Welcome back! We have made it to part four of our 41 questions about the Dallas Mavericks and NBA. In case you are just joining the countdown, you can check out questions 41-12 on the Mavs Moneyball homepage. If you’re diving in here, the approach is simple – we are asking and answering 41 questions and inviting readers to provide their own takes (or dissents) in the comments section. Let’s have a look at questions 11 through 2, and then we’ll see you back here next time for the final question!
11. Referee bias: real or convenient excuse?
Real. In the simplest sense, referees are human beings and bias is all but inherent in human beings. Factor in a player who has repeatedly shown-up a ref and tell me that ref doesn’t remember it. Maverick fans are familiar with referees Danny Crawford and Tony Brothers (and a myriad of others back when Mark Cuban was at his most vocally critical) and their general lack of success when those referees officiate(d) Mavs games.
10. How important is veteran leadership to winning?
Critically important. Like the adage says, “you can’t teach experience.” Oklahoma City may challenge that assessment, but I would argue they had enough experience to fall into the “veteran” category, despite being a younger squad.
09. What aspects of play is the head coach responsible for and what aspects fall to the players?
This question alone could be a series of articles, so in the interest of time I’ll say the coach is responsible for design and management while the players are responsible for buy-in and execution. The coach needs to develop a plan, adjust it in real time and have his players prepared to execute that vision.
08. Who is the greatest NBA player ever (regardless of team)?
Michael Jordan gets my vote. Though some of his all-time numbers have been taken over by other players, he did a staggering amount in relatively limited time. For example, everyone above him on the all-time scoring list played anywhere between 274 to 490 (and counting) more games than he did. A perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals in an era of significant league-wide talent, the 72-win team, elevating teammates…
07. What gameday superstitions/rituals do you have as a fan?
I don’t know that I have a superstition per se, but I do find that I often sit in the same spot when watching games and I’m generally eerily quiet (not yelling at the TV, not cheering, etc.) and very locked in as though I’m trying to will away any distractions in some effort to keep the team focused.
06. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve done (or seen done) to demonstrate your fandom of the Mavericks?
I’ll offer two answers here. The first was a time I drove to Boston to see the Mavs play the Celtics, then drove to Philadelphia to watch them play the 76ers the following night (I was in the northeast, not driving from Texas). The second was wearing a Michael Finley jersey under my graduation gown for my graduation ceremony.
05. Take one player currently on the roster and give him one characteristic to increase his value exponentially. Who is the player and what is the characteristic?
The player is Cooper Flagg and the characteristic is experience.
04. If the Mavericks moved to a different city would you still support them?
Yes. At the end of the day, I think I would. The history is with the franchise even if they aren’t in Dallas. That said, I sincerely hope they never move!
03. Which player on the current roster is your personal favorite and why?
I generally like this entire roster, with honorable mentions for P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall, but would choose Kyrie Irving as my favorite. While not perfect (who is?) and carrying some baggage in, I find that I appreciate how he holds himself accountable and is seemingly an excellent teammate who genuinely seems to make an effort to be a better version of himself – on and off the court – each day.
02. What were the top five most significant events in franchise history?
In no particular order: drafting Dirk Nowitzki, trading Luka Doncic, winning the championship in 2011, breaking up the Three J’s, Mark Cuban buying the team.
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