The season really is over

April 29th, 2008 Posted in Avery Johnson, Mavs Talk

Two years ago the Mavericks had a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. Since then they are 3-12 in the playoffs. There are a lot of reasons for the sudden decline but there’s now a nice, long summer to get into that.

Tonight, let’s mourn a team that had looked like it was going to be a constant championship contender just two years ago. Post up your thoughts, ideas and wishes for this team over the next 6 months. Also be sure to vote in the new poll to the right.

We’ll start looking back at the last two seasons and what this team needs to do this summer tomorrow.

We all know what the first change should be.


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  1. 117 Responses to “The season really is over”

  2. By Zd on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:44:45 pm

    First, fire Avery John, the little stupid stubborn coach.

    Then, get rid of those so-called veterans like Stackhouse, Eddie Jones, Juwan Howard, etc.

  3. By Zd on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:45:48 pm

    I,m sad, really.

  4. By Zd on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:46:06 pm

    I’m sad, really.

  5. By ihatekidd on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:47:42 pm

    well from my name you can obviously tell what I think needs to happen ASAP, the trade was a panic move by Cuban and it got them where? The EXACT same place they were last year, but in worse condition….I think they need young, fresh faces for next season(get rid of most of these old vets) and another proven scorer to take pressure off of Dirk to try and rebuild this plane crash of a situation

  6. By mike on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:49:27 pm

    New coach, and build around Dirk, J-Kidd, and Brandon Bass.

  7. By pinoypimp on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:49:56 pm

    I urge Dirk to leave Dallas and come to sunny Miami! With Wade at your side, we will win the Championship again! :-)

  8. By aj on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:52:13 pm

    FIRE AVERY RIGHT NOW!

  9. By drew on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:55:02 pm

    Wade is a joke, it would be an insult for Dirk to go from the Mavs to literally the worst team in basketball.

    They simply got outplayed tonight. The effort they made in the last 5 minutes should have been the whole 4th quarter and we would have been coming back to Dallas for Game 6.

  10. By CB on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:55:06 pm

    Del Harris the next coach?

  11. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:57:12 pm

    I’m sorry but Dirk is not going to win you a championship. He needs to be somebody’s pippen.

    Howard isn’t the guy. Dallas needs Dirk as a secondary scorer or get rid of him and rebuild for next years free agency

    Atlanta kicked my teams ass last night. Go get Joe Johnson

    Avery isn’t the problem

  12. By MFFL on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:57:26 pm

    Sad! ;(

  13. By ThFEAR on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:01:38 pm

    The only reason I’m pulling the shotgun out of my mouth is the Stars. This is despressing as hell. We’re trapped guys, there is no easy fix, my god we’re Miami all of sudden. Wow.

  14. By drew on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:04:02 pm

    Bean Town Fan,

    I agree except the trading of Dirk. He might not be the best leader or leader material but he’s a franchise player. Cuban already let Nash go, Dirk is the Mavs only hope to keep them as a winning team.

    Until this team can rebuild around Kidd, that’s just how it’s going to stay until another star comes into play. Howard needs to focus on his consistency or he’ll see himself on a new team by end of next season.

    And I still don’t blame Avery fully. They lost as a team. They lost the drive to win. They really did look like a team that didn’t care this whole series, except Bass, Terry and Dirk, probably the only ones who really showed any type of effort.

  15. By Hominid on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:04:47 pm

    Avery has to be gone.

    If they keep Dirk, keep Bass and Kidd too. Maybe Terry. Everyone else is free game. If they don’t keep Dirk, they can blow up the whole kit and kaboodle.

    I’d almost rather see Dirk go somewhere where he has a chance to win because I’m not sure they can bring in enough pieces to make it work in the off-season. I’d hate to see Dirk’s prime years continue to be wasted.

  16. By angeldevil212 on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:05:28 pm

    Pro:
    DIRK
    TERRY
    HOWARD
    KIDD
    BASS

    Cons:
    DAMPIER
    GEORGE
    HOWARD
    STACKHOUSE
    JONES
    JJ BAREA

  17. By BadMavs on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:09:23 pm

    Avery will resign within the next week. He’s too proud to be fired. He’ll land with the Bulls, or Bobcats about the time that Larry Brown gets fed up with MJ in the preseason.

    Kidd wasnt the problem. His style of play is similar to Nash’s. Nash is much better in Phoenix because he has cutters and slashers that can take it to the rim. Kidd has made Damp and Dirk better. Josh Howard’s rapid decline has been the biggest reason for the current downward spiral. He’s just too small and inconsistent to be a #2 scorer. You put him on any other team and he’s Marquis Daniels (decent here,,,horrible elsewhere). Howard’s trade status is probably at an all time low…maybe we can get two lbs of catfish and a bag of ice for him. One other issue is just how predictable their style of play has become…get down early and hope the jump shots start to fall. They havent fallen this series.

    Bring in a small foward and a shooting guard that can take it to the rack with authority. Start Bass and send Stack and George packing.

  18. By drew on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:09:43 pm

    Actually, I wouldn’t put JJ in the Cons, he’s young, he’s a rookie and has almost 0 experience.

    Right now if I had to choose any player to stay and get rid of any players to my liking I would go with this:

    Keepers: Nowitzki, Terry, Bass and Kidd.

    All others would be gone, traded for not just better players but more consistent players, who at least put in a little more effort when the games really do count, like in the playoffs.

    I’m still a mavsfanforlife dot net though. :)

  19. By tani on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:11:59 pm

    As much as I don’t like Avery and his decisions, this group of players doesn’t complement each other very well. He might not be a good coach, but with the players on this team, Damp, J-Ho, Stack, Eddie Johnson, etc, you can’t do much. I doubt that there will be much change even with a new coach. Bottom line is that I can’t see them ever winning a championship.

  20. By ihatekidd on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:14:15 pm

    I know I say I hate Kidd but that’s only because he doesn’t fit in at all. If Cuban went and got some Carters and Jeffersons for him so he can do what he does best and kept Dirk, Jet, Bass, Stack (I think he deserves to stay), Josh, and maybe even Damp, I think they’d be in good shape

    (I meant to post this here but posted it in the last topic by mistake)

  21. By ThFEAR on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:16:50 pm

    Josh must have tapped the one hitter in the shower, he thinks we still have a “young nucleus”. Oh sweet geezus help us.

