Posted by Rob Mahoney on January 31, 2009 under Previews | 
The Dallas Mavericks visit the Miami Heat
7:30 CST
It’s pretty coincidental that the NBA schedulers saw it fit to make the Mavs go head-to-head with the Warriors and the Heat in the same week. They’re similar demons, from Dallas’ point of view. Both make us re-think the things we take for granted, and re-evaluate the effects of the mental and emotional edge. Maybe the Mavs were guilty of self-defeat. Maybe they were outmatched. By this point it’s irrelevant, but those types of questions do bring up a pretty significant point going forward.
Baron Davis may no longer be the face of the Warriors, but Dwyane Wade is still synonymous with Miami Heat. There is absolutely no mistaking that, and no Stephen Jackson to complicate the equation. If he, and to a lesser degree, Dirk, I guess, truly represent the Mavs’ implosion, does the Miami facelift effectively help to extinguish those fires (at least partially)? There is no Shaquille O’Neal. No James Posey. No Jason Williams. No Gary Payton. No Antoine Walker. No Alonzo Mourning. I could go on and on. Those pieces that were very much a part of the Maverick downfall have been replaced with respected Mavs’ nemesis Shawn Marion, fun-loving Michael Beasley, and draft steal Mario Chalmers.
It’s obvious that both the team and the fans are still suffering from a Finals hangover. It’s no longer a throbbing headache; just a general sense of queasiness. I guess what I’m really trying to poke at here is this question: was the 2006 blunder Mavs v. Heat or Dirk v. Wade?
Oh, and I think the Mavs are playing the Heat today. Not really sure how that’s going to go, though.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under The Grapevine |
- Jason Terry goes out of his way to credit Rick Carlisle with credit for his mind-blowing season off the bench. He’s been unbelievably consistent and efficient, and it makes sense that Carlisle’s sets and system should get some credit for that. Terry also talks ‘State of the Season,’ and points to the Boston Massacre as the rallying cry for the season. From Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: “Terry has a realistic view about the Mavericks. But he’s also an optimist. He doesn’t believe the Mavericks have played to their potential this season. “We’re the eighth seed, and that’s not good enough,” Terry said. “I feel we’re a championship team and we should be way up toward the 1, 2, 3 seed right now. That’s not where we’re at. But we’re optimistic we can be by the end of the season.” “
- Breaking news: According to Jeff Caplan of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Mavs have a hard time locking down Dwyane Wade. Hard-hitting stuff. Still, Caplan has some good quotes from the team, and goes through the changes of the Heat and the Mavs since 2006. Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News also has a piece on championship wounds.
- Jake from Mavs Moneyball believes that a team should only exist in one of two stages: elite or rebuilding. On a theoretical level, I agree. But where is the brightline? Is “elite” a championship contender regardless of seed? Is “rebuilding” a true salvage mission of the Maverick core? Plus, with the contract situation and the 2010 dream still ahead, is it not possible to exist somewhere in between without cashing in? It was mentioned briefly in the comments on this post and it’s something that Cleveland has been facing every day: the big dogs in the 2010 free agent class will want to play for teams, not necessarily markets. I’m sure the market helps, on some level, but if the team doesn’t have the makings of competence without them, why would they waste their time, and likely, their prime? Having young players is important, but barring a sure-thing youngin’ in a swap for one of the Mavs’ pieces, I just don’t know if it would be worth it. Something else to think about: the Mavs have no 2010 first-rounder; why not have another go at it, trades come what may, and value each win as a sweetening of the pot for a big-name free agent?
- What’s in a number? Sometimes they don’t tell the story, sometimes they mislead you, and sometimes they tell you exactly what you wanted to know. In this case, it’s something that all Mavs fans have needed to hear. From Eddie Sefko’s game preview in The Dallas Morning News: “Josh Howard may be rounding into form. He’s averaging 19.5 points over the last four games and has hit 29 of 60 shots in that span.”
Posted by Rob Mahoney on January 30, 2009 under xOther |
Chris Sheridan ranked the Mavericks’ first round draft pick in 2010 as the 6th most valuable asset in the NBA trade market right now. Awesome, right? RIGHT?!
