Video: Galloway & Big Mac don't miss Josh Hamilton

 

 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Why Tyson Chandler should have been paid

The Dallas Mavericks are weeks into their offseason, and now part of the water-cooler discussion of possibly landing Los Angeles Lakers free agent center Dwight Howard.

Sounds great. Hope it happens. Dwight's going to have to take $30 million less to leave the Lakers, but who knows? Right now he is stepping away from basketball and trying to figure out the "right to be happy" ... whatever the hell that means. 

Plan on this - an additional $30 mil that he can get only from the Lakers is going to make him more happy.

From the Things I Can't Let Go Files: All the Mavs had to do was pay Tyson Chandler the four-year, $58 million deal two years ago and let everyone else other than Dirk Nowitzki go.

Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, DeShawn Stevenson, J.J. Barea all could have fallen off the books and while their absence would have been felt it's nothing like losing a competent 7-footer. These guys are impossible to find, and some take forever to develop.

Chandler may never be a scorer - the man has zero offensive game - what he does defensively remains a giant hole the Mavs have never come close to replacing since he left.

Chandler is currently getting his fanny kicked by Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and is calling out teammate Carmelo Anthony in the process. Even if the Knicks lose, and they will, and Chandler continues to get worked by Hibbert, he will, it does not diminish just how badly the Mavs miss him in the middle of the floor.

He was an All-Star for the Knicks last season and was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. Yes, it helped he played in the East and in the New York market. He was recently named to second-team on the NBA's all-defensive team.

Two guards and small forwards come and go, but athletic big-men who can guard the rim, help on switches and provide as much positive denfensive energy and leadership such as Chandler are hard to find.

It took Chandler about nine years in the NBA before he fully developed into a major player. He is 30, and should be in this window for a few more seasons. 

The Mavs could have two of those, but elected for financial flexibility instead. 

If that flexibility can't lure Howard, what was the point? 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Why the Dallas Stars can do this

Still can't believe this - once the Dallas Stars management raised the white flag on the season the players and the coaches are trying to extend it.

The Stars defeated a vastly superior Vancouver Canucks team 5-1 on Thursday night in front of more than 6,000 fans at the American Airlines Center. The Stars have won six of seven, and with 47 points are just two points behind Columbus for the eighth place in the Western Conference.

There are but five games remaining, and basically the Stars can't afford not to get a point in any of those games. Maybe not a win, but at least a point.

Their chances at making the playoffs will be determined in the next three games: 
4/19 at St. Louis (25-16-2; 11-8-1 at home)
4/21 at Los Angeles (25-14-5; 17-4-1 at home)
4/23 at San Jose 24-13-7 (16-1-5 at home)

The Stars may be able to do this. They have a young team that is busting its rump, and just returned their most important player from injury. Goalie Kari Lehtonen is back from a groin ouchy, and as long as he is the Stars' best player they can make the playoffs.

Twitter @MacEngelProf

tengel@star-telegram.com

Facebook Mac Engel

Depressing stats for Dirk Nowitzki

Not that anyone is noticing, but the Dallas Mavericks lost at home on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. The Mavs are 32-36, and four wins behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

There are many reasons for this reality - cough-cough Tyson Chandler cough-cough - but one of the bigger is the decline of Dirk Nowitzki. He is either not looking for his shot, the ball is being forced out of his hands, age (34), the recovering from his surgery thing, etc. All of the reasons are legit, but what we are seeing is the worst season for Dirk since he was a rookie.

Dirk is averaging 16.4 points per game, his lowest since he was a rookie in 1998-'99 when he averaged 8.2 points.

The most alarming number is that he is averaging just 13.2 shots per game, his lowest since that first season. That figure is tied with guard O.J. Mayo to lead the team. This shouldn't even be a contest; Dirk should he averaging around 16 to 17 shots per game, which is the approximate average for his career.

Against the Nets, he had 10 field goal attempts (made 8) while Chris Kaman and Mike James each attempted more shots. That's insane.

Right now Mayo leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game.

The last time Dirk didn't lead the Mavs in scoring was 1999-2000 when Michael Finley had that dinstinction.

You want to win more, get the ball in the hands of your best player and let him do his thing.

Twitter @MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Former Maverick helping his team make a playoff push

Forward Dahntay Jones didn't do a lot in his brief time with the Dallas Mavericks before he was traded to Atlanta, but on Wednesday night he did his former team a major solid by knocking out Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers have been hot of late, and were into the eighth seed in the Western Conference thanks largely to Bryant. But the Lakers are now in serious dog-doo and may miss the playoffs for the first time since 2005 thanks to a former Mav.

The Atlanta Hawks were leading the Los Angeles Lakers by two late on Wednesday night when Kobe went up for a long jumper with Jones guarding him. Kobe turned his left ankle on the play is out indefinitely.

The question whether the play was dirty. Looked clean to me.

  

 

 

 

Twitter @MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Mavericks trade Didn'tKnowHim for He'sInTheLeague?

The Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team remains cleaning up their own mess of blowing up their title team to make a run at Deron Williams, who is busy being overrated with the Brooklyn Beyonce's.

At the NBA's trade deadline today, the Mavericks dealt swingman Dahntay Jones to the Atlanta Hawks not for Josh Smith but for guard Anthony Morrow.

Hello, Western Conference Finals.

Morrow is 27, and in 24 games this season has averaged 5.2 points and 1.1 rebounds. The 6-foot-5 guard has played for the Golden State Warriors, New Jersey Nets and Hawks since he entered the league in 2008. Most really good players play for four teams in five seasons. He has dealt with hip and back injuries this season.

