Posted by Rob Mahoney on March 31, 2009 under News | 
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News:
Teammates have indicated Howard has looked sharp in recent practices, but Jason Terry offered the clearest sign of Howard’s imminent return after Monday’s practice at the Target Center. “He looked great,” Terry said. “Even last week, he was good in our last hard practice. He looked confident.
“I know he felt a little bit of pain, but the biggest test will be tomorrow,” he said, referring to tonight’s game against Minnesota. “If he hits that first shot, I’ll bet he won’t feel a thing tomorrow.”
That’s the best news the Mavericks have gotten in about a week. Howard’s left ankle problem is severe enough that off-season surgery is possible. Physically and mentally, he appears to be on the upswing, and the Mavericks desperately need him if they hope to keep their slim hopes of moving up in the Western Conference seedings.
Don’t expect to be blown away tonight, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this could be the beginning (resuming?) of something beautiful to close out the season. ‘Beat the Lakers’ beautiful? Whoa, now. One step at a time, eh chaps?
Sefko also had this quote from Jason Kidd on the DMN Mavs Blog:
“Just try to get him an easy shot, a wide-open shot the first go-round,” Kidd said of the game plan for the early moments of tonight’s game. “We’d like to get him an easy one going to the basket. Should that not happen, maybe just make sure it’s not a stressful shot.”
We knew Josh Howard was an emotional player, but is his night really so easily dictated by the fate of that first shot? Theoretically, all shots are created equal. I’m a strong advocate of game flow, and push the idea that things like confidence level and mindset are sometimes just as impactful as the quality of a defender. The idea that Howard is a highly emotional player is hardly new, but to hear both Kidd and Terry make a specific mention of getting Howard a good look to start out the game just seems a bit odd. Or maybe, it speaks volumes about just how vulnerable players can be to the emotional ebb and flow of a game.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under The Grapevine |
- No, Jason Kidd’s comments won’t die. From David Moore on the DMN Mavs Blog: Speculate all you want about where Jason Kidd will wind up after this season. But keep one thing in mind: do you really think he will take a one-year contract at the mid-level exception? No. Kidd has said he’s not interested in a one-year deal or becoming a rent-a-player at this stage of his career. He’s wants a commitment. One year isn’t a commitment. It’s a lease. Can he change his mind? Sure. Who doesn’t change their mind? But when assessing what the off-season holds for Kidd, don’t dismiss what he’s stated. And don’t underestimate the level at which he performs. His impact is well-beyond that of someone who earns the mid-level exception.” A few things. First, if the Mavs are still clearly a team on the decline, would that option still tickle Kidd’s fancy? His growing disenchantment with the situation in New Jersey coincided with the Nets’ fall from grace and in the standings. You can argue chicken and egg on that one, but for the sake of argument I’m inclined to believe that Kidd would rather try his chances with a good team or at the very least, a team with promise, than opt for a more stable but potentially more depressing situation in Dallas. The Mavs aren’t doomed to fail, but something needs to be done before the sun peeks out from behind the clouds. Second, most comprehensive looks at the Mavs’ future that I’ve seen involve Kidd signing a one-year deal for the sake of maneuverability in 2010. If Kidd wants a promise ring, is he really likely to get it from the Mavs? And, taking it a step further, would it really be in the team’s best interest to lock him up for three or four years?
- A blueprint of the kind of implosion Dallas would need for Phoenix to make the playoffs.
- A money quote from Dirk, via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News: “We’re missing Josh. Right now, we’re a jump-shooting team. Josh can make a difference in that area. Over the last couple of years, he turned himself more into a jump shooter than I think we all wanted. But he still has that ability to get to the foul line and slice in there, and that’s what we need to make a good run in the last nine games…It’s been frustrating, no doubt. Right now, if me and Jet don’t shoot the ball well, we’re going to lose the game. That’s why we need Josh. It’s tough to make up for a good scorer like Josh for a long time. It’ll be great to get him back. Then we can let it all hang out there.” Thought it was interesting how candid Dirk was about Josh’s jump shooting habits.