  22. By drew on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:17:24 pm

    tani,

    I think they can win a championship with some changes. Kidd can bring some new things to the table for the Mavs. With possibly a few lineup changes and the offseason with their new PG, I still have hope for the main core of this team. I do agree though they should try to get rid of Jones and Juwan Howard though and get some 2 or 3 season players, not the veteran dinosaurs only keeping the seats warm.

    Unfortunately, almost all of them got new contracts before last season, any lineup changes will occur as trades next season.

  23. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:18:18 pm

    I think you folks are delirious over a tough loss.

    What is Jason Kidds shooting percentage right now? How can you be a champion contender when your PG can’t score?

    Dirk keeps you a winning but you’ll be back here next year. Look at the GS series. He can’t create his shot when it is absolutel necessary. Howard is a good third scorer. You need somebody who takes the team on their shoulders and will score no matter what.

    If you fire Avery then be honest and state that it is because you need a change. SacTown fired Adelman because they really needed a change. They got worse…..

    I’m pissed off because at least the Mavs and Suns are fun to watch. Now I’m going to get more of the Spurs.

  24. By Kante on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:19:30 pm

    Keep Dirk, Terry, Bass, Damp, Jones, Stack and Kidd maybe!

  25. By Kante on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:19:56 pm

    Josh Howard also i forgotten! ;)

  26. By tani on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:22:32 pm

    drew,

    Most of the players that suck on this team have bad contracts. Hence, I think that it will be difficult to move them around. Who would want Dampier or Jason Terry? Even Josh Howard has no trade value after his performance.

  27. By ihatekidd on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:25:17 pm

    what are the stipulations on Kidd’s contract? from what I’ve read he won’t be eligible for release until after next season

  28. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:27:23 pm

    tani,

    Let’s not forget the weed comments. You have to love your only valuable trade commodity bragging about his love of offseason joints.

    The NBA. Where the Munchies happen!

  29. By drew on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:27:43 pm

    Bean Town Fan,

    I mostly agree. I think if Avery is fired, the rest of the team stays, we’ll be worse off next year. Then all the mob like fans will be calling for someone elses head.

    Kidd has never really been big on offense. We do need a more consistent scorer though besides Dirk. Perhaps with more work this offseason, Bass could be that scorer we need. I liked him all season long and only wished he got more playing time during the season to pick up more experience.

    But I do also have to realize that the young players that aren’t making millions a year yet do seem to play hard, they’re trying to get better contracts. I can’t blame though, pay raises are always nice when you deserve it after hard work.

  30. By BadMavs on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:27:54 pm

    Some players the Mavs should explore:

    SF Ron Artest…I know; he’s got his issues, but you can’t question his talent or the toughness he’d bring to the team. He and Bass would form a solid forward tandem.

    Ben Gordon and Luol Dang - two young players that have been solid on bad teams. Both are shooters and may not be quite the boost inside that Artest would be, but both are an upgrade.

    Agent Zero - coming off an injury season, slide him to SG and let him run.

    I havent done much research, but I believe all of those can opt out this year. We’d have to work some salary cap magic or trade one of our max guys in a sign and trade.

  31. By drew on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:30:38 pm

    The only players trade worthy right now are Dirk, Terry, a healthy Stack and Bass. Sadly, none of them are going anywhere. After Josh Howard’s performance after the Kidd trade and during the NO series, even if someone wants him, we won’t get the return value in it unless he proves himself next season, but then it’s a question of lose a potentially good player after a bad season or hope he just continues to do worse and we get the better end of the deal in the long run.

  32. By Richie Rich on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:32:31 pm

    Ok, now that I’m done crying, let’s get this out.

    Fire Avery ONLY if you know you can get a good coach that has a system these players will fit in.

    Stackhouse needs to retire. He is an old horse that needs to be put out of his misery. He has no endurance…he was dead by the end of the game. He had about 3-4 air balls and did you see how Chandler punked him at the end of the 3rd quarter? And that technical foul was ridiculous. I love Stack but it’s time to go

    Then it’s time to start cutting and figuring out what we can get next year, free agents, and possible trades.

    Free agents: Baron Davis, Agent 0(I wish), Shawn Marion (would fit great with Kidd), Jermain O’Neill, Ron Artest, Luol Deng, Elton Brand, Kwame Brown (haha), DESAGANA DIOP, and Antawn Jamison.

    The free agents are loaded this offseason…we have got to do SoMeThInG.

    It’s a sad day in DFW. MFFL.

  33. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:33:06 pm

    Ron Artest? are you kidding? Just what the Mavs need, a complete nutcase. How long until he beats down Cuban?

    Have you ever listened to Ron Ron talk? Not much going on up there. Nobody understands him and that should scare you.

    Ben Gordon sounds interesting.

  34. By camaro32 on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:33:12 pm

    Cuban is an intelligent guy, but he just doesn’t have a basketball mind. I still can’t believe he let Nash go and then turned around and paid Dampier a ridiculous amount of money. Could’ve kept Nash with that money, and it didn’t take an expert to know that Dampier just isn’t very good. Definitely not worth all the money restricting our salary cap.

    He also gave up too much for Kidd without thinking about the future. Jason was pretty unhappy in New Jersey we could’ve probably gotten a better deal for him. If not, then don’t do the trade. I understand that we weren’t going anywhere with the team that we had in place, but trading away draft picks and young players just to try and squeeze 1-2 years out of an aging point guard just was not a good idea. The thing is, if we wanted Kidd so badly, we should’ve gone out and got him 2-3 years ago. He has been available. Cuban got aggressive because the other teams in the West kept getting better while the Mavs were happily staying the same each season (and getting older because of it). Add to that the signing of has-been 30 somethings like Eddie Jones and Juwan Howard and we were basically killing our depth. What’s sad is that there are Dampier caliber centers like Kurt Thomas floating around the league who you can sign for the vet minimum.

    Really, we have no cap space or draft picks and our future has been mortgaged to an aging point, Dirk, and really nobody left to compliment them well. If we can drop Josh Howard, and our senior citizen bench and somehow find a way to pick up a player like Marion who can cut to the rim, play D and shoot from the outside when Dirk draws double teams, we would be the best team in the West again. We really are only 1 piece away still but we need to get lucky in free agency with an outside shooter and we gotta bring in a coach (Rick Carlisle) who knows what he’s doing and can utilize Kidd’s talents and value. We’re stuck with Kidd so we need to make the most of it. Unfortunately, Cuban usually stays idle and two steps behind the crowd when it comes to making decisions.

