What's That Ish You Smoking? - Mullin Edition

Waldini:

Ok, I thought teams didn't have any money.

After losing Davis to the Clippers, the Warriors are going after L.A.'s marquee free agent. Golden State has offered Elton Brand a maximum contract — more than the Clippers have proposed, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Now I see the Warriors are offering Elton Brand max money. Is this retaliation for Davis leaving? Is he worth it? Does it really make the Warriors better? I like Brand, despite his Dukie ties but max for him is crazy. And if he does sign, then the Warriors and Clippers management look like fools for dishing out all this money just to finish in the lottery again.

The 3 of us seriously need to come up with a businessplan to takeover an NBA franchise and run it.

Gangsta D:

Is this retaliation? Shit yeah, it is! lol I agree, it's kind of ridiculous to spend this money knowing full well the hand is stacked against you. If Brand leaves, I wonder if Maggette stays. He would be a fool. If Boston and the Spurs are offering, you jump off the Clipper and swim for better shores. Read more!

You Gonna Cry?!?

Waldini:

It seems everyone wants to be traded these days. Kobe, AK-47, Da Kid aka KG and the latest, the Matrix. I know it's way too early to be discussing NBA since camp hasnt even started yet but hasnt this been the "Cry me a river" offseason. It started with AI in the regular season and it's carried on to the offseason. Top superstars asking out b/c they dont feel love anymore. Whats ur take?

Gangsta D:

I look at it like this. Irrespective of how much money you make, you still want to be happy at your job. If you're not happy at your job, for whatever reason, you're gonna want to make a change. People say, "Well he's making $50 million. He should just suck it up and cash his check." OK, but is that what you teach your kids? As long as you make a lot of money, nothing else matters? Isn't that making it about the money? Don't we hate it when athletes are all about the money, and nothing else. Fans/media can't have it both ways.

Now, ultimately, it may be a HORRIBLE decision to leave. But, everyone should have that right to leave if they want to.

On another note, everyone is going apesh*t because Marion is supposedly a fool for wanting to leave Nash. Isn't it a possibility that he wants to go to another team in order to win a title. Nash is a great player and he resurrected the Suns, but he's never been to the Finals. Dallas went to the Finals without him. It's not like the Suns are the only team Marion could ever possibly win a title with.

Da Realist:

I think he's a good complimentary player that needs to make sure to choose the right team for him. He can't really create his own shot and he gets a lot of cheap points (cheap being a relative term here) by beating people down the court for dunks or wide open 3's. He's not a half-court offense kind of guy so he should make sure to go to an uptempo team that has someone that can give him the ball in scoring positions AND has a reliable presence down low to grab rebounds and get those tough buckets needed around playoff time.

Gangsta D:

Utah seems like the best fit, but Sloan would have to let Derron run the show a la Nash.

Da Realist:

Yeah, but you don't know what they're gonna do with andrei kirilinko

Waldini:

Would you trade for Matrix? He's 30, being paid max money and is owed 34 million over the next two years. Realist brought up some great points about his abilities. He's good but max money good?

Da Realist:

If I'm Don Nelson, I would go after him. He's the Nelson prototype. Will they win a title? No. But I don't think either Nelson or Marion cares about that as much as they care about having fun on the court. Could Baron Davis get him the ball? I don't know. He's not a pass-first point guard, but neither was Tim Hardaway and Nelson found way to get Chris Mullin the ball while he was coaching Golden State. Read more!

C'mon Jake. It's Oakland...

Gangsta D:

OK, I was wrong. I thought the Mavs would take control of the series after almost blowing it in Game 5. I didn't respect the power of the beard. I should've known better. But the Mavs should've played better. How do you get served by 25 in Game 6 by the #8 seed? That MVP press conference is gonna be REAL interesting now. How can Stern say that Dirk is the best in the NBA this year when he scored 8 points in an elimination game? What is Dirk gonna say? If he had any balls, he'd refuse the award. I would have more respect for him.

Of course, you do realize the Warriors are going to the conference finals? Unless B-Diddy stays hurt, I can't see either Houston or Utah beating them. A Warriors/Suns final might break the scoreboard. Absolutely NO defense would be played, and at least 4 players would average 30/game. Crazy....

Da Realist:

i agree with D. (read that again ;-)

i would have more respect for him if he refused it.

Gangsta D:

What if the Warriors got to the Finals? Didn't they win it 30 or so years ago? If they won, would that be the biggest story of the last 5 years?

Da Realist:

no way they're getting to the finals. how? with stephen jackson knocking down 7 threes every game? no way. they'll lose to either the suns or the spurs.

Waldini:

I echo Realist's comments a few days on drinking the Warrior Kool-Aid. First team to ever win 67 games and lose in the first round. First 1 seed in the new 1st rd 7 game format to lose to an 8 seed. Home court advantage throughout the playoffs...Gone. I watched the first half and the only Mavs' players who played with any urgency was Stackhouse and Howard.

Dirk basically pulled a Malone. Although no one was whispering in his ear "the Mailman doesnt deliver on Sundays"

Da Realist:

to compare dirk to karl malone is doing karl a disservice. the mailman wasn't "clutch" but he couldn't have been THIS bad in clutch situations, could he? he didn't do too well against us except for a couple of games, but he couldn't have been this bad. i'll have to review the dvds...

