Mavs Back on Track?

It was just a mid-season game in front of a relatively aloof crowd in New Jersey, but somehow when the ball was rolling around on the rim, deciding whether or not to fall through, it felt like the fortunes of the Dallas Mavericks' season was in the balance.

A loss against the lowly Nets would signify that the the Mavs' stellar start to the season was a mirage , while a win – no matter how ugly or lackluster – would keep Dallas on pace with the Western Conference's elite.

Dirk Nowitzki's twelve-footer finally found the twine; the Mavericks escaped New Jersey with an unsightly 87-86 win and the team, their coaches and fans could all let out a sigh of relief. The season still had a heart beat.

While the Mavs remained in the top half of the Western Conference standings, they still were unable to generate any swagger heading in to the opening game of a four-game home stand. Their opponent on the other hand, the Los Angeles Clippers, strutted on to the court oozing confidence. Yes, the Clippers came in to the American Airlines Center led by their high-flying rookie Blake Griffin and punched the Mavs right in the mouth, shot a blazing 68% and held a double-digit lead at halftime. I was hoping that Mark Cuban had dispatched his helicopter to go pick up Nowitzki at his house as the MVP candidate was completely M.I.A. The team as a whole looked old, slow, and completely disinterested; only JJ Barea and Tyson Chandler showed any signs of life and carried the team offensively.

Carlisle even went the mad scientist route and threw together an off-the-cuff lineup of Barea, Jason Kidd, Brendan Haywood, Ian Mahinmi and Jason Terry to see if he could shake any life in to the squad. In one of the most disjointed basketball games I have ever witnessed due to an avalanche of whistles, the Clippers managed to score 62 first half points, the most Dallas has surrendered to an opponent all season.

Going in to the game's second half, it once again felt like fans' confidence in the Mavericks was teetering. Had they truly lost all of their mojo that they had before Nowitzki and Caron Butler went down or could they come up with an answer to the Clippers' brash attack?

Thankfully, a better defensive effort, combined with a slew of Baron Davis turnovers, enabled Dallas to get back in to the game quickly and eventually take the lead near the end of the third quarter. The crowd came to see Blake Griffin dunk, but instead were witnesses to a gaggle of Mavericks' flushes and Barea joyously driving Davis to revert to his brain-dead, “me-first” persona. Brendan Haywood's defense on Griffin and the rest of the Clippers' front line was a revelation, as was Jason Terry regaining his shooting stroke.

After back-to-back Nowitzki threes, the Mavs had turned a 15-point deficit in to a 17-point lead half-way through the fourth quarter. All of the angst and fury that callers that were getting ready unleash on the post-game shows was silenced as the Mavericks had finally remembered how to score – in their 10 games before the Clippers game, Dallas was averaging just under 90 points-per-game, including a game against Memphis where they only manged to register a measly 70 points. The 112 points they threw up on the Clips was their season-high and included a whopping 63 points from their bench.

With three very winnable games remaining on their home stand, hopefully the Mavericks can use the second half of the Clippers game as a spring board and get their momentum moving in the right direction.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE AN ALL-STAR

This seems ridiculous to even ponder, but should Dirk Nowitzki be an All-Star this season? Before his injury on December 27, not only was he a lock to be named to the Western Conference All-Star lineup, but he was near the top of everyone's MVP list. However, missing nine games, combined with his statistical slump since he's returned to the lineup, has taken some of the shine off his campaign.

Then there's the fact that there are a slew of All-Star-deserving forwards in the Western Conference. Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant have been voted in by the fans, and that leaves only three forward spots on the roster open. The game is in Los Angeles, so it's a virtual lock that rookie phenom Blake Griffin will take a spot. We still have Minnesota's Kevin Love, Memphis' Zach Randolph and Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge to deal with. If Nowitzki is still “walking in quicksand,” as he put it, as we get close to All-Star weekend, I say he suddenly catches the flu and lets one of the younger guys make the trip out west.

