Dallas Mavericks' 1st round opponent could be Metta World Peace-less

The Dallas Mavericks have looked nothing like a defending NBA champion against the Los Angeles Lakers this season going 0-4.

As it stands right now, the Mavs are the 7 seed and would play the 2-seeded OKC Durants in the first round. But there is a decent chance the Mavs could move up to six and face the Lakers in the Western Conference quarterfinals.

If they do, don't be surprised if Lakers forward Metta World Peace isn't playing. Mr. World Peace went Ron Artest on OKC guard James Harden today and you have to be thinking a big-time suspension is coming. The Lakers defeated the Durants in double OT this afternoon.

 

 

BTW - Mr. World Peace averaged 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds against the Mavs this season.

 

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WHAT?! Lamar Odom says "it's too bad it couldn't work out" with the Dallas Mavericks

Former Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom couldn't be bothered with trying for his former employer, so instead he's making the rounds at film festivals.

Lam Lam was recently spotted at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival in his hometown of New York City and he was asked about his time with the Mavericks, and the "sudden" departure.

In typical Lam Lam fashion, he was not bitter but took the Lam Lam Road of Philosophy. He told ESPN's cameras:

“It was short lived, too bad it couldn’t work out but things happen for a reason. My life has been so crazy the last couple years, as far as issues with my family, as far as going through personal tragedy. And I felt like God was saying, ‘You know what Lamar, I’m going to give you a little time. A little time to step back and soak everything in….”

I love the complete lack of self-awareness; this has nothing to do with the player himself.

He added in response to Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban's assertion that the two had a blowup at halftime of a game against Memphis shortly before he was cut, Odom said:

“It’s too bad. It’s one thing I’m not going to do is play that game… if somebody wants to take we’ll shot let them take a shot. Be a professional, be a gentleman about it and I wish them much success.”

Especially after his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks, the first word that comes to my mind when I hear the name "Lamar Odom" is "professional".

A gentleman? Yes.
A professional? No. More like professional thief.

This does not diminish some of the real issues he has faced off the court. That's his deal. But he also had a job to do, just like the rest of us. He chose not to do it.

This is a clear case of the overly-enabled, multi-millionaire, uber talented pro jock who has so much cash he simply does not have to play by the rules the vast majority of us do.  He was recently paid millions just to go away; good work if you can get it.

Some NBA GM will sign Lam Lam in the offseason because this is a very talented man, but by doing so it ensures there is no real penalty to this type of behavior.

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Dear Mark Cuban & Dallas Mavericks - who are you kidding?

The way things stand today your Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team will open on the road at L.A. in the Staples Center in the first round of the playoffs in a 6 vs. 3 series.

The Mavs are scheduled to play the wrong L.A. If the Mavs can get on a tiny roll here they can catch No. 5 Memphis and face the Clippers in the first round. They can win that series. Maybe the Mavs can slip a little more and slip to No. 7 and take their chances with Los Spurs.

Right now winning one playoff series will be a major accomplishment for the defending NBA champion Mavericks. If they draw the Lakers, forget it. Even without Kobe Bryant the Mavs did not have enough to defeat the Lakers on Sunday in L.A. and lost in overtime; the Lakers swept the season series.

The Mavs' made 12 of 21 from 3, and still lost. They were out-rebounded 52-42, and 15-6 on the offensive glass.

All season the Mavs have said "just get in the playoffs" and they like their chances. As defending NBA champions, they have earned that right. Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzki, Donnie Nelson, Jason Terry, Rick Carlisle, Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd and a few others earned their defending NBA champion status, and the right to prove to us they know what they are doing.

But with five games remaining in the regular season, now feels like a good time to ask - who are we kidding?

Whatever mojo the team had created last season is gone, and its place is a series of decent pros who play fairly hard and compete but just aren't quite talented enough.

 

 

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Video: Big Mac & Galloway opine on LamLam

 

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That was fun: Mavericks break up with the Kardashians & Lamar Odom

This is a developing story, but this morning according to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks and Lamar Odom have parted ways.

