This site should be required reading for NBA fans
and more importantly, I hope they offer this service to newspapers who purchase it for every game.
Hopefully 82games will go back and do all the playoffs. Including our Spurs series.
Thanks as always 82games for taking on the topics that all NBA fans talk about and that the media writes about but only you have taken the time to get into detail and publish !!
Like they say on TNT “let the truth be told”
Another great article written by Bill Simmons. This one recaping the draft. My favorite line is toward the end of the article, when the mavs select Mo Ager in the 28th pick of the draft:
“The Mavs take Maurice Ager at No. 28. He puts his head in his hands and starts sobbing hysterically as his entourage congratulates him. It’s about time we had some emotion tonight, dammit. Ager walks up to the stage in a triple-breasted, oversized beige suit, goes to shake hands with Stern and immediately gets whistled for a foul on Dwyane Wade.”
Halarious article. Makes fun of everyone from Steven A. Smith to Bennett Salvatore and Dick Bavetta…and of course, the commish.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060629
Comment by Luke -
Wow! Very interesting indeed.
I’m happy to hear the rumors about JET re-signing, Dirk’s extension, and working on J-Ho’s extension.
Still very bitter about the end of Game 5 though.
Comment by B.J. -
I find it interesting, reading all of these comments. It seems like you are either “whining” by agreeing that officiating in the NBA has reached a new low, or you’re “gloating” that the Heat won a championship over a less enthusiastic team.
I have to disagree with both sides. I am a huge Mavs fan. And for all of the missed calls, the unfortunate calls, and everything else, the Mavs just didn’t show up to Game 4 and forgot how to close out in games 5 and 6. They had a late lead in both of those games, and didn’t do what they had to do to finish off a pesky Heat team. Remember, this was a Heat team that had enough talent to win last year, if it weren’t for an unfortunate injury, and then they picked up better players in the offseason to cement their place.
But at the same time, the officiating was terrible in those 2 final games. With or without better camera angles, the calls made against both Dallas and Miami were horrid. As my friends and I watched the game, we all wished that they series could start over, because neither team deserved to go through what was about to happen. Either Miami would feel cheated because they would feel Cuban actually could determine calls, which he can’t, and blame him and his blog for their losses in both Game 6 and Game 7, or Dallas would feel like a few calls in games 5 and 6 cost them their season, which it didn’t because they didn’t show up to play in Game 4 or close out Game 3 like they should have to begin with.
It was a disappointing finish to an incredible playoff year.
And as far as people saying that Cuban makes himself the story, why should he not have an opinion on his own team. Everyone knows he’s rooting for the Mavs to win a championship. I don’t know many owners hoping their team actually LOSES. But the media doesn’t have to publish that he said something in his blog. Once they do that, everyone goes to read what he said. That is putting him in the spotlight. If they don’t like his blog, they don’t have to read it. Then, other people wouldn’t come read it to see what he said. And he still gets his opinion stated. Just like you do when you comment on his blog.
IMHO, the NBA would be better off if Cuban was in the spotlight more. He’s done everything to turn the Mavericks from a joke into a powerhouse. He tries to create change from the league office, and although his method of getting this change can be questioned, I cannot question his willingness to say what he thinks should be said regardless of the repercussions. I’m sorry to those that don’t think the owner of a team should also be a fan of them, but your team is missing out on one of the greatest owners any sports franchise has ever been graced with. Maybe not the most graceful, eloquent, or tactful, but definately one of the greatest. And did he ever say he was the most graceful, eloquent, or tactful?
Thank you Mark, for making this town and this team believe that they can win when all they did was lose in the early-mid 90s. Maybe next year, we won’t forget to close out our games and come out on top.
Comment by Michael -
On the topic of the media’s efforts on the edges of sporting events, what do you think about Brett Myers of the Phillies? What would you have done as the owner if that happened on your watch? I think the Phillies tried to treat their pitcher as an employee, and give him and their staff a chance to sort through the facts and the issues before they pulled him off the field. But, the media FRIED them for it. In hindsight, the PC police were bound to make it look like they did not care. But, if they had just suspended him outright, the players union, and anyone who believes in innocent until proven guilty would have been enraged.
Tough one to sort through. What are your thoughts?
Comment by bill wenzel -
Anyone else see what a ridiculous and outrageous call the last phantom foul was here in Game 6?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lX_qMS9bRY&feature=PlayList&p=057406F3CB637FAE&index=0
This foul is what lost the Mavericks the chance to play for a championship in game 7…Whatever Heat fan cant see this and admit that it was ridiculous call is either blind or so much of a fanboy they cant admit what was a fair call…
Wade drives into Dirk, delivers a hard forearm shiver right to Dirk’s chest (hard enough to move him) yet Dirk is called for the foul, the Mavericks morale (which was up at the time) is shot, and Wade shoots free throws that puts them ahead for good…that play is what broke the Mavericks and cost us the series (although several Wade non-calls in the last play of Game 5 didnt help either)
I cannot see how a ref would even think of calling that in the Heat’s favor..much like the infamous game five push where Wade simply pushes Terri out of his way, the offensive foul could not be more blatant…
And you know whats funny about it? Dirk knew they were going to call it, as you can tell from his immediate reaction of disbelief when they call a blocking foul on Dirk after Wade delivered the forearm…
Just pathetic, and it shames me that the league hasnt owned up to anything and admitted it was the wrong call…And Heat fans are idiots if they cant see that was an easy offensive foul call that should have had the Mavs shooting free throws instead…
Comment by jfan6 -
This is the site that I love:
http://blogmaverick.com/
but thanks for the recomendations!
