Dallas Mavericks - First Game Update

[Wyze]

*Wyze Presents*



A Dallas Mavericks Association




Dirk Du Soliel


Settings
Game: NBA 2K11
Console: 360
Season: 29 games (To prevent boredom)
Playoffs: 3-3-3-5 (See above)
Quarters: 10 min.
Sim quarters: 12 min.
Difficulty: All-Star
NLSC: Yes! Stay tune for contest details

Vitals:
Last Season: 55-27
Average Age: 28
Team Salary: $86.70MIL
Cap Room: $-28.70MIL

Author's Note: Well, first off, I' d like to say wow. I never thought I would be playing a 2K game for anything other than boosting my gamerscore. With Elite being held back and my friends raging over how good this game was, I decided to pick it up. Needless to say, wow. I have always been a die hard EA fan boy, but ever since playing this game I am having second thoughts. Great graphics, deep Association mode, My Player and My Crew are also nice touches. Well done 2K.

That being said, I will now try to bring a detailed, interesting story to you all. I have chosen the Dallas Mavericks. Partially because I visited Texas in the summer and partially because I like their uniforms. But, mostly because they are a contender every year in the West, but always seem to fall short. Their "window of opportunity" is quickly closing, but I figure they have at least 3 seasons yet to contend for a champion. For 30 years, the city of Dallas has longed for a NBA championship. I plan to bring it there.

[Wyze]

2010 - 2011 Roster
Starting Five
PG Jason Kidd 83 | SG Shawn Marion 78 | SF Caron Butler 81 | PF Dirk Nowitzki 83 | C Brendan Haywood 71
Bench
Jason Terry 78 | Jose Barea 69 | Tyson Chandler 66 | Rodrigue Beaubois 69 | DeShawn Stevenson 68 | Dominque Jones 66 | Brian Cardinal 56

Reserves: Ian Mahinim 51 | Steve Novak 45 | Alexis Ajinca 43

[Wyze]

2010 - 2011 Season Preview - Players

Dirk & Kidd will be called upon to lead this Dallas Mavericks team
Starters

PG Jason Kidd- Yes, we all know the “Kidd” has finally turned into an old man. Times have changed and Jason definitely cannot score like his old self, but he still has the intelligence level above many point guards to ever walk a court.

His court vision is still outstanding and his passing skills still create many easy baskets in any system he is inserted into. That being said, Kidd will get his share of assists as he does every year. Jason, Chandler and Haywood are going to get along just fine and I see this as an opportunity to create even more scoring options on a team that already has plenty.

However, Jason has trouble covering his man on the defensive end and has let up many high scoring nights for point guards. (ex: Monta Ellis, Andre Miller) The Mavericks look upon Rodrigue Beaubois to cover up this matter and depending on the progress from Beaubois since the recent efforts of the Mavericks trying to convert him to point guard, (who recently broke a bone in his foot) Jason very well might be forced to give up his starting job. They are very confident Beaubois is ready to contribute full time and they look to make him the starting point guard or shooting guard.

SG Shawn Marion- The issue between Butler and Marion will continue. The Mavericks have found that Caron is indeed more helpful to the team when playing small forward and have also found that Marion can play backup for Nowitzki. These two discoveries will lead to many new rotations tested but for the most part you should still expect to see Marion starting at the beginning of the season.

Marion isn’t quite as effective as he once was but he remains a very good defender and high percentage scorer. He has nights where he rebounds very well and can still be a presence in the post. He could still start on many teams in the NBA.

SF Caron Butler- Although nothing has changed on paper, Caron Butler will be continue to contribute to the team even more than last year. Remember, Butler was acquired at the trade deadline and sometimes it can be difficult to adjust to a new team’s system of play. In this upcoming year we will see an increase in comfort and chemistry between Butler and his teammates and coach as he has a full 82 game season to get comfy.

However there is one standing issue: Shawn Marion and Caron Butler both naturally play the same position. This was a problem coming to the team and Butler had attempted playing shooting guard but the Mavericks mostly won when Butler was playing small forward.

PF Dirk Nowitzki- Not for one second did I think Dirk was leaving the Big D. I was sure he wasn’t and my reasoning being that I knew it was all part of his plan. In the end, Dirk took less money than he could have and subliminally, the contract was somewhat a morale booster for the team, showing that he is dedicated to winning and wants to win it all with this team.

