ducks
05-21-2005, 08:27 PM
Mavs excited about the future
By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
May 21, 2005
DALLAS (AP) -- If Steve Nash wasn't such a big reason the Dallas Mavericks are out of the playoffs, it would be a lot easier for them to feel good about everything they accomplished this season.
Even before owner Mark Cuban decided not to re-sign the team's offensive linchpin last summer, the Mavericks already were moving in a new direction, one that emphasized defense. Nash's departure accelerated the overhaul, freeing the money to bring in a batch of players better suited to the change.
Then late in the season, the Mavericks switched coaches, too.
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Despite the new strategy, new lineup and a new voice calling plays, Dallas won 58 games, second-most in franchise history, made it through a grueling first-round playoff series against Houston and took the team with the league's best record to overtime of Game 6 in the second round.
``They poured their hearts out this year,'' said Avery Johnson, who signed last summer to be a backup point guard and assistant coach but wound up replacing head coach Don Nelson in March. ``I love them, and I am proud of them.''
No matter how shiny the silver lining is, for at least a few days it will be overshadowed by visions of Nash pulling the Phoenix Suns past the Mavs. He directed a 25-point win in the opener, had 17 assists in the next win, then closed out the Mavs in the last two games -- recording a triple-double and finishing a rebound shy of another.
The league MVP capped his performance by making his last five shots in the decisive Game 6, including a 3-pointer that tied it with 5.7 seconds left in regulation and the 3 that put Phoenix ahead for good in overtime. Adding to the agony for Dallas fans, he beat his replacement, Jason Terry, on both baskets.
``I've never seen him play better,'' good buddy Dirk Nowitzki said. ``I think he wanted to show Dallas what we missed, and he did that.''
Cuban still has no regrets. Keeping Nash would've made for ``a completely different team,'' he said, ``and I like this team a whole lot better.''
``I'm dying for training camp to start,'' Cuban said. ``I love our team.''
As the Mavericks begin preparing for their 26th season still seeking their first title, they have solid reasons to feel good about building around Nowitzki and Johnson, who went 16-2 in the regular season and learned some tough lessons in the playoffs.
Nowitzki was third in MVP voting and became the first Mav to make the first-team All-NBA squad. A season that began with questions about his leadership ended with him calling out Erick Dampier early in the Phoenix series, then chewing out Terry at midcourt for getting shown up by Nash in the finale.
He remained outspoken afterward, with biting lines such as, ``I thought we had all the right pieces to go all the way, but we weren't smart enough.''
``We're all frustrated and disappointed,'' said Nowitzki, who admitted he also wasn't at his best in the playoffs. ``We didn't reach our goal. Obviously, something wasn't right.''
The challenge will be figuring out what to change and how to do it, especially since Dallas already is committed to contracts worth roughly $95 million.
The closest thing the Mavs have to a key free agent is Terry, whose contract expires after next season. With a salary of roughly $7.5 million, he could be trade bait, unless the Mavs decide Devin Harris still needs to be brought along slowly at point guard. The rookie played a team-low nine minutes in the Phoenix series.
Talk radio is sure to be filled with chatter about Dampier, who soaked up most of the money not given to Nash, then claimed he was the best big man in the West.
When healthy and out of foul trouble, he gave Dallas the presence in the middle the team has lacked for years, but his poor hands and tendency to disappear irritated more folks than Nowitzki. Dampier's biggest supporter, though, is Johnson, and Johnson has the full support of Cuban.
A tougher call might be what to do at shooting guard and small forward. The logjam there includes longtime stalwart Michael Finley, emerging star Josh Howard, sixth man Jerry Stackhouse and late-season addition Keith Van Horn.
Howard went from possible odd-man-out in training camp to the team's most valuable player not born in Germany, yet he's not the polished scorer the others are. Finley faded in the postseason, though, and Van Horn made it easier to spread the minutes in the playoffs because he didn't play after spraining an ankle in Game 3 against Houston.
``We have a good situation here, a good nucleus,'' Johnson said. ``I am raring to go for next October.''
