Pan Mengtu said:
This team just needs another year to mature together. They have all of the pieces in place, good roleplayers. Good veterans. A great star. Young players who are used to the system and have performed well in the playoffs. I think not this year, because the coaching change (not the coaching change, they wouldn't have won a title with Nelson, ever), is going to take next year to get used to. But Avery is looking like a good coach that has the elements of a hardass and as a buddy coach. I think you guys can win the title, as early as next year, provided Cuban doesn't decide to radically alter the squad this summer, like he always does.
I agree wholeheartedly with everything except the coaching change hindering our chances at a title. I don't think that typical coach/time adjustment applies to us, because he's coached us for 10 or so games before the official change, he's been running practices for a long time, so we're more than comfortable with his system. I think we have the best chance this season with Duncan injured, and probably playing somewhat sluggish and rusty in the playoffs. I don't like the Suns' chances, because they play no D and aren't big enough, the Sonics are too young, live by the 3, and will eventually die by the 3, the Rockets can't score (and Mcgrady is injured?), and the Kings are no longer championship contenders. I think we have the best chance other than San Antonio of getting to the finals. Now with Shaq and the defending champs in the east however, it's no longer a matter of just getting to the finals and waltzing past the east. We'll have formidable competition.
I don't know about anyone else, we've had our troubles with consistency, "killer instinct", and the like, but I can't see a team in the league probably other than the Spurs beating us four times in seven games.
And as far as Cuban this offseason, he's been building up to this point, where Dirk is the man, he has a big body beside him, and great roleplayers around him, so I think he'll be content.