"Championship or Bust"

by Toddy on Sep 30, 2008 3:30 PM CDT Comment 13 comments

Tim is reporting live from camp on somethings he noticing...

But Rick Carlisle's Mavs have the bar set high. There's still a championship-or-bust tone coming from Mark Cuban's employees at the AAC.

"You know, everybody's writing us off," Dirk Nowitzki said, "but I think we're a lot closer than everybody thinks."

"We've got a training camp with everybody together," Dirk said. "That's definitely something we missed last season - getting everybody on the same page with Jason [Kidd], him knowing all the plays by heart and the defensive calls. I don't think all the time we were on the same page. If you want to be one of the best, everybody has to pull on the same string."

Nothing really new here, as this stuff was being spit out by the Mavs FO even before the playoffs started last year. They still are stuck on that theory though heading into camp, which is good given that no major moves were made this off-season.

My question is though, if things dont turn out as planned, how long before they realize we are a still a SG short of a championship contender, and if that move is made how long before we see a repeat of the "well, we need a full training camp together" statements again should the Mavs get knocked out in the first round?

Poll

Will a full training camp cure the Mavs of their first round exit woes?

Yes

95 votes

No

73 votes

168 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 13 comments

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Comments

Carlisle must have something up his sleeve,

championship and you’re a new coach. I like the attitude though. But the only thing I care about is results.

The offensive machine rolls in Texas.

by srdmad on Sep 30, 2008 5:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I sure hope the Mavs find that SG to share the position with Terry in camp. Green anyone?

At least I think his chances to be a factor are not worse than those of the Celtics trying to replace Posey with Walker and Miles which somehow all pundits buy.

We're young in age, but deep in experience - Brandon Roy.

by Norsktroll on Sep 30, 2008 6:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I can't believe how unexcited I am about this season...

I can’t find a single reason to really get myself pumped up about this season…

by N41D on Oct 2, 2008 12:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Dirk "The Legend" Nowitzki.

The offensive machine rolls in Texas.

by srdmad on Oct 2, 2008 3:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll wait until he doesn't choke off a playoff series...

To get excited about him again…

I guess it’s just one of those situations where yet again nothing this team does in the regular season matters… If they win 45 games and squeek into the playoffs, I’m not gonna be excited. If they win 55+ I still won’t be excited because we’ve seen that before…

I just don’t know that I’ll be able to get genuinely excited about this team until they win a playoff series again…

by N41D on Oct 2, 2008 8:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah,

it’s not like he was the most statistically efficient player in the playoffs or anything like that right?

The offensive machine rolls in Texas.

by srdmad on Oct 4, 2008 12:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Did they win?

Oh, that’s right…

I don’t care about his stats. He didn’t lead this team anywhere. And he hasn’t. He got out-starred, if you will, by Dwyane Wade two years ago… He choked off the Golden State series after winning the MVP… And he didn’t help lead this team anywhere last year…

Like I said, win a playoff series, and I’ll get excited about this team again…

by N41D on Oct 4, 2008 3:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So it's his fault, Howard can't shoot in the clutch.

It’s his fault Stackhouse couldn’t make plays. It’s his fault Terry didn’t have multiple good games. It’s his fault that whoever was guarding Chris Paul, couldn’t guard him.

I still spell Dirk, MVP.

by srdmad on Oct 5, 2008 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So it’s his fault, Howard can’t shoot in the clutch.

It’s partly his fault Howard is even taking shots in the clutch… You’re the superstar. Demand the ball and take over down the stretch. I don’t recall Dirk doing that against New Orleans… Do you?

by N41D on Oct 6, 2008 12:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

you can say what you want

about not being excited about this team, or having faith…but when you start to question Dirk after this past year, I think it’s pretty foolish. After the exit to the Warriors, I was kinda thinking the same thing as you are now…but then again, he was double and TRIPLE teamed! But this past year, Dirk did everything he could. The rest of the team, and Avery in particular, didn’t step up. Well…mostly Howard.

"Calmer than you are... "

by Walter Sobchak on Oct 6, 2008 4:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Clutch meaning playoffs.

Since Howard can’t shoot in the clutch, he can’t shoot in the playoffs, because every shot is clutch.

I still spell Dirk, MVP.

by srdmad on Oct 7, 2008 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hear ya

It doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you come in first.

by Super Saiyan Patrick on Oct 2, 2008 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm a season ticket holder that wanted out

after a second consecutive first round exit. Then I started thinking, without outside influence, that Kidd deserves a full camp with this team. That Howard deserves another chance ON the court…not so sure about his off court antics, but the guy has gotten better every year before fading in the playoffs this year. That Bass will get better this year than he was last year. That with Diop back, Damp will be better off, and that tandem is pretty strong. And that even though we retained Jones, Stackhouse and George, we have Antoine Wright, Reshawn Terry and Gerald Green bringing in some young, athletic talent into the fold…it’ll be exciting to see at least one of them grow to be a dependable part of the rotation this year. And finally, that even after Avery took us to the Finals for the first time ever, that his style is gone and the players and fans can look forward to a new look that (hopefully) utilizes the strengths of this team, which depressing as the outcome has been recently…there are still plenty left, to their fullest ability.

I’m excited about this year. I haven’t written them off, and I won’t until the year is officially over.

"Calmer than you are... "

by Walter Sobchak on Oct 6, 2008 4:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs