Pocket Pair
Posted by Ian Levy on January 31, 2013 under Commentary | 
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This has been an incredibly turbulent season for the Mavericks from a player personnel standpoint. They faced their first 27 games without Dirk Nowtizki, and with just five other returning players on the roster. An NBA roster has 15 slots, but the Mavericks have already used 19 different players this season, not including Delonte West — with whom the Mavericks parted ways before the season began. Each week it seems there is a new addition to be welcomed to the fold, bringing with them the warm tidings of hope.
Since he took over in Dallas, Rick Carlisle has proved repeatedly that managing personnel is one of his greatest coaching strengths. He has been innovative and progressive in managing his lineups and always seems to pull the most from each of his players. This season however, putting the pieces together has been a constant challenge. No matter how he arranges them, they don’t seem to fit together quite as uniformly as they have in the past, and the image never becomes totally clear. I’m personally of the opinion that it’s because these pieces don’t all come from the same puzzle, and that no matter what five-man unit Carlisle runs out onto the floor, some part of it will be a hasty Spackle job trying to hold back the rising tide of flood waters. However, I thought it might be interesting to look at the different lineup foundations he’s tried by examining his success (and lack thereof) with various two-man combinations.
The visualization below lets you look at all the different two-man combinations the Mavericks have used for at least 100 minutes this season. Unfortunately, to create all the combinations I had to place several players on both axes, which can make for a slightly confusing view. The size of each square represents the number of minutes that pairing played. The color represents that pairing’s Net Rating, or point differential per 100 possessions. If you hover over any of the squares you can also see that combination’s Offensive Rating and Defensive Rating. The filters below let you include or eliminate pairings based on any of those variables.
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The three least efficient areas to shoot from are inside the paint (but not in the restricted area), from mid-range and straight ahead three-pointers. Altogether, 63.7% of this lineup’s shot attempts come from those three areas. Going back to my shot-selection metric from two weeks ago, the shot selection of this lineup gives them an XPPS of 0.988, where the league average is 1.047. They feature above-average mid-range shooters, but are using that weapon to a fault. Above-average ability isn’t manifesting in above-average success, and their Actual Points Per Shot is an even lower 0.936. From an outsider’s perspective, this group seems like they may be fundamentally incompatible offensively, even with Nowitzki’s eventual improvement taken into account.
Although you never like to see anyone injured, Kaman’s concussion offers the possibility for an interesting experiment. Kaman has had a solid individual season putting up 18.8 points per 36 minutes, the second highest of his career, on a TS% of 53.3, his highest since 2008-2009. However, his rebound percentage is the lowest since his rookie season and the Mavericks have generally struggled when he’s on the floor. Dallas’ defense is 3.6 points worse per 100 possessions with Kaman in the mix, a margin that’s ultimately not all that surprising. However, the Mavs’ offense is also 2.9 points worse per 100 possessions with Kaman involved. Turning back to the visualization above, we see that Kaman is featured in 12 different pairings, only two of which have outscored the opposition. Those two — with Brandan Wright and with Jae Crowder — have played a combined 343 minutes, 44 of which are overlapped.
Much of Carlisle’s rotation work this season has felt like tinkering around the edges. As long as they’ve been healthy, the foundational pieces of Kaman, Nowitzki, Mayo and Marion have been largely cemented in place. With Kaman out, Carlisle will be forced to manipulate his foundation, and there is an opportunity for Brandan Wright and Bernard James to find their way back into the regular rotation in a significant way. Both Wright and James have been featured in several successful (albeit scarcely used) pairings, and I can’t help but feel that they are under-utilized assets. Neither player is comfortable away from the basket on offense and each would give the Mavericks a very different look than with Brand or Kaman alongside Nowitzki. When we talk about spacing issues we are usually referring to a team with a lack of outside shooters, allowing the defense to clog the paint. In this case I think the Mavericks can actually improve their spacing by removing overly-willing outside shooters; the insertion of James or Wright will force the defense to expand their focus and defend more of the floor, more vigorously.