Well, it’s only valuable because it’s not in the hands of the Mavs. Dallas forked over it’s completely unprotected 2010 pick to New Jersey in the Kidd-Harris “swap” (heavy quotes because the Mavs also gave up two first-rounders), meaning the Nets are trading with house money. They’ll get their own pick in 2010, which should be a decent late lottery/mid-first round selection, and they get to toy around with the idea of trading away Dallas’ pick to the highest bidder, or doubling up on picks themselves. You’re welcome, guys.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under The Grapevine |
- It’s a sign of the times…or so I’ve heard. Both Steve Nash and Jason Kidd won’t be playing in this year’s All-Star game, a slightly more official changing of the guard. Is that really the case? If Kidd were still in New Jersey, in a situation where the ball is in his hands more often and he’s fighting Rajon Rondo and Mo Williams for a spot on the team rather than Brandon Roy and Chauncey Billups, is there any doubt that he’d be considered one of the favorites? Kidd may be a shadow of his former self and a step slower, but he’s still quite a point guard and probably All-Star caliber when the offense is truly going through him. And what of Nash? Supposing D’Antoni was still spending his working days with the Suns, wouldn’t the ‘Seven Seconds or Less’-inspired Nash be primed for All-Star candidacy? There’s no doubt that Chris Paul has stolen the point guard show, and some of the other young poing guards out there are pretty incredible. But the old-timers are out there to remind us that more often than not, All-Star berths are decided by circumstance.
- The battle for the starting shooting guard appears to be over, with a battle-weary Antoine Wright standing above the metaphorical corpses of Gerald Green, Devean George, J.J. Barea, and, depending on how you look at it, Jason Terry. From Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: ” “He’s done the things we need him to do,” Carlisle said. “He brings us some solid defense. Offensively, he can do some playmaking from the position. He continues to shoot the ball better…This is sort of what we had projected. Earlier, it didn’t quite go like it has. He’s done well.” Wright has battled back this season from a strained left groin injury and even stayed in the lineup through the four-game losing streak earlier this month. It seems the coaches have settled on him as the starter until Wright gives them a reason for a change. So far, he hasn’t.”
- A great quote of Jason Terry from the same Sefko article: “We don’t want to peak too early, which, obviously, we haven’t done.” If the Heat taught the Mavs anything in 2006, isn’t it that a team that sometimes struggles in the regular season can still be dangerous if they’re playing their best basketball at the right time?
- Jeff Caplan of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram addresses the ever-erratic Maverick defense, with plenty of choice quotes from Kidd, Terry, and Dirk. Nothing revolutionary, but you can’t mess with the truth.
- In general I don’t like to delight in the injuries of others. It’s tacky. But it should still be of interest to Mavs fans that Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko will undergo ankle surgery today, and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. Carlos Boozer still has yet to return, and Kirilenko is definitely an important piece for Utah. The Jazz have already faced pretty considerable adversity this season because of injury, but AK does a lot of good things on the court on both ends. It certainly doesn’t make their games any easier, and it could be a break for the other teams in the Western playoff race.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on January 29, 2009 under News |
Photo from Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images via NBA.com
In a completely anticlimactic moment of TNT’s NBA coverage (remember, they “know drama,”), Dirk Nowitzki was announced as one of the Western Conference All-Star reserves. Awesome. As usual, congrats to Dirk, who can practically pencil the weekend into his schedule at the beginning of the season. Still, it’s an accomplishment nonetheless.
Also, Devin Harris was named an Eastern Conference reserve. Big ups to Devin and what he’s been able to do this season. Though, I do tend to agree with Eddie Sefko that Harris had no chance of making the squad as a Mav. While Harris is immensely talented and on some nights flat-out unguardable, the New Jersey offense functions with Devin Harris at its solar center. The other bodies, Carter, Lopez, et al., are merely orbiting Harris and his rising star. For a team with little peripheral talent, it works. With Dallas, the offense would still be in Dirk’s hands, with Devin as a third or maybe even fourth fiddle.
