Mavs looking good, but doubt remains

[Jimcs50]

Mavs have won 19 of last 20 games



Feb. 27, 2006, 11:26PM
Mavs looking good, but doubt remains
Playoff success still an elusive quest for Dallas


By JOANNE C. GERSTNER
Detroit News

They're fun to watch. They can shoot the lights out and play tough defense. The wins are piling up, and people are starting to wonder what's going to happen in the playoffs.

No, it's not the Detroit Pistons.

There's another team winning nearly as many games, without as much hype — the Dallas Mavericks.

They've been at, or near, the top of the Western Conference all season, sharing elite status with the 2005 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. The Mavs are 45-11, with a one-game lead over the Spurs for the conference's top record.

They are two games behind the Pistons, who lead the NBA with a 47-9 mark.

Outspoken Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said sarcastically, via e-mail, that the Mavericks credit Zen for winning.

"A different vibe? From the incense we burn in the clubhouse before and after the team yogi conducts a siance and we channel into NBA champions of years past," Cuban responded, when asked what gives the Mavericks a different slant from years past.

"That's where the new vibe comes from. I don't think we would be where we are this year without him. He is smarter than your average bear."

Cuban's attempts at humor aside, the hanging question remains on how well the regular-season Mavericks will translate in the playoffs. The Mavericks have gone down this road, looking good during the regular season and then turning into a pumpkin when the postseason strikes.

They've been in the playoffs in each of the past five years while averaging 56 regular-season victories. But the playoff results have been disappointing. They've advanced past the second round once in those five years.

Charles Barkley, former player-turned-TNT analyst, said the Mavericks haven't yet earned his trust for the long haul.

"They are the Indianapolis Colts of the NBA," Barkley said last week, referencing another knockout regular-season team that goes bust in the playoffs.

"People think I don't like Dallas. First of all, I don't care who wins the championship. I wish them the best. But until they win on a night-in, night-out basis and rebound the ball better, they will not beat the San Antonio Spurs."

NBA fans share Barkley's view of the Mavericks, and the solidity of the Spurs.

A recent fan poll on ESPN.com had more than 20,000 weigh in on who they forecast as the winners of the East and West.

The Pistons were chosen by 75 percent. The Spurs were picked over the Mavs, 46 to 26 percent.

So what could be the difference this time in the Mavericks? Probably two factors:

•The emergence of coach Avery Johnson as a strong presence.
•All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki becoming the team's leader on and off the floor.
Johnson took over late last season, after longtime coach Don Nelson stepped down because of health concerns. Johnson led the Mavericks to a 16-2 record in the remaining games of the regular season.

He's kept Dallas' offensive ethos while adding toughness and defense.

The Mavericks have six players boasting scoring averages in double figures, and they're seventh in the league in points (100.2 per game). They're also fourth in the league in rebounding (42.6). :smokin

[DMFFL341]

What's new? Barkley is a fucking moron, I guess we still aren't winning on a night-in, night-out basis lol. Oh yea he's still saying we don't rebound well and he is defenitely showing his ignorance here. We are 5th in RPG, 3rd in RPGA, and 3rd in RPG difference. What a MORON!

[samikeyp]

I think the only question left for the Mavs is playoff success. They have proven they are a good team but they need to take the next step.

[leemajors]

I think the only question left for the Mavs is playoff success. They have proven they are a good team but they need to take the next step.

which is exactly what barkley has been saying. he likes to watch the mavs but doesn't think they can grind it out vs a tough defensive team in a seven game series. also, that reporter can't spell seance.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

What's new? Barkley is a fucking moron, I guess we still aren't winning on a night-in, night-out basis lol. Oh yea he's still saying we don't rebound well and he is defenitely showing his ignorance here. We are 5th in RPG, 3rd in RPGA, and 3rd in RPG difference. What a MORON!
Moron because he says this Mavs team haven't won in the playoffs? I'm sorry but last time I checked he was right son

[Hook Dem]

What's new? Barkley is a fucking moron, I guess we still aren't winning on a night-in, night-out basis lol. Oh yea he's still saying we don't rebound well and he is defenitely showing his ignorance here. We are 5th in RPG, 3rd in RPGA, and 3rd in RPG difference. What a MORON!
Regardless of what you say, the monkey is still on the Mav's back. They must prove theirselves in the playoffs. If they do, I will give them due credit! Nothing wrong with you pulling for your team, but don't call someone a moron till he's proven wrong.

