Dominique Jones’ natural scoring abilities made him a star at South Florida, but during his time with the Mavs thus far, he’s struggled with his touch around the rim. The result has been a less efficient overall line than anyone would like — Jones is shooting just 35.7% from the field after five preseason games — but also the discovery of a few unexpected gems. In this installment of Moving Pictures, we’ll take a look at the other valuable aspects of Dominique Jones’ game, with a specific emphasis on his on-ball defense and playmaking abilities.
Art Garcia previews the Mavs’ season for NBA.com, with some help from Jason Kidd: “Surveying the roster, Kidd points to the two candidates the Mavericks need to come through if that’s going to happen. ‘Shawn and Caron are the two guys that I would circle,’ he said. ‘We need them to have big years.’ Getting that out of them is a function of both understanding the system and each other. Shawn Marion is just one year into his Dallas career. Caron Butler arrived in February. The two former All-Stars are still transitioning to Carlisle’s system. There’s been a lot said and written about which of the two will start this season, since both are natural small forwards. They started together last season, with Butler sharing backcourt space next to Kidd. The starting point guard dismissed any notion that playing time or starting status is going to be an issue. ‘They’re going to be on the court together,’ Kidd assured. ‘It just goes back to being comfortable. When you’re comfortable and understand each other’s tendencies, the game becomes that much easier.’”
Another quality quote from Art Garcia’s preview, this time courtesy of Rick Carlisle, who accurately appraises the Mavs’ current value (emphasis mine): “We know we have a good team here. And what we want to be is a special team. For that to happen, we’ve got some improvement to make in some specific areas.”
Courtesy of Tom Haberstroh: skew the stats just right (read: on a per-minute basis), and Ian Mahinmi is an all-timer.
Chris Tomasson of NBA FanHouse on the Maverick bigs: “Nowitzki’s centers have included stationary objects Shawn Bradley, Raef LaFrentz, DeSagana Diop and Dampier. General manager Donnie Nelson said the Mavericks have had “your traditional aircraft carrieresque centers,” but not the agility and versatility they have in the pivot now with Chandler and Haywood. ‘We’re just going to keep bringing bigs and don’t have to worry about foul trouble,’ said Cuban, who also has in his stable two more centers in 6-11 Ian Mahinmi and 7-foot Alex Ajinca. ‘We can be aggressive, we can press and run and we can do a lot of things we couldn’t do before. It helps us match up against anybody, the Lakers in particular. If they’ve got Bynum, Gasol and Odom on the floor, we can match up. We don’t have to worry about one of those guys posting us up…We’ve got depth and we can put a lot of pressure on teams and hopefully wear them down over the course of a game.’”
Dominique Jones, who is wise beyond his years (via Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas): “If you looked at me my whole career, when have I ever missed layups? We’re talking about layups. We aren’t talking about my jump shot or 3s. We’re talking about layups. I’m missing layups. If I keep going in there, something good is going to happen…I can’t be a rookie this year. I’ve never been a freshman, and I can’t play like a rookie, can’t look like one.”
Apparently, when Jason Terry signs each tweet with “CTC,” he does mean “cut the check.” Only he doesn’t. But he still really does. Alright.
A few older links, from yet another unpublished edition of the Grapevine:
It was once supposed that the Mavs might be able to flip some combination of expiring contracts (Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler, etc.) for an impact player mid-season, but Ryan Schwan of Hornets 24-7 made an excellent point to the contrary: the oversaturation of large expiring contracts on this year’s trade market will make the trade value of all such contracts decline, and the likelihood of any given team (in the case of his piece, the Hornets, and for our purposes, the Mavs) drop accordingly.
Brendan Haywood as a selection on Kevin Sawyer’s All-Overrated team at Detroit Bad Boys. I couldn’t disagree more. Haywood’s good for a quasi double-double, and the real deal when he gets proper minutes. He’s a smart help-side defender and skilled in defending the low post. Considering how much a premium is placed on those skills, I fail to see how Haywood falls so miserably short, even if we use his price tag against him. Overpaid maybe, but necessarily so. Throw in solid finishing ability, a decent righty hook, and par-for-the-course rebounding, and you’ve got yourself a hell of a player that shouldn’t even sniff this list. (Link via Ball Don’t Lie)
Udonis Haslem quietly killed the Mavs in the 2006 Finals, and the nearly came to terms with Dallas for the mid-level exception. What’s he doing these days? Oh, not much, just being a damn essential part of the vaunted Miami Heat.
It’s that time again. Jeff Clark of CelticsBlog has organized bloggers from all across the way to chant out their season previews in unison. We’ve already been through the Atlantic division, the Pacific division, and the Central. Next on the agenda? The Northwest:
Rick Carlisle collapsed to the ground during practice on Friday, went to his office later that night, and was back on the sidelines by Monday. A head coach’s work is never done, and though Carlisle denies that job-related stress brought about his literal downfall, it’s reasonable to think that the two may be related.
A coach in fine health and excellent shape who suddenly buckles at the knees doing nothing but standing? Sometimes these things happen, but I think it’s unreasonable to disregard Carlisle’s high-pressure line of work altogether. He’s “fine.” There’s “nothing to worry about.” But this isn’t an average working stiff with a 9 to 5, but a man in a profession of long nights, early mornings, plenty of travel, heavy expectations, and very public successes and failures.
“It was just really, they were kind of going through warmups and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Like I said, it’s pretty commonplace. My wife has probably fainted four or five times. It happens and when it does happen, it certainly catches you off guard and you have to take every precaution…It’s something that you have to take seriously, and we did, and everything’s checked out. So we just turn the page and move on from here.”
The reality is perhaps a bit more unfortunate than Nelson indicates, though not completely bleak. The coaching profession isn’t about to change, and while no one involved is willing to chalk Carlisle’s brief scare up to his job title, Art Garcia of NBA.com made note of some of the perils of the gig:
Still, his episode does bring into mind the correlation between coaching and stress-related issues. Several college football coaches have been in the headlines recently due to health scares. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio suffered a mild heart attack last month. Florida coach Urban Meyer was hospitalized last season after experiencing chest pains. Citing the mental and physical demands of the job, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy vowed last season to get outside or exercise at least once a day. The long hours, pressures of the job and anxiety take a toll. Coaches have been known to sleep in their offices before important and not-so-important games. The lifestyle can lead to poor eating habits and sleeping patterns if coaches aren’t careful.
“It’s obviously a hazard of the job,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said Saturday. “When you look at the things that football coaches go through, for them it’s a 16-week schedule. But you look at what [basketball coaches] go through, it’s five games in eight nights in five different cities. You’re getting on a plane and eating at 12:30 at night, you’re arriving in a city at five in the morning and you’re meeting at 7:30. There’s just a lot of things that you got to try to manage a little bit. Obviously, when you see something like what happened to coach Dantonio and Rick, you gotta be concerned.”
We should all be concerned. For Rick, and for every coach who isn’t quite so meticulous in their morning workout routine. Yet the event is already behind us, as Carlisle has returned to us in his professional and most immediately relevant capacity. There are no significant health issues to worry about, but shouldn’t the institutional evil — or even the suspicion of one — be a little bit of a bigger deal? Or are coaches bound with the same pseudo-contractual obligation that professional athletes are to surrender their body for the sake of their craft?
What matters most is that Carlisle’s fainting spell wasn’t indicative of something more serious, but the undertones here are worthy of discussion, and as Kelly Dwyer noted at Ball Don’t Lie, worth keeping an eye on for the future. These kinds of events may not have the causality of high jump + awkward landing –> ankle injury, but with the coaching lifestyle acting as a logical impairment to the health of many of our clipboard-wielding leaders, should some kind of measure be taken to protect them? Just as importantly: with expectations and media coverage spiraling to new heights and the need for further preparation heightened with an influx of all kinds of new data, can we do anything at all?
