Dallas Mavericks

Showboating

ALL
OUTSIDER

NBA Power Rankings: New Year, New Number One

By Joe Boikess | January 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Dwight Howard - Keith Allison/Flickr.com

It's been two weeks since the last edition of my power rankings, where the East's mighty trio of Boston, Cleveland and Orlando took the top three spots. But that was last year, and now that 2008 has come and gone, it's time for a new leader: the Lakers. There was plenty of repositioning elsewhere as well, including the Detroit Pistons re-entering the top-10 for the first time since mid-November.1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-5) - Technically the Lakers are still a half-game behind the Celtics for the NBA's best record, but after L.A. beat Boston pretty convincingly on Christmas Day, then downed both Utah and Portland by double digits, there's no question who should be #1.2. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-6) - LeBron couldn't rally the Cavs past the Heat last week on his birthday despite dropping 24 of his 38 in the second half, and I can forgive him for that. But...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: NBA

NBA Stock Market: Stuckey Has Pistons Pushing Forward

By Joe Boikess | January 5, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Tayshaun Prince is Detroit's most consistent player (Photo via flickr.com/Jeffrey Simms Photography)

Every week here at NBA Outsider we look at which teams and players are hot and who's not from the Association. Here's the contenders for the first week of 2009...Rising:Detroit Pistons - Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess have all missed time recently for Detroit, yet the Pistons have somehow found a way to win seven in a row. Their latest win came on Sunday night when a last-second Allen Iverson floater was goaltended by the Clippers' Al Thornton to give Detroit the 88-87 win. A big part of their success has been the play of Rodney Stuckey, who is averaging just under 23 points per game during their seven-game winning streak. The Pistons are 13-3 with Stuckey as the starting point guard, and it clearly seems obvious at this point that he'll be sticking around.Kevin Martin (Kings) - Martin had missed 22 of Sacramento's first 24 games with...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, NBA, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz

NBA Studs and Duds (Jan. 4)

By Stu Holdren | January 4, 2009 | NBA Noise

Studs:Wilson Chandler, New York KnicksChandler netted a new career high, scoring 31 points in a surprising win over the Celtics. The win was especially crucial for the Knicks as they were riding an eight-game losing streak. Along with his strong scoring effort, Chandler had 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. [boxscore]O.J. Mayo, Memphis GrizzliesMayo was on fire from downtown tonight, sinking 5 of 8 behind the line. He finished with a team-high 21 points and also had 6 rebounds and 2 assists to lead the Grizzlies to victory against the Mavericks. [boxscore]Anthony Parker, Toronto RaptorsParker was lights out tonight, scoring 26 points on an extremely efficient 13 of 16 shooting performance. He also added 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a big win against the Magic. [boxscore]Duds:Jason Kidd, Dallas MavericksKidd got outplayed by a young Grizzlies backcourt and was a virtual non-factor in today's loss. While Kidd...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Anthony Parker, Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, New York Knicks, O.J. Mayo, Quentin Richardson, Studs and Duds, Toronto Raptors, Wilson Chandler

NBA Studs and Duds: 12/30/08

By Stu Holdren | December 30, 2008 | NBA Noise

Studs: Jason Terry, Dallas MavericksAs the Mavericks fell 29 points behind the Timberwolves, Jason Terry came to the rescue. Terry scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half to lead the Mavs to their largest comeback in franchise history. Terry buried 5 threes to go along with his 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. [boxscore]Chris Paul, New Orleans HornetsCP3 tied a Hornets record with his seventh career triple-double in tonight's 97-85 victory against the Washington Wizards. Paul finished with 15 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.[boxscore]Joe Johnson, Atlanta HawksJoe Johnson had another great game tonight, dropping in 27 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter and the team's last 5. Johnson also chipped in 7 rebounds and 5 assists to help lead the Hawks to a 110-104 victory over the Pacers. [boxscore]Duds:Baron Davis, Los Angeles ClippersBDiddy's struggles continue as he built a brick skyscraper with a 3...

