Heard It Through the Grapevine 2-11-09

Posted by Rob Mahoney on February 11, 2009 under The Grapevine | Be the First to Comment

• In the interest of shameless self-promotion, I urge you to check out a chat I had with Zac Crain of D Magazine’s blog, FrontBurner.  Good times.
• David Moore of The Dallas Morning News has praise for Antoine Wright, but he seems just as weary of Wright’s offense as I am: “It was the most shots (8 of 14) he has taken in his last 26 games. Don’t look for many more 20-point nights. Defense remains his primary role. Wright won’t be asked to replace the 19.9 points Terry averaged before he went down with a broken bone in his hand.”
• DallasBasketball.com’s David Lord has an incredibly comprehensive look at trade options and non-options for the Mavs.  Chandler and Carter and Shaq, oh my!
• Jason Terry, always the motivator.  JET always finds a way to pump up his teammates.  From Tim MacMahon of the DMN’s Mavs Blog: “Jason Terry sent all his teammates an encouraging text message today. He followed that up with a phone call to Antoine Wright. ‘We need you right now,’ Jet told the Mavs’ starting shooting guard, ‘so you’ve got to play big.’”
• Just a reminder that on top of Terry’s injury, Dirk has a sore left knee.  That didn’t stop him from doing the usual last night, although Carlisle has made it a point of emphasis to not put too much wear on Dirk by going to him every time down the floor.  If there was ever a time for Josh Howard to be Josh Howard, it would be right about…now.  Good play from Wright and Barea couldn’t hurt, either.  On a slightly related note: I’ve never been happier to see the All-Star break.
• Want to know how to get on Rick Carlisle’s nerves?  Give up 57 points to the Kings in the first half.  From David Moore of The Dallas Morning News: “Carlisle didn’t get the defensive intensity he wanted, calling his team’s effort pathetic in the first half. But after a stern halftime speech – ‘Coach came in here and said, bleep, bleep, bleep, get out there and bleep,’ Antoine Wright said – the Mavericks responded.”