A Few Thoughts on Mavs 101, Thunder 106

[mavsluvr]

Hey, thanks for the kudos and the critique. I tend to like consensus so that we all as fans have a common frame of reference. I understand that bartlettbear is always going to be an outlier on Carlisle, but there were a ton of guys in the game thread and here blaming coaching for the loss and criticizing the coaching philosophy. But Luka and the coaching philosophy are the precise reasons we have the (good) record we do. Why is it offensive to call a spade a spade and assert that a crazy opinion is crazy?

The offseason issue has gone quiet due to how well the team has done, but if you look back to around August, about 80% of the old board were calling for Mark and Donnie's heads. It was a big deal. It was like the 2011 and 2012 offseasons. It was like years of post-championship planned powder. And perhaps the offseason's biggest defender is one of the biggest opponents of planned powder!

Sorry, I'm a crusader on that particular issue. I want it kept on the frontburner. By failing to acquire far more talent this offseason, whether as foundation pieces or trade capital, in the prime opportunity to do so, the MBT hurt the Mavs for many years to come. If Luka ever leaves the Mavs, cherche 2019

Thanks for the reply, Scott. 


It appears to me that the goal of your crusade is to convince every poster that the Mavs squandered their opportunities in the offseason. If I have misunderstood that, maybe you can set me straight. 

First, I think most comments in the game thread can be more or less disregarded after the moment passes. There is a ton of knee-jerking there. And while that is not really my thing, I have come to believe that overreacting is just part of the fun of watching a game for a lot of people. Secondly, you didn't call opinions crazy -- you called the posters crazy. Thirdly, "crazy" is just a meaningless label, it doesn't add anything to your argument. 

Okay, back to your goal. Name-calling is not an effective persuasive tool. If anything, it can alienate people, or at best, cause them not to take you seriously. You're better than that. You often provide a logical basis for your opinions, and that is what will ultimately convince. I actually think your crusade would be more likely to succeed without the personal attacks. 

I think the offseason is an interesting topic, and there will be much to be learned from it as time goes by. So it should remain in the conversation. I would view the discussion as an exercise in determining what lessons are in it, moreso than just agreeing to keep our fingers pointed. But people approach these things differently, and I respect that. 

Thanks again for the thoughts.