Over the last few games, Rick Carlisle has unveiled an interesting choice for go-to offense to commence each game: a set designed to open up Tyson Chandler for an elbow jumper.
The primary play action itself is nothing new, but the result itself is worth noting. There are obviously multiple options available to the Mavs in this particular continuity set, but the one they’ve ended up settling for — a mid-range jumper from the floor’s least likely shooting candidate — is worth noting.
By my count, the Mavs have run the set to open the game on at least three occasions in the past two weeks, and Chandler’s shot is smoother than one might think. He hasn’t made all of his looks, but the visual image of Chandler popping a set shot from the elbow is far cleaner than the concept itself.
I had a chance to ask Chandler about the set after the Mavs’ win over the Heat on Saturday. “Well, I don’t wanna give away our scout,” Chandler said. He grinned widely. “But we can throw it out there every now and then until I make some guys into believers.” Judging by the laugh Chandler let out during his response, he may have to turn himself into a believer, too.
It’s not a complicated set, but here’s a look at the play to free up Chandler:
The sequence begins with a sub-free throw line pick by DeShawn Stevenson, which allows Dirk Nowitzki to set up from the left elbow. Jason Kidd dribbles upcourt on the right side of the floor, and stops at the three-point line.
Kidd feeds the now-open Dirk Nowitzki, and Stevenson fades into the left corner. Meanwhile, on the right wing, Tyson Chandler sets a baseline screen for Caron Butler, who cuts from the corner opposite Stevenson to the left block.
But all of this is just foreplay. After the right side of the floor is cleared, Kidd sets a down-screen for Tyson Chandler, who cuts toward the right elbow. Nowitzki hits him with the pass, Chandler faces up and…well, clang in this particular video example.
Rick Carlisle announced after last night’s game that Dominique Jones would enjoy a luxurious stay with the Texas Legends, but held one minor detail close to the vest.
Rodrigue Beaubois will be joining him. Kind of.
The Mavericks announced today that both Jones and Beaubois have been officially assigned to the Legends, though Mark Cuban clarified that Beaubois’ involvement with the Mavs’ D-League affiliate is for marketing purposes only. It’s an interesting way to put people in seats for the Legends’ game against the Austin Toros, but I’d be curious to know if having make a public appearance to support the Legends really necessitates including him on the actual roster. Couldn’t he just show up for an advertised appearance at the games? Sign autographs, shake hands, pose for photos holding a peace sign?
I guess we’ll have to wait and see exactly what it is Beaubois does with the Legends, but I’m a tad disappointed the Mavs aren’t utilizing the D-League as the next step in Beaubois’ recovery, and a bit perplexed as to why this endeavor is worthwhile in the first place.
Jones’ assignment is a bit more straight-forward; he’ll stay in the D for a spell (Carlisle mentioned three games as a possible duration), primarily to continue to work on his game and see the court for some extended minutes. The only thing we can definitively say about Jones’ game is that he’s struggled as a scorer. His most NBA-ready skill may not be quite so NBA ready after all, as he’s been able to get to the rim but has had trouble finishing for the Mavs. His journeys into the paint have no scoring destination, and while that’s given Jones an opportunity to show off his playmaking abilities, rookies who miss layups don’t tend to stick in Rick Carlisle’s rotation.
There’s nothing really wrong with Jones’ ability to complete layups and dunks in traffic or with contact, he just has to get his bearings as a pro player. The D-League affords him an opportunity to do just that, while also working on ways to improve his physical individual defense into a more versatile defensive arsenal. Once Jones tightens up his drives and learns to become a better team defender, he’s a lock for regular playing time in the NBA.
So one more serious addition, and one superficial one for the Legends, who can now boast that they have “seven first-round picks” on their roster.
No back-handed compliments and no caveats: Caron Butler (19 points, 8-16 FG, zero turnovers) played well. Particularly, Butler did a terrific job of cutting and rotating in the half-court offense rather than parking on the wing and waiting for the ball. Such movement not only enables Butler to make a catch in transit on the way to the rim, but it also frees him up to take his favorite mid-range jumpers in a far more palatable setting. Butler is fine as a catch-and-shoot player, or in taking one dribble to step in for a shot. The trouble comes when Caron tries to create off the dribble in isolation, and by moving prior to receiving the ball, Butler is protecting himself from…well, himself.
Again, love the adjustments as the game went on. Houston was hitting threes and crashing the offensive boards in the first half, but both of those factors were ultimately rectified by the ebb of the Rockets’ shooting and a stronger presence on the defensive glass by the Mavs in the second half.
