3 Cheers: NBA Draft Preview

I can act like I am capable of breaking down the draft, do mock rounds, and give expansive lists of pros and cons of every player on the board.  I can pretend that I know or care why Player A would fit well with Team B, or why Team C should do everything in their power to grab Player D.  But you should know me by now.  I could care less that Stephen Curry probably won’t fall to the Knicks at 8, and they don’t have the assets to move up to get him.  I care about one thing and one thing only: the Mavs.  So let’s get our basketball on!

3 Cheers: Nuggets 124, Mavs 110

This is always the hardest one to write.  It’s the one with unsettling closure.  It’s the one that has no end of the rainbow.  It’s the one that won’t invite you up for drinks after dinner.  Yet I’m startling okay with it.  After two straight years of what I and most would consider true playoff disappointment, I can’t be too upset about this one.  The Mavs overachieved considering their regular season.  The Nuggets were the better team.

3 Cheers: Mavs 119, Nuggets 117

Nothing about the Mavs’ season made me think they could do this.  Nothing about the Mavs’ toughness made me think they could do this.  Nothing about the Mavs’ last three games made me think they could do this.  Nothing about the Mavs’ luck made me think they could do this.  But they did it.

3 Cheers: Nuggets 106, Mavs 105

Years back, I learned that the term “getting gyped” (or “getting jipped” depending on your spelling) is in fact a derogatory term.  It dates back to the old days when gypies, tramps, and thieves (not a Cher reference) would travel the land, setting up areas, and scamming people out of money.  While it is not commonly considered offensive today, it still has its roots as a term of prejudice and hate.

3 Cheers: Nuggets 117, Mavs 105

 Not only did I have to stay up until 12:30 pm, but I had to watch the Mavs collapse again in the 4th quarter.  You can blame the altitude.  You can blame the Nuggets swarming defense.  You can blame the Mavs for being soft.  Either way you want to slice it, the Mavs are pressing.  The Mavs are struggling.  The Mavs are melting.