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The Finley is healthy......the Finley is wise.
Yeah, great read, I've always been a Finley fan
The Finley is healthy......the Finley is wise.
Finley loving new home, ready to visit old one
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Michael Finley and Dirk Nowitzki sat dejectedly in the Dallas Mavericks' whirlpool, soaking in a Game 6 loss to the Phoenix Suns that ended their season, when Finley hit Nowitzki with another depressing scenario.
With no one else around, Finley told him: "I'm done."
Done as in, done with the Mavericks.
"I just had a funny feeling," Finley says today.
They had just completed a seventh close-knit season together, their bond forged by Finley's willingness to help shepherd Nowitzki from nervous, foreign-born rookie into Finley's old spot as face of the franchise.
Their unfulfilled championship dreams, furthermore, had just been shredded again, this time by their former running mate, Steve Nash. The excruciating manner of the elimination quickly convinced Finley that his career as a Maverick was over.
"I told Dirk, 'This was probably our last game together,'" Finley recalls.
"I didn't want it to be true, but I just knew it."
He didn't even know at the time that the NBA would soon be introducing an amnesty clause that would allow the Mavericks to waive Finley on Aug. 15 and thereby avoid paying nearly $52 million in luxury taxes on the three seasons left on Finley's contract.
Finley was right anyway.
Only now, as he readies to return to Dallas as a visitor for the first time in nearly a decade (just as Finley feared), it doesn't feel like such a painful premonition.
Reason being: Finley always figured he'd be dealt somewhere undesirable as part of a Mavericks overhaul, after enduring more than one February filled with trade-deadline speculation.
He never imagined an opportunity to choose his next team, sign with the mighty San Antonio Spurs and experience a validating week like Premiere Week, as the NBA calls it.
Saturday night at the American Airlines Center will undoubtedly be a strange one for Finley, but probably no more of a whirlwind than Tuesday night. That's when Finley had to hang back a bit with Nick Van Exel before the opening tip in the inspiring but awkward position of a new guy watching teammate after teammate collect a championship ring -- but not really feeling part of it.
The surreal feel didn't fade, either. Finley wound up giving the ring-winners something they didn't have by supplying an 11-point fourth quarter in a come-from-behind victory over Denver, then drove to his new home to watch Nowitzki's Mavericks rally from way back to beat Nash's Suns in double overtime ... all while knowing he'd be headed to Dallas just a few days later as the opposition in the Mavs' home opener.
Weird all around.
But...
"I also think it's a good thing," Finley said. "It's good to be able to get it out of the way early, so I can just focus on being with the Spurs and putting Dallas behind me."
Truth is, Finley appears to be moving on just fine. As entrenched as he seemed in Big D after eight-plus seasons, he quickly started making arrangements to sell his house in North Texas and buy land in San Antonio, hoping to speed the transition.
What's happening on the floor, meanwhile, is already liberating.
"It's been everything I could have imagined," Finley said, "if not more."
For all the questions about how he'll be able to accept a reserve role and slashed minutes in San Antonio, staying in Dallas actually would have been tougher. With his scoring average in decline for five straight seasons, and his salary escalating thanks to the $102 million contract he signed in the summer of 2001, Finley had become a somewhat controversial figure in spite of his stately manner. As a Mav, the 32-year-old was doomed to constant comparisons to what he was at his All-Star peak.
As a Spur, Finley is seen as an over-the-top acquisition whose arrival might help San Antonio finally win back-to-back les for the first time. The Spurs wanted Finley for his shooting, pegging him to fill a long-standing void with some dependable punch off the bench, but also for his hunger to win a ring of his own. The numbers that sparked debate in Dallas -- a slip to 15.7 points per game last season and an average of 14 games missed through injury the past four seasons -- don't matter as much to the Spurs as the fact that Finley's 3-point shooting is getting better as he gets older.
Despite a nagging ankle problem that would ultimately require offseason surgery, plus the defection of Nash to Phoenix and the subsequent disappearance of the easy shots Nash creates, Finley shot a career-best 40.7 percent from the 3-point line in 2004-05. Playing with Tim Duncan gives Finley an opportunity to better that success rate.
