Grades v. Mavs 01/14

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Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Sorry for the delay. My theme tonight took a little extra research time as I am out of my element. You see it seems that I have promised at some point an obligatory Hottest Guys II theme, and no time like the present as they say: Hottest Guys II

Having used up most of the no brainers in the Hottest Guys I thread here: http://kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18247 (Hugh Jackman, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Sean Connery, Christian Bale, Viggo Mortenson, Chris Webber, and myself), this second group may be more speculative.

Cisco ( B+ ) -- three point stroke was really on in the first half, and just smoothly bombed away out there, missing only when he had too much time for that questionable processor to try to work on things. His other offensive play of the half was more erratic and bordering on out of control, but the best thing he did in the half was spend some time guarding Dirk. And Dirk, as the Warriors proved last year, can be taken out of his game by a scrappy little guy far more easily than by a big guy, and that was certianly the case tonight in a flat performance. Cisco came out in the third quarter very aggressive, and it was he, Mikki, and Beno who got us off to a goos start to the second half before handing it over to Kevin and Salmons for the finish.
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Ralph Fiennes -- sauve, British, starred in the ultra chicky weeper The English Patient...hot right? Right??

Moore ( C ) -- completely ineffectual first half minutes, and saw Cisco do at least as good a job on Dirk. Mavs drivers killed us inside as well, and Mikki was nowhere to be found. And yet after that half, came out to start the third doing the Mikki Moore things -- cutting to the hoop, going to the offensive glass for dunks etc. Still a very modest night, and still off to the bench to make way for Kevin for the stretch run, but at least gave us a tiny little something for a few minutes there.
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Johnny Depp -- narrowly missed the cut in the first thread, the ultimate artiste as an actor, and yet probably most famous for playing a drunk pirate in drag. Life is strange.

Miller ( B- ) -- in the early going was getting muscled around in there by the hulking Dampier and not doing much with his jumper to counterpunch. Got a couple of hoops and trips to the line, but generally lost the battle inside and was absolutely no impediment whatsoever to the Mavs drivers. Got better after half, but it was never about him being much on either offense or the glass -- it was about a return to him as a passing pylon repeatedly getting the ball to Kevin as he ran around like a nonstop nut out there. Brad had 6 assists, but the effect was greater than that by making it nearly impossible for the Mavs D to guard all the cutters, and setting some good screens as well to free up the little guys running around near his ankles.
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Jude Law -- such a damn pretty boy, this is the sort of man that other men hate, but there is certainly no doubting the pretty.

Salmons ( A- ) -- early turnovers and sloppy play just trying to do too much. Was watching John closely ther, because this was the second game in a row like this, and this was always his M.O. in the past -- when other scorers are around, he loses his rhythm, forces, disappears etc. And sure enough he Picked it up right on cue to start the 4th quarter with both Kevin and Cisco out of the game -- for the first four minutes it was John doing most of our scoring and holding the lead. But the pattern was broken when Kevin returned as the two of them alternated scores and scores again in a wild 40-36 4th quarter that saw us open with a lead, let the Mavs catch back up, and then dogfight it down to the final horn. And while Kevin himself had a huge three point play in the final seconds, it was John's open court flying layup that was the game winner, and down the stretch his finishes around the rim were spectacular. Just wasn't going to be denied.
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Matt Damon -- I've always liked Matt Damon. Not sure why. Maybe its because he is about my age and almost as pretty as I am. Bought into him early in Good Will Hunting, and have liked almost everything he has done since as he has emerged as one of the world's biggest movie stars.
 
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Udrih ( C+ ) -- quick start on one end, while getting lit up on the other by the much quicker Devon Harris. Came up with another burst in the second quarter, of both scoring and passing, and was part of our early 3rd quarter push before most of the guys gave way to the Kevin/Salmons show. Unfortunately continued to sporadically force wild drives here and there, and there never seemed to be much reason for it. We were clicking along and then every once in a while Beno would just have a fit of nuttiness and decide to go 1 on 5. Odd.
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Colin Firth -- that Colin Firth had emerged as a sex symbol in the late 90s courtesy fo his appearing as Mr. Darcy in a miniseries veriosn of Pride & Prejudice came as complete news to me. Apparently women were swooning over this guy, and I barely could have picked him out of a lineup.