[Jimcs50]

Until 1999, we Spurs fans had to listen to the same knock on our team. I went 23 yrs hearing crap from LA, Rockets and Boston fans. It is a fact that you Mavs' fans have to deal with, until you break through and do something in the playoffs.

SA won division title after division title yr after yr, they had the 4th best winning % alltime in reg season history, but I still had to hear about their inability to win it all.

Deal with it. :smokin

[island_dude]

Moron because he says this Mavs team haven't won in the playoffs? I'm sorry but last time I checked he was right son
What makes Barkley a moron is saying the Mavs aren't a good rebounding team, when statistically they're a better rebounding team than SA, or Detroit.
It doesn't bother me that he says they can't beat SA in a playoff series, so far they haven't proven that they can. What does bother me is when he continues talking out of his ass about things like rebounding and isn't even aware of the stats

[pache100]

which is exactly what barkley has been saying. he likes to watch the mavs but doesn't think they can grind it out vs a tough defensive team in a seven game series. also, that reporter can't spell seance.

It's a real shame they won't get to try it this year. I feel so badly for Avery.

:angel

[leemajors]

What makes Barkley a moron is saying the Mavs aren't a good rebounding team, when statistically they're a better rebounding team than SA, or Detroit.
It doesn't bother me that he says they can't beat SA in a playoff series, so far they haven't proven that they can. What does bother me is when he continues talking out of his ass about things like rebounding and isn't even aware of the stats

i think he means that they don't really have one specific player that is a great rebounder - they are obviously a good rebounding team but don't have one player that is a great rebounder like ben wallace or tim duncan. barkley himself was an incredible rebounder so i wouldn't dismiss his opinion on the subject so quickly - he sees something lacking. maybe he's right, maybe he's not - we'll find out in may.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

While statistically there may be some reason to have a beef with Barkley's analysis how can you really question someone who correctly predicted the NBA champions last year? Of course, I'm just trying to sell that logic because it would make me infallible as well.

[Joepa]

Mavs better hope they hold on to the number 1 seed because if they fall to 4 we're not even going to see them in the Playoffs.

They won't get past the mighty Clippers.

[island_dude]

i think he means that they don't really have one specific player that is a great rebounder - they are obviously a good rebounding team but don't have one player that is a great rebounder like ben wallace or tim duncan. barkley himself was an incredible rebounder so i wouldn't dismiss his opinion on the subject so quickly - he sees something lacking. maybe he's right, maybe he's not - we'll find out in may.
I don't think he sees anything. In fact I doubt he's watched an entire game this season.

I fail to see what difference it makes if one guy is dominating the boards, or the rebounding is balanced.

[Joepa]

I've always thought of Barkley as an entertainer, not a knowledgable sports personality.

[leemajors]

I don't think he sees anything. In fact I doubt he's watched an entire game this season.

I fail to see what difference it makes if one guy is dominating the boards, or the rebounding is balanced.

he only watches a couple of teams. one guy who is great at rebounding can make all the difference in crunch time.

[island_dude]

Mavs better hope they hold on to the number 1 seed because if they fall to 4 we're not even going to see them in the Playoffs.

They won't get past the mighty Clippers.
That's fine. I don't expect anyone to give them any respect yet. It would be tough series wit the Clippers, but I think they would win in 6.

I'm not buying into all this talk that the Mavs have to get the #1 seed. They have the second best road record in the NBA. Yes, it's different in a playoff series, but I still feel they would fair well.

[leemajors]

That's fine. I don't expect anyone to give them any respect yet. It would be tough series wit the Clippers, but I think they would win in 6.

I'm not buying into all this talk that the Mavs have to get the #1 seed. They have the second best road record in the NBA. Yes, it's different in a playoff series, but I still feel they would fair well.

why are you so offended by barkley then? he will give the mavs their props when they earn them - is that so different?

[island_dude]

he only watches a couple of teams. one guy who is great at rebounding can make all the difference in crunch time.
I know you guys don't think much of Dampier, but he can be very dominating on the boards, especially on the offensive end. The guy is a head case at times, but he's been much better coming of the bench, and when the guy's motivated he can be an absolute monster. We'll see if it continues come May.

[G-Nob]

The mavs have improved in every way this year and they have done what they've needed to do because of their extremely easier Feb schedule. Dallas had two road games all month and one back to back(which was split). And all their homes games were cream puffs. Credit to Avery to keep them motivated, but the mavs do have more to prove. March will tell a better story because of their schedule. And with the schedule we had in Feb, I'm so proud of this team for keeping the mavs in their sights.

