...Choke in overtime. Andre Miller just flat went off on the Mavs'. In his previous 863 NBA games he had a career high of only 37. Tonight, he had 52. Maybe he woke up and ate the right kind of cereal this morning but for whatever reason he was unstoppable. He couldn't be guarded and he couldn't miss a shot...even when he tried. It was just one of those nights. "
We've gotten very soft defensively as a team," Carlisle said. "We were a tough-minded team the first quarter of the year, and that's gone by the wayside."
Apparently Mavs' Coach Rick Carlisle doesn't think his players are giving him all the effort in their tank night in and night out! And quite frankly I don't either. This is a team that we have seen successfully dominate some of the best teams in the league this season...and then forget to show up at all to the next game! It just does not make much sense. They have every thing they need to be successful in the regular season. I believe they need one more piece to make them a true contender to beat the Lakers. But that doesn't excuse them letting LA walk all over them, or letting Chris Bosh or Deron Williams push them around; and it really doesn't sit well with me when they allow teams like Philly and injury ridden Portland to pickpocket W's from them late in games! Not to mention should be wins over Phoenix, the Warriors six man team, and the Duncan-less/Parker-less Spurs. Some of these losses are disgraceful and demoralizing. Too many 1 point wins and close calls, too many nail bitters and barely squeaking by. When will this team figure out how to put their opponents away in the 3rd/4th quarter?
"It's an attitude adjustment that we're going to have to make to get that (tough mindedness) back." Carlisle said.
Yes coach it is an attitude adjustment. It is a demeanor and a mental desire that the Mavs' must find in order to do away with opposing teams. These 13 point leads that disappear are killing them. Too often they let teams back into games that they should win going away. The biggest problem of all is, they are doing it at home!
Dallas' home record is 14-8
Dallas' road record is 16-9
Notice anything unusual about that? Their road record is better than their home record. If they could win at home like they have in the past this team would be tied with the Lakers for the best team in the league! When they go out and dominate the Celtics in Boston, and dominate the Lakers in LA, and dominate the Spurs in SA, then come home and lose very winnable games, that says to me that this Mavericks team, for the first time since Mark Cuban bought the franchise, is uncomfortable playing at home! I do not believe that they could be comfortable and play so swagger-less on their home floor. The Mavs' started by losing the first game of the season against a Washington Wizards team that is now one of the worst teams in the league. How do you gain confidence when you lose the season opener at home to a team that is vastly inferior to you?
Here are the Mavs' home losses thus far:
Washington: 102-91
Golden State: 111-103 (GS had only 6 players on their entire team for that game, 4 of which played all 48 minutes. = BAD LOSS, as Dirk said)
Atlanta: 80-75
Houston: 116-108OT (Excusable loss. Very bad officiating and Dirk got teeth embedded in his arm.)
Portland: 85-81
Utah: 111-93
Los Angeles: 100-95
Portland: 114-112OT
A couple things jump out at me from that list. Check out how close these games are with the exception of Utah's 16 point thrashing. That looks to me like 7 very winnable games, two even went to overtime...and holding the very good Atlanta Hawks to 80 and not winning takes quite the effort. Even if you give Houston that terribly officiated game that is still six games that should be in the win column and they are not! Portland has the magic number and LA needed a(nother) Kobe miracle.
So what is the Mavericks problem with playing at home? Not only have they lost these games at home but also won some very unnecessarily close ones at home as a result of playing terrible.10 of their 14 home wins have been by 5 points or less and 5 of those by 2 points or less...Is it dramatic? YES...too much so! Its also disheartening for fans and it has to be for the team too when they play so uninspired on their home floor. So why can they not fix this lackadaisical attitude at home? Well it starts at the heart of the team...and just where is that exactly? That is the question...
Notice anything unusual about that? Their road record is better than their home record. If they could win at home like they have in the past this team would be tied with the Lakers for the best team in the league! When they go out and dominate the Celtics in Boston, and dominate the Lakers in LA, and dominate the Spurs in SA, then come home and lose very winnable games, that says to me that this Mavericks team, for the first time since Mark Cuban bought the franchise, is uncomfortable playing at home! I do not believe that they could be comfortable and play so swagger-less on their home floor. The Mavs' started by losing the first game of the season against a Washington Wizards team that is now one of the worst teams in the league. How do you gain confidence when you lose the season opener at home to a team that is vastly inferior to you?
Here are the Mavs' home losses thus far:
Washington: 102-91
Golden State: 111-103 (GS had only 6 players on their entire team for that game, 4 of which played all 48 minutes. = BAD LOSS, as Dirk said)
Atlanta: 80-75
Houston: 116-108OT (Excusable loss. Very bad officiating and Dirk got teeth embedded in his arm.)
Portland: 85-81
Utah: 111-93
Los Angeles: 100-95
Portland: 114-112OT
A couple things jump out at me from that list. Check out how close these games are with the exception of Utah's 16 point thrashing. That looks to me like 7 very winnable games, two even went to overtime...and holding the very good Atlanta Hawks to 80 and not winning takes quite the effort. Even if you give Houston that terribly officiated game that is still six games that should be in the win column and they are not! Portland has the magic number and LA needed a(nother) Kobe miracle.
So what is the Mavericks problem with playing at home? Not only have they lost these games at home but also won some very unnecessarily close ones at home as a result of playing terrible.10 of their 14 home wins have been by 5 points or less and 5 of those by 2 points or less...Is it dramatic? YES...too much so! Its also disheartening for fans and it has to be for the team too when they play so uninspired on their home floor. So why can they not fix this lackadaisical attitude at home? Well it starts at the heart of the team...and just where is that exactly? That is the question...
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