Martin ( A+ ) -- came in off the bench firing once again, and again everything was pure. Had 13pts in just the first 6 minutes on the court and barely slowed from that pace. Got tougher to close the half therafter, even involving some misses, blocks, balls being slapped away, but still put up 19pts and put enormous pressure on the Mavs defense. Did very little else again in the half (19pts 0reb 0ast), but did have an open court steal and hit Brad on a cut to the hoop where he got fouled. And of course Kevin was just getting started as if anything he actually got HOTTER after half, and one late missed FT aside was just an impossible cover for the Mavs. Kevin is sometimes accused of being relentless, but actually rarely is -- a weakness in fact is that he can be easily discouraged. But not tonight. Tonight he was relentless and jsut in such a zone that he ran and ran and ran non stop, wanted the abll every possession, wanted to shoot it nearly every time (did give it up too easily a few times) and was nearly flawless on offense. So flawles in fact that I would be willing to bet that we may, even if Kevin plays another 10 years in htis leage, have ssen the best 2-game stretch of offense you will ever see out of him. Or at least the most efficient. 21-25 fro a perimeter player?? Amazing. And while normally to earn the "+" a player has tro do more than score, has to fill up the statsheet, make his teammtes better, hit the winning shot etc. etc., this offensive performance was jsut so outstanding, and done in so few minutes (39 pts in 28 min) that it just has to be a "+" despite the one-dimensional statline (39pts 3reb 1ast 1stl), and I think would have been even if John does not hit that final shot and we lose. Just going to throw this out there even though a) its not going to happen; and b) shoudln't; but I think an occasional issue with Kevin in his early career has been stamina. Like Peja before him he seems to tire late in games, and based on last season its possible he might wear down late in seasons. The curse of constant motion guys perhaps -- do a lot more running per minute than guys who primarily move with the ball. Perhaps the curse of a skinny guy in a league full of physical players. Anyway, in his first couple of games back Kevin has played in short spurts, and obviously has been off for a month. And it may really have helped as he looks quicker and more relentless than last time we saw him. A 25-30 minute 6th man role with the current mentality might actually suit him better than long minute starter. That of course being the point where we go from observation to fantasy. Not going to happen. Nor should it. Next game now the minutes crunch becomes acute -- Kevin, Ron, Mike all back, Beno, John, Cisco likely screwed.
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Hugh Grant -- after appearing in 1793 romantic comedies in the last 15 years, its obvious this man and his smile lines has some major female appeal. Or maybe its those baby blues.

Douby ( C+ ) -- struggled off the bench early, and could not stay in front of Terry. Finished the first quarter though with a nice drive and dish to Hawes for the dunk -- looked almost like a PG. Gave us a little scoring boost in the early 4th (on some tough shots that I am not entirely sure were good ones), at which time he also got completely crunched by a blindside Dampier screen in the open acourt ala the ones Brad likes to lay on other guys. Marginal game, but made some minor contributions while playing in the shadows of our three swingmen.
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Will Smith -- sorry ladies, he's already spoken for, and the wife (Jada Pinkett) is a hottie.

Hawes ( INC ) -- struggled off the bench as our token first half young big, picking up quick fouls and getting yanked out of position by all the Mavs early pentration.
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Orlando Bloom -- its a good thing this guy is so pretty, because my god can he not act.
 
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Jones ( B- ) -- not much offensively, but at the start of the second quarter came up wiht a spectacular block where he elevated up under the hoop backing up Mikki and sent it back out of there like he was a seven footer. Lost most of his minutes tongiht with the Cisco/Salmons/Kevin trio pumping in 83 points between them.
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David Beckham -- in lands where soccer is considered an actual sport rather than a children's rec league activity this is one of the preeminent athelte/sex symbols in the world.

Williams ( INC ) -- the victim/beneficiary this night of that odd substitution Reggie does some nights where he suddenly pulls a stone cold player who hasn't seen the floor once and inserts him in the late 3rd quarter instead of whoever had the spot in the first half. Immediately picked up a foul, otherwise did nothing with it.
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Fabio -- I am Fabio! What a great shot. See, now the board's women owe me so I can spring a Playboy Centerfolds theme withotu complaints.

Reggie ( ) -- best thing he may have ever done was accidentally pee off Kevin by telling him he had to earn his starting spot back.
 
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Placeholder "I still don't (and actually never did) hate the Mavericks, and anybody who has a problem with that can meet me out back" post
 
Kenny Thomas (A+) again. He should be western conf. player of the week if we keep winning :D Kudos to kevin
 
I didn't see the whole game last night...for which I could cry. But my husband did and left me notes (a first) and then told me all about what I'd missed. I don't think I have ever seen him so jazzed, like a little kid at Christmas. So based on his review ;)I am thinking Kevin and John are for sure A+
 
Gadget's innaugural Grade Thread Theme Grades:

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Ralph Fiennes -- sauve, British, starred in the ultra chicky weeper The English Patient...hot right? Right??

