duncan228
10-25-2008, 09:51 PM
Mavs have a reputation to rebuild (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Mavs_have_a_reputation_to_rebuild.html)
By Mike Monroe - Express-News
DALLAS — The Mavericks this season are attempting resuscitation of their reputations, individual and otherwise.
Just three seasons removed from a trip to the NBA Finals, they are coming off back-to-back first-round playoff eliminations, a fact that cost Avery Johnson, the 2006 Coach of the Year, his job. They seek nothing less than regaining their standing among the elite teams in the Western Conference.
To make this happen, key Mavericks players have to alter their own public perception.
Power forward Dirk Nowitzki, the 2006-07 NBA MVP, seeks to shed his reputation as a great talent who shrinks from the toughest moments.
Point guard Jason Kidd wants the world to know he has not forgotten how to run a crisp fast break.
And small forward Josh Howard just wants the world to know he's not a pot-smoking goof.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban dumped Johnson as his head coach after the Hornets dumped the Mavericks out of the playoffs in the first round last spring. He hired Rick Carlisle to take his team back to the upper echelons of the conference.
One of Carlisle's first moves was to reach out to Howard, an NBA pariah after his public confession about his offseason penchant for smoking marijuana, followed by a bizarre incident at a charity event at which he was caught on tape defaming the national anthem.
On the Mavericks' practice court, all Carlisle saw was the talent that has stamped Howard as a potential superstar.
If Dallas is resurgent this season, it will be because Howard has become the standout Carlisle sees.
Carlisle wants his team running, and not just because he has Kidd to lead the break. If Kidd's first pass on the break is to Howard, on the wing, Carlisle believes Howard is capable of making something good happen on every possession.
“I'm going to continue to stay in his ear about being a facilitator for other people,” Carlisle said during the preseason. “He can get his own offense any time, but we're going to need him to be able to create for some of the other guys on our team that don't have the same kind of abilities he has to put the ball on the floor and get it places.”
Carlisle won't mind at all if Howard just keeps the ball in his own hands. Few in the league, he believes, are as good as Howard at getting the ball to the basket.
“When the ball goes up the floor, we want to get it to the rim,” Carlisle said. “He's got that ability to change directions and get it there under control. So we want him to exhaust that. If it's not there, and he can get the guy backing up and get a 16- or 17-foot shot, in rhythm, that's a good shot. And if that's not there, then we're moving it and playing basketball.”
Howard's teammates weren't sure what to make of his offseason indiscretions. They were relieved when he addressed them on media day, intent on putting them behind him so he could focus on basketball.
“I didn't know how he would handle everything,” said Nowitzki, still the leader of the team. “But it was pretty clear on media day how he would handle it: put it behind him. He was upbeat and in great spirits, and for me, that was the main thing. Get over it and get it behind him.
“Now, playing-wise, this really suits him, too. He doesn't have to play grind-it-out. He can free flow and really move. A lot of driving lanes are there because we don't have the big guys on the strong side. They're on the weak side. So the lanes are open for him.
“I think he's going to have a fine year and have a big year for us. He's running and having fun with his teammates. I think he's ready to move on.”
MAVERICKS' FIVE BURNING QUESTIONS
Express-News NBA beat writer Mike Monroe asks — and answers — some key questions regarding the Mavericks:
Can Rick Carlisle really commit to a free-flowing offense?
The new head coach of the Mavs promised owner Mark Cuban he would take the wraps off Jason Kidd and let the Mavericks return to a fast-break style more suited to their personnel. Even a control-minded coach is smart enough to understand that Kidd has to be happy if the Mavs are going to make the trade that sent Devin Harris to New Jersey look like a winner for them. The Mavs are going to push the pace all season.
Is Josh Howard’s wackiness behind him?
The Mavs had better hope so, because Carlisle is counting on the All-Star caliber small forward to play an All-Star caliber game this season. The league is going to be keeping a close eye on a player who admitted he enjoys marijuana, and Howard has promised to behave himself.
Will AJ’s lessons be forgotten?
The Mavericks got to the 2006 NBA Finals because Avery Johnson taught them the lesson of Gregg Popovich: Defense wins titles. The training camp emphasis under Carlisle was all about a new approach to offense. Even Carlisle worries that his team seemed a step behind on defense in the preseason.
Is Dirk still an MVP candidate?
Under Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki learned to take the ball to the basket more often and more aggressively. He also learned to hit the boards harder and defend a little. It made him an MVP in 2006-07, but he dropped off markedly last season. At age 30, he should be in his prime. If he gets back in the hunt for MVP, the Mavs will probably be a title contender.
What lessons can Cuban teach the league?