It’s not an issue of development, just a difference in philosophy. But again: mad props to Devin, who unquestionably deserves all the success he’s been able to achieve so far in Jersey.
See the other All-Star selections here.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under Recaps |
Photo from NBAE/Getty Images/Glenn James.
Box Score — Play-By-Play — Shot Chart — GameFlow
“True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.”
-Socrates
To be honest, I’ve been really reluctant to do this recap. Or any recap for this team, really. Every win is “hopefully something to build on” and a “statement game,” and every loss is a “wake-up call.” How long until this team starts to form a cohesive on-court identity and actually plays with some consistency, one way or another?
I did find relief in at least one way, though: the Mavs can make open shots. That’s better than what they’ve been doing lately. Josh Howard in particular was absolutely stroking it, and that’s a sight for sore eyes. That 12-footer on the baseline is going to be there for Josh, whether he has to spot-up or create. Another weapon for the arsenal, supposing it’s not just a product of a Warriors complex.
Erick Dampier and Brandon Bass absolutely revolutionized the game. They were hitting the boards with reckless abandon, throwing down dunks, and getting up and down the floor. I don’t want to rip into Avery anymore than I already have (or more than Jason Kidd already did), but it really is amazing what happens when you stop looking at your mismatches as liabilities and start focusing on how to actualize them as mismatches in your favor. Erick Dampier isn’t just a 6′11” stiff who can’t chase perimeter players, and Brandon Bass isn’t just a giant chunk of pure muscle and adrenaline hurling himself up in the air for blocked shots, but remaining a step slow on the wing. Both of these guys are able to win you games with their work on the offensive glass and on the pick and roll. They’ll tap the ball out, they’ll throw it down, and they’ll get to the foul line. Great work by both, and good call by Carlisle for letting them do their thang.
Dirk also deserves some credit for his work on the low block. If you heard that Dirk was heading down low to punish the Dubs, and looked at the box score, you’d probably think his efforts were a complete failure. But in reality, it was Dirk pushing the issue with an errant jumpshot that forced him to go 8-20 from the field, not his work with his back to the basket. He passed well when he was doubled, didn’t turn the ball over, and took it right to the basket when he had position. I’m loving it.
So let’s take from this win what we can: the Mavs beat up on a bad team on both ends of the court, but they executed well. That doesn’t deserve any awards, but it’s something.
GOLD STAR OF THE NIGHT:
The Gold Star of the Night goes to none other than Sir Brandon of Bassington, particularly for his pivotal role in a prolonged second quarter Mavs’ run in which he went 3-3 from the field, 4-4 from the line, and had an absolutely monstous block on Corey Maggette. I almost feel bad for Corey, who was blocked three times: once he was completely rejected by Bass, another time he was destroyed by Jason Kidd, of all people, and for his third “block against,” Bass met him in the air, and ripped the ball out of his hands before losing it out of bounds. Mavs fans expect great things from Brandon Bass, and perhaps we expect a bit much from him at 23. He’s not without his flaws, but nights like this one make them easy to overlook, or in the least, tolerate.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under News |
Photo from Getty Images.
According to fellow TrueHoop Networker Tim Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell, the Spurs’ NBDL affiliate, the Austin Toros, have picked up former Maverick Pops Mensah-Bonsu. I’ve always loved watching Pops play, and seeing him jet off to Europe at the beginning of this season was a bit depressing. So welcome back, Pops, even if it is for the Spurs.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under The Grapevine |
- What a difference a defense makes. Well, and a lackthereof for Golden State. But should you be at all surprised that Don Nelson, in a showing of accountability and egotism, made it all about the Warriors? From Tim MacMahon of The Dallas Morning News Blog: ” “You can credit their defense if you want,” Nellie said, “but I would think it’s our lack of movement and execution and a whole bunch of other things.” “
- Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie seems to agree: “Kudos to the Mavs for putting up 117 points in their first game after a tough road trip, but that was a freakin’ lay-up line.”
