DFW Tire Dealers Set for Grid Iron Gains via Yokohama/Cowboys Deal

Tire dealers throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex are in position to score some points with motorists as Yokohama has signed a one-year sponsorship agreement with the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys.

The deal includes signage at the state-of-the-art Cowboys Stadium, which opened last year; pre-game, post-game and in-game spots on the team’s flagship radio station; in-stadium displays and in-game announcements on the public address system and on LED boards; as well as hospitality opportunities at select games.

Yokohama will also be associated with the team’s traveling Dallas Cowboy Museum Tour truck, which goes to more than 100 events per year.

“We’ve had great success the last few seasons with our sports marketing program,” says Dan King, vice president of sales and marketing, “but we’ve really raised the bar by partnering with the highly visible Dallas Cowboys. “They have a huge, passionate fan base in Texas and across the U.S. They truly are America’s Team.”

With the latest agreement, Yokohama has now secured sponsorship deals with the NFL, Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels and the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs. “More are to come,” says King, “we’ll have an announcement in a few weeks on other NFL teams we’re partnering with.”

Rumours of Nash's Demise Greatly Exaggerated

By Michael Grange

Like a lot of folks of a certain age, Steve Nash has been having trouble with his hip.

But a little rest in the dry desert heat can do wonders for a point guard of his vintage, apparently.

Nash proved that rumours of his playoff demise - stemming as much from his limpy outing in the Phoenix Suns' ouster of the injury depleted Portland Trail Blazers in the first round as from the Suns' second-round meeting with the San Antonio Spurs, the team that has eliminated Nash and the Suns in three of their last four postseason appearances - have been greatly exaggerated.

With three days of rest between series, Nash looked like a floppy-haired pup as he bounded through the Spurs' defence to post 33 points and 10 assists in leading Phoenix to a 111-102 win and a 1-0 lead in their second-round series on Monday night, with Game 2 set for Wednesday night in Phoenix.

"I was fortunate to get some opportunities early to be aggressive and try to put some life into the building," Nash said. "You never know what the game is going to present."

The only thing basketball was supposed to be presenting Nash at this stage was a gold watch and an armchair.

Even his believers doubted Nash would be dictating the flow of a playoff game at age 36. In a league full of players badly overpaid based on what they might achieve, Nash has always been paid as if he had an expiration date.

San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks - Round 1, Game 5

The Spurs lead the series, 2-1. If the Mavericks lose game 4, consider the series OVER. And because of that, this game is a must win. Pure and simple. Will the Mavs step up? They have done that in the past... with the right leadership. This doesn't have ANYTHING to do with the players on the court. It has EVERYTHING to do with who is calling the overall shots. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle. This is a make or break came in my mind for him.

If the Mavs win, it is because of him.


If the Mavs lose, ditto.

Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs - Round 1, Game 4

The Spurs lead the series, 2-1. If the Mavericks lose game 4, consider the series OVER. And because of that, this game is a must win. Pure and simple. Will the Mavs step up? They have done that in the past... with the right leadership. This doesn't have ANYTHING to do with the players on the court. It has EVERYTHING to do with who is calling the overall shots. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle. This is a make or break came in my mind for him.

If the Mavs win, it is because of him.

Ginobili, Spurs take 2-1 series lead over Mavs

By PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press Writer

SAN ANTONIO (AP)—Blood dripped from Manu Ginobili’s(notes) nose. He had caught an elbow from Dirk Nowitzki(notes), then disappeared into the locker room while leaving a trail of red blotches behind him on the tunnel floor.

He didn’t know yet his nose was broken. That diagnosis would have to wait.

Playoff Game #5: Mavericks at Spurs

Now, the Mavericks have three games to wrap this series up. It will only take one. Jason Terry is the 6th man. He has an award to prove it.

Eric Dampier is looking like a center. Finally. It's time to stop calling him Erica. Dirk played a great game and didn't really shoot much at all in game 4. New trend for him to let others play and not take all the shots? It definitely made the team better.

After the Mavericks 2-7 start, they played 48-25, which is a .658 winning margin coming into the playoffs. The Spurs were .659 for the entire season. Evenly matched?

The Spurs led after the first quarter in game 4. If they come out with the same momentum in game 5, will they fizzle like they have in pretty much this entire series? I think so. Unless, of course the margin at the end of the first quarter is 15 or higher. If the Spurs have a 20 point lead at half-time, look for the Mavericks to take the series back at home in Game 6. It may benefit the team for the starters to sit most of the second half, should that be the case.

Forecast: I like what the Mavericks have done this time in the playoffs. They have a spark. They know how to win and they are doing it. They have already won this series in my mind. Now, it is just winning tonight. Mavericks wrap up the series with a 97-91 victory.

