Are yoyu always this obtuse? I'm not saying that the Mavs can't win because they haven't, I'm saying that they haven't proven themselves capable of winning so I don't think they will. That's a subtle, but significant difference. The 1989 Pistons had been through the ringer the previous two seasons. In 1987, they made the Eastern conference finals and lost in 7, (damn that Larry Bird and his game 5 steal) in 1988 they made the NBA finals and took the lakers to 7 games (The Pistons should have won it in six, but the refs called a silly touch foul on Billy Laimbeer in the final seconds against Kareem.) Dallas has been all over the map, confernce finals one year, semis the next, second round the next.... this is not a team that is demonstrating that it is learning how to win.
The Pistons don't depend on Hamilton. Billups, Rahseed and Hamilton are the firs three options. Prince and Ben are secondary. We tend to be most sucdessful when we involve Ben early.
So far as the Mavs go...during the two or three times I've seen them play this year, it looked like most of the offense flowed throug Dirk. Stack was also a big factor, but your dead if you're counting on him in April and May.
Stats themselves are pretty meaningless...I rely on what my eyes tell me (I've been watching the NBA for over 35 years) rather than the stat sheet. That's why I'd take Prince over Howard any day of the week and twice on a SUnday. Prince can score, rebound, defend (ask Reggie Miller about that) and he elevates his game in the playoffs. That's something Dirk has yet to do (at least so far as I've seen).
So far as the 5-5 comment goes....there isn't a team in the NBA with a more deeply ingrained sense of team basketball than the Pistons. They rank right up there with the Bill Walton lead Trailblazers under Jack Ramsey in that department.
The Pistons didn't choke in the finals...they lost a couple of two possession games and they won couple of two posseesion games. You don't reach the finals and take a team like the Spurs to 7 games and choke. Frankly, I can't believe a fan of team that so chronically underachieves when it counts would be so foolish as to call another team out for "choking".
Dirk is soft. Stack is soft. As long as you are pinning your hopes on these guys in the playoffs, you are going to be deeply disappointed
>>Are yoyu always this obtuse?<<
Oh, please. You're just upset I'm not agreeing with you and that you are having this much of a hard time making headway. Leave the personal remarks out of this. They aren't relevent.
>>I'm not saying that the Mavs can't win because they haven't, I'm saying that they haven't proven themselves capable of winning so I don't think they will.<<
No team that hasn't won a championship has proven themselves capable of winning.
>>The 1989 Pistons had been through the ringer the previous two seasons.<<
The Mavs have averaged 56 wins for the last 6 years -- more than the Pistons -- and now have a different coach who has focused of a big part of why the Mavs only got to the second round or conference finals. Prior to the year the Pistons won in 2004, their playoff record the previous 5 years was:
-- lost in conference finals
-- lost in conference semis
-- dnq
-- lost in first round
-- lost in first round
The Mavs have a MUCH better playoff record the last 5 years than the Pistons had the 5 years before they won. The Mavs made the playoff each year and only had one first round outage. So whatever you have to say about the Mavs chances this year, you would have had to admit the Piston's chances 2 years ago were actually worse (even though, I'll conceed coming out of the east is MUCH easier than the West and has been for quite a while). No matter how you want to phrase your point, it fails.
>>during the two or three times I've seen them play this year<<
That's your problem right there.
>>I've been watching the NBA for over 35 years<<
So have I. This isn't relevent.
>>They rank right up there with the Bill Walton lead Trailblazers under Jack Ramsey in that department. <<
If you are going to depend upon the luck that team had to win, more power to you.
>>Frankly, I can't believe a fan of team that so chronically underachieves when it counts would be so foolish as to call another team out for "choking".<<
Man, you really do have a reading comprehension problem. YOU'RE the one who called Dirk out for choking, yet when challenged, you can't give ONE example of when he choked. I gave you a specific example of when the Pistons choked, and recently. When caught, you try to shift the focus of the argument.
>>Dirk is soft. Stack is soft. As long as you are pinning your hopes on these guys in the playoffs, you are going to be deeply disappointed<<
Fine, but Dallas has no pressure. If the Pistons don't win it this year, their team and fans will view this year as a failure.
Incidentally, how come you say Dallas "underachieves" and then question whether they can win a championship?