J.J. Barea (11 points, six assists, three rebounds) has looked fantastic driving to the bucket over the last few games, and he’s really using a combination of hesitation moves and patience to his advantage. By displaying a bit more discretion in both his shooting and playmaking, Barea makes the threat of his hesitation that much more potent, which of course further enables him to explode off the dribble and catch opponents off-guard.
Houston’s defense on Dirk Nowitzki (20 points, 10-16 FG, 10 rebounds, three turnovers, three blocks) ranged from excellent but futile (Luis Scola) to just plain misguided (Jordan Hill). Something tells me that letting Dirk face up and rise from mid-range without any kind of contest isn’t the way to curtail his scoring production.
The first quarter saw 10 of the game’s 17 lead changes. Houston led by as many as three, while Dallas was up by as many as four.
A tremendous showing for Shawn Marion (14 points, 5-10 FG, 10 rebounds), who is on one of those rolls, only different from all of his previous rolls. Capiche?
Luis Scola is pivotal to the Rockets’ Yao-less offense, and Rick Carlisle elected to have the Mavs swarm Scola during the third quarter. Jason Kidd often released for the double team off of Kyle Lowry, a wise decision given Lowry’s limitations as a spot-up shooter. It’s no coincidence that Dallas really started to separate in the third.
Six points, nine rebounds, and two blocks for Brendan Haywood, which is firmly in Erick Dampier territory. Still, Haywood looked more active on the glass than he has of late, and though that alone won’t make the Mavs’ brass sleep more soundly at night with Haywood’s massive contract tucked under their pillows, it’s a nice surprise for a night. That’s how far Haywood has fallen; six, nine, and two now qualifies as a pleasant surprise.
The Rockets were able to burn the Mavs pretty consistently with backdoor cuts, which should hardly come as any surprise given that Rick Adelman orchestrated Houston’s offense from the sideline. Zone defenses are particulary vulnerable to such cuts, but Dallas didn’t seem to be much more attentive or responsive to the open backdoor when in man-to-man sets, either.
The Mavs ultimately gave up a run to make this game seem closer than it was, but it wasn’t your typical late-game lead concession. This one was very much decided when Houston made their final push toward a respectable margin, and while that dings up the Mavs’ final point differential, it’s not in the vein of Dallas’ previous late-game let-ups.
It’s been a pretty interesting first two weeks of existence for the Texas Legends. The Mavs’ D-League affiliate is off to a 2-1 start after winning back-to-back games against the Idaho Stampede, and on top of the excitement of a young season, the Legends have added two players of note to their roster.
First, the Legends added 2008 lottery pick Joe Alexander to their current crew thanks to a waiver claim (he was essentially a late admission into the D-League pool), and he’s stepped in to produce immediately. In his two games for the Legends thus far, Alexander has averaged 19.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per context. He still isn’t ready to step into a contributing role in the NBA, but it would honestly surprise me if Alexander goes the entire D-League season without an eventual call-up. Limited though he may be, Alexander is worthy of a spot on someone’s bench, even if a stint in the D is far more beneficial than watching the first years of his career pass him by from some NBA club’s bench. The Legends will reap the benefits of Alexander’s production as long as they can, but it’s clear he’s not long for this D-League world.
Additionally, it seems that Rashad McCants has finally decided to grace the Legends with his presence, and he could play as early as tomorrow night. McCants immediately becomes the Legends’ best player and most likely call-up prospect, and should he really strut his stuff against D-League competition, he too seems destined for a spot on an NBA roster. It’s hard to gauge the nature of the relations between McCants and the Legends at this point given their awkward introduction, but he’s shown up, so that’s a start. It’s likely that McCants understands the D-League’s benefit to those on the NBA’s fringe, and that regardless of his prior relations with the Legends specifically, he’s willing to give it a go in the name of resuming his NBA career. Take that speculation as you will, though, or throw it out entirely. The far more important fact is that McCants will be a Legend, and though Dallas doesn’t figure to be a likely suitor for his services given their cluttered wings, he’s a player worth keeping an eye on should the Mavs face any unfortunate injuries.