Chris Tomasson, NBA FanHouse: “Once again, Nowitzki has a picture of the Larry O’Brien Trophy in his locker to serve as his motivation. ‘That’s been there for a while,’ said Nowitzki, who signed a four-year contract last summer after becoming a free agent. ‘It’s going to basically stay there hopefully for the next four years. Hopefully, I’ll get one before then, and I’ll take it down. Or I’ll leave it up until I get a second one. That’s really what it’s all about now. I don’t think I personally have to prove or achieve anything (other than) just winning the ring. So that’s what I’m working on.’”
Tom Haberstroh broke down the league’s 10 most untradeable contracts (Insider), and our very own Shawn Marion (four years, $32.2 million remaining on his deal) made the list at no. 10: “Already 32 years old, the veteran small forward will almost undoubtedly enact his $9 million player option in 2013-14, when he’ll be 36. Mavs owner Mark Cuban can probably stomach the $32.2 million outstanding on his deal, but that doesn’t mean it was a wise contract in the first place.” DeSagana Diop (three years, $20.8 million remaining) also made the list at no. 7.
The Mavs will play an outdoor preseason game against the Suns on Saturday night, but Dirk Nowitzki won’t.
They’re a few days old by this point, but there was plenty of Dallas love in the annual NBA GM survey. Among the most significant: 11.5% of GMs (tied for 3rd) think Dwane Casey is the league’s top assistant coach, 28.6% (T-1st) think Dirk is the best at his position (which marks the first year of Dirk’s career that Tim Duncan wasn’t the leading vote-getter), and 21.4% (1st) think that Rodrigue Beaubois is the international player most likely to have a breakout season.
John Stockton is the prototype for aging NBA players hoping to remain productive, and Jason Kidd hopes to follow in his footsteps as he continues to play on the brink of 40. Brendan Haywood chimes in: “He takes good care of his body and he’s a consummate professional. He can play forever.”
Michael Lee of the Washington Post, on Josh Howard’s recovery from a left knee injury: “His improvement has been such a revelation that the Wizards may soon see him on the floor in the next few weeks. ‘If you watch him on the floor doing skeleton runs, you’d think that he could play that night. He’s pretty advanced. A lot more advanced than what we thought, but we’re going to take our time,’ Coach Flip Saunders said. ‘I would anticipate that he’ll probably facilitate things in the next two or three weeks. We’ll kind of take our time and see where we are at. We’re not going to push him back, but we’re not going to push him to get there. We’re going to make sure he’s back close to 100 percent.’”
Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle has been released from the hospital after collapsing at practice.
Team president Donnie Nelson said Carlisle was released from Baylor University Medical Center on Friday afternoon and “is doing good” after fainting on the practice court at the American Airlines Center. The 50-year-old coach was conscious and responding to questions as he was carried by stretcher to an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital. Team personnel were with him. Nelson says he is unsure whether Carlisle will travel to California for an outdoor exhibition game Saturday against Phoenix.
Team spokeswoman Sarah Melton says Carlisle “was apparently lightheaded” and fainted on the court Friday at the American Airlines Center. The 50-year-old coach was conscious and responding to questions as he was carried by stretcher to an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital.
Melton says members of the Mavericks’ front office staff are with him at the hospital and report that the coach “seems to be feeling better.”
Donnie Nelson just walked by me and gave two thumbs up, saying that Coach fainted but he’s doing well.
—–
Some distressing news, via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News: Rick Carlisle collapsed at practice today, and was taken to the hospital by medical personnel shortly thereafter. From Sefko’s report:
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle collapsed on the team’s practice court this afternoon and was taken from the court on a stretcher. It was unknown what happened to Carlisle, who was sitting up on the stretcher when he was wheeled toward the loading dock at about 12:38 p.m. An ambulance was waiting. At 12:50 p.m., the ambulance left the loading dock. Carlisle was moving his arms when he was taken out of the arena and seemed to be alert.