  35. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:35:53 pm

    Drew,

    I have to admit that Bass looked impressive. Possible option is to use the mid level exception and get another quick scorer and hope bass develops. Dampier sucks.

  36. By camaro32 on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:40:45 pm

    Richie Rich,

    Based off that list, if we were able to even acquire ANY of those guys, it would be an upgrade from the current guys starting in their positions. The dream signings would be Marion or Elton Brand but Deng, Artest and O’Neill would all come at a cheaper value. I have no idea how any of this would work into our cap, but if I were Cuban, I would do whatever it takes to get one of these guys…especially Marion who would be the perfect fit.

  37. By Richie Rich on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:42:40 pm

    How come Antoine Wright isn’t getting a chance. This kid is only 23 and played pretty decently when he came to town. Let’s not forget him.

    Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Dirk, and Bass. I think Devean George is a good bench player, if you can’t trade Josh then bring him off the bench, and bring Damp off the bench…i know, it sucks paying him all that $$ on the bench but if someone else is more productive than do it.

    And Ben Gordon?? There are worse but we’ve got to get someone with more firepower and better defense.

  38. By stackhouse HATER on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:43:59 pm

    i cannot stand this guy … never have. for some reason, i think he intentionally went for that double T and get ejected because he knew this game was over and didnt want to go and congratulate byron scott cp3 and west. the guy is just a washed up wannabe jordan and we need to get rid of him! AND JOSH HOWARD!!!

  39. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:48:42 pm

    camaro32,

    Wow! You seem to be blaming Cuban for quite a bit. If he is guilty of anything then it is depending on Dirk too much. He cares, he spends, and he is passionate about people and the NBA.

    You seem to be taking him for granted since everybody else sees a great owner. Spoiled. I’m sure the Seattle fans would LOVE Cuban around.

  40. By Fuller on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:48:45 pm

    Breaking News::: Avery is out as mavs head coach…. You finally got your wish…..

  41. By Eric on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:50:45 pm

    Please for the love of God, FIRE AVERY. This guy flat out sucks. The way he prepares this team sucks. He sucks. Avery not starting Bass over this NO TALENT OVER PAID Dampier is such bull. Also, while your cleaning up the garbage PLEASE GET RID OF Eddie Jones, Juan Howard, George and Stackhouse. PLEASE someone answer me this. WHY WASN’T JASON TERRY STARTING ALL YEAR. That guys great.

  42. By Dick Chambers on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:52:05 pm

    First the good news…..This dismal playoff run is now over for the mavs, so now we can concentrate our full efforts as fans to support the dallas stars. They are the ones who finished their regular season on a high note, winning like 12 out of last 14 games.They upset Anaheim in the first round (Anaheim won the Stanley Cup last year)-a series they were supposed to lose. They are winning their 2nd round series vs. San Jose. Again, not supposed to be happening. Finally, they have pulled some dramatic finishes, played great at clutch time, and have come back from big deficits to win. They are playing with a lot of heart.

    As I look into my crystal ball, this is what I see…The Mavs and Avery will part ways very soon…..The mavs will be even worse next year and begin their new run of missing the playoffs…Even though I think Dirk should be traded for the sake of accelerating our lottery draft picks or bringing us at least 2 promising players and an expiring contract, and getting this team turned around quicker- I know that Cubes will not be able to stomach trading dirk and insist on bringing in a new coach to work with him, bass, and maybe josh howard…..

  43. By Fuller on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:52:11 pm

    They already have…

    Avery has been fired as mavs headcoach…

  44. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:54:03 pm

    Wow. Did you see Pauls stats? He is unreal. Perhaps I’m so down on Kidd because Paul is that good.

    Your point is mid 30’s, bad knees, and can’t shoot,

    Paul takes over the game. Distributes, and had a triple double.

    Ouch!

  45. By shutup fuller on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:54:18 pm

    this is a tough time for all mavs fans! why are u playin with our emotions fuller!

  46. By Greg on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:56:39 pm

    Avery has NOT been fired yet. ESPN radio reported something Mark Stein said before the game. Stein said IF the Mavs lost Avery would be gone. However it has NOT happened yet. Cuban gave a “No Comment” when asked per the DMN Blog.

  47. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:57:34 pm

    Wow. Promoting the NHL. Things aren’t looking good for the Mav fans

  48. By Fuller on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:58:44 pm

    Well they lost right???

    ok well He’s done by friday…

  49. By mike on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:07:48 pm

    Bean Town Fan,

    You’re one to talk about point guards. You have Rajon frickin’ Rondo… we have a future HOF. There’s no comparison between the two.

  50. By jp on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:10:14 pm

    I think either Avery has to be fired or Josh Howard has to be traded and before everybody jumps on me, I think Howard should be traded, they should get rid of jones, juan howard, and stackhouse, rehire del harris as assistant coach, get some young energy bench players with alot of upside, and try to get an athletic quick 2 guard for Josh Howard that can slash to the basket and knock down open threes, I think George could play the 3, and hopefully they can resign Diop. Dallas lost this series not because Avery adjusted too slowly, (though his bad coaching decisions basically ruled out a chance for them to win one of those first 2 games) but basically because Josh Howard sucked, and they had no bench play other then Bass (who really played a starter role) and George. When Dallas went to the finals they had a solid bench full of young energy players, kind of like New Orleans has now, they need to rejuvenate and get rid of howard he can’t spell basketball.

  51. By TC on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:11:28 pm

    Cuban is so laughable!!!!!

    Go Spurs!

  52. By vic wightman on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:12:39 pm

    Way to go Avery!!! San Antonio loves you… and if you get fired here you can certainly get a job there. Good valet parkers are hard to find .
    On second thought the X’s and O’s might overwhelm you so how about handing out towels in the restroom? That’s where your coaching skills belong, in the toilet!!!! You took a good team to the shitter and flushed them. Lets hope Cuban does the same with you…for no matter how much you “aspire to win” , winning is not about passing the buck, or blaming players for your cluelessness We wish you well in prison for impersonating an NBA coach.

  53. By jp on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:15:34 pm

    Also, I’d like to say that their is still hope for this team, they at least have Nowitzki in his prime, he’s still a top five player, he played solid this series their team just couldn’t hit shots and there weren’t really any players coming off the bench to give this team a lift, again bass and george don’t count since dampier and howard gave very little to help dallas win.