Both are solid moves for the Legends, but unfortunately with the roster the Mavs have at present, neither figures to impact the mothership in any meaningful way. Alexander could conceivably play some minutes behind Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion, but he’s hardly a more deserving contributor than Ian Mahinmi or Brian Cardinal. McCants may be useful to some team, but to add him when Jason Terry, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, DeShawn Stevenson, and eventually Rodrigue Beaubois are all competing for minutes is just foolish. Neither is a defensive standout (or even defensively competent, at this point), nor do they offer skills that can’t be found elsewhere on the roster. We should think of the Mavs and Legends as part of the same whole, but these particular moves aren’t likely to serve Dallas this season unless injuries become a significant problem.
The delay in McCants’ arrival, one source close to the 26-year-old insisted, stemmed from a few lucrative offers in China that he ultimately turned down to join what ranks as a star-studded lineup by D-League standards.
The maximum salary in the D-League is $25,500 – well shy of the $2.6 million McCants earned in his last season in the NBA with Minnesota and Sacramento in 2008-09 – but the source said McCants intends to donate his Legends checks to the Urban Born youth and teen charity foundation (www.urbanborn.org).
The Miami Heat concluded the game with an extended team meeting; James and Wade eventually fielded questions, but not until at least 45 minutes after the game had wrapped. This team is entitled and this team is frustrated.
Dallas wins, but the defense doesn’t. We should in no way confuse this victory for some validation of the Mavs’ defensive performance, as this was actually one of their lesser efforts on the season overall. The Heat helped the Mavs along with poor shot selection, and had they not, it would have been interesting to see how the Dallas offense would have really held up under fire. However, Miami’s unfavorable shot chart is far from a one-time problem; LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and their compatriots have a bad habit of batting their eyelashes at Caron Butler-esque shots.
The declaration of the total defense’s shortcomings is going to make this next sentence sound a bit odd: Tyson Chandler was the indisputable player of the game. Chandler is playing on the most talented team he’s seen in his entire career, and he’s responding in every way possible. He’s a shot-blocker, but more importantly, he’s a sound positional defender. Chandler is able to change shots without sacrificing his ground and he’s mobile enough to cover the entire paint with ease. Individually, he had a terrific defensive performance. Not flawless, but for all intents and intensive purposes, as damn well close to being so as anyone could reasonably expect. And just for fun, Chandler dropped in 14 points of his own, while wiping our memories clean of Brendan Haywood.
Dirk Nowitzki shot 9-of-23 from the field, but would anyone know that based on observation alone? Nowitzki definitely took and missed his fair share of shot attempts, but the eye test didn’t sting quite as badly as 39% shooting does. Nowitzki’s 22 points — as well as his four assists and three steals — were still quite valuable, but this wasn’t the Dirk-and-only-Dirk approach Mavs fans are painfully familiar with.
With that in mind, here’s a note from ESPN Stats and Info: “The Mavericks outscored the Heat 95-67 in the 34 minutes and 48 seconds that Nowitzki was on the floor. It was the second straight game in which Nowitzki made such an impact. In a win over Charlotte on Wednesday, Nowitzki was plus-27. The difference is that in that game, three other Dallas starters posted similar plus-minus totals. In Saturday’s win, Nowitzki was significantly better than any of his teammates.”
The Heat grabbed the offensive board on 44.4% of their misses in the first quarter, which is a perfectly dreadful number as far as the Mavs are concerned. But how about this: Miami’s final offensive rebounding rate was a palatable 23.3%. That’s a hell of a turnaround over the final three quarters.
Miami’s offense was a painful watch for long stretches of this game, and the effect that their union has had on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade is inexplicable. James still has stretches where he seems himself, but even at Wade’s most aggressive, he’s a tinted portrait of his former self. Sometimes he floats, sometimes he drives, sometimes he defers, but he’s always affected by some unseen humor. Last season’s Wade was one of the best players on the planet, but this year’s model isn’t worthy of fear, and worthy of respect primarily due to his reputation.
J.J. Barea was fantastic. Against San Antonio, we saw Barea at his playmaking finest; he didn’t force shots, and willingly and skilfully set up his teammates with open looks. In tonight’s game, Barea had his eyes locked on the rim. He still picked up two assists, but Barea’s 13 points on seven shots came through a pitch-perfect approach. Barea sliced and diced Miami’s perimeter defenders, and got right to the basket when the Heat bigs were characteristically slow to rotate. Your teammates miss you, Udonis Haslem.
Erick Dampier made his first appearance as a member of the Miami Heat, and promptly committed a personal foul. He played eight minutes in total and grabbed one rebound. Regular readers should know that I’m one of Dampier’s few remaining advocates, and that should make my stance on Damp’s addition to the Heat roster somewhat obvious: he’s an obviously beneficial addition for this team, and though he won’t solve all of their problems, he’s a definite upgrade on D and the glass.
