“How beautiful is youth! How bright it gleams with its illusions, aspirations, dreams! Book of Beginnings, Story without End, Each maid a heroine, and each man a friend!”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Winning isn’t always pretty, but in games like the Mavs’ win over the Pistons, you can always appreciate the little things. The offense was decent rather than miserable. Ben Gordon (5 points, 1-16 FG) was locked in a steel cage and thrown into the ocean. Rodrigue Beaubois made it perfectly clear that he has no intention of staying buried on the bench. Those are the things a fan can take solace in, even if the Mavs let a mediocre Pistons team hang in this game for far too long.
Rodney Stuckey (28 points, 12-20 FG) and Will Bynum (27 points, 11-16 FG) proved yet again that this team has trouble containing quick, penetrating guard play. A late shift to the zone seemed to slow down Bynum, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the Mavs put up a solid defensive front. Jason Kidd, in particular, looked a step or two slow in trying to curtail Stuckey. It would have been nice to see a second half response like we did against Aaron Brooks and the Houston Rockets, but the Mavs more or less retained the same defensive strategies in trying to defend Bynum and Stuckey. But whether it was by design (Dirk mentioned post-game that the primary defensive objective was to take Ben Gordon out of the game) or not, Stuckey and Bynum were getting what they wanted when they wanted it.
But the Mavs’ own quick guard had a field day in half-court sets and the transition game alike. Rodrigue Beaubois had a perfect night from the field (14 points, 6-6 FG, 2-2 3FG, 4 assists, ZERO turnovers) and continues to impress with his decision-making abilities. After watching the summer league games, I was expecting Beaubois to be a bit out of control, try to do to much, and be his own worst enemy until he got his sea legs. Well, those sea legs must have been shipped overnight before the season began, because even Rodrigue’s lesser games are graced by a savvy that goes far beyond his years and professional experience. He’s not forcing things, he makes smart passes with a purpose, and he isn’t afraid of anything. Despite the fact that Beaubois has logged only 57 minutes thus far, it’s hard to be anything less than thrilled with his performance. We knew that he would eventually be a contributor, but Rodrigue appears more NBA-ready than anyone predicted.
And it’s a good thing he is. Beaubois’ excellence, combined with solid nights from Drew Gooden (11 points, 11 rebounds, one block) and Shawn Marion (11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, two steals, and a block), helped the Mavs to survive more poor shooting from Dirk Nowitzki (25 points, 11-27 FG, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and Jason Terry (9 points, 1-7 FG, 6-8 FT, three steals). Dirk and JET still managed to contribute to the game throughout, and they took over in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Between them, Nowitzki and Terry scored 14 out of the Mavs’ final 16 points by hitting big jumpers, getting to the free throw line, and benefiting from some smooth ball movement.
Closing thoughts:
Erick Dampier missed the game due to illness, and was rushed to the hospital. It’s unknown exactly what Damp’s symptoms were.
Kris Humphries deserves mention for providing good minutes in the middle. You don’t want the ball going to Hump with the shot clock winding down, but you have to appreciate his hustle. Kris finished with just 5 points, 2 rebounds, and two blocks, but he played well.
The Mavs may have caught a big break when Rodney Stuckey came up limping in the fourth quarter. He had been tearing it up all game long, and the Pistons could have used him late in the fourth with the game still in the balance.
Weird night for +/- : all the Mavs’ starters were positive, but the reserves were negative. All the Pistons’ starters were negative, but the reserves were positive.
GOLD STAR OF THE NIGHT: The Gold Star of the Night goes to, for the first time in his career, Rodrigue Beaubois. “Roddy” energizes the offense when he’s on the floor, and his ability to create with the ball in his hands and also thrive off the ball (three cheers for point-guard-to-point-guard alley oops!) should make Mavs fans salivate. Beaubois is the silver lining to Josh Howard’s injury, and he’s making a very compelling case for playing time after Josh’s return.
