Tonight's game notes from a unsurprising loss to the Dallas Mavs:
-Knicks played awful, yet they were in it for the most part. Really, what more could the Knicks do to lose tonight? The only time they looked good was in the 2nd quarter, particularly doing a Balkman/Robinson ignited 12-4 run that got the Knicks within one of the Mavs. Typical Balkman stuff going on in the 1st half: 5 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, various rebounds kept alive so that other Knicks could grab an offensive board.
-In fact, those offensive boards were the only thing keeping the Knicks in the game. The trailed 46-43 at the half, despite shooting 38.5% versus the Mavs' 59% shooting. They were outboarded 20-19 in the first half. The Knicks were 9-18 from the FT line in the 1st half (they missed 9 FT!). They tossed two horrible alley-oops to Curry in the first half that resulted in turnovers. Despite all this, the Knicks were only behind by three, thanks to offensive rebounding (8-1 in the 1st half) and TOs (Knicks 3, Dallas 7).
-The third featured even more mistakes by the Knicks: a blown lay-up by Robinson (finish your layup if you want toeat your ice cream); a clear path foul by Jared Jeffries that resulted in a four-point play for the Mavs; and more missed FTs (mostly by Curry).
-Channing Frye took a shot to the eye, and left the game. Stephon Marbury took a blow to the shoulder, and left the game. Eddy Curry isplaying with a bad back. David Lee, Jamal Crawford, and Quentin Richardson are still out. We say this not to make excuses, but because we wonder: Who the hell is still available? Let's see: Jerome James, Malik Rose, Jared Jeffries, Nate Robinson, Steve Francis. Mardy Collins. Balkman. That's it, right? This is starting to look like a Disney movie.
-Watching Dallas tonight reminded us: SML doubts Dallas can win the championship. We said it last week after they failed to finish off Phoenix. We said it tonight after they left a Knicks team that played as bad as they have all season long linger for too long. Yo, Dallas fans... bad news... you're the third best team. In Texas. Seriously: SML says no way Dallas can beat San Antonio or even Houston in the playoffs.
-Why? Dallas relies too much on outside shooting. Even tonight when the Knicks left the path to the basket wide open, the Mavs only took mild advantage of it. Seriously, if they were playing a team with a little bit of interior defense, the Mavs wouldn't have broke 80 tonight. They shot 53%, had the same number of boards as the Knicks, and only 92 points? Dallas doesn't get to the line enough. Their defense was not very good; not awful, but not championship like, either. I can see Jeff Van Gundy slowing them down and crushing them with Yao and T-Mac.
-The Nets lost. The Nets and Magic are tied at 31-37, a half-game ahead of the Knicks (30-37). The Pacers play tonight at Houston (they trail at halftime 39-37), and are currently 30-35. I don't want to hear about how awful the Eastern Conference is... yo, check the West. The Golden State Warriors (32-36) are currently the 8th spot. This is what happens when you have teams that win 83% of their games (the Mavs), 76% (the Suns) and 70% (the Spurs).
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Barnesgasm +1.
I wouldn't take anything away from this game to help formulate your opinion on the Mavericks' shot at a ring. They didn't go to the basket against the Knicks because they simply didn't need to. If they let the Knicks hang around, it was for no other reason than because they were bored and disinterested (Really, how excited would you be to play the Knicks at this point? They're missing 3 of their best players and they're not in the same weight class at full strength) The Mavs were going at half speed the entire game.
Tangentially related to an earlier post, who is allowed to root for the Nets when they move to Brooklyn? Are New Jersey fans supposed to remain loyal to the Nets organization? Is it ok for New York fans to make the leap? I'm a Knick fan living in Brooklyn. Am I within my rights to root for the Nets?
Absolutely, I shouldn't base my opinion of the Mavs on this game. But I have watched the Mavs whenever possible this season, and watched them at their best last week against the Suns.
I know what the Mavs are capable of, and I saw what they did last season in the playoffs. They should have won the Finals (though I'm glad they didn't, I bet heavily on the Heat). My feeling on the Mavs, and I'll go on the record and say it (and if I'm proven wrong I'll man up and admit it): They won't win the title this year.
They won't beat the Spurs again. They got through them last season, but I think the Spurs are only now starting to really turn it up, and come playoff time I don't see them beating the Spurs. Or the Suns. Or the Rockets (yes the Rockets). Those are tough challenges awaiting them in the Conference Semis and Finals. And even if they make it to the NBA Finals, don't write off the Eastern teams....
Good question on the Nets. Most Nets fans I know (and I know only about three of them) don't live in Jersey (they actually live in NYC/LI). So they're happy about the move closer to NYC. Current Brooklynites are almost all from other places anyway (seriously, if you know anyone that lives in mid to north Brooklyn, I'll bet they didn't live there 10 years ago), so they make a good target audience. Disgruntled Knicks fans, perhaps?
More likely the future generations of Park Slope babies will grow up watching the Nets.
It's a good set of questions, so I'm gonna shoot it off to my favorite Net blogger...
I remember that Disney movie! I think it was Snow White and the Seven things which make me contemplate suicide.