  54. By Dick Chambers on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:24:44 pm

    Stars win in OT 2-1!!!!!……Stars lead 3-0 aginst San Jose and may sweep!!!

    ***News Flash*** -A little bird just whispered the most beautiful thing in my ear. Mark cuban and Avery will hold press conference tomorrow afternoon……stay glued…..

  55. By Dick Chambers on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:25:31 pm

    well…at least one of our dallas teams is headed to the conference finals……

  56. By Yash on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:27:16 pm

    I hope Cuban fires AJ.
    The only 4 players worth keeping are Dirk, Terry, Kidd, and Bass.

  57. By killedbystupidtrade on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:27:16 pm

    first of all,the Kidd trade was one of the worst trades I’ve ever seen in sports !! there was no need for it,the Mavs would have been in the same shape or probably better without the trade,now we’re stuck with an old has been point guard who can’t shoot !! this team will never get a championship if Nowitzki is the best player,I don’t know if there is a way,but the Mavs need a genuine superstar that Dirk can play the role of a Scottie Pippen under,Josh Howard really went downhill this year,he’s no all star and he showed it this year,get rid of him and Jason Terry and all those old worthless bench guys,but who do we get in return ? Cuban better do some major dealing this summer or we can expect the same thing next season !!

  58. By vic wightman on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:28:42 pm

    Bye Bye sweet potatoe pie, take your mushmouth and your suits to the cleaners to dry.You won’t need them again unless 40 NBA coaches die.
    Mark Cuban is drinking alot of whiskey and rye,
    singing
    Don Nelson really was the guy, coulda signed Steve Nash if I tried…Avrey’s bullshit was a lie

  59. By Why on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:29:31 pm

    Why will you fired a guy who just led you to the finals 2 years ago???

  60. By Why on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:30:11 pm

    This site is overrated Avery stays this site go’s!!!!!!!!!!

  61. By gi on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:32:05 pm

    keep Dirk, Kidd, and Bass…start moving everyone else around if possible, might as well blow it up now. I love Terry to death, but it’s been proven that we can’t get to the next level with him, same for Howard. all of the rest are total non-factors

  62. By vic wightman on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:33:28 pm

    Avery Johnson’s career in Dallas served one purpose..He sucked all the puss out of all the pimples on Mark Cuban’s ass. Now he should move on to bigger and better asses to suck!!!

  63. By Andrew on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:45:04 pm

    Just got back from the Stars game….really love seeing the premier sports team of Dallas get it done!

  64. By vic wightman on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:49:28 pm

    Dump the Lil Egomaniac, and get back Dell the Brainiac. Avery suck’s balls!!! Hire the magic 8-ball as the coach and you would get further in the playoff’s cause Avery can’t read, he surely can’t draw up a play or make half time adjustments…except to his hair for the interviews he would allways do. His ego swallowed this team…it was allways the team’s fault and never his. Did you ever notice how he was allways willing to be miked up for TV? Yet a Maverick fan would cringe to hear what he was telling the team…NOTHING!

  65. By Will on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:53:34 pm

    Fire Mark Cuban! Oh, no . . . I guess we can’t fire the owner, although this debacle is unequivocally his fault. Give the coach a break, guys! He had to play the crappy hand that Cuban dealt him. He had a better team at the start of the season, and it’s not his fault that his owner made a STUPID mid-season trade that doomed the team. Firing Avery is the very LAST thing Cuban should do. The first is to give himself a swift kick in the ‘nads for being such an idiot.

  66. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:54:06 pm

    Your Star Can’t FINISH GAMES

    Your coach is not the root cause. I haven’t heard a single bad thing about Dirk in this entire post. Are you all on some sort of David Hasseloff/German dope train?

    You are not going to win a championship with Dirk. Nash should of stayed. Dampier was a mistake.

    Trade Dirk, suck up a bad year. and Make some key moves in 2010. Kidds’ contract will be done

  67. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:56:13 pm

    Even Better. Get Carmelo and remove Dirk. Carmelo will come with a chip on his shoulder and Dirk can get some new scenary.

    Come on… your intriged!

  68. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:00:06 pm

    Or package somebody with Howard and get Carmelo?? Denver can’t keep both guys.

    I’m getting excited again for the Mavs. Dirk and Melo. Watch out!

  69. By Avery's a bum on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:02:45 pm

    Get Marion and do it immediately. I mean, right after you fire Avery, dump George and Allen and trade Howard and Stackhouse.

  70. By Greg on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:03:03 pm

    I’m actually completely down with getting Carmelo in here. Bill Simmons in his chat today had the same suggestion, trade Howard and whatever for Carmelo. Would be a great deal as far as I’m concerned.

  71. By Avery's a bum on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:04:20 pm

    I’d be happy with ‘Melo, but I’d rather have Camby.

  72. By Jose on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:11:58 pm

    I didn’t think the Mavs had enough to beat the western conference this year. They lost too many close games during the season and towards the end of the season against the NBA elite. What happened? Just last year I thought the league should just hand the title to the Mavs. They crushed everyone, almost 70 wins! And then they lost to a .500 golden state team!! The year before that, they lost in the finals.

    Jason Kidd is still a great point guard. Yeah he’s not as quick but he plays great defense (when he can catch up) and is a triple double threat every night.

    The team needs a detox. I’m open for having a fire sell. First things first. FIRE AVERY JOHNSON!! 2nd lets rebuild!!! Think about marketing a possible trade for DIRK for younger, more athletic players. Jason Kidd contract expires so the possibility of resigning him for less, trading him, or not resigning him saves money.

    Get rid of that pathetic Dampier and the rest of the wheelchair bound veterans (stackhouse, george, howard, jones)!!! Josh Howard gotta go!!! For one he had a horrible series. He has to be more aggressive and stop settling with outside jumpers. TAKE IT TO THE TIN DAMN IT!!! He’s made the most idiotic comments about weed. Even if you do smoke weed, I don’t care but you don’t make it public STUPID!!! Your a role model, whether you like it or not. Say goodbye to those free autographs at whatever bank is sponsoring you. Ohh and vitamin water too. TRADE Josh Howard too.

    The Dallas Mavericks are not the NEW YORK YANKEES. The City is let down already. So there’s not a need to win a championship now, YOU BLEW IT twice MAvericks!! REBUILD GET YOUNGER, MORE ATHLETIC, AND MORE CLUTCH!!! DALLS IS SOFT AND HAS NO HEART!!!