The Dallas Mavericks visit the Minnesota Timberwolves
7:00 CST
The biggest disappointment of the 2009-2010 season thus far is not Drew Gooden’s sloppy play, Josh Howard’s nagging injury, or even the blown games against the Hornets and Spurs, but rather the sloppy, impotent offensive display the Mavs have put on over the season’s first eight games. Although the significant increase in free throw attempts has padded Dallas’ offensive efficiency and raw points per game numbers, one metric stands out above all: a disappointing and uncharacteristic .493 effective field goal percentage, down from .504 last season.
The obvious villain here, oddly enough, is Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk is averaging an impressive 26.5 PPG, but both his traditional field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage are the lowest they’ve been since his rookie season. His low shooting percentages are sandbagging an offense that was supposedly potent, negating the offensive impacts of replacing Antoine Wright with Shawn Marion and counterbalancing Erick Dampier’s hot start. In all of the moves made this summer, the Maverick offense was always considered a given. Dirk is still an offensive whiz, Jason Kidd is still a helluva point guard, and Jason Terry boggles the mind with his super-efficient shooting. Suddenly that offense is anything but a crutch, and though it’s been nice to watch the Mavs win games with stops and free throws, it would certainly be nice to see Dirk’s jumper splash net a few more times a night.
But honestly, there’s no reason to panic. Mavs fans are well aware of Dirk’s ability to bounce back from a shooting slump, and although this site (among others) puts Dirk’s offensive game on a pedestal for all to admire, he’s not flawless. And though Dirk’s shooting numbers may seem abnormal when compared to his season averages over the course of his career, a deeper look shows that Dirk has started slowly in each of the last four years.
Season
Dirk's FG% (8 games)
Mavs' Record
2009-2010
.427
5-3
2008-2009
.416
2-6
2007-2008
.443
6-2
2006-2007
.493
4-4
Although Dirk’s FG% over the first eight games of the 2006-2007 season appears to be sound, it’s still a full percentage point lower than his season average.
Dirk is going to bounce back, and once his jumper returns it will be greeted with parades and celebrations. Tonight seems a good a night as any, as a depleted Timberwolves team missing both Al Jefferson and Kevin Love will lean heavily on Ryan Gomes and Oleksiy Pecherov to defend Dirk. The open looks will be there, the lanes to the basket will be there, and it’s up to Dirk to jump-start his offense in any way he can.
Apparently it wasn’t enough for the Spurs to simply take the Mavs’ dignity, they had to take Josh Howard, too. Howard is out indefinitely after missing the second half against San Antonio, although most reports seem to indicate that this is more of a precautionary move than anything. Here’s Rick Carlisle, via Eddie Sefko on the DMN Blog:
“We’re going to shut Josh down again for a while, just to make sure he gets some more time to rehab and strengthen it…He hasn’t had any setbacks or anything like that. We just feel it’s the best thing. There’s no definite time period.”
The Mavs REALLY want Howard at full strength before he jumps into the regular season grind, and they’re willing to wait as long as necessary. Josh’s return to injury land will likely bring Quinton Ross back into the starting lineup.
Britt Robson has a great piece at SI.com focusing on the Mavs’ defense. There’s honestly too much to quote, but check it out.
Erick Dampier’s excellent play has an interesting wrinkle, noted by Eddie Sefko: “The more games Dampier continues to pile up like Tuesday’s against Houston, the tougher it’s going to be to sit him. That said, there’s no way the franchise allows Dampier to get to the minutes-threshold incentive that would trigger the final year of his seven-year contract at a guarantee of more than $13 million. Ain’t gonna happen. But imagine the uncomfortable situation if Dampier keeps rolling up numbers like the 14 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks (with no missed shots) he had against the Rockets. How can you not keep that kind of production on the court when you really need it?”