Home Court

Playoff Game #4: Mavericks vs Spurs

Game 4. Mavericks have controlled two of the three games thus far. The Mavericks will win this series. And they will, at least in my mind, have a 3-1 advantage going into San Antonio. They have learned their lesson. They have learned not to blow a series up by two games.
These five starters will go into to round two. Round one is just a workout at this point. I could talk about how Dirk is really leading this team. I could talk about how Kidd is directing the players on the court. A NBA Champion team needs three strong key players. The Mavericks have those three players. They have Dirk. They have Josh Howard. They have Jason Kidd. And JJ Barea doesn't look too shabby, really. I'm not handing out an NBA Title just yet... they the pieces are there. Time isn't.
Forecast: I don't need to talk about the Spurs. They are out to pasture, at least for this post-season. Mavericks win Game 4 with a score of 97-89.

Home Court

Playoff Game #3: Mavericks vs Spurs

Three of the next four playoff games are in Dallas. I say four games, but the next three wins for either team will determine if there is three games or five games.
If you compare the two teams, the Mavericks simply have more weapons. They may have caved in Game #2, but in the long run, in the run of the series, I would take the Mavericks over the Spurs by simply the weapons they have.
The Spurs do find ways to win. But the ship is sailing on them now. They are going out to pasture, per se. Ginobili is a serious threat to the Mavericks and he is out for the season. The Mavericks also started the season 2-7 and finished with 50 wins, the first team to ever accomplish such a feat.
Forecast: Mavericks take Game #3... I don't want to get ahead of myself, but let's just say the Mavs win this one in overtime. Score: 131-127.


Home Court

Game 56: Mavs at Spurs

Ah, baseball makes me want to "get back in the game" as they would say.

Mavericks Stats 08-09

Name	Dirk Nowitzki	Josh Howard	Jason Kidd	Brandon Bass
Points Per Game	25.3	18.2	9.0	8.6
Rebounds Per Game	8.3	5.0	6.2	4.4
Assists Per Game	2.3	1.8	8.4	0.5
Blocks Per Game	0.8	0.5	0.6	0.7

Dirk has dropped on his ppg. With Terry out, I find it hard to say the Mavs are going to do well in this game. The Mavs (33-22) are now tied with the Hornets.

Spurs Stats 08-09

Name	Tim Duncan	Tony Parker	Michael Finley	Roger Mason
Points Per Game	20.7	20.0	9.3	12.2
Rebounds Per Game	10.7	2.8	3.4	3.2
Assists Per Game	3.8	6.5	1.5	1.9
Blocks Per Game	1.9	0.1	0.2	0.1

The Spurs are 4-3 in their last seven games. They have won their last two. Manu Ginobili is out with an injury and should be out at least another week, maybe two. I replaced Ginobili's stats with Michael Finley.

Forecast: Well, the loss of Terry is bad and the loss of Ginobili is bad for the Spurs. I think the Spurs have more depth. The Mavericks have played well without Terry... still, I am thinking the Spurs in this one. Score: 94-90.

Home Court

Game 20: Mavs vs. Spurs

The Boston Celtics (20-2) are hot, winning their last twelve. Cleveland has won their last eight. The Lakers are 17-2. And the Mavericks have won nine of their last ten. My tune has changed about these Mavericks. I am drinking the kool-aid. I believe. I actually think they could be facing the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Can they beat the Lakers in the Western Finals? Well, there is still plenty of basketball to play, but who knows? For all we know, Oklahoma City could get hot and win 50 games to surprise the world, although I wouldn't really hold my breath on that one.

The Spurs are 7-3 in their last ten and are tied with the Mavericks for a 11-8 record and third place in the Southwest Division.

Dallas Maverick Player Stats 08-09

Name	Dirk Nowitzki	Josh Howard	Jason Terry	Jason Kidd
Points Per Game	25.0	20.3	20.3	8.9
Rebounds Per Game	9.0	8.2	2.4	7.0
Assists Per Game	2.4	1.6	3.8	8.5
Blocks Per Game	0.79	0.67	0.32	0.53

Still no word on whether Howard will definitely be playing against the Spurs, however, it is said that he will be a game-time decision on if he will play or not. Keeping my fingers crossed.

San Antonio Spurs Player Stats 08-09

Name	Tony Parker	Tim Duncan	Roger Mason	Michael Finley
Points Per Game	22.4	20.8	13.9	10.1
Rebounds Per Game	2.7	10.4	3.7	3.2
Assists Per Game	6.4	3.4	2.5	1.7
Blocks Per Game	0.00	1.74	0.16	0.16

Manu Ginobili will probably play. He played on 12/5 but didn't play on 12/6, perhaps since it was back-to-back games, they wanted to rest Ginobili as he is coming back from an injury.