B- -- There was a time that Mr. Fiennes was quite high on my list of potential leading men, but oddly enough, it was The English Patient (epically boring in my mind, though that opinion alone may be enough to take away my standing as an actual female) that caused his initial slide in the standings. Now he's ranked somewhere near Josh Hartnett -- genuinely handsome, but completely uninteresting.

Bricklayer said:
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Johnny Depp -- narrowly missed the cut in the first thread, the ultimate artiste as an actor, and yet probably most famous for playing a drunk pirate in drag. Life is strange.

A+ -- A personal fave for damn near 20 years now, which has got to mean something. Eccentric possibly to the level of legitimately nutty, and a bit more unkempt than I'd normally go for, those cheekbones and almost pretentious aura of intellectual are impossible to resist.

Bricklayer said:
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Jude Law -- such a damn pretty boy, this is the sort of man that other men hate, but there is certainly no doubting the pretty.

B -- Grading gets a bit more difficult, here. Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, and more pretty. Without doubt. And with a fantastic accent. And a few flashes of genuine talent as an actor. BUT... much of the impressive acting has been as either gay, effeminate, whiny, lothario, or a combination of the four -- roles guaranteed to trigger any woman's inner "stay away" button before even considering the whole bangin'-the-nanny incident. Ultimately, not someone I'd ever date, but more than acceptable for... other activities.

Bricklayer said:
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Matt Damon -- I've always liked Matt Damon. Not sure why. Maybe its because he is about my age and almost as pretty as I am. Bought into him early in Good Will Hunting, and have liked almost everything he has done since as he has emerged as one of the world's biggest movie stars.

A -- Nowhere near as pretty as Jude Law, but about 1,000 times more likeable. I've been impressed by his talent since Good Will Hunting, and by his intelligence/smart-*** sense of humor almost as long. Can play protector, thanks to the martial arts training, but also comes across as a genuinely good guy who could make me laugh my bum off. Just adore him.
 
A 25-30 minute 6th man role with the current mentality might actually suit him better than long minute starter. That of course being the point where we go from observation to fantasy. Not going to happen. Nor should it. Next game now the minutes crunch becomes acute -- Kevin, Ron, Mike all back, Beno, John, Cisco likely screwed.

Based on his comments after the game, Reggie is seriously considering this role for now as well. He talked about how Kevin can go full speed and just signal when he is tired and needs a breather. Reggie said that he really "likes Kevin in this role" and needs to "sit down and talk with him." If Kevin doesn't protest, you may see Kevin as 6th man for a little while longer.
 
I wasn't sure whether Brick would ever award one of these, but I think this one's quite appropriate.

I'll have to go back and check but Im pretty sure Brick handed out an A+ to Salmons the other night.

I don't know Brick, people are going to start accusing you of grade inflation.;)
 
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Colin Firth -- that Colin Firth had emerged as a sex symbol in the late 90s courtesy fo his appearing as Mr. Darcy in a miniseries veriosn of Pride & Prejudice came as complete news to me. Apparently women were swooning over this guy, and I barely could have picked him out of a lineup.

D -- I, personally, know at least ten women who would gladly claw me to death for such a grade, but... I just don't get it.

Bricklayer said:
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Hugh Grant -- after appearing in 1793 romantic comedies in the last 15 years, its obvious this man and his smile lines has some major female appeal. Or maybe its those baby blues.

B- -- I get this one, but I got it more a few years ago. I've always found him to be quite charming and funny in interviews, but am bored to the point of anger by 90% of his films. Also found it difficult to get around the idea of paing for Divine Brown when you've got Elizabeth Hurley at home -- surely the mark of insanity.

Bricklayer said:
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Will Smith -- sorry ladies, he's already spoken for, and the wife (Jada Pinkett) is a hottie.

A -- I'm going with the A for many of the same reasons as Matt Damon. Undeniably cute as a button, and seems to be a swell fella. Can see enough of the sex appeal that I can understand why other women go for him (hence the high grade), but I'd take his wife in a heartbeat if given the choice.

Bricklayer said:
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Orlando Bloom -- its a good thing this guy is so pretty, because my god can he not act.