Comment by Maria Stella -
MAVERICKS ON LANDMARK SCREENS = THE FUTURE?
mark,
i’m sure you read somewhere how world cup soccer games are being shown in movie theaters:
http://www.techweb.com/wire/ebiz/189401260
it seems in an age of home entertainment centers with surround sound and big screen tvs, the next logical step for movie theaters to compete to get more customers — other than improving their services while showing movies — is to use their screens for other, exciting, audience driven entertainment: SPORTS.
as anyone who watched all the close games in the NBA playoffs this year can attest, live sports can be more dramatic than any scripted movie. what makes it great is that is inherently unpredictable. no onw knows what will happen. every game. and when the stakes are raised in the playoffs, it seems like a workout just watching a game.
so why aren’t sports teams distributing tv feeds/web streams of their games to movie theaters? competition. right now, most people are comfortable with their routine — watching games at home or in a sports bar with friends. to get audiences into theaters the experience must be demonstrably better than at a sports bar. most would prefer going to a sports bar to a movie theater (despite the huge screen) if there is no alcohol available at the theater.
so getting the theaters to serve alchohol would be a major hurdle. but serving alcohol in theaters is not unusual in movie theaters overseas. and the argument that serving alcohol at theaters would ruin the family experience for kids ignores that every basketball/baseball/football stadium/arena are all family friendly while serving alcohol. as a compromise theaters can have one screen “alcohol free” for kids, another with alcohol. so alcohol is a must. food is another.
to make the “sports theater” viewing experience superior to a sports bar there must be food other than the usual junk food sold at movie theaters. i’m talking pizza, wings, and fries, not to mention healthier foods like a salad station and sandwiches (why movie theaters don’t do this now is beyond me).
another important element: stadium seating. anyone who’s ever had their view blocked while watching an nba playoff game at a sports bar knows that having an unobstructed view is critical to showing sports in theaters. theater screens must have stadium seating.
teams can sell their merchandise at theaters the way they do at music concerts.
showing a sports team’s games in local movie theaters can be a major draw for theater owners, especially during the playoffs, it can give teams more exposure, and give fans an even better experience — watching a sports game on a huge screen with your friends.
maybe during the playoffs is the right time to start showing games in theaters, when interest in a local market is practically guaranteed. but eventually, over time, some theaters may evolve into “sports theaters” — showing boxing on friday and saturday nights, college football on saturday, nfl on sunday, baseball, basketball and hockey all season long. even tennis and golf during their 4 biggest tournaments of the year. the potential is there.
yes, there are major obstacles to making it happen, but an experiment like this needs someone creative, someone willing to take the risk and break the paradigm to show that it can be done.
someone who is a maverick.
Comment by db -
This is in response to comment #68 and #69. I am not a fan of any particular team but do enjoy watching good basketball. I am glad the NBA is moving from the ‘big center’ game to the ‘shooter’ game. How exciting is it to watch a huge player shoot three foot shots anyways??? Thats not what basketball is about…its about execution and teamwork. The Heat only have basically two players and thats it. Wade is awesome and so exciting to watch. He is the type of player the NBA is looking for in the future, but Shaq is played out and he knows it. HE CANT EVEN MAKE A FREETHROW! I watched every game of the finals and could easily see the change in the refs calls in the final two games. I think they just wanted to give shaq his last championship before he is too old to run up and down the court. As for the accountability of the refs??? The spurs fans should be on the Mavs side in this one, not against them……
Comment by kerry -
I wonder how all the Heat fans would be feeling if the greater percentage of marginal calls went against Miami? I wonder how that would have affected the Heat’s chemistry, timing, rhythm and execution? The fact is with the same exact play, the Refs could have EASILY called a number of calls against the HEAT and have been 100% Correct in doing so! The NBA would have done the “Politically correct thing” and backed the Refs and maybe fined Pat Riley, Heat players and the ownership for being sore losers. And yes Mav’s fans would have gloated in the victory, but it would have been a tainted victory.
And to that degree is the reason why Mark Cuban is 100% correct in trying to get better accountability with the game officials.
Mark Cuban is good for all 30 Teams of the NBA, and not just the Mavs. People in position of responsibility in the NBA would do well to listen.
I can easily see how Mark’s position on officiating could have been a factor in how Bennett Salvatore called game 5! And who is to know what is in this man’s head? However the results of his actions are for all to see and they look to me to be very questionable.
In the end no one wins when there is such a huge gray area that can and does effect the outcome of a game, especially in the Finals. If I wanted to be a fan of Pro Wrestling I would not be on this forum.
Mavs – 2 wins
Heat – 2 wins
Refs – 2 wins
Championship deferred until 2007.
Also we need an age limit with NBA Officals. Eyesight absolutely degrades with age and so does bladder control.
See you in the Finals!
Comment by Mike A -
You guys should read post # 62
Comment by George -
Cliff —
If that foul shouldn’t have been called at the end of Game 5 of the Finals, then tell me how you square the call at the end of Game 4 of the Spurs/Mavericks series that was hung on Bowen for a touch foul on Dirk. If you don’t think touch fouls should be called in end game situations, then you can’t (I don’t think) argue that Bavetta got that call against Bowen right. Just a question.
Comment by The Moose -
Right, the heat know how to handle losses. Anyone remember Shaq not showing for a press conference in the finals because he lost yet the next time he won he was out there as fast as possible to talk about how good looking he was? I remember Dirk coming out and answering every question after game 3 (as did all other mavericks personel that was asked a question) without hesitation. The mavericks knew they lost that game and they owned up to it. The did so again in game 4. They only changed their attitude after games 5 and 6 when they felt the games were stolen from them.
I have no problem conceeding that the refs were not the only factor that kept dallas from winning. They did not execute, period. I do think that the refs contributed to some of the losses and that the perception that the mavs players had of the officiating being one-sided contributed to their inability to execute, but it is still the teams fault for not overcoming their adversity.
As for the foul on Dirk at the end of Game 5 (or harris, whomever you think the foul was committed by), anyone remember back in the 90s when Reggie Miller shoved Jordan to get open in the Finals (or maybe the conference finals) and made a 3 pointer with no foul being called. It wasn’t called because it was at the end of the game and the refs normally swallow their wistle and let the players play with in reason. If that foul isn’t called, I can’t comprehend how the dirk/harris foul is.
Comment by Cliff -
Nice Comment Bill! Let em have it!
Comment by George -
Introducing the MVP for 2006 Bennett Salvatore! Question does the league check Refs for Steroids, Crack and other ‘call’ altering drugs. Question 2, can the Mavs Select Benett in the Draft?
Or a Bumper Sticker “Mavs fans don’t break for Refs?”
Ok, Ok I still feel like I was robbed! And yes all Refs are not bad. But it just takes 1 to really put a hurt on you. Remember I was at Game 6 in Dallas and you can feel the momentum shifting to Miami by the way the calls were going against Dallas. The Texas Rangers have also recently been robbed by umpires.
Really there needs to be a 2nd layer of officiating in Professional Sports because we come out to see a team win and not the officials.
Dirk said it right back in May about wanting to Play San Antonio in the Playoffs and wanting to beat the champs to get to the Finals. Little did Dirk know the real battle was going to be against bad calls. Now how the hell do you defend against that? It’s like going to court using a public defender.
NBA should be ashamed of itself. Better American Companies were shut down and out sourced to China.
