Posts Tagged ‘reviews’

The Dallas Mavericks lost in the second round to the Denver Nuggets in the 09′ playoffs. This time the Mavs weren’t the favorites but the under dogs – which they are not familiar in being.

The team established itself as an elite force in the Western Conference and a heavy slew of talent has always been present in Dallas.

The last two seasons have been somewhat disappointing for the Dallas Mavericks compared to seasons past. Mark Cuban has realized this, and has elected to do something about it.

The Mavericks have had an extremely eventful off season, highlighted by some big name signings that may have a profound impact on the team.

Most notably, Shawn Marion’s addition to the team will give the Mavs a defensive toughness that the team desperately needs. Shawn Marion will reunite with former teammate Jason Kidd (they played together in Phoenix with the Suns), and his all around versatility will be invaluable to the team. If Marion can contribute like he did in Phoenix, this move will payoff big for Cuban.

Mark Cuban can’t suit up and play any games for the Mavs – what he can do is write big checks and bring quality players to the team.

Dirk Nowitzki is often forced to focus on rebounds, which takes away from his ability to do what he does best – score the basketball. He’s still put up big numbers over the years, but it’s been tough come playoff time. He’s been called out on his presence when it comes to playing under pressure.

The Mavs have won 50 or more games every season since the 00′-01′ season which shows great consistency. Dirk Nowitzki isn’t getting any younger and he might only have 2-3 more seasons where is he an elite player with an opportunity for a championship. The Mavs would like to get another shot at the NBA Finals – and this time finish their opponents.

For more on the Dallas Mavericks check out the Dallas Mavericks forums at RootZoo Sports. RootZoo also offers free basketball trivia questions with thousands of questions!

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a few moves during the off season that led many to wonder whether they may once again contend for the playoffs in 2009.

While the team did lose veteran running back Fred Taylor, the Jaguars have a magnificent athlete in Maurice Jones-Drew, and many NFL experts call him a top five running back in the league. This could be an enormous season for Jones-Drew, as he’ll get more carries for the Jacksonville Jaguars than ever before. Many experts are concerned if MJD can handle more work at his size.

The team acquired pro bowl wide receiver Torry Holt, and despite the absence of Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the finest talents at the running back position in the NFL, and this would be his year to fully shine. A few other key acquisitions bolstered a roster that looked like it was ready to contend.

The Jaguars lost a very tough game in Indianapolis against the Colts to open up their 2009 football season. The Jaguars always seem to give the Colts a hard time, but this would obviously be a challenge, especially considering where the game was played.

QB David Garrard was supposed to take that leap into one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, he is yet to take his game to the next level and has become and average QB. If this is Garrard’s fault or the fact he has no play-makers other then MJD remains to be seen.

Week 2 was somewhat disappointing after the solid week 1 effort. The Cardinals, who had fallen to the 49ers in week 1, visited Jacksonville and ripped apart the Jaguars defense at the seams, winning by a 31-17 margin. Kurt Warner was 24 of 26 at quarterback, and such a high completion rate raises some serious questions about the defense in Jacksonville.

Can this team turn things around? Week 3 at Houston will be another tough test, so the Jaguars may find themselves in an unpleasant hole from here. The offense in Houston is a very tough group and will be a handful.

The Texans lost to the Jets in week one, but the Jets look great with their new rookie QB Matt Sanchez and a stellar performance by their defense. I’m going with the Jaguars over the Texans.

Discuss the latest on the Jags on the Jaguars forum, at RootZoo Sports, the most active sport forum online.

The Miami Dolphins were the surprise football team of the 2008 NFL regular season. After going 1-15 in 2007, they were literally the joke of the NFL and no one expected much more out of the team entering 2008.

The 09′ season for the Miami Dolphins has been nothing like 08′. Statistically, Chad Pennington is the most accurate passer of all-time. While he might not have the “big arm”, he finds his receivers when they are open.

The duo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams really came together. This opened up a ton of room for Chad Pennington as well. Anthony Fasano also stepped up as one of the top TE’s in the league. What a year it was!

The Dolphins rode the wave of enthusiasm into the 2009 season and expected big things out of an improved offense that would look to enjoy another successful football season.

Young and inexperienced second year QB Chad Henne was called upon to lead the team, which didn’t really bode well for the Dolphins’ chances.

Seven points scored in a game against an average Falcons defense raised questions about the Dolphins’ offense and their effectiveness. It’s going to be a long season if they don’t get it right.

Furthermore, every team in the AFC East is looking good, which makes things all the more competitive for Miami this season. The Jets, Bills, and naturally, the New England Patriots, have all made bold statements and look strong in regular season play.

They performed a miraculous turn around in one year; hopefully that type of magic exists with the Dolphins again. If the Dolphins somehow manage a 8-8 season, that would be considered a successful season.

For more Dolphins chatter, check out the Miami Dolphins forum and create your own sports polls all at RootZoo Sports.