Stars Hit Iceberg. Film at 11.

“If you're gonna drive the car in to the ditch, you may as well total it.”
-Craig Ludwig (following the Stars' 7-4 loss to Calgary).

However, if you do total your car, try not to take your wife's car out and t-bone a bus a few nights later.

You'd think that the Dallas Stars players would have been loaded for bear going in to Vancouver last Monday night. They had just been throttled by the lowly Calgary Flames 7-4, and the Canucks were one of only two teams that the Stars were chasing in the Western Conference standings and a win against them would close the gap between them.

Bear? Nope. Try a squirt gun.

During the second period of the Stars 7-1 loss to the Canucks, I received a text from a buddy of mine:

“Let's see...total ineptitude in own zone, grossly unacceptable special teams, bad goaltending, an own goal...The 2009 Stars are back!”

In two games, the Stars had given up as points as the Green Bay Packers gave the Chicago Bears last Sunday: 14.

Talk about the dam bursting.

Going in to last weekend's final two games of Dallas' Western Canada road trip, the Stars were the hottest team in the NHL and were unbeaten in 2011. Their goalies had the top save percentage and goals-against-average in the league in January. Those numbers got throttled mercilessly in the last two games; from a .954 SV% and 1.42 GAA to .745 and 7.0.

Those numbers make I Saw the Devil look like a Disney flick.

The Stars' special teams took a nose-dive as well. In the eight games in January before the Twin Killings at the hands of Calgary and Vancouver, Dallas' power play was cruising along at 44% (12-27), but went 0-7 in the losses. Their penalty kill had become lethal to opposing power plays units, allowing just a single power-play goal in 2011 while posting an absurd 95.8% (23-24) penalty-kill percentage. That percentage was nearly slashed in half against the Flames and Canucks as the Stars only went 5-for-9 (55%).

Vancouver, specifically, has owned the Stars this season. In their two meetings, the Canucks have outscored Dallas 11-2 and shredded the Stars' penalty killing units, scoring on 6 of their 12 chances.

"We're all going to bounce back," center Brad Richards said, following the loss to Vancouver. "If not, we're going to have to find a different job. We'll take it in the chin tonight but we'll be back."

In the big picture, the Stars were 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and in good shape despite the blowout losses. As of last Wednesday, the Stars still had a fairly comfortable lead in the Pacific Division – three points up on Anaheim with 3 games-in-hand on them and 6 points over Phoenix, having played one less game than the Coyotes. They were still a single point behind Detroit for second in the conference, but slid to 6 points behind Vancouver.

The team is fortunate to have one more game before heading in to this weekend's All-Star break, and Dallas could not have hand-picked a better opponent than the Western Conference cellar dwellers and frequent Stars punching bag, the Edmonton Oilers, to help cleanse the team's palate from back-to-back beat downs.

“Guys were upset today. They didn’t need to be talked to,” said Stars coach Marc Crawford shortly after the team touched down in Dallas last Tuesday. “They knew they weren’t very good, weren’t good enough. I think you could go a step further and say they knew they had a real sub par performance last night. I expect them to be a lot better Wednesday.”

Let's hope so.

Without Dirk, There's Not Much to Talk About

Hurry up and get out of that suit Dirk! You're our only hope!

“Well Dirk’s not here, so let’s not talk about Dirk.”

In one terse response to a reporter's question following the Dallas Mavericks' lose to the Orlando Magic last Sunday, Head Coach Rick Carlisle pretty much summed up the mood of the team these days: frustrated and confused.

Carlisle and the Mavs' players may not want to talk about Dirk's absence or use him as an excuse for their recent struggles, but in reality, there's no avoiding it.