[Joepa]

The Mavs are a good team, but I agree...they got a rough stretch coming up here. We'll see what they do in the next 30 days.

[island_dude]

why are you so offended by barkley then? he will give the mavs their props when they earn them - is that so different?
I don't really care who he thinks will win it all. I just don't like when someone spouts off about stuff like rebounding without doing their homework. It's obvious Chuck is there for the comedic schtick, and shouldn't be taken seriously, but sometimes he really has the foot in mouth disease.

Besides, it's obvious he and Kenny have an axe to grinde with the Mavs organization because Cuban slammed them in his blog. I guess it all makes for good drama.

[leemajors]

i would say off hand barkley knows a bit about rebounding. i would also say cuban came off looking like a fool trying to insinuate that he knew more about basketball than those two. barkley is kidding most of the time, but that doesn't mean he isn't very knowledgeable about the game. until the mavs win a championship they will continue to get that treatment. barkley dogs on 95% of the league, and put phoenix in the same category as dallas. he isn't out to grind an axe with dallas, he just doesn't think they have what it takes to win a championship.

[island_dude]

The mavs have improved in every way this year and they have done what they've needed to do because of their extremely easier Feb schedule. Dallas had two road games all month and one back to back(which was split). And all their homes games were cream puffs. Credit to Avery to keep them motivated, but the mavs do have more to prove. March will tell a better story because of their schedule. And with the schedule we had in Feb, I'm so proud of this team for keeping the mavs in their sights.
That might be the case, but before the February schedule they swept a 5 game road trip on the west coast. Granted the Clippers were their only quality opponent during that trip, but sweeping 5 games on the road is a difficult task in this league no matter who you're playing.

[island_dude]

i would say off hand barkley knows a bit about rebounding. i would also say cuban came off looking like a fool trying to insinuate that he knew more about basketball than those two. barkley is kidding most of the time, but that doesn't mean he isn't very knowledgeable about the game. until the mavs win a championship they will continue to get that treatment. barkley dogs on 95% of the league, and put phoenix in the same category as dallas. he isn't out to grind an axe with dallas, he just doesn't think they have what it takes to win a championship.
It's amazing the guy claims to be such an expert on winning a title, when he never won one himself. He's funny at times, but he's a joke as an analyst. No matter what type of player he was it doesn't always translate into being a good annalyst.

Besides, didn't he use dog on the city of San Antonio all the time?

[G-Nob]

That might be the case, but before the February schedule they swept a 5 game road trip on the west coast. Granted the Clippers were their only quality opponent during that trip, but sweeping 5 games on the road is a difficult task in this league no matter who you're playing.

Another cream puff stretch. I still give Avery credit to keep them motivated and they are taking care of their business. No credit taken away. But the mavs are either going to struggle or grow in the month of March.

[leemajors]

It's amazing the guy claims to be such an expert on winning a title, when he never won one himself. He's funny at times, but he's a joke as an analyst. No matter what type of player he was it doesn't always translate into being a good annalyst.

Besides, didn't he use dog on the city of San Antonio all the time?

he probably did, until they won a championship. wouldn't you think someone who got close to winning a championship and never did would know exactly what a team may be lacking? barkley's suns couldn't play enough defense to beat the bulls.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

The Mavs have earned my respect this season. The Spurs can't take them or the Suns lightly, assuming Amare will be near full strength by the playoffs.

[mavsfan1000]

Barkley keeps saying the mavs don't play defense or rebound well which if you look at the stats isn't true. He is going by reputation rather than knowledge in this case. Barkley talks like they don't rebound now rather than once the playoffs start they will struggle there. Who knows what will happen in the playoffs but Barkley's reasonings are fucked up.

[island_dude]

he probably did, until they won a championship. wouldn't you think someone who got close to winning a championship and never did would know exactly what a team may be lacking? barkley's suns couldn't play enough defense to beat the bulls.
I remember him making disparaging remarks about SA during 2003 WCF between Dallas and SA. He was talking trash about how there was nothing to do but the River Walk, and that the women weren't very attractive there.

[island_dude]

The Mavs have earned my respect this season. The Spurs can't take them or the Suns lightly, assuming Amare will be near full strength by the playoffs.
I think both the Spurs, and Mavs better watch out for the Suns.