    WE NEED MORE GUYS LIKE BRANDON BASS!!! HE TAKES IT TO TIN AND HE ’s A GOOD PERIMETER SHOOTER. TRADE UP IN THE DRAFT AND GO FOR ROSE!!! DETOX THE MAVERICKS!!! LARRY BROWN WOULD OF BEEN AWESOME BUT THEY MISSED THE BOAT AGAIN!!! GO MAVS 2010-11 season Hopefully!!!

  73. By Jose on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:12:49 pm

    MAKE A MOVE FOR LERBON JAMES!!! HIS CONTACT WITH CLEVELAND WILL BE UP SOON!!!!

  74. By BeanTown Fan on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:16:21 pm

    JOSE,

    JUST BECAUSE YOU TYPE WITH THE CAPS LOCK ON, AND LIKE TO USE EXCLAMATION POINTS, DOESN’T MEAN YOUR POINT IS MORE IMPORTANT.

    Careful what you wish for. Rebuilding can be absolutely painful. It can also last longer then you think. If free agents chose other locations, you are stuck with money and a crappy team

  75. By Jose on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:34:55 pm

    Dirk is not a superstar he’s a super sidekick!! He’s not clutch!!! He’s always trying to make contact instead of trying to make the winning shot. Have you ever witnessed Jordan trying to get a foul when the game is on the line? Hell no He focused on making the shot and 90% of time he DID!! DIRK’s similar to Rasheed Wallace. Wallace couldn’t win as numbero uno in Portland but once he became a 2nd fiddle in Detroit THEY WON. DIRK IS ROBIN not BATMAN. MAVERICK FIRESELL!!! TRADE DIRK!! TRADE HOWARD!! TRY TO GET THE TRADE FOR TERRY FOR MAGGETTE AGAIN!!! DETOX DALLAS!!! TRADE UP FOR ROSE!!! TRADE UP!!!!

  76. By Jessica on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:35:16 pm

    So, if we fire Avery, who would be the possible replacements?

    I know most Mavs fans will say Del Harris, and though he has turned down head coaching offers elsewhere, he is most likely to come out of semi-retirement for the Mavs, right?

    D’Antoni? (I’m not necessarily suggesting or endorsing here)

    Too bad Skiles has already been hired…(I dunno, he could’ve been ok with us, maybe)

    The Knicks want Thibodeaux (I have no idea how to spell that and don’t wanna look it up)

    The Spurs have some good assistant coaches, but I don’t want another ex-Spur coach (bias maybe)

    Prunty, Westphal?…Ellie?

    Again, I’m not saying I think any of these guys would be good or bad, just wanna hear your thoughts. And please, excuse me if I missed someone obvious.

  77. By Greg on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:39:55 pm

    No posts with all caps please. Watch the language too.

  78. By Will on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:41:05 pm

    Hey, the Suns’ season is over now, too. You reckon they’ll fire that West Virginia cracker coach they got just because their owner made a STUPID mid-season trade for a has-been?

  79. By Greg on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:45:01 pm

    Yes, I fully expect D’Antoni to be fired this off-season too.

  80. By Will on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:46:14 pm

    That would be sad as well. Oh, well, the world ain’t supposed to be fair. Right?

  81. By Norsktroll on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:59:42 pm

    Time for the Mavs to rebuild, i.e. trade up in the draft to get a much better pick, and get at least one quality free agent for the MLE. Don’t know if this should happen with or w/o Avery, I don’t really care, but the roster is just not good enough. Could let the contracts of everyone but Dirk, Terry and Bass expire or trade (if that was possible, which it won’t be). Lets go through the roster:

    Allen: Worthless, expiring contract
    Barea: Pretty worthless, expiring contract
    Bass: Only bench energy guy , need more. 1 year left. Extend asap.
    Dampier: Pretty worthless, 3 years left on gigantic $30 mil. contract. Probably untradeable
    George: Mediocre, expiring contract, might be useful in a sign-and-trade for a pick or something
    Josh Howard: Good, 2 years left worth $20 mil., best trade asset
    Juwan Howard: Washed up, expiring contract. Let it expire
    Jones: Pretty worthless, see George
    Kidd: Let’s just say not great, 1 year left at $20 mil., might be valuable in a trade later that year. Also cost 2 picks that might have been useful now.
    Lue: Mediocre, expiring small contract, might be re-signed as a backup
    Magloire: See Juwan Howard
    Nowitzki: Best player, only starter who really fought hard. 3 years left on contract. Trading him would be total reboot.
    Stackhouse: Mediocre at best, 2 years left at 13 mil. Second best trade asset
    Terry: Only scorer besides Dirk, 3 years left at 27 mil. Keep.
    Antoine Wright: Didn’t get nearly enough playing time, expiring contract, consider extension

    It should also be noted that Bradley and Finley finally come off the salary roll now finally (yes, those were still on at almost $24 mil), although thanks to the Kidd trade we are still way over the cap.

  82. By seriously? on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:03:22 am

    Typical hot-headed Dallas solutions. That’s all see here. And I live in Dallas, so I understand all too well how irrational you can be at times.
    You want to fire AJ? Be my guest, it’ll only put your team back a few years more. Or you can keep him, let him try to reorganize the team around Kidd, but also let him structure it to his style of play. Mark Cuban should be the one kicked out. That narcissist handed Avery a bad solution, and then said “Fix It.” At least give him a chance to do that during the off-season…no wonder AJ looks so dead lately, you guys went from supporting him to blaming him for all the problems in less than a year.

    Go Spurs!

  83. By Jose ShutUp on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:05:24 am

    Jose, shut up. You’re annoying

  84. By WiseOne on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:06:42 am

    Avery and Kidd need to go…can’t trade pothead Howard anymore, no trade value

    Bring in Baron Davis. He is a free agent

  85. By Big D= Depressed on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:08:26 am

    Avery, although I like the guy, has to go. He has been outcoached for 3 straight playoff series. I think he will become a really good coach but it will not happen in Dallas. Avery is a bit like Bill Parcells in the way he coaches a game. Its the old play to not lose the game mentality. Look at what happened to the Cowboys this past year after Parcells left and they had a coach that played to the team’s strengths and didn’t push his own agenda.