Now 32, Dirk is looking back at the past now just like his fellow teammates. Does age really affect Dirk though? Nope. While Dirk is a seven-footer and his legs will weaken as years go by, he is a shooter. Shooters don’t deteriorate half as fast as slashers in the NBA ; you can expect him to shoot just like he has for the past 12 years. Dirk is still that top-ten basketball player he was last year.

C Brendan Haywood- Haywood faces similar tasks that Caron Butler does and that is:

-Getting used to the new system (offensively and defensively)

-Building chemistry with new teammates and coach

Haywood is one of the best centers in the NBA. He doesn’t have to score a ton to accomplish that feat because it is more of his defensive presence and shot-blocking abilities that give him the boost. Haywood isn’t too bad in the post, actually add that to rebounding and shot blocking and you have the center that every team should have. Haywood is above mediocre and with Jason Kidd feeding him inside he will be even better then he was on the Wizards when getting easy buckets setups from a court-savvy point guard wasn’t an option.

Bench

One of the biggest strengths of the Mavericks is their bench and it is the strongest it’s ever been. Versatility, scoring, defensive and play making are all here, sweetened with a bit of NBA veteran experience.

Tyson Chandler- Newly acquired this off-season, Chandler is a big addition to a finally stable and defensive minded front court. Dallas usually has had trouble containing big men in the post because of dead-end big men. With Chandler, the team now has tons of energy off the bench complete with rebounding, shot blocking and athleticism.

Tyson was never really a scorer but if he is given decent playing time this year I can expect him to score close to 10 points per game just like he did when Chris Paul set him up on regular occasions. And now that Chandler is the starting center for Team USA, things look even better.

Dominique Jones- DoJo, as Mavericks fans like to call him, is a big time slasher threat. I’m really excited to see Jones play because he brings the Mavericks versatility. He certainly won’t be “all that” in his first year in the NBA but he will be an impact player off the bench.

Jones is always looking to score and years down the road when age has flipped the Mavericks over, DoJo and Beaubois will surely be leading the team.

Rodrigue Beaubois- I cannot stop being so ecstatic over Rodrigue Beaubois and the reason being that he is just overall a huge talent. This season he will finally be inserted into the starting lineup at some point but at the moment will be recovering from his foot surgery after breaking a bone in his foot overseas. It certainly is an appointment for all Mavericks fans after seeing him explode numerous times when given minutes but patience is key and in his absence the Mavericks will be able to toy with Dominique Jones in return.

But, back to Rodrigue, he can light it up in a hurry. Rodrigue is all about speed, finesse, defense and scoring. For such a small player he can do it all: steal, shoot, rebound, score, block, etc. If given the minutes, Rodrigue can easily log 15+ points a game and shoot high percentages both from the two and three point ranges.

Jose Juan Barea- JJ Barea has always been a good bench player. He provides a strong boost for the team when Jason Kidd is tired; but as time rolls by and the Mavericks find more guards, JJ’s minutes will decrease. Depending on how the Rodrigue Beaubois transition to point guard works, JJ might not be the second option point guard anymore. But in the meantime, he is a very valuable backup.

Alexis Ajinca- Not much to say here. Ajinca is a young, potentially skilled player but I do not see him getting many minutes if any at all behind Mahinmi, Chandler and Haywood.

Jason Terry- Many people forget that Jason Terry is a great shooter and one of the all-time three-point leaders. He could start on many teams, including this one, but chooses to come off the bench due to delayed rhythm. He continues to be a yearly candidate for sixth man of the year.

Terry, aside from his achievements and honorable stats, had a disappointing year last year and shot rather poorly compared to his previous years, but there is no doubt that Terry will rebound from it and shoot stunningly once again.

Ian Mahinmi- Mahinmi was a great off-season pickup by the Mavericks. He provides length, rebounding, defense and most of all, scoring. He will look to backup Nowitzki or play as a third string center. Whatever way he receives them, he will get his share of minutes.

DeShawn Stevenson- I can’t really say I love DeShawn’s role on the team because of his God awful shooting but he is valuable to the team when somebody like Kobe Bryant/Dwyane Wade is in the building and needs to be stopped.

Brian Cardinal- Can knock down a mid-range jumper, but very undersized and lacks athletic ability to play the four-spot effectively. Should see a few minutes to give Dirk a quick breather.

Steve Novak- Will rebound for you,but not much else. Novak will not being seeing a lot of time this season.

[Wyze]

2010 - 2011 Season Preview - Team

After a solid rookie campainge, Beaubois looks to find a niche in the Mav's rotation
What changed since June: The interior.

