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Isn't there a MAvtalk.com or something for posts like these....
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A cut above
How are the Mavs this good? Let us count the ways
Posted: Wednesday March 7, 2007 11:38AM; Updated: Wednesday March 7, 2007 3:12PM
In snubbing Josh Howard last month, the Western Conference coaches agreed: The Dallas Mavericks' only All-Star is Dirk Nowitzki. Though NBA commissioner David Stern eventually amended their vote by appointing Howard to the All-Star Game, the fact remains that this is a team that let two-time MVP Steve Nash walk, that has one of the least-experienced coaches in the league, and that is trying to play defense with a roster of players acquired for offense. So how has this eclectic group won its last 16 games to run away with the best record in the regular season? Here's how:
1. Dirk Nowitzki is the league MVP.
Based on current trends, Nowitzki will edge Nash -- his friend, former teammate and two-time defending MVP -- for the top award in basketball for three reasons: 1) His Mavs are the dominant team in the league; 2) He is surrounded by complementary players, rather than All-Star scorers like Nash's teammates Amaré Stoudemire and Shawn Marion; and 3) He has learned from Nash how to carry a team by knitting it closely together.
Mavs president Donnie Nelson has charted Nowitzki's progress since he was the No. 9 pick of the 1998 draft.
"He's had to drastically change his game on a number of occasions,'' Nelson says. "When he first came over, he was a finesse '4,' a pick-and-pop guy playing with Steve Nash. Stevie made a lot of his looks pretty easy.
"Then Stevie goes to Phoenix, and that wasn't just a basketball blow. That was a personal-friendship, motivational-buddy kind of blow as well. We didn't know how Dirk would come out of it and react, and if he was being honest he'd probably say the same thing. So he had to be The Man overnight. We put the ball in his hands a lot more, and asked him to make last-second shots and passing decisions as opposed to being the recipient.''
When coach Don Nelson was replaced by Avery Johnson in March 2005, Nowitzki learned more new tricks.
"He had to reinvent his game again with Avery, who was using him in a traditional way,'' Donnie Nelson says. "He was posting Dirk more, and putting more emphasis on the defensive side of the ball as a rebounder and shot-blocker, and he was asking Dirk to attack the offensive glass. These were things Dirk wasn't used to doing. But it seemed whatever grocery list of items we needed this guy to do, he ended up doing them and then some.''
How many finesse players become top 20 rebounders? How many perimeter players have the nerve to develop their game in the post? How many finishers turn themselves into playmakers? Nowitzki has learned the NBA game backward. The more celebrated he's become as a scorer, the more willingly he's taken on the dirty work as his team has needed it.
The Mavericks' torrid start (which is sixth best in league history), their 11-0 record in the second half of back-to-back games, and their 21-6 record on the road (a winning percentage of .778 that is superior to any team's record overall) is proof that Nowitzki at 28 has become the most effective leader in the league. He posts dominant numbers without exerting a dominating personality. He sets an example of hard work that defines the roster from top to bottom, while his humility creates an environment that allows teammates to express themselves in the locker room and on the court. In the crucial moments, Nowitzki is there to knock down sensational threes or fallaway jumpers that look routine in a Larry Bird sort of way.
"He is the same guy today as when I bought the team,'' owner Mark Cuban says. "There is never an element of himself over the team: He trusts his coach, the system and his teammates. His focus is on always learning, whether it's a new part of his game or watching tape or reading books to become a better student of the game.''
2. Avery Johnson has installed the Spurs' tempo.
The Don Nelson days of trying to get up a good shot as quickly as possible have been replaced by a more traditional approach straight out of the Gregg Popovich school. Johnson -- a laude graduate of the Popovich academy -- pushes the ball across half-court in search of easy baskets. When the fast break isn't available, the Mavs execute an efficient half-court offense that often uses up much of the allotted 24 seconds.
The Mavs are not quite their prolific former selves, but they still post 100.4 points (No. 9 in the league) while shooting 46.6 percent (No. 5) and -- most important -- controlling tempo. The spacing and balance of their offense helps them get back into the proper defensive positions. The result is fewer points in transition and game-breaking runs for opponents.
But Johnson's impact has been more than strategic. He had been an assistant for less than five months when he took over for Nelson two years ago. The story of his Horatio Alger career -- as a routinely waived scrub who quarterbacked the Spurs to their first championship, in 1999 -- helps the Mavs believe that they too can become the best in the NBA.
