New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

January Player of the Month – Magnus Carlsson, Golden State Warriors – 40.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

January Rookie of the Month – Magnus Carlsson, Golden State Warriors – 40.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.2 steals, 0.0 blocks per game.

Damn damn damn. We won 129-98 against the Suns as the Buzzsaw revved up for 36 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists but sprained his wrist in the final term and will be down for around a week. Just coming back from back spasms and now a sprained wrist, he can’t catch a break. He’s not particularly injury prone either just bad luck. Big T backed him up with 24 points and 14 rebounds. This must be Chris Jones’ worst nightmare as he escaped from Atlanta to Phoenix but is now back starting at PG for 17 points and 10 assists. Good numbers but geez give him a go at SG.

Dallas Mavericks 39-6

Wow, talk about a dynamic duo. Captain Jack (44 points, 11 rebounds) and Big T (37 points, 19 rebounds) combined for a mind boggling 81 points and 30 rebounds as we take care of Brooklyn 120-104. These two just demolished the Nets as they both shoot over 50% from the field as well. Chris Canal did his best to keep his team in the game with 39 points but they had no answer for our two stars.

Dallas Mavericks 40-6

Captain Jack wasn’t finished as he outworked Ledaryl for Player of the Game which is a huge effort as the Buzzsaw went for 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Jack was better, going 15/28 and 14/20 from the line for an even 50 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists as we outlasted the Hawks 133-125 in a game that had 19 lead changes. It was Atlanta’s guards who did the job as James McDaniel and Matt Brown combined for 47 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 41-6

It was only 25 points from Jack in our away game against OKC as we had an 18 point lead in the third quarter. Just like other games against the Thunder we lost our head as they ran out a 36-23 last quarter to steal the game 124-114. Jason Collins has made a nice name for himself as a top notch PG with 22 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds as Hayletts Wilcox was the guy who started it all with 18 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 41-7

This... was ugly. Our scoring deserted us as no Maverick scored more than 16 points as we lose two in a row, this time a revenge win by Phoenix 107-98. See what happens when Chris Jones plays SG? He goes for 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists on good shooting. Danny Perez was the high man in the game with 23 points.

Dallas Mavericks 41-8

Now this is uncharted territory as we lose our third game in a row as Miami withstand a comeback from us to hand us our ninth loss of the season 110-100. Kenneth Long was spectacular with 31 points, 14 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 blocks while Eryk Charnowski added 22 points and 8 rebounds. Big T was our best with 26 points and 11 rebounds but Tyson Joyner is having trouble staying on the floor recently because of foul trouble.

Dallas Mavericks 41-9

To make matters worse Andre Drummond had a go at Brandon Anderer for the second time this season and it seems that AD is just riding our coattails for another championship. I tell him to pack his bags because he has no interest in the team and he can go elsewhere.

OK that’s better as we beat Houston 124-103 because if we lost this game I might have had to do something drastic. Big T was outstanding with 36 points and 10 rebounds while Ledaryl is finally fully fit again (knock on wood) and had 28 points and 11 assists. Andy Kante has turned into a great player and tonight had 31 points while BB Henderson added 26 points in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 42-9

It’s All Star weekend time and as usual we don’t have any participants on the Friday. San Antonio’s Tim Akins just scraped into the final but then exploded to win the Slam Dunk Contest over LA’s Ben Herrion 79-61. He must have known he was going to make it into the final and kept his best dunks until then. Magnus Carlsson, the best scorer in the league bar none, showed his skills by romping in the Long Distance Shootout by winning the preliminaries and the final by an easy margin. New York’s John Brown and Portland’s Tobe Slaughter were the victims in the final.

The Rookie/Sophomore game was extremely exciting, as there were 24 leads changes and 14 ties as the crowds finally got to see the two Carlsson brothers play together. They lived up to their billings as Magnus had 45 points and Oskar had 13 assists and 8 rebounds without taking a shot but it wasn’t enough as the second year guys finished with a flurry, taking the final term 39-27 and the game 139-132. Carl Abrams took out the MVP award with 30 points and 10 assists as Jean-Paul Pires who I hadn’t really given much thought to had 26 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Ish Faye was the second best Rookie with 28 points as Charles Robinson went 12/12 for 27 points.

One the surface the All Star game was a great game but for most of it it was extremely one sided. The East got out to a 22 point lead before the West slowly but steadily chipped away on the lead before falling short as the East won 133-129. Cort Majishun won his second All Star MVP award with 26 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds as Michael McQuay was the second best for the East with 22 points and 11 rebounds. We had two participants as Ledaryl started for 11 points and 15 assists while Jack played 23 minutes for 15 points of his own. Surprise starter Nathaniel Jackson was the best for the West with 22 points and 7 rebounds as I really have to give it to him as I thought he wouldn’t amount to anything when he was drafted. Great to see Julius Hobbs get selected for the East’s bench.

Eastern Conference All Star Starters
Cort Majishun, Memphis Grizzlies
Kenneth Long, Miami Heat
Darrell Hampton, Detroit Pistons
Michael McQuay, Atlanta Hawks
Rowan Taylor, Washington Wizards

Team with most representatives – Atlanta (Michael McQuay, James McDaniel) and Memphis (Cort Majishun, Jimmy Forrest) with two.
Teams represented – Ten (Atlanta, Memphis, Detroit, Washington, Miami, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Boston).

Western Conference All Star Starters
Ledaryl McMillian, Dallas Mavericks
Magnus Carlsson, Golden State Warriors
Enrique Mendez, Minnesota Timberwolves
Nathaniel Jackson, Utah Jazz
Schuyler Vanderwerken, Denver Nuggets

Teams with most representatives – Denver (Schuyler Vanderwerken, Jason London) and Dallas (Ledaryl McMillian, Jack Dawkins) with two.
Teams represented – Ten (Denver, Dallas, Minnesota, Utah, Golden State, Los Angeles, Houston, Oklahoma City, Sacramento and San Diego).

We don’t have any time to rest after the All Star break as we have a battle of the two best teams in the league, hosting the 36-9 Riders. And boy did the game live up to its billings. We got out to a 20 point first quarter lead behind Jack and the Buzzsaw but the Riders raced back into the game to get the score down to a five point lead before we held on to a 144-134 win. Ledaryl was simply amazing and beat all comers, going 19/28 from the field for 56 points as Jack added 34 points of his own. In fact, it was one of the longest games I’ve been a part of, with 75 fouls called for 121 free throws shot in the game. Seriously, we went 50/66 from the line and San Diego went 32/55 from the triple. I’m sure I saw a few people nodding off near the end of the game. Billy Manley was the best for the Riders with 34 points as he went 11/14 from the field and 11/14 from the line. Also, four of the five San Diego starters fouled out. This game was madness.

Dallas Mavericks 43-9

I didn’t think that there would be any trades made this deadline but then BAM, big deals.

Seattle trade:
PF Reggie Smith

Golden State trade:
SG Ray Haymon

Winner – Golden State. As Magnus Carlsson is ripping up the league at the moment Haymon has been left behind. It’s sad because he is a good player and would start for most teams. Unfortunately for him, Seattle isn’t one of them and he will again be left on the bench. Smith is a great rookie but his attitude is horrible which could cause problems down the line.

Los Angeles trade:
PF Chad Dickenman

Philadelphia trade:
PF Jared Arenas
2031 1st round pick

Winner – Philadelphia. The pick will be low as the Sixers are 34-18 so far and Arenas is on his last legs. This trade puts the Sixers right up there to take out the East this season.

He may be 33 years old and he may have shot 8/23 from the foul line but Mark Lewis is still one of the premier centres in the league and showed it tonight with 42 points but we took the win, holding the Hornets to an eleven point last quarter deficit to win 129-124. Ledaryl McMillian was great with 29 points but was slowed down after after time by Vlado Prazina’s 24 points and 16 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 44-9

Well that was embarrassing. For Boston that is. Jack had 34 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists as we shoot 64% from the field to wipe the floor with the Celtics 144-90. Eight Mavericks were in double figures as Lavor Freeman makes an appearance for 14 points in 11 minutes off the bench. Raul Lopez was the only Celtic who did anything with 27 points as Chav-chav was held to only 8 points.

Dallas Mavericks 45-9

My first two draft picks when I got here in Dallas were Matt Brown and Brandon Anderer, one having a much better career than the other but going off Brandon’s game tonight he still has some fight in him. Anderer had 26 points and 6 rebounds to go with Earl Oliver’s 24 points and 8 rebounds as we smash the Pacers 139-101. Another one of my old draftees, Curtis Anderson, had 22 points to lead Indiana.

Dallas Mavericks 46-9

Our last game of February is a disappointing 120-113 loss to Milwaukee who killed us in the last quarter, outscoring our team 35-25 to take the win. Darren Banks seems to be loving it in Milwaukee with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as Lamont Nelson added 23 points. Our least was Ledaryl with 23 points but somehow we lost to a team that shot 39% from the field compared to our 49%. The solution was that the Bucks went 24/28 from the line to our 9/18.

Dallas Mavericks 46-10

Even with that deflating end to the month we are still in the lead, but only just. The Riders are still on our tail at 40-12 with Denver right behind them at 40-15. Even with the extraordinary scoring talents of Magnus Carlsson the Warriors are only at 29-24, good for the eighth spot. Nevada have fallen over and have only won four games away from the desert and are sitting at the bottom of the conference at 16-40.

Miami have surged up the boards and are nearly level with us at 42-14, with a six game lead over second placed New Orleans at 39-20. Good news for Knick fans as New York are fourth in the conference at 37-24. Oskar isn’t doing any better than his brother as his Cavs are also sitting in eighth spot with a 33-27 record. Orlando have pretty much sewn up the best odds for the number one draft pick at 9-52.

Dallas Top Points
Ledaryl McMillian – 27.2
Jack Dawkins – 22.6
Terry McKenzie – 18.6

Dallas Top Assists
Ledaryl McMillian – 7.5
Jack Dawkins – 5.9
Tate McKenzie – 5.2

Dallas Top Rebounds
Terry McKenzie – 8.6
Jack Dawkins – 6.3
Tyson Joyner – 5.4

League Leaders
Points – Magnus Carlsson (GSW) – 39.8
Assists – Jehiel DeSantis (DEN) – 12.6
Rebounds – Julius Hobbs (NYK) – 10.9
Blocks – Oskar Carlsson (CLE) – 3.1
Steals – Jason Collins (OKC) – 2.8
Efficiency – Magnus Carlsson (GSW) – 31.0

Carlsson-less Rookie Leaders
Points – Ish Faye (IND) – 15.5
Assists – Paul Cunningham (BKL) – 2.4
Rebounds – Reggie Smith (GSW) – 7.6
Blocks – Ish Faye (IND) – 1.4
Steals – Ish Faye (IND) – 0.7
Efficiency – Ish Faye (IND) – 17.4

Third Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. (1) SG Cliff Havens (Temple), Freshman, 6’5”, 196lbs
2. (2) PF Mark Lyday (Arkansas), Freshman, 6’8”, 245lbs
3. (4) SF Padorin Ivelitsch (Russia), 19 years old, 6’9”, 210lbs
4. (5) C David Stetson (West Virginia), Sophomore, 6’9”, 262lbs
5. (3) C Neil Prato (Miami (OH)), Junior, 6’11”, 260lbs

Thoughts – As like last month Havens has improved again but as like last month Lyday is still the guy to catch in my books. It’s a tough draft for point guards as the first one is way down in tenth spot in Stetson’s teammate DJ Forbes.

[zike_42]

February Player of the Month – Magnus Carlsson, Golden State Warriors – 36.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.1 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

February Rookie of the Month – Magnus Carlsson, Golden State Warriors – 36.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.1 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

It’s a two person win for us as Ledaryl had 28 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds and Big T added 20 points and 7 rebounds as no-one else had much else. We still won though, outlasting the Celtics 114-105 and it seems that we aren’t really beating teams by as much as we used to. Raul Lopez was as usual great with 28 points as Gabriel Estevez had 21 points to back him up.

Dallas Mavericks 47-10

Again it was a two man show, this time Ledaryl and Jack combine for 88 points as we smash the Rockets 124-107 as our biggest lead was 37 points before a comeback in garbage time. We shot 58% from the field and it was back to normal. Andy Kante was the best for Houston with 17 points and 7 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 48-10

Even though Camah Williams went 4/20 he still had 18 points and 13 assists while Colin Walker scored all of his 22 points in the final term as the Wolves bash out a 44-23 last quarter surge to beat us 115-99. Enrique Mendez was the high man with 24 points and 4 blocks as we shot a woeful 40% from the field with Jack leading the way with 25 points and 8 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 48-11

Without Darren Banks the Neon are quite horrible, shown by Ledaryl dismantling of their guards on his way to 40 points as we win early and often 114-81. Everyone had a go today, even guys like Lavor Freeman and Isaac Holdan got some burn. Mike Joseph was one of only two Nevada player to be in double figures with 18 points but he need 24 shots to get them. Ouch.

Dallas Mavericks 49-11

It was our three superstars who stole the show for us in our 117-98 win over Philly as the Buzzsaw went for 39 points and 10 rebounds, Jack added 27 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds while Big T wasn’t too shabby with 15 points and 17 rebounds. John Kelly was the man for the Sixers with 27 points but they just aren’t the same without Jamil Fleming. Terrible idea to let him go.

Dallas Mavericks 50-11

We’re the first team to 50 wins so to celebrate we torch the Jazz 143-94 as Ledaryl goes ballistic for 47 points on 21/27 shooting. Everyone else was secondary. The Jazz only had Gray Largent with 17 points, otherwise there wasn’t much. Even their new star in Nathaniel Jackson had a quiet night with only 11 points.

Dallas Mavericks 51-11

We get our first look at Magnus Carlsson to see if he is the real deal or not and... he plays 14 minutes for 12 points. Not a good outing for a guy who is averaging a shade under 40 points a game. Because of that we win the comfortably 123-92 as Ledaryl top scored again with 29 points and 8 assists. Brandon Anderer was also great with 15 points in 11 minutes. Our old favourite, Nashon Smith, led the way for the Warriors with 21 points while Jeff Cunningham added 18 points of his own.

Dallas Mavericks 52-11

The Knicks are good this season but nothing could have braced me for such a whalloping we would give them on our fourth game in four nights. We won every quarter by at least seven points to win 123-77 with a largest lead of 51 points. Big T tore shreds of his old side with 24 points and 12 rebounds as everyone on our squad scored at least four points. Marquis Bowen led the way for the 33% shooting Knicks with 23 points as Julius Hobbs was held to only 2 points.

Dallas Mavericks 53-11

I bring Kresimir Balas back from the D-League as I need a third string centre to cover the departure of Andre Drummond.

The Lakers’ superstar Michael Taylor broke his elbow at the start of March and LA are in a tailspin. To be honest, they were sucking before Taylor went down but while he has been in street clothes they have been D-League level. That didn’t stop when we visited them as they never led for a comfortable 108-87 win to us. Ledaryl was our top scorer with 26 points while Jack added 22 points and 9 rebounds. The real glue guy of the team in this game was Little T who had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Taylor’s replacement, Erwin McIntosh, did his best with 22 points while Ali Riley nearly had a triple double with 12 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 54-11

It’s a showdown of two of the best teams as we go and visit the 49-17 Nuggets. Brad Largent gave the home team crowd something to cheer about with 31 points and 12 rebounds while Jason London did his thing with 23 points. What they couldn’t do was stop our guns as Ledaryl put up 36 points and Jack was so close to a triple double it hurt with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Little T nearly had a triple double as well with 11 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds as we finish strong to take the 113-106 win.

Dallas Mavericks 55-11

That’s more like it from Magnus Carlsson as the Swede put up 37 points for the Warriors yet they still lose, as our own super-scorer had 35 points of his own to take the game 111-96. Carlsson went 11/24 from the field as Little T of all players hounded him all game. Kres got his first ever start and didn't’ waste it, putting up 8 points and 6 rebounds while fouling Jeff Cunningham out in only 15 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks 56-11

I feel like a broken record saying that Ledaryl was our best with 37 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds while Earl was outstanding off the bench with 26 points in 24 minutes as we won again, this time over the weary Bucks 129-113. I’m digging Kres at the starting centre position with 6 points and 9 rebounds but he might need to touch up on his defensive skills as Charles Robinson torched him for 28 points (14/15 FG) and 11 rebounds in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 57-11

The Grizzlies played a massive 149-141 overtime thriller against the Sonics but amazingly they had no ill effects against us the next night as Jimmy Forrest (remember that guy?) had 26 points to lead his weary team to a 136-125 upset over us. Cort Majishun was his usual best with 24 points and 9 assists while Michael Williams had 22 points off the bench. Ledaryl went 13/17 from the field for 35 points while Jack added 19 points and 13 assists but we just couldn’t slow Memphis down as they shot 57% from the field.

Dallas Mavericks 57-12

We don’t let that loss get us down as our three stars, Buzzsaw, Captain Jack and Big T, combined for 76 points in our 118-111 win over Chicago. Kres is getting better at starting, tonight putting up 11 points and 6 rebounds. Darryl Cox was a one man wrecking crew for the Bulls with 36 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists but didn’t get much help.

Dallas Mavericks 58-12

Our last game of the month was a disappointing one as the Wizards went on a 43-35 last quarter run to steal the win from right under our noses 115-111. Brian Benton was outstanding with 18 points, 19 rebounds and 5 blocks, making up for Rowan Taylor’s 1/10 night. Jason Sanders led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Big T was our best with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 58-13

Finally, finally! We have finally got a decent lead in the West at San Diego and Denver have fallen six games back from us so hopefully next month we can rest some of our stars. Nevada and the Lakers are battling it out for the wooden spoon in the conference.

Miami have also fallen behind us at 55-19 with New Orleans (49-25) and Philadelphia (47-24) are way behind them as well. Looks lke we have the home court advantage sewn up barring any stupid collapse. Orlando have guaranteed themselves the worst record in the league this year at 11-64 as no other team can catch them.

Dallas Top Points
Ledaryl McMillian – 28.2
Jack Dawkins – 22.1
Terry McKenzie – 18.3

Dallas Top Assists
Ledaryl McMillian – 6.9
Jack Dawkins – 6.0
Tate McKenzie – 5.1

Dallas Top Rebounds
Terry McKenzie – 8.8
Jack Dawkins – 6.2
Tyson Joyner – 5.5

League Leaders
Points – Magnus Carlsson (GSW) – 39.1
Assists – Jehiel DeSantis (DEN) – 12.4
Rebounds – Julius Hobbs (NYK) – 10.7
Blocks – Oskar Carlsson (CLE) – 3.1
Steals – Dave Coulter (NYK) – 2.7
Efficiency – Enrique Mendez (MIN) – 30.0

Carlsson-less Rookie Leaders
Points – Ish Faye (IND) – 15.6
Assists – Robb Woodward (UTA) – 2.3
Rebounds – Reggie Smith (GSW) – 7.8
Blocks – Ish Faye (IND) – 1.4
Steals – Ish Faye (IND) – 0.7
Efficiency – Charles Robinson (MIL) – 17.6

Last Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. (1) SG Cliff Havens (Temple), Freshman, 6’5”, 196lbs
2. (2) PF Mark Lyday (Arkansas), Freshman, 6’8”, 245lbs
3. (4) C David Stetson (West Virginia), Sophomore, 6’9”, 262lbs
4. (3) SF Padorin Ivelitsch (Russia), 19 years old, 6’9”, 210lbs
5. (5) C Neil Prato (Miami (OH)), Junior, 6’11”, 260lbs

Thoughts – This draft looks really good with two stars in the making in Havens and Lyday and at least four or five players that could be future All Stars. I still like Lyday as the number one pick barring any surprises in the combine but Havens is a very nice silver medal.

[zike_42]

Just realized I didn't do a mid year report on the rookie six so I'll put that back to after the season.

[zike_42]

March Player of the Month – Michael McQuay, Atlanta Hawks – 31.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.

