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DALLAS MAVERICKS 2007-2008 SEASON ANALYSIS
The Dallas Mavericks (the number one seed a year ago) were thoroughly embarrassed by the Golden State Warriors (the eighth seed last season) in the first round of the playoffs last year. They had poured their blood, sweat, and tears into compiling the best record in the League (67 wins in 82 games), and their leader, Dirk Nowitzki, did so much damage to the nets that he was named the 2006-07 NBA MVP. The Warriors weren’t impressed one bit. They shocked the World by sending the Mavs packing after eliminating them in the first round. Amazingly enough, Dallas shook things up in ’08 by trading for All Star point guard Jason Kidd near the trade deadline. They won 51 games this season, and are the sixth seed going into the postseason. DALLAS MAVERICKS -- TOP 3 PLAYERS1. Dirk Nowitzki — 23.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, .9 bpg, 87.9% (FT%)
Dirk Nowitzki is a seven-footer that LOVES to hoist three-pointers with regularity. If you haven’t seen him play, you are likely wondering, “Shouldn’t somebody tell this guy to get in the paint and do work?” The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! “But why wouldn’t you want a talented post backing his man down and scoring on high percentage shots?” Well, Mr. Nowitzki isn’t exactly your prototypical post player. He is an ultra-unique shooting guard stuck in a center’s body. The moral of this story is let the man do what he wills with the basketball. Any kind of restrictions on his shot selection will only result in lesser production and eventually less wins.
2. Josh Howard – 19.9 ppg, 7 rpg, 2.2 apg, 81.3% (FT%)
Josh Howard is the paramount sidekick in the NBA. He is Robin to Dirk Nowitzki’s Batman. The most common mistake when talking about Howard is to forget just how terrific of a baller he really is by always thinking of him as second fiddle to Dirk. This is unfair! Josh Howard is one of the finest perimeter defenders in the Association, and he is a 20 ppg scorer on a fifty win team.
3. Jason Kidd– 9.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 9.5 apg, 2.1 spg, 46.1% (3p%)
J-Kidd is a playa; he is LIVELY AND FLIRTATIOUS….. I mean HE IS ALWAYS FLIRTING WITH TRIPLE-DOUBLES! Kidd’s knack for seeing the floor and dishing out dimes is unsurpassed (no pun intended) by any other point guard in the last ten years. What makes him really special, though, is his proclivity for rebounding from the point position (not to mention his above-average 3-point stroke).
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