No Dirk equals few wins and demoralizing sledding for the Mavs. It's a good thing they got off to the white hot 24-5 start as they're now needing the buffer they created to keep them in the top half of the Western Conference playoff bracket. Since Dirk went down on December 27 in Oklahoma City, the Mavericks have stumbled to a 2-5 record and their scoring has dropped to just 92.3 points per game over their last seven games, after averaging 99.5 with their superstar in the lineup. While never considered a quality defender, Dirk's absence has killed the Mavericks on the defensive end as well; they've gone from giving up 93.4 points against with Dirk to 96.3 PA without him. They were once a +6.1 in scoring differential and are now a -4.0 in the WDE (Without Dirk Era)..

In the NBA, if a team is to be successful, it has to have a superstar. When a player like Nowitzki is taken out of the rotation, all of the other members of the team get bumped up a notch, or two in the Mavs' case as Caron Butler has been removed as well, and with rising minutes, their weaknesses become exposed. JJ Barea carried the offensive load in the loss against Milwaukee with a season high 29 points, but that can't be counted on regularly. Jason Kidd's offense has left him at a very inopportune time as he is averaging just 7.6 points per game in the last five games while shooting 25% from the field and 24% from three.

Even “Mr. Fourth Quarter,” Jason Terry, the player who the Mavs need more than ever with Dirk down, has been inconsistent. Over his past five contests, he is averaging just 15.6 points on 44% FG and a horrendous 25% on 3FG. Clearly, with no Dirk, he is the focal point of the opponent's defenses and he no longer gets the wide open looks that came with Nowitzki on the court. Ironically, the most reliable option has been the three-point fire balling of DeShawn Stevenson. The throw-in in last season's Caron Butler/Brendan Haywood trade, Stevenson has made the most of his increased minutes and has averaged 19.3 PPG on 48% shooting over the last four games and currently sits fourth in the NBA in three-point shooting.

The offensive quagmire has become so deep that the Mavericks signed former Cavalier and Timberwolves outside threat Sasha Pavlovic to a ten-day contract this week to try and bolster their attack.

Dirk's absence has revealed what many NBA commentators were offering as reason for Nowitzki's MVP candidacy – that no good team has such a precipitous drop-off from its top offensive option to its second scorer than the Mavericks – is accurate. They are lost on offense without him and at times are unwatchable.

A comparison of the top and second scorer on the top ten teams in the league (as of Jan. 12):

Team (Record)	Top Scorer	2nd Scorer	Difference
SAS (32-6)	Ginobili (19.0)	Parker (17.4)	1.6
MIA (30-9)	James (25.3)	Wade (24.9)	0.4
BOS (28-9)	Pierce (19.0)	Allen (17.6)	1.4
LAL (28-11)	Bryant (24.9)	Gasol (18.4)	6.5
Dallas (26-10)	Nowitzki (24.1)	Terry (15.6)	8.5
CHI (25-12)	Rose (24.3)	Boozer (20.6)	3.7
ORL (25-12)	Howard (21.2)	Richardson (13.9)	7.3*
OKC (25-13)	Durant (28.2)	Westbrook (21.9)	6.3
UTA (25-13)	Williams (21.8)	Millsap (17.8)	3
ATL (25-14)	Johnson (18.6)	Horford (16.3)	2.3

*The second-leading scorer for most of the season for Orlando was Vince Carter (15.1 PPG) so the difference was 6.1. However, even with Carter traded, Howard is still flanked by six double-figure scorers, Dirk has just two. Also, there is not a single team, no matter their record, in the NBA with as large a discrepancy between their top scorers as the Mavericks.

Thankfully, only four of Dallas' next eleven opponents possess winning records, but the Mavericks' recent losses to Toronto and Milwaukee – both at home – have shown that, in in their current state, nothing can be taken for granted. The Mavs have lost five of the seven games Nowitzki sat out. They only lost five of the twenty-nine he started.

There's no way around it; you can't talk about the Mavericks these days without first issuing the disclaimer, “without Dirk in the lineup...”