Forecast: Mavericks house... Mavericks win. Score: 105-99.

Home Court

Cowboys and Seattle/Mavs and Spurs

Cowboys at Seattle
The Cowboys defense has more holes than a pair of underwear I just threw out. If that statement doesn’t scare you, the Cowboys porous defense should. I don’t know if they could stop a team of great grandmothers on third and seven. Does than mean I think the Cowboys can’t win this game? No. Does the no mean that I think the Cowboys will win this game? No. The Cowboys can win this game, but what it will take is a CRAZY offense. I’m talking about an offense that scores in the upper 30s at the very least. The Cowboys were the first to knock down the Colts. They can beat great teams and have. Seattle isn’t even a great team. But the Cowboys are coming into the playoffs cold – VERY cold. Seattle isn’t much better. What I don’t understand is that the ‘boys are favored on this one. So be it. I wouldn’t favor them. I am a fan, but I am a realist in the face of danger, I assess the situation and take the best case scenario. The Cowboys laid down for the Lions, who mind you, finished with THREE wins. That loss was also at home. The Cowboys are on the road against a playoff team – HELLO!!! The Cowboys special teams gave up everything last Sunday. And what the special teams held back, the defense made sure they gave up the rest. Seattle is going to score at the very least 30 points. Romo needs to hit his receivers in a big way. TO needs to shut up and put up. That means “shut your mouth and put up some points”. Once he does that, maybe his teammates will listen. Right now, they aren’t. I’m not sure anyone is listening to the overpaid crybaby. You can look back on my blog and see that I said that signing him was a mistake. I’ll say in those exact words now, signing TO was a mistake. At least he isn’t the crazy distraction he was in Philadelphia and San Francisco. The Cowboys need to run, as in run the ball. They need to run it hard to open up the passing game even more. It’s great that the secondary in Seattle is going to be AWOL, but will it be enough? How many passes will Romo throw? It should be up there in the 50s should the Cowboys win this thing. It will probably be up there anyway in a loss. Case in point, the ‘boys need to score and score early and often. The Weatherman hasn’t made a prediction in a while, so he it goes on this: MUCH RAIN IN SEATTLE, but no tears: Seattle over the ‘boys 42-38.

Mavs at Spurs
Mavs continue the win streak and stretch it to 13 – score: 94-92. Winning shot knocked down by Howard.

Mavs at Spurs

At 7:00 PM Central Time tonight, there may be a shift in power in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks (56-19) walk into San Antonio (58-17) to try to hand them their second consecutive home loss. In Avery Johnson’s perspective, it is a must win (but I think that is always his perspective). The Mavs coach simply doesn’t care for the taste of loosing. Dallas scores 99.7 points per game and gives up 93.1 for a spread of 6.6 points. San Antonio averages 95.7 points and gives up 88.8. Dirk has averaged 23.7 points against San Antonio this season. Howard, who has only played two of the three, averages 16. Damp notably averages 2 blocks and the Spurs. Howard should shoot the ball a good deal tonight; he shoots 50% from the field against San Antonio. The Mavs also are averaging 29 free throws in the three games and 75% makes on those. It would be nice to see both of those numbers go up in tonight’s game, would make for an easier win. But I don’t think the Spurs are going to make it easy, by any means. To both teams, this is a pre-playoff game. It’s as they say in football, “Any Given Sunday”. Parker and Duncan are the point’s boys in Spur land. Parker puts up 25.7 against Dallas this season and Duncan 15.3. Parker’s FG% against Dallas is almost 60% and Dallas needs to make it their purpose to cut that down quite a bit. At least tonight they do. Fin and Ginobili also average double digits in the points category. Dallas needs to manhandle the Spurs, needing to out rebound, block shots, and control the ball. Most importantly, they just need to out defend. The point spread is Spurs by 5. The Spurs play better defense and that may be enough for them to win this game. The age old saying is that defense wins championships. The better defense tonight will win this game. My gut is screaming and crushing my logic. The one intangible in all this remains to be Avery Johnson. The call I feel that is right in all that I have said is this: The Mavericks over the Spurs: 94-92.