- On the flip side, Tim MacMahon holds no punches in his assessment of Josh Howard on the DMN Mavs Blog: “The real reason the Mavs need Howard to perform well down the stretch is to remind potential trade partners that he still has the talent to be an All-Star-caliber player. It’s clear that the Mavs as currently constructed aren’t contenders. For all the talk about the Great Free Agent Summer of 2010, the Mavs’ best chance to pry the window back open might be to strike this summer. I’m not talking about an all-out blow-up, just a major remodeling around Dirk and Jason Terry. Jerry Stackhouse will have value because of the financial savings his buyout option would provide a team. Erick Dampier should draw interest because he has an eight-figure expiring contract. But Howard, who has a team option for 2010-11 and a ton of talent, should be the Mavs’ best trade bait. If Howard plays well over the next six weeks, that could help put the Mavs in position to actually have a good chance to win a playoff series next season.”
- Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com sums up the season nicely: “‘We’ve just got to play a little harder. …’ might be the epitaph on this club’s 2008-09 tombstone.”
- Former Mav James Donaldson is running for mayor of Seattle. Represent.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on March 30, 2009 under Commentary |
Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer:
This summer Kidd will become an unrestricted free agent and there’s a good chance that the Cavs will again look into his availability. He has said he wants to remain a Maverick, but Sunday he certainly made it seem like playing alongside James in Cleveland was a viable option. “I could sit and watch from the bench,” Kidd said. “[LeBron] is so talented, he’s going to get guys wide open shots. So we’ll look at free agency and what happens for me next year.” The Cavs are thrilled with point guard Mo Williams, who became an All-Star this year. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for another, especially if Kidd were to accept a more limited role, as he did for Team USA. Though the Cavs have Delonte West and Daniel Gibson who can handle the ball, they don’t have another true point guard on the roster.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News:
After Sunday’s loss to James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kidd said he tries not to think about James calling him and suggesting a reunion next season. The two became friends when they played together for the U.S. Olympic team. “Yeah, that’s a hard call,” Kidd said. “You don’t want to answer the phone. I just have to explore my different options I’m going to have this summer.” Kidd tries not to think about the summer. There’s plenty of season left for the Mavericks. But with the Mavericks playing the Cavaliers, it was inevitable the subject would come up. “I could sit here and watch from the bench,” Kidd said, joking that James plays much the same way he does.
How do two very reputable beat writers cover the exact same event and the exact same quote in such drastically different ways? Is there really enough subtext in Kidd’s comments to add fuel to everybody’s fire?
Mike Fisher has an eloquent response at DallasBasketball.com:
Eddie’s story doesn’t say that. It says Kidd “laughed” as he was talking of “sitting on the bench” while LeBron starred. But Kidd did not dismiss anything. He did the opposite. He addressed something. And he did so in the wake of a 28-point loss to the very team that is ostensibly planning on courting him. One of the Mavs players visiting Cleveland and leaving the impression that he might want to play there next year? Even if he was just being polite? Now I’m even more tired and more pissed.
I don’t blame him one bit. That comment is kosher for the routine, casual nature of pre-game questions. But following one of the Mavs’ worst losses of the season, I’m not sure I want one of the Mavs’ star players laughing at all, much less joking about the possibility of ditching the team in the off-season.
But that’s not the real worry here, is it?
The concern is that just over a year ago, the Mavs’ sent their young starting point guard and two first round picks to New Jersey for a chance to waltz with the venerable Jason Kidd, and there is a realistic chance that they’ll be left with nothing this summer.
From Marc Stein of ESPN.com:
The growing sense in Dallas is that there are only two threats to the Mavericks’ hopes of re-signing Jason Kidd this summer.
Having just turned 36 and facing an unavoidable pay cut from this season’s $21.4 million, Kidd hasn’t dropped a single hint about leaving the team that originally drafted him in 1994, focusing instead on trying to make sure the injury-plagued Mavs reach the postseason, preferably as nothing lower than the West’s No. 7 seed. Dallas certainly needs to keep Kidd after the goods it surrendered to New Jersey in February 2008 to get him — Devin Harris and an unprotected first-round pick in 2010 — but serious interest from either L.A. or Cleveland could be a real threat.