Comment by Mike A -
I wonder if the NBA has ever hired an Industrial Psychologist to actually help provide an accurate and helpful reviewing and ranking process for nba officials. As much as Stern says that his officials are the most reviewed employees in the nation, it does not do any good if their performance doesn’t reflect well from that process. What are the critical factors that an NBA referee is reviewed on? LISTEN CAREFULLY: the nba will LOSE its product and market if these issues are not addressed. I being one of them. Mark, have you thought of investing in the ABA? I will be your first season ticket holder if you do.
corey
Comment by corey Egan -
I find it interesting that the president of international soccer, has publicly criticized the officiating in the current World Cup.
What’s ironic about that is that this is a position that Bud Selig,Paul Taglibue & David Stern refuse to even condider, or ponder.
That’s what fuels referee conspiracy theories; not Mark Cuban. get real, people.
Comment by Rhondda Nunes -
Here’s the real point to the complaints:
Dallas played great games 1-2 3/4. Peolple are writing about how Dirk didn’t drive,noone for Dallas drove. If you had watched the end of game 3 and games 4,5,and 6 you would know why that never happened. Every time one of the Mavs drove to the basket they were hacked and nothing was ever called. Whenever D Wade drove and Dallas even looked at him a foul was called. So the Mavs chose to shoot jumpers, so they wouldn’t get beat down and never get the call. And since the refs were swinging from D Wades nut sac Dallas knew automatically they were going to get called for the foul, so no Dirk didn’t play like is able because the refs refused to let him.
Comment by kristina -
The Mavericks’ Title will come very soon….Cuban has too much energy to think about the NBA for too long.
Buy a Soccer franchise in England or an F1 team and transmit the Cuban winning culture in other markets.
Comment by Luis Vilanova -
Prae,
I just wanted to say that you are a complete idiot when you say that NCAA officiating is better than NBA officiating. If you would chart the play calling accuracy of an NBA officiating crew, you will see that their play calling percentage would be in the upper 90’s. That’s INCREDIBLE. These officials have to make hundreds of decisions every few minutes of a game. Do you think it’s that easy to react to plays from the most talented athletes in the world? We have the luxury of view the replays…the refs don’t. That’s why the job is so demanding. Do you realize how hard those officials work anyway? Constant training, tape breakdowns after games, constant rules exams, etc. If it were easy, they would be paying them over 100K per year to officiate basketball. So before make anymore ingnorant remarks, do some research.
Comment by George -
In response to post #27 – Palming for instance, is often called if a player gains an advantage by carrying the ball. I 100% agree with the 3 second rule. An offensive player in the paint for more than 3 seconds puts pressure on the defense and should be called. However, if officials don’t call it early they should not call it late. The call on Dirk was clearly a foul and the league has the right to review all calls. Contact is contact and I think the league has been consistent on these calls. After all, Cuban wanted the rule change.
Comment by randy -
And another thing…
Press Release
Anyone who loves baseball remembers what happened on October 14th, 2003 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. A lifelong Cubs fan reached for a foul ball pop-up off the bat of Luis Castillo in the eighth inning of game six of the National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins. The Cubs were five outs away from going to the World Series for the first time in 58 years. It never happened. Instead a lifelong Cubs fan and one of the nicest guys on the planet was about to have his world turned upside down as well as inside out just because he tried to catch a foul ball that was by all accounts about to land in the first row of seats down the left field line or in the glove of leftfielder Moises Alou. One thing is for sure, Bartman didn’t catch it, Alou didn’t catch it and the life of Steve Bartman was about to be changed forever. He’s been scorned, belittled, disparaged, lampooned and the subject of jokes on late night talk shows ever since.
So what can be done to correct the wrong that occurred on that dark and painful October evening?
FIRE DUSTY
HIRE BARTMAN
It’s time for Bartman to come out of hiding and take over as Manager of the Chicago Cubs. WE WANT BARTMAN….WE WANT BARTMAN…..WE WANT BARTMAN…..
It’s ok Steve. We don’t care about Black Cats. We don’t care about Billy Goats. We care about you. It’s not like you are going to mess thing up any worse than Dusty has anyway and besides it will be fun. A lot more fun that we are experiencing so far this year. Lead us out of this black hole. Nobody loves the Cubs more than you do. Show us what you can do.
FIRE DUSTY
HIRE BARTMAN
WE WANT BARTMAN…..WE WANT BARTMAN …..WE WANT BARTMAN
http://www.wewantbartman.com (For a new beginning)
Comment by Tim Mott -
Here is the response I sent to Mr. Roland Beech regarding his article in 82games.com.
THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL MAVS FANS
Mr. Beech,
Although I find your analysis intriguing you certainly seemed to be a Dallas apologist. You unfairly edited what the commentators said in your foul descriptions, especially the last foul of the game.
Play back your TiVO. Hubie clearly says that there was definetly a foul but it was called on the wrong guy and that it appeared the call should have been called on Harris, hence the reason for his laughter. Sometimes the … conveniently ommits the facts.
According to your analysis it appears that the refs calls/no calls may have led to about 5 extra heat points. You yourself admit that this is up to debate if for no other reason than that the result of each individual play contributes to the outcome of the next play and there is no way to determine what would have happened next if the play was called differently.
So rather than searching for excuses why don’t you point to Dallas’ execution. Simply put, every point counts. Better shot selection and higher field goal percentage will lead to a higher offensive output.
Dallas’ nemesis in this series was not the refs but their inabilty to drive the ball to the hole (possibly getting more calls in their favor) and poor offensive execution (field goal %). Look at their execution numbers in the San Antonio series and compare it to that of the Miami series and you will see the reason why they lost, it wasn’t because of the officiating.
Comment by ric4563 -
Game 5 was the pivot game that destroyed the MAVs. What Ref. would have called a foul on D. Wade with a second left on the clock. Normally any Ref. would have called foul if it was very noticeable, otherwise, they just would not have called it, but they did in GAME 5 against Dallas. Everyone knows that Dirk did not create the foul, that helped Miami to win Game 5.
Game 5 was an important game because both teams were tied with 2 games. The Refs helped Miami win the NBA Championship Title. Had they not called it a foul, Dallas would have won at least Game 5, and who knows what the outcome could have been.
The Refs did a horrible job in Game 5 and that was the important game in the series. The Refs destroyed the spirit of the MAVS. NBA REFs gave a black eye to every NBA fan who watched that game that evening.
I was disgusted with the NBA Refs that next year, the REFs for game 5 better not be referring any playoff series. They need to watch the NBA playoff games from their couches at home next year.
I know it is difficult to make the correct call everytime, but the last call made in Game 5, was undoubtly, the worse call made in the NBA final series.