Don't Sleep on DeShawn

by Scott Rozsa
srozsa1@swbell.net

While the Mavericks have been scrutinized lately for repeatedly giving up large leads this season, they still have only actually lost a handful of games this year. It's almost nitpicking. Haters feel the need to criticize the Mavs despite their owning the second-best record in the Western conference at 23-5 and winners of 16 of their last 17 games as they entered their Christmas break. Man, fans can be spoiled sometimes.

The trait most MFFL's are overlooking is the number of times this season that Dallas has rocketed out to sizable leads from the opening tip. I'm going to dub it the The Stevenson Effect. Ever since guard Deshawn Stevenson was inserted in to the starting lineup in the sixth game of the season against the Celtics back on November 8, the Mavs are 20-3. His physical presence has made them a better defensive team and his white-hot three-point shooting this season – 49.3%, a career high and 4^th in the NBA - has made him a weapon that opposing defenses cannot ignore. His brashness seems to have rubbed off on his teammates as well as the Mavs have been confident and composed from the first moment they hit the court, especially on the road, where the Mavs are 10-1 for the season, best in franchise history. In addition, Dallas has led after the first quarter in 17 of the 23 games he has started.

The Mavericks have been dubbed The Streak Busters by NBA cognoscenti after snapping six opponent's winning streaks of five games or more (Boston, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Utah and Miami) and Stevenson has been a starter for every single one of those streak-ending wins. As a player who was best known before this season for his YouTube shooting contest against Gilbert Arenas, his on-court woofing with LeBron in past playoff match ups and the classic “I Can't Feel My Face” gesture after hitting a three, Stevenson has turned a corner this season and is playing with a maturity, work ethic and selflessness that many never thought he would reach.

Dallas has not allowed a team to shoot over 50% against them for the season, the only squad in the NBA who can make that claim. Stevenson has helped set the defensive tone at the beginning of each half for all but the first five games this campaign, and the Mavs were a mediocre 3-2 in those tilts. Granted, Tyson Chandler has to be given the bulk of the credit for the Mavs' defensive improvement, but Stevenson needs to be recognized as well.

Dirk, Jason Kidd, Caron Butler and Jason Terry receive headlines on a daily basis, but I say it's time to throw the Mav's own Junk Yard Dog, DeShawn Stevenson, a bone.

Top Trades in Stars History

Best Trades in Franchise History

by Scott Rozsa
srozsa1@swbell.net

Watching Mike Ribeiro and Stephane Robidas play against the Montreal Canadiens, the franchise that originally drafted them, and thinking how little the Stars gave up to get those cornerstones of their roster, I began grinding away to think of the best trades in Dallas Stars history. Are there any other trades that were as big a fleecing by Dallas as these two?

As a matter of fact, there are some that are even more one-sided than the Ribeiro or Robidas deals. As my Christmas gift to you, I give you the Top Trades in Dallas Stars History:

1. Stars acquire Sergei Zubov from Pittsburgh for Kevin Hatcher. Seriously. This happened. Zubov amassed 549 points in his twelve seasons with Dallas, three All-Star selections, a Stanley Cup and innumerable Gary Oldman comparisons. Hatcher only played five seasons after the trade and fell in to a well.

2. Stars acquire Guy Carbonneau from St. Louis for Paul Broten. The Broten name carries sizable weight in Stars franchise history, unfortunately for Paul it was his brother Neal that established that notoriety. As we all know, Carbonneau can essentially be credited with creating the winning culture around the Stars while Broten played just 17 games after the trade and was out of the league.

3. Dallas acquires Mike Ribeiro and a 2008 6^th round pick for defenseman Janne Niinimaa and a 2007 5^th round pick. Ribeiro has led the Stars in scoring in three of his four seasons here while Niinimaa is currently playing for something called HV71 in the Swedish League.