The fact that Carlisle was alert and had control of his arms are obviously good things, but it’s entirely too early to make any kind of proclamation on the severity (or lack of severity) of this incident. More information, either from the team or otherwise, will be relayed as it becomes available. Of course, my thoughts go with Rick on his way to Baylor Medical Center.
“It’s hard to sell something that nobody can see.”
-Ginger Baber
Again, forgive me for the lack of a proper recap, but this will likely be the protocol for most of the preseason. Without proper access to the games and much to digest even if I made it through that broadcasting threshold, this just seems the most fitting way to wrap up each contest. Again, feel free to contribute your own thoughts in the comments.
Box score notables: Dirk Nowitzki (30 points, 9-21 FG, 11-13 FT, 10 rebounds), Caron Butler (22 points on 13 shots, five rebounds, 10 FTAs), Ian Mahinmi (nine rebounds, including 4 OREBs, in 12 minutes).
Tim MacMahon, ESPN Dallas: “[Caron]Butler played the entire fourth quarter of the Mavs’ 88-83 win over the Bulls, scoring 14 of his 22 points in the final frame. Most of Butler’s damage came against James Johnson, a former Bulls first-round pick who hasn’t exactly blossomed. Butler lit it up for 11 points during a 13-2 run that gave the Mavs control of the game for good. Butler’s fourth-quarter scoring flurry was a mixture of jumpers and free throws. He was 4-of-6 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the line in the fourth.”
Matt McHale, By the Horns: “What worries me are negative trends. After getting outrebounded 42-37 by the Bucks on Tuesday, the Bulls were again crushed on the boards last night. Dallas held a 54-34 rebounding edge and finished with 25 second-chance points. Can Carlos Boozer pull down one-handed rebounds? Have we ruled that out? Because that eight-week absence is starting to feel really long. Said [Tom] Thibodeau: ‘We’re small. So we have to gang rebound. If we can’t do that, we won’t be successful. We can’t leak out. We have guys taking off early trying to get on the break. They need to get in the fight first.’”
Caron Butler: “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish it. And we did a great job of keeping our poise there and staying with what we do best: executing our offense, controlling the paint, rebounding the ball, getting out of the transitions and making things happen. Over the course of the game we did a great job of that. We out-rebounded them as a whole, and we just stayed with it.”
Tim MacMahon, ESPN Dallas: “[Dirk] Nowitzki dropped 20 in the first half, which he finished with a 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Mavs a 45-44 lead over the Bulls. The perennial All-Star power forward has been in attack mode all night. He’s 6-of-14 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. He’s missed a few wide-open jumpers that usually go down, but he’s hard to stop when he’s this aggressive. Other than Nowitzki, it hasn’t been a pretty night for the Mavs’ offense. The rest of the Mavs are misfiring at a 33-percent clip.”
Rick Carlisle: “We got in a hole [early], but we fought back and at least we had a manageable situation. We played better as the game went on against a tough opponent, tough minded, physical and very defensive oriented…just difficult to guard, because they put it on the floor and they shoot it. We certainly could have played better in spots, but in terms of the physical nature of the game it was a lot like in many ways an Eastern Conference playoff game…those games are good to get in the preseason.”
Michael Lee of the Washington Post: “But shortly before pregame introductions, Arenas was dribbling near half court when Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd walked up to embrace him. Shortly thereafter, Jason Terry wrapped his arms around Arenas, followed by former Wizards teammates DeShawn Stevenson, Brendan Haywood and finally Caron Butler, with Haywood needling Arenas for his unkempt beard. Arenas couldn’t help but smile. But asked after the game about what his emotions were, Arenas said, ‘I lost all feeling a long time ago.’”
Tom Ziller, in typical Ziller fashion, illustrating the difference between Rick Carlisle and Avery Johnson in amazing visual form. There’s a lot going on with Ziller’s diagrams, but feast your eyes. I’m not sure that the diagram tells us anything we didn’t know before (a point emphasized by Mark Cuban in the source material on which Ziller riffs), but they’re worth your time nonetheless.