It Can Happen

Looking ahead, there is the Mavericks to play San Antonio on Friday. The Rangers start a four game series against the Detroit Tigers tomorrow. I get to see the game on Sunday which will have Pudge and the Gambler for Detroit as the battery. The Spurs and Rangers both trail as of right now. Rangers have a shot; the Spurs don’t as I type this. Rangers are down 2-1 in the top of the 8th. Spurs trail 95-79 to Sacramento with 2:41 remaining in the fourth. The thing that I am thinking is that should the Spurs loose to the Mavs on Friday, the two would be tied in standing (Spurs have the tie-breaker) but it would make things look very interesting for the final stretch of the season. Could the Mavs overtake the Spurs for the number one seed in the Conference? It’s possible. Aliens could land on my roof tonight too. It’s possible. I mean, the Rangers once let a steroid user pitch an inning, blowing out his arm and essentially ruining his career. And it’s the same steroid user who let a fly ball bounce off his head for a home-run. Stranger things have happened in this world. Hey, if Michael Jordan retires to play minor league baseball, the Mavs can upset San Antonio to hand them a two game loosing streak at their house and start shaking things up. It’s still in the top of the 8th for the Rangers (2-1). Its 97-84 for the Spurs game, Spurs loosing, of course, with only 25 seconds remaining. I want to remind us all that we do have a healthy Josh Howard, a strong Dirk (and I’m a Dirky Dude), and a bench that is always full of surprises. Jason Terry puts up a strong game, then it’s a simple mistake from San Antonio after and the Mavs win the Division and the Conference. But, should the Mavs loose on Friday as San Antonio just did to Sacramento (97-87 the final), then the Mavs will simply have to be content with a #4 seed and a second round Road-Court advantage playing to San Antonio. Rangers are now in the top of the ninth and the score is still the same. It’s now a final. More predictions will come tomorrow as I size things up. Johnny Out.

With the Exception

There is a clause in all sports, especially pre-season baseball that really irritates me. “With the exception” is the clause. And today in baseball, Juan Dominguez pitched well, with the exception of the third inning. And there it is: “With the exception.” With the exception of all the losses the Rangers had last year, they went undefeated. I don’t know about anyone else, but I think that clause is outright stupid. Dominguez didn’t pitch well, period – end of sentence. He gave up four runs in four innings. And last I checked, when you give up one per, that’s pretty bad. And being this close to the regular season… I have to admit… my prediction of 162-0 is feeling a little in danger. With the exception of the starting pitching and the relief pitching, I am feeling pretty good about things. Seriously… the address of pitching for the Rangers was a huge thing in the off-season, and I do know that pre-season is pre-season. When I notice the scores of late, they scare me. Opening day is less than a week away and we are still giving up big numbers to the other team. I wonder if I can sign up for the same anger management classes as Kenny. In Texas, people oh-and-ah over fireworks. The homerun is a big deal and every month there is a mondo firework show. I do like a huge offense, but more importantly, I LOVE a great defense. I love pitching. A friend has offered me a ticket to opening day. I haven’t been to opening day since 1994, when the new stadium opened up. What a great day, I miss the red uniforms and I miss the pitching that we had back then. Remember, when we wore red, we caused our opponents to see red as well. The only time we made the playoffs was in the red uniforms. Maybe that says something. I don’t know.

In the bush league, my Bashers sent the Madness home. The Bashers went up against them in the final playoff game with the winner going to the Tournament of Champions. The Madness didn’t loose a game all season and posted a record of 30-0. The Bashers had a record of 21-9 (but winners of there final 13 regular season games). The game went into extra innings, tied at 1 a piece. Nolan Ryan came on in relief and shut them down for the 2-1 win, completing the best upset of my short Bush League managerial career. Constipate Imodium went 3 out of 4 with an RBI and Madya Look went 2 out of 3 with the game winner. I know you wouldn’t normally care about the names and stats, but the names are pretty funny. Madya Look? Get it… made ya look! Anyway…

The Mavs lost a great game tonight… dropping to the Pistons in a game that really came down to the final four minutes… a real heartbreaker for me. With the exception of the Mavs giving up more points than they scored, I think they played a great game.

My original prediction of the Mavs beating out the Spurs… I am feeling a little edgy on that right now… I am not sure if it is going to happen. Either way, though, the Mavs have clinched the playoffs, they will win over 60 this year and they will make some serious noise in the playoffs. I would still take them over the Spurs in a seven game series. Anyway, Johnny Out.

Pudge and More

Wow, I am excited about all sorts of things these days. First, a friend asked me to research something… Pudge Rodriguez. Where is he now? Last I heard, he was with Detroit, but my friend says that he was released. According to ESPN, Ivan hasn’t been involved in any transactions, and will be catching for Detroit when I see them play the Rangers on the 9th of April. That looks to be a Kenny and Pudge vs. the Rangers. The link to check out on Pudge, if any of you are interested is: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4680. He needs only 36 homeruns to hit 300 for a career, which if he lasts another 5 years, easily in the bag… more notable is that he has 2190 career hits, putting him only 810 hits shy of 3000. Again, should he last 5 years and retire at the end of 2011, he would only need to average 162 hits per season to accomplish the feat. It would be a little tougher than the 36 homeruns, but within his capabilities. My friend was saying that if Pudge was released, the Rangers should pick him up. Unfortunately, he wasn’t and therefore we can’t.