The visualization also makes it seem that there could be potential benefits in increased roles for Vince Carter and Jae Crowder. Carter has done tremendous work in keeping the second-unit offense afloat, but maybe it’s time to let him work long more court time with Nowitzki. His ability to work inside and out, particularly as a post-up threat, seems like it could also alleviate some of the one-dimensional reliance on the mid-range jumpshot. It would be a difficult pill to swallow, but perhaps Mayo would be better off swapping places with Carter. Moving to the bench might feel like a step backwards for Mayo and could have significant impacts on team chemistry, but at this point the Mavs’ current rotation isn’t doing much for the team’s present or future.
In addition to his work for The Two Man Game, Ian Levy is the author of Hickory High, and a contributor to Indy Cornrows, Hardwood Paroxysm, HoopChalk and ProBasketballDraft. You can follow Ian on Twitter at @HickoryHigh.
The Difference: Dallas Mavericks 110, Phoenix Suns 95
Posted by Connor Huchton on January 28, 2013 under Recaps | Be the First to Comment
Box Score — Play-By-Play — Shot Chart — Game Flow
You know the drill. The Difference is a reflection on the game that was, with one bullet for every point in the final margin.
- The Mavericks’ win on Sunday night could be described as a story of beginnings and endings (and that’s how I’ll describe it).
- The starting unit began the game well, on the heels of precise ball movement and an active Shawn Marion (9-19 FG, 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists), and finished equally adeptly, as Dirk Nowitzki (7-14 FG, 18 points, seven rebounds) closed out the fourth quarter with the scoring precision of, well, Dirk Nowitzki.
- Bernard James (1-2 FG, two points, three rebounds, 11 minutes) started the game at center for the Mavericks and performed well enough, though James’ 11 minutes may be indicative of the move’s dual purpose as a means of motivating Chris Kaman (2-4 FG, six points, five rebounds, two turnovers, 11 minutes). Neither James or Kaman served as part of the best pairing with Dirk, however.
- That distinction lies with Elton Brand (6-10 FG, 12 points, three rebounds, 17 minutes), as it has much of the time in recent weeks.
- I’d be remiss to write any further without mentioning that Dirk passed Allen Iverson for 18th all-time on the NBA’s scoring list. Well done, Dirk.
- And hopefully his ascension towards further tiers of that list continues.
- Though their numbers weren’t gaudy, the Mavericks’ guards deserve credit for a job admirably done. O.J. Mayo (4-9 FG, eight points, six assists), Darren Collison (3-7, eight points, five assists), Dahntay Jones (4-5 FG, 11 points), Vince Carter (5-8 FG, 2-3 3PT, 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals), and Rodrigue Beaubois (3-7 FG, eight points, three assists, three rebounds) collectively played quite well, and their overall decision-making radiated excellency.
- That excellent decision-making propelled the Mavericks to 26 assists and only 13 turnovers, good for an aesthetically pleasing 2:1 ratio.
- All 13 active Mavericks earned playing time, which in this case was indicative of a comfortable win.
- Another key to the Mavericks’ victory was how well they spaced the floor.
- Guards were able to make post passes into feasibly-sized windows, and areas of the floor were often carefully sectioned off for the sake of Shawn Marion, Dirk, or cutting guards (Mayo, Beaubois, etc.) on their way to the basket.
- That element of movement and spacing is absolutely crucial for a team that’s been frequently mired in offensive stagnancy.
- Four Mavericks’ centers played significant minutes tonight, which give some insight into the current revolving door of Mavericks’ center minutes.
- Brandan Wright (1-3 FG, four points, three rebounds, three assists) was the fourth center used tonight. He first saw minutes in the fourth quarter and helped spark a momentous run with keen passes near the basket and an important finish.
- Wright was also the only Maverick to make less than 42% of his shots, another mark of a thoroughly efficient offensive performance.
Quoteboard: Dallas Mavericks 110, Phoenix Suns 95
Posted by Bryan Gutierrez on under Interviews | Be the First to Comment
The Dallas Mavericks did well on a momentous evening as they delivered a 110-95 beating to the Phoenix Suns. Shawn Marion appeared in his 1,000th career regular-season game against the Suns on Sunday. He became the 107th player in NBA history to reach the milestone. Marion played in 660 games with Phoenix from 1999-2008. Marion recorded a game-high-tying 18 points to go along with a game-high nine rebounds, five assists and one steal in 30 minutes against the team that brought him into the league.