Rick Carlisle on the “battle” for starting center honors (via Eddie Sefko): “I don’t see it as a battle. I see those guys as being a team. Brendan’s going to be the starter - for now. And Tyson’s going to give us energy and athleticism and he brings an exuberance to the game that’s really going to help us. It’s a tandem that we really like and we expect big things from them and they’re going to have to produce for us.”
“The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy.”
-Anonymous
Game one is technically in the books, even if it’s not much more than a token. Unfortunately, for those of us out of market, it all came second-hand. Without the distinct privilege of watching 48 minutes of riveting preseason action myself, I’m inclined to defer to those who did. But don’t leave this to writers and journalists alone. Have some insight on one of the Mavs from last night’s game? Sound off in the comments.
Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News: “According to the coaching staff, [Jason] Terry had five deflections and caused three loose balls. This is a huge development because coach Rick Carlislehas maintained that defensive intensity is what Terry has to improve on to keep racking up the 30 minutes per game that he’s averaged over most of his career. When asked if Terry can do that, Carlisle said: ‘Why the (heck) not?’ Terry’s defensive tipped balls – even more than his three steals – made Carlisle smile. Terry, too. ‘That’s what we’ve been concentrating on,’ he said. ‘That’s what I have to do.’”
Michael Lee, Washington Post: “[John] Wall later intercepted an Ian Mahinmi pass intended for Kidd and zipped down the court to make a left-handed layup. But his best play was actually a pass: a lob from beyond the three-point line to JaVale McGee (13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks) that McGee caught and dunked with two hands over Brian Cardinal. ‘That was the hypest play for me,’ Wall said of the alley-oop to McGee. ‘The main thing was getting the jitters out of the way and having chemistry down pat with my teammates.’”
Tim MacMahon, ESPN Dallas: “After two injury-marred seasons, [Tyson] Chandler is completely healthy again. He looked a lot like the dude who averaged a double-double for the Hornets in 2007-08 during his debut in a Mavs uniform. He finished with 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting (including one oooh-inducing alley-oop), nine rebounds and two blocked shots in 17 minutes. “‘I loved Chandler tonight, and I’ve loved him every day of training camp,’ coach Rick Carlisle said. ‘He’s really bringing not only energy, but he’s bringing some vocal leadership and personality to our team, which we need. He’s a very, very welcome addition.’”
Tyson Chandler: “They came out and threw a press at us and threw a zone at us. Those were things that we weren’t prepared for and some things that we haven’t gone over in practice. But, that is what preseason is for. We need to learn. Tomorrow we will go over some things for the next game.”
Kyle Weidie, Truth About It: “Four of [Gilbert Arenas'] five makes were assisted upon; two of those came from running off-ball screening action, and two came as he made himself available at the three point line in transition and off an offensive rebound. The one non-assisted make came on a sweet baseline jumper against the mis-matched Jose Juan Barea (that natural scoring ability Gil still has). Out of the four misses, only 1.5 accounted for “bad attempts” — The good misses being wide open in transition and when Marion gave him too much room at the top of the key. The bad miss came when he pulled up for three in transition when driving action clearly would’ve created something for Blatche down low or Hinrich in the corner. The half bad attempt was Arenas’ last as he tried to post his old buddy DeShawn Stevenson. It was a close shot, but going in the direction of help. In terms of changing his game for the team, Gilbert might just be okay … but I can’t speak for him otherwise.”
Dan Devine, Ball Don’t Lie: “No catchphrases here … just a note that Hudson, a training camp invitee who spent time last season with the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies (as well as the D-League’s Maine Red Claws and Dakota Wizards), showed similar late-game flair during Summer League. Given the video evidence, if they don’t already call him Cool Lester Smooth, they might want to think about it. (Or, whoever “they” are might not want to start doling out “Wire”-related nicknames based on stuff that happens before the games start to count. Which would be fair, I guess.)”
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