    I really do like Avery but he will not win here with this team. Say what you want about Jason Kidd being a bust but he was not utilized here so in a sense, it was a bad trade. If Avery wants to run the half-court isolation then why even bother with a true point guard? Shawn Bradley could walk the ball up the court and pass it off to Dirk or Howard and then clear out. Sadly, that is what their offense consists of. One must also ask why Brandon Bass did not start games 3 and 4 and 5 after his performances the previous games. Here are some random observations of what I consider to be questionable coaching moves:

    1. Stackhouse continuing to get playing time even though he killed the team offensively and was a liability defensively
    2. JJ Barea even getting his name in the box score which killed the momentum in the first quarter of game 4.
    3. Allowing J-Ho to continue to lauch jump shots
    4. 33 seconds left in game 5 and not fouling in order to extend the game as long as possible
    5. Imploring the same defense against CP3 for games 1 and 2 when it didn’t work at all in game 1.

    Now on to the roster. You must build around Dirk and Bass. Terry should stay as long as he is able to play SG which is his natural position. He at least has heart and energy. Howard appears to be following in the footsteps of Ricky Williams and losing interest in being a professional athlete. Take and make offers that involve him but don’t just give him away. Get the most out of Kidd while he is here unless you can unload his massive salary to a team that wants to free up cap room after next year. Get someone with some attitude that can still play at a high level unlike Stackhouse.

    Now we wait a whole year just to get back to this same place. As far as the coaching situation goes……..

    1. Pat Riley (is it just coincidence that he stepped down as head coach in Miami or has Cuban been working the phones the past week?)
    2. Jeff Van Gundy- goofy guy but he has proven that he can win

  86. By So What Happens on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:12:37 am

    So what happens to this site once Avery gets fired?

  87. By Mavsfan on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:12:41 am

    The worst scenario is we lost in the first round but Avery Johnson remains as head coach. I hope the news on him being fired comes as early as possible.

  88. By Apocalypse34 on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:19:24 am

    BeanTown Fan,

    You’re factually incorrect. Dirk was third in the league in clutch scoring (less than 5 minutes to go, game within 5 points). Again, Dirk was third behind only Kobe and Lebron. If you want to talk about someone not finishing games, look at your own star player. Even Bill Simmons the biggest Boston homer at ESPN admits he can’t finish games.

    As for Avery and the Dallas Mavericks some things obviously need to be done.

    1) Avery’s time is done. The team just doesn’t respond to him anymore as seen with the practice that wasn’t supposed to be before Game 5. He’s a terrible playoff coach who only reached the Finals because Dirk played out of his mind. He escaped criticism from the Finals collapse because the crappy officiating hurt Dallas more than anything. He escaped criticism of the Rockets in 05 when he tried to bang with a half court team because the Mavs came back and won while more TMac losing in the first round stories surfaced.

    Then there’s his playing of favorites while freezing out others. You mean to tell me Marquis Daniels couldn’t have helped the Mavs in this series or against Golden State last year more than Jerry Stackhouse? Daniels wasn’t traded in a salary dump, he was traded because Avery hated him. Stackhouse should’ve averaged no more than 15 minutes a game this season. Instead, he played over 24 mpg. And does it bother anyone else that Stackhouse was seemingly the only one besides Dirk that didn’t have to earn his minutes coming back from an injury?

    2. Speaking of Stackhouse, dump him. Cut him, trade him, force him into retirement. Do something. His time is done. At the beginning of the season I would’ve had no problem with him playing 12-15 minutes a game and being a locker room presence. I don’t even think he can do that anymore.

    The same goes for all these other “band-aid” signings Cuban has made since the 2006 Finals. Eddie Jones, Devean George, and Juwan Howard immediately come to mind.

    3. Trade Josh Howard. He’s just not a good #2 option. His All-Star year was a fluke that Dirk created for him. His career has been plagued with second half/big game disappearances. This series all but killed his trade value, but there’s still terrible GMs across the league that can be duped into taking him.

    My first option would be trying to sucker Michael Jordan to take him for Gerald Wallace. Maybe we can even get Mohammed as a true backup center as well. Wallace gives us athleticism, a little youth, and a player who looks to drive to the hole like Howard used to do before he started chucking contested 18 footers. If not Charlotte then maybe we can talk Chris Wallace into giving us Mike Miller who has a similar contract. Kidd running the floor with Miller on one wing, Terry on the other, and Dirk trailing is a winning offense.

    4. Make some real free agent signings with the MLE. Josh Childress and Mickael Pietrus would be great additions.

    Feedback welcome.

  89. By fredm on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:35:55 am

    he is gone, good luck!

  90. By Ronald on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:38:36 am

    Rick Carlisle is also a very talented coach that would bring back some brains to our bench…

  91. By greg on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:52:58 am

    What’s gonna happen to this website once Avery does get fired?
    Will it stop?
    Will it change its name?
    Just wondering.

  92. By camaro32 on Apr 30, 2008 at 1:03:21 am

    As bad as it sucks to be a Mavs fan right now, I definitely think it would be much worse to like the Suns. Pretty much EVERYONE knew that was a horrible trade, and it definitely backfired on them. Now they’re kinda stuck with Shaq’s contract and he’s only going to get worse next year since he will be yet another year older. If Stoudamire doesn’t get suspended for one game in the series last year, the Suns would’ve won it and probably won the championship so I didn’t see the point in blowing the thing up especially when you’re getting 60 cents to the dollar on Marion in that trade.

    Greg, I also read Simmons’s chat and love the idea of a Melo for Josh Howard trade. I could almost believe the Nuggets would entertain it since Melo hasn’t been quite the answer for them and this would take pressure off Dirk and let him do his thing more.

  93. By Arjuna on Apr 30, 2008 at 1:10:59 am

    Just want to let all of you poor Dallas fans know you will not find a better coach than Avery (unless pheonix lets Dantoni go). That being said he still might need to be fired because he obviously has lost these players, and his initial fire he lit under their asses after taking over for Nellie has been gone for over a year now.

    Cuban is the one that needs to take his hands out of the mix. I can’t believe he wanted Kidd. Get out of the way Cuban. Let a BASKETBALL mind make BASKETBALL decisions. You are well on your way to turning your franchise into the next New York Knicks. Avery will be back on his feet in no time cause he is a good coach. I don’t blame you fans for wanting to fire him cause a change needs to be made, but the change needs to be him selling the team.