The Mavs didn’t seem to respect the three-point attempts of any Heat player not named James Jones or Eddie House. The rest were left to do their worst, and while 2-of-10 from three may not be the worst, it’s pretty awful.
I touched on this the other night, but it needs to be repeated in light of Shawn Marion’s 14-point, 6-of-12 night: Dallas may not have a second scoring option etched in stone, but they have enough reliable contributors to find help from somewhere. JET has taken a turn for the inefficient (12 points, 3-of-12 shooting, three turnovers), but Marion, Caron Butler (23 points, 9-15 FG, 3-3 3FG, zero turnovers), Barea, and Chandler have all made vital contributions to the scoring column. Dallas can’t expect the roster to click from top to bottom, but all of these guys are can walk and chew bubblegum.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points and his scoring average will still drop a tick or so. That’s the kind of season (and month; Dirk is putting up 27.1 a night in November) that Nowitzki has had, and yet his overall production — 26 to go along with eight rebounds and five assists — pales in splendor next to Nowitzki’s sterling shooting. Dirk shot 12-of-14 from the field, good for a pedestrian 85.7% from the field.
From the essential @mavstats: “Mavs have ended 4 teams’ streaks of 5 wins or more (SA -12, NO - 8, BOS - 5, OKC - 5).”
Manu Ginobili finished with 31 points, four assists, and three rebounds, but things could have been much worse. Ginobili went absolutely bonkers in the first quarter, and had he continued on his torrid pace of threes, drives, and step-back jumpers, he would have been carried out of the AT&T Center on the shoulders of giants.
Dallas turned the ball over more often than anyone on this side of the fence should like to see, but they balanced those troubles with aggressive defense (that pushed San Antonio to an even higher turnover rate), a higher free throw rate than usual, and a nice boost from offensive rebounds. On most nights the Mavs can’t afford to give up too many turnovers, but by creating possessions and scoring more efficiently, Dallas was able to post a 115.7 offensive efficiency.
Tyson Chandler was again tremendous, and his offensive impact has been an unbelievably pleasant surprise. Chandler will never be a back-to-the-basket threat, but as long as his teammates are conscious of his movements and presence around the rim, he’ll continue to pour in the points. On the other end of the center rotation, Brendan Haywood missed this game due to a team-imposed one-game suspension, but Ian Mahinmi did a decent job in his place. Mahinmi showed that he has no business being a second center at this point in his career, but he was reasonably effective in his reserve duties against some pretty tough competition. Three points, four rebounds, and a block wouldn’t cut it for Haywood, but from a guy normally considered a project — in addition to some solid defense — I’d say it warrants a thumbs up.
Shawn Marion was tremendous. He can partially be accredited with the the taming of Manu Ginobili in the second half, but it was Marion’s scoring that really boosted the Mavs in the fourth quarter, and cold theoretically boost the Mavs through the season. Dallas still doesn’t have reliable secondary scoring alongside Nowitzki, but between Terry, Marion, Butler, along with bit contributions from Kidd and Chandler, the Dallas has a number of ways to reach the necessary scoring output. More to the point, though: this Marion — just like the early season JET or a dream world Butler — makes Dallas a strong, strong team.
J.J. Barea had a fine game. He wasn’t exactly a Spur-killer, but he racked up seven assists without committing a single turnover, which is more than satisfactory.
In the second quarter, Jason Terry had one of the worst layup attempts I’ve ever seen in an NBA game. On a fast break opportunity, Terry drew his dribble a half-step too early, forcing him to adjust and stretch past his defender to have his desired look at the rim. JET opted to go with a finger roll finish, and though his touch was soft, it was too soft…and too errant…and too embarrassing. Airballed layup attempts are one of this game’s many wonders.
Caron Butler committed four turnovers, all of which came in the first half as Butler tried to make his move from the wings in half-court sets.
We could go the laundry list route, where I simply and swiftly divulge things that I am — and in turn, you should be — thankful for with this team and this league, but I’ll spare you that self-indulgence. Instead, let’s make this Thanksgiving a bit more focused. Let us give thanks for Dirk Nowitzki, only the greatest player the Mavericks franchise has ever known.