Can't say this is a huge shock, considering how much Mavs coach Rick Carlisle appeared to be visibly tired of this player, what a giant distraction Odom had become and how shockingly little he produced. I thought the Mavs would hang on to Odom merely to have his contract to trade in the coming off season.

Odom was so bad the team couldn't wait to try the addition by subtraction method.

In 50 games this season Odom averages 20.5 minutes, 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.9 steals. Remember, it was just last year he was the NBA's 6th Man of the Year. This is easily the worst season of his career. Odom played just four minutes against the Grizzles on Saturday night.

Somewhere, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is smiling. He knew what he was doing when he dumped Odom on the defending NBA champs for a first-round pick.

Odom never wanted to be here and his game and body language screamed it from the time he arrived. It never changed.

Carlisle was clearly sick of this guy, and you can't blame him. Since the failed D-League experiment last month, Carlisle said he wanted to see Odom play like his pants were on fire. Odom just played like he was exstinguished.

The bummer is no more Khloe at the games.

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Mavericks need to quit whining about Lamar Odom questions and just deal with it

DALLAS - Follow this rather familiar equation: Team X acquires Player Y who has a history of "interesting" behavior that causes the media to follow and ask questions. A lot of them.

After a certain period of time, Team X grows annoyed with said questions about Player Y and wants to "just focus on ball."

In this case, Team X is the Dallas Mavericks and Player Y is Lamar Odom.

After the Mavs' win against the Rockets on Tuesday night at the American Airlines Center, I asked Mavs coach Rick Carlisle if he was tired of the Lamar questions, of which there have been a lot.

Rick Carlisle: "Yeah. We're gonna shut that down pretty soon."

ME: "He's a story. You had to realize these questions were going to come when you acquired him."

Rick Carlisle: "It's time to let him play ball and be a ball player and play his game."

As a man who has been an NBA coach for a long time, and worked for ESPN as an analyst for a brief period, Carlisle understands the media as well as any person in the game. So does his boss. They had to know this was coming. Lamar did.

Even after the game Odom said, "That's part of being Lamar."

Is this is a media creation? Partially, yes. And so is the NBA, just like the Kardashians. They both exist to provide entertainment and serve as a distraction for millions of people all over the world. Lamar is part of a reality TV show, and is a member of America's No. 1 reality TV family. He has been a story since he was in high school in New York City. It's always been a something with Lamar Odom. 

You knew this when he agreed to take him away from the Lakers for nothing. Now you don't like it? Tough.

The Mavericks are not the first team to acquire a veteran and then grow tired of the questions surrounding him.

The Rangers in 2002 acquired outfielder Carl Everett, whose reputation was far worse than Odom's. The team started to lose, Everett started to chirp, and the Rangers and their manager quickly grew tired of it.
Bill Parcells hated the questions and the drama that surrounded Terrell Owens when the Cowboys acquired him in 2006. 

When you acquire a Lamar Odom-type talent you accept the circus/reality TV risk he brings. It's not as if this was some secret. In this media culture, Lamar Odom is a story. Rather than try to play Dallas Mavericks propoganda prime minister and "shut that down", just deal with it.

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Rick Carlisle puts no stock into Kobe Bryant's comments about Lamar Odom

DALLAS - More than 10 minutes have passed without a word said about my second favorite Kardashian behind Bruce Jenner, Mr. Lamar Odom. Time to fix that.

The Mavs "power" forward is up to 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds this season with 1.7 assists per game. It's going to be tough for Lam Lam to win another Sixth Man of the Year award with those numbers. By comparison, Brandan Wright averages 6.2 points, 3.0 boards.

In response to Lakers forward/"head coach" Kobe Bryant's claim that the Mavs don't know how to use Lam Lam, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle said, "Kobe has certainly earned the right to have an opinion. And I certainly understand defending his former teammate he has been in the trenches with."

When asked if he paid such comments any mind, Carlisle said, "No. I don't. I appreciate you asking. ... He's a member of our team and he understands his responsibilities. All we are asking of him is to defend, rebound and play your game. I think he can help us."

Carlisle is clearly, obviously and painfully sick of this subject. This is what can happen when the Los Angeles Lakers give you something for free.

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