- If you merely say that the Mavs are inconsistent on defense, you probably aren’t doing them justice. Their defensive efficiency over the course of the season reads like a seismograph. But Jeff Caplan of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram chimes in with a bewildering stat: “Mavs coach Rick Carlisle consistently emphasizes the most glaring statistic of the season to underscore his team’s defensive inconsistency. No team in the league owns a greater disparity in the points it allows in wins vs. losses. When the Mavericks are victorious, they give up, on average, fewer than 92 points. When they lose, it balloons to nearly 110.”
- One of the things I love about Rick Carlisle’s system as opposed to Avery’s is that it’s more of a meritocracy. Dirk, JET, and Kidd are largely going to get their minutes. But otherwise, if you’re working hard, in a rhythm, and playing smart (in practice and in games), you’re going to get some burn. But if you’re turning the ball over, not playing defense, and making mental mistakes, you’ll get a comfy seat on the bench. What did this mean for last night’s game? It means Carlisle gives Dampier a chance to play his game against teams going small. Sometimes it works (Warriors), and sometimes it doesn’t (Knicks). But the important thing is that he’s getting that chance, and based on Damp’s performance last night, it can make quite a difference. From Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: ” “When they go little, make them play on the inside and see what happens,” said Dampier, explaining that it’s just as important to make a small-ball opponent match up with you, rather than vice-versa. “One of their little guys is going to have to guard me. I just tried to be a presence with rebounding and defense.” ”
- The Mark Cuban-Don Nelson court proceedings are still drawing headlines. Yuck.
- Would you believe me if I said the Mavs have won four of their last six games?
- Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News talks about re-signing Kidd in a Q&A: “I’d say there’s a decent chance that Kidd signs a one-year deal with the Mavericks for $10 million or $12 million. That leaves the 2010 cap space unchanged and gives the Mavericks a point guard to hold the fort until Dwyane Wade gets here. Oops, I’m sorry. Did I write that out loud?”I’ve been wondering about Wade myself. He’s a phenomenal talent, one of the best players in the league in fact, but assuming that losing a Finals series is a sore wound that never really goes away, how does everyone feel about the idea of going after Wade? Are the Mavericks in enough of a hole that any great player will do? Or are there still those among us willing to “stick to their principles” and stick their noses up at the concept of attaining that “flopper?” Personally, I think anyone would be crazy to turn down a player of Wade’s caliber, but I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a Mavs fan with a long memory disagree.
- The Mavs are a good team. That’s where you have to draw the line, though. So when the Mavs’ front office refuses to throw in the hat and blow up the team on a gut response to a big loss, they’re probably in the right. Stepping away from the message board fodder, Nelson and Cuban have made us all aware that they don’t intend to rebuild, don’t intend to cash in on Dirk, and don’t intend to ship out Josh. The Mavs are among the eyes looking towards 2010, and until then it’s more about adding small pieces than making a big splash. From Jim Reeves of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram: ” “I don’t want to take that card away from Mark in 2010, because he’s shown he’s capable of pulling a rabbit out of his hat.” That’s why the Mavs will approach deals with caution this season, especially when it comes to adding big-money contracts. It’s why they’ll just as carefully think long and hard about whether to re-sign Jason Kidd when his contract expires, or exercise their 2010-11 option on Josh Howard’s contract. What the Mavs won’t do — not while the Dirk Window is still open — is step back into a rebuilding phase.”
- Jeff Caplan of The Forth Worth Star-Telegram, from Assistant Coach Armstrong: ” “I thought it would be a great opportunity for not only myself, but for guys that I played with [for me] to come up here and hopefully motivate them and push them to another level,” Armstrong said. “One thing about it, I was a leader on the floor when I played. I was a leader in the locker room and a leader on the bench. Avery [Johnson] gave me a lot of leeway to say things and the guys always responded…That was a good sign, not only for me, but for our team and for our players. That’s why I decided to come back and take on this opportunity and this challenge.” “
- EDIT: Forgot one. Austin Burton of Dime Magazine declares the Mavs one of five “Fake Contenders.” I don’t know who he’s been talking to, but I haven’t heard the words “contender” and “Mavs” in the same sentence (barring negatives and/or expletives) in what seems like a long time. From Dime: “Kidd can’t guard Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Deron Williams, Brandon Roy (when Portland goes big) or any other fast point guard in the West. Howard isn’t as good as he was even two years ago. Dirk has his postseason demons. They don’t even use Jerry Stackhouse anymore, one of their better clutch scorers. Since winning Game Two of the ‘06 Finals, the Mavs have gone 3-12 in the postseason.”