Say what you will about Mark Cuban, but he knows how to market. The league will want to pay attention to what he does to keep the seats filled at American Airlines Center.
By Mike Monroe - Express-News
DALLAS — The Mavericks this season are attempting resuscitation of their reputations, individual and otherwise.
Just three seasons removed from a trip to the NBA Finals, they are coming off back-to-back first-round playoff eliminations, a fact that cost Avery Johnson, the 2006 Coach of the Year, his job. They seek nothing less than regaining their standing among the elite teams in the Western Conference.
To make this happen, key Mavericks players have to alter their own public perception.
Power forward Dirk Nowitzki, the 2006-07 NBA MVP, seeks to shed his reputation as a great talent who shrinks from the toughest moments.
Point guard Jason Kidd wants the world to know he has not forgotten how to run a crisp fast break.
And small forward Josh Howard just wants the world to know he's not a pot-smoking goof.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban dumped Johnson as his head coach after the Hornets dumped the Mavericks out of the playoffs in the first round last spring. He hired Rick Carlisle to take his team back to the upper echelons of the conference.
One of Carlisle's first moves was to reach out to Howard, an NBA pariah after his public confession about his offseason penchant for smoking marijuana, followed by a bizarre incident at a charity event at which he was caught on tape defaming the national anthem.
On the Mavericks' practice court, all Carlisle saw was the talent that has stamped Howard as a potential superstar.
If Dallas is resurgent this season, it will be because Howard has become the standout Carlisle sees.
Carlisle wants his team running, and not just because he has Kidd to lead the break. If Kidd's first pass on the break is to Howard, on the wing, Carlisle believes Howard is capable of making something good happen on every possession.
“I'm going to continue to stay in his ear about being a facilitator for other people,” Carlisle said during the preseason. “He can get his own offense any time, but we're going to need him to be able to create for some of the other guys on our team that don't have the same kind of abilities he has to put the ball on the floor and get it places.”
Carlisle won't mind at all if Howard just keeps the ball in his own hands. Few in the league, he believes, are as good as Howard at getting the ball to the basket.
“When the ball goes up the floor, we want to get it to the rim,” Carlisle said. “He's got that ability to change directions and get it there under control. So we want him to exhaust that. If it's not there, and he can get the guy backing up and get a 16- or 17-foot shot, in rhythm, that's a good shot. And if that's not there, then we're moving it and playing basketball.”
Howard's teammates weren't sure what to make of his offseason indiscretions. They were relieved when he addressed them on media day, intent on putting them behind him so he could focus on basketball.
“I didn't know how he would handle everything,” said Nowitzki, still the leader of the team. “But it was pretty clear on media day how he would handle it: put it behind him. He was upbeat and in great spirits, and for me, that was the main thing. Get over it and get it behind him.
“Now, playing-wise, this really suits him, too. He doesn't have to play grind-it-out. He can free flow and really move. A lot of driving lanes are there because we don't have the big guys on the strong side. They're on the weak side. So the lanes are open for him.
“I think he's going to have a fine year and have a big year for us. He's running and having fun with his teammates. I think he's ready to move on.”
MAVERICKS' FIVE BURNING QUESTIONS
Express-News NBA beat writer Mike Monroe asks — and answers — some key questions regarding the Mavericks:
Can Rick Carlisle really commit to a free-flowing offense?
The new head coach of the Mavs promised owner Mark Cuban he would take the wraps off Jason Kidd and let the Mavericks return to a fast-break style more suited to their personnel. Even a control-minded coach is smart enough to understand that Kidd has to be happy if the Mavs are going to make the trade that sent Devin Harris to New Jersey look like a winner for them. The Mavs are going to push the pace all season.
Is Josh Howard’s wackiness behind him?
The Mavs had better hope so, because Carlisle is counting on the All-Star caliber small forward to play an All-Star caliber game this season. The league is going to be keeping a close eye on a player who admitted he enjoys marijuana, and Howard has promised to behave himself.
Will AJ’s lessons be forgotten?
The Mavericks got to the 2006 NBA Finals because Avery Johnson taught them the lesson of Gregg Popovich: Defense wins titles. The training camp emphasis under Carlisle was all about a new approach to offense. Even Carlisle worries that his team seemed a step behind on defense in the preseason.
Is Dirk still an MVP candidate?
Under Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki learned to take the ball to the basket more often and more aggressively. He also learned to hit the boards harder and defend a little. It made him an MVP in 2006-07, but he dropped off markedly last season. At age 30, he should be in his prime. If he gets back in the hunt for MVP, the Mavs will probably be a title contender.
What lessons can Cuban teach the league?
Say what you will about Mark Cuban, but he knows how to market. The league will want to pay attention to what he does to keep the seats filled at American Airlines Center.