dgp
11-05-2005, 07:55 PM
New Spur faces new-look Mavs in home opener
New Spur says Mavs broke up a team that might have won a title
04:54 PM CST on Saturday, November 5, 2005
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
Emotion rarely escapes Michael Finley's public facade. But a few cracks have appeared as the former Mavericks star contemplates his return.
It hurts Finley to no longer play alongside Dirk Nowitzki, his friend and teammate of more than seven years. There is the owner who told him they were "in this together" only to let him go a few months later and the coach and former teammate who didn't lobby to keep him.
These are issues Finley must sort through tonight when San Antonio plays the Mavericks at American Airlines Center. But above all, the founding father of the Big Three can't help but wonder what might have been if the Mavericks had kept their nucleus intact.
"You look back a couple of years ago, the year we won 60 games, we thought that was the team that was going to ultimately take Dallas over the top," Finley said. "Management thought otherwise.
"Their plans for the future were very different from the players' in the locker room at the time. From their standpoint, they made decisions that bettered the organization. But from a player's standpoint, I don't think so.
"We will never know how good that team would have been."
Steve Nash was allowed to walk in free agency. Owner Mark Cuban used an amnesty clause to release Finley and erase the financial penalties that would have been assessed on top of the player's $51.79 million contract, which he still receives.
Nowitzki is the only player left from a Mavericks team that battled the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals 29 months ago. Like Finley, Nowitzki believes that team was special and has daydreamed about what could have been. Avery Johnson, who was part of that group and now coaches the Mavericks, acknowledged that none of the players wanted to break up that team.
"As far as not breaking up the WCF [Western Conference Finals] team," Cuban said by e-mail, "I'm sure that's what the T-Wolves thought last year as well."
Minnesota followed its appearance in the conference finals by failing to make the playoffs.
The Mavericks continue to make the playoffs but are 7-11 and have not gotten past the second round since falling two wins shy of The Finals in the spring of 2003.
Finley concedes he will be "a little bit emotional" during tonight's game. He bordered on despondent the last time he played at the AAC.
More than two hours had passed that May evening after Phoenix eliminated the Mavericks, and Finley still couldn't bring himself to return to his locker. Part of the time was spent talking to Nowitzki. Part of it was spent listening to Cuban.
"I told Dirk the loss hurt so much because I thought it would be the last time I had the opportunity to play with him," Finley said. "I just had a gut feeling that something had to happen. Then Mark came in and said we were in this together, and I believed him."
Nowitzki dismissed Finley's remarks as frustration. Cuban assured Finley they would "stick it out together," but several weeks later the owner learned of a one-time amnesty clause in the collective bargaining agreement. The moment Cuban mentioned that provision to Finley and his agent, the guard knew he was gone.
Finley isn't bitter but still doesn't like how his exit was handled. He believes the club should have traded him or released him earlier.
"I don't know how we could have handled it any differently," Cuban said by e-mail. "I kept Mike in the loop every step of the way. There were no surprises for either of us.
"That said, I think we helped each other a lot over the years to both of our benefit."
The contract was a major factor in Finley's departure. But it wasn't the only one.
Finley was the team's captain and a quiet leader. After the Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center to even their first-round series at 2, Finley disrupted the postgame buzz by walking to the center of the locker room and declaring that they hadn't done anything worthy of celebration. All they had done, Finley reminded, was climb out of an 0-2 hole they shouldn't have dug in the first place.
The Mavericks won the second game of their series with the Suns because Finley had 31 points, six rebounds, five assists and a solid second-half defensive effort against Amare Stoudemire. But Finley followed with a total of 34 points, six rebounds and five assists over the final four games of the series. He scored just seven points and was 2-of-10 from the field the night the Mavericks were eliminated.
Mavericks officials felt they owned a big edge over Phoenix after guard Joe Johnson went down, only to watch Finley be outplayed by veteran Jim Jackson. Finley had also struggled the previous year in the playoffs against Sacramento.
Avery Johnson was never critical of Finley in public. But he did make comments about how shooting guards in today's NBA must be able to break down their defender off the dribble and facilitate ball movement. Neither is considered a Finley strength.
Finley knows where he stood with Johnson by what wasn't said. The two haven't spoken since Finley signed with San Antonio.
"We've been friends all this time," Johnson said. "I've become management now, but I still consider myself a friend. I want to get an invitation to his golf tournament. I don't know what's changed."
What's changed is that the player who led the league in minutes played three times, the All-Star who started 605 consecutive games for the Mavericks when healthy, now comes off the bench for the Spurs. Tuesday's opener against Denver was his first game he hadn't started since Feb. 15, 1997, against Utah.
It didn't take Finley long to make his presence felt. He was the first player off Gregg Popovich's bench and scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Finley said he is happy in San Antonio even though his role has diminished. He calls his teammates a great group of guys and praises the organization for having the best interest of the players at heart.
And how does he characterize his relationship with Cuban?
"At first he was my owner," Finley said. "Now he's just the opponent.
"For him to let me go, so what? I'm still playing this game. I look at it as a blessing. If he hadn't let me go, I'd never be in this great situation I'm in now. I should thank him the next time I see him."
He will have that chance tonight.
