The Mavs 2 Biggest Roster Flaws

Blowitupalready · Post #1 » by **Blowitupalready** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:32 pm

Let me start by asking everyone to please not respond by saying, "Yeah, but if we had Josh Howard we would have won the game."

These close OT losses to good teams every year highlight all of the flaws of this Maverick roster that the FO likes to ignore. If you watch the game, you realize that the Mavs are not elite and never will be with this mix.

1. To Erik Dampier's credit, he can score if he gets the ball directly under the basket but Diop couldn't score if he was the only one in the gym. Playing 4 on 5 every offensive possession so you can defend an opponent's big man kills the Mavs every year.

2. Dirk can't find a good shot down the stretch. Yes he is our best player but 7 foot big men posting up 20 feet from the basket guarantees you nothing but a bad rushed shot after the shot clock dwindles down. When was the last time anyone saw Dirk score some 4th qtr points in the paint??? I think it was 2006 vs the Raptors.

I don't care how good this team is talent wise at the 1,2, & 3. Until they fix the problems at the 4 and 5 they will always be a good team that can't beat a real good team.

2011Champs · Post #2 » by **2011Champs** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:53 pm

I agree 100%. We did not lose the game because J-Ho was out. The FO completely ignored the Mavericks lack of low post scoring from the 5 when they resigned Diop. However I don't know of any low post scorer that the Mavs could get that isn't a complete defensive liability. For example Eddy Curry. He could score at the 5 but his poor rebounding and lack of defense would cancel that out.

Blowitupalready · Post #3 » by **Blowitupalready** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:59 pm

Very true about Curry. He is just plain lazy.

The Mavs can use their small lineups and what not to win some games but when it gets close against a good team ...ie playoffs, their flaws are so obvious and they lose.

JES12 · Post #4 » by **JES12** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:20 pm

Yeah, but if we had Josh Howard we would have won the game.

I had to do it. BTW, there was no one available for low post scoring this offseason, at least none better than our current roster (Bass). But someone does need to tell Williams that his 9% shooting from 3 is not helping this team at all. I was kinda hoping to get a taste of William's defense on Timmy would be as I think William's can do many of the things Diop can do defensively on PFs but he got a DNP.

I think the best investment for Cuban would to be over-pay for someone like David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing or Jabar to come in and teach Diop, Williams and Bass (the 3 with enough career left to make a difference) the footwork down low. I think our lack of center history will make us have to overpay for players with loyalty to other teams to come here and teach that stuff. That can be obtainable, but trying to get a player with a reputation of low post scoring without being a sloth defensively will be much more difficult.

Blowitupalready · Post #5 » by **Blowitupalready** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:18 pm

I don't disagree. I guess that's why I chose the name BlowItUpAlready because I am all about the rings. I've seen this team and other versions fail year after year because they don't have the right talent. I could be more excited about a 20 win team continuing to get better than a 50 win team slowly getting worse.

I fact, i am almost pissed that JJ Barea has been saving them lately. Without him, they would still probably be under .500 and at least then the FO would question the direction of the team.

Maverick Junkie · Post #6 » by **Maverick Junkie** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:57 pm

1. I would say that you are 50% correct. A low post scorer is by far and away the most important, but not a back to the basket guy. Their are only a couple of those players in the league and you do not get them unless you are extremely lucky in the lottery. I just want someone that when we hit the guy around the bucket he will finish. Damp still does not and never will have the hands, and Diop has got to be the softest 7 footer in the league. Has anyone ever seen Diop dunk on anybody? They should be better with all our shooters and Kidd. Beidriens for Golden State comes to mind, but I dont think they will give him up.

2. An athletic 2 or 3 that can get a high percentage shot up on rim at anytime anywhere. I was hoping that Gerald Green was that guy, but it looks like he is way back at the end of the bench right now. This type of player would have been great last night when we had the ball with 1.1 seconds left in OT. Dirk does not need to take that shot. He needs to get his shots in the flow of the offence.