1. Kobe Bryant convincing big-guard-loving Phil Jackson and the Lakers to make a run at his dear friend Kidd with L.A.’s midlevel exception.
2. LeBron James convincing the Cavs to make a run at his dear friend Kidd with their midlevel exception.
…Dallas certainly needs to keep Kidd after the goods it surrendered to New Jersey in February 2008 to get him — Devin Harris and an unprotected first-round pick in 2010 — but serious interest from either L.A. or Cleveland could be a real threat.
Depending on how you prioritize the Mavs’ talent, Kidd could be anywhere from the team’s best player to the third best. What he does at the point is irreplaceable given the current chips, and finding an acceptable substitute in a timely fashion given the Mavs’ salary cap situation would be nearly impossible. That’s why, as much as it pains me to say it, the Mavs’ future rests squarely in the hands of Jason Kidd. If Kidd opts to leave the Mavs this summer, any chance of contention in the near future leaves with him, and the rebuilding plan should go into effect immediately.
Assuming we actually have a rebuilding plan.
It would depress me greatly to see Dirk wearing any uni but Maverick blue, but is it really fair to him to ask him to stick around for a lost cause? It’s an idea that’s been beat around all season long, but it’s one the Mavericks’ brass may have to confront head-on if Kidd skips town. The bare bones roster would be significantly crippled, with Jason Terry and Josh Howard as the only other steady producers…if even they could be called that.
The Denver game made one point painfully apparent to me: Jason Terry is no point guard. His ball-handling under durress is sloppy, and his wayward passes without so much as a hand in his face were inexcusable. I previously thought that given the Mavs’ system, Terry could man the point alongside a playmaking 2. Now, I’m not so sure. His play could be markedly different if he was given a training camp to adjust, but my flirtation with the idea is all but dead.
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Brandon Bass and James Singleton, two of the Mavs’ most important players off the bench, share Kidd’s unrestricted free agent status. Singleton is coming off his first year with the team, and Bass off his second. Both were acquired via free agency, so the Mavs don’t possess Bird rights (which would allow them to go over the cap to re-sign) for either player. Essentially, the team would be left with the mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception to sign Bass, Singleton (assuming he remains in the team’s long-term plans), a replacement point guard (within reason; think Kevin Ollie, Anthony Carter, Marcus Williams, Jason Hart) that pretty much has to be an unrestricted FA (lest their previous team match the offer sheet, as would likely be the case with restricted FAs), as well as Gerald Green and Ryan Hollins.
It’s hard to anticipate how the economy will play a role in all of this. While the cap handcuffs the Cavs and the Lakers from offering big-money deals to Jason Kidd, the anticipated deals for Brandon Bass are a bit more difficult to anticipate. On one hand, the economic struggles of many of the league’s owners could limit both the length and total value of any offers that Bass, a good not great power forward, gets. But on the other hand, Mark Cuban is hardly the only opportunistic owner; it seems reasonable that there will be other front offices looking to take advantage of a seller’s market. Harm could come even if Bass, Singleton, and Hollins (notably 3/4 of the team’s current center rotation) receive such offers without taking them. For a team on such a tight budget, even driving up the price on the Mavs through competitive offers could still prove damaging.
Say what you will about Kidd, or about the Mavs’ chances with him as their starting point. But right now, the team needs to hang on to the few assets that they do have, and Kidd is definitely near the top of that list. We knew that trading for Kidd would limit the Mavericks’ window, but I never would have anticipated that his impending free agency would turn the entire franchise into a game of Kerplunk, potentially as the final straw that would cost the Mavs all the marbles. No Kidd means no hope, and no hope means no justification for the contracts of Erick Dampier, Jason Terry, and Josh Howard. That opens up an entirely new can of worms as to where precisely the Mavs go from there, but that seems like a conversation for the day that we lose everything.
Stock your bomb shelters, kids. We could be due for the fallout.
