Next!

Posted by Rob Mahoney on August 25, 2011 under Video | View Comments

Why Now?

Posted by Rob Mahoney on June 24, 2011 under Commentary, News, Roster Moves, Video | View Comments

The Mavericks have acquired Rudy Fernandez (and the draft rights for 2007 selection Petteri Koponen, a footnote which may or may not have relevance) in exchange for the 26th and 57th picks in yesterday’s draft. As far as draft day trades go, this one isn’t horrible; the Mavs aren’t the Kings, who somehow talked themselves into acquiring John Salmons while losing Beno Udrih and trading down in the draft at the same time. But if you’re looking for the logic in a move like this one, I see little.

It all comes down to what Dallas surrendered. Selected with the 26th pick was Texas sophomore Jordan Hamilton, a player who can functionally perform a lot of the same roles that Fernandez can. He doesn’t come without his own faults (Hamilton looks at the rim almost lustfully with each catch on the perimeter), but Hamilton eclipses Fernandez’s utility while still holding that infinite potential of youth.

In Rudy, the Mavs have acquired a streaky shooter who, for the most part, comes up errant. Fernandez shot 37 percent from the field and 32 percent from three last season, and though 2010-2011 was without question the worst campaign of Fernandez’s three-year NBA career, he doesn’t exactly have a healthy body of work to rule that year as an aberration. We know Fernandez can be better (particularly from three-point range; Rudy connected on 40 percent of his threes during his rookie season), but there should be legitimate concern over whether he’ll be able to return to his previous shooting marks.

Unfortunately, that kind of pessimism is what clouds discussions of Fernandez’s basketball strengths. Offense is supposed to be the side of the ball where Fernandez makes his living, and yet over the last two seasons, his offensive performance has been wholly underwhelming. Things only get worse on the defensive end, where Rudy scrambles plenty without accomplishing much at all. He has a pretty worrisome gambling problem; he’ll abandon good defensive position in a second to chase a pass he has no business chasing — and that’s when he’s even in the right defensive position in the first place. Fernandez isn’t a replacement for DeShawn Stevenson, but an even more limited stopgap, capable of possibly replicating Stevenson’s three-point shooting while falling well short of his defensive performance. Fernandez just isn’t anywhere near the defender that Stevenson is, and though Jordan Hamilton is similarly lacking in defensive ability, he’s 20 years old, long, and athletic. I have more hope for Hamilton finding religion as a defender than Fernandez, and while that hope could ultimately prove to be misplaced, I think the “he is who he is,” perspective on Fernandez is tough to refute.

Plus, Fernandez withered when he wasn’t handed the minutes he expected and was forced to compete for playing time in Portland. Based on Rick Carlisle’s rotational habits, why exactly should we expect any different result in Dallas? Fernandez has a fresh start, but he may find that Carlisle and Nate McMillan share in some particularly inconvenient elements of their coaching philosophy. “Stay ready,” which became the mantra of the Mavs’ role players last season, doesn’t quite seem to fit with Fernandez’s understanding of the team concept.

Maybe Fernandez will find new life in Dallas, but at best he’s an active offensive participant, a three-point threat, and a defensive liability. Couldn’t Hamilton be capable of the same, while giving the Mavs another interesting piece for the future? Dallas is rightfully looking to maximize on their current core, but the drive to acquire veterans has led them to one who holds all of the weaknesses of the prospect they could have had without any of the potential long-term strengths.

Video: Waiting for the World to End

Posted by Rob Mahoney on May 31, 2011 under Video | View Comments

The NBA Finals are here. Let’s roll.

No Matter What Dirk Does Do

Posted by Rob Mahoney on May 12, 2011 under Video | View Comments

This video will change your life forever.

Video via TBJ.

All I Do Is Watch YouTube Videos

Posted by Rob Mahoney on May 10, 2011 under Video | View Comments

I’m so unbelievably tired of this song — it seems to be the post-win song of choice in just about every NBA arena — but this was a fun, well-edited mix.

In-Video Power Rankings:

1. Brian Cardinal

2. Corey Brewer

3. Darrell Armstrong’s dancing

4. Tyson Chandler

Ice Is Back With a Brand New Invention

Posted by Rob Mahoney on March 2, 2011 under Video | View Comments

These aren’t exactly hot off the presses, but some really bad karaoke always warrants a dive into last week:

Blanketed

Posted by Rob Mahoney on January 25, 2011 under Commentary, News, Video | View Comments

We’re five months and 15 days removed from the announcement that Rodrigue Beaubois’ fracture would require surgery, and only now — through back channels, no less — are those outside the team finally granted an update on his status. Beaubois’ agent, Bouna Ndiaye, sees his client’s return as just a week or two away, which only puts the second-year guard a good three months or so behind schedule. Recovery isn’t a race, but it’s still nice to hear a lap time once in awhile if only to gauge progress. The Mavs remained tight-lipped on Beaubois’ status throughout, and that itself is something of a modern miracle during the Age of Leaked-and-Internet-Spread Information.