The most notable change for Dallas comes in the interior. Brendan Haywood got his six-year extension in July and the team traded Erick Dampier and his unique contract to Charlotte along with Matt Carroll and Eduardo Najera in exchange for Tyson Chandler and the enigmatic Alexis Ajinca. Combining those players with the signed Ian Mahinmi and the Mavericks look to have four bigs who are all somewhat limited to the center position and would not make sense on the floor together, though each of the rotation guys fits reasonably well with Dirk Nowitzki.

Compellingly, Dallas has also lost their PF back-ups with Najera going to Charlotte and Tim Thomas taking care of his ailing wife. Brian Cardinal should try to fill that void along with Steve Novak.

The other notable move was the drafting of the talented Dominique Jones into an already convoluted backcourt.

Dallas’ biggest strength: Depth of quality.

Dallas arguably has the largest collection of rotation-level players in the entire NBA and has guys at every position on the floor. Jason Kidd has made the playoffs every single NBA season while Dirk still has it and Butler/Marion should continue to thrive as important secondary players. Combine that with a stocked frontcourt and a loaded backcourt and you have a team that can throw different looks and largely maintain their quality over the course of games and the long season.

Dallas’ biggest weakness: Lack of a go-to scorer when Dirk is off the floor or cold.

While Dallas possesses an armada of talent, there simply is not another guy on roster who can shoulder the load. Both Caron Butler and Shawn Marion did so in their younger days, but their younger days are not now. This team can absolutely win without a big game from Dirk, yet it feels like all the other players are more offensive complements than anything else.

The Big Question: What will the guard rotation look like?

Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Caron Butler, Rodrique Beaubois, JJ Barea, and Dominique Jones are all talented guys, but there simply are not enough minutes to keep all of them remotely happy even if Butler ends up playing solid minutes at SF. As someone who saw one of Quick Draw Beaubois’ best games as a pro in person, it is clear that his talent should not be regularly relegated to the bench in moments big and small. We’ll have to see how the coaching staff resolves it.

Where the team fits in:

In a jumbled 2-5 mess in the Western Conference last season, the Mavericks ended up in the two-seed and received a bouncing in six games from rival San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs. While the parties in that second tier have likely changed thanks to personnel moves around the conference, it appears that Dallas should be entrenched firmly in that group considering their depth and quality at each position. If Rick Carlisle can solidify the rotations and maximize each of his players (think Rodrique Beaubois), Dallas can be a far more dangerous team than last April’s iteration.

[Wyze]

Nowitzki Guarantees NBA Championship

The soft spoken Dirk Nowitzki, has guaranteed to bring an NBA Championship to Dallas before he retires


Dirk Nowitzki is obviously loyal to the Mavericks after signing a 4 year, 80 million dollar deal.

According to Dallas.com,after Dirk inked the deal, the German sharpshooter guaranteed the Mavericks' championship.

Team Owner Mark Cuban told Dallas.com, "I talked to [Dirk] and he guaranteed a championship in Dallas by the time he retires. He was as fired up as he has ever been."

"I think we're good enough to win, especially at home,". "Our fans deserve to taste NBA supremacy. We're a confident group here, so I think we can do it. We have to play every game like it's our last game." said Nowitzki.

That has been the Mavericks' theme since a first round exit at the hands of Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Mavericks open their season against Tyreke Evans and the Sacramento Kings, at home, October 30th.

[Wyze]

Reserved

[Wyze]

Prediction Game !

Okay, so here's a contest that will hopefully keep everyone interested.

Basically, like every other contest, you will be able to make game and season predictions (ie. Who will lead the Mavs in scoring?). By earning points throughout the season, you will build your draft stock. The overall winner? The (projected) 1st overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Except there's one catch. Soleil means Sun in French, therefore, whenever the Mavericks play the Suns you will be able to predict stats to earn points. This includes both regular season and playoffs. You will receive 20 points if you can correctly call Dirk's stat line during one of these games. Of course, the Mavericks have a Frenchmen by the name of Rodrigue Beaubois. Whenever the Mav's play the Suns, if you call his total stat line correctly, you will receive 10 points.



I will perhaps relook at and reinvent some of the game questions as the season progresses.

To sign up, simply post below. Thanks and good luck!

The Top 10 (hopefully I get this many!) will all be projected first rounders (pending how many people actually sign up...)