March Rookie of the Month – Magnus Carlsson, Golden State Warriors – 37.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

With eleven games left in the season we are up by six games over our nearest opponent, West or East so if we can win our first four or so we should be a lock for home court advantage.

Our first game of April was a very comfortable 135-99 win over Utah as Jack dominated with 26 points and 8 rebounds. I fact, all of our starters were good, even Kres who finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Nathaniel Jackson showed why people are raving about him with 30 points on 13/18 shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 59-13

It’s a whole team effort the next night as six players were in double figures and Brandon Anderer was right on cusp with 8 points in 9 minutes as we blow out the lowly Lakers 121-99. Ledaryl was the high man with 29 points but Big T was the star with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Ali Riley didn’t have the best night with 18 points, 9 assists and a crazy 10 turnovers. Nearly a devil’s triple double.

Dallas Mavericks 60-13

The Riders are a great all around team and showed that they aren’t just going to roll over against us as Cedric Watson had 27 points and held Jack Dawkins to a crazy 3/17 night with 6 turnovers as we lose 121-112. Murray Cornette has been a nice surprise, scoring right on his season average with 25 points. Ledaryl tried to pick up the slack with 34 points but we just couldn’t close the gap enough to win the game.

Dallas Mavericks 60-14

Grr, that wasn’t supposed to happen. The Bobcats, the 23 win Bobcats went on a 35-26 last quarter surge to steal the game from us 107-103. Dan Mixson had 24 points which was matched by Thomas Perkins as everything we put up in the end just didn’t go in. We shot a unheard of 39% from the field with Big T going 5/16 for only 12 points.

Dallas Mavericks 60-15

Wow if we lost to the 12-67 Magic I would have been fuming. Luckily we didn’t as Ledaryl had a field day with 34 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds while Little T nearly tripled up (11 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds) as we bounce back with a 118-105 win. Corey Barnes who we traded Tyson Joyner for was the best for Orlando with 14 points and 12 rebounds and even though the Magic aren’t winning at least Barnes is having a decent season (9 points, 7 rebounds per game).

Dallas Mavericks 61-15

With six games to go in the season we still only have a four game lead over San Diego so our starters are going to have to keep playing. Next is the Thunder and even though they held a lead in the first and second quarters when we got hot they couldn’t keep up, as we won 125-116. Jack was our leaders with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists as Kres added 12 points and 6 rebounds off the bench. OKC did well with Mike Bickerstaf going 2/9 for only 6 points as Robert Jackson and Victor Brinker combined for 58 points and 19 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 62-15

Jack isn’t finished yet as he took the shine off Magnus Carlsson’s 33 points with 35 points of his own as we win again, this time beating Golden State on their home floor 130-110. Ledaryl was also amazing with 28 points and 13 assists but amazing just seems to be the usual for the Buzzsaw.

Dallas Mavericks 63-15

With four games to go and a four game lead over San Diego all we need to do now is win our home game against Indiana and we have home court advantage. And that’s what we did as every Maverick player played at least 10 minutes in our 136-105 rout of the Pacers. Earl Oliver was the spark plug when we needed some scoring with 17 points in only 12 minutes! Curtis Anderson was also a supersub with 27 points in 30 minutes as Josiah Williams added 22 points.

Dallas Mavericks 64-15

Our new starting line up is – Little T, Earl, Corry Hackworth, Anthony Davis (yes 37 year old Davis) and Kres.

Understandably we smash the Hawks 129-89 in a team effort I haven’t seen in a long time. Earl led the way with 31 points but Brandon Anderer got to work, putting up 15 points and 12 rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench while Little T had 19 points and 12 assists at PG. James McDaniel was the leader for Atlanta with 20 points but Michael McQuay has broken his arm and will out for at least a month to go.

Dallas Mavericks 65-15

Anthony Davis might be 37 years old but every now and again he can still bring it and tonight in our 114-96 win over the terrible Neon he put on a show. AD had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals to hark back five years. Earl also had 21 points but it was Jason Allen who was our high man with 22 point sin 18 minutes. Joe Moore led a very sorry Nevada outfit with 16 points as they checked out long ago for the off season.

Dallas Mavericks 66-15

Our great play with our bench couldn’t last forever and we finally lost our last game of the season 107-99 to San Antonio. Darcel Settles was the best player on the court iwth 27 points and 8 assists as the Spurs kept us to 39% shooting. Kres was great though, putting up 9 points and 17 rebounds but also fouling out as he needs to learn how to play without fouling but that will come with experience. Little T led us with 19 points and 8 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 66-16

Western Conference Final Standings
1 – Dallas Mavericks – 66-16 (.805)
2 – San Diego Riders – 62-20 (.756)
3 – Denver Nuggets – 57-25 (.695)
4 – Portland Trailblazers – 56-26 (.683)
5 – Minnesota Timberwolves – 53-29 (.646)
6 – Oklahoma City Thunder – 50-32 (.610)
7 – San Antonio Spurs – 46-36 (.561)
8 – Golden State Warriors – 41-41 (.500)
Last – Los Angeles Lakers – 23-59 (.280)

Six teams with 50 or more wins shows how tight this conference is and I’m expecting some upsets. We play Magnus and his Warriors and it just goes to show that offence alone doesn’t win games.

Eastern Conference Final Standings
1 – Miami Heat – 61-21 (.744)
2 – New Orleans Hornets – 55-27 (.671)
3 – Philadelphia 76ers – 54-28 (.659)
4 – New York Knicks – 49-33 (.598)
5 – Cleveland Cavaliers – 46-36 (.561)
6 – Washington Wizards – 44-38 (.537)
7 – Memphis Grizzlies – 43-39 (.524)
8 – Brooklyn Nets – 42-40 (.512)
Last – Orlando Magic – 12-70 (.146)

Dallas Top Points
Ledaryl McMillian – 28.1
Jack Dawkins – 22.2
Terry McKenzie – 18.1

Dallas Top Assists
Ledaryl McMillian – 6.9
Jack Dawkins – 5.8
Tate McKenzie – 5.4

Dallas Top Rebounds
Terry McKenzie – 8.7
Jack Dawkins – 6.3
Tyson Joyner – 5.3

League Top Points
Magnus Carlsson (GSW) – 38.9
Enrique Mendez (MIN) – 30.6
Michael McQuay (ATL) – 28.9

League Top Assists
Jehiel DeSantis (DEN) – 12.5
DeShaun Worley (WAS) – 12.4
Jason Collins (OKC) – 12.3

League Top Rebounds
Julius Hobbs (NYK) – 10.8
Oskar Carlsson (CLE) – 9.8
Shannon Barker (SAC) – 9.1

League Top Blocks
Oskar Carlsson (CLE) – 3.2
Justin Robinson (PHI) – 2.9
Brian Caldwell (HOU) – 2.6