Waldini:

You'll need to review more than just your Bulls tapes amigo. This goes back to the early 90s, while in his prime, his teams routinely flamed out (see '95 1st rd exit vs Hou, 60 win team, lose in 5, Malone chokes BIG time in game 5). It wasnt until the Sonics and Rockets either got older or broken up when the Jazz finally broke through.

Mailman is a great player. So is Dirk. I just wouldnt have them on the floor if the game's on the line.

Da Realist:

i just can't put dirk on karl's level. i just can't.

Waldini:

ok in terms of ability, Mailman is superior. I am only comparing their playoff failures....is that fair?

Gangsta D:

It's more than fair. I still can't believe he only got 8 points. That's crazy...

Da Realist:

it ain't just that he scored only 8 points. his team QUIT last night. you can't say malone quit at any point. Read more!

Anybody Need A Howitzer With a Busted Barrel?

Da Realist:

does the maverick ride end tonight? i'm this close to drinking the warriors kool-aid. as much as i assumed the rowdy dallas fans would light a fire in them, i can't help but remember how miami beat them 4 straight times last year, including game 6 in dallas.

that shows a lack of ability to make adjustments, but more importantly, a lack of heart. i guess we'll see tonight.

Gangsta D:

As far as Dirk is concerned, the series is already over:) Can you imagine if Kobe had said what Dirk said before Game 4? You wanna talk about vilified. For some reason, Dirk gets credit for his "candor." He needs to start dominating the Warriors, cause they have no answer for him. I'm usually on Dirk's side because I think he's a good player, but if they screw the pooch on this one, he'll have a long way to go to get respect.

Da Realist:

dirk is soft. i told you that last year. when the most fearless member of your team is your coach, you have a problem.

Gangsta D:

True. When your coach is the most ride-or-die member of your organization, you might need a transplant of some sort.

I know people are calling out Avery, but this is only his third year as a coach. I'm willing to cut him more slack than Dirk. Dirk is not upper echelon. Everyone wants him to be Larry Bird, but he isn't. If the Warriors get up early, will they wilt? If Dirk doesn't put his big boy pants on, they'll be fishing this weekend.

Da Realist:

also note...i think everyone forgot how good baron davis used to be. i guess he's showing us something now that he's out of the backwoods of charlotte.

there's a real chance the 2 nba finalists from last year will not make it out of the first round. does this say something about the strength of the league, parity or both?

Gangsta D:

I just think every team has players capable of taking over games and winning series. You really didn't have that in the past, but the players today are so much more talented. Maybe not better overall players, but the individual skill levels are off the charts. I don't think it's a bad thing necessarily. It's definitely interesting. if the Warriors win, they'll be the toast of the league. Merch sales will go through the roof, and they will be on nat'l tv several times next year.

Da Realist:

i actually think the opposite. i'm actually quite shocked at how little buzz the golden state/dallas series is creating. compared to 1994 when denver beat seattle, basketball nation is snoozing. dirk will probably win MVP! when was the last time an impending mvp lost in the first round without being hurt? a year after getting to the finals?

i think this should be talked about more, but i don't hear much dallas chatter at the water cooler.

Gangsta D:

If they beat the mavs tonight, trust me NBA nation will be buzzing. Read more!

You Close Or You Hit The Bricks!

Gangsta D:

Before the playoffs started I said the Warriors reminded me of the Lakers last year. Well, here we are. They're up 3-1 going back to Dallas. Do they have enough to win 1 out of the next 3 games? The crowd was acting like they won the series, but it ain't over yet. I know that better than anyone:) If they come out hungry and focused, they can close it out in 5. If they lose game 5, then the Mavs will win the series. You can't give a good team any room to breathe. Look at the Bulls.

Speaking of which, I guess we should congratulate Realist on his 1st series win since graduation! A double thanks for eliminating the Heat in 4:)

Da Realist:

a backhanded congratulations if i ever heard one...but i'll take it!

i think the warriors could lose game 5 and still conceivably win game 6 at home. but they have to win it there. similar to this quote -- "the titanic was built to withstand water in 4 compartments, not five...not five."

this series is built for the warriors to win in six games, not seven....not seven.

Gangsta D:

On the face of it, maybe it seems like they can recover. But they only have one player that's gone deep in the playoffs, and you CAN'T count on Stephen Jackson for stability in a pinch:) I'll put it like this, if they lose by double digits in game 5, then they'll lose the seires. If it's a close loss, they may have chance.

Da Realist:

if there was ever a game for dallas to breathe fire and win by 20, game 5 is it. everybody is going to make shots, the crowd will be nuts, and the refs will probably favor the home team a bit. i'd be surprised if GS wins this game. in fact, i'll be surprised if GS comes within 10 points.

not to say they shouldn't try, but if they are smart they wouldn't get too bent out of shape over game 5. dallas will have everything working for them. i think it's make or break for GS in game 6.

if GS somehow someway wins game 5, dirk can forget about the MVP award -- even if it is a regular season award. and wouldn't dallas now become the biggest joke in nba history? 67 wins? and you flop in the first round? if this was best of 5, dallas would have already lost.

Gangsta D:

I don't know. Aren't the votes already tabulated? It would be hilarious for him to get his trophy at a press conference instead before a game. Would you even show up? And yes, that would make the Mavs the biggest flops in NBA history. The '94 Sonics weren't nearly this heralded. Read more!