I hope the NBA Refs learns from the mistakes, and looks to the future to correct mistakes like this again. Mistakes will happen, but the important thing, is whether anything was learned from the mistake, and what can be gained by the mistake, so it will not happen in the future.
Personally, I think the NBA Refs for game 5 were a bit old. NBA needs younger REFs that are quick, and have better vision than the older Refs we saw in GAME 5 of the NBA finals.
Comment by Jacqueline -
Yep, Thomas. The Mavs played so, so, so bad and the only way the Heat won is by having just 4 phantom fouls called in their direction.
Imagine that!
7 points total, across three games, separated the title winner from the title loser.
As bad as the Mavs played, you’d think the Heat could have done a better job.
Oh well, I guess that shows how much better the Mavs are. They play the worst they’ve played in years and the Heat play the best they’ve ever played and they could only beat the Mavs by 2, 2, and 3, phantom foul or not.
Comment by Stevie Wonder -
I Know THE MIAMI HEAT Had A Team Motto Called “15 STRONG” … But I Had No Idea The “15 STRONG” Was Referring To The 12 HEAT PLAYERS AND THE 3 REFS!!! … Seriously, THE MIAMI HEAT Played Like True Champions. But So Did YOUR DALLAS MAVERICKS. Beating THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS Was Like An NBA FINALS In My Book. So Congratulations On Making Two NBA FINALS In The Same Year.
Comment by DARRYL HOWERTON -
IN MY OPINION AND IN 6 BILLION PEOPLE’S OPINIONS, THE MAVS WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND DIRK IS THE MVP. IF IT WASN’T FOR THE BACKCOURT VIOLATION NO CALL, WE WOULD HAVE SWEPT THE “WARM”
Comment by Eric -
Interesting site. I’ve read previous comments here but if Wade’s push which put Terry on his stomach and out of bounds is called then the game, and possibly the series, ends differently. Some might say flop…yeah right. Call the grab on Terry’s last shot in game 6 and it’s possible that game ends differently as well as the series.
anyway, the series is over. Mavs didn’t win. They’ll be back next season.
GO MAVS!!!
Comment by Mike -
Speaking of a new site Iike. To whomever was the person who posted the link in one of these threads thank you. The site is entertaining and the dude can pick games.
http://www.smartmoniesclub.com
Comment by Jasonc -
nice stats indeed, i just wish these kind of stats would also show in every box score!
Comment by Joel Bauca -
Very cool and informative site. I’ll be sure to check it out throughout the season. Cant wait for the draft!
Comment by totoro -
I think you’re pushing it a little too much, Mark. Miami made a great comeback and you’re trying to take that away from them. They were the better team, fair and square. They beat your team, fair and square. I think maybe if you or the coach got down on your players a little more than maybe you guys would’ve won. Instead you have this agenda against the refs which in turn makes your players not accept responsibility for playing so darned poorly. Your team was the better team in the regular season, but you still need four wins in the Finals to be champs. Miami was definitely the better team in the finals. I think the bigger problem is that everyone expected Dallas to win once it got back home, but that didn’t happen. I think you should be more upset about that than the officiating in game 5. Oh yeah, and there was a foul on Dwayne Wade at the end of that game.
Comment by Roga -
6. Who flopped more in the fourth quarter as well as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters and overtime, in both the regular season, post season, last season, next season, pre-season, college, high school, playground, retirement home, baby mama’s house,…?
7. Who has more commercials that people buy into so the league can latch onto some of that mental programming that occurs when people see someone on T.V. and think they are so much better than they really are, but wouldn’t be worth much if they had to play by the same rules as everybody else?
4. What three or four people on the same team were ever able to guard Dirk at any other time in the history of the world without fouling him and getting away with it;therefore, making it kinda’ hard to go to the rim when you get fouled with no call?
8. Who had no problem getting to the line when they were fouled at any other point of the season or playoffs because they are so big and it’s impossible not to foul them when they go to the basket, but only seemed to get a foul call on every other foul commited against them?
9. Who hasn’t visited http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lX_qMS9bRY&feature=PlayList&p=057406F3CB637FAE&index=0 , so they can see all of the flopping and phantom calls that Wade got in game 6, which was just the icing on the cake?
10. Who didn’t see posey trip Dirk in phamtom call 4, while the refs were calling a foul as a result of another Wade flop.
11. Who stands more of a chance of sustaining or growing NBA ratings for the next ten years by being compared to Michael Jordan? A young black guy named Flash or an introverted white guy from Germany?
Comparing how one team was totally favored by the whistle should give a clear picture why the Mavs could only grow more and more frustrated, which is why a lot of their open shots weren’t going down. It happens every time the officials favor one team over the other.
Two seasons back, Memphis used to get the same kind of calls because Hubie Brown turned them into a “defensive team”.
Defensive team = Everybody foul at the same time so they don’t call any because they can’t foul us all out.
P.S. Anybody ever notice how “defensive teams” can go long stretches without any fouls called against them and then all of the sudden the refs start blowing the whistle just to get things evened up in the foul column?
Comment by Stevie Wonder -
Questions answered.
1. Who broke Michael Jordan’s record for free throws made in the playoffs? Dirk made 205 free throws in this year’s playoff.
I have been trying to find answers to these questions:
1. What were the stats for Dirk in the second half of each Finals game compared to Wade’s?
2. What were the stats for Dirk in the fourth qtr in each game compared to Wade’s?
3. How often did Dirk attack the basket when the Heat were in the penalty compared to Wade in the second half and fourth qtr?
4. How many touches in scoring position did Dirk get in the fourth qtr of each game compared to Wade in scoring position?
5. How active was each player in the fourth qtr of each game (rebs, ast, blk, stl, deflections, etc).
Comparing how each team’s star player during the money qtr should give a clear picture on why the Heat won and the Mavs didn’t.
Comment by Thomas -
Mark,
im not saying we shouldnt get craig smith but i think we look at some point-gaurds JET is always playing point put him at shooting gaurd and get a PG simple
Comment by Will Carney -
Required reading for NBA fans??? Who the hell do you think you are? Really? I am a FAN and I love NBA but you are a joke dude! Whatever happened to sports as entertainment. Now I have to go pass a course to watch NBA?!?
You own the Mavs, but I’m pretty sure you don’t own the NBA…and I’m pretty sure you aren’t my 1st grade teacher either…handing out assignments so that we can all become as learned as you and those you deem learned, like Bill Simmons?!
