MAVERICKS CAMP
MAVERICKS CAMP
By Mercedes Mayer, Star-Telegram Staff Writer
October 14, 2005
18 Days to the Mavericks' season opener at the Phoenix Suns, 9:30 p.m. Nov. 1, TNT
Film material
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The Mavericks left the West Coast with more than a split against Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers. The two preseason games should give the coaching staff plenty to break down and study.
"We've got great film material," coach Avery Johnson said. "Great stuff to watch and learn from. This is a learning experience."
Johnson gave Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier, Jerry Stackhouse and Keith Van Horn the night off in Wednesday's 95-80 loss to the Clippers. And Doug Christie and Jason Terry did not play in Tuesday's 96-83 win over the Kings in Sacramento.
Resting the veterans allowed for extended looks at younger players, such as DeSagana Diop, Josh Powell, DJ Mbenga and Rawle Marshall. Johnson said the rotation will tighten up as the preseason continues.
"We accomplished on this road trip what we wanted to accomplish," he said. "We had a set rotation coming into the trip, and we got in just what we planned on."
With many of the younger reserve players on the floor along with free agents Erick Strickland and Kaniel ens, the Mavericks were outscored 55-28 in the second and third quarters against the Kings.
"The guys competed. We just struggled to score," Johnson said. "That happens sometimes when the ball is just not going in the basket."
While it's difficult to draw many parallels from the two games because of the changing lineups, the trio of Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels and Devin Harris was solid.
Christie played 12 minutes against Los Angeles and Johnson wants his minutes in the 20s by the end of preseason.
Athletic Mavs
Up and down the roster, it's obvious through two games that the team is more athletic than last season. The additions of Doug Christie and DeSagana Diop, and rookies Josh Powell and Rawle Marshall, have changed the overall tenor of the squad.
Athleticism doesn't necessarily mean better basketball.
"If you ask our strength and conditioning coach, he'd tell you we're more athletic, just in terms of testing," Keith Van Horn said. "But that doesn't always mean a lot. We'll see how it transfers to the court.
"You have to think the games as well as be an athlete and be talented. Hopefully, it will develop and that athleticism will show up out there on the court."
Briefs
Jerry Stackhouse did not practice Thursday because of a sore knee.
X-rays on Keith Van Horn's sprained thumb were negative. Van Horn injured the thumb against Sacramento and did not play in the Clippers game.
Up next
Sunday at New York, 5 p.m.
20 SECOND TIMEOUT: MARK CUBAN
Q: We know you're a big workout guru, when did that start?
A: After I sold my first company. I started working out when I was 35-36 years old. When I was in college, I worked out, then I turned into a fat pig after I started my first business. I didn't make time to work out, then got back into it.
Q: Was there a reason you got back into it?
A: I couldn't fit into any clothes. I was a pig. When I would take a brisk walk, my belly would jumble and the trees would rustle -- I knew it was time to work out.
Q: So buying the Mavs didn't have anything to do with using the workout facility?
A: No, no [laughs]. It would be a lot cheaper to just work out at the Premiere Club. But it's nice. It's created a nice little game day routine for me. That helps. Even then, I gain weight during the season and I try to take it off during the off-season. This season my goal is to keep the weight off.
I like the adjustments to the lineup Dallas made. Their worst defender in the starting lineup last year was Finley and they replace him with a great defender in Christie. As long as they keep his minutes low he should be effective. Marquis Daniels is learning alot from Christie in practice. I eventually think Daniels will take the starting position and become a great defender like Christie.
Sorry, but Finley was not the worst defender in the starting lineup. If fouls are equivalent to defense then Finley was the third best defender in the starting lineup, otherwise he was second to Daniels.
Dallas's Defenders from best to worst.
1. Dampier. He clogs up the middle and is great against low post players
2. J. Howard. Very Active and long and hard to get shots over.
3. D. Nowitzki. Improved his defense immensely in the last 2 years.
4. J. Terry. Struggles with the faster guards like Nash but is strong and can handle strong guards.
5. M. Finley. He is a step slow at the SG. He can play physical but is constantly beat on defense to quicker players.
Since you don't even know who your starting five were last year I shouldn't even respond. Even in the five you mention, Dampier is not nearly as good a defender as Howard, who, when healthy, is probably the best defender on the team. Nowitzki improved his defense immensely to the point that he only slaps at the ball about 50 percent of the time against smaller defenders. His blocks were up but his steals were down. He strikes fear into no one. Terry is not a good defender, especially if Steve Nash is considered a "faster guard".
You don't know anything about the mavs. Look it up. That was the mavs starting lineup last year for the most part. Daniels hardly ever started last year. Dampier never gets any respect for clogging the middle on defense and stopping penetration. He struggles against Stoudemire but who doesn't? Nash is very active and fast and penetrates on everyone.
He doesn't get repect for clogging the middle because he doesn't clog the middle. He is an average defender at best.
I watch all the mavs games so I would know. Dampier stays inside and teams that try to score inside will find it tough to go through Dampier. They either rush the shot or get hacked. Dampier is weak on offense but his defense is great.
Oh please!!!
Yep, you are right. I thought I checked before I posted that but I read it wrong. Daniels played in 60 games, I thought it said he started 60 games. Oh well.
Doesn't change my opinion that, while both of them are better defenders than Finley, Finley with bone spurs is still a better defender than Terry, Damp or Dirk. Dampier has not become who the Mavs wanted him to be when they signed him. Damp was so bad that Bradley fell back into favor off the bench for defensive situations and to keep Damp from fouling out in the first half. Finley's liabilities were at the offensive end with the Mavs IMO. Terry's are at the defensive end. Nash didn't go past Terry when he knocked the Mavs out of the playoffs, he just failed to close out on a shooter executing his favorite end of game move.
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