League Top Steals
Dave Coulter (NYK) – 2.7
Jason Collins (OKC) – 2.6
Oskar Carlsson (CLE) – 2.5

League Top Efficiency
Enrique Mendez (MIN) – 29.9
Magnus Carlsson (GSW) – 29.4
Ledaryl McMillian (DAL) – 28.9

Rookie Top Points
Magnus Carlsson (GSW) – 38.9
Ish Faye (IND) – 16.1
Charles Robinson (MIL) – 15.4

Rookie Top Assists
Oskar Carlsson (CLE) – 9.3
Robb Woodward (UTA) – 2.3
Brant Jackson (ATL) – 2.0

Rookie Top Rebounds
Oskar Carlsson (CLE) – 9.8
Reggie Smith (GSW) – 8.0
Ish Faye (IND) – 7.0

Rookie Top Efficiency
Magnus Carlsson (GSW) – 29.4
Oskar Carlsson (CLE) – 22.9
Charles Robinson (MIL) – 17.9

[zike_42]

2031 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 Miami vs. #8 Brooklyn
#2 New Orleans vs. #7 Memphis
#3 Philadelphia vs. #6 Washington
#4 New York vs. #5 Cleveland

Western Conference
#1 Dallas vs. #8 Golden State
#2 San Diego vs. #7 San Antonio
#3 Denver vs. #6 Oklahoma City
#4 Portland vs. #5 Minnesota

We won the season series 3-0 and all of the games were by a margin of at least 15 points so we go in as the heavy favourite.

Western Conference First Round – Golden State vs. Dallas

Point Guard
Nashon Smith vs. Ledaryl McMillian
14.1 points, 9.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds vs. 28.1 points, 6.9 assists, 4.9 rebounds

The Buzzsaw definitely wins this match up as he will be in the MVP votes again but Smith has a chip on his shoulder after Dallas traded him away. His passing has been outstanding while his stellar defence will annoy McMillian.

Winner - Dallas

Shooting Guard
Magnus Carlsson vs. Tate McKenzie
38.9 points, 0.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds vs. 10.0 points, 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds

Another match-up where one player has the obvious advantage but “Little T” is a dynamic defender and has a history of slowing down Carlsson. If Carlsson can’t fire then the Warriors are sunk.

Winner – Golden State

Small Forward
Brendan Zimmerman vs. Jack Dawkins
9.3 points, 2.0 assists, 7.6 rebounds vs. 22.2 points, 5.8 assists, 6.3 rebounds

Zimmerman is a very average PF masquerading in a SF’s body as his only worthy skill is blocking shots which he does well but he will get eaten alive by Jack who wants his second consecutive championship.

Winner - Dallas

Power Forward
Reggie Smith vs. Terry McKenzie
11.5 points, 1.3 assists, 8.0 rebounds vs. 18.1 points, 1.2 assists, 8.7 rebounds

This could be a good battle if Smith can keep his head on straight. Already he has shown that when his team is down his head drops and he starts bickering with his teammates. The talent is there but McKenzie is a specialist in finding opponent’s weaknesses and Smith’s is glaring.

Winner - Dallas

Centre
Jeff Cunningham vs. Tyson Joyner
14.0 points, 1.1 assists, 6.9 rebounds vs. 7.5 points, 1.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds

He may be 34 years old and well and truly on the downward slide, Cunningham can still ball. Another player who is still salty about being traded from the Mavericks after general manager Yaxley MacMillan publicly said that he wouldn’t trade him. Joyner has been a disappointment for Dallas as raw rookie Kresimir Balas has taken some of his minutes.

Winner – Golden State

Bench
Peter Willis, Tom Phillips, Matt Wingfield vs. Earl Oliver, Anthony Davis, Kresimir Balas

After Willis and Phillips the Warriors have zero depth and to make matters worse those two are shooting guards which means they have even less big man depth. Oliver and Davis are ancient but can given quality minutes while Balas has been a nice surprise after being sent to the D-League.

Winner – Dallas

Prediction – Dallas in five. The Mavericks are just too strong and the Warriors are just too dependant on Carlsson. If he can fire then it could get interesting but don’t expect much.

In game one Carlsson was everything people had said about him, going 16/25 from the field, 11/19 from three and 9/9 from the line for a whopping 52 points but again his teammates just weren’t there as we take first blood 140-108. It helps that Jack goes 9/9 from three for 46 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds and Ledaryl carves up Nashon Smith for 36 points but it just goes to show how much Carlsson needs to help.

Dallas leads 1-0

Look at that, Magnus Carlsson had some help, as Nashon Smith put up 17 points and 8 assists with five other Warriors in double figures. Unfortunately Carlsson only had 21 points as Ledaryl beat him with 41 points and 8 assists as we win again 136-102. Jack is having a field day against Brendan Zimmerman, tonight having 26 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists as Corry Hackworth burst off the bench for 10 points in 11 minutes.

Dallas leads 2-0

The Bay Area’s fans were getting restless as not only has Magnus had a great game one but failed they are in a 2-0 hole. Ledaryl wanted to crush his old side with 27 points and 8 assists but it just wasn’t our night. Nashon Smith had 20 points and 16 assists, most of them going to Magnus’ 47 points as Golden State gets one back with a 112-105 lead from the start win.

Dallas leads 2-1

If we can win this game then a 3-1 deficit would probably be too much for the Warriors to get back from. It was the same from the two stars from Golden State with Magnus putting up 47 points and Nashon added 16 assists but this time we were ready for them, shooting 55% from the field and taking the game 133-101. Ledaryl had his way with Nashon with 27 points and 10 assists as Little T held his own against Magnus with a 7/7 shooting night for 16 points and 7 assists.

Dallas leads 3-1

No sweeps in the playoffs as most of the series are locked at 2-2.

I could try and make the game interesting in my write up but our biggest lead was 40 points which sucked all the contest of out it as we take the series with a 134-94 win. Jack was amazing and is probably sad to not be playing Brendan Zimmerman again with 37 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists as our two starting guards combined for 50 points. The two starting guards for the Warriors combined for 66 points but no other GSW player had more than six.

Dallas wins 4-1

#4 Portland took care of the underwhelming Wolves 4-1 while the two number two seeds took their series in six games. Cleveland pulled off a small upset by taking care of the fourth seed Knicks in six games. That was the only upset in the first round as #1 Miami, #3 Philadelphia and #3 Denver finished off their opponents in the maximum seven games.

[zike_42]

2031 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 Miami vs. #5 Cleveland
#2 New Orleans vs. #3 Philadelphia

Western Conference
#1 Dallas vs. #4 Portland
#2 San Diego vs. #3 Denver

We lost the season series 1-2 and as usual I’m on edge against the Blazers. There is something about them that just has me nervous.