The Euless Mudcats whipped up on the Ogden Dodgers this morning, for the first time, one of my teams has beaten them. The Mudcats and the SGP Warriors are both undefeated in regulation play, standing with a 12-0 record going into tonight’s play. The Dorky Dragons are 11-1 and face three tough opponents in the next three games. I would like to walk away from this stretch with two wins. The Texas Head Bashers play the final regular season game tonight. These guys have won 12 in a row and sit at second place (which is clinched) with a 20-9 mark. I now have a franchise player named “Juicy” Bonds. In six at bats, the guy has 5 hits… not bad, not bad at all.

I think the Rangers are making the right move by not showcasing their Big Name pitchers to their division rivals. I still think Millwood is going to be a 20 Gamer this season, and I think Loe can also make a big showing this year. Eaton and Padilla, I am not at all sure on those two, but they should be good for more than 10 wins each. Probably more like 12 to 15 should they stay healthy.

The Mavs threw down another win last night. As did San Antonio, and the two will go to the wire for the Division and Conference title. I am unwavering in my prediction that the Mavs will win more games than the Spurs… but the reality of it all is that the Spurs have an easier schedule than the Mavs the rest of the way… The Mavs cannot afford any more mistakes and more importantly any more injuries. They need to “Brian Downing” it and just wrap up the wounds and play hurt. Don’t you think Brian looked a lot like Superman when he played? I do… and the guy always had a huge smile on his face when he went to bat. He is one of my all time favorites, and is probably forgotten by most by now.

The Stars are second in the Western Conference, 7 points behind Detroit, and lead Nashville by just one point. More importantly, they lead over Calgary by 9 and Anaheim by 13. They have clinched a winning record. They are a shoe-in for the playoffs at this point, with 14 games remaining. Dallas has the fourth best offense in the West, and the third best defense. And they play better on the road. They are not bad at home, either. As things get closer, I will start putting together predictions on how the playoffs will go for both the Mavs and the Stars. I will also update on the Playoffs for the Bush League for the Texas Head Bashers, which should begin in a couple of days or so. Johnny Out.

Mavs and Spurs

Dallas at San Antonio tonight… Texas plays Kansas City in the first preseason game… Stars play Phoenix. It is a wonderful day in the world of sports. Baseball, basketball, and hockey played on one grand day. Being the first game of preseason, I won’t make a call as to a winner… at this point, the teams will be looking at who they will want to fill in the “extra” and undecided spots on the roster, and so many people will be looked at who normally wouldn’t be getting major league at-bats. The Euless Mudcats are in the playoffs in the Bush League, as are the SGP Warriors. Both will be playing for the division championship and a berth into the Tournament of Champions. And how did they do it, how did they get there? Pitching, pitching, and pitching… did I mention pitching? Both teams finished 2nd in their divisions, one game behind first place. On a personal note, I have been having some leg pain now for well over a year. I checked webMD.com just a while a go, and come to find out, the possibilities that popped up concerned me… I did not know that prostate cancer could cause leg pain, nor blood clots… although I wasn’t really surprised about the blood clots. The prostate cancer was a huge surprise, though. I once had polyps on my prostate in middle school and I know my prostate is enlarged… I seriously have to talk to my doctor about that.

Stars (38-17-3) and Phoenix (27-28-4):
I could cop out and simply just say Stars because they are better… after all, the Stars did beat them 5 to 1 going into the Olympic break (on 2/9/06). Phoenix has lost their last four, Dallas, there last two. In 58 games for the Stars, they have scored 184 goals. In 59 games for the Coyotes, they have scored 167 goals. The Coyotes have more games and fewer goals than the Stars. Stars are averaging 3.17 goals per game… whereas the Coyotes average 2.83 goals per game. Phoenix also averages 27.69 shots per game… Dallas has an average of 29.08 per game… and if you don’t put up the shot, it definitely won’t go in. Opponents against the Stars score 2.69 goals per game and for Phoenix it’s 3.22 per game. Phoenix let’s there opponents shoot, too. In fact, it’s almost 30 shots a game (29.44 to be exact). Dallas has the best stat here in the west… allowing only 25.32 shots per game… Big D is in Dallas for sure. Unfortunately for Dallas, if the goalie was a little better, then fewer would go in, but doesn’t that go without saying… that’s probably the dumbest quote I’ve ever said. Of course if the goalie was better, then fewer goals would go in, DUH! So, Dallas is going to repeat with a victory over Phoenix because they are better… and I’ve stated why, so it’s not a cop out (score 5-2).

