Return of the Links

by Wes Cox on May 8, 2007 12:08 AM CDT in News

Mavs assistant Sam Vincent is going to interview for the head coaching job in Charlotte, although he might just make a lateral move.

Another option for the Bobcats is to hire a veteran coach - Paul Silas is on the market - and hire a lead assistant such as Vincent to be groomed for the head coaching job, similar to the way Don Nelson mentored Johnson for the Mavericks.

Vincent played seven seasons in the NBA and was head coach of the NBADL Fort Worth Flyers in 2005-06. Vincent played in Chicago with Bobcats president Michael Jordan in 1987-88.

Vincent will also interview for the Seattle job.

Del Harris name, as always, will come up as a potential candidate for almost every opening. Every offseason there is talk of Harris leaving, but it's worth paying extra attention to this year because his contract is up.

-----------------

As mentioned in this diary, Devean George will opt out of his contract. This isn't at all surprising since there was just one year left on the deal at the veteran minimum (2 million). George was great at times this season, but it seemed like the majority of the year he was hurt or trying to work his way back from being hurt. Regardless, it was a good signing.

Jerry Stackhouse sounds like he truly wants to come back.

The Mavs say they want to re-sign free agent Jerry Stackhouse, the only consistent bench contributor in the series, and he wants to come back.

"This team knows what I can do and what I can bring," Stackhouse said. "I can happily be the sixth man, or if Mo Ager steps up, I can be the seventh man."

---------------------

Mark Cuban is cool with steroids. OK, not really.

Drugs that are detrimental to your health should be outlawed. But if it's not bad for your health and it'll enhance your performance, why should you not be allowed to take it? It makes the game more interesting. It just makes sense. But it doesn't make sense in the context of the current controversies over drugs in sports.

I was wondering who would be the first idiot to take that way out of context, and the first person I heard do it was Dale Hasnen. Congratulations Dale!

--------------------

Well said Mike Fisher.

---------------------

This month's painful SLAM magazine cover.

--------------------

This Day in Mavs History

2003 An MRI reveled that Chris Webber (Sac) suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and he would miss the rest of the Dallas-Sacramento series.

I'll never forget seeing Webber jump for a wide open layup only to collapse before he even got off the ground. That injury helped Dallas win 3 of the next two and advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 15 years. Good times. Well, at least until Dirk went down and Steve Kerr went nuts...

Tweet Comment 4 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

All the Dirk

criticism comes with a caveat: He did lead us to a title. Last year.

David Stern and the refs took it from him.

Everyone knows this.

And it wasn't Dirk's fault.

No one can stop Dick Bavetta from blowing his whistle. No one can stop David Stern from hating the Mavs and their unmarketable star. No one can make Mark Cuban shut the hell up.

People who say "the Mavs will never win a title with Dirk as their leader" (which I think even i said in my blind rage after the GSW thrashing) need to go back and watch the Finals from last year. Dirk Nowitzki led a team to the Finals, where they were clearly the best basketball team involved.

Now we just need that Dirk back.

Cause this one sucks schnitzel.

Dirk Nowitzki: Softer than a melted frosty.

by thedirkatron on May 9, 2007 6:05 PM CDT reply actions

RE: Well said Mike Fisher

I think Mr. Fisher misses an important point: This is the third straight year Dirk has faded in the playoffs.

I'm one of those people who began chanting "trade Dirk" immediately after our first-round outser. It was surely reactionary at the time, but a week later, I still think it makes sense. Dirk has had three years as the superstar on an elite team and he has yet to show the leadership necessary to win a title.

If this was the first time...even if it was the second time...but three years in a row is not a fluke.

by bkharmony on May 9, 2007 10:50 PM CDT reply actions

Um

What was he supposed to do in the Finals last year? Stab Dick Bavetta? Axe-murder Bennett Salvatore? Put two slugs in the back of Steve Javy's head? Make Jason Terry stop missing wide open jumpers?

Dirk did all he could to win a title last year, and he succeeded in leading the best basketball team into the Finals, where they played the better basketball.

But David Stern is a powerful man.

Go back and watch those foul calls on Wade and tell me how Dirk was culpable. Or watch the way they allowed Udonis Haslem to bull rush Dirk out of position like a football practice sled.

If you think Dirk faded at the end of the '06 playoffs, you're either out of your mind, or you never had one to begin with.

Dirk Nowitzki: Softer than a melted frosty.

by thedirkatron on May 9, 2007 11:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Bad Officiating

I'm usually not the person to complain about officiating in basketball because, well, there are always going to be bad call made. They usually come out in the wash too as each team gets an equal amount.

However, what you guys are saying about the '06 NBA Finals is totally true. At some point in the series, every break started to go in Miami's favor. If any of the Mavs even looked at Dwayne Wade the wrong way the whistle was getting blown. It all went downhill from there. There wasn't anything that Dirk personally could have done to change the way that was going.

by charlesbronsonpinchot on May 10, 2007 10:58 AM CDT reply actions