D- -- Yawn. Major yawn. So much of a yawn that I have temporarily departed from the actual list in favor of imagining this spot to be filled by Jake Gyllenhaal instead.
 
Based on his comments after the game, Reggie is seriously considering this role for now as well. He talked about how Kevin can go full speed and just signal when he is tired and needs a breather. Reggie said that he really "likes Kevin in this role" and needs to "sit down and talk with him." If Kevin doesn't protest, you may see Kevin as 6th man for a little while longer.

I've never been one to worship a player simply because he's a "starter." If you watch the success of teams like San Antonio and Detroit, you'll notice they have no problems with great players coming in off the bench and being major contributors.

I would hope Kevin is utilized in the best possible way. If it means he comes in off the bench for 28 minutes and 39 points, that would be stellar. I don't think Reggie Theus is dumb. I think he may actually be more in the mold of the Popovich-style coach than I first thought and as long as he can get players to contribute, we'll all be the winners.
 
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David Beckham -- in lands where soccer is considered an actual sport rather than a children's rec league activity this is one of the preeminent athelte/sex symbols in the world.

C -- This is another one where I can see enough there to kind of understand why the girlies like him, but at the same time... meh.

Bricklayer said:
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Fabio -- I am Fabio! What a great shot. See, now the board's women owe me so I can spring a Playboy Centerfolds theme withotu complaints.

F- -- Ugh. Not at all my type. In fact, I'd be surprised to learn that was really anyone's type. And smarmy enough that even a static image is enough to make me feel I need another shower. Just... skeevie.
 
To follow up on my comment above, I just found this quote from Kevin after the game:

"I told coach (Reggie Theus), 'I can only give you 28 minutes a night right now,' " Martin said. "He said, 'as long as it's good.' … I don't think it's the right time yet (to start), even for me personally. I feel like it's training camp Day No. 3, and I've still got to get back in the flow on the court, get my timing down and get my wind back, so I'm definitely not ready to play starter minutes right now and I don't need to."

It's from Amick's story on the game.

I LOVE to see that attitude. And, quite frankly, I would have been surprised at anything else. Kevin Martin is a class act and the real deal and I'm really glad we have him locked up for the next five years.
 
To follow up on my comment above, I just found this quote from Kevin after the game:



It's from Amick's story on the game.

I LOVE to see that attitude. And, quite frankly, I would have been surprised at anything else. Kevin Martin is a class act and the real deal and I'm really glad we have him locked up for the next five years.

Agreed. It's having an attitude like this (off the court) that makes it easier to coach a team and make pieces fit. Of course you want him to play like he deserves to be a starter when he's on the floor, and I'd say his performances qualify. ;)
 
I LOVE to see that attitude. And, quite frankly, I would have been surprised at anything else. Kevin Martin is a class act and the real deal and I'm really glad we have him locked up for the next five years.

Like most of us, I was kind of bewildered at first by the drafting of Kmart. He looked like Olive Oyl's brother, the sort of guy that Douby would beat wrestling. He came from a dinky college, where all he did was shoot, and his percentages really weren't very good at all. I didn't know quite what the front office saw in him.

But the guy's attitude is amazing. Incredible work ethic, and he never seems to think that the world revolves around him, it's always about helping the team. If he has a fault, it's that he doesn't demand the ball. If we had half a dozen players with his viewpoint, even if they didn't have a whole ton of natural talent, we'd have a formidable team.

And that solves the mystery of why we drafted Kevin. We could see the bony frame and the bad shooting, but we couldn't see the attitude.
 
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Fabio -- I am Fabio! What a great shot. See, now the board's women owe me so I can spring a Playboy Centerfolds theme withotu complaints.

Reggie ( ) -- best thing he may have ever done was accidentally pee off Kevin by telling him he had to earn his starting spot back.

Of course, the Fabio pic is for the Coach's tag line.
 
C+ for Beno? Really?

Yesterday's +/-
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Udrih: +17
Miller: +8
Garcia: +4
Salmons: +3
Martin: +2
Hawes: -1
Williams: -3
Douby, Jones: -5
Moore: -10

Dallas' PG Harris was -9 and had 4 turnovers. Udrih had just 1 and 3 steals..
 
Raw numbers mean nothing. The fact you're showing Udrih at +17 and Martin at only +2 shows the fallacy in that kind of argument right off the bat.

If you think Beno deserves a higher grade, explain why. Respond to Bricklayer's summary with one of your own... point out why you believe Udrih should have received better than an average plus rating for the evening.
 
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