Texas over Kansas City because Tex and Young will be playing before heading off to the WBC… (I couldn’t resist; its baseball for crying out load!)

NOW, the game of all games… the paper is hyping it up, the internet is hyping it up, but AJ is the only one saying it’s not a big game… but I can’t see him telling his players that. The Mavs in San Antonio… now, I have said before, and I will say it here and now… the Mavs are going to win this one and slowly push the Spurs away… I’ve said that the Mavs will win the division and not by just one game but by several… and I still hold to that. And why do I say this? The Mavs have too many weapons, they know how to use them, and they are playing as a team offensive and more importantly, defensively. AJ has made them a more dynamic team. And for once, I truly believe this team can make it to the finals and walk away with storage material. Look for big games from Duncan and Finley from the Spurs, but also look for big games from Stack, Terry, and Howard. Dirk will play, but I personally don’t see his game coming as a big factor to the Mavs tonight. More so, I think the bench is going to be the reason why the Mavs will take this game and upset SO many fans from the Riverwalk. If they haven’t already, they need to dye that river green, because the fans will need to have something to relate too (IE: green with envy). This is the game everyone wants to see… so what about Tony Parker? What about him? He’s a chump… no, not really, but he’ll try to play… I expect AJ to put some focus on him. He’s third in Field Goal % and Johnson is going to try to contain him, more so than anyone else. Diop and Dampier will be working hard… Parker is averaging 27 points a game against Dallas… Dirk 24 against the spurs. Dallas averages 100.3 points per game (7th in NBA), San Antonio 94.9 (21st). Defensively, Dallas gives up 93.1 points (8th best in NBA), Spurs 87.9 points (1st). So, not much comparison between Dallas’ defense to Spurs offense… it would appear the Spurs aren’t going to score at will… they normally don’t… but the key is the Spurs D versus the Mavs O. Can the best defense stop the #7 offense in the NBA? I think they can to some degree, but it won’t be enough to allow the Spurs to win the game. The Mavs walk away from this one, first in the West and a 2 game lead over the Spurs, 94-90.

Mavericks #1 in the West

We love to make predictions around here. Well, one of us does because we have a decent track record of getting some right.

D-Moore is better when dealing from a position of 20-20 hindsight.

Anyway, as we head into the final two months of the regular season with the Mavericks up by a game over San Antonio; let me be the first to say that the Mavericks are going to beat the Spurs for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

It’s going to be a close race. Of that there is no doubt. And the Mavericks must make two trips to San Antonio, which won’t make it any easier for them.

But the bottom line is that they are a fantastic road team and they spend almost all of March away from home. My guess is that they are going to be neck-and-neck with the Spurs when they head into April, when they have to make a trip to San Antonio, but also have some pretty soft opponents on the schedule.

And make no mistake about it. Getting the top seed is absolutely crucial to the Mavericks’ success. They can win once in San Antonio in a series – which I believe they will have to do with or without the home court – but winning twice down there is a tough chore. With the home-court advantage, it would make their life so much easier.

Eddie Sefko

I agree… the Mavs will beat out the Spurs for the number one spot… and that will be more than enough to fire up the NBA to redo the playoff format… the Spurs are a favorite in the NBA, whereas the Mavs are looked at as a wannabe team… and will always be remembered as the team who won 13 and 14 games in a season. I will also say this: The Mavs will beat out the Spurs by more than one game. It will be more like 3 to 4 games… they simply play better team ball than the spurs. And that will be why the take this thing to the Finals. Johnny Out.

The Best Wannabe

From SI.com

The Dallas Mavericks (the top wannabe)

Of all the wannabes, they're the only ones who have to find a way to keep the status quo. They have to keep believing that their salvation is their 10-deep roster. They have to keep believing that DeSagana Diop, a free agent making $2 million this season, is a better center than Erick Dampier, who was given a contract worth $73 million through 2011. They have to keep Dirk Nowitzki as their focus, but figure out when Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry and Devin Harris can win games. They have to keep sending Marquis Daniels and Josh Howard out there in their matching headbands so no one can tell them apart or figure out how they're mucking everything up.

They have to find a way to win the Southwest Division and get home-court throughout the Western playoffs because, right now, they appear to be heading for a showdown with the Spurs in the second round, not in the conference finals.

Finally, they have to find a way to encourage Mark Cuban to keep writing his fascinatingly insulting blogs, but not to direct one to, say, Spurs star Tim Duncan or Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Best not to make them mad, Mark, let them think you're still a bunch of wimps who will fold in the stretch.

