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Hollinger actually removed his mouth from the Miami Heat's long enough to write an article about another team???
Could someone be so kind to please post it?
Thank you very much
Hollinger actually removed his mouth from the Miami Heat's long enough to write an article about another team???
Don't count Dallas Mavericks out yet
PER Diem: Nov. 22, 2010
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By John Hollinger
ESPN.com
Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images
The rejuvenated Tyson Chandler is helping the Dallas Mavericks keep their championship hopes alive.
I don't want to overstate my case here. We expected the Dallas Mavericks to be a middle-of-the-pack Western Conference playoff team that couldn't hang with the big boys, and with Dallas projected to win 49 games and 4th in the West, nobody is making dramatic revisions to their forecasts just yet.
Thus, saying the championship window remains "open" for this team seems like a stretch.
But I would definitely describe it as "unlocked."
In all likelihood, the Mavericks need more help if they're going to pose a legitimate threat to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference. Nonetheless, the good news from the first three weeks of the regular season is that Dallas appears to be in far better shape than generally imagined. Throwing open that window may require a hard push from a midseason transaction, but the thing isn't bolted shut.
I say this not only because of the big-picture stuff -- they're 8-4 with wins over Boston and New Orleans and the Playoff Odds project the Mavs to claim the West's fourth-best record -- but because of the small-picture items that contribute to that picture.
In particular, the dramatic improvements by two players from whom we expected relatively little -- Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson -- have allowed Dallas to weather the early absence of high-scoring guard Rodrigue Beaubois and maintain contact with scorching-hot rivals like the Lakers, Hornets and Spurs.
Chandler's revival has been the lesser of the two surprises, because we've seen him do this before. In New Orleans, his high-flying finishes around the basket provided the jelly to Chris Paul's peanut butter as they hooked up on countless alley-oops. There was a certain irony in seeing Jason Kidd and Chandler hook up in similar fashion on the first play of the Mavs' game in New Orleans.
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AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
Chandler has been on target, shooting 73.8 percent from the field and 81.8 percent from the line.
(Side note for the league's 30 coaches: This is a far better way to "involve the big guy early" than by running the static, no-chance post play most of you insist on calling to start the game. That's what New Orleans did with Chandler when he was there, even though he has no post game at all, and all it did was guarantee they trailed 2-0 many nights. They'd have been better off just having Peja Stojakovic shoot from half court.)
Previously, Chandler has battled injuries, playing only 96 games due to foot and ankle problems the past two seasons, with last year's campaign in Charlotte being a particularly lost cause. But those injuries haven't given him much trouble this year.
"It feels good to be healthy again," said Chandler when he passed through Atlanta this weekend. "It feels good to not think again. Now I just react. I feel good after games. Last year I would walk out, ice packs everywhere, hurting -- that's no fun."
Chandler appears to be having tons of fun this year, shooting 73.8 percent from the floor and showcasing a vastly improved midrange jumper. He shocked the Hawks by confidently draining a 15-footer early in Dallas' win Saturday, but the real difference is at the free throw line. Chandler, a 61.0 percent shooter from the stripe entering the season, has converted 81.8 percent so far.
"I got with my trainer this summer and it was just nonstop shooting," Chandler said. "Just consistently, every day, taking shots, getting confident in my stroke and letting it fly. I've seen it go in so many times from the same spot, the game is no different."
"It's unbelievable," said teammate Dirk Nowitzki, a fellow who knows a thing or two about shooting. "He's still got a little hitch in there, it's a little awkward-looking, but it's sure going in. It just shows his wanting to improve, [his] work in the offseason. You can't just foul him anymore."
Chandler isn't the only improved veteran in the Mavs' starting five. At shooting guard, Stevenson has shocked the masses by hitting 13 of 23 3-pointers. He made only 19 triples all of last season, while shooting a ghastly 28.3 percent from the floor.
As with Chandler, Stevenson had shown this ability previously, but health woes had sent his career spiraling. In consecutive seasons in Washington he made 40.4 percent and 38.3 percent from downtown, while starting all 82 games both seasons. A back injury crushed his productivity the past two seasons, but this year he's in better shape and letting the jumper rip again.
"I had back surgery two years ago," Stevenson said. "Last year was my first year coming off back surgery. I think it was tough. [But] I'm getting my rhythm back, I dropped a lot of weight and I'm on a great team with a Hall of Fame point guard.
"I'm getting situations where I'm wide-open, so it's a blessing. I don't know if they're going to start guarding me, but I'm just catching and shooting."
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Derick E. Hingle/US Presswire
A healthier DeShawn Stevenson is knocking down shots again.
The surprising shooting of these two has had another benefit for Dallas. Chandler and Stevenson are two of the Mavs' best defenders, and they've been able to start games and stay on the floor.
With those two and a supporting cast of long-armed veterans, Dallas has befuddled opponents with a variety of junk defenses. If the Mavs aren't the league's leading prac ioner of zone defense, they're certainly on the short list, and it's a weapon they used to throw Atlanta's normally potent offense into a tailspin Saturday.
"It's actually a more difficult defense to play than man-to-man," said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle. "You have to be much more alert, there are more complexities to it, the communication factor is much higher; there are a lot of things going on."
"We have to play to our length and our experience," Carlisle said. "We're not the fastest team in the league, but we do have good length and a high IQ. The zone, it's a complex defense, there are a lot of vectors to it, with a lot of different things that go on: overloads, guys running the baseline, different ball screen angles. But it's something our guys have worked hard at, and [assistant coach] Dwane Casey has done a great job teaching it."
Daring to be different has Dallas seventh in the NBA in Defensive Efficiency, helping the Mavs overcome bumpy offensive starts for Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and J.J. Barea and the fact they've had to use Rob Corddry's stunt double as a rotation player.
But Beaubois should be back before Christmas to provide an offensive spark, while owner Mark Cuban's deep pockets will have Dallas in the hunt for the types of trades that can land an All-Star complement to Nowitzki and another body for the frontcourt.
Like I said, they're not there yet, and they're still going to need some help to challenge the West's top three. But the career revivals by Chandler and Stevenson have left Dallas in a far stronger position than it seemed sans Beaubois. Sure, it's a heavy window, but a good shove in the right spot can throw it open again.
I guess so
Thanks Ghazi
"have allowed Dallas to weather the early absence of high-scoring guard Rodrigue Beaubois "seriously?? what does mavfan think is going to happen when this kid comes back? cause he didnt do last year
Hardly, for someone who could barely speak english and understand what others on the court were saying he was one incredibly impressive player. He's got all the physical tools, and basketball skills (shooting, dribbling, creativity around the basket) to be a very special player. Now hopefully he puts it all together, better players have failed at that."have allowed Dallas to weather the early absence of high-scoring guard Rodrigue Beaubois "
Hollinger isn't a mavfan tbh.
lol PMing a guy on the internet for drugs.
Butler must be moved for something useful, maybe Josh Howard?
Lets not go crazy.
I will always count the Dallas Mavericks out. Non issue.
lol thispego getting ted on in every thread he posts in..just sad
the arrival of chandler is really a great ing ecstasy not only for the mavs team but their fans as well, especially the ghazi's family.
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