[leemajors]

I remember him making disparaging remarks about SA during 2003 WCF between Dallas and SA. He was talking trash about how there was nothing to do but the River Walk, and that the women weren't very attractive there.

well, there isn't a whole lot to do in san antonio as far as nightlife.

[Rick Von Braun]

A comment regarding rebounding. I think it is worth expanding on this issue a little further.

Absolute numbers regarding total number of rebounds per game, defensive rebounds per game, etc. etc. do not take into account the game pace. A more precise indicator rebounding strength is the rebounding rate, i.e. the percentage of rebounds capture by a team based on the total number of rebounding opportunities available.

The rebounding rates could be defined for both offensive and defensive rebounds. Let's do this...

Team Offensive Reb % (TOR%) = TmOReb / (TmOReb + OppDReb)
Team Defensive Reb % (TDR%) = TmDReb/ (TmDReb + OppOReb)

In average, the total number of opportunities on the offensive glass are the total number of offensive rebounds + the total number of defensive rebounds the opponent gets. Similarly, the total number of opportunities on the defensive glass is the total number of defensive rebounds + the total number of offensive rebounds the opponent gets.

Running the numbers for the top 3 teams we get:

Spurs
TOR% = 10.2 / (10.2 + 29.7) = 0.25564
TDR% = 32.1 / (32.1 + 11.0) = 0.74478

Pistons
TOR% = 12.1 / (12.1 + 29.0) = 0.29440
TDR% = 28.9 / (28.9 + 11.9) = 0.70833

Mavericks
TOR% = 12.9 / (12.9 + 27.4) = 0.32001
TDR% = 29.7 / (29.7 + 11.6) = 0.71913

From these results we can draw some conclusions.

On the defensive end, the Spurs are a better defensive rebounding team than the Pistons and the Mavs. They essentialy capture 3 out of 4 defensive opportunities. The Mavs however, are slightly better defensive rebounders than the Pistons (and this may surprise some).

On the offensive end, the Spurs are the worst of the bunch. This is hardly a surprise considering the lack of offensive rebounding we have seen since the beginning of the season. This is one of the reasons Pop has gone deeper into his bench during several games. The most surprising fact for me is the outstanding offensive rebound rate by the Mavs, which again is better than the Pistons by a respectable margin (1.5%).

Let's continue the analysis a little further. The offensive rebounding rate would be greatly influenced by the coaching philosophy, in addition to the personnel strengths. For example, offensive rebounding depends heavily on whether the coach chooses to crash the boards or play back to prevent fast breaks.

Let me give you may personal take on this issue based on all the Mavs' games I've seen so far. Avery has pushed certain key players to go for offensive boards whenever possibly. These guys are Dampier, Diop, Howard, Griffin and Daniels. They are very good at crushing the offensive boards. Dampier and Diop are strong centers and the crash the offensive glass pretty good. The key here is the role of Howard and Griffin... these guys are long SFs, they don't shoot much and they attack the paint after each shot taken on the offensive end. I think these guys are critical for Avery's scheme. Daniels has excellent OR numbers for a SG as well, and likes to crash the boards.

On the other hand, the Spurs run back quite fast to prevent transistion baskets. Our only guys that look for offensive rebounds are Duncan, Nazr and Rasho. Oberto actually has an exellent OR rate, so Pop should consider giving him further minutes to improve in this area. The fact that Horry has been injured for quite some time does not help. The search for the infamous long three is something that the Spurs need desperately to improve in this area as well. Bowen has been an historically poor rebounder in general, and offensive rebounder in particular, and Manu has been injured this year (he is an historically very good offensive rebounder for a SG).

[pache100]

Barkley keeps saying the mavs don't play defense or rebound well which if you look at the stats isn't true. He is going by reputation rather than knowledge in this case. Barkley talks like they don't rebound now rather than once the playoffs start they will struggle there. Who knows what will happen in the playoffs but Barkley's reasonings are fucked up.

I agree with that somewhat. We used to call the Mavericks 'allas because they had no "D". Now...well...they have a little "d". Avery's brought them a long way in that regard.

[island_dude]

Very interesting. Sounds like you're a some type mathematical guru.

The only thing I would disagree on is that Josh Howard doesn't shoot much. He's been the high scorer alot when Dirk or Terry aren't.

[leemajors]

he's not a chucker by any means. howard may have a lot of shot attempts sometimes, but from what i have seen he takes what the defense gives him instead of looking for his own shot.

[island_dude]

he's not a chucker by any means. howard may have a lot of shot attempts sometimes, but from what i have seen he takes what the defense gives him instead of looking for his own shot.
True, he isn't a volume shooter, but it isn't like he's only out there to do the dirty work. He's developing a better outside shot to add to his game as a slasher, and does look to score as well as rebound and play defense.

[Peter]

The Mavs as Colts is the best analogy there is across two different pro sports today. Both have won due to their offensive prowess over the last 5 years or so (and been panned for their defense). Both always have championship aspirations. And both recently had seen a improvement in their defenses which supposedly made them a real, real contender this time around.

[Peter]

A comment regarding rebounding. I think it is worth expanding on this issue a little further.

Great insight. I would say that the Spurs make up for the weakness in offensive rebounding with their #3 ranked FG shooting %. Of course, Dallas is not weak in that department while Detroit is fairly average.

[ambchang]

The Mavs are an excellent team, and for all the talk of their playoff failures, the team has made the 2nd round thrice, the WCF once in the last five years. Now, with more emphasis on defense, the Mavs can rely more on their defense when their outside jumpers aren't falling.
But of course, I still favour the Spurs, otherwise, I won't be much of a Spurs fan. The Spurs have better defense, better ball movement on offense, most important, stronger interior offense. Even though Duncan is not 100%, he demands a double team every time down the court, Ginobili is like the Tasmanian Devil driving to the lane, and Tony Parker has made been making a living in the paint this year. The Mavs, on the other hand, have their best big man scorer shooting perimeter jumpers. When playoffs come, open shots are rare, refs allow for tougher defense (hopefully that will hold this year), and team prep is that much better. It really has to take a really hot streak for a perimeter-oriented team to prevail in a 7 game series.

[mavsfan1000]

The Mavs are an excellent team, and for all the talk of their playoff failures, the team has made the 2nd round thrice, the WCF once in the last five years. Now, with more emphasis on defense, the Mavs can rely more on their defense when their outside jumpers aren't falling.
But of course, I still favour the Spurs, otherwise, I won't be much of a Spurs fan. The Spurs have better defense, better ball movement on offense, most important, stronger interior offense. Even though Duncan is not 100%, he demands a double team every time down the court, Ginobili is like the Tasmanian Devil driving to the lane, and Tony Parker has made been making a living in the paint this year. The Mavs, on the other hand, have their best big man scorer shooting perimeter jumpers. When playoffs come, open shots are rare, refs allow for tougher defense (hopefully that will hold this year), and team prep is that much better. It really has to take a really hot streak for a perimeter-oriented team to prevail in a 7 game series.
What do you think Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels, and Devin Harris are? They are all interior threats. Duncan demands a double team? Maybe in 2002 but he hardly gets double teamed anymore. The mavs also are the better rebounding team and the spurs have no one that can guard Dirk. Duncan doesn't have the mobility and Bowen is too small. I'm not so sure about the better ball movement either. Dallas does pretty good here with the spacing of the floor with Dirk and Terry along with slashers.

[G-Nob]

What do you think Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels, and Devin Harris are? They are all interior threats. Duncan demands a double team? Maybe in 2002 but he hardly gets double teamed anymore. The mavs also are the better rebounding team and the spurs have no one that can guard Dirk. Duncan doesn't have the mobility and Bowen is too small. I'm not so sure about the better ball movement either. Dallas does pretty good here with the spacing of the floor with Dirk and Terry along with slashers.


Dirk vs. Spurs Dec. 1st:

FG 3-13

Bruce disrupted his game all night. We do have someone to guard Dirk.

[mavsfan1000]

Dirk vs. Spurs Dec. 1st:

FG 3-13

Bruce disrupted his game all night. We do have someone to guard Dirk.
haha. Dirk usually makes those shots that he was missing in that game and Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse wasn't playing. If Bowen is guarding Dirk not only Dirk will go off but Howard as well. Good luck. :lol

[Peter]

haha. Dirk usually makes those shots that he was missing in that game and Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse wasn't playing. If Bowen is guarding Dirk not only Dirk will go off but Howard as well. Good luck. :lol


Man, I've read that kind of statement only a few thousand times.

