turning point in the season?

by OaktownWarrior on Apr 29, 2007 7:52 AM CDT

it's too early for warriors fans to count their chickens, or for mavs loyalists to focus on the cowboys 100%, but this question may be worth considering: did avery johnson blow the season by tanking the second to last game of the season against the warriors?

it has probably been discussed here before, but the way avery approached that game could be explained in multiple ways: (1) he simply wanted to rest the guys; (2) he didn't want to show the warriors anything in case they played in the playoffs; (3) he was scared of losing a mental edge if the mavs tried to win and failed; or (4) he was doing don nelson a favor in appreciation for the opportunity nelson gave him.

of course, in retrospect, if the mavs had gone all out that game, they could have precluded all this drama currently unfolding in oakland.

what do you think: was avery being strategic? did he out-think himself? did fear cloud his judgment? or did he make a fatal mistake of generosity?

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i think he did what he had to do

trying to beat the warriors right there and going all out i believe was not an option. pretty much for the reasons you mentioned the main one being

If the Mavericks had gone all out and lost - they would be screwed and while the media and everyone was saying that the warriors beating the mavericks was impossible and recent success was a fluke, the mavericks believed otherwise

I still think the turning point may have been when avery adjusted to nellie in game one by starting small.

by Mike Dirkleavy on Apr 29, 2007 12:12 PM CDT reply actions

Based on this series

There was no way they could have beat them that night anyway

"Golden State sucks as a city" - Charles Barkley

by branwilson on Apr 30, 2007 12:06 AM CDT reply actions

Please

as if that mattered one way or the other

by Frisco Zig on Apr 30, 2007 1:01 AM CDT reply actions

The Warriors would have still won.

That game still would have been a playoff game to the Warriors and they would have still won.

The game people seem to forget is the Clippers vs Dallas game a week earlier. That is where the Mavs could have controlled their own destiny.

There still isn't any evidence that the Mavs could have beat the Warriors at the Oracle. But the Mavs beating the Clippers sent the Warriors to the playoffs, because Clips had the tiebreaker over the Warriors and the Clippers losing put them behind in the loss column over the Warriors.

by audionetsucks on Apr 30, 2007 1:25 AM CDT reply actions

Avery is the best

i def believe Avery let Nelson get to him....Avery for some reason seems to believe that he is below Nelson...yeah Nelson was our coach forever but Avery made us the strong team that has the best record this year!!! He should not let Nelson step over him or feel like he is overshadowed......Avery is THE coach that made the Mavs and he should not let the pass come in to play and allow it to lower him

Shocked and Pissed

by Liz @ Mavs Moneyball on Apr 30, 2007 11:11 AM CDT reply actions

the answer that makes the most sense

probably been said here before but the Mavs wanted the Warriors to win out hoping for them to surpass the Lakers into the 7th seed, giving the Mavs a first round matchup with the Lakers. If they expected the Suns to beat the Clips (the Suns played their starters alot of minutes but still lost), this made the most sense.

Rest/ avoiding damaging psychological effect of losing probably factored in too

The doing Nelson a favor argument is idiotic.

by gsw4life on Apr 30, 2007 6:56 PM CDT reply actions