Grading The Mavs

[HexNBA]

GRADING THE MAVS

Staff writer Art Garcia issues the Mavericks' first-half report card

By Art Garcia
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Offense: A

Dirk Nowitzki, a matchup problem every night, is seventh in scoring. Jason Terry is clutch, but not a true playmaker. Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris and Keith Van Horn form potent second unit. Ball movement improving, though assists down.

Stats: 99.7 ppg, 46.3 FG %

Defense: A

Josh Howard doesn't back down no matter the assignment, whether it's Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury or Kevin Garnett. DeSagana Diop's role is more presence than numbers. Erick Dampier might be snapping out of his funk. Still aren't Detroit, but aren't the old Mavs, either.

Stats: 93.7 ppg, 44.3 FG%

Coaching: A

Avery Johnson is pushing the right buttons. His intensity is off the charts, but also learning to pace himself as he maneuvers through his first full campaign. Juggled myriad injuries with an emphasis of system over individuals. Decision to bench Erick Dampier sent the right message.

Overall: A

Dirk Nowitzki is in the MVP debate, Josh Howard is quietly emerging as a rising star and the bench is the league's deepest. Remarkable ability to bounce back -- lost consecutive games only once -- and persevere through injuries. Don't be surprised if they're the top seed in the West.

---

Well, that's all rather positive. My own numbers would be offense A- (i'm fine with being on the cusp of a 100 points) , defense B (dont like the shooting percentage), coaching B (AJ has done an amazing job but still commits rookie mistakes), overall B+

[kriD]

Halfway home

Despite injuries, Mavericks own a share of Western Conference lead

By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO -- As the Mavericks pause at the midpoint of the season by picturesque San Francisco Bay, it's impossible not to look back at a stunning first half.

The Mavs hit the middle of the NBA's marathon 82-game schedule tied with defending champion San Antonio atop the Western Conference at 31-10.

But for a team with championship aspirations, the glass is closer to half empty than half full.

"We'll take every game that we can as we move forward," coach Avery Johnson said. "We always talk about what we think will work in the playoffs. We've had some games where we knew if it was a playoff game, we wouldn't win that game."

Johnson isn't about to let his players rest on their laurels. As far as he's concerned, they haven't accomplished anything, regardless of their lofty perch.

That message has filtered down.

"We've shown flashes of being a great team, especially these last four or five games," Jerry Stackhouse said. "But for the caliber of team that we want to be, we need to do that every night. We're not there yet."

The Mavs have put themselves in position to contend for the No. 1 seed in the West by buying into Johnson's system. He's done a masterful job dealing with injuries by developing a roster that might be the deepest around.

Stackhouse, Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels, Keith Van Horn and Jason Terry have missed a total of 58 games. Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier, DeSagana Diop and Devin Harris are the only Mavs to suit up for every game.

"We've overcome a lot," said Nowitzki, an obvious MVP candidate at midseason. "At one point, we had something like three guys out in the starting five. But we kept on working on the system and doing the stuff that got us here."

The Mavs, winners of five in a row, are in the league's top 10 in points scored and fewest allowed. Only pacesetting Detroit can make the same claim.

The Pistons are the lone team with a better road record than the Mavs' 16-6 mark. The Mavs are 3-0 on the current five-game trip, and they have never had a five-win trip in franchise history.

Johnson's team is 15-7 against teams with winning records, including 5-1 against last season's conference finalists.

"It's been a good first half," Harris said. "We realized how deep our bench really can be. Defensively, we've had some lapses, and we've had some great games. I think we're moving forward to the next level.

"Offensively, we're going to struggle at times, the shots aren't always going to fall, but we've got to continue to attack the basket."

For all the positives, the second half isn't without questions.

Is another switch at center coming? It doesn't seem necessary because Diop has been solid and the team hasn't lost in his five games as a starter.

But will Dampier continue to accept his role as the backup, even though he's playing more minutes than Diop? Dampier has averaged 10 rebounds in each of the last four games.

Is the point guard tandem playoff quality? Scratch that. Championship quality?

Terry has hit a ton of clutch shots and the sky's the limit on Harris, but decision-making for each is spotty at times. The best quarterback in the Mavs' huddle is the guy coaching.

Still, there isn't much to quibble about going into the final 41.

"If somebody would have told us before the season that at the halfway point of the season we'd be up there with the best team, we'd take it," Nowitzki said. "We lost a couple close games, but we've found a way to win a lot of close games, especially on the road. So far it's been a pretty good year, but there's a long way to go."

[Maringa]

Here are my grades for individual players:

Dirk: A (Steady Eddy)
Terry: B (issues with clutch free throw shooting & penetration moves)
Josh Howard: B- (Disappears sometimes on road games, otherwise his ability to touch the stadium ceiling for a rebound always brings a smile to my face)
Marquis Daniels: B- (Still has open court vision problems, but is improving. Injury prone?)
Dampier: C+ (Inconsistent, however seems to be improving with his new role as back-up...Can be a monster sometimes when he puts his mind to it...)
Stackhouse: B- (A little selfish sometimes, however a great competitor - clutch player)
Diop: B (Exceeded expectations of him since signing - Mr. Looseball Man!)
Adrian Griffin: B+ (Does most of the dirty work - makes his shot consistently when one of the few offense calls goes to him)
DJ Benga: C (Not enough minutes to evaluate him, however he is the quickest and most athletic big man. His blocks are not just tips, but major stuffings!)
Powell: C (Not enough minutes for a good evaluation. Unbelievable leaping ability...Has produced when put on the court)
Rawle Marshal: I (incomplete)
Pavel: I (incomplete)

[Thespiralgoeson]

Hmm, this guy's more optimistic than I am. While I love this team, and am very pleased with it, I'm reluctant to give the Mavs an A on defense. I'd say closer to B. The offense surely deserves an A, although it should be remembered that we are close to or at the bottom of the league in assists. So maybe an A- is more appropriate.