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Baron Davis, Boston Celtics, Chris Paul, Dallas Mavericks, Jason Terry, Joe Johnson, Los Angeles Clippers, NBA, New Orleans Hornets, Ray Allen, Studs and Duds

Ranking the top ten players 6'0" tall and under

By Stu Holdren | December 27, 2008 | NBA Noise

The NBA is a league of giant men, but it is the little guys who we often find the most endearing. Maybe is that us "average Joes" can relate to being the little guy, or even live vicariously through the short players in the league. Some of everyone's favorite absurdly small, but productive Lilliputians included the 5'3" Mugsy Bogues and the 5'7" Spud Webb - a former Slam Dunk Contest winner. Currently, there are 17 players on active NBA rosters who are 6'0" or less. While I don't even believe that many of these guys are as tall as they say they are, let's take a look at the top 10.1. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets, 6'0" CP3 is undeniably one of the best players in the whole league. Even at only 6'0", people generally don't associate him with his diminutive stature. Maybe that is because of the diverse skill...

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Aaron Brooks, Allen Iverson, Charlotte Bobcats, Chris Paul, D.J. Augustin, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Jameer Nelson, Jose Barea, Kyle Lowry, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Sebastian Telfair, T.J. Ford

Christmas Day Notes

By Zach Harper | December 26, 2008 | Talk Hoops

Just wanted to jot down a few notes about the Christmas Day NBA festivities from yesterday. As you can probably tell there ended up not being an Eight-Second Violation for today because of the juggling of family time and NBA basketball. It led me to breaking free from family and going home at around 1am. With having to get up less than six hours later for work, it seemed unlikely that an effort could be made. But I'll try to hit on a few things here to make up for it as I wake myself out of this sleepwalk. Hornets-Magic GameWho would've thought that this would be the clunker of the whole day? I actually thought that this would end up being the second best game because Chris Paul doesn't seem to let his team give up and Dwight Howard is leading this Magic team perfectly right now (he's even...

Read more | 7 Comments | Tags: Boston Celtics, Chris Paul, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, San Antonio Spurs, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Washington Wizards

NBA Studs and Duds: 12/25/08

By Stu Holdren | December 25, 2008 | NBA Noise

Studs:Tim Duncan, San Antonio SpursTim Duncan was a force on both ends of the floor in today's thrilling win over the Phoenix Suns. Duncan dropped in a tough-earned 25 points and also grabbed 17 rebounds, often playing through foul trouble. Tip of the hat to Roger Mason, whose three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Spurs the win. [boxscore]Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas MavericksDirk Nowitzki torched the Blazers for an astounding 24 first-half points. This scoring outburst put them in a position to stay close with Portland and pull away for the win in the fourth quarter. Nowitzki finished with 30 points on 12 of 18 shooting, and also chipped in 5 boards, 2 steals and 2 assists. [boxscore]The Los Angeles LakersSure, Kobe Bryant had 27 points, and Pau Gasol chipped in 20 of his own, but tonight's win against the Celtics was a total team effort. If you beat a team that...

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Caron Butler, Chris Paul, Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan, Washington Wizards

Christmas Day, What A Day!

By Ben Diez | December 25, 2008 | Community

As Christmas Day dwindles away, and St.Nick heads back to the North Pole, he will be keeping his eye on one specefic matchup. Tonight the Dallas Mavericks will visit the Portland Trailblazers, these two teams will battle it out on...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, MVP, Portland Trailblazers

NBA Power Rankings: New Year, New Number One

By Joe Boikess | January 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Dwight Howard - Keith Allison/Flickr.com

Read more | Discuss | Tags: NBA

NBA Stock Market: Stuckey Has Pistons Pushing Forward

By Joe Boikess | January 5, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Tayshaun Prince is Detroit's most consistent player (Photo via flickr.com/Jeffrey Simms Photography)

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, NBA, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz

NBA Stock Market: Rondo Keeping Celtics on Record Pace

By Joe Boikess | December 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Rajon Rondo surveying the floor (Photo via culhanen/flickr.com)

Note: We at MVN Outsider have re-organized our posting schedule in an effort to make our sports coverage more well rounded and timely. For those of you expecting to see the NBA Power Rankings today, that post has been moved to Tuesdays. With these changes, get ready to see more fresh content every day on every major sport. Thanks, and enjoy!Rising:Boston Celtics - Honestly, this team has been on the rise this entire season, piling up wins at a rate that we haven't seen since the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. They now have won 18 in a row and have tied the league mark for the best start (26-2) for a team with two losses. Their recent success has been due in large part to the play of point guard Rajon Rondo. When the team needs him to score, he does it (as we saw on Sunday in the C's win...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, NBA, NBA Outsider, New York Knicks