4. Stars originally acquire Stephane Robidas from Atlanta for a 6^th round draft choice in 2002. They later sign him as a free agent after the lockout when it appeared no other franchise was interested. Robidas was an All-Star last year and has been the Stars best defenseman since Sergei Zubov left.

5. Stars acquire Kari Lehtonen from Atlanta for Ivan Vishnevskiy and a 4^th round pick. It may seem a little early to rank this trade with the others, but the way Lehtonen has played so far this season, and the realization that he is still just 27, combined with the fact that Vishnevskiy hasn't even played an NHL game since the trade, make this swap a heist in favor of the Stars.

Brenden Morrow Leading the Way

The Dallas Stars are playing so well over the past month that it's almost become repetitive to keep blathering on and on about their improved penalty kill (88% in the last 15 games), formidable goaltending and scoring depth as the Stars have charged to the top of the Western conference.

In the past month, they are 11-3-2 and have climbed to a perch I never thought they'd reach when the season began. They're 10-0-2 in their last twelve at home and have seven more wins after 34 games than they did last season. Like their AAC co-tenants, the Dallas Mavericks, the Stars have provided their fans with almost nothing but winning hockey and it looks like patrons are realizing it and heading to the rink; attendance is ___ over the last ten home games.

They failed to pick up a point in a game only twice in their last fifteen games.

They've beaten division leaders Detroit and Montreal in succession.

Even their once anemic power play has rounded in to shape and scored goals in six straight games.

The squad is as cohesive and single-minded in purpose as any team in the league, and it has been the leadership of their captain recently that has really pushed them to the top spot in the conference. Brenden Morrow has been a beacon of determination and focus over the past five games; it's almost as though the puck that demolished his nose in the San Jose game propelled him to another level.. After surgery, Morrow was in the lineup against the Sharks just 3 days later and didn't miss a shift. In fact, he's scored three goals since getting his schnoz rearranged and donning the fishbowl.

Head coach Marc Crawford said it best: “There’s no two ways about it. He’s uncomfortable. We’re sore for him just watching him. But that’s leadership. He’s going out and leading by example. That really spirits on everybody else. You can’t help but be motivated when you see your captain come out and play the way that he does.”

It's no wonder that he's simply referred to as The Captain when Stars fans and announcers are discussing him these days.

By Scott Rozsa

srozsa1@swbell.net

Bowling for Swag!

If you're a player on a college team that's not either Auburn or Oregon and playing for a national championship, what bowl would be your next selection? Well, since these players allegedly don't get paid, I'm guessing they'd be happy ending up in the Beef O'Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl.

Why, you ask? Because they have the best swag! Participants in the Beef O'Brady's bowl take home an Xbox 360, Oakley Fuel Cell sunglasses, and Oakley backpack and a commemorative mini helmet. If you're a college student, that's a pretty sweet haul.

Just about very bowl game – there are thirty-five in all – shower the players with goodies to help soften the fact that they're actually being forced to play a meaningless game in El Paso or on a frozen field in New York. But how do the bowls compare when it comes to swag? See for yourself:

New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque, (Dec. 18): Gift suite of electronics, Oakley Fuel Cell sunglasses, Oakley beanie & cap, Oakley Panel backpack, pen & Xmas ornament.

Udrove Humanitarian Bowl, Boise, (Dec. 18): Sony gift suite, New Era skull cap, waterproof parka, gloves, hand warmers, Ogio Fugitive back pack, football.

R&L Carriers Bowl, New Orleans (Dec. 18): Apple iPod Touch, Balfour ring.

Beef O'Brady's St. Petersburg (Dec. 21): Xbox 360 4GB, Oakley Fuel Cell sunglasses, Oakley Panel backpack, mini helmet.

MAACO Bowl, Las Vegas (Dec. 22): Electronics gift suite. (Hey, whadda ya want? They get to party in Vegas!)