[mavsfan1000]

Peter=tool

[ambchang]

What do you think Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels, and Devin Harris are? They are all interior threats. Duncan demands a double team? Maybe in 2002 but he hardly gets double teamed anymore. The mavs also are the better rebounding team and the spurs have no one that can guard Dirk. Duncan doesn't have the mobility and Bowen is too small. I'm not so sure about the better ball movement either. Dallas does pretty good here with the spacing of the floor with Dirk and Terry along with slashers.
Duncan hardly gets doubled anymore? That's really news to me.
And Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels and Devin Harris are no where CLOSE to Duncan, Ginobili and Parker as interior scoring threats.
The Spurs have no one that can guard Dirk?
This season:
November 5, 2005: 12-20 - 34 points
December 1, 2005: 3-13 - 14 points

Last season:
Nov 24, 2004: 7-18: 23 points
Nov 30, 2004: 7-17: 21 points
Jan 14, 2005: 12-28: 36 points
April 7, 2005: 6-13: 16 points (Duncan didn't play, most other players played limited minutes due to blowout)

In the 6 games, there were two good games, two subpar games, and two slightly below average games, scoring-wise, for Dirk. I would expect Dirk to really go off on a team that has "no one that can guard" him, wouldn't you? And your statement about Bowen being too small to guard Dirk is curious, given how Bowen shut him down in the last game they played together. I am not saying the Spurs can shut down Dirk whenever they want, but to say that there is no one on the Spurs who can guard him is quite a stretch.

As for offensive movement, Dallas does a lot of one on one, ranking #26 this season with 18.4 apg, while the Spurs ranks 16th with 20 apg. I don't have the # of possessions per game for either team, but that would probably have some effect on raw apg numbers.

And yes, I admit Dallas is a better rebounding team, but the Spurs are better on the defensive end of the court. The philosophy of limiting opposition fast-break points does affect the Spur's ability to rebound the ball on the offensive end. And then again, the # of possessions probably makes some difference here.

[Quasar]

A comment regarding rebounding. I think it is worth expanding on this issue a little further.

Absolute numbers regarding total number of rebounds per game, defensive rebounds per game, etc. etc. do not take into account the game pace. A more precise indicator rebounding strength is the rebounding rate, i.e. the percentage of rebounds capture by a team based on the total number of rebounding opportunities available.

The rebounding rates could be defined for both offensive and defensive rebounds. Let's do this...

Team Offensive Reb % (TOR%) = TmOReb / (TmOReb + OppDReb)
Team Defensive Reb % (TDR%) = TmDReb/ (TmDReb + OppOReb)

In average, the total number of opportunities on the offensive glass are the total number of offensive rebounds + the total number of defensive rebounds the opponent gets. Similarly, the total number of opportunities on the defensive glass is the total number of defensive rebounds + the total number of offensive rebounds the opponent gets.

Running the numbers for the top 3 teams we get:

Spurs
TOR% = 10.2 / (10.2 + 29.7) = 0.25564
TDR% = 32.1 / (32.1 + 11.0) = 0.74478

Pistons
TOR% = 12.1 / (12.1 + 29.0) = 0.29440
TDR% = 28.9 / (28.9 + 11.9) = 0.70833

Mavericks
TOR% = 12.9 / (12.9 + 27.4) = 0.32001
TDR% = 29.7 / (29.7 + 11.6) = 0.71913

From these results we can draw some conclusions.

On the defensive end, the Spurs are a better defensive rebounding team than the Pistons and the Mavs. They essentialy capture 3 out of 4 defensive opportunities. The Mavs however, are slightly better defensive rebounders than the Pistons (and this may surprise some).

On the offensive end, the Spurs are the worst of the bunch. This is hardly a surprise considering the lack of offensive rebounding we have seen since the beginning of the season. This is one of the reasons Pop has gone deeper into his bench during several games. The most surprising fact for me is the outstanding offensive rebound rate by the Mavs, which again is better than the Pistons by a respectable margin (1.5%).

Let's continue the analysis a little further. The offensive rebounding rate would be greatly influenced by the coaching philosophy, in addition to the personnel strengths. For example, offensive rebounding depends heavily on whether the coach chooses to crash the boards or play back to prevent fast breaks.

Let me give you may personal take on this issue based on all the Mavs' games I've seen so far. Avery has pushed certain key players to go for offensive boards whenever possibly. These guys are Dampier, Diop, Howard, Griffin and Daniels. They are very good at crushing the offensive boards. Dampier and Diop are strong centers and the crash the offensive glass pretty good. The key here is the role of Howard and Griffin... these guys are long SFs, they don't shoot much and they attack the paint after each shot taken on the offensive end. I think these guys are critical for Avery's scheme. Daniels has excellent OR numbers for a SG as well, and likes to crash the boards.