Please, anybody that mentions that we have a problem at the 4 position is asking for WAY to much. The 4 spot is not the problem. It is the strongest part of a very good team.

Teffer10 · Post #7 » by **Teffer10** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:04 pm

Blowitupalready wrote:I don't disagree. I guess that's why I chose the name BlowItUpAlready because I am all about the rings. I've seen this team and other versions fail year after year because they don't have the right talent. I could be more excited about a 20 win team continuing to get better than a 50 win team slowly getting worse.

I fact, i am almost pissed that JJ Barea has been saving them lately. Without him, they would still probably be under .500 and at least then the FO would question the direction of the team.

I'm with you all the way here BIUA. I kept harping all off-season that we are average at best if Dirk is our #1 guy. The only way we can have success with Dirk as our #1 is if we have a hell of a #2 which we don't. I love to hear the optimism and support by Mav fans on this board but this team is vastly under talented to win it all. These little winning streaks are only making our future worse because we will just be good enough to get in the POs but not good enough to get past the first round. We are also just good enough to stay out the lotto so rebuilding will be a slow process over the next decade. Unless this year is a complete disaster, the FO will continue to think this is a championship caliber team which is laughable to some of us.

Blowitupalready · Post #8 » by **Blowitupalready** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:06 pm

Maverick Junkie wrote:1. I would say that you are 50% correct. A low post scorer is by far and away the most important, but not a back to the basket guy. Their are only a couple of those players in the league and you do not get them unless you are extremely lucky in the lottery. I just want someone that when we hit the guy around the bucket he will finish. Damp still does not and never will have the hands, and Diop has got to be the softest 7 footer in the league. Has anyone ever seen Diop dunk on anybody? They should be better with all our shooters and Kidd. Beidriens for Golden State comes to mind, but I dont think they will give him up.

2. An athletic 2 or 3 that can get a high percentage shot up on rim at anytime anywhere. I was hoping that Gerald Green was that guy, but it looks like he is way back at the end of the bench right now. This type of player would have been great last night when we had the ball with 1.1 seconds left in OT. Dirk does not need to take that shot. He needs to get his shots in the flow of the offence.

Please, anybody that mentions that we have a problem at the 4 position is asking for WAY to much. The 4 spot is not the problem. It is the strongest part of a very good team.

Without naming postions, I will agree that a championship team needs a player that can get a basket anytime or anywhere you need it. If that is a D-Wade, Kobe type of player, you certainly have a good chance to win close games.

Speaking of Gerald Green, I was screaming for Carlisle to put him in the game with 1.1 seconds to run an alley oop. Even if he is just a decoy, he should have been on the floor IMO.

rog1947 · Post #9 » by **rog1947** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 9:25 pm

I'd like to see the Mavs at least try the lineup with Kidd at PG, Josh Howard at SG, Brandon Bass at SF, Dirk at PF and Dampier/Diop at C. Backups would be Barea, Terry, Wright or Green or Williams or George, Williams or Singleton, Diop/Dampier.

Bass seems to be one of the few Mavs players who can set up near the basket and attack the rim or shoot a high percentage short jumper. As good as he is, I hate to see him limited to playing a few minutes each games when Dirk takes a rest. Josh Howard as the SG should be going to the basket first and settling for jumpers as a last resort.

ppp000 · Post #10 » by **ppp000** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:08 am

low post threat and SG. Always has been the 2 biggest flaws.

If you build a team around a jumpshooting 7footer, you want to compliment that with somewhat of a semblance of an offensive C. Instead you have two of the most offensively incompetent Cs, Diop being completely useless and if effective, only redundant. (Good thing they signed him to that big contract huh?)

Every contending team has a guard that can penetrate at will. The logjam at SG that this team has had (George, Stack, Buckner, Griffin etc etc) is like trying to fit several role-players to try to cumulatively make them into one quality SG. In Boston, you see Pierce takes over down the stretch, in SA Manu comes up big. The only other option down the stretch besides the Dirk isos is Terry who is a jumpshooter too. I've never seen JHo drive to the basket in the clutch to win games for us.