way to respond or else the critics will be right and this series will be over in 5.

Unlike your local newspaper writer or your local radio talk show host, I’m not going to pretend to know more about basketball than the coaches and players on the court.  However, I do know that if the Mavericks play with the same energy and intensity they showed yesterday they do not stand a chance.  In order for them to have a shot they’re going to have to exhibit the “mental toughness” I discussed on Friday and find someone who is willing to be their energy man. When Denver takes a shot, they have to be willing to respond.

For example, the most memorable play from yesterday’s game is probably Kenyon Martin’s elbow to Dirk that knocked into the baseline reporters. The way I see it, the Mavericks had three legitimate ways of responding to that action. 1.) Erick Dampier could have walked over to Martin and kissed him on the outline of lips he has tattooed on his neck. This would have drawn Martin offsides, probably punching Dampier, resulting in an automatic suspension of one of Denver’s key player. 2.) Dirk could have got up and calmly walked towards Martin, but in a clear, loud voice begin yelling at Martin in German while pointing at him. When he finally reached Martin, he would have looked him in the eye and calmly said, “I will crush you!”  German, especially when yelled, can be a very intimidating language. (I mean that with all respect to my German friends and family.) 3.) The third and final option involves Dampier calmly walking towards Martin until the two are only a couple of inches apart, with their noses almost touching. Dampier would have simply looked at Martin eye to eye and continued to breathe heavily in Martin’s face until it garnered some sort of reaction.

Obviously, the Mavericks chose to do none of the above and simply go to the free throw line for two shots. From that point on, the complexion of the game totally changed. The Mavs would have a couple of runs left in them, but the energy and confidence they began the game with was completly gone.  Hopefully, we will be the agressors in Game 2, knocking ‘Melo, Martin and R.J. Smith on their thuggish-ruggish asses, but if the Nuggets come out more physical; hopefully, our team will have a more heart felt response waiting for them.