Jones was part of the trade last summer with the Indiana Pacers that also brought in guard Darren Collison. In 50 games this season, Jones has averaged 3.5 points and 1.4 rebounds.

Both players have expiring contracts.

The move does nothing. The Mavs are obviously going all in with their love-fest for Los Angeles Lakers prospective free agent, center Dwight Howard.

Not sure if D12 is going to be enticed by: "Listen, Dwight, we've got Anthony Morrow. You are all that's left."

 

Twitter @MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

It's better that Josh Hamilton not play in a "true, true baseball town"

You may miss former Texas Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton's ability to hit monster home runs, but I will miss this man's candor. The edit button on his mouth didn't work all the time.

Now with the Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles, that same edit button still doesn't. God bless him for that.

Take for instance his interview with Gina Miller (@ThatSportsGirl) of CBS 11 that aired Sunday night. In Gina's behind-the-scenes to the interview she noted that Hamilton is keeping his family in north Texas. He wanted to buy house in Newport Beach, Calif. but didn't because the price of real estate is too expensive.

It's depressing to think a man who recently signed a five-year, $125 million contract can't afford a home near where he works.

He did notice that the Texas Rangers' fans quickly got spoiled by the team's consecutive World Series appearances. 

“Texas, especially Dallas, has always been a football town. They’re supportive, but they also got a little spoiled at the same time, pretty quickly," he told Gina Miller. 

He also added: "It's not a true baseball town."

It is better for Josh Hamilton that he not play in a true baseball town. If Josh thought the criticism directed his way for his play late last season was harsh, go to Boston. Or go to the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Not Anaheim. The Angels may be a successful franchise, but neither that fan base nor that media market is going to roast him if his production slides because he can't see through his right eyelid. As much as I personally like Josh, some of the drama that he generated is going to play better in certain markets.

The smartest move Josh made was to go to a place where not only can he win, but that he has protection in the lineup and plays in a market that does not have the scrutiny of a Yankees, Mets or a Cubs. He's going to receive praise and criticism wherever he plays because he's Josh Hamilton, but the intensity will not be as intense in a place like Anaheim.

Josh is right in that FW/d is not a true baseball town. This area feels a Week 3 Dallas Cowboys loss almost with the same intensity as that Rangers' loss in Game 6 against th Cardinals.

In a way, that worked to his benefit here and it should in Anaheim.

Click here for to play the interview.

 

Twitter @MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

20 years ago today, the Dallas Cowboys were GM'd to a Super Bowl under Jerry Jones

If the 2012 Dallas Cowboys' season wasn't enough to make you depressed this should help: 20 years ago today the Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills 52-17 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. to officially start the '90s dynasty.

The Bills took a 7-0 lead on a Thurman Thomas run before all hell broke loose. The Cowboys scored 14 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 28-10 lead at the half.

Troy Aikman finished 22 of 30 passing for 273 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Emmitt Smith ran 22 times for 108 yards with one touchdown.
Michael Irvin caught six passes for 114 yards with two touchdowns.

One of the more amazing stats: Thurman Thomas ran 11 times for 19 yards. One of those carries went for nine yards.  

It was the first of three Super Bowl titles in four seasons for the Cowboys, and was just enough proof that Jerry Jones knew what he was doing. 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Lamar Odom wants to apologize because it's not his fault

Not that this will change a thing about the trade that brought Lamar Odom to the Mavericks, which turned out to be a lemon, but the new member of the L.A. Clippers apparently wants to apologize to the Mavs and team owner Mark Cuban.

On Friday during the LA Clippers' media day, ESPN NBA guy Ric Bucher tweeted: "Lamar Odom, unprompted, told me he'd like to apologize to Mark Cuban and Mavs fans for not being himself. Felt it was beyond his power."

What a great line - "Hey, sorry - but the reason I robbed the bank is because of something beyond my power."

BTW: Odom averaged 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds with the Mavs last season; both career lows.

Odom's meaning, while likely sincere, would be fine and a very nice and sincere olive branch had Odom had the sense to just stop and not add the, "Felt it was beyond his power" line of crap.

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Angels CF Mike Trout & this former Texas Rangers MVP share this in common

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout recently turned 15 years old and already he is the American League MVP, and its Rookie of the Year. His numbers are absurd:

.339 BA in 437 ABs
148 hits
22 doubles
6 triples
25 HR
74 RBI
41 steals
4 caught stealing
.401 on base percentag
.588 slugging

Also,
* Feeds the homeless
* Gives all of his money and future contracts to a village in Central America
* Delivers Meals on Wheels on Saturdays
* Is thought to be the Navy SEAL team 6 member who got Osama Bin Laden on the daring night raid
* Is secretly dating Condi Rice

He is thought to be the easy winner for the 2012 AL MVP award. 
He is has no business winning it.

Why? The Angels are in third place in the AL West, nine games behind the Rangers for first and four for a wild card spot. Only if the Angels make a push and grab that playoff spot will I change my mind.

The best team in the league may not require an MVP candidate, but a team that does not make the playoffs, especially in the expanded format, was going to be just as irrelevant with or without a Mike Trout type of season.

The last time the AL MVP award went to a player on a team that didn't make the playoffs was in 2003 when Alex Rodriguez won it for the Rangers. They finished 71-91 that season.

Stat me up all you want - but a non-playoff team can't have the MVP.

 

 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel