Spurzilla
12-01-2005, 05:29 AM
Mavs' upgraded 'D' a step closer to Spurs model
01:09 AM CST on Thursday, December 1, 2005
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
LINK (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/120105dnspomavslede.1348b159.html)
We've been told time and time again that these aren't your father's Mavericks. This team has been constructed with a commitment to defense and a fierce belief in a system that models the NBA elite.
Coach Avery Johnson will ascertain how much these principles have taken hold over the next several weeks.
A November in which they beat last season's final four playoff teams by an average of 18 points established the Mavericks as a contender. This month brings a different challenge as the Mavericks fight to win without one of their best players.
Josh Howard is expected to be out the first three weeks of December. His absence, along with Jerry Stackhouse's yet-to-be-started season, robs the Mavericks of two of their top four players.
Would the Mavericks prefer to have Howard in the starting lineup for tonight's game against San Antonio at the American Airlines Center? You might as well ask Spurs guard Tony Parker if he's a fan of Desperate Housewives.
But any team with championship aspirations must find ways to win with a key player or two out for an extended stretch. This sets the genuine contenders apart from the Larry O'Brien Trophy wannabes. Teams built the right way don't squander the foundation that's been laid.
The Spurs come to mind. San Antonio won 59 games and the Southwest Division last season, even though Tim Duncan missed 16 games.
"They play well no matter what," Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "Their system is so good, it doesn't matter who is out there. Last year when Duncan was out, they just kept on winning and played good defense every night.
"Ultimately, that's what we're trying to do. It doesn't matter who we face or who we've got on the court, we all have to do the same thing, be solid defensively and work together. That's the kind of system we want.
"It all starts defensively for us now."
There are lapses. In Tuesday's loss, the Mavericks allowed 113 points to a Milwaukee team that averaged 87.4 points in its previous seven games. The Bucks were without their best shooter, Michael Redd, yet had one of their best shooting nights as Bobby Simmons (26 points), T.J. Ford (24 points) and rookie Andrew Bogut (19 points) had season highs.
The Mavericks are charged with proving that was an aberration rather than a tendency exposed by Howard's absence.
"If you look at the teams that have won the championship the last three years, they have all been defensive-oriented," Mavericks guard Jason Terry said. "We're trying to emulate what those two teams do, Detroit and San Antonio. If we can be in the top five in defense this year, then I like our chances."
The Mavericks allow an average of 94.7 points, their best in seven seasons. Their scoring has also dipped a tick below 100 points for the first time in seven seasons. But the Mavericks had to give ground on offense to make the strides needed on the defensive end.
Again, San Antonio is the standard. The Spurs beat Phoenix at the Suns' own open-court game in the conference finals, then followed with a grind-it-out victory over Detroit to win the title.
Johnson wants to mold a team that can flourish in those disparate environments.
"They have the tenets of a good basketball team, which is they defend very hard and they are a very good rebounding team," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said of the Mavericks. "They can score. They may not do it the same way, they may not play as fast as they once did, but they can still score the ball efficiently.
"Why I think they can win a championship is because they are a balanced team. Balanced teams win championships. Not offensive teams, not defensive teams.
"Balanced teams."
The Big Three is down to the Big German, but the Mavericks have done a good job of surrounding Nowitzki with teammates who can play off his strengths and fortify his weaknesses.
Terry can make opponents pay for focusing on Nowitzki. The offense can run through Marquis Daniels and Devin Harris, freeing Terry to score. Howard is the ideal complement to Nowitzki, a forward who can slash to the basket and hit the boards when the All-Star is outside. Erick Dampier seals off his defender and opens the lane for teammates to penetrate.
Stackhouse, Harris, Keith Van Horn and the improving DeSagana Diop form a strong, well-rounded bench. Veteran guard Darrell Armstrong is valuable in spot duty. Defensively, the nucleus is more cohesive than it was last season. And the Mavericks have another element that serves them well.
Perimeter speed.
Van Gundy calls this the predominant feature in the league today. Johnson agrees, saying the ability to get from point A to point B instantaneously is crucial on both ends of the court.
"I like what we're doing," Nowitzki said. "Avery has us prepared the right way every game. Almost every day we're working on something we need to improve defensively.
"I think we're on the right track."
If true, the loss of Howard is less likely to derail this team.
The Mavericks, and Johnson, are about to find out.
E-mail [email protected]
San Antonio at Mavericks, 7 p.m. today, American Airlines Center (TNT)
01:09 AM CST on Thursday, December 1, 2005
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
LINK (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/120105dnspomavslede.1348b159.html)
We've been told time and time again that these aren't your father's Mavericks. This team has been constructed with a commitment to defense and a fierce belief in a system that models the NBA elite.
Coach Avery Johnson will ascertain how much these principles have taken hold over the next several weeks.
A November in which they beat last season's final four playoff teams by an average of 18 points established the Mavericks as a contender. This month brings a different challenge as the Mavericks fight to win without one of their best players.
Josh Howard is expected to be out the first three weeks of December. His absence, along with Jerry Stackhouse's yet-to-be-started season, robs the Mavericks of two of their top four players.
Would the Mavericks prefer to have Howard in the starting lineup for tonight's game against San Antonio at the American Airlines Center? You might as well ask Spurs guard Tony Parker if he's a fan of Desperate Housewives.
But any team with championship aspirations must find ways to win with a key player or two out for an extended stretch. This sets the genuine contenders apart from the Larry O'Brien Trophy wannabes. Teams built the right way don't squander the foundation that's been laid.
The Spurs come to mind. San Antonio won 59 games and the Southwest Division last season, even though Tim Duncan missed 16 games.
"They play well no matter what," Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "Their system is so good, it doesn't matter who is out there. Last year when Duncan was out, they just kept on winning and played good defense every night.
"Ultimately, that's what we're trying to do. It doesn't matter who we face or who we've got on the court, we all have to do the same thing, be solid defensively and work together. That's the kind of system we want.
"It all starts defensively for us now."
There are lapses. In Tuesday's loss, the Mavericks allowed 113 points to a Milwaukee team that averaged 87.4 points in its previous seven games. The Bucks were without their best shooter, Michael Redd, yet had one of their best shooting nights as Bobby Simmons (26 points), T.J. Ford (24 points) and rookie Andrew Bogut (19 points) had season highs.
The Mavericks are charged with proving that was an aberration rather than a tendency exposed by Howard's absence.
"If you look at the teams that have won the championship the last three years, they have all been defensive-oriented," Mavericks guard Jason Terry said. "We're trying to emulate what those two teams do, Detroit and San Antonio. If we can be in the top five in defense this year, then I like our chances."
The Mavericks allow an average of 94.7 points, their best in seven seasons. Their scoring has also dipped a tick below 100 points for the first time in seven seasons. But the Mavericks had to give ground on offense to make the strides needed on the defensive end.
Again, San Antonio is the standard. The Spurs beat Phoenix at the Suns' own open-court game in the conference finals, then followed with a grind-it-out victory over Detroit to win the title.
Johnson wants to mold a team that can flourish in those disparate environments.
"They have the tenets of a good basketball team, which is they defend very hard and they are a very good rebounding team," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said of the Mavericks. "They can score. They may not do it the same way, they may not play as fast as they once did, but they can still score the ball efficiently.
"Why I think they can win a championship is because they are a balanced team. Balanced teams win championships. Not offensive teams, not defensive teams.
"Balanced teams."
The Big Three is down to the Big German, but the Mavericks have done a good job of surrounding Nowitzki with teammates who can play off his strengths and fortify his weaknesses.
Terry can make opponents pay for focusing on Nowitzki. The offense can run through Marquis Daniels and Devin Harris, freeing Terry to score. Howard is the ideal complement to Nowitzki, a forward who can slash to the basket and hit the boards when the All-Star is outside. Erick Dampier seals off his defender and opens the lane for teammates to penetrate.
Stackhouse, Harris, Keith Van Horn and the improving DeSagana Diop form a strong, well-rounded bench. Veteran guard Darrell Armstrong is valuable in spot duty. Defensively, the nucleus is more cohesive than it was last season. And the Mavericks have another element that serves them well.
Perimeter speed.
Van Gundy calls this the predominant feature in the league today. Johnson agrees, saying the ability to get from point A to point B instantaneously is crucial on both ends of the court.
"I like what we're doing," Nowitzki said. "Avery has us prepared the right way every game. Almost every day we're working on something we need to improve defensively.
"I think we're on the right track."
If true, the loss of Howard is less likely to derail this team.
The Mavericks, and Johnson, are about to find out.
E-mail [email protected]
San Antonio at Mavericks, 7 p.m. today, American Airlines Center (TNT)