Look anyone with a brain can see that despite all your ranting about equality and fairness and officiating in the NBA, you just want to win and will do anything you can to win. You dont give a rat’s ass about correct calls when you win. I’ll bet your blog is 1/3 the size after a win versus a loss (someone please check this). So, just admit that you really, really, really want to win a championship and all this other crap about being an ambassador and making a better product is just cover for your truest, deepest desire…a championship!
BTW, the media didnt create you and make you the story…you did! YOU went on letterman, YOU make yourself visible at games, YOU scream at officials, YOU get fined, YOU harrass Stern, YOU BLOG (and blog, and blog, and blog).
Look at it this way Mark, if you DIDNT want to be the story, all you would have to do is go upstairs and be quiet…or even stay downstairs and be quiet…and magically, the media fairies would go away!! Most people can’t even NAME their team’s owner. So, again, lack of honesty on your part…you WANT THE MEDIA, YOU WANT TO BE THE STORY, you LOVE IT, so quit whining like a papparazied (sp) starlet…you are a billionaire and own an NBA team and you seem to enjoy all the trimmings!
so, get real…and honest…JAGOFF!
Comment by Bill -
Here’s exactly what happened in the Finals:
1. The Mavs handed the series to the refs
2. The refs handed the series to the Heat
The Mavs were and are a much better team than the Heat, they just never showed up for the last 3.25 games of the series. If they hadn’t of played so badly, the games wouldn’t have been close enough for the refs to be the deciding factor. A little more effort/execution would have easily landed the championship in Dallas. But we were the best team in the league this year (only San An really compares) and we will be the best team in the league next year.
Comment by JC -
It doesn’t matter what anybody says. This is the reason why the Heat won.
http://www.geocities.com/FashionAvenue/Catwalk/8809/briefs/KAZAAM.JPG
P.S. I met a guy the other day and he said his name was Dick and I told him my name was Danforth. Well, anyway, we were talking and I said “Come on Rick”, and he said “My name is not Rick! My name is DICK!” And I was thinking to myself “Who in their right mind would want to be called DICK?”
P.P.S. I once worked with a guy named Richard Beavers. Imagine that! Richard Beavers.
Comment by Danforth Crawford Esq. -
I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one who noticed the most obvious phantom call of them all. JT had his back turned to Wade and Wade came down awkwardly on his own foot and fell! Unbelievable. I knew then it was going to be a long night. Just wondering, does anyone sit down with the refs and ask what in the heck were you looking at when you made that call???
Comment by KPF in ATL -
Bennet,
Very clever response. Even when I don’t buy the conspiracy theory, I loved it.
Comment by Robert Horry -
Bennet,
Very clever response. Even when I don’t buy the conspiracy theory, I loved it.
Comment by Robert Horry -
Fascinating site, but be careful! Look at the page detailing actual salaries by team and player versus FAIR salaries. Indicates the Mavs as a team are underpaid by over $12 million and much disparity between individual players. Keep this in mind when renegotiating Jet and Van Horn and lock up Howard quickly.
http://www.82games.com/0506/0506DAL.HTM
Comment by Bill -
That’s right Robert, I was rooting for the East too.
Comment by Bennett Salvatore -
Stevie Wonder —
I’m disinclined to talk about last season — following Mark’s precedent. And I’m disinclined to claim that the Mavericks were given a series by officiating. The Mavericks reached the Finals by merit and it would be disrespectful to suggest otherwise — just as it would be disrespectful to deny credit to the Miami Heat for their accomplishments.
Nevertheless, I’m sure Mark would be anxious to see an objective break-down of the 4th Quarter of Game 3 of that series — you know, the one where the Mavs out-shot the Spurs from the line 22-8. Mavs fans were obsessed with the free throw differential in Game 5 of the Finals, but somehow forget entirely about that doozy (with a remarkably similar disparity). I’d be with Mark in being quite curious to see how an objective criticism of that game was officiated.
It’s consistency that we’re after, after all.
Comment by The Moose -
People keep speaking of Miami being more aggressive, therefore they got the calls. Since when has driving to the basket more become the end all to getting calls. Driving to the basket doesn’t mean you automatically get the call. It’s again about consistency. If Devon Harris can’t get the same calls as Wade then it’s a wrong call. I hear say it was a wild shot when the lesser status player goes hard to the hoop, but it’s a strong drive and that’s why he got the foul for a star player.
What people are saying is it was ok for Haslem and Posey to low-bridge Nowitzki while fronting him out top, but if you touch a slasher out top it’s a touch foul and correct. Refs have to make the calls for each team or not at all. Refs never call touch falls at the end of games, but decided to do it in game 5. Terry palming is a good example of inconsistency because we’d never see a drive to the hole if they called palming on everyone. How many jump hops do players do when they are backing in to the basket?
I think the refs have to make the calls consistent and no one will ever have a complaint if that’s done.
Comment by Greg Anderson -
That’s the first time I ever rooted for the East, You usually never root for the East, you root for the West. But the way the Mavericks acted, it just put a bad taste in my mouth.
All the whining Dallas did, the way Cuban acted, the way Del Harris
acted on the sideline a couple of times, I was happy to see Dallas lose.
There were just a lot of things that they did that I didn’t think were characteristic of a team that’s supposed to be in the top class.
Robert Horry
Comment by Robert Horry -
Someone has put together some video evidence of some of Wade’s phantom fouls. It is a shame that the NBA’s officiating has reached a point to where fans are doing things such as this.
The main page is here:
http://www.ericfolkerth.com//B1082610743/C1360270701/E20060621011743/
And due to the overwhelming traffic he’s getting, he moved the videos to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lX_qMS9bRY&feature=PlayList&p=057406F3CB637FAE&index=0
Comment by Lance -
Help me out Moose.
Was the fourth quarter of game 3 the one where the refs called a foul against Howard for fouling Ginobli, even though he wasn’t even close to touching him (watch the replay and see how ridiculous the call was), and then on the next posession they made a make-up call against bowen because they knew how ridiculous the call against Howard was? Was that game three or four?
P.S. “And for the record” I don’t recall reading anything Mark has posted saying anything about the Finals. I guess it’s true what they say… http://www.bizjournals.com/specials/pages/10.html
Comment by Stevie Wonder -
I’m fairly certain that Mark would be horrified by the reality that would be a breakdown of, say, the 4th Quarter of Game 3 of the Spurs-Mavericks series; but that WAS last season.
