CubanMustGo
04-18-2006, 03:27 PM
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/041806dnspocowlishaw.ce8ba04.html
The one thing Avery Johnson thinks his Mavericks lack may be the one thing that gives this team a chance to get to the NBA Finals for the first time.
The Mavericks won their 60th game Sunday for only the second time in franchise history. They have a true MVP candidate in Dirk Nowitzki for the first time in franchise history.
They just beat the defending champions in San Antonio, which is what they are going to have to do at least once in the second round to get where they want to go. The team is full of skill, full of confidence.
The team does not have a vocal leader.
Johnson lashed out at the players for their lack of internal leadership after a poor showing at Golden State last week. Now he should be glad they don't have one. If they did, someone might have stepped up to the media and said:
"Would you tell Avery to shut up? We're going to win 60 games despite a rash of injuries, Dirk's playing better than ever, Josh Howard's playing better than ever, we have an effective two-center situation for the first time ever, and this team plays harder night in and night out for him than it ever did for Nellie."
But no one said that. The Mavericks looked the other way and figured that was just Avery Johnson doing what Avery Johnson does, which is get more out of this team than maybe any other NBA coach gets out of his.
Johnson simply doesn't want his team to rest on its laurels until those laurels include an NBA title. And for once around here, finally, an NBA title is no pipe dream.
Even Johnson sounded excited after hitting the 60-win plateau.
"Our system is not this year where it's going to be in a year or two, but we're not worried with that right now," Johnson said. "We're trying to speed things along and pursue our big goals. We don't have a full 10 right now, but the guys we've got are really playing well."
The Mavericks will not have a healthy Devin Harris at the start of the first round, almost certainly against Memphis. That's OK. Get him ready in two weeks. That's the plan.
A healthy Harris able to play 20 to 24 minutes against Tony Parker gives the Mavericks a chance against San Antonio. A very good chance, to be honest.
The change to a more defensive mind-set is incomplete, but what Johnson has accomplished in pursuing that goal is remarkable. And these Mavericks are going to talk about defense throughout this playoff run.
But you know what's going to win it for them?
The offense supplied by Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse is going to be what it's all about. Nowitzki, Howard and Terry give Dallas three starters who shoot better than 40 percent from the beyond the arc.
That's what Hubie Brown would call "a tough guard."
Stackhouse is not a good 3-point shooter, but he can help in streaks and he gets to the basket. This team's offense still scares opponents far more than its commitment to defense.
Nowitzki can't get off his game and get frustrated the way he did a year ago. There's no sign that will happen.
He improved dramatically in his eighth season. At the home opener, Johnson told me Dirk was a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10 as a post player and that the Spurs' Tim Duncan was 10. Johnson said the Mavericks had to get Dirk up to a 5 to run an efficient offense.
After the club's 60th win, Johnson said Dirk had left 5 in the dust.
"He is almost an 8 right now," he said. "He has made tremendous strides, beyond what we had hoped for."
For Nowitzki, 27 points and nine rebounds and three assists and effort at the defensive end – that's leadership.
He tried it the other way, calling out Erick Dampier in the playoffs last year. That didn't work because Nowitzki was off his game, too.
Johnson will have to settle for the quiet watch-what-I-do leadership of Nowitzki, a little fire from Terry and Stackhouse and the too-often-overlooked steadying hand of Josh Howard.
Those are the things that can lead the Mavericks to someplace they have never been.
And then they can all take their turns shouting.
The one thing Avery Johnson thinks his Mavericks lack may be the one thing that gives this team a chance to get to the NBA Finals for the first time.
The Mavericks won their 60th game Sunday for only the second time in franchise history. They have a true MVP candidate in Dirk Nowitzki for the first time in franchise history.
They just beat the defending champions in San Antonio, which is what they are going to have to do at least once in the second round to get where they want to go. The team is full of skill, full of confidence.
The team does not have a vocal leader.
Johnson lashed out at the players for their lack of internal leadership after a poor showing at Golden State last week. Now he should be glad they don't have one. If they did, someone might have stepped up to the media and said:
"Would you tell Avery to shut up? We're going to win 60 games despite a rash of injuries, Dirk's playing better than ever, Josh Howard's playing better than ever, we have an effective two-center situation for the first time ever, and this team plays harder night in and night out for him than it ever did for Nellie."
But no one said that. The Mavericks looked the other way and figured that was just Avery Johnson doing what Avery Johnson does, which is get more out of this team than maybe any other NBA coach gets out of his.
Johnson simply doesn't want his team to rest on its laurels until those laurels include an NBA title. And for once around here, finally, an NBA title is no pipe dream.
Even Johnson sounded excited after hitting the 60-win plateau.
"Our system is not this year where it's going to be in a year or two, but we're not worried with that right now," Johnson said. "We're trying to speed things along and pursue our big goals. We don't have a full 10 right now, but the guys we've got are really playing well."
The Mavericks will not have a healthy Devin Harris at the start of the first round, almost certainly against Memphis. That's OK. Get him ready in two weeks. That's the plan.
A healthy Harris able to play 20 to 24 minutes against Tony Parker gives the Mavericks a chance against San Antonio. A very good chance, to be honest.
The change to a more defensive mind-set is incomplete, but what Johnson has accomplished in pursuing that goal is remarkable. And these Mavericks are going to talk about defense throughout this playoff run.
But you know what's going to win it for them?
The offense supplied by Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse is going to be what it's all about. Nowitzki, Howard and Terry give Dallas three starters who shoot better than 40 percent from the beyond the arc.
That's what Hubie Brown would call "a tough guard."
Stackhouse is not a good 3-point shooter, but he can help in streaks and he gets to the basket. This team's offense still scares opponents far more than its commitment to defense.
Nowitzki can't get off his game and get frustrated the way he did a year ago. There's no sign that will happen.
He improved dramatically in his eighth season. At the home opener, Johnson told me Dirk was a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10 as a post player and that the Spurs' Tim Duncan was 10. Johnson said the Mavericks had to get Dirk up to a 5 to run an efficient offense.
After the club's 60th win, Johnson said Dirk had left 5 in the dust.
"He is almost an 8 right now," he said. "He has made tremendous strides, beyond what we had hoped for."
For Nowitzki, 27 points and nine rebounds and three assists and effort at the defensive end – that's leadership.
He tried it the other way, calling out Erick Dampier in the playoffs last year. That didn't work because Nowitzki was off his game, too.
Johnson will have to settle for the quiet watch-what-I-do leadership of Nowitzki, a little fire from Terry and Stackhouse and the too-often-overlooked steadying hand of Josh Howard.
Those are the things that can lead the Mavericks to someplace they have never been.
And then they can all take their turns shouting.