With a jumper at the 5:38 mark of the third quarter, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki passed Allen Iverson (24,368) for 18th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. The basket gave Nowitzki 13 points for the game (and 24,370 for his career). Next on the list for Dirk is Patrick Ewing. Ewing ranks 17thon the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 24,815 career points. Dirk tallied a game-high-tying 18 points to go along with seven rebounds in 30 minutes against Phoenix.
Elton Brand appeared in his 900th career regular-season game and recorded 12 points in 17 minutes off the bench. He scored in double figures for the sixth time in his last seven games (14thtime this season). Brand is averaging 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds over his last seven games. Brand came off the bench because Bernard James made his first career start and managed two points and three rebounds in 11 minutes. The Mavericks used their 17th different starting lineup of the year in their 44th game of the season.
O.J. Mayo dished out a team-high six assists against Phoenix. His fourth assist of the game, at the 9:22 mark of the third quarter, was the 1,000th assist of his career. He finished the game with only eight points. Dallas now moves to 1-5 this season in games where he scored fewer than 10 points in a game.
Here is the quoteboard for the Dallas victory over Phoenix.
Quoteboard: Miami Heat 110, Dallas Mavericks 95
Posted by Bryan Gutierrez on December 21, 2012 under Interviews | Be the First to Comment
Well, the game between the last two NBA champions felt like a replay of the Christmas Day matchup to start the 2011-12 season as the Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in convincing fashion by a score of 110-95. Jae Crowder tied a season-high with 15 points off the bench against Miami on Thursday, also had 15 at the L.A. Lakers on 11/24. It was his sixth double-figure scoring game of the season. He added three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes. Bernard James went 6-of-10 from the field en route to a season-high 12 points against the Heat (previous high: 9 at Indiana 11/16). He added a season-high-tying nine boards and three blocks in 22 minutes, finishing one rebound shy of his first career double-double. He did not play, coach’s decision, in three of the Mavericks’ previous four games.
O.J. Mayo was held in check by Miami’s stiff defense as he was held to only eight points on 3-of-14 shooting (0-of-5 from 3-point range). LeBron James set the tone early in the game as he scored 13 of his 24 points in the opening quarter. In addition to the 24 points, he added nine rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes.
Prior to the game, a taped interview of Dirk Nowitzki was shown to the crowd. He said that they’ll continue to keep pushing the rehabilitation process and while he doesn’t want to put a specific target date on the record, he is hopeful to make his return to the court before New Year’s Day.
Here is the quoteboard for the loss to the Miami Heat.
Setting the Table: Philadelphia 76ers (Game 15)
Posted by Bryan Gutierrez on November 27, 2012 under Previews | Be the First to Comment
The Dallas Mavericks (7-7) now begin a potentially make or break portion of their schedule starting with their game against the Philadelphia 76ers (8-6). What makes this stretch so critical for the Mavericks is the fact that they won’t be spending much time at home. The Mavericks will play 16 of their next 23 games on the road beginning with the game at Philadelphia on 11/27. The Mavericks will play five of their next six and eight of their next 10 away from the American Airlines Center. Dallas will have to do whatever they can to keep their heads above water. At 7-7, Dallas is looking for a win against Philadelphia to avoid dropping below .500 for the first time this season. If recent games are an indicator, Dallas is due for a win. The Mavericks have now alternated wins and losses in each of their last seven games (vs. Minnesota 11/12 to vs. L.A. Lakers 11/21).
Here are notes for the game between the Mavericks and the Sixers.
The Rundown, Volume V
Posted by Bryan Gutierrez on November 19, 2012 under Commentary | 2 Comments to Read
The Rundown is back. Every Monday, The Rundown will chronicle the week that was for the Mavericks, as well as let you know what is coming up for the boys in blue, with a unique spin. Simply put, it is your Monday catch-up on all things with the Dallas Mavericks.
After a frustrating loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, causing a three-game losing streak, the Mavericks made some changes. Some perplexing negative trends popped up and a special person chimed in to say hello and give an update. Let’s take a look at the week for that was for Dallas.