[aexchange]

i think its an A- for offense, B for defense, A for coaching.

i love what AJ has done for this team. he's instilled a winning mentality and we no longer have to deal with underdog ball that we used to get from nellie. while AJ is prone to making some coaching mistakes, he is learning and adapting quickly and knows which buttons to push to get the team to respond.

[sike]

no less than a B+ for the defense when you consider from where they've come: Nellieville.

[chumdawg]

The Mavs are 3-0 on the current five-game trip, and they have never had a five-win trip in franchise history.

This may technically be true, but let's not forget the five consecutive road games they won last year, without a home game in between. Against much stiffer competition, I might add.

[NXperience]

Hmmm I think I would rate the offense with a A- ... it becomes too stagnant at times and of course our passing isn't the best.
But I really don't know how the defense can rated so highly ... okay it's so much better then the years before but still we get light up by guards from time to time so I would give a B- there is so much room to improve.
The coaching staff gets a A- just because of the FT coach

[MavsN06]

I would go with the Offense A-. Defense B+ The Defense has proven to get stops when needed. Hopefully it carries on through the rest of the season/playoffs/and beyond (careful how I worded that)

[Dropstep]

Offense: A-
Defense: B
Coaching: A

yes i believe the coach is the strongest link in the chain besides Dirk... extension?

[V2M]

Originally Posted by Maringa

Here are my grades for individual players:

Dirk: A (Steady Eddy)
Terry: B (issues with clutch free throw shooting & penetration moves)
Josh Howard: B- (Disappears sometimes on road games, otherwise his ability to touch the stadium ceiling for a rebound always brings a smile to my face)
Marquis Daniels: B- (Still has open court vision problems, but is improving. Injury prone?)
Dampier: C+ (Inconsistent, however seems to be improving with his new role as back-up...Can be a monster sometimes when he puts his mind to it...)
Stackhouse: B- (A little selfish sometimes, however a great competitor - clutch player)
Diop: B (Exceeded expectations of him since signing - Mr. Looseball Man!)
Adrian Griffin: B+ (Does most of the dirty work - makes his shot consistently when one of the few offense calls goes to him)
DJ Benga: C (Not enough minutes to evaluate him, however he is the quickest and most athletic big man. His blocks are not just tips, but major stuffings!)
Powell: C (Not enough minutes for a good evaluation. Unbelievable leaping ability...Has produced when put on the court)
Rawle Marshal: I (incomplete)
Pavel: I (incomplete)

Nice stuff but where's Dash?

[dude1394]

Dirk infinity+

[kriD]

'A' minus: Mavs make grade with few assists

Team in running for first in West ranks last in league in assists

By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News

OAKLAND, Calif. – There will be no middle ground for the Mavericks this season.

They will revolutionize the NBA, or experience a spectacular flameout in the playoffs.

Says who?

Says one often-overlooked item on the stat sheet.

Assists.

The Mavericks, carrying a five-game winning streak, enter tonight's game against slumping Golden State averaging only 17.63 assists per game. That goes well beyond low.

At the start of Tuesday's play, the Mavericks ranked last in the NBA in assists. The Mavericks previously were last in assists in 1993-94 and 1994-95, going a combined 24-140 in those dreadful seasons.

Since the 1960-61 season, only one team has had a lower rate over a full year. The 1976-77 New York Nets, of "Super John" Williamson, had a 17.34 rate on the way to a 22-60 finish.

In their current style, the Mavericks go against the flow of NBA history. Teams that have a low assists rate traditionally vanish in the playoffs – if they even get that far.

In the last 20 seasons, the team that finished last in assists reached the playoffs five times. Three of those clubs won an opening-round series but were gone after two.

Run-and-gun Seattle did that last season: winning the Northwest Division and a first-round series before losing to San Antonio in six games.

"It's the way we play," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "More than assists, we want to make sure our players move. We're really a different team."

It is a quality team, with 31 wins and pushing San Antonio for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Mavericks were sixth in shooting percentage (.463) and seventh in scoring (99.73) at the start of Tuesday's play.

Traditional tags do not always apply with this team, Johnson said. In Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Keith Van Horn, the Mavericks have more big men who can score than most clubs. That will cut into assists, Johnson said.

The assist can be a subjective statistic, with wide ranges from arena to arena. The Mavericks chart their ball movement, Johnson said, and it has been better than last season although the passes do not always bring assists.

"Once in a while we fall into our old stuff," said Nowitzki, referring to the Mavericks' penchant for staying on the strong side of the court. "When we move the ball, we have so many guys who can score. We have to keep the ball moving."

The assists figure says other things about the Mavericks.

The obvious statement is that point guards Jason Terry and Devin Harris could determine the club's playoff course. They are a curious pairing.

Both are out of the top 40 in assists per game and assists-to-turnover ratio. Johnson conceded that the offense is better with "JT shooting and Devin playing his role as playmaker."

The suggestion is that Harris, in his second season, will have increased responsibilities of getting the offense started.

The Mavericks are also prone to falling into solo routines on offense.

"They play a lot of isolation," Los Angeles Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "Nowitzki is getting the ball and making moves for the most part to score. Same with Jason Terry. They have a lot of guys who go one-on-one.

"Having said that, it's still surprising where they are [in assists]. I never would have guessed that."

First in the West; last in assists. How long can that continue?

[alby]

definitely, it is a trend that i really don't like

but it just shows that our team is comprised with the most individual offensive talent in the entire nba which shouldnt be a bad thing =]