"...with a little more flair."

That's what a Spurs fan just texted me. Laughed it off for a second, then thought about it a little bit and he may be on to something.

Dallas is playing team-oriented basketball. They are running their offense and the open guy is taking the shot. They aren't force feeding one player. Barea is having a Parker-esque series with his ability to penetrate. Their bench has been very good on both ends this series. Everyone seems to be very focused and playing with pride on the defensive end.

That being said, everything I just posted describes a winning team. Perhaps the Mavs are playing "championship style" basketball or "winning basketball." The Spurs have been an example of that over the last decade so maybe that's where the statement is coming from.

[This message has been edited by GetThoseKeysMilo (edited 5/4/2011 11:54p).]

The defense is there. The ball movement is there. JJ's dribble penetration is everything I thought Roddy B would be this year before his foot injury set him back.

I seriously hope you're right about it being championship style. Because I'm not writing off the champs until the win column shows 4.

I am a Spurs fan, but I will be pulling for the Mavs to win it all.. They look really good right now.

Barea

[This message has been edited by InternetFan02 (edited 5/5/2011 12:06a).]

I'm a Mavs fan who also loves the Spurs and hated seeing them stumble against Memphis. IOW, I'm a Mavs fan that has been driven crazy for years by their willingness to settle for jump shots and their tendency to give up monster scoring nights to just about anybody who wanted one. Up until the Portland series, I was as jaded a Mavs fan as there was.

But then I saw what your friend saw, starting especially in Game Five. This team and its best player are now perfectly willing and able to pound the ball down low, and if the defense cheats, they can kick it back out and drain open 3's until the opponent bleeds to death. Inside-out: Spurs basketball defined.

One other thing: Chandler and Haywood aren't superstars but they are both very physical down low in a way the Mavs haven't had since the days of James Donaldson and the young Roy Tarpley. Actually, they're more physical than that, which makes watching them very gratifying after all those years of Shawn Bradley and Raef LaFrentz and Christian Laettner and... well, you get the idea. I think playing with tough bigs has taught Dirk how to play tough, finally. That's extremely bad news for the rest of the NBA.

You left out the seven-foot Wang.

To me the Mavs have always been like the Girlfriend that cheats on me, but I keep falling back in love with... However I am very excited about how the Mavs are playing right now, the way they moved the ball around and got quality shots all throughout the game and made it look so easy looks very promising

It would be poetic if the Mavs beat Miami in the finals with the big 3.

Chandler is the key to the Mavs. He is a legit post who is athletic and knows how to play basketball. JJ also gives the Mavs an added dimension with his ability to penetrate and score. I can't believe how he gets beat up and the court and never gets a call.

I don't think the Lakers have fired their last shot. Game 3 will be a dog fight.

Chandler's defense is the biggest difference for the Mavs this year.

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I can't believe how he gets beat up and the court and never gets a call.

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I'm a Mavs fan, and I'm with on most of your points, but JJ Barea gets a ton of calls.