NBA officiating isn’t great and should be improved. But it would be an improvement, in my opinion, to realize that not everything needs to be called. Perhaps the push for consistency should begin with an understanding that contact should be significant before a call is made. I sure as heck don’t shell out money to watch the officials whistle 70 fouls and award 90 free throws on a given night. But, with this sort of hyper-criticism of officiating, that’s exactly where we’re going. Oh boy!! I can’t wait.
In the end, the Mavericks were beaten by a team that was more aggressive and better in the clutch. Champions win titles because they perform better than anyone else over the course of a playoff season. The Mavericks performed well, but weren’t the best in the end; the Heat were. Perhaps if the Mavericks had quit settling for jump shots, their fate would have been different. They didn’t and it wasn’t. And, to whomever suggested that Dirk had anything resembling an MVP performance in the Finals, I have no doubt that Wade was going to be the MVP of that series whether the Heat won or lost; he was absolutely sublime.
Comment by The Moose -
Mark,
I seriously cant believe that you are still complaining over this series. The heat won this series by pure determination. I am a die heart heat fan, and watching you guys throw the series away when you guys had a chance in game 5 was the pinnacle. You guys missed so many open shots that we gave to you guys! They were shots you guys got via “the extra pass” and you guys consistently failed to knock them down. Needless to say, winning game 5 would have been pivotal for the most obvious reasons.
Aside from the reffing, yes i admit there were some phantom calls, but it all goes full circle Mark. You guys got a shot at the finals b/c of a “phantom” call the refs made in the Western Conf. Finals. As for the Heat, we earned our way thru every series starting with the Bulls, Nets, Pistons, in each series we played through adversity without the refs help.
I have one last question for you. When the clock ran out, and the heat were declared champions, They immediately showed a shot of you on the court clapping while watching the Heat celebrate on your own home court. Was that a sportmenship move on your part, or was it a sarcastic clap towards the refs this series? Sometimes you’re a hard one to figure out Mark.
GO HEAT
2006 NBA CHAMPS
Comment by Bhavin Gopalji -
Mark,
I seriously cant believe that you are still complaining over this series. The heat won this series by pure determination. I am a die heart heat fan, and watching you guys throw the series away when you guys had a chance in game 5 was the pinnacle. You guys missed so many open shots that we gave to you guys! They were shots you guys got via “the extra pass” and you guys consistently failed to knock them down. Needless to say, winning game 5 would have been pivotal for the most obvious reasons.
Aside from the reffing, yes i admit there were some phantom calls, but it all goes full circle Mark. You guys got a shot at the finals b/c of a “phantom” call the refs made in the Western Conf. Finals. As for the Heat, we earned our way thru every series starting with the Bulls, Nets, Pistons, in each series we played through adversity without the refs help.
I have one last question for you. When the clock ran out, and the heat were declared champions, They immediately showed a shot of you on the court clapping while watching the Heat celebrate on your own home court. Was that a sportmenship move on your part, or was it a sarcastic clap towards the refs this series? Sometimes you’re a hard one to figure out Mark.
GO HEAT
2006 NBA CHAMPS
Comment by Bhavin Gopalji -
Gawd, you are still bawling about the officiating. If Dirk doesn’t disappear in the fourth quarter of just about every game after the second one or you guys hit some clutch FTs this isn’t even an issue.
Superior teams find a way to win. Inferior ones whine about the officiating. WTG.
Comment by Ron in McKinney -
THIS PROVES DALLAS WON THE FINALS AND IS THE REAL 2006 CHAMPIONS!!! DIRK IS THE REAL MVP OF THE SERIES!
Comment by Eric -
what happened to “And for the record, I have nothing to say about the finals. That was last season.” Mark, you cannot accept this, can you? you cannot gracefully move on and drop the whining. how old are you?
Comment by daniel -
I will recap an entry I tried to put on the DMN Blog, but they chose not to publish for whatever reason.
I am a Mav’s/NBA fan, I am not an expert, but I do understand basketball, watch alot of Mav’s games on TV, and attend some in person, and those I attend I have the unique perspective of sitting courtside, yes no one but players in front of me, so I hear and see from about the same location as the coaches, just on the other side of the court.
The NBA has a problem, and it either doesn’t understand it or won’t address it. It’s not bad calls, there will always be bad calls when humans are involved, assuming, like I try to do, that a bad call is not intentional, but simply a mistake or bad position, or both.
The issue Stern & Co need to address is the fact that for most fans (and quite possibly players, coaches & owners alike) we are to the point of NOT UNDERSTANDING how the game is called. We DON’T understand the rules, at least in the manner in which they are interpreted by the officials.
Do we understand palming…..yes….it’s a rule we all learned in grade school, a rule that is totally a non-call at the Pro level. Then why is it called only at times, because it could be called on virtually every player on virtually every play. I don’t understand!
Three seconds, pretty clear rule we learned in grade school, could be called on almost every possesion, again I don’t understand why it is called only sometimes.
Contact, clearly a subjective call most of the time, but when did the “rules” change depending on the player or the location on the court or the time left in the game? I don’t understand!
Dirks call on Wade, I am a Mav’s fan so I’m biased, but if that was a contact foul, how did Wade get by with forearming Terry out of the way on his way to getting fouled by Dirk? Again, I don’t understand!
Flagrant 2 foul on Stack, yes I actually thought it was. But why didn’t it get called a flagrant 2 foul during the game? And the next day it’s changed, and a suspension issued. I don’t understand.
Fact of the matter that Stern & Co need to address is the fans become disgusted with not understanding. With quickness and speed ever increasing, is the game out of control at the officials level? Is the game to a point that the rules are now more governed by officials individual interpretation that by the rulebook, thus leading and fueling the fire of conspiracy (I don’t believe it) or just plain stardom factor in officials eyes (this one I believe)?
The NBA has become (maybe always was) a “kingdom ruled by the few”, with absolutely no accountability or explanations at the management level. Where is S-O for the NBA. Who judges NBA officials, what are the criteria which they are evaluated with….. again I don’t understand. Have you ever seen an explanation of a call(s) after the game. Occasionally you do see a referee admit during the game they made a mistake, and the players usually move on.
Can anyone explain the criteria used for calling technical fouls on a player or coach for complaining……good friggen luck on that one!
Why doesn’t some reporter pull together a “players only” or “coaches only” (or both) informal review of who calls the games and how they are called, might be an interesting survey!
As a fan, we measure players by their stats, their ability to perform in clutch situations, their persona on and off the court, etc, etc. Coaches are easy to judge, just look at their records over time and their player selections. All these criteria are not perfect and not always exact, but at least it’s relatively easy to understand. And you can be sure that player evaluation at the coaching and ownership level is far more in-depth and complicated. But my guess is that if AJ sat down and explained he and his coaches evaluation criteria we could understand most of it.