Tom Martin of The Dream Shake: “The thirteen turnovers hurt, but Dallas had fourteen. The twenty-two fouls may seem a bit much, but Dallas had twenty-eight. Look no further than the Mavericks‘ true shooting percentage of sixty-five percent to find a large chunk of why they were victorious. Seven of twelve from three? Twenty-two of twenty-three on free throws? That’s called execution.”
It looks as though our pals down in San Antone will be without some of their key cogs tonight. Hooray for the Mavs’ chances of snagging another win, but boo on the likelihood of a competitive game. I know all wins count the same, but these games are just too much fun when both teams are firing on all cylinders.
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing - that’s why we recommend it daily.”
-Zig Ziglar
Though it may not bode well for your blood pressure or the items being thrown at your television set, the Mavs are definitely making things interesting. We’re just seven games into the season and they’ve already found just about every possible way to win. They shot the lights out against Toronto, they put up a fine, combined offensive/defensive effort against Los Angeles, Dirk had an impressive one-man show against Utah, and finally, they overcame the 17-point handicap the Mavs gave the Rockets in the first half last night.
That first quarter was brutal. Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola combined for 24 points on 9 of 11 shooting, and the Rockets were picking apart the Mavs’ D with timely offensive boards and sharp interior passing. Say what you will about the talent level of this Houston team, but they’re smart players with good instincts, and their basketball savvy was more than evident during the opening quarter surge. It took a few minutes for them to get into rhythm, but once Brooks started triggering the fast break, the Mavs looked done. Dallas was caught in a bit of a dilemma: hitting the offensive boards would likely translate to more possessions against an undersized Houston squad, but doing so would allow Brooks to jog, skip, or crab walk his way to a free fast break layup. It’s a tough call, and the Mavs clearly deliberated between both options in the first half, before somehow opting to do both in the second.
Something just clicked. After a 10-4 second quarter run, the Rockets managed just one other run of note: a quick 5-0 burst in the fourth, when the game had more or less been decided. The Mavs, on the other hand, rode their momentum going into halftime, and haven’t bothered to disembark since. They rattled off the following runs without answer from the Rockets: 12-3, 10-1, 8-0, 12-4, 8-3. That’s how days are won and dreams are made, kids.
The defense was just as impressive after the internal trigger. The Rockets shot just 11 for 36 in the second half, as virtually every offensive threat was neutralized. Aaron Brooks’ speed was negated by Kidd’s defense, which guided Brooks directly into the help D. Trevor Ariza (9 points, 3-10 FG, 5 rebounds) was completely bottled by Shawn Marion. Luis Scola, Carl Landry, and David Andersen were cut off from smooth interior feeds, instead being forced to take long jumpers or create for themselves by backing down the Mavs’ interior defenders. Dallas was suddenly able to both secure offensive rebounds and halt Houston’s fast break opportunities, leaving the Rox in a bit of a rut.
Jason Terry (24 points, 7-8 FG, 1-1 3FG, 9-9 FT, 3 assists) was absolutely brilliant. He looked and played like a man with a mission, as JET clearly had redemption on the line in his own personal game against the ghost of free throws past. You can’t ask for a better scoring night off the bench.
Erick Dampier deserves a paragraph all to himself, but I’m getting there. Just wait.
Closing thoughts:
The Mavs showed no hesitation in using the three guard lineup down the stretch in the fourth. Jason Kidd, J.J. Barea, and Jason Terry were all on the floor when this one was carefully put away, giving Josh Howard plenty of time to rest that bum ankle.
Erick Dampier. Seriously.
Though the three guard look dealt the final blows against the Rockets, it’s worth noting that the starters did most of the heavy lifting for the Mavs. They were responsible for the 22-3 run bridging the second and third quarters…y’know, the run that completely flipped the game on its head.