Western Conference Semi-Final – Portland vs. Dallas

Point Guard
Reggie Dobbins vs. Ledaryl McMillian
8.0 points, 6.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds vs. 32.2 points, 7.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds

In a crazy accident, usual starting PG and bonafide superstar Kevin Epps tore his knee tendon in game five of the previous series going up for a put back dunk. The Blazers don’t have to worry too much as Dobbins is still one of the best passing point guards in the league. He may not have Epps’ rebounding and scoring skills but he should do well enough. What his problem is going to be is trying to guard the Buzzsaw who ripped the Warriors to shreds. More importantly, he ripped one of the best defending point guards in the league in Nashon Smith to pieces.

Winner - Dallas

Shooting Guard
Tobe Slaughter vs. Tate McKenzie
22.2 points, 1.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds vs. 14.8 points, 5.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds

Finally Slaughter gets the starting gig, and boy is he relishing it. In the first round he put up 22 points a game in only 27 minutes so with additional court time who knows what he will do. He’ll have to get past another fiery Maverick in McKenzie who lets no-one run over the top of his 5’11” frame. Unfortunately Slaughter is eight inches taller and should get the better of “Little T”.

Winner - Portland

Small Forward
Tiburcio Tommasini vs. Jack Dawkins
30.4 points, 2.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds vs. 31.2 points, 6.6 assists, 7.0 rebounds

Just like last playoffs, this match-up is drool worthy. Jack has been on an absolute tear recently and the fireworks between these two will be legendary. They don’t like each other either, as they form two sides of the “triangle of small forwards” with Minnesota’s Enrique Mendez who are at the top of their position and absolutely loathe each other. Can’t miss viewing.

Winner - Draw

Power Forward
Marcus Randle vs. Terry McKenzie
14.2 points, 1.6 assists, 7.4 rebounds vs. 16.2 points, 1.2 assists, 9.0 rebounds

After playing so well in Dallas all those years ago Randle has fallen off a cliff in production. He is still a beast on defence and a top flight rebounder but the sheen has gone from his status. If the Blazers want to win, they need Randle to take care of McKenzie who even though is well and truly the third star on the team can take over a game. This is probably the X-factor match-up as whoever can win this could win the series.

Winner - Draw

Centre
Travis Ross vs. Tyson Joyner
9.8 points, 0.8 assists, 5.2 rebounds vs. 6.4 points, 0.8 assists, 5.8 rebounds

Another Dallas alum, Ross has seen better days. At 34 years old he isn’t as good as he once was but against a very average Joyner he could put up some quality numbers. Don’t expect much from this battle as it will just be a secondary helper to the bigger wars.

Winner - Draw

Bench
Brian Williams, Tom Bryant, Andy Jordan vs. Earl Oliver, Anthony Davis, Kresimir Balas

Brian Williams has been a nice surprise for the Blazers off the bench, nearly putting up a triple double in the first game of last series. He will be needed to continue his form with Epps down. The rest of the bench is only used sparingly as Portland lean on their starters heavily. Even though the Mavericks lean equally as hard on their starters, Oliver and Davis have shown that they still have fire in their bones while Balas has shown flashes in his first season.

Winner – Dallas

Prediction – Dallas in six. If Kevin Epps was playing this could have been an upset but with Dobbins guarding McMillian it’s should be a Dallas win.

I hate when the previews say that we are the heavy favourites, especially against a team that has Tiburcio Tommasini on it. And in game one he didn’t disappoint, scoring 34 points while Tobe Slaughter added 17 points of his own. Unfortunately for them we went on a 33-18 second quarter run behind Ledaryl’s 41 points and 8 assists to take first blood 136-93. This was definitely a statement game as we didn’t let up. Jack continued his fine form with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists while Big T added 16 points, 11 rebounds and fouled out Marcus Randle in only 14 minutes. Good start but we need to sustain it.

Dallas leads 1-0

Where the hell is the dangerous Portland team? Tiburcio Tommasini goes 3/18 for 9 points while Reggie Dobbins lays a goose egg as we outscore them 68-35 in the first half to storm to a 123-79 win. I was worried about this team but it seems I was mistaken. Ledaryl was again our leader with 30 points but Big T again had his way with Marcus Randle for 25 points and 14 rebounds. Tobe Slaughter was the only Portland player to stand up with 24 points.

Dallas leads 2-0

I want to fight. We’ve been here too many times for a team to put out a weak, half assed effort and think they can win which is exactly what the Blazers have done in the first two games. Game three? Exactly the same. We rip the Blazers in every quarter to get out to a 43 point lead to take the game 123-81 as seven players were in double figures. Little T was our man this time with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists as Anthony Davis turned back the clock for 17 points and 9 rebounds. Tiburcio Tommasini had an even worse game, going 2/13 for 10 points and if he doesn’t turn it around this series is over.

Dallas leads 3-0

What’s that? Portland actually showed up and wants to play basketball? That’s right, which is great! Tiburcio Tommasini was again at his lowest with only 15 points but Tobe Slaughter made up for it with 30 points on 13/17 shooting and Brian Williams had 14 points and 10 assists off the bench. All of this made for a six point lead at half time and the crowd was finally jolted back into life. That life was quickly cut short as our Captain, our leader, our heart and soul Jack Dawkins stood up and made sure everyone knew who he was with 45 points and 11 rebounds as we take out the game and series 125-116. It was great to see some Dallas fans make the trip up to Oregon and I even saw some brooms in the crowd which made me chuckle. What a disappointment that series was, and even though we won which I’m happy about it should have been a fight. Maybe next series will be.

Dallas wins 4-0

No sweeps but #1 Miami and #3 Denver punched their tickets for the conference finals in five games while Mark Lewis and the Hornets make it through in six. Let’s hope the Nuggets will give us a fight.

[zike_42]

2031 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 Miami vs. #2 New Orleans

Western Conference
#1 Dallas vs. #3 Denver

Now this is a scary team with talent in every position. We lost the series 1-2 and they are on another level to Portland. Don’t expect another sweep here.

Western Conference Finals – Denver vs. Dallas

Point Guard
Jehiel DeSantis vs. Ledaryl McMillian
13.8 points, 11.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds vs. 30.1 points, 6.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds

A battle between two point guards who are the complete opposite of each other. DeSantis is a pass first and pass second type of guard while the Buzzsaw will look to attack the defence to score and will only pass if he needs to. He does it well though so DeSantis will have to be on his A game as McMillian is on fire this post season.

Winner - Dallas

Shooting Guard
Jason London vs. Tate McKenzie
24.5 points, 1.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds vs. 12.7 points, 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds

There is only one thing that London knows how to do: put the ball in the basket. He is one of the best in the business though, shooting a blistering 58% from the field in the regular season and for a shooting guard it’s beyond comprehension. McKenzie has one job and one job only this series, slow down London. Good luck Little T.