He could have reunited with Nash and the team that drafted him by signing with the Suns. He also could have teamed with another good friend in Miami -- Dwyane Wade and Finley share Henry Thomas as an agent -- and might have if the Heat hadn't first acquired Antoine Walker and Jason Williams.
Finley ultimately couldn't resist the opportunity to be a Spurs specialist, especially knowing that he and Duncan have similar personalities.
Chuckling at the irony, Finley said: "When Tim and I got a chance to sit down and talk for the first time [as teammates], he said: 'You really wanted to kill us, didn't you? You never used to smile during our games.'"
Finley isn't sure how he'll react or what to expect from the crowd Saturday night, simply hoping for the warmth Nash received upon his return to Dallas at a similarly early stage last season.
"You never know what fans are thinking," Finley said. "Steve's situation was a lot different than mine, and I really didn't hear any boos the first time he came back.
"I never wanted to leave Dallas. I wanted to win a championship there and end my career there, but I didn't demand a trade or leave [by choice]."
Either way, it has been a deep start to the season already, and not necessarily because a return to the AAC will inevitably remind Finley of how low he felt the last time he was there.
Maverick memories haven't flooded Finley's mind yet because he hasn't stopped thinking about that ring ceremony.
"I kind of got emotional there," he said. "Nick and I were standing near some fans and a couple of them said, 'That's why you came here, you're going to get one, too.' I hope they're exactly right."
Finley's back, with regrets
New Spur says Mavs broke up a team that might have won a le
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
Emotion rarely escapes Michael Finley's public facade. But a few cracks have appeared as the former Mavericks star contemplates his return.
It hurts Finley to no longer play alongside Dirk Nowitzki, his friend and teammate of more than seven years. There is the owner who told him they were "in this together" only to let him go a few months later and the coach and former teammate who didn't lobby to keep him.
These are issues Finley must sort through tonight when San Antonio plays the Mavericks at American Airlines Center. But above all, the founding father of the Big Three can't help but wonder what might have been if the Mavericks had kept their nucleus intact.
"You look back a couple of years ago, the year we won 60 games, we thought that was the team that was going to ultimately take Dallas over the top," Finley said. "Management thought otherwise.
"Their plans for the future were very different from the players' in the locker room at the time. From their standpoint, they made decisions that bettered the organization. But from a player's standpoint, I don't think so.
"We will never know how good that team would have been."
Steve Nash was allowed to walk in free agency. Owner Mark Cuban used an amnesty clause to release Finley and erase the financial penalties that would have been assessed on top of the player's $51.79 million contract, which he still receives.
Nowitzki is the only player left from a Mavericks team that battled the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals 29 months ago. Like Finley, Nowitzki believes that team was special and has daydreamed about what could have been. Avery Johnson, who was part of that group and now coaches the Mavericks, acknowledged that none of the players wanted to break up that team.
"As far as not breaking up the WCF [Western Conference Finals] team," Cuban said by e-mail, "I'm sure that's what the T-Wolves thought last year as well."
Minnesota followed its appearance in the conference finals by failing to make the playoffs.
The Mavericks continue to make the playoffs but are 7-11 and have not gotten past the second round since falling two wins shy of The Finals in the spring of 2003.
Finley concedes he will be "a little bit emotional" during tonight's game. He bordered on despondent the last time he played at the AAC.
More than two hours had passed that May evening after Phoenix eliminated the Mavericks, and Finley still couldn't bring himself to return to his locker. Part of the time was spent talking to Nowitzki. Part of it was spent listening to Cuban.
"I told Dirk the loss hurt so much because I thought it would be the last time I had the opportunity to play with him," Finley said. "I just had a gut feeling that something had to happen. Then Mark came in and said we were in this together, and I believed him."
Nowitzki dismissed Finley's remarks as frustration. Cuban assured Finley they would "stick it out together," but several weeks later the owner learned of a one-time amnesty clause in the collective bargaining agreement. The moment Cuban mentioned that provision to Finley and his agent, the guard knew he was gone.
