Mavs need a restart - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

kriD · 11-06-2006, 02:17 AM

Mavs need a restart

Terry calls players-only meeting after Houston loss drops Dallas to 0-2

12:28 AM CST on Monday, November 6, 2006
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

It's a little early in the season for a players-only meeting, but the Mavericks had a brief one Sunday.

Jason Terry brought the team together after the worst loss of the Avery Johnson coaching era, 107-76 in Houston, dropped the Mavericks to 0-2 for the first time in 13 seasons.

"Jason said this is unacceptable, and we know it," Austin Croshere said. "Everybody needs to do their part to make a change.

"After the first game against San Antonio, maybe it was an attitude that it was the first game and it was close, whereas this game in Houston is much more of a wake-up call to me."

The ugly game included a particularly weak showing out of the starting backcourt. Greg Buckner and Terry combined for four points on 1-of-10 shooting in 50 minutes.

"We got to figure it out, offensively and defensively," Buckner said. "We feel like we're a championship team. When we're on that court, we should be airtight."

So far, they've just been tight.

"We haven't gotten to the point where we're playing like we got a lot to prove," Johnson said. "But we'll get there."

Banner moment: The coach said he hopes seeing the Western Conference championship banner unveiled tonight will do something to ignite the Mavericks.

"I hope it does do something for us because we need a little juice right now," Johnson said.

Even though he wasn't with the team last season, Croshere said a banner-raising is a terrific experience.

"I don't think I'll be pulling the string [to raise it]," he said. "But I raised one in Indiana in 2000, and it's a great feeling knowing that banner is going to be up there forever and being able to say you had a part in that.

"I want to be a part in doing it next year."

Briefly: The Mavericks had two practices Sunday. Half the team came in for an hour, and then there was a film session. The rest of the team practiced after the film work. "We just needed to have some small group teaching," Johnson said. "I like to do that from time to time." ... Buckner was on the Mavericks team earlier in the decade when Don Nelson was coaching. He's a bit surprised Nelson is back in the coaching business with Golden State. "I thought he was going to retire, go to Hawaii and live the good life," Buckner said.

AxdemxO · 11-06-2006, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kriD

[B][SIZE="3"]Briefly: The Mavericks had two practices Sunday. Half the team came in for an hour, and then there was a film session. The rest of the team practiced after the film work. "We just needed to have some small group teaching," Johnson said. "I like to do that from time to time.".

Hmmmm : \.....why would he split the team in two...i mean maybe he knows what he is doing but IDK...personally it seems a lil weird and not very helpfully to building Unity and helping the ew player adopt..but wht do i kno

ddh33 · 11-06-2006, 02:41 AM

Two different groupings of the team?

Everything Avery has toouched has just about turned to gold, but I think this team needs more time together - not less. I would have at least liked to have known how the groups were divided?

nashtymavsfan13 · 11-06-2006, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddh33

Two different groupings of the team?

Everything Avery has toouched has just about turned to gold, but I think this team needs more time together - not less. I would have at least liked to have known how the groups were divided?

I think he was probably seperating the backcourt and the frontcourt or something like that, to work on specific things with the specific groups.

Good to see JT take initiative and calling the players only meeting. I've said before that I like JT will step into the "energizer bunny" role left behind by DA, and I still feel that way.

AxdemxO · 11-06-2006, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nashtymavsfan13

I think he was probably seperating the backcourt and the frontcourt or something like that, to work on specific things with the specific groups.

Good to see JT take initiative and calling the players only meeting. I've said before that I like JT will step into the "energizer bunny" role left behind by DA, and I still feel that way.

Jet is def. on of the leaders on the team and he will try hard to rally the team and ge them on track. Hes got a lot of heart and pride

nashtymavsfan13 · 11-06-2006, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AxdemxO

Jet is def. on of the leaders on the team and he will try hard to rally the team and ge them on track. Hes got a lot of heart and pride

Yep. He's vocal, has a great personality, and appears to be a natural leader.

kriD · 11-06-2006, 05:37 AM

MAVERICKS NOTES

Terry calls players-only meeting

By DWAIN PRICE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS - Two games into the season, and the Mavericks have already had a players-only meeting.

A day after Saturday's 107-76 loss to the Houston Rockets, point guard Jason Terry gathered his teammates for a meeting.

What effect the talk had might show tonight when the Mavs host Golden State at 7:30 at American Airlines Center.

"Everybody is disappointed with the way things have started, but it's not a panic stage," forward Austin Croshere said of the team's 0-2 start that includes a season-opening loss to the Spurs.

"[Terry] said [at the meeting], 'Hey, this is unacceptable. We're better than this, we know it and everybody needs to do their part to make a change.'"