Tags: Anthony Carter, Brandon Bass, Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier, Gerald Green, James Singleton, Jason Hart, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Kevin Ollie, Marcus Williams, Ryan Hollins
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under The Grapevine |
- I’m going to leave the Kidd-to-Cavs comments alone for now, with a more conclusive post coming later
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News: “Jason Kidd on Sunday came through with one of those acts of leadership that sometimes go unnoticed. Kidd informed coach Rick Carlisle he wanted a chance to guard LeBron James from the opening tip. Kidd said he was feeling great physically after resting his back for one game. The result? James was 3-of-11 in the first half and had nine points. Yes, he had eight assists. And he would make a flurry of jump shots in the third quarter, when the Cavaliers pulled away. But Kidd’s move showed guts and sent a strong message to his teammates.” Yeah. But we lost. Big time. It’s one thing to show guts and send a strong message pre-game, but any positive, intangible contributions Kidd made in terms of leadership were gone by halftime.
- Rick Carlisle on LeBron’s MVP Chances (via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News): “‘Historically, record tends to carry the day as to who is the guy,’ he said. ‘So if Cleveland comes up with the best record, I’d be shocked if he didn’t get it.’”
- The Mavs have dropped two straight, but the Suns have done them a big favor in dropping their last three. The Mavs are an even safer 3.5 games ahead of Phoenix, but remain an equally daunting 2.5 games out of catching New Orleans at 7th. The Mavs will get two cracks at NOLA in the coming weeks, and one crack at Utah, who shares the same record.
And a little sub-section of bullets from John Krolik’s excellent recap at Cavs the Blog:
- “The Shot Chart for the game shows Dirk shooting 4-18 from midrange, but the next-level data I have from Arnovitz says Dallas as a team went 3-26 from midrange. We’ll have to sort this discrepancy out the next time the LA TrueHoop faction meets in our volcano lab, but the moral of the story is that Dallas was pretty much fail when they went ISO and shot mid-range jumpers.” Yikes.
- “As the Cavs outscored the Mavericks 30-11 in the third to win the game, LeBron scored or assisted for 26 of those points, running pick-and-pop with Z, slashing for layups on a fast-break, being the screener and rolling to the hoop with Delonte, getting hot for three midrange Js in a row, finding Mo for threes, and drilling threes of his own to end the quarter.”
- “Did I catch this team on a weird night, or is Jason Kidd clearly the best player on that team with Dirk playing the ‘T-Mac on the Rockets’ role at this point? Dirk’s far more efficient, but it seems like more good things are happening when the ball’s in J-Kidd’s hands.” John - you caught the team on a weird night. Kidd offers plenty off goodness, but he just doesn’t impact the game consistently enough to offer a contribution on-par to Dirk’s.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under Recaps |
Photo by Danny Bollinger.
Box Score — Play-By-Play — Shot Chart — GameFlow
“It’s not every day that you get to see an implosion.”
-Jim Staniewicz
Completely disgusting. The Mavs have had embarrassing losses this season (on national TV, no less), but they hardly stack up to the horror that was Sunday’s game. If every member of the roster and coaching staff isn’t thoroughly mortified by their performance, I don’t even know where to begin.
It wasn’t the usual lackadaisical defense that put the Mavs in a hole early; the Mavs’ first quarter was one of their more dominant runs all season. This was unlike any loss I’ve seen all season from this team. The Mavs proved that they know every main road, street, path, and backwoods trail that leads to a terrible loss.
Let’s start from the beginning, if for no other purpose than that of contrast.