"Mark and I obviously felt good about the ingredients. How could you not?'' Donnie Nelson says. "Avery's got the skins, he knows how to communicate, he's an incredible motivator, he has all the intangibles, the bench demeanor -- from a style standpoint he was the perfect fit. We felt it was a really good hire, but we still didn't know he was going to be this good this fast. We thought it would be the usual -- the first couple of years you take your lumps, then eventually you expand your game; you know, just the normal NBA way. But Avery hit the ground running and never looked back.''
3. Josh Howard is the new Scottie Pippen.
The 6-7 swingman is capable of guarding every position but center. Opponents complain about his defensive tactics. "Howard is a bit of a cheap guy who does things like tripping players going through screens,'' says an opposing team's scout. "He has a little edge and he's not afraid to throw some dirtiness into the game.''
It is the ultimate suggestion of respect when opponents use terms normally associated with Bruce Bowen.
But Howard is more resemblant of Pippen as a cohesive force at both ends of the court. He provides the fight and discipline the Mavs have long needed defensively while also contributing offensively. He's their No. 2 scorer with 19 points a game while adding seven rebounds and serving as a frontcourt playmaker.
But his defense is the key. Several years ago, when it was becoming clear that the Mavs would never go anywhere without improving their defense, assistant coach Del Harris stressed that Don Nelson was taking the proper course in turning one of the league's worst franchises into a contender: Establish the offense first, then fill in the defense later. Howard, the No. 29 pick of the 2003 draft, has been the key piece: The Mavs are ranked higher defensively -- No. 3 in opponents' scoring (92.2 ppg) -- than offensively.
4. Jason Terry has found a (winning) home.
Nowitzki is the Mavs' foundation in the fourth quarter when every possession is crucial, but the offense remains balanced because of pressure-treated gunners like Terry. He has the courage, quickness and depth to hit the big threes that spread the floor for Nowitzki and others.
Terry had been written off by other teams as a stats guy who produced hollow numbers while losing night after night with Atlanta. Those numbers have dropped slightly in Dallas, but their impact has increased exponentially. He may not be a true point guard, but who cares? He leads the league's best team in assists (5.4 assists) and is the Mavs' No. 3 scorer (16.3 ppg).
5. Devin Harris has grown up.
Nash's 2004 departure put pressure on the development of Harris, who was entering his rookie year at the time. After three years of hearing Johnson berate him, the 6-3 point guard is ready to help lead Dallas to a championship.
While the Mavs don't need Harris to be the comprehensive point guard that Nash was, they do rely on his ability to stretch and puncture defenses with his slashing drives and his ever-improving court vision.
"He is on his way to becoming a Kevin Johnson-like finisher,'' Cuban says. "Devin is a matchup nightmare when he and Jet [Terry] are on the court. No one has two defenders who can stay in front of both of them.''
Per Johnson's instructions, Harris has applied his athleticism to the defensive end while becoming one of the best guards in the league at fighting through screens.
"I challenge anyone to find a point guard who has taken as many charges from other points as Devin has,'' adds Cuban. "Last week he let AI [Allen Iverson] run him over three times. If DH has a problem, it's that refs don't believe how quick he is defensively. He gets more blocks that should have been charges than anyone in the league. He should be All-Defensive team this year, no question about it.''
6. The 0-4 start grabbed their attention.
It's hard to remember back to the first week in November when Dallas lost to San Antonio, Houston, Golden State and the Clippers. In combination with their collapse against Miami in the NBA Finals, the Mavs were suffering an eight-game losing streak that raised doubts about whether they could recover from their June hangover.
Now that start looks like one of the main reasons that the Mavs have gone a stunning 51-5 since. It snapped everyone awake and created a sense of urgency that is paying off to this day.
"We were talking about this the other night, that usually every team has five or six throwaway games,'' says Nelson. "Except for that first game against the Warriors at home [a 107-104 loss Nov. 6], I'm hard-pressed to think of one more game we lost that we shouldn't have lost. Overachieving is an expectation for Avery.''