I must admit, this guy is head on… I mean, the Mavs haven’t proven as much as they would think they have… and the thing is, AJ knows it. And if there is a coach out there who can prove things when they need to be proven, I have confidence AJ is the guy. He makes this team play like a team, unselfish in their play… and they win games when the do that. I don’t know if the Mavs will make it 13 tonight, I think they will, they are a more sound team than Miami, who are 13-13 away from home, and Dallas is 19-4 at home… Mavs average 99.8 per game and give away 93.2 – while Miami averages 100.3 per game and gives away 96. The edge is Dallas is winning by 6.6 on average while Miami wins only by 4.3… so what’s the big deal? Well, Dallas is a put away team, at least more so than Miami. They did play earlier this season (November 25th), which Dallas won in Miami, who played without Shaq, 103-90. But the really interesting thing I find about it all is that Miami played much better defense in this game… in some aspects. Miami had 6 blocks to Dallas’ 2, 9 steals over 7, and 2 fewer turnovers. Miami also had 4 more offensive boards than Dallas. In reality, we are going to be seeing 2 different teams than those who played in November. Miami has their inside threat of Shaq, and Dallas has a new defensive method that will prove to be the reason why they will win.

Some Picks to Start the Day

Tuesday, December 13th, 2005

NBA
Spurs (16-4) vs. LA Clippers (14-6)
Spurs are coming off a loss to the Hawks, who snapped a 7 game loosing streak. The Hawks are easily the worst team in the NBA and the Spurs are the best team in the NBA. And the Clippers are for real this year. They are actually the best team in LA. The Spurs are the best team in Texas (did I say that?). The Spurs seem to have a problem winning on Saturday… not sure why that is. They take off the weekend, maybe? Anyway, this one is in San Antonio and the Spurs have a 9-1 record at home. This should be a good game, but still will go to SA simply because the Clippers have trouble on the road. The score, I will say 105-93.

Wednesday, December 14th, 2005

NBA
Rockets (7-12) vs. Golden State Warriors (12-8)
Rockets have a three game win streak right now, which should be in consideration. Coming into today, Golden State is on a two game slide, loosing to two respectable teams (Phoenix and Detroit). Seattle shouldn’t put up to much of a problem, although the Warriors are going to have to put up some points to take it away from them. The Warriors are slightly better at home than on the road, and Houston is pretty much even Steven wherever they play. My gut for whatever reason says Houston, since Golden State is playing back-to-back games, but logic says Warriors can beat Houston even under such conditions. And I will go with logic today. Maybe tomorrow, after gut proves right, will I go with that. 100-92.

Mavs (15-6) vs. Suns (13-7)
Ah, the whole reason for putting these picks together. So much grief and rig-a-ma-roo over one game in a 82 game season. Let me say it now – GO MAVS!! – and there you have it. So, let’s look at the stats which will justify my picking the Mavs, because we all know I will pick the Mavs, right? Mavs play hard on the road and at home, look at the records. Phoenix has barely been on the road thus far this season. I need I remind everyone that Phoenix started the season 0-1? The Suns had a 17 point lead and then lost… tisk, tisk, tisk. Mavs coming off a loss and Phoenix coming off of two. Phoenix can score points, but can’t tell that by the last three games. Dallas seems to lack “the put away” and when they get a strong lead, it diminishes. (Is this football or basketball?) So, I think being two quality teams, it will be a close one, at least in the fourth quarter and the Mavs will walk away a winner unless Phil Jackson hits Dirk in the head and walks away… OK, well he didn’t hit him in the head, but he walked away without showing concern. Very unprofessional in my mind and it caused his team to do the same, again unprofessional. Score: 108-103.

NHL
Stars (19-7-1) vs. Buffalo Sabres (19-10-1)
Do note, the Stars have won 11 of their last 13 and play as a team. A very solid team this year… even better than last year, in which they went undefeated, but winless as well. You know what bums me out, I tried to sign up my son to be a junior Star and they mailed me back a letter saying they don’t do that anymore. WHAT? A sport that is coming off a long work stoppage and not wanting to re-gather a fan base? I simply don’t understand that. Very well, I have only been to two games since they moved here, and maybe that will stay the case for a while longer. As far as points are concerned, these two teams are even. 39 points for each team. Dallas leads their division, Buffalo is second in theirs. Stars have won 5 in a row, Buffalo only 3, but the last loss for Buffalo was a 5 to zero shutout given from San Jose. Stars on average have given up 2 goals over the last 5 games, while scoring more than 3 ½ goals in the process. Buffalo has injuries and Dallas does not. Dallas will win and Buffalo win not. Houdini says the score will be 4-2.

