i wonder how much weed he smoked
http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/613223.html
After-loss party drew Avery's ire
By JEFF [email protected]
NEW ORLEANS -- A late-night party to celebrate Josh Howard's 28th birthday after Sunday's Game 4 loss turned Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson livid and led him to cancel Monday's practice, two sources confirmed.
Johnson, who stressed no partying during the series, was informed before Monday's scheduled practice that Howard handed out fliers to teammates in the locker room before Game 4, inviting them to his party at a Dallas nightclub.
The two sources differed on how many players attended, either three or four, including Howard. Which players attended is unclear, although the majority of the team did not.
Upon learning of the party, the sources said, Johnson entered the locker room and asked the players who attended to stand up. Infuriated, Johnson lit into his team and then called off practice. He told the team they’d meet on the flight to New Orleans.
After Johnson called off the practice, the team then chose to conduct a players-only practice, an odd occurrence, especially the day before an elimination playoff game. Players were unavailable for comment Monday, but at Tuesday's shoot-around several players claimed nothing out of the ordinary about the cir stances that led to the coach-free practice session.
Howard declined to comment after the Hornets ended the Mavs' season Tuesday. He sat at his locker, at times with his head in his hands.
"I’ll keep that to myself," Howard said when asked about his emotions as he sat facing his locker.
The 6-foot-7, fifth-year forward had a forgettable series on and off the court. He finished the five games making just 21 of 72 shots (29.2 percent. He had 12 points in Game 5 and averaged 12.6 points in the series.
After committing a turnover that led to a Jannero Pargo layup and a 78-66 Hornets lead with 9:08 left in Tuesday's finale, Johnson removed Howard and never put him back into the game. Howard, his arms folded, stood by the bench with his teammates as Devean George stepped in and helped lead a rally that pushed the Mavs to within three points with 33.2 seconds to play.
The Mavs franchise will likely go into the off-season wondering about Howard's decision-making ability. Hours before Game 3 he caused a stir when he volunteered information about his off-season marijuana use on the radio.
Dirk Nowitzki said the distractions probably did catch up with the team in the end.
Johnson had attempted to keep the ordeal under wraps Monday during a media session in the lobby of the team’s New Orleans hotel as well as Tuesday after the team’s morning shoot-around.
Both times he clearly didn’t seem happy with the situation, but he didn’t divulge more than saying that he had intended to hold a practice, but that “something happened,” and he decided to call it off.
And to think, it wasn't even two weeks ago that I was still ticked the Spurs didn't draft him. It seemed like such an obvious move at the time and I was livid when they passed. Now I know why.
Wow...just Wow....Howard has to go and probably guys like stack, george, and terry as well. Just rebuild around Dirk and get rid of everyone else.
I want Dirk, Jet and Brandon to stay. The rest can leave.
Can someone photoshop a Mavs jersey on Towelly from South Park?
I don't know if this is a bigger sign of how big an idiot Howard is or how badly AJ had lost the team. Probably both. Handing out flyers in the locker room? Is he in high school?
and Howard can smoke whatever He wants,until next season starts of course.
Terry, Damp, Dirk, and Bass are the only assets worth keeping.
Everyone else from Stackhouse to this ing dumb Howard is expendable.
you Josh Howard and whoever else went to that party. Time for Josh Howard to go. I've defended him most of the time but this is unacceptable.
Avery in his post game conference praised the guys on the floor (Dirk, Terry, Bass, George) for being the ones to give it their all. Absent: Josh Howard, sitting on the bench.
This just shows that
1. Avery has lost the team
2. Josh Howard is truly an idiot. And overrated like I always believed him to be.
what happened to him? He's been a great character guy nearly his entire career, all of a sudden he's become a huge distraction.
this happens alot in the nba, change of scenery will benefit him greatly.
I will say though, does Avery have his own policies? Eddie Jordan and Mike Brown didn't go crazy when Lebron hosted an after party in washington, after the cavs lost to the wizards in game 3 (Caron Butler attended).
huh? i thought it was deshawn stevenson who had an after party for game 3, with his buddy, soulja boy.
he probably did too. But Lebron had a party. They even talked about it during game 4. It was after the game on thursday. Supposedly a song was played where Jay-Z dissed Stevenson and the wizards. Butler was there, got mad and left.
I wouldn't give up on this roster, not even now with all the bad mood that is going around the team.
Dallas is a talented team, with great players at every position but I think the only thing they're missing is being though minded in bad times. They're lacking in that area.
See a team like SA, to me, is not as talented as the current Dallas team, but they stay together to find the way. Mavs need this, need to stay together in bad times. Maybe move a few pieces here and there, get a good off season and bounce right back.
LeBron isn't on the brink of elimination.
For most of his career he's been anything but overrated. Lots of Spurs fans wanted to run Buford out of town because SA passed on him in the draft.
Maybe it's his new contract, personal crap going on or he's just turned lazy, but he's gone south in a hurry.
ing howard pulled this deliberately. you don't go "vince carter" unless you mean to. 28 going on 14.
someone in the spurs organization paid J-Ho to sabatoge this franchise
Spurs didn't pass, Dallas got him first.
If he actually had a good coach I don't think his basketball IQ would be so bad
i heard that they were partying up in miami during the finals. i guess they'll never learn. i bet dirk is pissed. i don't blame him.
Tim Duncan went to Wake Forest. Hmmmm....
Look for Paul to average 3 and 3 next series with about 14 TO's per game and then demand a trade to a contender.
aj wanted no parties tell after the series
Plus is LeBron if he wanted he take the games off and no one would say anything to him.
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