I refuse to respond to the Stack comment, but I do have one question: if the Mavs are a “Fake Contender,” how is Portland not included? Their defense is pretty porous as well, and though Kidd can’t guard Chris Paul, neither can Steve Blake. Their power forward, LaMarcus Aldridge, has a tendency to linger just out of the paint, nailing it from midrange. Joel Przybilla is good for interior D, and Oden is going through the ups and downs of a rookie year. I dare not poke Brandon Roy with a stick, because I think he’s great, but what makes Portland so much more legit than Dallas?
Posted by Rob Mahoney on January 28, 2009 under xOther |
The biggest possible tip o’ the hat to Fish at DallasBasketball.com for the find.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under Commentary, xOther |
Specs: Small forward. 6′9”, 225 lbs. Drafted with the 17th pick in 2006 out of Memphis.
2008-2009 Stats: 2.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 28.6% FG, 7.6 PER.
Why we want him: Shawne is a project. Rick Carlisle evidently saw enough in Williams during their shared time in Indiana that he thought Williams might have something to offer to the Mavericks, but so far he’s fallen pretty short. Still, he’s got legit NBA size for the three, and his length and body make him a good rebounder for his position (his rebounding rate, though from a pretty small sample size, is good for second on the team). The general line of thinking with project players is that if you find a player with the right unteachable skills (height, athleticism, etc.), you can instruct them to harness those assets into positive forms of production. Williams has all of the requisites necessary to be an adequate scorer and rebounder at the three, and he’s still just 22 years old. Every once in awhile he’ll put up stats that catch your eye (a 12 rebound effort against Phoenix comes to mind), and that kind of tease may be enough to keep Dallas’ curiosity piqued. In truth, Williams is a long way from becoming a productive NBA player, and seems much more likely to fall the way of prolonged NBA inactivity than to clossom into a rotation player. Sorry, dude. It’s kinda what happens when you combine pedestrian defense, an errant jumper (he’s shooting 5.9% from three on the season), and a questionable work ethic.
Why they want him: Two reasons: reputation and contract. Shawne Williams showed flashes in his rookie season and continues to tease to this day, and GMs might be inclined to look upon those games with rose-colored classes. He’s still young and still seen as having potential, and for that reason a team might consider him an adequate throw-in or even a low-level asset in a trade. Williams’ former off-court issues may have had time to fade into the shadows, and his time in Dallas has been without note. Supposing other teams buy into the idea that Shawne won’t be an off-court distraction and view him as a prospect with upside, another team might be willing to bite on a trade. Otherwise, Williams is an interesting player for contractual reasons. His salary is around $1.5 million for this season with a team option (around $2.5 million) next year, meaning that he is a prime candidate for trade filler or cap-clearing (EDIT: Williams’ option has already been picked up. Thanks, Jared. But his value remains for matching reasons.). Matching salaries in a trade isn’t as easy as it seems, but with pieces like Shawne Williams, a potential trade partner would get an extended look at an intriguing prospect for a minimal price, and then choose to pick up his option or jettison him this summer.
Trade value: Low. It’s pretty doubtful that Donnie Nelson’s phone is ringing off the hook with requests for Williams (let’s face it, he’s no Zepp), and it’s very unlikely that he would be included in a trade as a centerpiece. His ticket out of Dallas is as a contract throw-in, and based on the types of players the Mavs are targeting, that could be a possibility.
Likelihood of Being Traded Before the Deadline: In honor of Jim Jackson, former Maverick and the most stereotypical NBA journeyman to ever journey, man, each player’s likelihood of being traded will be evaluated using the Jim Jackson Index (JJI; a scale of 0-5):
2 Jim Jacksons out of 5.