In the first quarter of the basketball contest between the Dallas Mavericks and the Cleveland Cavaliers on this fair Sunday morn, the Mavs stormed out the gates to a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter, and a 15-point lead early in the second. Dirk had 8 points and 3 assists in the first alone. Dampier had 8 points and 5 rebounds, after blitzing the Cavs play after play on the screen-and-roll. Jason Kidd was utterly brilliant in setting up the offense, chipping in with 5 points of his own (2-2 FG) and 3 assists early. It seemed clear that the screen-and-roll would be an essential tool for Dallas all night long given Cleveland’s inability to shut it down. The shots were falling (46.8% FG) for the Mavs, and things couldn’t look brighter, especially considering just how difficult things were for the Cavs (26% FG). Credit the Mavs’ D, which was active, limiting, and lucky. They did their part in contributing to Cleveland’s poor shooting, but it didn’t hurt that the Cavs were missing very makeable shots by the slimmest of margins. Balls spun out of the hoop, rimmed out, and narrowly missed on attempt after attempt, and that coupled with great defensive rebounding and good job contesting on jumpshots might be enough to crush the confidence of lesser teams. But as we all know, this Cavs team could never be described as a lesser team.
The first, second, and third concerns for any team playing the Cavs is how to make LeBron James’ life difficult. In the first frame, the Mavs did just that. Jason Kidd actually drew LeBron as his “primary” defensive assignment to start the game, though LeBron was double-teamed practically on the catch. That meant a few forced shots and passing over the top, and on the whole the Cavs couldn’t take advantage. He still had big contributions in the first (5 assists, 4rebounds, 2 blocks), but was 0-3 from the field. Antoine Wright eventually slid over to cover LeBron, but the Mavs’ team defense seemed to be in slow motion on their rotations, doubles, and contests. It’s one thing to do that solely against a scorer; a scorer of LeBron’s skill simply cannot be stopped. But with James’ ability to establish his teammates and still find his own offense, the lack of effort defensively was magnified ten-fold.
The second quarter showed signs of the apocalypse, as the Mavs were outscored 27-19 but held on to a slim lead. The symptoms of the Mavs’ inevitable demise were in full view, though. The defense crumbled when the starters hit the bench, partially because Cleveland remembered how to play. On one side of the court, the ball moved to the open shooter, penetration came with ease, and the defenders looked utterly foolish. On the other, the over-reliance on jumpshots started to slide into the spotlight, and a squad with no offensive options really clicking was exposed by one of the league’s elite defenses.
The problem isn’t that the Mavs lost to the Cavs. The Cavs are a better team, and if the Mavs did sneak out of Cleveland with a win, it would’ve been a shocker. The real issue is that the team showed no sense of dignity, and no real desire to compete in the second half. No one is absolved from blame. The Cavs give Dirk trouble, but that doesn’t excuse his mailed-in effort. Jason Terry needs to find ways to contribute meaningfully when his shot isn’t falling, because his defense was miserable. Jason Kidd started off strong, but our primary play-caller refused to capitalize on the basics in the second half, and let the offense devolve into a jumpshooting frenzy. Rick Carlisle and the entire coaching staff should be held responsible for how lazy and uninterested the Mavs looked on the defensive end. At this point in the season, they should really know which buttons to press, and the fact that they still have trouble keeping this team motivated is troubling.
The Mavs allowed Mo Williams and Joe Smith to blitz them, and fully volunteered themselves for complete dissection and dismemberment by the hands of the Cavs. Cleveland sliced and diced Dallas in every conceivable way, and not much remains other than a bloody pulp, assorted skeletals, and dust where a proud team used to be.
GOLD STAR OF THE NIGHT: The Gold Star of the Night goes to Jason Kidd, I guess. I don’t feel good about that selection, though, and I’m tempted (yet again) to give it to no one.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on March 29, 2009 under The Grapevine |
- From Dave McMenamin of NBA.com: “‘If we could get [him] in a few different sizes, a team full of ‘Jets’ would be amazing,’ Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently told USA Today. ‘His value is off the charts.’”
- From Hubie Brown of ESPN.com: “Not many folks would point to this, but the Mavericks have struggled with the loss of Jerry Stackhouse for most of the year. His absence took away the extra shooter that they needed to either start at the 2-guard position or come off the bench with Jason Terry so their bench would be productive night in and night out. That, to me, is their missing ingredient.” Umm…yeah. The problem is that Stackhouse’s production has been deteriorating in the last few seasons. A throwback Stack at full health would definitely help the Mavs, but this year’s model might just be another jumpshooting blackhole on a team overly reliant on jumpshooting. If the problem is a lack of bench contributions, I’m not so sure that the answer is lying right under the Mavs’ collective noses, Hubie.
