Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Artest ( C+ ) -- started off the game taking too many jumpers once again, and while he started out solidly on defense, after Dirk got going he was just scoring over Ron at will. Opened the thrid quarter refocused offensively -- and I think Rick drew up some plays at halftime to get Ron back in the post. Worked, for Ron at least, but sparked little for us as a team. Ron eventually showed up, but too little, too late,and the place he contributes most consistently -- defensively, is precisely where we got killed tonight. Should also be noted that he only grabbed three rebounds again -- and on a night when we were ruined on the glass, we needed more.
Thomas ( F ) -- very slow start, but made a nice play to close the first quarter as the Mavs threw a terrible side inbounds pass and Kenny stepped in front for the breakaway dunk. But as it was a few nights ago, that was literally the ONLY play he made all night. For the second game in a row did not even bring the thing he is supposed to do well -- rebounding. Maybe the Mavs are just too tall, as Kenny spent much of the night looking up to Erick Dampier as the bigger man played above his head. In any case, our entire frontcourt was just worthless tonight wiht Kenny exhibit A.
Miller ( F ) -- I was trying to think of an excuse not to hand out this grade. Found none. Out of rhythm start offensively, but the larger problem was that he was getting killed on the glass again, and the Mavs completely controlled the paint. Brad and Kenny COMBINED for as many points tongiht as DJ Mbenga. Hence = F.
Wells ( A ) -- it is really hard to give ANYONE and A in a game that goes this bad, but if anybody deserves it, it was Bonzi -- if for nothing else than not going postal and delivering a smackdown to one or more of his teammates tonight for complete lack of support. Was basically our only scoring threat until a brief second half burst by Ron, and was hitting jumpers from the corner as much as working inside. Along the way was also our best rebounder as the rest of the team just got crushed on the offensive glass once again. It was really Bonzi vs. the Mavs. Which, sad to say was just a little bit advanatge = Mavs.
Bibby ( D- ) -- began the game moving very well, and repeatedly lost Jason Terry off of screens as Mike popped up for scores or passes. But then very suddenly something seemed to change, and the next couple of shots (both threes) were completely airballed. Nor was Mike even remotely heard from again for the rest of the game in ANY facet. No points, rebounds, assists, no stops...ugh. Earns the D- rather than the universal frontcourt F just for the brief first quarter burst when it looked like we might have hope. Otherwise, yuck.
Martin ( C+ ) -- nothing in his first half stint, but came back in in the late third and immediately hit a jumper. Gunned in garbagetime to marginal effect.
Reef ( F ) -- tried to top the pathetic frontcourt starters in a race to the bottom. Did nothing early, scored one hoop at the rim off a nice Bonzi pass, but that was it. And critcially grabbed ZERO rebounds in his 18 mintues before kind of lamely fouling out. The wild inconsistency bug running throughout our roster nipped Reef bigtime this outing. From top to bottom, this might be the worst performance out of our frontcourt I've seen in...8 years? Godawful.
Garcia ( C- ) -- nothing in the first half when it still mattered, and some more of nothing in the second when it no longer did.
Price ( INC ) -- garbagetime extended, came in and immediately hit a three, and a few minutes later another. Unfortunately that was all he did, but it was something.
Corliss ( INC ) -- garbagetime, just out there trying to be the steady vet and direct things for people.
Potapenko ( INC ) -- garbagetime, did little of interest
Hart ( INC ) -- garbagetime, gunned without a conscience
Adelman ( D ) -- well...er...maybe we don't necesarily want the Mavs to catch the Spurs for #1 after all. Ironic that all of the middling teams fighting over the #8 seed dunghill (Sac, Utah, New Orelans) were matched up against perhaps the three top contenders in the league tonight (Mavs, Spurs, Pistons) -- and the results were predictable. At least the other teams put up a fight though. When you are Rick, what do you do with this. He had exactly ONE player show up tonight. ONE. He did manage to get a brief pride response out of Ron in the second half, but other than that...? Do we even want to be in the playoffs? Do we deserve it? We're probably going to make it whether we do or not, but this was just a pathetic effort for a team in a "race". Of course much of the colossal lack of urgency is going to get laid at Rick's feet. But in-game, he did decently. Changed some things up at half, had Ron working down on the block effectively. And other than briefly resinserting Ron to start the 4th, Rick did the right thing in this one and waved the flag early, pulling the regulars and getting the kids a long run in garbagetime of a lost cause to save our legs for tommorow. So team grade is obviously a big, huge fat colossal F, but Rick's is a tad kinder. Whatever failing he had in getting them ready to play (and I think that's more on the players), he did ok on the parts that he could control. Rick is too old to grab a rebound or hustle on court. Then again, seeing our guys play tonight, he and Coachie might have been more up to it than the imposters wearing our uniforms.
