Heard It Through the Grapevine 1-29-09

Posted by Rob Mahoney on January 29, 2009 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?