Winner - Denver

Small Forward
Carl Farmer vs. Jack Dawkins
10.8 points, 1.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds vs. 27.9 points, 5.6 assists, 8.8 rebounds

Captain Jack has been on a tear recently and is in such a zone to win his second championship he was quoted on record in saying that this will be his second consecutive title if they win, completely wiping last season’s loss in the NBA Finals to Philadelphia from his memory. Farmer will try and limit him with his big body and quality defensive skills but he has been known to get into foul trouble which could be dangerous for Denver.

Winner - Dallas

Power Forward
Brad Largent vs. Terry McKenzie
17.7 points, 1.1 assists, 7.8 rebounds vs. 17.7 points, 1.0 assist, 9.4 rebounds

A very similar match-up as both are quality scorers, both can rebound (with McKenzie taking the edge here) and are known to do all the little things to get their team the win. Largent has been in foul trouble this post season which McKenzie will look to exploit.

Winner - Draw

Centre
Schuyler Vanderwerken vs. Tyson Joyner
18.9 points, 1.2 assists, 9.7 rebounds vs. 6.7 points, 1.9 assists, 5.1 rebounds

Oh dear. This is very much David and Goliath and don’t expect David to find his slingshot. Shoo is arguably a top three centre in the league and at only 23 years old he is still growing. His touch around the basket is magical and he is an above average defender. Joyner is a very mediocre centre who, at times, been bench in favour of a 37 year old or a 19 year old rookie. He can defend though so hopefully for Dallas he can slow the big Dutchman down.

Winner - Denver

Bench
Leon Oliver, Sean Morris, Kevin Jefferson vs. Earl Oliver, Anthony Davis, Kresimir Balas

Honestly, Oliver should be starting somewhere in the league but to his credit he doesn’t complain because he knows he is onto a good thing here in Denver. Maybe he wants a championship in the last year of his rookie contract and then find more money next season. Morris is decent and will form a more traditional five on the court when Carl Farmer moves to PF while Jefferson doesn’t play much. Oliver and Davis were again great off the bench while Balas has been limited because of fouls.

Winner – Dallas

Prediction – Dallas in seven. This series could go either way as both teams are uber-talented. Throughout these playoffs Dallas has relied on Jack Dawkins and Ledaryl McMillian so they will need some more output from their other players to stay in the series.

The crowd is pumping, the city is in hysterics and the team is ready to go. Let’s overcome these Nuggets! We burst out of the gates with a 29-20 first quarter as even though Jack wasn’t shooting well he was doing everything else. Ledaryl led the way in the first with 12 points as the Nuggets were firmly on the back foot. Things all changed in the second as Brad Largent and Jason London took over for a 29-13 Denver second term and after that we couldn’t get back, with the Nuggets stealing home court advantage with a 99-87 win. Jack went 3/15 from the field but still had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while Ledaryl shot 8/20 for 26 points so our two superstars were held back from their best. Jason London might not like his teammates but he loves to win with 27 points, ably assisted by Brad Largent’s 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Denver leads 1-0

Game two was similar to game one which was too scary, as we won the first quarter before the Nuggets raced to a 39-28 second quarter win and it seemed that history was going to repeat itself. Jason London torched Little T for 29 points while Brad Largent was again great with 20 points. To make matters worse, Ledaryl had another tough night with only 18 points and 3 assists. Our other two stars were on their game though, with Jack and Big T combining for 49 points on 20/32 shooting to take the last quarter 30-20 and steal the win 118-109 to tie the series. Phew, now we need to win in the Mile High City.

Series tied 1-1

We knocked out the Nuggets last year in the WCF and I would love to do it again this year but first we need to get back home court advantage. We breat out again in the first quarter which seems like a tradition for us to the tune of 35-26 but again the Nuggets come back in the second to give us a slight three point half time lead. We keep our head in the second half to take it back with a 127-113 win. Ledaryl has brushed off last game’s poor form with 34 points while our two star forwards combined for 50 points. Jack only had four assists but that doesn’t matter in the long run. It was the usual suspects for Denver with Brad Largent having 27 points while Jason London added 25 of his own but Jehiel DeSantis is having a tough time with the Buzzsaw and tonight only had 8 points, 8 assists, 6 turnovers and 6 fouls.

Dallas leads 2-1

Shoo finally had a great game with 26 points and 10 rebounds while Jehiel DeSantis got out from Ledaryl slightly with 10 points and 14 assists as the Nuggets were going great guns behind Jason London’s 31 points. It all fell away in the final term as our big three exploded, combining for 73 points, 24 rebounds and 14 assists as we take a commanding 3-1 lead with a 114-103 win. We outscored the Nuggets 37-27 in the last quarter as our bench gave us nothing. Not even Earl Oliver did well, going scoring 8 points as we were riding our big three as far as we could.

Dallas leads 3-1

The #1 Heat made mincemeat of the #2 Hornets, sweeping them without any problems whatsoever. The last time we won the championship was against the Heat so hopefully that’s a good sign.

It was close in the first quarter but then all Hell broke loose as we outscored the Nuggets 57-35 in the middle two quarters to finish with style as we move onto the NBA Finals for the third consecutive time with a 108-83 win. Sure Jack had 28 points and 8 rebounds and Big T added 16 points and 12 rebounds but it was our fifth starter, Tyson Joyner, who was the star of the show with 15 points, 5 rebounds and fouled Schuyler Vanderwerken in only 19 minutes which is simply amazing. This is the reason why I traded Corey Barnes for Joyner as Barnes was the better player but Joyner fits into this team because all he has to do is defend and fill the paint which he did tonight.

Dallas wins 4-1

[JMD]

Congrats, you're in the finals.

[zike_42]

Congrats, you're in the finals.

Thanks man, feels good after last season's disaster.

[zike_42]

2031 NBA Finals

#1 Miami vs. #1 Dallas

As usual we only play two games against East teams and we split the series against the Heat. It may be the NBA Finals but I have a feeling that we had our title fight against the Nuggets.

Point Guard
Kenneth Long vs. Ledaryl McMillian
21.8 points, 5.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds vs. 28.1 points, 5.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds

His woes at the point guard position are well documented but during these playoffs he has finally been able to play his normal game. With Morris taking the bulk of the distributing duties Long has been able to run around previous point guards with his fantastic stamina and dead eye mid range game. He will need to tire out McMillian because even though his output dropped last series he is still the reigning MVP of the league.

Winner - Dallas

Shooting Guard
John Morris vs. Tate McKenzie
10.1 points, 8.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds vs.11.6 points, 5.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds

In his sixth year, Morris is finally being given the keys to the team to get his scorers good looks. A great second round story, he bounced around from team to team (and the D-League) before finding a home here in Miami. McKenzie will have a similar job as distributor but he is a much, much, much better defender than Morris and will play on Kenneth Long at times.