The criteria for making the playoffs and advancing is pretty understandable. What is the criteria for officials doing the same?
Does NBA Management really want the officials to be as front and center as they have become? Do they want them to be so demostrative during the game that they overshadow the players and coaches, the game itself?
Again, I just don’t understand, but I’m only a fan. Off to watch my son’s 7 on 7 football game tonight, which I understand……
Larry
Comment by Larry -
I think it’s more like 2-14 now. The Mavs actually won game 5 against the Suns when Dirk accidentally scored 50 points. I guess ole “D.C.” wasn’t trying hard enough, otherwise it would be 1-15.
P.S. I’m not sure if it’s 2-14. It may be 2-16.
P.P.S. Mark gave a few stats on the calls and non-calls of the third Mavs-Spurs game. Here’s a link http://blogmaverick.com/entry/1234000453073569/
Anybody remember this game? I sure do. Boy was it a doozy.
Comment by Danforth Crawford Esq. -
Cuban, you are smart enough to know you cannot accurately assess how a call should or should not have been made based on watching a tape or even based on replys. You do know the refs are seeing the game from a different angle than the cameras, right? But you go on believing the world is out to get you. I’d be curious to see if you are just as passionate if the calls start to statistically go the Mavs way.
Comment by LayZ -
“Bet ya don’t want to see the same analytical breakdown in the Spurs and Suns series.”
Bet ya overlooked this comment from Cubes, Joe.
“Hopefully 82games will go back and do all the playoffs. Including our Spurs series.”
It’s amazing how some of you dolts just don’t understand why Cuban is so persistent on this officiating thing.
If I was a casual fan who only watched basketball when it really mattered (aka, The Finals), do you think I’d find any reason to increase my viewership when I see horrible officiating play a role in the outcome of an important game in the series?
Nobody is suggesting that the refs handed Miami the title on a silver platter. Not after the way the Mavericks blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game Three.
We just think it would behoove the league for the refs to not become the story on the biggest stage of the year.
Comment by Brandon -
I think Cuban put it the best. The Finals were last season…
GO SPURS GO!!
Spurs = ’07 World Champions 🙂
Comment by CANT WAIT TILL NEXT SEASON -
Who in the hell is this guy to be analizing the game. Next time you play the “HEAT” make sure you blow them out, that way you won’t have the officials to blame. Stop crying and bring it next time. Don’t listen to Hubie “Dracula” Brown he’s twisted like his brother. Bye. My beer is getting warm..
Comment by vonkike -
I don’t really see the crime here. Assuming their analysis is correct, and lets not forget that even the most unbiased eye will be subjective, the right calls were split down the middle, and probablies were slight favorite to Miami. The maybes, dubious and V. dubious were 8 calls Miami’s way. Now assuming there’s some element of home court calls in every game, and I’m not sure how many calls that’s worth, but that knocks that number down somewhat, and Miami generally forced the action while you guys settled more from the outside, which is also worth a call or three. The refs weren’t great, and D Wade probably gets a few too many superstar calls, but they didn’t cost you the game or the series, the Mavs lost that on their own. Ask yourself this: Throughout the playoffs did you ever say to yourself, “the refs really saved us in that game?”. I’m willing to bet you’ve never said that about any game at all throughout your entire tenure as owner (despite who knows how many Dirk games of 2-15 from the field, but 20-22 from the line these playoffs). I know I’ve NEVER once thought my Lakers have benefitted from kind refs, even in that famous 4Q of Game 6 against the Kings in 2002. Somehow I’ve managed to justify each and every call. Perhaps we’re both right, and the calls are always against us, and we never benefit from them, but somehow I doubt it.
Comment by BP -
Bet ya don’t want to see the same analytical breakdown in the Spurs and Suns series.
“You live by the foul, you die by the foul”
Comment by Joe -
Regarding his comments on the palming violation: If you notice, he mentions that he’ll talk more about this later. He mentions that the palming violation on Dwayne Wade on the final play was of the same severity as that called on Jason Terry. So his opinion was that you call both or call neither. Every breakdown of officiating in games takes this approach. If a 3 second violation is called, they look through the rest of the game and make sure that the same standard is used.
I’m a biased Mavs fan, but on Dirk’s foul I remember Hubie’s initial reaction, then I don’t think there was total agreement with the foul call…but he did mention that there was contact there on the back. It should also be clear that there is pressure from the league on color commentators not to disagree with official’s calls…as Stern has mentioned several times that he greatly disapproves of it.
And on the issue of Cuban doing the same thing. He did once…after a San Antonio game, as a comment to a blog entry. He hasn’t done it again. I’m pretty sure him publishing that would be a fineable offense by the league. And all indications are that he does in fact have former officials reviewing and grading the performance of individual refs in an effort to improve the consistency of NBA officiating.
Comment by Nick -
The point of this exercise wasn’t to prove that the NBA officials get calls wrong. He prefaces his work with the idea that most people think NBA officials get 80% of the calls spot on, then probably 15% are questionable, and maybe 5% are bad. And because they’re calling live basketball, that’s perfectly understandable. The point of the exercise was to show that for one reason or another, certain officials call the game in a way which appears partial to one team or another, based on style of play, home/away, momentum, etc.
Mark Cuban has posted the Mavs playoff record when certain officials are involved before… There are certain officials with whom the Mavs have statistically significant trouble (1 win in 14 games I think). At some point, someone has to investigate and figure out what the cause of this discrepancy is, and find out a way to make sure the playing field is level.
In a single officiating crew, one official may be calling the game tight, and the other two loose. If the ‘tight’ ref is under the basket for a certain team more often, they’ll get more foul shots. Some refs get caught up in the momentum of the game. This favors teams that are streaky, as it keeps runs alive and makes it hard . It’s not because the official is biased, it’s just a consequence of the way the system is structured.
Comment by Nick -
I am a giant Mavs fan and love to bash the refs for the calls made at the end games 5 and 6, but I agree with the guy who posted about the Mavs flat losing the series based on lack of aggression and taking the ball to the rack. I thought game 6 was in the bag once the Mavs got to the penalty, but we only drove to the hoop a total of 4 times in the quarter. Explain that to me. The way I look at it, if you don’t force the issue by driving, and you settle for the outside shots, and the game remains close at the end, then you have given yourself the chance to let an official make a ridiculous call that will screw you. Doesn’t make it right, but I will NOT complain when the Heat DID drive on most situations, or at least were lucky/skilled enough to hit their jumpers. Anyway, the series still kills me, but we need to move on and accept that if we were so much better, then we would have proven it beyond the shadow of a doubt after 6 games. Anyway, thanks for such a great season Mark…it was a pleasure.
