Mavs/Spurs recap

Before the whistle blew and these two Texas sized juggernauts could clash at the house Mark Cuban built, Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Avery Johnson made a subtle attempt to tone down the intensity and importance of a meaningless regular season game by saying he wouldn't play anybody more than 25 minutes. Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitski played 37 minutes each in the contest. Right behind them are DeSagana Diop (34), Jason Terry (32), and Devin Harris (31). Having already clinched a 1 seed in the playoffs, Johnson didn't want to publicly show how important this game psychologically was for his team. In order to win the first championship in their franchises history Dallas will most likely do battle with San Antonio (they have the best record in the NBA after the All-Star break) in this year's post-season. The winner of Sundays game would most certainly obtain the upper hand in a rivalry that seems to sway back and forth like a Chicago skyscraper.
After watching the game, I walk away with mixed feelings as to who would have a leg up in this years western conference finals if the two were to mix things up, so I decided to compare them based on 3 different categories:

Star Player- I don't understand why Tim Duncan's name never comes up when the MVP race is discussed. I previously wrote that I believe Kobe Bryant should receive the league's greatest individual award, but the case can be made for Duncan. He's having a defensive player of the year type season and is the key difference maker in any playoff series the Spurs compete in. Everyone's been talking about Nash's run for a 3rd straight MVP trophy and how such an achievement would catapult him to a very special level, but what people are forgetting is that Tim Duncan nearly won 3 in a row (Duncan won the award in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons and finished second in 2003-04 to Kevin Garnett). If Duncan wasn't inexplicably ejected by the Napoleonic Joey Crawford, the Spurs would have most likely walked away with a victory. Regarding the Mavericks Dirk Nowitski, there is nobody in basketball right now that I expect to make every shot they take, but Dirk would be the closest. Whenever the ball leaves his hand, I'm shocked if it doesn't go in. With that being said, he doesn't finish around the basket with the consistency and efficiency someone of his size should be capable of.
Edge- San Antonio Spurs

X-Factor- After watching yesterday's game, I've come to the conclusion that Devin Harris is the fastest player in the NBA (a hair quicker than Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa). If Dallas is ever playing in a slow grind it out game, inserting Harris in the lineup gives the Mavericks a jolt that usually results in a quick scoring spurt. Also according to Avery Johnson, Harris is one of the best defensive point guards in the entire league. San Antonio doesn't have anyone coming off the bench like Harris or Barbosa, but what they do have are a core group of veterans who consistently and unselfishly take the best shot available.
Edge- Dallas Mavericks

(Side Note: Michael Finley, currently a San Antonio Spur role player, is owed more money by the Mavericks than they are giving Dirk Nowitski. He was cut 2 seasons ago by Mark Cuban after the league made it possible for each team to cut one player they believed to be making too much money. The result is Finley will still receive his 20 million, but the Mavericks get rewarded with a 50% reduction in their luxury tax payment...to sum things up, the Dallas Mavericks are paying Michael Finley to beat them...I guess this makes sense.)

6th man- This category would pit Manu Ginobili against Jerry Stackhouse. Stacks a great player and vital to the Mavericks success, but Ginobili is the type of player who can take over a game. There aren't too many players that can come off the bench and have the impact Ginobili has. He flops like an Italian soccer player, but he's second to only Dwyane Wade in acrobatic finishes.
Edge- San Antonio Spurs

Dirty Player- Each of these teams has a player on their roster that has been deemed "dirty" by opposing players, coaches, and fans. The San Antonio Spurs have the defensive specialist Bruce Bowen who can be a tad unorthodox with his tactics at times (Laker Coach Phil Jackson once referred to Bowen as "Edward Scissorhands". ) He's been accused by many players of sticking his feet under a jump shooter so when they land, their defenseless ankles are in danger of rolling. If that's not dirty, I don't know what is. Bowen has been dreadful all season on the offensive side of the ball, but he's still one of the league's most notorious players on defense.
Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks isn't yet as accomplished a player as Bowen, but the physicality and intensity that he shows every time he laces up his sneakers has caused people to say he's a dirty player. Phoenix Suns Head Coach Mike D'Antoni is one of them, accusing Howard of intentionally attempting to trip his players when they come off ball screens. In yesterday's game, exactly one play after Tim Duncan was ejected, San Antonio's Fabricio Oberto set a screen on Josh Howard...everyone who saw the play/knows the game of basketball would agree that you can't hit an opposing player in the face when fighting through a pick. For some reason Howard DREW the foul! All of this is mounting evidence in the Mark Cuban conspiracy that he pays referees.
Edge-Dallas Mavericks (actually I'm not even sure this category can be used as evidence to determine which team is better, but it was fun to write.)



Oh by the way...Pavano and Moose are on the DL, Derek Jeter has 6 errors (he had 15 all last season), Phil Hughes ERA is currently 6.50, and the Sox are 2 games up...life's not all that bad