By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
May 21, 2005
DALLAS (AP) -- If Steve Nash wasn't such a big reason the Dallas Mavericks are out of the playoffs, it would be a lot easier for them to feel good about everything they accomplished this season.
Even before owner Mark Cuban decided not to re-sign the team's offensive linchpin last summer, the Mavericks already were moving in a new direction, one that emphasized defense. Nash's departure accelerated the overhaul, freeing the money to bring in a batch of players better suited to the change.
Then late in the season, the Mavericks switched coaches, too.
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Despite the new strategy, new lineup and a new voice calling plays, Dallas won 58 games, second-most in franchise history, made it through a grueling first-round playoff series against Houston and took the team with the league's best record to overtime of Game 6 in the second round.
``They poured their hearts out this year,'' said Avery Johnson, who signed last summer to be a backup point guard and assistant coach but wound up replacing head coach Don Nelson in March. ``I love them, and I am proud of them.''
No matter how shiny the silver lining is, for at least a few days it will be overshadowed by visions of Nash pulling the Phoenix Suns past the Mavs. He directed a 25-point win in the opener, had 17 assists in the next win, then closed out the Mavs in the last two games -- recording a triple-double and finishing a rebound shy of another.
The league MVP capped his performance by making his last five shots in the decisive Game 6, including a 3-pointer that tied it with 5.7 seconds left in regulation and the 3 that put Phoenix ahead for good in overtime. Adding to the agony for Dallas fans, he beat his replacement, Jason Terry, on both baskets.
``I've never seen him play better,'' good buddy Dirk Nowitzki said. ``I think he wanted to show Dallas what we missed, and he did that.''
Cuban still has no regrets. Keeping Nash would've made for ``a completely different team,'' he said, ``and I like this team a whole lot better.''
``I'm dying for training camp to start,'' Cuban said. ``I love our team.''
As the Mavericks begin preparing for their 26th season still seeking their first title, they have solid reasons to feel good about building around Nowitzki and Johnson, who went 16-2 in the regular season and learned some tough lessons in the playoffs.
Nowitzki was third in MVP voting and became the first Mav to make the first-team All-NBA squad. A season that began with questions about his leadership ended with him calling out Erick Dampier early in the Phoenix series, then chewing out Terry at midcourt for getting shown up by Nash in the finale.
He remained outspoken afterward, with biting lines such as, ``I thought we had all the right pieces to go all the way, but we weren't smart enough.''
``We're all frustrated and disappointed,'' said Nowitzki, who admitted he also wasn't at his best in the playoffs. ``We didn't reach our goal. Obviously, something wasn't right.''
The challenge will be figuring out what to change and how to do it, especially since Dallas already is committed to contracts worth roughly $95 million.
The closest thing the Mavs have to a key free agent is Terry, whose contract expires after next season. With a salary of roughly $7.5 million, he could be trade bait, unless the Mavs decide Devin Harris still needs to be brought along slowly at point guard. The rookie played a team-low nine minutes in the Phoenix series.
Talk radio is sure to be filled with chatter about Dampier, who soaked up most of the money not given to Nash, then claimed he was the best big man in the West.
When healthy and out of foul trouble, he gave Dallas the presence in the middle the team has lacked for years, but his poor hands and tendency to disappear irritated more folks than Nowitzki. Dampier's biggest supporter, though, is Johnson, and Johnson has the full support of Cuban.
A tougher call might be what to do at shooting guard and small forward. The logjam there includes longtime stalwart Michael Finley, emerging star Josh Howard, sixth man Jerry Stackhouse and late-season addition Keith Van Horn.
Howard went from possible odd-man-out in training camp to the team's most valuable player not born in Germany, yet he's not the polished scorer the others are. Finley faded in the postseason, though, and Van Horn made it easier to spread the minutes in the playoffs because he didn't play after spraining an ankle in Game 3 against Houston.
``We have a good situation here, a good nucleus,'' Johnson said. ``I am raring to go for next October.''