Code: Select all

[b]SEASON [/b]

[b]Mavericks Record : [/b]


[b]Mavericks Leaders in : [/b]

[list][b]Points per game (5 Points) : [/b]
[b]Rebounds per game (5 Points) : [/b]
[b]Assists per game (5 Points) : [/b]
[b]Blocks per game (5 Points) : [/b]
[b]Steals per game (5 Points) : [/b]
[b]FG% (5 Points) :[/b] Answer [/list]

[b]How Many All-Stars will the Mavericks produce (5 Points) :[/b] Answer

[b]NBA Scoring Champion (10 Points) : [/b]
[b]NBA Rebounding Champion (10 Points) : [/b]

[b]Most Valuable Player (15 Points)  : [/b]
[b]Rookie of the Year (15 Points) : [/b]
[b]Coach of the Year (15 Points) : [/b]

[b]East Champions (10 Points) : [/b]
[b]West Champions (10 Points) : [/b]

[b]NBA Champions (25 Points) : [/b]
[b]Finals MVP (25 Points) : [/b]

Code: Select all

[b]Game (Only Against The Suns)[/b]
[list]
[b]Do The Mavericks Win? (2 Point) : [/b]
[b]How many points do the Mavericks score as a team (within 3 points)? (6 Points) : [/b]
[b]How many does Dirk score (Exact)? (4 Points) : [/b]
[b]Who Leads The Team In Scoring? (2 Point) : [/b]
[b]Who Wins Jordan Player of The Game? (2 Point) : [/b]
[b]What is Dirk Nowitzki's Total Stat Line (Exact)? (20 Points) : [/b]
[b]What is Rodrigue Beaubois' Total Stat Line (Exact)? (10 Points) : [/b]
[/list]


[Wyze]

One more just incase.

Feel free to post now

[YoOiTsJoN]

Good luck with this. Hopefully Dirk backs up his Championship guarantee what with the Lakers, Oklahoma in the West and Boston, Orlando and Miami in the East... I'll be following

[Asder]

Good luck. I'll be following

[deihatein]

Dirk for MVP

[Mark.]

Looks exciting. Hope you give Roddy Beaubois so big minutes!

[hova-]

Yeah, bring my man Dirk a ring. I will follow this one!

[.PorkyJoker.o6]

Wow! Hope you can get that Ring for Dirk!!
Good luck!

[Houndy]

Bring Dirk a ring

[kibaxx7]

Time for a championship in Dallas Good luck, I'll be following!

[Lamrock]

Dirk Du Soleil is what you should have called the association itself! Nice team choice, but I think the prediction game is a bit overkill.

[Wyze]

Dirk Du Soleil is what you should have called the association itself! Nice team choice, but I think the prediction game is a bit overkill.

By "overkill" do you me too much info?
Or just in general?

I was thinking that last night (well, at least the too much info part)/
I will cut it down as I see fit, thank you for the input.

[Wyze]

Caron Butler welcomes Hassan Whiteside to the NBA with a viscous poster
American Airlines Center

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Vs.
(0-0) (0-0)



DALLAS (AP) The reigning Rookie of the Year, Tyreke Evans, scored 21 points, Beno Udrih added 18 points and 10 assists, and the Sacramento Kings started there season off with a W over the Dallas Mavericks.

A back-and-forth contest would be decided by a poor 2nd half showing by the Mavericks, who were outscored 58-38 in the final 2 periods.

Dirk Nowitzki, who just days earlier guaranteed an NBA Championship in Dallas before he retired, had a slow start, but manged to finish with a game high of 28 points.

Both teams would get a scare early. Roughly only 7 minutes into the game, rookie Demarcus Cousins, after driving to the basket, landed awkwardly on his foot. After a few breathtaking moments, the fifth overall pick would rise to his feet and be helped to the bench. Cousins was diagnosed with a strained Achilles heel and would not return.

Early in the 2nd quarter is when the Mavericks would have a scare of their own. Whilst trying to draw a charge at mid court, Brendan Haywood, would receive a shoulder to the sternum form a barreling Beno Udrih. Clearly winded from the incident, Haywood managed to walk off the injury and return a few minutes later.

Going into the half, the Mavericks were leading by seven. However a poor shooting, turnover filled 3rd quarter would ultimately cost them the game.

The Mavericks will look to get on track Saturday, when they welcome Rudy Gay and the Memphis Grizzlies to AAC



How does the layout look? Personally, I'm iffy on it.