Even more interesting, though, is that the implied complications with Beaubois’ injury became a bit more public, albeit through a French outlet. In an interview with BasketNews* (translated via Google Translate, so add salt to taste), Beaubois was surprisingly forthcoming; he was apparently close to a full recovery when a small crack reappeared, thus setting him back substantially in his recovery timeline. It’s been obvious for some time that something had gone awry in Beaubois’ rehab, but to have the fortress surrounding the team hold for this long before — ahem — cracking in the final chapter seems odd. Not odd as implying that there’s something more to this reveal than there is, but just generally odd given how secretive the entire recovery process has been up to this point. As of a few days ago, Beaubois’ status was as mysterious as ever, but now we have not only a prospective timetable courtesy of someone very close to the situation, but an indication of what may have derailed the recovery process.

These are strange days of sports media and subsequent media consumption, and the fact that Beaubois’ status was so secretive for so long is much more the exception than the rule. Though, at the risk of stretching this topic further than its bounds will allow: do teams have any kind of obligation to release updates on player injuries to the media and in turn, the fans? Is there any distinct reason why those updates should be on the daily menu other than our own hunger for them? There are plenty of cases in which withholding injury information could be beneficial, but there doesn’t seem to be too much of a benefit in that level of disclosure. The more available information the better, but lest we forget: injuries are just another ground on which sports media seek to know that which teams often choose to protect. Coaches won’t disclose their exact game plan, general managers won’t tip their hand, and, if they so choose, teams can turn into a strongbox when it comes to the specifics of a player’s injury.

*Link via Mavs Moneyball.

Dallas Mavericks 102, Denver Nuggets 101

Posted by Rob Mahoney on November 4, 2010 under Recaps, Video | View Comments

Box Score — Play-By-Play — Shot Chart — GameFlow

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
-Abraham Lincoln

This was a game that the Mavs needed to win. This was not the way that the Mavs needed to win it. Denver provided the Dallas’ first real challenge on the schedule, and rather than prove that their defensive success in the first three games was indicative of a real and sweeping change, we’re now left wondering how many of the season’s first 144 minutes should be taken seriously at all.

Dallas was, statistically speaking, an excellent defensive team before last night. Yet when the Mavs had a chance to make a statement against a top-10 offense, they allowed an unpalatable 111 points per 100 possessions. The Mavs’ defensive performance in the first three games matters, but the value of that performance has withered under high heat. There are better offenses out there than the Denver Nuggets. There are surely better offenses out there than the Denver Nuggets sans Nene, Kenyon Martin, and Chris Andersen. And when those offense come, the Mavs may not get the lucky bounce they need to leave the floor as victors.

Dallas will have to be better. Luckily, we’re now a mere four games into the season, and the Mavs have innumerable opportunities to solidify their defense before the games stop meaning something and start meaning everything.

We shouldn’t let this win soak up too much gloom, though. Offensively, Dallas was pretty fantastic. That’s an idiomatic Maverick way of saying that Dirk Nowitzki was pretty fantastic. With almost all of Denver’s bigs sidelined, Nowitzki (35 points, 15-31 FG, 12 rebounds, three assists) went to work on a cast of undersized defenders. George Karl refused to throw any kind aggressive double teams Dirk’s way, and his team paid the price with each move on the low block, and each jumper dropped over the hand of a defender that could barely reach Nowitzki’s eye level.

Dirk dominated the game and the Maverick offense, and pushed Dallas’ offensive efficiency just far enough to overcome their deficiencies on defense and the glass. On a typical night this season, Nowitzki uses 24.7% of the Mavs’ possessions. Last night against the Nuggets, he used 47%. Forget alpha and omega, Nowitzki was the entirety of all alphabets of all times, all that had been and all that ever would be for the Mavs’ O.

Others thrived from Dirk’s resplendence. Jason Terry spotted up on the break beautifully and balanced the weak side when things slowed down. JET had 16 points and went 4-of-4 from three in the third quarter alone, keying a 14-4 run that gave Dallas the lead. Of those 14 points, Terry scored 11.

Kidd should also be credited, even if he scored just three points of his own. 83.3% of Terry’s field goals were assisted, and 100% of both Caron Butler’s (16 points, 7-14 FG, seven rebounds) and Shawn Marion’s (eight points, six rebounds, two blocks) field goals were set up by a teammate. Kidd’s 12 dimes don’t account for all of those FGs, but his execution of the offense was masterful. Kidd is just so unbelievably patient; Kidd is kind; Kidd is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. He does not insist on his own way; yada, yada, yada; He bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Nowitzki had the ball in his hands an astounding percent of the time, but it was Kidd who got it there. He was making perfect entry passes, waiting for plays to develop, and finding Dirk (and JET, and Caron…) when he leaked into open space.