On the other hand, the Spurs run back quite fast to prevent transistion baskets. Our only guys that look for offensive rebounds are Duncan, Nazr and Rasho. Oberto actually has an exellent OR rate, so Pop should consider giving him further minutes to improve in this area. The fact that Horry has been injured for quite some time does not help. The search for the infamous long three is something that the Spurs need desperately to improve in this area as well. Bowen has been an historically poor rebounder in general, and offensive rebounder in particular, and Manu has been injured this year (he is an historically very good offensive rebounder for a SG).

Props man, this is a great analysis!

Just one thing... it seems to me that the spurs have been much weaker at rebounding this season.

No matter how good the stats says they are, it seems they tend (might be biased here) to lose defensive rebounds in crunch time situations (e.g. philly).

Any stats on that?

[mavsfan1000]

Who is going to guard Dirk? Horry was once the guy but he is getting old.

[Kori Ellis]

I just heard Dirk is questionable for tomorrow. Is that true?

[mavsfan1000]

I hope not but Dirk did sprain his ankle.

[ambchang]

Who is going to guard Dirk? Horry was once the guy but he is getting old.
Bowen did a good job against him last time. In fact, the whole Spurs defense is pretty good, probably a team effort.

[JohnMcClane]

I hate to burst your bubble.. but saying Bowen shut Dirk down is like saying Michael Finley shut Duncan down when the Mavs doubled and trippled him while Finley was guarding him in the past.

It was entirely team defense that got Dirk last time.. and the inability of our supporting cast to capitalize on that. Bowen cannot guard Dirk one-on-one at all. when he tries to he looks totally mismatched.. he can't do anything.

Now Robert Horry.. that is a different thing.. when he is motivated he can get away with murder on Dirk one-on-one, and in big games -- where refs swallow their whistles they will let him get away with even more because of the Spurs defensive reputation.

[TDMVPDPOY]

we have sumone that will stop jirk, but does the mavs have anyone to stop sean marks?

[mavsfan1000]

we have sumone that will stop jirk, but does the mavs have anyone to stop sean marks?
Well you have no one to stop Mbenga so we're even. :lol

[FoxMulder]

Its a waste of time... I remember past year we were arguing against Suns fans, this year against Mavs fans... but at the end Spurs wins!!!

You need more than a good season... you need experience, cold blood and good team...

The real contender for SA playing 100% is Detroit...

You must worry about season but even if you lost all your matchs against one team... the real deal is the playoffs...(don´t you remember Seattle last year?)

Wait and See... this year will be the beginning of a dinasty

[ambchang]

I hate to burst your bubble.. but saying Bowen shut Dirk down is like saying Michael Finley shut Duncan down when the Mavs doubled and trippled him while Finley was guarding him in the past.

It was entirely team defense that got Dirk last time.. and the inability of our supporting cast to capitalize on that. Bowen cannot guard Dirk one-on-one at all. when he tries to he looks totally mismatched.. he can't do anything.

Now Robert Horry.. that is a different thing.. when he is motivated he can get away with murder on Dirk one-on-one, and in big games -- where refs swallow their whistles they will let him get away with even more because of the Spurs defensive reputation.
Jeez, can anyone other than the refs stop Dirk? I mean, if it wasn't for the refs, Dirk would have averaged 82 points a game for the last 4 years.

[mavsfan1000]

Dirk definitely doesn't get the star treatment like most superstars like Kobe and Amare get. I'm not saying Dirk would be unstoppable but he would be less hesitant to attack the basket if the refs gave him more calls. Against the suns last year Dirk was constantly hammered and a lot of no calls while Amare got almost every call.

[leemajors]

but if he was less hesitant to drive to the basket the calls would come. seems like dirk is stuck between a rock and a hard place...

[wildbill2u]

Dirk definitely doesn't get the star treatment like most superstars like Kobe and Amare get. I'm not saying Dirk would be unstoppable but he would be less hesitant to attack the basket if the refs gave him more calls. Against the suns last year Dirk was constantly hammered and a lot of no calls while Amare got almost every call.


You don't get as many calls when you stay outside and shoot. You'll notice Dirk doesn't get into the paint and mix it up much and that's where most shooting fouls are called.