Mavs need Finley back
Offense has hit the wall while shooter nurses ankle injury
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
Michael Finley has been around long enough that we tend to pick on what he can't do.
The Mavs are struggling, especially on offense, without Michael Finley. These last 14 games should remind everyone just how much he does for this team.
That's not to say the Mavericks would have beaten Detroit on Monday night with Finley on the court. But they would have stood a chance. They lost, 101-85. This team needs him back by the end of the week so it can begin to move forward.
Other than an obnoxious, and frustrated, fan yelling at Finley to stop being a wimp, his absence hasn't generated much discussion. But it's clear the Mavericks have hit a competitive wall without him.
The offense has languished. Monday marked the seventh time in the last nine games that the Mavericks have failed to score 100 points. Dallas is averaging nearly five fewer points a game without Finley than it was when the guard was in the lineup for the first five games of the season.
The Mavericks have improved on defense, but this team retains an offensive identity, one that has been watered down without its best outside player.
Rave all you want – and it's deserved – about Dirk Nowitzki. But he was just 6-of-24 from the field against Detroit because the Pistons didn't have to worry about putting the defensive clamps on anyone else.
Starting shooting guard Marquis Daniels? He scored just four points. Small forward Josh Howard has flourished this season, but he doesn't demand double-team attention from the defense. Jerry Stackhouse can create his own shot but has been inconsistent off the bench.
"We need another shooter out there," Nowitzki said. "They're [everyone else] not the shooter that Fin is.
"I'm looking forward to him coming back and spreading the floor for us."
Coach Don Nelson can change the starting point guard, which he will do for tonight's game against Minnesota. And Darrell Armstrong is a nice addition. But the Mavericks don't have a chance to reach their potential until Finley returns from a sprained ankle.
He is the second-most important player on this team, something we too quickly forget. The Mavericks already lost Steve Nash in free agency. Take Finley out of the equation, and the Big Three is whittled down to one. It compounds the loss of Nash even more.
"A glaring weakness" is what owner Mark Cuban calls Finley's absence. He's right. The Mavericks rank in the bottom half of the league in field goal percentage and next to last in assists. Do you think that would be the case with Finley on the court?
"Our spacing has been terrible because our guys don't want to be standing at the 3-point line looking at an open 3-point shot," Cuban said. "To Josh's and Marquis' credit, they haven't settled for that. That's what happened to this team in the past, they all settled for shots."
The Mavericks aren't settling for shots these days against good teams like Detroit. They have to work hard to get contested ones. Finley can hit the open jumpers that too many of the Mavericks are missing.
It's not fair to pile on too much here. Only three teams have won more games than the Mavericks.
Of course, all three are in the Western Conference.
"I feel fortunate," Nelson said of the record. "But I don't know that I feel good, because our offense is still not running the way we want it."
And it won't until Michael Finley is back.
E-mail
dmoore@dallasnews.com
MISSING IN ACTION
Some key numbers for the Mavericks with Michael Finley and without:
Category W-L PPG
With Finley 4-1 102
Without Finley 8-6 97.3
Mavericks Notes
Finley believes he's close to returning
By Art Garcia
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
DALLAS - Michael Finley doesn't want to risk disappointing himself or anyone else by putting a timetable on his return, but the Mavericks' second-leading scorer sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
Finley, out for the last 14 games after suffering a
third-degree sprain to his right ankle, could return within the week. Finley said it's not necessary to practice before playing.
"The way our schedule is set up, I wouldn't be able to practice anyway," Finley said before Monday night's game.
The Mavs play at least every other day for the next week, not leaving much time for practice. Coach Don Nelson has already decided to give the heavy-minute players Wednesday off.
Though the Mavs are off to a solid start, Finley is definitely missed. Nelson isn't able to use his preferred rotation, forcing the Mavs coach to use players not as familiar with his system. Marquis Daniels and Josh Howard are in their second seasons, and Jerry Stackhouse is in his first with Nelson.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban predicts Finley will be back for Thursday's game against Seattle.
"I'll be back soon," Finley said. "Hopefully."