GOLD STAR OF THE NIGHT: The Gold Star of the Night goes to, without question, Erick Dampier. JET was spectacular, Kidd was patient, Marion was aggressive, and Dirk was Dirk, but you absolutely cannot argue with the force of nature formerly known as Ericka. He was an absolute monster (14 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks, 6-6 FG, 2-2 FT), and made his presence felt with all the contract year might he could muster. Honestly, I don’t care what Damp’s motivations are. If he’s playing for a new deal, that’s just awesome. If he’s having some sort of mid-life crisis, that’s awesome, too. But as long as Damp keeps rockin’ the rim, setting huge picks, and altering the game with defense and rebounding, I have absolutely no objections.
The Houston Rockets visit the Dallas Mavericks
7:30 CST
When the Mavs and the Rockets met in the 2005 playoffs, Houston appeared to be on the cusp of elite status. Not only did the wing-center combo of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming make sense on a very basic, basketball level, but McGrady’s offense was an excellent counterpoint to Jeff Van Gundy’s Yao-anchored defense. The rest of the roster was appraised as paper-thin, but solid contributions from a stable of role players sopped up minutes like a Bob Sura-shaped sponge. Houston very nearly downed Dallas in the first round, before an improbable comeback (and a Game 7 dismantling) ended the Rockets’ run before it truly began.
But as people in the future are ought to do, we know now that it was never meant to be. Yao and McGrady have alternated breakdowns, JVG was chased from the head of the bench to the broadcast table, and the rest of the roster has been turned over in its entirety.
What’s even more tragic is that for the most part, the Rockets’ “downfall” was instigated by events almost entirely outside of their control. So much hinged on the knees and back of McGrady and the legs of Yao, and that’s a load those bones were not built to bare. A string of unfavorable and unlucky injuries dropped the ceiling on an entire franchise, left two star athletes in limbo at critical points in their careers, and likely cost Van Gundy his job.
Meanwhile, the Mavs have been to the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. They’ve won 67 games and brought home an MVP award, a Coach of the Year Award, and a 6th Man Award. They defeated the older brother Spurs, took down deserter Steve Nash, and have yet to win less than 50 games. The Mavs have won and accomplished plenty, largely because Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, the linchpins of execution and chemistry in Dallas, have had sterling health over the last four seasons.
Trade the medical records of Dirk/Terry for that of Yao/McGrady, and the entire Western Conference is radically altered. Not only would the rosters of the Mavs and the Rockets be radically different, but titles would assuredly change hands, reactionary trade moves would be impacted, and who knows what would have happened to Ron Artest.
In spite of all of the injuries that have plagued the Rockets, they’ve won over 50 games in three out of the four years since those fateful 2005 Playoffs. That group of middling peripheral talent was swapped out for a more complete role playing cast under the careful, calculating watch (and maybe calculator watch) of Daryl Morey. The wacky world of advanced statistical analysis has built surprisingly competent teams in Houston, with this year’s outfit being no exception. Despite the fact that most players on the roster shouldn’t be considered a primary or even secondary offensive option, Houston is locked with Dallas for the top spot in the Southwest Division. That’s a hell of a rally for a squad missing their top two players, who also happen to be the floor generals for both ends of the court. With no McGrady or Artest to provide the scoring punch, the Rockets are STILL 8th in the league in offensive rating. And with no Yao inside, the Rockets are STILL in the top half of the league in defensive rating. Those are decent numbers for any team, much less one thought to fall out of the playoff race entirely.
I’d like to think that in the bizarro universe I’ve painted for you, Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson would be able to accomplish the same, or at least a comparable product. Like Morey, both Cuban and Nelson are known for the ingenuity. Combine that innovative side with a willingness to pull the trigger on potential deals, and you have the ingredients necessary to assemble a scrappy, underdog squad. There’s no way of knowing whether Josh Howard and Erick Dampier (and Devin Harris?) could lead a team to the playoffs with a Rockets-esque cast, but I have no hesitation in saying that it would be difficult to put the Mavs and Rockets in better hands.
