I'm having some internet issues and can't pull up a bunch of different sites right now. Here's what I've got.
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David Moore has a really good article about trying to find the balance between regular season success and playoff preparation. He says the Mavs method this year will probably mean more losses but hopefully have the team playing their best "when it counts".
But the season is a mental grind as much as it is a physical one. If the goal is for this team to be fresh going into the playoffs, it can't have the same pathological drive now that it needs in March and April.
The likely result of that approach is a few more losses to the Hawks, Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA world over the next several months.
"We don't want it to happen. But if it does happen, we've got to keep improving, keep working," Dirk Nowitzki said.
"I mean it's kind of both. You hate losing if you're competitive. It doesn't matter who you lose to. But if that happens more this year and we're going to be great in the playoffs, then obviously we're going to take it."
That's the dilemma. It makes sense, but no one can be sure a more relaxed approach now will pay dividends later.
..."You don't want to say every time you lose that, 'hey, we're just focusing on the playoffs.' " Nowitzki said. "That's not how it works in this league. You have to work hard in the regular season and try to win all those games.
I think a more relaxed regular season is something a lot of Mavs fans were wanting and are more than ready to handle a few more losses that might go with that. Unless it doesn't work...The likely result of that approach is a few more losses to the Hawks, Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA world over the next several months.
"We don't want it to happen. But if it does happen, we've got to keep improving, keep working," Dirk Nowitzki said.
"I mean it's kind of both. You hate losing if you're competitive. It doesn't matter who you lose to. But if that happens more this year and we're going to be great in the playoffs, then obviously we're going to take it."
That's the dilemma. It makes sense, but no one can be sure a more relaxed approach now will pay dividends later.
..."You don't want to say every time you lose that, 'hey, we're just focusing on the playoffs.' " Nowitzki said. "That's not how it works in this league. You have to work hard in the regular season and try to win all those games.
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Sefko has a statistical week in review.
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Here's an article at the S-T called "Nowitzki's struggles a case of DejaVu?". I can't pull up the Star-Telegram site so I haven't read it.
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Mike Fisher tears apart a Sam Smith article that claimed the Mavs were finished as title contenders. Sam Smith bashing is always funs so check it out.