NBA At 2: Dallas/Miami On Collision Course?
Are the Dallas Mavericks actually contenders?
It might seem like a strange question at this juncture; after all, the Mavericks have already polished off the defending champs and are now one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals. Still, it seems a necessary question to ask. The Mavericks have a long, established history of falling apart at the most crucial of times, and we’ve seen them do that this postseason. When the Mavs coughed up a 23-point lead in Portland it looked like a typical, disappointing end was near for Dallas.
But something happened after that embarrassing loss. The Mavericks seemed to pull together just a little bit tighter. They focused all of their collective energy on shaking the "soft" label that as plagued them since the 2006 NBA Finals, and they have only dropped one game since then . . .Game 2 of their current Western Conference Finals series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Still, doubt persists in the minds of Mavs fans, who have all too often seen their team fall apart when it matters most. Last night they seemed poised to do it again, falling behind early, then fighting all the way back, only to commit a silly foul at the end of the third quarter to give the Thunder some momentum heading into the fourth. A crazy flagrant, some ill-advised passes and the Mavs found themselves down 15 going into the the final five minutes of regulation.
And then the improbable happened. The team with no heart, the soft Dallas Mavericks, rose from the ashes behind a Herculean effort from Dirk Nowitzki, forced overtime with some stellar defense, and carried that defense over to the extra period. When the dust settled, the Mavericks had turned a 15-point fourth quarter deficit into a 112-105 overtime win.
So it seems only right to ask – are the Dallas Mavericks contenders?
I have to admit I’ve had my doubts. I picked against them in the first round against Portland and again when they faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round. I kept waiting for the soft team that has so frustrated Mavericks fans to rear its ugly head. There have been lapses, to be certain, but in the end, here they are, ready to claim the Western Conference championship with a win in Dallas on Wednesday night.
What better way to completely rid themselves of the "soft" label than to win a championship by defeating the team that helped them earn the title in the first place? It certainly seems as though the Mavericks are on a collision course with the Miami HEAT, who have gained the upper hand in the Eastern Conference Finals. Perhaps this time around the Mavericks will find their heart and deliver the championship Nowitzki so desperately desires.
It’s still very early, but this skeptic is starting to believe . . .
Up Close: Corey Joseph
HOOPSWORLD continues our in-depth look at the 2011 NBA draft class with this exclusive interview with Corey Joseph. The University of Texas point guard talks about his decision to leave school early, the reality that he might have to spend some time in the D-League, what he needs to work on as a pro, and more:
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Cleveland’s Path To Redemption
There have been conflicting reports this week surrounding a proposed trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Memphis Grizzlies that would have seen the Cavs send the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft to the Grizzlies for forward Rudy Gay. The original report came from Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, who is as connected as any NBA analyst, and has since been shut down by anonymous league "sources." Before we get into the truth or fiction behind the report, let’s look at the implications.
{AUTHOR_BOX}First, it’s clear that in making the offer the Cavaliers were looking to give the Grizzlies some cap relief, not just the fourth overall pick. After all, Gay is a better player than the Cavaliers or Grizzlies could hope to land in this very shallow draft class. Cleveland is looking for an All-Star caliber small forward to launch them back into the playoff discussion, and Gay could be just such a player. What the Cavs are really selling, though, is the $14.6 million trade exception they got from the Miami HEAT last summer. They are looking for a team that needs to shed a significant contract, and they’re willing to give up the #4 pick in the process.
Given the major changes we expect to see in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, that trade exception is very likely to find a home between now and the lock-out that will almost inevitably begin on July 1st. This is Cleveland’s path to rapid improvement, and whether their trade partner turns out to be the Grizzlies or someone else, they’ll get a significant piece to help accelerate their rebuilding process.
As for the conflicting reports, that’s explained easily enough. A source close to the situation no doubt told Givony that the Cavaliers had reached out to the Grizzlies with this offer, and then a source close to the Grizzlies dutifully shot it down. After all, the Grizzlies don’t want Rudy Gay to think he’s being shopped, especially if he is. A source close to the Cavaliers might also want to refute the report so that it doesn’t look like they failed in a trade proposal. This is all politics; the facts remain the same.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a valuable trade chip, and now they’re upping the ante by offering the fourth overall pick in the draft as a value add. This is step on Cleveland’s path to redemption, but it is only step one.
Need More Draft News?: Draft Express president Jonathan Givony will be hosting a few NBA Draft Chats for us again this year starting with his first chat on Wednesday at Noon EST. No one covers the NBA Draft better than Jonathan and his team at Draft Express, so be sure to drop in your questions now.
HOOPSWORLD Twitter: Make sure you are following all of our guys to insure you are getting the very latest from our team: @stevekylerNBA, @AlexKennedyNBA, @jfleminghoops, @TheRocketGuy, @EricPincus, @joelbrigham, @alexraskinNBA, @stephenlitel, @TommyBeer, @DPageHOOPSWORLD and @YannisHW.
NBA Chats: There will be three NBA Chats today starting with Luke Byrnes who will host his weekly Hoops Chat at 1pm EST. Luke covers the Western Conference and College Basketball for HOOPSWORLD, so get your questions in early. Senior NBA Writer Eric Pincus will hold his weekly NBA chat today at 4pm. Eric covers the NBA as a whole, but is based in LA with the Lakers and Clippers. Stephen Litel is based in Minnesota will hold his weekly NBA Chat at 8pm EST. You can always find the next chat here: Upcoming NBA Chats.
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