Guard Greg Buckner said coach Avery Johnson made some subtle changes in Sunday's practice.

"Today was a mental thing," Buckner said. "[Johnson] got us to change up some things on the offensive and defensive ends, and I think it's going to help us out a lot."

Practice groups

With his team in need of a boost, Avery Johnson broke with tradition and had his team practice in two separate sessions Sunday.

One group consisted of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Josh Howard, DeSagana Diop, Erick Dampier, Jerry Stackhouse and Devin Harris, and the rest of the roster filled out the other group.

"I just needed to have some small group teachings, some isolating in small groups, and just had more of a focus hour with each group," Johnson said.

Banner time

The Mavs will raise their first Western Conference championship banner in a ceremony before tonight's game.

Will the ceremony help the Mavs snap out of their worst start in 13 years?

"I hope it does do something for us because we need a little juice right now," Avery Johnson said. "So hopefully we can carry over some excitement, but right now we need a little spark."

Darth Ape · 11-06-2006, 10:34 AM

Interesting to see where the Mavs rank in the latest computer rankings.... DEAD LAST in the NBA.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/nba0607.htm

Usually Lurkin · 11-06-2006, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth Ape

Interesting to see where the Mavs rank in the latest computer rankings.... DEAD LAST in the NBA.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/nba0607.htm

about as interesting as getting 4 heads in a row flipping a coin.

Dirkadirkastan · 11-06-2006, 11:05 AM

Check it out, Devin's in the A group.

dude1394 · 11-06-2006, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth Ape

Interesting to see where the Mavs rank in the latest computer rankings.... DEAD LAST in the NBA.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/nba0607.htm

only to you 'ape.

Darth Ape · 11-06-2006, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dude1394

only to you 'ape.

What's even more interesting is the gap between the Mavs and the second worst team in the NBA. Over 3 points! Sagarin's betting system means dictates that the home team gets an extra 3 points. The Mavs should be the underdog in every game they play, even against the Celtics at home!

FYI - Sagarin's system says that the Warriors should be favored by 6 points tonight!

Dirkadirkastan · 11-06-2006, 11:17 AM

Ape's post should be deleted because it has nothing to do with this discussion.

Dirkadirkastan · 11-06-2006, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth Ape

What's even more interesting is the gap between the Mavs and the second worst team in the NBA. Over 3 points! Sagarin's betting system means dictates that the home team gets an extra 3 points. The Mavs should be the underdog in every game they play, even against the Celtics at home!

FYI - Sagarin's system says that the Warriors should be favored by 6 points tonight!

Looks like someone needs to format his hard drive and rewrite the damn program. Data that's known to be way off is to be ignored, not OMG OMG LOOK WHAT I FOUND LOL

dude1394 · 11-06-2006, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth Ape

What's even more interesting is the gap between the Mavs and the second worst team in the NBA. Over 3 points! Sagarin's betting system means dictates that the home team gets an extra 3 points. The Mavs should be the underdog in every game they play, even against the Celtics at home!

FYI - Sagarin's system says that the Warriors should be favored by 6 points tonight!

So would miami, boston, phoenix, wizards, nets, clippers,spurs. etc.,etc....(be favored to lose against golden state)

I know shtick is fun, but it's better when it's not ridiculous.

Flacolaco · 11-06-2006, 11:24 AM

It's way too early in the season for any of those numbers to matter anyway.

What is the line for tonight anyway?

mary · 11-06-2006, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth Ape

What's even more interesting is the gap between the Mavs and the second worst team in the NBA. Over 3 points! Sagarin's betting system means dictates that the home team gets an extra 3 points. The Mavs should be the underdog in every game they play, even against the Celtics at home!

FYI - Sagarin's system says that the Warriors should be favored by 6 points tonight!

We're also tied with Denver for last place in the entire Western Conference..

I don't know how the team will ever overcome this horrible Saragin ratings deficit. They're going to have to cover alot of ground in the scant 80 games they have left on their schedule.

Usually Lurkin · 11-06-2006, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mary

We're also tied with Denver for last place in the entire Western Conference..

I don't know how the team will ever overcome this horrible Saragin ratings deficit. They're going to have to cover alot of ground in the scant 80 games they have left on their schedule.

Do we have a "magic number" watch yet?
Maybe we can get the over/under on how many games till we all become Warriors fans.

kg_veteran · 11-06-2006, 11:34 AM

Yeah, don't really know how you can take Sagarin ratings with only 2 games played and really put much credence in them. That's much like proclaiming Paul Pierce a better rebounder than Dirk Nowitzki at this stage in the season. Did you know Pierce is averaging around 13 rpg and Dirk under 8?

The horror!