Finley isn't bitter but still doesn't like how his exit was handled. He believes the club should have traded him or released him earlier.
"I don't know how we could have handled it any differently," Cuban said by e-mail. "I kept Mike in the loop every step of the way. There were no surprises for either of us.
"That said, I think we helped each other a lot over the years to both of our benefit."
The contract was a major factor in Finley's departure. But it wasn't the only one.
Finley was the team's captain and a quiet leader. After the Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center to even their first-round series at 2, Finley disrupted the postgame buzz by walking to the center of the locker room and declaring that they hadn't done anything worthy of celebration. All they had done, Finley reminded, was climb out of an 0-2 hole they shouldn't have dug in the first place.
The Mavericks won the second game of their series with the Suns because Finley had 31 points, six rebounds, five assists and a solid second-half defensive effort against Amare Stoudemire. But Finley followed with a total of 34 points, six rebounds and five assists over the final four games of the series. He scored just seven points and was 2-of-10 from the field the night the Mavericks were eliminated.
Mavericks officials felt they owned a big edge over Phoenix after guard Joe Johnson went down, only to watch Finley be outplayed by veteran Jim Jackson. Finley had also struggled the previous year in the playoffs against Sacramento.
Avery Johnson was never critical of Finley in public. But he did make comments about how shooting guards in today's NBA must be able to break down their defender off the dribble and facilitate ball movement. Neither is considered a Finley strength.
Finley knows where he stood with Johnson by what wasn't said. The two haven't spoken since Finley signed with San Antonio.
"We've been friends all this time," Johnson said. "I've become management now, but I still consider myself a friend. I want to get an invitation to his golf tournament. I don't know what's changed."
What's changed is that the player who led the league in minutes played three times, the All-Star who started 605 consecutive games for the Mavericks when healthy, now comes off the bench for the Spurs. Tuesday's opener against Denver was his first game he hadn't started since Feb. 15, 1997, against Utah.
It didn't take Finley long to make his presence felt. He was the first player off Gregg Popovich's bench and scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Finley said he is happy in San Antonio even though his role has diminished. He calls his teammates a great group of guys and praises the organization for having the best interest of the players at heart.
And how does he characterize his relationship with Cuban?
"At first he was my owner," Finley said. "Now he's just the opponent.
"For him to let me go, so what? I'm still playing this game. I look at it as a blessing. If he hadn't let me go, I'd never be in this great situation I'm in now. I should thank him the next time I see him."
He will have that chance tonight.
Errr....At first he was my owner
http://www.blogmaverick.com/entry/1234000823054644/
I'm sure this has been posted before, but it's interesting to read in conjunction with these articles about Finley. From the outside looking in, I think Finley is probably taking this thing a little too personally, but I guess I can understand feeling a little dejected about getting cut from the team you'd played for for 7 years.
---------------------------------------------------Cuban's blog:
It’s not just business, it’s personal
In the NBA when a player is signed to a contract, the business side is downplayed. Everyone is happy. Everyone knows there is an incredible amount of risk taken, but its a time to celebrate and ignore what could go wrong. All is right in the world.
When teams have to release a player, the NBA becomes a business and all involved say just that. Its just a business and we all understand that these things happen. But its not true. The NBA is never just a business. It’s always business. It’s always personal. All good businesses are personal. The best businesses are very personal.
Creating a close connection to those you do business with has its many risks, rewards and consequences. There are few things in business i have encountered that are more difficult than firing someone, particularly if that someone has always been, or has become a friend. On the flipside, I have been rewarded with many friends
Michael Finley is one of those people I am proud to call my friend. Releasing Fin last night was one of the hardest things I have had to do as owner of the Mavs. (Trading Erik Strickland was probably the hardest. Strick did more to help me my first year than anyone.). Even more difficult than releasing Mike was having the conversations with him about what our options were
The model for success in the NBA has changed over the past 6 years I have been in the league. When I first got to the Mavs, there was no luxury tax, revenues from TV and the league went up every year, as did the salary cap. That changed dramatically with the leagues new TV deal and it changed even further with this years new collective bargaining agreement. Rather than an environment where salaries could go up because the cap and revenues were going up, we entered an environment where trades were made almost exclusively for financial reasons and rarely for basketball skill reasons.