Thomas ( F ) -- very slow start, but made a nice play to close the first quarter as the Mavs threw a terrible side inbounds pass and Kenny stepped in front for the breakaway dunk. But as it was a few nights ago, that was literally the ONLY play he made all night. For the second game in a row did not even bring the thing he is supposed to do well -- rebounding. Maybe the Mavs are just too tall, as Kenny spent much of the night looking up to Erick Dampier as the bigger man played above his head. In any case, our entire frontcourt was just worthless tonight wiht Kenny exhibit A.
Miller ( F ) -- I was trying to think of an excuse not to hand out this grade. Found none. Out of rhythm start offensively, but the larger problem was that he was getting killed on the glass again, and the Mavs completely controlled the paint. Brad and Kenny COMBINED for as many points tongiht as DJ Mbenga. Hence = F.
Wells ( A ) -- it is really hard to give ANYONE and A in a game that goes this bad, but if anybody deserves it, it was Bonzi -- if for nothing else than not going postal and delivering a smackdown to one or more of his teammates tonight for complete lack of support. Was basically our only scoring threat until a brief second half burst by Ron, and was hitting jumpers from the corner as much as working inside. Along the way was also our best rebounder as the rest of the team just got crushed on the offensive glass once again. It was really Bonzi vs. the Mavs. Which, sad to say was just a little bit advanatge = Mavs.
Bibby ( D- ) -- began the game moving very well, and repeatedly lost Jason Terry off of screens as Mike popped up for scores or passes. But then very suddenly something seemed to change, and the next couple of shots (both threes) were completely airballed. Nor was Mike even remotely heard from again for the rest of the game in ANY facet. No points, rebounds, assists, no stops...ugh. Earns the D- rather than the universal frontcourt F just for the brief first quarter burst when it looked like we might have hope. Otherwise, yuck.
Martin ( C+ ) -- nothing in his first half stint, but came back in in the late third and immediately hit a jumper. Gunned in garbagetime to marginal effect.
Reef ( F ) -- tried to top the pathetic frontcourt starters in a race to the bottom. Did nothing early, scored one hoop at the rim off a nice Bonzi pass, but that was it. And critcially grabbed ZERO rebounds in his 18 mintues before kind of lamely fouling out. The wild inconsistency bug running throughout our roster nipped Reef bigtime this outing. From top to bottom, this might be the worst performance out of our frontcourt I've seen in...8 years? Godawful.
Garcia ( C- ) -- nothing in the first half when it still mattered, and some more of nothing in the second when it no longer did.
Price ( INC ) -- garbagetime extended, came in and immediately hit a three, and a few minutes later another. Unfortunately that was all he did, but it was something.
Corliss ( INC ) -- garbagetime, just out there trying to be the steady vet and direct things for people.
Potapenko ( INC ) -- garbagetime, did little of interest
Hart ( INC ) -- garbagetime, gunned without a conscience
Adelman ( D ) -- well...er...maybe we don't necesarily want the Mavs to catch the Spurs for #1 after all. Ironic that all of the middling teams fighting over the #8 seed dunghill (Sac, Utah, New Orelans) were matched up against perhaps the three top contenders in the league tonight (Mavs, Spurs, Pistons) -- and the results were predictable. At least the other teams put up a fight though. When you are Rick, what do you do with this. He had exactly ONE player show up tonight. ONE. He did manage to get a brief pride response out of Ron in the second half, but other than that...? Do we even want to be in the playoffs? Do we deserve it? We're probably going to make it whether we do or not, but this was just a pathetic effort for a team in a "race". Of course much of the colossal lack of urgency is going to get laid at Rick's feet. But in-game, he did decently. Changed some things up at half, had Ron working down on the block effectively. And other than briefly resinserting Ron to start the 4th, Rick did the right thing in this one and waved the flag early, pulling the regulars and getting the kids a long run in garbagetime of a lost cause to save our legs for tommorow. So team grade is obviously a big, huge fat colossal F, but Rick's is a tad kinder. Whatever failing he had in getting them ready to play (and I think that's more on the players), he did ok on the parts that he could control. Rick is too old to grab a rebound or hustle on court. Then again, seeing our guys play tonight, he and Coachie might have been more up to it than the imposters wearing our uniforms.
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