Setting the Table: Cleveland Cavaliers (Game 11)
Posted by Bryan Gutierrez on November 17, 2012 under Previews | Be the First to Comment
The Mavericks have dropped four of their last five games and are now 5-5 on the year. The Mavericks have never had a below-.500 record at any point this season. They are looking to avoid that situation as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back. The Mavericks are 1-2 in the first half of a back-to-back and 0-2 in the second half of a back-to-back this season. The Mavericks have 16 back-to-backs in 2012-13, with only one stretch of four games in five nights. In total, 10 back-to-backs are on the road, three begin at home and conclude on the road and three are road-to-home. Dallas played 22 back-to-backs in 2011-12, going 7-15 in the first half and 13-9 in the second half of those back-to-backs.
The Cavaliers are an intriguing young team. They are led by second year guard Kyrie Irving. Irving is fifth in the league in points with 24.3 points/game. Dion Waiters is 2nd among rookies at 14.5 points/game. Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo will have to be on their game to combat the young Cavalier backcourt.
Here are notes for the game between the Mavericks and the Cavaliers.
Successful Call into Action
Posted by Bryan Gutierrez on November 15, 2012 under Commentary | Be the First to Comment
With the moves the Mavericks made in their starting lineup in preparation for their game against the Washington Wizards, there were going to be alterations to their supporting cast. In a surprise move, Brandan Wright didn’t log a single minute of action. According to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Wright found the situation “weird.” With the weird situation, Bernard “Sarge” James was called into duty and he responded positively. The possibility of using James more within the rotation was an idea that was worth looking in to.
The story of James’ life leading up to coming to the NBA has been well documented, so we’ll mainly just cover what we have seen on the floor. James stepped into the backup center role and scored four points and pulled down three rebounds in 15 minutes in the victory over the Wizards. So, what led to the change with bringing James into the new position? “He earned it from his play in the previous game,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. “We will see – it is game to game. I would love to have a set rotation but with a couple of exceptions, there’s going to be unpredictability to it.” James collected six points and four rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench vs. Minnesota on 11/12. In comparison, Wright played only nine minutes against Minnesota, and he failed to get a rebound. Before the performance against the Wizards, James managed at least six points in all three of the games in which he had logged 10-plus minutes in this season. James has shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the line this year.
The Difference: Dallas Mavericks 82, Minnesota Timberwolves 90
Posted by Kirk Henderson on November 13, 2012 under Recaps | Be the First to Comment
Box Score — Play-by-Play — Shot Chart — Game Flow
You know the drill. The Difference is a reflection on the game that was, with one bullet for every point in the final margin.
- With about three minutes left in the game, Dallas rediscovered that which had made them an offensive juggernaut the previous week: attacking the basket. Darren Collison (21 points, 11-12 FTs, 5 assists) is the engine behind the Dirkless offense and when he isn’t probing the lane and Dallas settles for long jumpers late in the shot clock, the offense is borderline unwatchable.
- Dallas started the game the same way they’ve finished the last two: giving up four offensive rebounds in the first 8 minutes of playing time. However, the next three plus quarters they only gave up three. Dallas is still -69 on the year in terms of rebounding margin, but tonight it was due to the poor shooting display (36.2%).
- A variety of Timberwolves played excellent. For the second straight game a point guard had a big game against Dallas; Luke Ridnour (15 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals) helped control the game for Minnesota. Andrei Kirilenko (16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals) set the tone early and abused Jae Crowder. Nikola Pekovic (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) is such a massive man and to be that skilled offensively is such a rare trait in today’s NBA. Rookie Alexey Shved (16 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 9-11 FTs) didn’t shoot the ball well, but as you can see by his stat line, he managed to affect the game in every other possible way. I recommend taking a look at A Wolf Among Wolves for their take on the game as well.
The Rundown, Volume IV
Posted by Bryan Gutierrez on November 12, 2012 under Commentary, Recaps | Be the First to Comment
The Rundown is back. Every Monday, The Rundown will chronicle the week that was for the Mavericks, as well as let you know what is coming up for the boys in blue, with a unique spin. Simply put, it is your Monday catch-up on all things with the Dallas Mavericks.
After getting off to a hot start, Dallas has seen two avoidable losses pop up as they went out on the road. The question is, how much do we take away from the losses as the Mavericks have once again hit a rough patch with injuries and they obviously deal with life without Dirk Nowitzki? Let’s take a look at the week for that was for Dallas.