- Eddie Sefko brings up a point that I’ve tried to tackle, but ultimately remain undecided about on the DMN Mavs Blog: “I know the NBA is a fraternity and most players know each other well and even pal around in the off-season with each other, even though they aren’t on the same teams. Still, it was a little hard to swallow seeing Josh Howard, Jason Kidd and Jerry Stackhouse chatting, smiling and man-hugging Carmelo Anthony after Anthony had just torched the Mavericks for 43 points and while Antoine Wright was still trying to get at Denver’s J.R. Smith in the post-game walk to the locker room. It’s just not good form.”
- Rick Carlisle on J.J. Barea (via Tim MacMahon of the DMN Mavs Blog): “‘A lot of this goes back to what’s needed from him by his national team. They need scoring. They need a dynamic leader, playmaker. He’s more of a scorer than a true point guard for that team…When you have a guy like that, my thing is always that you try to roll with things that he’s very good at and then along the way you try to get him tuned into some of the other aspects of the position. As the season’s gone on, you’ve seen him a lot less frequently get stuck in the air and have to make a split-second decision. He’s stayed on the floor. He’s more under control. He’s using change of speeds instead of all-out bursts all the time…That’s a sign of maturity, experience, and I think a willingness to adapt, because he’s played that one way most of his career.’”
- Henry Abbott, on his TrueHoop piece entitled ‘The End-of-Quarter Killers’: “This is his list of 2008-2009’s (through play of 3/26/09) highest scorers on plays that initiated within the last 24 seconds of any quarter (with desperation heaves filtered out):
- Chris Paul 98 points, on 92 plays (1.07 points per offensive action.)
- Dwyane Wade 88 points on 106 plays (.83)
- Brandon Roy 82 points on 68 plays (1.22)
- Andre Iguodala 76 points on 77 plays (.99)
- Devin Harris 71 points on 70 plays (1.01)
- Lou Williams 70 points on 70 plays (1)
- Nate Robinson 68 points on 83 plays (.82)
- Vince Carter 65 points on 66 plays (.98)
- Kevin Durant 64 points on 56 plays (1.14)
- Jason Terry 64 points on 56 plays (1.14)
- LeBron James 64 points on 82 plays (.78)
- Richard Hamilton 61 points on 54 plays (1.13)
- Kobe Bryant 60 points on 68 plays (.88)
- Raymond Felton 58 points on 74 plays (.78)
- Jarrett Jack 57 points on 56 plays (1.02)
- Jamal Crawford 55 points on 56 plays (.98)
- Paul Pierce 55 points on 49 plays (1.12)
- Baron Davis 54 points on 70 plays (.77)
- Ben Gordon 52 points on 56 plays (.93)
- Randy Foye 51 points on 67 plays (.76)
- Manu Ginobili 51 points on 48 plays (1.06)
- Rudy Fernandez 51 points on 46 plays (1.11)
I bolded everyone who totaled more than 1.1 points per play, which appears to be a special threshold. Chris Paul just missed that cut, but at his size, and with that volume — everyone knows he’s little, and everyone knows he’s going to take the shot — he clearly has a special ability to elude the defense…the standouts here were mostly guys who play alongside superstars — perhaps they have a better chance of getting open? Jason Terry (27 on 27 plays), Roger Mason (24 on 24), Jeff Green (21 on 21), Andre Iguodala (31 on 32), Kevin Durant (18 on 19) and Fernandez (18 on 19). Superstars were less efficient: LeBron James has 33 points on 42 plays, Chris Paul 31 on 49 plays, Dwyane Wade 25 points on 46 plays (the lowest efficiency of the 19 biggest scorers in the last three seconds), and Kobe Bryant 18 points on 30 plays.”
- OMG, Mark Cuban voices his displeasure with NBA refs via Twitter. Nothing about this is truly headline-worthy (Cubes not agreeing with officiating is fairly common practice, ‘new’ medium or no), but that didn’t stop everybody from running with it. In case you’re curious: yes, critical tweets are considered fine-worthy.
