The Football Fan Spot

For the past two weeks, the Dallas Mavericks have been America’s team. They weren’t just Dallas’ team. They weren’t just Cleveland’s team, as the city rooted for LeBron to fail. They were America’s team, as everyone outside of Miami rooted for LeBron and the “Heatles” to fail. There really hasn’t been anything like this in recent years, if ever. We loved the Mavericks because they were the opposite of everything we hated about the Heat.

We hated the Heat because their marquee player, LeBron James, left his team after 7 years and took his talents to South Beach. Dirk had the chance to take his talents elsewhere last often, maybe to the Windy City to play with Derrick Rose, but he kept his talents in the Lone Star State, because, as he put it, he couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else, just like Magic and Bird and Jordan (disregard his comeback part II in Washington…like in general I think it’s best that no one remembers those 2 seasons).

We hated the Heat because they celebrated like they had just won the Championship in July, with a victory parade esque “welcome party” where they called themselves the “Heatles” and promised a dynasty. We hated the Heat because they did pretty much the exact same thing after they beat the Celtics, celebrating like they had just won the Championship with 8 wins to go. The Mavericks never did anything like that. Hell, even their actual Championship celebration was pretty tame. Dirk didn’t even want to come out from the locker room to celebrate publicly.

We hated the Heat because they tried to cheat the system. Every championship team ever has been built the same way. You have your pecking order, your #1 and then your #2 and both know and except their role. Jordan was #1, Pippen was #2. Magic was #1, Kareem was #2. Shaq was #1, Kobe was #2 (this broke down once Kobe decided he wanted to be #1). And then you had a reliable #3 and your role players. The Heat decided to have 2 #1s, force Bosh into being James Worthy (the best #3 ever), and then find some role players in every else’s garbage (Eddie House, Mike Bibby, Mike Miller, etc.)

The Mavericks did it the way it had always been done. Dirk was their #1. No one questioned that. (Side note, Oklahoma City lost because they had a passive #1 in Durant and an aggressive #2 in Russell Westbrook). Jason Kidd was their #2 (facilitate the offense, play strong defense, provide veteran leadership, shoot 3s). Shawn Marion was their #3. Jason Terry was their mini microwave off the bench. Tyson Chandler was their defensive big who wasn’t completely lost on the offensive end (getting rarer and rarer every year).

DeShawn Stevenson can play defense and hit threes. JJ Barea was a crafty offensive player who was sneaky good on the defensive end (a homeless man’s Steve Nash). That’s 7 players who play significant roles, know their roles and serve them well. Depending on the day, Brian Cardinal, Ian Mahinmi, Peja Stojakovic, or Brendan Haywood would play 8th man minutes. And Coach Rick Carlisle knew how to manage each and every one of them. That’s how you win.

As for what’s next for the Mavericks, that remains to be seen. They are currently listed as 10-1 favorites in 2012 (assuming we even have a season), the 5th best odds of any team (Miami, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles). Though they beat LA, OKC, and Miami, this actually makes sense. Tyson Chandler, JJ Barea, DeShawn Stevenson, Brian Cardinal, Caron Butler (even though he was hurt this year), and Peja Stojakovic are all free agents.

Given that we’re probably headed for a hard cap, it will be very hard for them to resign both Chandler and Barea. Barea will be easier to replace for them, with someone like Rodrigue Beaubois internally, so they’ll probably resign Chandler, but still, they could lose significant role players (plural) this offseason and it’s not like they blew everyone out of the water this season. Besides, it’s very, very tough for a team to repeat, especially one like Dallas who has never experienced being the champs.

As for the Heat, they have some decisions to make. Does this team just need more time together or do they just have a formula that can’t work? Is Coach Erik “Bruno Mars” Spoelstra the right man for the job or should Pat Riley come down and coach or the team, or should they hire a different coach from the outside. Immediately after the Heat lost, ABC’s Jeff Van Gundy, a former NBA coach, suggested that the Heat actually trade LeBron or Wade. This would in all certainly never happen, but what if it did?

They couldn’t trade Wade. This is his team, his city. He has the killer instinct and the ring. I’ve heard suggestion that they trade him for Dwight Howard, but, no offense to Howard, that doesn’t seem like quite enough compensation. They also need a true point guard, but Jameer Nelson’s contract is too big and the Heat don’t have the expiring contracts to get it done.

A 3rd team like Indiana could get involved. They would get Jameer Nelson and send the young and talented Darren Collison to Miami and send James Posey’s expiring contract to Orlando. This is a crazy scenario, but is it completely insane. I don’t think so. Orlando could lose Dwight Howard anyway so getting LeBron in return for him would definitely be a plus for them, even if they had to give up Jameer Nelson as well, and they also get some long term cap relief to get LeBron a little more help.

Dwight Howard would definitely resign in Miami with a supporting cast of Wade and Bosh. I also don’t think Howard would mind playing 2nd fiddle to Wade, something LeBron had issues with. He’d give them the interior presence they need, as well as a young talented point guard in Darren Collison. Indiana would lose a little bit of cap flexibility, but they would upgrade the point guard position and no free agents want to sign in Indiana anyway. Plus, we could make endless jokes about Miami “trading LeBron’s talents to Disneyworld.”

I wish I were seven feet tall. Seriously, I wouldn’t even need that much talent to be a NBA center if I were seven feet tall and people would pay me millions per year just for being tall. Former Orlando center Marcin Gortat is expected to sign a 5 year 34 million dollar contract with the Dallas Mavericks, assuming Orlando does not match that offer. If you are confused to how Marcin Gortat is, you’re not alone. Gortat has been in the league 2 years, has 3 career starts, and has averaged 3.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in his career. Gortat stepped up decently in the playoffs for the Eastern Conference Champion Magic, with 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Why is he making that much money? Look at him, he’s a 7 footer.

Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, you can count them on one hand. They are the only players in the NBA taller than 6-11 who are worth what they are being paid. The rest of them are overpaid because of their height. Yes, big men are huge parts of championship teams, but that is only if they are all-star caliber ones. If they aren’t, you’re better off going small than trying to turn a mediocre player into an all-star caliber one by throwing money at him. 

Look at Jerome James, 7-1, mediocre player, had one good postseason with the Sonics, got about 27 million over 5 years from Isiah Thomas, sat his fat ass on the Knicks’ bench for 5 years. Andrea Bargnani was drafted 1st overall in 2006 because he not just a 7 footer, but he was a skilled 7 footer, and NBA GM love that shit. He could shoot and dribble the basketball. Now, he’s been a career 12 points 4 rebounds guy who is too soft because, while he is seven feet tall, he doesn’t actually have any post game. Hasheem Thabeet was drafted 2nd overall this year because he’s not just 7 feet tall. He’s 7-3 and long. He’s a gifted shotblocker, but he’s also very weak for a big man and has no offensive game whatsoever. 

Teams are better off looking at centers who actually do what centers are supposedly to do, block shots, rebound, post up, rather than just looking at height. There are a bunch of 6-8, 6-9 guys in the NBA right now that do all those things well, or at least better than Marcin Gortat, that would be much better values. Look at Jason Maxiell, one of my favorite NBA players. He’s 6-7 on a good day, but he does what centers are supposed to do.