Mavs getting physical with opponents

[mavsfan1000]

Mavs getting physical with opponents

Improved rebounding numbers reflected in their win-loss record

11:40 PM CST on Monday, December 19, 2005

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

The Mavericks have outrebounded nine of their last 10 opponents. They won eight of those games.

Coincidence? Avery Johnson doesn't think so. And neither do his players.

Unlike a lot of statistics that can be twisted to work for or against you, rebounding usually is a trusty reflection of how physical, active and aggressive a team is. The Mavs have won the rebounding game 16 times, lost it seven times and tied with their opponent once – remarkably close to their 18-6 record.

Clearly, this is not a fluke.

"Definitely not," Keith Van Horn said Monday. "I think it kind of shows a sign of how aggressive a team is. In the rebounding game, usually the more aggressive team wins that battle. And we've been an aggressive team out there lately. Collectively, we all know how important it is."

Their attention to rebounding has paid off with an average of four more caroms per game than their opponent, putting them with the league's elite in rebounding.

Their board work also has the Mavericks thinking that they have developed a tougher nature. Being physical has always been a shortcoming, said the only player who has been around long enough to remember when they were one of the softest teams in the league.

"Since I got here, the first couple years, that was always one of our weaknesses," Dirk Nowitzki said. "We were a good shooting team, a good running team, but teams out-physicaled us in the paint. Rebounding is a big part of your defense. You have to control your own glass if you want ultimately win it all."

And the Mavericks clearly think they have a realistic chance of doing that this season. Their hot start, combined with the fact that they have yet to have a healthy roster, has them thinking big.

"We got all the ingredients that a good team needs," Nowitzki said. "Like I said a couple weeks back, we've seen pretty much every team now, and I don't think there's one team we have to be scared of. San Antonio looks good. Detroit looks good. Other than that, we're right there with everybody else. And we even beat those two teams already.

"So I think we all sense we have a chance to go all the way."

Being hard-nosed rebounders is part of the equation. And it's not just the big men, although Nowitzki, Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop carry a large part of the burden.

But other Mavericks – particularly Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels – must scrape out rebounds on a regular basis if the Mavericks are to control the pace the way they want to.

"We really put an emphasis on rebounding," Johnson said. "And I think more than anything, we feel that Damp's going to rebound, DeSagana is going to rebound, and Dirk is going to rebound. But when we get the rebounds from the three spot [small forwards], we feel it gives us an advantage."

The Mavericks have six players among their primary rotation who are rebounding at a clip better than their career average coming into the season.

"Damp's been big in there," Nowitzki said. "Josh is one of the best rebounding small forwards that I've ever seen. We're just athletic and trying to go for rebounds, and it's been fun to watch."

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[DarkReign]

Damn good team. No question. Ran the Pistons out of Dallas's building with a red-ass and a note to their mothers'.

But, playoffs, playoffs, playoffs.

Thats all I have to say.

a good team though. No doubt.

[Medvedenko]

Kobe....I don't think the Mavs got the memo...2 games in a row.

[mikejones99]

ha ha But Shaq will crush Kobe n the Lakers with 50

[mavsfan1000]

If the mavs actually cared about this game they could've won. They let the ref really bother them tonight. They pretty much gave up once Avery Johnson got thrown out. This is the most flat I've seen Dallas all year. I wouldn't put too much into this game. Dallas was due for a loss and lakers a win.