- A fleeting thought from the Denver Game, courtesy of Tim MacMahon of the DMN Mavs Blog: “Dirk didn’t blame the fact that the Mavs were missing the NBA’s No. 4 all-time assists man for his struggles. It was just one of those rare nights when his jumper wouldn’t go down. ‘The looks were good,’ said Dirk, who had 26 points but was only 7-of-23 from the floor. ‘I just didn’t make them.’ He had an especially good look with seconds remaining and the Mavs trailing by a point. But he couldn’t hit his second game-winner in a week, as the shot he hoisted from near the left elbow went in and out. ‘I’ll take a 16-footer wide open for the game any time,’ said Dirk, who was 0-for-3 in the fourth. ‘The play was actually kind of broken up, which actually worked in our favor, because they were scrambling. We still ran our play, and I came off the double and was open. I’ve just got to make the shot.’”
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under Recaps |
Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images.
Box Score — Play-By-Play — Shot Chart — GameFlow
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.
The game was on the line, and the ball in Dirk’s hands. He let loose from his home, the elbow, but a shot that Dirk has seen fall thousands of times clanked off the rim in a completely uncharacteristic manner, demonstratively different than the typical soft swish or gentle rim-out. The Mavs fell just short against a nice Nuggets squad in a game that was very much within their grasp.
Is it weird that I feel little regret other than the casual “Well, gosh darn it!” sentiment?
The two cornerstones of the Mavs’ successes this season were completely off their game. Dirk had 26 and 11, but had just 7 makes in 23 attempts and missed his last 8 shots in the loss. Jason Terry, despite hitting a few threes to keep the Mavs in the game, was 6-17 from the field. Instead, all the theatrics came from the unexpecte heroes: J.J. Barea and Ryan Hollins. Barea hit big bucket after big bucket, and did a truly admirable job when matched up with the bigger, stronger, better, and All-Starsier Chauncey Billups. Without Barea’s top-notch performance, the Mavs wouldn’t have even sniffed victory. Ryan Hollins was everywhere defensively, swatting or contesting every look within five feet of the basket. 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks is a wonderful night for a player like Hollins, especially when his defensive influence isn’t fully measured by those numbers.
And then there was that Carmelo guy. He was absolutely brilliant, and though it may shock you to see that he took 29 shots, it shocked me more to discover he missed 11. He was that good. His offensive arsenal was in full view, and to me there is no doubt that this guy can carry a team offensively. Call him a ‘franchise player,’ a ‘leader,’ or neither, but I’ve seen more than enough. I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but the Mavs missed Devean George.
It may seem like a strange thing to say when the Nuggets shot 56% from the field, but I was pleased with the Mavs non-Carmelo defense. They played Chauncey Billups masterfully on the pick-and-roll, cutting off his passing angles and putting immediate pressure on him as he came around the screen. Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen were left floating in oblivion, unable to capitalize on the Mavs’ double teams. The zone played a key role for the Mavs once again, and helped push a lineup of mostly non-starters above and beyond the Nugs to tighten up the game down the stretch. It wasn’t perfect, but it forced Denver’s O to stumble, and rebounding wasn’t a problem. Nicely done, Mavs.
So much in this game went wrong for the Mavs, but so much went right. Essentially no player aside from Barea and Hollins played notably well, and yet a Mavs team down two starters fought the Nuggets to the wire. Denver is hardly unbeatable, but they are a good team with some great players. Carmelo was nigh unguardable, and yet the game was right there for the taking. It might say something that the game slipped from their clutches, but I’m willing to overlook a different number in the loss column provided this game means something in terms of the Mavs’ team defense, Ryan Hollins’ maturity as a player, and the team’s ability to cope without significant players in the lineup and the usual stud-dom from others.