Some of the league's finest champions benefited from hard losses -- the 1982-84 Lakers lost a pair of devastating NBA Finals before winning three of the next four les, while Isiah Thomas' Pistons and Michael Jordan's Bulls suffered for years while working their way up to championship status. In a few months, the Mavs will try to follow those examples and finish what they've started.
7. They are hungry to fulfill themselves.
"I've always thought with this team that we're like the Island of Misfit Toys,'' Nelson says. "You've got Dirk, who we thought of as a top three guy but he slid all way to No. 9. Jet is a guy who, from what everybody says, can't play the point. Sagana Diop we picked up off the scrap heap; [Erick] Dampier was an 'underachiever.' Stack [Jerry Stackhouse] was seen as a troublemaker thrown in to that trade [to acquire the draft rights to Harris]. You've got this locker room full of guys who have been looking for a place to fit in, and here they are.''
And they all realize that they need each other to succeed.
8. They're getting production and size from the center position.
Dampier and Diop are combining to average 9.8 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks at a total salary of $11.6 million this season, which in this era of declining center production is a fair bargain.
"Rebounding keys our fast break,'' Cuban says. "The Suns are the only team that can fast-break a made basket. Our centers are getting anywhere from 54 percent to 57 percent of contested rebounds -- that's top three in the league. They also are near the top in points per screen set. So they are productive in many ways most people don't follow.''
9. Jerry Stackhouse embraces his sixth-man role.
At 32, Stackhouse is the oldest player on the team. He provides toughness off the bench and leadership of the second unit. His time with Dallas has defined Stackhouse much as Bob McAdoo was defined by his championship years with the Lakers.
"Stack has the respect of everybody in the league, and he's one of the toughest-minded people I've ever been around,'' Nelson says. "He gives us that sixth-man punch, but it's not just the basketball stuff that he brings: He's one of those cold-blooded killer types, and he's really important to the mind-set and makeup of our team.''
10. They made no major changes to their roster.
The Mavs have a record of annually reshaping their roster, but last summer they took a more subtle approach by upgrading the bench without disrupting the chemistry. Newcomers Devean George, Greg Buckner and Austin Croshere filled existing roles but at a higher level than their predecessors. Only the Spurs can approach the depth of the Mavericks' roster.
"We did not want to touch our core,'' Nelson says. "Out here we lock up with [Tracy] McGrady and Kobe Bryant and [Manu] Ginobili, and the list goes on of guys who are 6-6 to 6-8 who are superhuman All-Star players. Especially coming off the heels of Dwyane Wade having his way with us in the Finals, we thought it was really important to get guys like Greg Buckner and Devean George who could defend some of those positions and keep some of those guys in front of us. We also wanted to target players who had made Finals runs, and three of the guys we acquired this past summer had had Finals experience.''
11. They've been lucky with injuries.
While other teams -- the Heat and Lakers most notably -- have been depleted by injuries, the Mavs' top six scorers have missed a total of 24 games. Howard was absent for 10, and George returned Tuesday after missing seven games with a sprained right knee. The fact that the Mavs are a relatively young team undoubtedly contributes to their health -- though Miami would point out that Wade is young too.
12. Cuban remains in charge.
While he may appear to have been less vocal since the NBA Finals, when he was fined $250,000 by the league for outbursts following his team's Game 5 loss in overtime, Cuban insists that he hasn't changed his approach to running the Mavs.
"I track the same things, follow the same things,'' he says. "Nothing really is any different on my part. People forget that I hadn't been fined for several years up until the Finals. I also think since we have played well, I'm just not being questioned as much. The Nash, [Michael] Finley, Nellie what-if questions are gone as people realize that we have a decent team and Avery is doing such a great job.''
Of the top payroll teams, only the Mavs are getting production equal to the investment. It's because Cuban spends time around his players, demands accountability and knows how to relate to them.
"Very few owners can function the way Mark functions,'' Nelson says. "To a lot of our guys he's considered a peer because their interests are similar. With a lot of the owners, there's a generation gap. After games you can see our guys come over to chest-bump him, high-five him. How many owners would show up in jeans and a Mavs T-shirt? How many players would feel comfortable chest-bumping them after the game? More than anything he understands what makes players tick in the modern day, and I think the players appreciate that.''
Last edited by mabber; 03-08-2007 at 10:31 AM.
Isn't there a MAvtalk.com or something for posts like these....