Dirk Nowitzki’s incredible one-man fourth quarter comeback against the Utah Jazz will go down as one of the finest performances in franchise history, but Dirk’s brilliance overshadowed another impressive showing by the Mavs’ defense. In the first installment of Moving Pictures, we’ll take a look at some of the key stops Dallas made during their fourth quarter run, the very stops that enabled Dirk and the Mavs to pull off an unlikely victory.
In life, in love, in highly competitive games of Scattergories, and of course, in basketball, there exists a delicate balance between convention and innovation. Knowing when to stick to the “tried and true” and when to take the leap is what separates the good from the truly great. Such discretion should be the ultimate goal of Donnie Nelson and Evan Wyly as they try to mold the yet unnamed Frisco NBDL team, and the earliest returns show them to be doing just that.
In my mind, the Spurs are the model. Though Marcus Williams, Ian Mahinmi, Malik Hairston, and the rest of the Austin Toros crew (bothpast and present) have yet to make a serious NBA impact, the organization seems to be doing things…ahem, the right way. Patience is a must when it comes to this process, as simply being at the helm of a D-League franchise doesn’t improve the intrinsic value of its parts. But if you put in the time and the effort from scouting to system implementation, you’re going to see results.
The notification that the Frisco Blankers will be running Rick Carlisle’s system is a wonderful start. First and foremost, Frisco will be a Mavs’ farm team. D-League assignees will be able to get some burn in the minors, but in the same in-game contexts that they’ll see in the big leagues. There obviously won’t be any Dirk Nowitzkis in the NBDL, but getting that in-game experience is vital for understanding the spacing, movement, and roles in Carlisle’s sets. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but those things are pretty important, especially for role players on the cusp of making it into the lig.
That’s exactly what’s going on in Austin, where D-Leaguers are learning the nuances of Gregg Popovich’s defense, and the proper ways to stand in the corner and nail threes. The Toros have already begun to bear fruit for SanAn, as Anthony Tolliver and a slew of Austin alumni served as rotation players late last season. They weren’t brilliant, but they were competent, and that’s exactly what the Mavs should expect to see coming out of Frisco. And that’s exactly what Del Harris, newly appointed general manager and old friend of the organization, will be looking for.
If given the opportunity, this system will produce role players. Donnie knows his way around the D-League block, as J.J. Barea was mined from that very system. That’s a pretty sizable asset to conjure out of thin air, and expect Donnie to find more and more serviceable players as this venture goes on.
But what’s important to remember in all of this is that the Mavs are not the Spurs, despite what Avery Johnson may have once led you to believe. Even if the Spurs-Toros connection is the blueprint, it’s essential that Nelson and Wyly aren’t afraid to step outside their bounds. Do what works, and to hell with what’s been done before. The D-League is the perfect place for experimentation, which is why I found great pride in the announcement that Nancy Lieberman will not only be the first female head coach in the NBA sphere, but also the coach of our soon-to-be-beloved Frisco squad. That’s absolutely tremendous, as the Mavs are not only exploring new avenues to scout playing talent, but coaching talent as well. No other NBA team employs a female coach on their staff, which puts the Mavs in a position to not only be progressive, but also opportunistic.
Nancy Lieberman knows basketball. It’s impossible to predict exactly what kind of coach she’ll be, but no one will know until the Mavericks do. That’s a terribly convenient position to be in. And though the common fan may not associate the Mavs with the avant garde, their extension into the D-League represents this organization’s mentality in the Mark Cuban era: keep thinking, keep trying, and keep flying.
View Comments 
Photo by AP.
GOLD STAR OF THE NIGHT: The Gold Star of the Night goes to, for the first time in his career, Rodrigue Beaubois. “Roddy” energizes the offense when he’s on the floor, and his ability to create with the ball in his hands and also thrive off the ball (three cheers for point-guard-to-point-guard alley oops!) should make Mavs fans salivate. Beaubois is the silver lining to Josh Howard’s injury, and he’s making a very compelling case for playing time after Josh’s return.