There’s never a bad day to appreciate Dirk’s talents, but the tail of a 34-point night in which Dirk made nine of his 15 field goals seems a particularly appropriate time to give ze German his due. Nowitzki is an elite scorer, but more importantly, he’s a transformational talent. He’s changed the way we look at the power forward position, at European players, at the Mavericks as a franchise. He’s a game changer on the most extreme of both macro and micro levels, an accomplishment which cannot be overstated.
Championships are the ultimate goal in any sport, and with that singular destination in mind, Dirk has failed to live up to his incredible talent and promise. That said, I refuse to believe that hosting Nowitzki over the course of his career is anything less than an incredible honor for the Mavericks organization and the city of Dallas. It doesn’t get any better than this, even if the players themselves do; Nowitzki may not be the best to have ever walked the hardwood, but his combination of immense skill, unending drive, phenomenal work ethic, incredible sense of humor, tremendous humility, and ample leadership makes him as good of a franchise player as one could ever hope for.
Those who find themselves waiting for the next Jordan will be long unsatisfied, but waiting for the next Dirk bears equal futility. It’s highly unlikely that the NBA will ever see another player quite like Dirk, so if you can’t appreciate him for his talents, dedication, and personality alone, then perhaps you can come to enjoy Nowitzki for just how much of a rarity he is. His skill set is unmatchable in players of Nowitkzi’s size. You can draw parallels to plenty of contemporary NBAers, but no one can holistically compete with all that Dirk can do. No big has a shot that smooth, a driving ability that strong, a low-post game that effective, a fall-away that unfathomably pure.
Nowitzki has no equal, because he’s playing a different game with different tools. Some may call it awkward. Some may call him soft. We know better. Thank you, Dirk, for giving myself, the dedicated media, and Maverick nation the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s not over yet, and we’ll be thankful for every second yet to come.
The Difference is a new feature here at The Two Man Game, in which I’ll provide a bit of instant analysis on games shortly after they occur rather than the following morning. The longer, more detailed recaps will be up as soon as they’re available, but consider these morsels your post-game snack to hold you over until then.
For this feature, I’ll offer one bullet point for each point in the margin of victory. That makes this first installment fairly simple, but fun will be had when the blowouts come. Let’s not have another 50-point win though, eh?
Combined 6-of-23 shooting for Jason Terry and Jason Kidd? No big. That field goal percentage deficit ain’t no thang when the Mavs completely dominate their opponent in both free throw rate and offensive rebounding rate. These are not the Mavs we’re used to or even the Mavs that will be around for the season, but it’s still nice to have them drop by for a game every now and again.
Tyson Chandler (17 points, 5-9 FG, 18 rebounds): unlikely offensive weapon, skilled defender, rebounding fiend, ruler of men, master of Oklahoma City bigs. If Chandler were the leader of an underground, post-apocalyptic cult, I’d follow him. As far as basketball is concerned, though, he’s only sublime. I guess that will have to do.
Turnovers were the cause of the Mavs’ early troubles, but they rounded out their performance nicely by carefully protecting their possessions over the game’s final three quarters. Besides, Dallas couldn’t miss 18 threes if they were turning the ball over so often, now could they?
Russell Westbrook had 13 points on 13 shots. Is that good defense? Partially, sure, but Dallas can in no way claim full credit for keeping Westbrook in check. For whatever reason he just wasn’t as assertive as he could have — or should have — been.
Caron Butler can’t exactly redeem himself in a single night, but he started on the right path with a simple 6-of-13, 15-point performance. That’s the thing with Butler: he doesn’t have to wow anyone. All he has to do is not induce groans with his shot selection. All he has to do is not head fake his way into a migraine. This kind of moderate scoring and fairly efficient line will do nicely.
The Mavs’ transition defense still needs work. It’s not hugely bothersome given the limited number of transition possessions in the average game, but there’s not really a valid excuse for uncontested drives through the middle of a Maverick cluster.
I’m typically an advocate of starting Serge Ibaka in Jeff Green’s place, for reasons of fit and talent. Green had a solid outing, even if his defensive efforts were a bit futile. Someone has to guard Dirk Nowitzki, and Green had a tough night defending Nowitzki without fouling. That said, Green had a successful offensive evening from all over the court, as his versatile style tilted toward the scoring column for a night.
Jason Kidd had a throwback shooting performance, as he shot 2-of-9 from beyond the arc and 3-of-12 overall. Kidd has plenty of tough shooting nights filled with near-misses, but he put up more than a few knuckleballs in this one.
View Comments 