Really just posted it since there were some references to the Spurs & even an ex-Sun player in it. Also, thought this guy made a lot of sense in regards to why Dallas was playing well this season. I've read & disagreed with several Spurs fans with their take on why Dallas is playing better and figured that maybe they should read this.Isn't there a MAvtalk.com or something for posts like these....
Yeah, and isn't there an NBA forum on spurstalk where fans as other teams, such as the Mavericks, can post articles and discuss their team? Oh, wait...
#11 has been undervalued in their success this year as much as #12 has been overvalued.
Because #10 was all about keeping their roster intact, this team for the most part is essentially the same team with which Nellie could not win. IMO, Avery should get 10x more credit than Cuban for what this team has accomplished.
Won't argue with you there and Avery is getting most of the credit as it is.
As much as I hate Cuban I got to give him credit with what he has done putting this team together. (Although Nelson played a big part as well)
Some people might not have known that Cuban did ask Nellie to coach more defense during Nellie's last 2 seasons. At least Cuban knew enough to realize that the Mavs weren't going to seriously compete for a le until they started emphasizing defense.
wasn't the devin harris myth busted a long time ago? devin harris is a wannabe tony parker.
and lol at the cuban quote. that guy is seriously delusional.
What myth might that beat?
The only similarities between the two are that they are both fast and both like to drive to the basket. Both need work on their jumpshot also. Parker is a better scorer and Harris is a MUCH better defender, and they both play different roles on their team.
what tony has that I'm sure Harris wants is ring(S).
You pretty much nailed it on all accounts.
meh, lucky with injuries? jho (12), stack (13) and devean (17) have missed a combined 42 games and we have mbenga out for the season, granted a third-string but still, he would've seen some time if only for the fouls. anyway, we are lucky about these injuries in the sense that these three guys will be fresher for the time they sat out and their injuries are not season-ending but there is another team that has been luckier when it comes to injuries....the spurs (parker at 3, manu at 5, barry at 2), elson's the only main guy with significant time out at 11 games, still less than jho, stack or devean
Then there's also Buckner, who is playing, but has been injured for a while also
it will be a big letdown if they can't BUT they have given us no reason or indication why they wouldn't be able to get it done. as long as they play hard throughout the entire playoffs, from one round to the next, that's all i want....and a ring but hey, the west is tough...i hope they do it though, there's a group of us getting tats if they pull it off
I don't think a lot of Spurs fans (and fans of other teams) realize how much better DGeorge and Buckner have made the Mavs. They just throw out shooting %'s and think the Mavs have downgraded from Griffin & Daniels. I guess you just have to watch all the games to realize the improvement.
I just am paranoid right now.
yup, DGeorge and Buckner are very key components to our team...sometimes people don't always realize it too because we just keep winning with george out and with buckner playing limited minutes since his injury. the best thing about the game for me the other night was seeing george back on the court.
lol, i'm paranoid too but i think it's mostly because i just want the playoffs to get started already. it will help my mood when we play the suns next week,i expect a crazy game and a win, no less.I just am paranoid right now.
I just wish we could sign another 7 footer with 6 fouls to give!
I think that George's impact has been especially underrated this season. He was really into a nice groove with this team before he went down. I think that he is the Mavs X factor during the playoffs in several ways (him and Harris). I'm sure that people are going to kill that statement on this board, but George is doing a little bit of everything and his defensive versitility allows the Mavs to him in almost any lineup that they put out there. He also hits just enough three's to really help space the floor out on offense. Not to mention all of the hustle plays...Everyone knows what the Mavs need to get out of JET, Dirk, and Howard, but when guys like George, Buck, and Damp are playing well, this is a difficult team to beat.
I agree. I know their plan is to use up Croshere's fouls if need be but he won't be able to come close to covering Yao. Yao & Shaq are the only two guys where the Mavs really need that 3rd center.I just wish we could sign another 7 footer with 6 fouls to give!
People just point to his shooting % but his shooting hasn't been bad the last couple of months. He just started off very slowly. Plus, he seems to have the knack of hitting "big" 3 pt shots.
His shooting % is irrelevant to what the Mavs need him to do though. They just need opponents to respect that shot enough to keep somebody on or near him, which they do. Even if he is shooting a poor overall % number, he still makes defenses play him while he is out there. Lay off of him and he will hit some of those big shots that you mentioned....
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