E-mail [email protected]
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/110505dnspmavslede_hp.2fb6ccfb.html
New Spur says Mavs broke up a team that might have won a title
04:54 PM CST on Saturday, November 5, 2005
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
Emotion rarely escapes Michael Finley's public facade. But a few cracks have appeared as the former Mavericks star contemplates his return.
It hurts Finley to no longer play alongside Dirk Nowitzki, his friend and teammate of more than seven years. There is the owner who told him they were "in this together" only to let him go a few months later and the coach and former teammate who didn't lobby to keep him.
These are issues Finley must sort through tonight when San Antonio plays the Mavericks at American Airlines Center. But above all, the founding father of the Big Three can't help but wonder what might have been if the Mavericks had kept their nucleus intact.
"You look back a couple of years ago, the year we won 60 games, we thought that was the team that was going to ultimately take Dallas over the top," Finley said. "Management thought otherwise.
"Their plans for the future were very different from the players' in the locker room at the time. From their standpoint, they made decisions that bettered the organization. But from a player's standpoint, I don't think so.
"We will never know how good that team would have been."
Steve Nash was allowed to walk in free agency. Owner Mark Cuban used an amnesty clause to release Finley and erase the financial penalties that would have been assessed on top of the player's $51.79 million contract, which he still receives.
Nowitzki is the only player left from a Mavericks team that battled the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals 29 months ago. Like Finley, Nowitzki believes that team was special and has daydreamed about what could have been. Avery Johnson, who was part of that group and now coaches the Mavericks, acknowledged that none of the players wanted to break up that team.
"As far as not breaking up the WCF [Western Conference Finals] team," Cuban said by e-mail, "I'm sure that's what the T-Wolves thought last year as well."
Minnesota followed its appearance in the conference finals by failing to make the playoffs.
The Mavericks continue to make the playoffs but are 7-11 and have not gotten past the second round since falling two wins shy of The Finals in the spring of 2003.
Finley concedes he will be "a little bit emotional" during tonight's game. He bordered on despondent the last time he played at the AAC.
More than two hours had passed that May evening after Phoenix eliminated the Mavericks, and Finley still couldn't bring himself to return to his locker. Part of the time was spent talking to Nowitzki. Part of it was spent listening to Cuban.
"I told Dirk the loss hurt so much because I thought it would be the last time I had the opportunity to play with him," Finley said. "I just had a gut feeling that something had to happen. Then Mark came in and said we were in this together, and I believed him."
Nowitzki dismissed Finley's remarks as frustration. Cuban assured Finley they would "stick it out together," but several weeks later the owner learned of a one-time amnesty clause in the collective bargaining agreement. The moment Cuban mentioned that provision to Finley and his agent, the guard knew he was gone.
Finley isn't bitter but still doesn't like how his exit was handled. He believes the club should have traded him or released him earlier.
"I don't know how we could have handled it any differently," Cuban said by e-mail. "I kept Mike in the loop every step of the way. There were no surprises for either of us.
"That said, I think we helped each other a lot over the years to both of our benefit."
The contract was a major factor in Finley's departure. But it wasn't the only one.
Finley was the team's captain and a quiet leader. After the Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center to even their first-round series at 2, Finley disrupted the postgame buzz by walking to the center of the locker room and declaring that they hadn't done anything worthy of celebration. All they had done, Finley reminded, was climb out of an 0-2 hole they shouldn't have dug in the first place.
The Mavericks won the second game of their series with the Suns because Finley had 31 points, six rebounds, five assists and a solid second-half defensive effort against Amare Stoudemire. But Finley followed with a total of 34 points, six rebounds and five assists over the final four games of the series. He scored just seven points and was 2-of-10 from the field the night the Mavericks were eliminated.
Mavericks officials felt they owned a big edge over Phoenix after guard Joe Johnson went down, only to watch Finley be outplayed by veteran Jim Jackson. Finley had also struggled the previous year in the playoffs against Sacramento.
Avery Johnson was never critical of Finley in public. But he did make comments about how shooting guards in today's NBA must be able to break down their defender off the dribble and facilitate ball movement. Neither is considered a Finley strength.
Finley knows where he stood with Johnson by what wasn't said. The two haven't spoken since Finley signed with San Antonio.
"We've been friends all this time," Johnson said. "I've become management now, but I still consider myself a friend. I want to get an invitation to his golf tournament. I don't know what's changed."
What's changed is that the player who led the league in minutes played three times, the All-Star who started 605 consecutive games for the Mavericks when healthy, now comes off the bench for the Spurs. Tuesday's opener against Denver was his first game he hadn't started since Feb. 15, 1997, against Utah.
It didn't take Finley long to make his presence felt. He was the first player off Gregg Popovich's bench and scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Finley said he is happy in San Antonio even though his role has diminished. He calls his teammates a great group of guys and praises the organization for having the best interest of the players at heart.
And how does he characterize his relationship with Cuban?
"At first he was my owner," Finley said. "Now he's just the opponent.
"For him to let me go, so what? I'm still playing this game. I look at it as a blessing. If he hadn't let me go, I'd never be in this great situation I'm in now. I should thank him the next time I see him."
He will have that chance tonight.
E-mail [email protected]
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/110505dnspmavslede_hp.2fb6ccfb.html