Winner - Dallas

Small Forward
Tim Greenberg vs. Jack Dawkins
22.8 points, 1.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds vs. 25.8 points, 5.7 assists, 8.0 rebounds

Yes Jack is one of the top three SFs in the league and yes Greenberg is definitely a PF but that doesn’t mean this will be a walk in the park. Greenberg just happens to be one of the best defenders at any position and his size will be trouble for the captain of the Mavericks. If Greenberg can limit Dawkins then the title is Miami’s, it’s that cut and dry.

Winner - Dallas

Power Forward
Lance Ellis vs. Terry McKenzie
23.2 points, 1.6 assists, 8.3 rebounds vs. 19.1 points, 1.1 assists, 10.1 rebounds

Let’s get it out of the way: Ellis is a terrible defender. OK, now that’s gone this is a great match-up. Ellis can score with the best of them as a old school back to the basket post player while McKenzie is a terrific rebounder. “Big T” is the x-factor here because it’s not when he will score but how much will he dominate that the Heat will need to move someone (probably Tim Greenberg) onto him to slow him down.

Winner – Dallas (just)

Centre
Eryk Charnowski vs. Tyson Joyner
14.6 points, 1.3 assists, 5.9 rebounds vs. 7.3 points, 1.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds

If I was a lazier writer I would just copy and paste last series’ preview of Vanderwerken and Joyner as Charnowski is a very talented centre. His rebounding is fantastic, his defensive is above par while he can score with the best of them. He can be too passive sometimes but don’t underestimate the big Pole. If Joyner can nullify Charnowski like he did to Vanderwerken then he has done his job.

Winner - Miami

Bench
Art Haynes, Cederic Mapp, Ross Lampley vs. Earl Oliver, Anthony Davis, Kresimir Balas

The Heat have Haynes who is a loggerheads with the coach and then a whole bunch of guys who are OK but can’t be depended on. It’s the starters or nothing it seems. Oliver and Davis have shown that they have one more postseason in them and want to go out with a bang while Balas is ever improving.

Winner – Dallas

Prediction – Dallas in six. Just because the preview has Dallas winning five of the six match-ups doesn’t mean that they will romp it in. There is a lot that can go either way and if Ledaryl McMillian or Jack Dawkins don’t fire then look out.

The supporters are hungry for revenge after losing last NBA Finals to Philly and Mr Perry has gone all out to try and get it. He has given every seat a blue shirt that reads “Revenge is...” then a picture of the Mavericks logo which is fantastic. Whenever the crowd jumps up and down as one it looks like a sea of people, very off putting.

And guess what? It worked, beautifully. Ledaryl and Kenneth Long had similar yet far apart games with 47 points and 8 assists from our superstar while Long went 8/26 for 30 points and 10 rebounds. Even though Jack went 3/11 from the field he did finish with 18 points, 12 assists and 9 rebounds as we take the first game 130-109 after going on a 40-26 run in the final quarter. Earl Oliver was one of the difference makers, turning the clock back two years for 20 points in 26 minutes off the bench. For the Joyner/Charnowski match-up? Tyson kept Eryk to a 1/11 shooting night for only 7 points. As I said, beautiful.

Dallas leads 1-0

If you looked at the box score after the game you would have though that Big T had a massive triple double with 24 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds but that was spread over the two McKenzies, with Big T and Little T combining for 36 points, 19 rebounds and 16 assists while Ledaryl McMillian had his way with Kenneth Long again for 35 points. However, Miami got something out of their bench with Ross Lampley put up 16 points in 15 minutes. But this was all us as I ended the game not being able to hear myself think as we take a two nil lead in the NBA Finals with a 120-105 smashing which doesn’t do the game justice as our biggest lead was 30 points.

Dallas leads 2-0

The Heat won it all only three years ago so they know how it feels being on the top of the world. Right now is a different story, being embarrassed in the first two games and running home with their tails between their legs. So, for the sake of their fans, they need to come out firing. And come out firing they did...n’t. We outscored them 32-19 in the first and 26-12 in the second to truly demoralise Miami to the tune of a 108-73 spanking. Ledaryl had 33 points, Jack added 21 points and 12 rebounds while Tyson Joyner actually fouled Eryk Charnowski out in only 18 minutes on his way to 10 points and 8 rebounds! This Heat team is in shambles and there were boos heard in the fourth quarter as our biggest lead was 41 points. Can you smell it?

Dallas leads 3-0

Now the Heat have to show something, not just for their fans or the basketballing world but for their dignity as being blown out by 20-30-40 points is not good for their pshyche. This is why their 123-87 whalloping in game four was so unexpected. Kenneth Long FINALLY gets to play at SG and has 37 points as John Morris doesn’t play because of a sore back. Maybe that sore back could be a blessing in disguise for the Heat. Eryk Charnowski FINALLY broke away from Tyson Joyner for 26 points and 10 rebounds on 10/11 shooting to show how good he can be when he feels like it. Tate McKenzie and Tyson Joyner played 13 and 16 minutes respectively. Ledaryl was our best with 24 points but we were the ones who ran head first into a buzzsaw.

Dallas leads 3-1

Wow. Wow. If you wanted to show someone what NBA Finals basketball is you should just show them highlight of game five. There were 21 lead changes and six ties as we got in a hole and just couldn’t get out of it. That was until the last quarter where our superstar stepped forward. Not Ledaryl, not Jack but Big T who went berserk for 15 points in the last seven minutes for 40 points and 12 rebounds. We were down by ten points going into the last as our star dragged us kicking and screaming back into the game to force overtime as every single Miami starter had at least 20 points, with Eryk adding 14 rebounds and Kenneth Long adding 14 assists. The overtime went back and forth for three of the five minutes before Earl Oliver drained two big threes and hit a put back layup in his 19 points as we take the game and the title 135-127! Little T and a now healthy John Morris went toe-to-toe with 25 points and 9 assists from our guy and 26 points and 9 assists from their’s as we finally get revenge on last season. To makes things better we didn’t get a good game out of Jack who went 4/18 as we got to see our other players have a go. Ledaryl also had a tough one, going 8/23 for 22 points but tonight was Big T’s night.

The guys were screaming at half court as Anthony Davis holds up two hands, showing that he has won his sixth title in a magnificent career. The photo of the Finals was not one but three photos when Tyson Joyner blocked a massive dunk effort by Eryk Charnowski, then a put back attempt from Lance Ellis that was denied by Joyner and finally a still of another block by Joyner on Charnowski in the final game of the season.

Ledaryl McMillian was named Finals MVP with averages of 32.2 points, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals over five games to go with his three MVP awards. My goodness it’s good to be back at the top, I’m not going to sleep for a week.

Dallas wins championship 4-1