    Time to start the fireupJosh website, Dallas goes 35-47 in a rebuiling year next under Del Harris (is he still w/ you guys?) So that Josh can fire up on 420 next year.

  94. By Spurred1 on Apr 30, 2008 at 1:11:08 am

    I don’t know about the Melo thing. We really need players that can defend. Melo is not a defender. If we can trade Howard for Melo and sign a couple of defensive minded guys, that would be good. Just Howard for Melo as the only change wouldn’t work, IMO. I really think Artest could help this team. He’s crazy, yes, but he can score and defend. As long as he can control himself, he’d be a great addition.
    Otherwise, you could trade Dirk. I know he’s not the problem but he is the only guy of value. Trade him to a contender and start rebuilding with young guys, if possible.

  95. By Mav in Cali on Apr 30, 2008 at 1:19:47 am

    …just waiting for the good news of Avery’s departure. Get rid of the old folks, keep Dirk, Bass, Terry and Kidd. JHoward KILLED this team’s chances of even being competitive in this series. Hurry up Cuban and pull the trigger!

  96. By Arjuna on Apr 30, 2008 at 1:21:15 am

    As a neutral fan to both Dallas and Denver I can assure you, you will not be able to put a package together for Melo w/o including Dirk Nowitzki

  97. By Xeifrank on Apr 30, 2008 at 2:05:20 am

    Mark Cuban needs to either sell the team or keep his fingers out of the cookie jar. What coach would feel comfortable with their boss/owner breathing down their neck and literally watching over their shoulder. Cuban needs to back off and let the basketball people take care of the basketball operations, and go sit in an owners box or watch on TV. He is a distraction to his coaches and players. He was the one responsible for not resigning two time MVP Steve Nash. He was the one responsible for trading a young and upcoming point guard for an over the hill one. The chickens are coming home to roost Mavericks fans. Look for a steady decline to a .500 team.
    vr, Xeifrank

  98. By Spurred1 on Apr 30, 2008 at 2:41:07 am

    It’s already been announced that D’Antoni is not returning to Phoenix. Didn’t take long for that to happen. Is Avery next?

  99. By FIREAveryNOW on Apr 30, 2008 at 3:54:11 am

    Phoenix Sun has fired D’Antoni who would be a perfect fit for Dallas among others.. Note that D’Antoni ONLY made ONE CRUCIAL MISTAKE in Game 1 by not forcing his players to FOUL being up 3pts & let whinny Duncan made 3 pt shot forcing the 2nd ot.

    LoyalPros:

    DIRK
    TERRY
    KIDD
    BASS
    GEORGE
    JJ BAREA
    LUE

    TraderCons:

    HOWARD
    DAMPIER
    HOWARD
    STACKHOUSE
    JONES

  100. By Christian on Apr 30, 2008 at 4:46:28 am

    I was more disappointed after realizing that this team is done, that was earlier in this series.

  101. By oc on Apr 30, 2008 at 5:48:16 am

    sorry Mavs fans…you tried the Miami blueprint and it did not workout for you. It did for Miami..but I didn’t for you at all…the problem might/or might not be Avery….the problem is the inefficiency and the mental toughness of the core of your team. To add insult to injury, after last year, you bring Kidd the loser from NJ to try to save your team? and worst of all, you bought into it? what you really need is to send this loser somewhere else..and get younger and never ever lose people like Harris who are young and could have learned to win by taking some losses that could have taught some of your young and inexperienced how to win an NBA title….Miami learned by watching Detroit beat them mentally and physically and then the following year they beat them and went on to beat you…..Learn from these experience and avoid the Miami Blueprint ultimate cost: a bottom-out season due to all the financial burdens.

  102. By oc on Apr 30, 2008 at 5:56:11 am

    btw, Dallas fans if you are not careful…you are possibly well on your way to becoming the NY knicks: a team that is a perennial loser and has big financial downfalls…..

  103. By tani on Apr 30, 2008 at 6:25:04 am

    Well, at least Josh Howard seems to be enjoying life no matter what. From what I read on the Internet, it seems that he had a birthday party after the loss in game 4 in dallas. IT IS SAD WHEN FANS CARE MORE ABOUT THE TEAM THAN THE PLAYERS WHO PLAY IN IT. Maybe we cannot trade this moron for a good player, but at least lets trade him for a player that wants to play hard and win (i.e. Bass, Terry, Dirk)

  104. By drew on Apr 30, 2008 at 7:19:39 am

    tani,

    A birthday party is personal. You have a bad day at work, are you going to call off your own birthday party if it was already planned? Get with it, work is separated from personal life. Right when I leave work, I don’t think about work. I don’t get paid enough to worry about work during my own personal time. So just drop the hate towards a player who was probably trying to have a good time to not think about his slump at the worst possible time of the season and his team down. Live a more positive life and you’ll live longer. I’ve had down moments at work but it’s not like I’m gonna go home and cry about it, bring everyone else down with me in the process. This site is depressing, all the comments are just emotional depressing fans who are not thinking rationally. I started mavsfanforlife dot net for those wanting to have more constructive conversations instead of just hating life cause your team lost to the better team this year.

  105. By tani on Apr 30, 2008 at 8:19:38 am

    “I don’t get paid enough to worry about work during my own personal time.”

    drew,
    here is your problem. You don’t have a passion for your job. Neither does Josh Howard. I get paid well, but I don’t do it for the money, but I do it because I love my job. It you don’t love your job, it is not surprising that you are going to think about it. That is how Josh Howard is. For him and so many other professional players is about getting millions and partying. However, if you want to win, you have to sacrifice and concentrate. Josh Howard performance in this series and his stupid comments speak for itself. I don’t have to saying anything, but 25% shooting from the field is not going to get it done.

    By they way, do you ever wonder why the spurs have gotten 4 rings in the last 10 years. Well, maybe it is because I haven’t heard about duncan, parker, and ginobili partying hard during the playoffs. If you want to win, you have to sacrifice. Those guys play with heart. The Mavs have few players thay play with passion and they are never going to win if that doesn’t change.

  106. By Jessica on Apr 30, 2008 at 9:20:34 am

    I read that Van Gundy doesn’t want to work for Cuban and Pat Riley isn’t an option because he has announced his intention to stay in Miami as GM.

    D’Antoni?!?

    That could be good, but today’s daily dime seemed to indicate that the relationship between he and his team has been pretty similar to the one between Avery and the Mavs.