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl (Dec. 23): Best Buy gift card, Fossil watch, hoodie & cap.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Honolulu (Dec. 24): Kicker EB41 ear buds, Oakley Fuel Cells, Pro Athletics custom shorts, commemorative t-shirt, visor, Oakley Surf back pack, beach towels, calendar.

Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl, Detroit (Dec. 26): Electronics gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, leather duffel bag, football.

Advocare V100 Independence Bowl, Shreveport (Dec. 27): Electronics gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, New Era hat.

Champs Sports Bowl, Orlando (Dec. 28): $420 gift card to Best Buy, Timely Watch Co. watch.

Insight Bowl, Tempe (Dec. 28): Sony gift suite, Tourneau watch, cap, Ogio Cooper backpack.

Military Bowl, Washington DC (Dec. 29): Sony Dash, Altec Lansing portable speakers, beanie, cap, duffel bag, blanket.

Texas Bowl, Houston (Dec. 29): Apple iPod Touch, Fossil watch, t-shirt, back pack, belt buckle (you know, cuz it's Texas!!)

Valero Alamo Bowl, San Antonio (Dec. 29): Xbox 360 with Kinect, $20 Game Stop gift card, Kicker 541 headphones, Apple iPod Shuffle, Fossil watch, mini helmet and team photo.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Dallas (Dec. 30): Sony gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, Ogio All Terrain duffel bag, football.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Nashville (Dec. 30): Skull Candy headphones, Apple iPod Shuffle, iTunes gift card, Fossil watch, Majestic fleece, Port & Co. long-sleeve shirt, Ogio backpack.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl, San Diego (Dec. 30): Best Buy gift card, Fossil watch, hoodie, cap.

Hyundai Sun Bowl, El Paso (Dec. 31): Electronics, Timely Watch Co. watch, Majestic fleece, Top of the World cap, Ogio Politan backpack, Helen of Troy hair dryer (HUH??), souvenir coin.

Autozone Liberty Bowl, Memphis (Dec. 31): Apple iPod Nano, Fossil watch, Nike shoes, sandals and sunglasses, Nike Air Jordan backpack, football.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Atlanta (Dec. 31): $250 Best Buy card, Fossil watch, Russell Athletic cap, Russell travel bag, Chick-Fil-A gift card.

Ticketcity Bowl, Dallas (Jan. 1): Electronics, Timely watch.

Capital One Bowl, Orlando (Jan. 1): $420 shopping spree at Best Buy, Timely watch.

Outback Bowl, Tampa (Jan. 1): $150 Best Buy card, Fossil watch, cap, Jostens ring, $25 gift card to Outback.

Gator Bowl, Jacksonville (Jan. 1): Fossil watch, Oakley sunglasses, leather duffel bag, Jostens ring, football.

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1): Electronics gift suite, Fossil watch, Oakley cap, Oakley Bugeye backpack.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Glendale (Jan. 1): Electronics gift suite, Fossil watch, cap, Ogio Cooper backpack.

Discover Orange Bowl, Miami (Jan. 3): Electronics gift suite, Tourneau watch, New Era cap.

Allstate Sugar Bowl, New Orleans (Jan. 4): Sleek Audio headphones, electronics, Reactor Meltdown watch, New Era cap.

Godaddy.com Bowl, Mobile (Jan. 6): Nikon S70 touch screen camera, Timely watch, leather luggage, football.

AT&T Cotton Bowl (Jan. 7): would not disclose. It'll just have to be a surprise!

BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham (Jan. 8): Oakley watch, Oakley glasses, Oakley backpack, football.

KRAFT Fight Hunger Bowl, San Francisco (Jan. 9): Sony noise-canceling headphones, Fossil watch, cap, Ogio backpack, $100 Levi's gift certificate.

Tostitos BCS National Championship Game, Glendale (Jan. 10): Electronics gift suite, Fossil watch, cap, Ogio backpack.

Hey, if you made it all the way to the end of this list, you must surely agree with me now that there are WAAAY too many Bowl games!