GOLD STAR OF THE NIGHT: J.J. Barea. 22 points (8-12 FG, 5-7 3FG), 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. Far and away the best thing the Mavs had going for them.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on under xOther |
Apologies to anyone popping by yesterday afternoon, during last night’s game, or sometime this morning; some issue with the server made this site (and Hardwood Paroxysm, for any double-dippers) inaccessible. But I’ve bought a new hamster, buried the old one, and told little Billy that he’s crazy — it’s always been that fat and the spots have been there the whole time.
Right back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Posted by Rob Mahoney on March 27, 2009 under The Grapevine |
- Tim MacMahon of the DMN Mavs Blog: “Jason Kidd is not participating in this morning’s shootaround due to lower back pain. The 36-year-old is getting treatment, and his status for tonight’s game against Chauncey Billups’ Denver Nuggets is uncertain.” Yikes. If there’s a good-great point guard in the league that Kidd should be able to matchup with, it’s Billups, and if the Mavs truly have their sights set for the 7 seed, they can’t afford to let Billups run hog wild.
- Carlisle refers to Chris “The Birdman” Andersen simply as “that crazy guy.” Fair enough.
- Gerald Green got the feature treatment at the Dallas Morning News. From Eddie Sefko: “‘There’s a fine line between aggression and discretion,’ Carlisle said. ‘Gerald’s an aggressive player and as a coach, you never want to take any of that away. He’s come a long way since summer league. He’s helped us win some games. And he’s much better defensively than he was. And last night, he played a very patient offensive game.’…Green is learning that he doesn’t have to shoot to be effective. He’s so long and athletic that he can impact a game in many ways. It’s a matter of learning how to do so. Carlisle gave Green this message: ‘We love the way you’re aggressive and the way you can score. We want you to be an all-around player. We know you can do it.’ ‘And I know I can do it,’ Green said. ‘So I want to work on getting my teammates the ball because now, when I do get the ball, teams always think I’m going to shoot it. I want other players aware that I will pass it to them. And that keeps the other team on their toes.’”
- Devean George’s arthroscopic knee surgery was a success. A speedy recovery to George, but not too speedy if yaknawwhamean.
- What tunes does Coach Carlisle groove to?
Posted by Rob Mahoney on March 26, 2009 under Recaps |
Photo by AP Photo/LM Otero.
Box Score — Play-By-Play — Shot Chart — GameFlow
“i m in ur internet, clogin ur tubes.”
-LOLCat
Last night I learned the dangers of putting all your eggs in one basket. I typically partake of my Dallas Mavericks through NBA League Pass Broadband, but having spotty internet prevented me from watching the game, even in archive.
At this point in the season, I refuse to play catch up. I could have a real recap for you tonight or maybe tomorrow, but what’s the point? This is the internets, and if information is 15 minutes late it’s already irrelevant. Comes with the territory, I guess.
On the bright side, it’s a great opportunity to hear your thoughts on the game. You know the drill: tell me some of the little things that made the Mavs’ win last night notable. Whose contributions didn’t show up in the box score? Who gets player of the game honors? How limited did Stephen Jackson look given his injury? What’s your estimate of Don Nelson’s blood alcohol level?
Here are my superficial observations:
- Erick Dampier made his return to the tune of 8 points, 10 rebounds, and a +11 for the night. Not too shabby against a team that he’s not supposed to be able to play against. Although, for what it’s worth, not having to chase Al Harrington to the three point line or box out Andris Biedrins from getting to the offensive glass is helpful. Ronny Turiaf and Brandan Wright don’t have evident means of punishing Dampier offensively, so giving him some burn against a team like this seems like a no-brainer.
- Dirk, JET, and Kidd all played less than 35 minutes (33, 32, and 31 respectively), giving them some much needed rest. Those three are going to have to be in better than top shape if Dallas wants a shot at anyone in the playoffs.
- J.J. Barea for the win. 20 points (8-13 FG), 7 assists, and 3 steals. From my understanding he was every bit the Mavs’ sparkplug, which is precisely the role he needs to fill.
- Gerald Green supposedly logged some meaningful minutes, but let’s not throw a party just yet, kay?
So fill up the comments guys. What should I look for/make special note of when I’m watching this one?