Chances Are That Brandon Roy Has Made a Fool Out Of You, Too

By Amar Panchmatia | December 19, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Most of America slept while Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy was busy dropping a career-high 52 points on the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night as chants of "M-V-P" rained down from a packed house at the Rose Garden. Of those who were either sleeping or simply not paying attention, at least 105,345 believe that Dallas' Jason Terry, who doesn't even start for his own team, is more deserving of an All-Star starting spot than Roy. Just ask them: They casted a vote to prove it. Another 332,222 will tell you that Tracy McGrady deserves it more despite the fact that T-Mac has been in and out of the lineup and is averaging 16.5 points and 4.6 assists to Roy's 22.3 and 5.2, respectively. Still another 162,286 will tell you that Jason Kidd and his 9.3 points for a terribly underachieving Dallas team deserve it more than the leading scorer...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Boston Celtics, Brandon Roy, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Manu Ginobili, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Tracy McGrady

NBA Outsider Ballers of the Week for Nov 14-20

By Jon Burkett | November 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

MVN's NBA Outsider presents to you the NBA's "Ballers of the Week." Since this is a team game, major bonus points are award to players who lead their teams to undeafeated records in any given week. Individual stats are nice, but it's wins and losses that matter most. Here's who had the greatest impact on the bottom line for the week November 14th to November 20th... -Devin Harris as a Maverick, addressing the fans (Tim Cummins flickr photostream via Creative Commons license)Eastern Conference- Devin Harris, G (Nets) Nets point guard Devin Harris missed three games with an ankle injury, but he returned on November 14th against the Hawks at home. The Hawks were coming off their only loss of the season at that point, a one point nail biter in Boston against the defending champs. Thanks in large part to the performance of Harris, the Nets made it two in...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Dallas Mavericks, NBA, New Jersey Nets

NBA Stock Market: Mavericks getting back on track

By Joe Boikess | November 20, 2008 | MVN Outsider

var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(234,183,276630,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}()Last night was a busy one in the NBA, with two-thirds of the league in uniform and on the court. A number of intriguing matchups took place, including the Cavaliers at Pistons, Mavericks at Rockets, and Bulls at Trail Blazers. Which teams came out on top, and who has been playing well of late? Keep reading to find out who's been looking good, and who might be needing another pep talk from Lou Holtz.Rising:Dallas Mavericks - One of the more intriguing story lines throughout the early part of the season has involved the three Texas teams. Both the Spurs and Mavericks have been struggling, while the Rockets have been trying to figure out how to best integrate Ron Artest into their gameplan. On Wednesday night, the Mavericks got their second chance to show the world that they are still a force to be reckoned with, as...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Outsider

Top ten surprises of the NBA season so far

By Jon Burkett | November 18, 2008 | MVN Outsider

With most teams past the 10 game point in the NBA season, subplots and storylines are emerging. While the Lakers and Celtics are clearly the top teams in the league, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing well as the best of the rest. Other teams have not been up to the challenge. Heading in to Tuesday's action, here are the top ten surprises of the NBA season so far... 10. Mark Cuban's alleged insider trading - The league's most entertaining and passionate owner has been on the wrong side of David Stern before. He has a reputation for being a bit of a rogue, but always follows the law. The most surprising aspect of the story to me is public reaction fueled by speculation. Sure, the NBA is still reeling from image issues of the Tim Donaghy scandal two summers ago. But every piece of gossip is not...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clipppers, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, NBA Outsider, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards

How the West will be won

By Joe Boikess | October 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

With the NBA regular season set to tip off in less than a week, it's time to reveal my predictions for how the Western Conference will shape up. Last year the requirement was at least 50 wins for a team to make the playoffs in the ultra competitive West, and I believe this year will be no different. That's not to say that all the same teams will be there in the end, however...In addition to ranking the teams in the order that I believe they'll finish, I decided to also separate the teams into tiers based on their potential to win the West. Here goes...Tier 1: The Clear Favorites1. New Orleans Hornets (1st in Southwest) - I realize that preseason performances should only be taken with a grain of salt, but the Hornets are 6-0 so far, and they have allowed the third-fewest points of any team during the...Read more

Read more | 7 Comments | Tags: Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, NBA Outsider, New Orleans Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Western Conference

MVN: Most Valuable Network