The Mavs tried to take advantage of the situation. When the annual league revenue increases stopped and a luxury tax loomed, teams adjusted their financial profiles. To get under the tax threshold, they offered good players packaged with horrible contracts. We took them. We hoped the talent would get us a championship before the number of bad contracts we took on in trades caught up with us.
It didn’t happen
Over the past year we have done our best to try to “rebuild” and still be in a position to win a championship. We have always been good at developing young players. We work hard to give them personal attention and skills development. We are working to improve it even further and have completely upgraded our development programs this summer.
We are also significantly changing how we scout NBA players. It has become more organized, structured and planned rather than “gut feel”. We have a coach who is far more systematic in his approach to both
More importantly we have gone from just trying to acquire talent to have assets that in turn might be traded for better talent, to making sure we have players that fill a role for Coach Johnson’s vision of the team. Today, and for the future with young players that we can develop to fill those roles on future Mavs teams.
Which brings us back to Mike. Under the new CBA, the amount of money we would be able to save by waiving Mike, and invoking the amnesty provision, when combined with some financial clauses in the way his contract was structured and the money that could be returned as part of the NBA set off contract provisions, could put our cash savings in the next 3 years at more than 90mm dollars. That’s a lot of money.
Now I would be shocked if we are able to realize all of that and stay under the tax amount, but even saving that much money in essence gives us a “do over” in terms of financial flexibility when it comes to signing new players. It gives me a chance to recover from the mistakes I made.
Are we going to get back in the business of taking on bad contracts to get a single player — no. Will we consider trading short term contracts for longer, more expensive players — yes. If it makes basketball sense and doesnt inhibit our future. The difference going forward today vs the past is that Avery and Donnie are putting in programs and structure that will allow us to better evaluate players and choose those that put our team in the best position to succeed. We never did that in the past.
We made trades because we thought we knew players. I’m embarrased to admit, but this summer was the first time we actually brought in non rookie Free Agents that we were interested in to work out. Before, we just called the agents of guys we liked and tried to work out deals.
Avery and Donnie and Joe P have watched more tape in a week of players that we have talked about in trades or Free Agency then we have watched in any summer since I bought the team and maybe in all combined.
It’s my fault that we got to this point.
I never should have authorized deals without asking for far more details. I was guilty of being overly optomistic. I wanted to believe that the next deal was the one that was the difference maker. I found ways to rationalize the business side and how i would only be losing a few more dollars and that if it made the difference it was worth it. I enabled a culture where we always thought that if we had assets to trade we could fix a mistake.
I was wrong.
We should have done several years ago what the organization is doing now to improve our player evaluation and development.
The template for success in the NBA changed from the Portland model of 1999-2000 when I got to the league, to the Detroit, San Antonio, Miami model. The finances and rules of the league evolved. The winning teams were ahead of the curve or evolved as the business of the NBA changed. Today, success seems to come from being a smart organization that can identify and develop young talent and have the financial and or cap flexability to be opportunistic and improve your team in season or during the offseason.
Although we have succeeded on the court to the point of 5 straight 50 plus win seasons, we certainly didn’t do it “the best way”. We did it the most expensive way. It cost us flexibility and created lots of bad habits. That was my mistake and it ended up costing us Mike.
Waiving Mike gave us the opportunity to reclaim financial flexibility. It never should have gotten to this point. My mistakes let it. Which makes it all the more painful. It’s business, but it really is personal.
I’m learning. Our organization is learning. The bright side is that I like the team we have going into the year. Our guys have been working hard to get better this summer. I think having AJ for a full training camp along with 11 returning players will allow us to compensate for losing Mike and hopefully be a better team.
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