Mr.Bottomtooth
05-06-2007, 10:28 AM
Stackhouse wants to remain a Maverick
06:25 PM CDT on Saturday, May 5, 2007
By BRAD TOWNSEND / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]
Jerry Stackhouse walked out of the Mavericks' final meeting of the season, met with reporters, then headed toward the American Airlines Center parking garage with an odd feeling.
A feeling he had never experienced in 12 NBA seasons.
"I don't have a job," he said.
Technically, he doesn't become an unrestricted free agent until this summer. But his status is one of the key issues facing Dallas as it evaluates its roster this off-season.
Not surprisingly, Stackhouse emphasized Saturday that he wants to be a Maverick next season, even if another team offers him an opportunity to be a starter.
"I'm happy to be sixth man [in Dallas], or if Moe Ager steps up, I could be a seventh man," Stackhouse said. "And if need be, somebody goes down, I can start – and hopefully we don't miss a beat."
Stackhouse, who turns 33 in November, averaged 12 points in 67 games off the bench this season. After shooting 6-for-24 in the first three games of the opening-round loss to Golden State, he averaged 19.6 points during the series' final three games.
Avery Johnson on Saturday didn't sound like a coach who wanted to bid Stackhouse goodbye.
"He was strong all year," Johnson said. "He battled. He was a warrior. Again, this is the same guy, when we got him here, [critics said] he wasn't going to cooperate. He's been cooperating with us."
Johnson cited Stackhouse's influence on fellow forward Josh Howard. Johnson also indicated that a large part of what the Mavericks lacked against Golden State was more tough-minded players such as Stackhouse.
After the Warriors jumped to a 15-6 lead in Game 6, Stackhouse came off the bench and almost single-handedly got Dallas back into the game with 14 first-quarter points.
"We can talk about everything that I did wrong [as a coach], but you need players to also have an impact on other players," Johnson said. "We needed veteran leadership like Stack's."
Stackhouse made $9.3 million this season. This summer's free agent market is rated as one of the weakest in several years. Stackhouse certainly hasn't hurt his market value by being willing to come off the bench during his three seasons in Dallas.
His scoring average during that time slipped from 14.9 points to 13.0 to 12.0, but his shooting percentage (42.8) was his best since 1999-2000. After shooting 29.9-percent from 3-point distance his first 11 seasons, he was a career-best 38.3-percent this season.
"The time will come down where we'll sit down, me and Mark (Cuban) will have some conversations, get it done," Stackhouse said of his contract. "We all want the same thing, and that's to bring a championship back to Dallas."
Stackhouse said it is important for the franchise that Ager, a rookie this season, has a strong summer and plays a larger role next season.
Stackhouse joked that, in his mind, it will take Ager six years to "do what I do," but added that he is more than willing to help Ager.
"Still understanding where I am in my career and wanting to contribute, but at the same time not stunting the growth of younger guys – hopefully, I can be an asset to those guys as they continue to build their games."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/050607dnspomavssider.25e6cdf.html
06:25 PM CDT on Saturday, May 5, 2007
By BRAD TOWNSEND / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]
Jerry Stackhouse walked out of the Mavericks' final meeting of the season, met with reporters, then headed toward the American Airlines Center parking garage with an odd feeling.
A feeling he had never experienced in 12 NBA seasons.
"I don't have a job," he said.
Technically, he doesn't become an unrestricted free agent until this summer. But his status is one of the key issues facing Dallas as it evaluates its roster this off-season.
Not surprisingly, Stackhouse emphasized Saturday that he wants to be a Maverick next season, even if another team offers him an opportunity to be a starter.
"I'm happy to be sixth man [in Dallas], or if Moe Ager steps up, I could be a seventh man," Stackhouse said. "And if need be, somebody goes down, I can start – and hopefully we don't miss a beat."
Stackhouse, who turns 33 in November, averaged 12 points in 67 games off the bench this season. After shooting 6-for-24 in the first three games of the opening-round loss to Golden State, he averaged 19.6 points during the series' final three games.
Avery Johnson on Saturday didn't sound like a coach who wanted to bid Stackhouse goodbye.
"He was strong all year," Johnson said. "He battled. He was a warrior. Again, this is the same guy, when we got him here, [critics said] he wasn't going to cooperate. He's been cooperating with us."
Johnson cited Stackhouse's influence on fellow forward Josh Howard. Johnson also indicated that a large part of what the Mavericks lacked against Golden State was more tough-minded players such as Stackhouse.
After the Warriors jumped to a 15-6 lead in Game 6, Stackhouse came off the bench and almost single-handedly got Dallas back into the game with 14 first-quarter points.
"We can talk about everything that I did wrong [as a coach], but you need players to also have an impact on other players," Johnson said. "We needed veteran leadership like Stack's."
Stackhouse made $9.3 million this season. This summer's free agent market is rated as one of the weakest in several years. Stackhouse certainly hasn't hurt his market value by being willing to come off the bench during his three seasons in Dallas.
His scoring average during that time slipped from 14.9 points to 13.0 to 12.0, but his shooting percentage (42.8) was his best since 1999-2000. After shooting 29.9-percent from 3-point distance his first 11 seasons, he was a career-best 38.3-percent this season.
"The time will come down where we'll sit down, me and Mark (Cuban) will have some conversations, get it done," Stackhouse said of his contract. "We all want the same thing, and that's to bring a championship back to Dallas."
Stackhouse said it is important for the franchise that Ager, a rookie this season, has a strong summer and plays a larger role next season.
Stackhouse joked that, in his mind, it will take Ager six years to "do what I do," but added that he is more than willing to help Ager.
"Still understanding where I am in my career and wanting to contribute, but at the same time not stunting the growth of younger guys – hopefully, I can be an asset to those guys as they continue to build their games."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/050607dnspomavssider.25e6cdf.html