Picks to Sunday

Friday, November 4th

NBA
Spurs (1-0) vs. Cavaliers (1-0)
Spurs are awesome. The Cavaliers manhandled the Hornets. Spurs are home. Spurs have Duncan, Finley, Nick at Night, and everybody else who can just do right in the world of basketball. So, the story goes… James will not be enough for the Cavaliers to win. Pure and simple, Spurs are going to take this one. Score: 107-101.

NHL
Stars (6-5-1) vs. Blackhawk’s (4-9-0)
Well, Chicago is just stinking up the ice… If it wasn’t for Vorobiev, would they have any wins at all? If the Stars contain him, they walk away with a win easy. If they don’t, well they still win, it just won’t be as easy. The question I am thinking of this early into the season is will they make the playoffs? Too early to tell, but if Chicago takes them out, then the most likely answer would be ‘NO.’ Dallas over Chicago – Score: 5-2.

Saturday, November 5th

NBA
Mavs (1-1) vs. Spurs (1-0)
The Mavs had some time off, but will rest be enough for the homecoming of Finley? Man, if only the Mavs had Fin and Nick at Night, I would think we could make a strong run again. Not that 50+ wins is something to be ashamed about, but when you are in the same division as the Spurs, what can you do but just lie down and die. I do think they will come out to play and that this game is going to be close, but I have a reality check telling me the Mavs will start 1-2 this season and the Spurs 3-0. Score: 99-97.

Rockets (1-0) vs. Hornets (1-1)
Ming around the rosés, pocket full of poses, ashes – ashes, we all fall down… And so do the Hornets… but, the relocation experiment may do them well. First in Charlotte. Next in New Orleans, and now shacking up in the OK country. But this is not going to be played at “home,” wherever that may be… it’s in a place that is one place closer to you. Houston will win this one, simply because of home court, and the Hornets have impressed me, but let’s be honest. I’m fickle. The Hornets did beat the Rockets by 1 in pre-season, but that was at their house. In Houston, things are different. Score: 92-89.

NHL
Stars (6-5-1) vs. Avalanche (7-4-1)
Denver… a real beautiful area, but hockey players are not known for their looks, are they. Colorado is 5-2-1 at home, and the Stars are 3-1 on the road. But we hate the Avalanche (professionally, not personally). Sour grapes all around. These two teams are going to beat each other senseless. I will take the Avalanche on this one, simply because of home-ice as they call it (and they have won their last 4 games, all at home). Score: 5-4.

Sunday, November 6th

NFL
Panthers (5-2) vs. Buccaneers (5-2)
Are you ready for some football? Me neither. When’s baseball season start again? Cowboys are off… but aren’t they always? Anyway, the mighty-mighty-boss-cats take the stage on Sunday, which will be a great game. Two juggernauts facing off… man, am I using stock lines? Shame on me. Bucs vs. the Cats, should be fun to watch. After a 1-2 start, the Cats have won their last 4, and with the exception of Minnesota, they were close games (4 or less points of victory). They have held opponents under 20 points only twice thus far (New England and Minnesota) and in my opinion, hasn’t really had any victories to truly boast about. I am starting to wonder if the record is more by chance than skill. Tampa Bay on the other hand is a defensive genius. But here is the real concern with them. They were beaten by San Francisco. And right now, that is just outright embarrassment. My 83 year old grandma can beat the 49ers. My six month old can sack their quarterback. The 49ers rank last in 3rd down conversions at 25.9%. In comparison, the Colts, who are a strong favorite to go Supe, have a 51.9%. That’s more than twice as many based on the same chances. I think this may be a close one, the Panthers are better in my mind (they rank second on third downs, behind the Colts). Score: 20-17.

Bears (4-3) vs. Saints (2-6)
Well, I guess I have to look at this one… Saints suck. But let’s look at a few things. Saints have a better offense, statistically, but score less points on average. They have scored over 20 points only twice, and are 1-1 when that happens. They are 0-3 when they score 10 points or less. Green Bay beat them in the embarrass bowl 52-3 on 10/9. Embarrassing the Saints is a common theme this year. I think they should be thinking draft the rest of the way… put defensive linemen who are on crutches into the game and focus off-season. I think Quincy Carter is free right now… Now, the Bears. After starting 1-3, they have won the last 3 and moved into first place in their division. They get less yards than their opponents, but score more points. Do they give them a false sense of security or something? Look for Jones to rush for a million yards (actually, I would say more like 110) and Orton to pass another 200. Bears dominate because Saints don’t show up (again). Score: 21-7.