Comment by Stephen -
Looking at a few of the specific calls, it is clear there is bias in Roland Beech’s breakdown of game 5 officiating. For example, the palming call on Terry’s turnover. Roland rates it “dubious” with comments of “seldom called.” This is not an honest assessment of the call. Was it palming or not? If it was palming then this call should be rated “Yes-the right call.” Roland instead applies his own judgement (bias) on whether this type violation should have been called against Dallas–he doesn’t even address whether it was the right call or not.
Also, the final call of the game against Dirk on Wade. Roland highlights in bold the comments by Hubie where he seems to doubt the call. But, I distinctly remember Hubie, after seeing the replay, pointing out where he saw the violation on Dirk pushing Wade in the small of the back. Where are those comments?
I like the concept of the article. But, the more I studied it, the more I became convinced that Roland had an agenda.
My challenge to you, Mr. Cuban, is to use Roland’s system and review the exact same calls. Then publish your results, inlcuding the point impact on the game. Even better, publish your results alongside those of a professional official’s results(college, or retired NBA). If all the results point in the same direction as Roland’s, then you have an interesting story.
Comment by David -
These guys watched a tape? That is so much different than officiating live action.
Comment by Richard -
i’m sorry but any site that claims hubie brown as an unbiased source is lying to itself. the author of the site should compare calls deemed correct to hubie browns assessment of the calls and see how many actually coincide
Comment by Jeff -
I’m not a Mavs fan or a Heat fan. I enjoy NBA basketball. I know I’ll get blasted for this, but the refs didn’t lose the series for you the Mavs players and coaches did. I thought the Heat were the aggressive team throughout the series. They attacked the basket and the Mavs settled for jump shots. Also, how about giving credit to the Heat ind/team defense? What team has guarded Dirk that well for six straight games? Looking at the box score (not as in depth as 82games.com) but the box scores shows me that in six games the Mavs were out rebounded 263 to 251 and 4 out of 6 games (games 1,3,4,6), made 5 less assist than the Heat 100 to 95, had three less steals 47 to 44 steals, had more turnover (by one) 92 to 91(Heat), shot 42.43 from the field compared to Heat’s 45.76, shot 28.45 from 3 pt line to Heat’s 30.48, and made one more free throw 124 to Heat’s 123. However, the Heat took 36 more free throws and the Mavs had 32 more attempts at the basket than the Heat (437 FGA-Heat, 469 FGA-Mavs. To me these stats display the team who won the statistical battle won the series.
It will be interesting to see the reply’s I get.
Comment by Thomas -
Great link Mark…it’s wonderful finding websites that actually do the work and figure out the true statistics of the game that you can’t find in the box score. Tough luck on the series but we all know the team wll be elite for the upcoming years. One question though. I know you raised questions when the Mavs became the 4th seed in the Western Conference even though they had the second best record. How about bringing up the 2-3-2 format for the Finals. I understand it is better for the media to not have to travel from place to place and raises more awareness for the series BUT, if the series goes true to form and the home team wins every game, why should the team with the “home court advantage” ever be losing in the series? Who knows? Maybe the outcome of Game 5 would have been different if the Mavs had been given that extra jolt from the crowd and familiarity of the home court.
Comment by Doug -
Interesting read. Did you forward this link to the NBA?
By the way, I saw Jerry Stackhouse yesterday by the restaurant I work at. Gave one of the waitresses an autograph, nice guy.
Comment by Chris Salisbury -
82 games is a great site, Mark. Hey, if you still want to buy a MLB team, the Braves are for sale!
Comment by Stephen -
but… who won?
Comment by kissing ass -
What exactly is the criteria for becoming and continuing to be a ref in the NBA? Do they go through the same evaluations we do (AAU and UIL Basketball official here!)? As horrid as some of the games I’ve watched over the years, I would say noone checks up on the referees at an administrative level because they still make the same stupid call-this-but-ignore-that calls! Nobody seems to be talking about the calls made during the course of a game (82games apparently is the first besides me) and not just the obvious calls at the end of games. There are tons of stupid, moronic inconsistencies in a game. ie:….every player in the NBA travels when they start their dribble to drive, yet it only gets called 1 or 2 times per game. Why is that? Who decides when it will finally be called? Since when is it ok to purposefully “back down” an inside defender. Whatever the NBA rules are on this….”backing down” a defender is by definition DELIBERATE CONTACT in order to move the defender for a closer shot. Deliberate contact = intentional foul. Why not call it that way? One thing the NCAA has the NBA beat on hands down is officiating. The NCAA refs have hardly ever been the “choosers of destiny” that the NBA officials have become. The NCAA: You rarely even notice the refs. This is how it should be. Notice the game. Notice the great plays. Notice the great players. Nobody comes to the games to notice the refs.
Comment by prae -
Hmmm… Salvatore… Mafia… sounds pretty obvious to me! Honestly, I’m glad someone took the time and effort to break down the officiating in Game 5. I’m pretty sure the results would be similar in Game 6.
Comment by Brad -
that website is beautiful. i hope everyone gets a chance to really look at it. looking forward to next year’s finals…
Comment by Courtney -
It doesn’t even surprise me anymore, all most “analysts” do is give out their opinion, which is as good as mine if mine is not better, since I actually know the team I love so dearly (go mavs). These media people are not even analysts since some hardly do research, and just base their biased opinions on some vague stats. Great site indeed though, I’ve been checking it out for a while now, and they definitely have some good stuff there. We can definitely see how bad we got robbed, but the mavs’s will come back strong next season. For a team that wasn’t even supposed to make the playoffs according to these media gurus, we did pretty good.
Comment by Alex -
Mark,
Keep Terry on the team do whatever it takes please! Also about the refs Salvatore should be punished by officiating junior high games. lol
Comment by Ana -
good analysis indeed.
i don’t think it does much to prove your point.
Comment by Avner Ronen -
why dont we draft craig smith he is an undersized shaq. Smith showed he has a work ethic of a tiger. He went into BC overweight and slow. He increased his muscle and lost some pounds. He was the only one in the country that could slow sheldon williams. He led BC to the sweet 16 almost elite 8 single handedly. If not for the refs it would have been finals for sure. MY VOTE CRAIG SMITH!!!!
GO MAVS!!! hope u read this
Comment by max godvin -