01-25-2024, 01:29 AM
This reporter must have read this thread. The 2nd half of the article is below from Kirk Henderson of SB Nation. The 1st half of the article is about the Sun's game in the link at the bottom.
"Something’s rotten right now with these Dallas Mavericks"
In the big picture sense, the Mavericks have a lot of built-in excuses. They’ve had a lot of injuries and games missed to key players. That lack of continuity is a big challenge, there’s no doubt about it.
And yet, once the ball is rolled out on the floor, a team has to play with who they have available. These last three losses have been the kind of bad that makes a fan (and, potentially a team) question what in the hell we’re even doing here. Depending on what personal bias you bring to the table, you likely have a complaint to bring to the table about this loss and why it happened.
If you’re a Luka Doncic hater, you have to ask yourself why on Earth he kept forcing the issue to end the first half, being personally responsible for a tough run from the Suns due to his bad shot selection then bad decision-making on passes, topping everything off with a ridiculous technical foul where, and this is important, whatever he was whining about was not worth getting a technical over. Later in the game, he had a Suns fan ejected, one who’d been taunting him the whole contest, but the last straw was a barb about needing to get on the treadmill. I find myself feeling ashamed for Luka for that call.
If you’re tired of head coach Jason Kidd, you’re openly questioning what he does. During the aforementioned first-quarter run, he didn’t call a timeout, wandering around with his hands in his pockets. In the third quarter, when the run continued and Grant Williams picked up his second tech resulting in an ejection and Jones Jr. got a tech after getting knocked down following a dunk, did he stand up for his players? Did he show any emotion? Did he lead? Or did he look like an employee with a punch card, just looking to be done for work with the day?
If you’re tired of Grant Williams, like I am, you’re probably wondering what he was supposed to bring to this team at all. He finally had a decent offensive performance, then got a stupid tech, stepping over and disrespecting Kevin Durant, picked up his third foul four minutes into the second, hurting the Dallas offense, and then getting kicked out arguing a non-call after an attempted charge. But keep posting memes on social media buddy, that will help. Instead of, you know, just playing better.
Of course, these are just three examples from within one game. There’s so much more and I need to finish this article up already. I’ve held the line that being above .500 like the Mavericks are is a good thing because tough times were coming. But, frankly, I’m sick of feeling like I’m wasting my time watching a team that behaves as if basketball is a chore and not a joy. It’s basketball. It’s a game. It should be fun.
Dallas had that joy for most of the first half, but hot shooting is not a sustainable path to success. All of these players, all of the coaches, heck even the front office and the team governor, need to look themselves in the mirror and ask what they’re even doing this for. And if the answer doesn’t have something to do with showing pride and playing hard, meaningful basketball night in and night out, then maybe it’s time to find another line of work.
I’ve rambled for years that expectations are the thief of joy because it’s true. But I want better. I demand better from this team. It’s gut-check time for these Mavericks. I hope with all of my heart that they respond.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/o...d=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=ba6a35c0aad44d6fb1b57bedf7557913&ei=13
"Something’s rotten right now with these Dallas Mavericks"
In the big picture sense, the Mavericks have a lot of built-in excuses. They’ve had a lot of injuries and games missed to key players. That lack of continuity is a big challenge, there’s no doubt about it.
And yet, once the ball is rolled out on the floor, a team has to play with who they have available. These last three losses have been the kind of bad that makes a fan (and, potentially a team) question what in the hell we’re even doing here. Depending on what personal bias you bring to the table, you likely have a complaint to bring to the table about this loss and why it happened.
If you’re a Luka Doncic hater, you have to ask yourself why on Earth he kept forcing the issue to end the first half, being personally responsible for a tough run from the Suns due to his bad shot selection then bad decision-making on passes, topping everything off with a ridiculous technical foul where, and this is important, whatever he was whining about was not worth getting a technical over. Later in the game, he had a Suns fan ejected, one who’d been taunting him the whole contest, but the last straw was a barb about needing to get on the treadmill. I find myself feeling ashamed for Luka for that call.
If you’re tired of head coach Jason Kidd, you’re openly questioning what he does. During the aforementioned first-quarter run, he didn’t call a timeout, wandering around with his hands in his pockets. In the third quarter, when the run continued and Grant Williams picked up his second tech resulting in an ejection and Jones Jr. got a tech after getting knocked down following a dunk, did he stand up for his players? Did he show any emotion? Did he lead? Or did he look like an employee with a punch card, just looking to be done for work with the day?
If you’re tired of Grant Williams, like I am, you’re probably wondering what he was supposed to bring to this team at all. He finally had a decent offensive performance, then got a stupid tech, stepping over and disrespecting Kevin Durant, picked up his third foul four minutes into the second, hurting the Dallas offense, and then getting kicked out arguing a non-call after an attempted charge. But keep posting memes on social media buddy, that will help. Instead of, you know, just playing better.
Of course, these are just three examples from within one game. There’s so much more and I need to finish this article up already. I’ve held the line that being above .500 like the Mavericks are is a good thing because tough times were coming. But, frankly, I’m sick of feeling like I’m wasting my time watching a team that behaves as if basketball is a chore and not a joy. It’s basketball. It’s a game. It should be fun.
Dallas had that joy for most of the first half, but hot shooting is not a sustainable path to success. All of these players, all of the coaches, heck even the front office and the team governor, need to look themselves in the mirror and ask what they’re even doing this for. And if the answer doesn’t have something to do with showing pride and playing hard, meaningful basketball night in and night out, then maybe it’s time to find another line of work.
I’ve rambled for years that expectations are the thief of joy because it’s true. But I want better. I demand better from this team. It’s gut-check time for these Mavericks. I hope with all of my heart that they respond.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/o...d=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=ba6a35c0aad44d6fb1b57bedf7557913&ei=13
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