Donuts: Where's Mavs' 'Head-Of-The-Snake'?

    Donuts. With an edge. Example:

    Yes, Jet, Tony Parker is the “head of the snake.’’ Or, as I argue, even the entire snake.

    But that begs a question about Dallas: Where is the Mavs’ “head of the snake’’? And for Game 3, will that snakehead pull itself out of its snakeass?

    Let’s move forward, all edgy-like:

    No, silly, I’m not saying Duncan will sit out. I’m saying that the Thursday night/Saturday afternoon setup puts some demands on Timmy. And so Josh Howard needing rehab time for his ankles may not be the series’ No. 1 trainers-room issue this week.

    DONUT 2: I still don’t get the Game 2 “complacency’’ argument. I supposed complacency sets in when you’ve won G1 on the road and you’re down 20 in G2. But the Mavs didn’t get behind 8-1 at the start of Monday’s meeting because of “complacency,’’ I don’t think. They fell behind because they missed their first three shots of the game and didn’t register a field goal – despite having layup tries and other good looks – in the first three-and-a-half minutes.

   Had Josh Howard made two layups in the first three minutes, as he had an opportunity to do, Dallas wouldn’t have been behind 8-1 to start.

    And then, goes my logic, wouldn’t have looked “complacent’’ to start.

    DONUT 3: Dear Damp: Say what you must to “league security officials.’’ And then say nothing more. You’ve got six fouls to give. Give generously at the office. But administer them within the context of basketball.

     And for Christ's sake, say no more.

    DONUT 4: Because somebody’s out there trying to stir up some shite about me and DallasBasketball.com, I’ll go ahead and state this in print and on the record, just so it’s out there: When I say my sources on Shaq’s desire to be a Mav are “friends of Shaq,’’ and when I quote O’Neal directly, I’m not doing it with any smoke or any mirrors. I’m doing it the same way I have in this business for 28 years: because it’s true and accurate.

    The sources of my end-of-the-regular-season story are people who were with Shaq at both of his Dallas parties, and one of them is a long-time business associate of Shaq.

    Thus, “friends of Shaq.’’

     I suppose it’s libelous for a blogger to “conduct an investigation of me’’ and then to report something about me that is untrue and damaging. But how money dough am I going to make by suing a blogger?

    DONUT 5: I stand by what I’ve written about Antoine Wright being rendered a non-factor in this series. Therefore, you know who should start at the 2 on Thursday?

    Jason Terry.

    Let’s get him rolling early. Let’s put him on the floor when Bowen isn’t on the floor. Let’s shake things up a bit. Let’s allow Jet to get the home crowd involved from the start.

    This idea isn’t coming from a whisper from the coaching staff or anything. It’s just me.

    But even so, it makes complete sense.

    DONUT 6: According to my observation combined with assorted other reports on G2, the Spurs: Trapped Bass on the wing. They collapsed on a driving JJB. They doubled Jet. They fronted and then doubled Dirk. And they stifled Josh.

     How’d they do all that with just five guys?

    DONUT 7: Now, here’s a polite San Antonio-style way to vent Spurs anger at Erick Dampier:

    Write a Haiku!

    Two responses:

    *And you thought my ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Barea’ was gay!

    *Haiku? Isn’t that Asian? State Rep. Betty Brown disapproves.

    DONUT 8: If Bowen is “locking down’’ on whichever Mav … and the Mavs are so adroit at running the pick-and-roll (Dirk and Jet mastered it during the season). … how is Dallas unable to screen Bowen away from his man?

    Is that inability the result of stupid gameplanning, or just lazy G2 execution?

    DONUT 9: Remembering how the Spurs once coveted Kidd … because Pop didn’t trust that Tony Parker was going to be any good. 

   DONUT 10: Underdogs winning Game 1’s: Conspiracy?

   DONUT 11: I guess we’re splitting hairs here, but the DB.com Boards have a good point here:  It’s not just that Dallas “can’t stay in front of Parker’’; it’s that Dallas can’t defend Parker when he’s being screened for.

     DONUT 12: I’m doing TV tonight with another Mavs-talkin' appearance on KFWD Channel 52's Tylock Lasik SportsTalk with David Marcus. The show starts at 6:30 p.m., is live from Victory Park, and I believe people will be able to see us goof off through those big glass Belo windows. (I’ll wave!)

    Meanwhile, we're also all over the Mavs and the Dallas sports social scene on Twitter.com/fishsports. ... and we'll have Mavs stuff throughout the day and night, including coverage of the teams' Wednesday practices in advance of Thursday's Game 3 at the AAC.

   See you on TV!

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755am april 22 2009