When Kidd is functioning at this level, the Mavs are a rather brilliant offensive team. But when Nowitzki is left purely to his own devices to fuel the entire offense, the well-oiled machine tends to sputter. Both players are essential if Dallas is to have a top-shelf offense again, and games like these give us a glimpse — however stilted it may be in terms of usage — of the Mavs’ offensive potential with both Kidd and Nowitzki playing effectively.

Final thoughts:

• Carmelo Anthony finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds, but had a pretty frustrating night overall. He shot 42% from the field on 19 attempts, and while I’d love to attribute some of Anthony’s rougher patches to Shawn Marion and the Mavericks’ defense, Melo didn’t do himself any favors. Dallas played him well, but it was a bit of an off-night.
• A silver lining to the Mavs’ defense: Dallas utilized a match-up zone in the second and third quarters that was fantastically effective, but relied on it less and less as the game wore on. The Mavs shouldn’t want to be in a place where their defensive future hinges on the effectiveness of the zone (which, for all of its strengths, is still a bit gimmicky), but knowing that it can still be effective in spurts against rhythm offenses is valuable knowledge.
• Speaking of: Nowitzki could probably stand to not hedge quite so heavily toward the middle when playing zone with Chandler. Tyson can cover plenty of ground on his own, and considering the potency of Denver’s three-point shooters, Dirk might be better served honoring the impact of the corner three. Dirk did what he could to close out, but sometimes he was just too far out of position. I realize that threes are a realistic concession of the zone, but in this case some of those attempts (and makes) might have been preventable.
• This was not Brendan Haywood’s finest performance.
• Gary Forbes is now an NBA player. Forbes started for the Nuggets, and drew the short straw on being the first defender to face Dirk Nowitzki. He did an admirable job, and the former D-Leaguer dropped 12 points on 50% shooting to boot.
• Jason Kidd is doing a great job of giving up the ball early on the break and then spotting up as a three-point shooter. In traditional fast break situations, I’m always surprised that opponents pay so much attention to the threat of a Kidd layup. He’s not a very good finisher at all, and the thought of a pass always comes first, second, and third for him. But by giving up the ball early, Kidd turns himself into a fast-break weapon. No longer is he only looking to set up a bucket with a pass. Instead, he’s capable of completing transition opportunities of his own on both the primary and secondary break:
• J.J. Barea’s three turnovers hurt, as did his defense at times. But does anyone dare discount the impact of his nine points in a game decided by a single bucket? Barea made mistakes, but he also drew offensive fouls and got to the rim when Dallas needed offensive help.
• Arron Afflalo (known affectionately in some circles as “Spellcheck,”) is the real deal. Afflalo had a tremendous year last season with the Nuggets, but he’s become an even more versatile offensive player while continuing to groom a rather potent three-point stroke. Fans of every other NBA team are jealous.
• Again: no Kenyon Martin, no Nene, no Chris Andersen. Yet the Nuggets nearly matched the Mavericks in offensive rebounding rate. Dallas has to do better work on the defensive glass. The Mavs’ offensive rebounding on the other hand, was fine. And, might I add, clutch:
• All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again. In games like these, it’s hard not to wonder if going small is a more viable option than Rick Carlisle and his coaching staff acknowledge. Brendan Haywood and Tyson Chandler are very good defenders, but in games like this one, they become strictly help defenders and rebounders. Taking on-ball post defense out of their job description leaves them slightly less useful, and I do wonder if running a lineup of Kidd-Terry-Butler-Marion-Nowitzki might have been more effective at times. It’s not the most intuitive way to get better defensive results, but having more natural match-ups could be a conceivable boon for the Dallas D.

GOLD STAR OF THE NIGHT: Come on. Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavs won with their offense, and their offense won with Dirk.

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Moving Pictures: A New Hope

Posted by Rob Mahoney on October 15, 2010 under Video | View Comments

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.

Moving Pictures: Momentary Vindication

Posted by Rob Mahoney on April 29, 2010 under Video | View Comments

Game 5 showed a brief glimpse into how potent the Maverick offense can be when Caron Butler is attacking the rim, but in reality the Mavs were working the game from three different angles. In this installment of Moving Pictures, we’ll break down the three ways that Dallas succeeded in Game 5, and how those same factors should impact Game 6.

(EDIT: Video removed due to some technical problems with the audio. Plus, they lost anyway, what do you care?)

Apologies for technical difficulties; YouTube has been difficult all day, so I’m getting this up as I can.