    Avery isn’t an awful coach, he’s just not right for the Mavs and their team of, well, veteran players. Avery needs a young team to whip into shape. He’d probably love that. After reading all these posts, I just feel the need to say that I don’t hate Avery.

    Of course, it’s hard to think of any good options…

  107. By Jessica on Apr 30, 2008 at 9:22:58 am

    Oh, an neutral Nuggets fan, are you kidding me? Trading for Melo would have to be a package that included Dirk? Do you really think Melo is worth Dirk and then some?

    That’s ridiculous. Just ridiculous.

  108. By Mark on Apr 30, 2008 at 9:41:09 am

    Fire Avery then notice how many 30+ year old veterans are shining in the playoffs right now. Not very many.

  109. By drew on Apr 30, 2008 at 10:11:02 am

    tani,

    I actually love my job. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t do it and find a new job or profession. But I know how to separate my job from my personal life. I don’t need someone telling me I don’t love my job without really knowing me and what I tried to express in some type of defense for a player wanting to celebrate his own birthday. I’m just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt as a human being who celebrates something personal to him and only him.

  110. By Mark on Apr 30, 2008 at 10:18:00 am

    Jessica are you kidding? Avery isn’t an awful coach? What would he need to do to qualify as awful in your eyes? Incredible.

  111. By drew on Apr 30, 2008 at 11:39:06 am

    Mark,

    I agree. Owners and teams appoint coaches to do just that, coach the team. If the team isn’t willing to do what the coach wants with his style, then they all lose.

    Nelson brought great offense but no defense. No defense doesn’t win championships. Look at the Suns, Mike D’Antoni’s style is similar to Nelson’s and it didn’t get the Suns very far at all. They lost to the Spurs 3 of the past 4 years in the playoffs, at least the Mavs can compete against the Spurs with their new defense that Avery brought with him.

  112. By Arjuna on Apr 30, 2008 at 12:52:53 pm

    JESSICA-I think you mistook what I was saying. I don’t know who is worth more, I know I would not want either player on my team. I’ll I know is neither is getting traded to the other team unless the are BOTH going opposite directions. I.E the nuggets want accept any of your 2nd and 3rd teir trash fr their FRANCHISE player.

    Does that make sence?

  113. By Apocalypse34 on Apr 30, 2008 at 1:27:03 pm

    I don’t want Melo anywhere near this team. First off, superstars are rarely traded for superstars. It doesn’t happen. The closest thing we’ve had is Shaq in Marion over the years. Iverson was for a package. Garnett was for a package. Kidd was for a package. Gasol was for a package. Second, Melo is a ball stopper that plays zero defense and is just as soft as Howard is. He’ll eventually want to be the first option, it’s just how he is. He’s not the answer.

    As far as coaching replacements, my first choice is Rick Carlisle. No one went through more team turmoil than he did in Indiana after the Brawl at Detroit. The fact that he kept that ship upright as long as he did is testament to his knowledge of the game.

  114. By JOSE on Apr 30, 2008 at 2:03:33 pm

    Whoever takes over will get a roster of expensive, aging players.

    Dirk Nowitzki is still in his prime, but he turns 30 this summer. Jason Kidd is 35 and likely will be back since his $21 million contract is at the player’s option. It’s the only year left on his contract and he knows he won’t get more than that on the open market.

    For better or worse, the rest of the starting lineup is signed, too. That includes Howard, the only player under contract who is in his 20s. He turned 28 Monday — and his presence at a birthday party held Sunday night after the Game 4 loss to New Orleans reportedly prompted Johnson to cancel the off-day practice that ended up being rescheduled by players.

    Also under contracts that make them tough to trade: Erick Dampier ($11.5 million), Jason Terry ($9.1 million) and Jerry Stackhouse ($7 million).

    Eddie Jones, who will be 37 next season, is likely to exercise a $2 million player option.

    Dallas also has a team option on Brandon Bass, who at this point is their most promising youngster.

    The Mavericks don’t have a first-round pick, having traded it to New Jersey in the Kidd deal.

    Dampier’s presence will be a reminder of the Johnson era. He played with Dampier in Golden State and urged Cuban to sign him, vowing he could get the most out of the big man known mostly as an underachiever. Dampier averaged 6.1 points and 7.5 rebounds over 24.4 minutes per game this season. He’s signed through 2011.

    WOWSERS ALL GREAT POINTS I MADE… I MUST BE ANNOYING!!!

  115. By Spurred1 on Apr 30, 2008 at 2:04:05 pm

    Jose,
    Typing in all caps doesn’t make your post any better. It just makes you look mentally unhinged. Although I do agree with your points on Melo and Nash. Some people are convinced that if Nash and Dirk had been kept together, Dallas would have rings by now. No-Nash is not getting any success in Phoenix, either.Melo is not what we need. I wish there was a solution, but damned if I know what it is…

  116. By Jose on Apr 30, 2008 at 2:22:50 pm

    Okay no more caps. I didn’t know it was an issue with bloggers.

  117. By ihatekidd on Apr 30, 2008 at 2:42:24 pm

    get some athletes on this team now! that’s the solution, some people that can go up and finish above the rim consistently (since we’re stuck with Kidd for another year)…maybe a good D-Harris type backup for Kidd also and a consistent 3 point shooter

  118. By Jose on Apr 30, 2008 at 2:58:16 pm

    Exactly. A more athletic & younger team that will take it to the tin. I can’t stand when Jason Terry and Josh Howard have a 2 on 1 situation and they settle for a jumper. Or they settle for jumpers throughout the game. The only exciting movement of the playoffs was Brandon Bass throwing it down! Throw it down Big Mam!-Walton.

    Look how young N.O. is and how good they are. They might not win it all, Yet. But you gotta admire their game. CP3 is their only superstar yet they have great chemistry. They remind me of the Nets in their hey day w/ Kidd but CP3 is Kidd to the 10th power. Jason Kidd would easily be the greatest if he only had that perimeter shot.

    I’m glad the world gets to see Joe Johnson. The young Atlanta Hawks will not win but they look awesome. Joe Johnson is having an amazing series. I Love Basketball! Sorry to get off topic but every that can be said is said. Its not in our hands.

    obviously lots of things to get done in the D. Much like the Cowboys. We have to wait until next year… Sit back an enjoy the show ! Mission Accomplished FireAvery.com!

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