Centers key for No. 4 seed Mavs

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Centers key for No. 4 seed Mavs

Mavericks need Diop, Dampier to carry their weight in the playoffs

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Certain numbers stick out like a Shawn Bradley elbow.

Pardon that blast from the past, but when the subject matter is Mavericks centers, it's appropriate.

Erick Dampier's worth going into the playoffs cannot be overstated. When he gets nine or more rebounds this season, the Mavericks are 29-5. Given that he plays less than half the time (23.7 minutes) and that this is mostly a rebound-by-committee team, that statistic is telling.

Throw in DeSagana Diop, the co-center who starts, and the Mavericks' inside tandem is a pertinent piece to their puzzle. Just like Josh Howard's fast starts in the first quarter, Dirk Nowitzki's defense-taxing presence or Jason Terry's timely 3-pointers, the big men have to carry their weight, particularly so when the playoffs begin.

Forget the scoring. This team has enough players who can do that. When Dampier and Diop concentrate on grabbing rebounds and being physical in the paint, the Mavericks are a much different team.

"I know every shot is not going to go in, so I can get some rebounds on both ends," Dampier said. "Whether it's rebounding or defense, I have to find ways to get myself into the game."

Against Utah on Sunday, Dampier and Diop combined for 17 rebounds and two blocks. They also threw their bodies around enough to collect 10 fouls. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

"He can change a game for us," Dirk Nowitzki said of Dampier. "Not so much by his post moves, although he can still do that. But just by being active and getting rebounds. When he picks off an offensive rebound for us and gets it out, we can set up again and get another chance to score.

"And it makes the other team continue to work that much harder on defense."

Blues and barbecue: The Mavericks-Memphis first-round series could be set tonight when the Grizzlies play the Los Angeles Clippers in Memphis. A Grizzlies win would lock in the Dallas-Memphis matchup.

The Mavericks dispatched Paul Mokeski to Memphis for tonight's game, but coach Avery Johnson said the team was taking a wait-and-see approach.

"Both of those teams are going to be awfully tough," he said.

The only way the Mavericks could play the Clippers is if LA wins tonight and Wednesday against the Mavericks and the Grizzlies lose twice.

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MAVERICKS NOTES

What Diop doesn't know won't hurt

By MERCEDES MAYER
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS -- You can bet that before the Mavericks tip off against their first-round playoff opponent this weekend, center DeSagana Diop will have already had his game-day meal at EatZi's.

Pasta and salad is Diop's choice meal, but only after going through his usual game-day routine. Wake up early. Shoot extra free throws at shootaround. Soak in the cold and hot tubs. Go to EatZi's. Take a nap.

It's all a part of Diop making things as routine as possible as he heads into the playoffs for the first time. The Mavs will be the fourth seed as the Spurs clinched the Southwest Division title, and top seed in the Western Conference, with Monday's victory over Utah.

"I just want to take it like another game -- put no pressure on myself," said Diop, a fifth-year player and only Mavs starter without playoff experience. "I'm kind of like a rookie going into the playoffs. But when the ball goes up, it's just going to be a game."

Coach Avery Johnson likes it that way, too. He knows this is new for Diop.

Diop doesn't even have NCAA Tourney experience since he went to the NBA straight out of Oak Hill (Va.) Academy. Diop has only seen NBA playoff games on TV, never in person.

Now, Diop is the starting center for a 60-win team after playing sparingly for a Cleveland team that didn't reach 60 wins combined in his first two years.

"The last couple of years around this time, he's packing up cars and packing up his apartment," Johnson said. "This is a different time -- we're trying to play until June. I don't know if he even understands what that means, yet."

That's why Diop is insistent on being more focused and taking care of his body so he's playoff ready.

But he doesn't want to ask many questions about what the playoffs are like, and Johnson doesn't necessarily want to overload him with playoff talk.

"Sometimes it's better when you haven't experienced it because you have no frame of reference," Johnson said. "He's just going in fresh."

Daniels update

Marquis Daniels said the sore left hamstring that caused him to miss the second half of Sunday's win over Utah felt tight. He said he first tweaked the hamstring a couple of weeks ago.

Daniels is unsure whether he'll return for Wednesday's regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Clippers at American Airlines Center.

"Maybe, maybe not," he said. "It just depends."

Briefly

The Stars, who share American Airlines Center with the Mavericks, expect to start their playoff series Friday, meaning the Mavs will likely play Game 1 of their first-round series Saturday.

Rookies Josh Powell and Rawle Marshall went to support their former teammates from the Fort Worth Flyers as they beat Roanoke in Saturday's NBA Development League semifinals. They hope to go to Saturday's championship game at the Fort Worth Convention Center if the Mavs' schedule works out.

Dirk Nowitzki's jersey is the 12th-highest selling jersey this season. Miami's Dwyane Wade topped the list.

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Mavs to work with camps in Africa

Mbenga's goal is to build a school near his hometown in the Congo

By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News

DJ Mbenga hopes to help the Mavericks in the upcoming playoffs.

After that, he hopes to build a school in the Congo.

Mbenga and DeSagana Diop are two of many who will take part in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program. The two Mavericks centers, along with director of scouting Amadou Fall, are part of a group that will be in Johannesburg, South Africa from Sept. 6-10. The basketball instructional camps, which will also be conducted in San Juan, Lithuania and Shanghai, place an emphasis on education, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

"I'm excited about it," said Diop, who was born in Senegal. "I'm happy for the kids, that they have something like that. I wish I had that growing up.

"Every time I can do something from Africa, I will do it. I want to look out for my people."

Mbenga plans to expand his involvement beyond the program. He has spoken to a couple of friends who play soccer in Europe about building a school in the Congo near his hometown. Mbenga already has 60 kids he helps back home.

"There is a lot of stuff going on over there," Mbenga said. "Sometimes, people here can't understand.

"We're in a position now where we can talk. I think we need to take this opportunity to talk to them [the kids] and help.

"It's important for everybody to help Africa now."

Harris progressing slowly: Devin Harris (strained left quadriceps) expects to play up to 18 minutes in tonight's game against the Clippers. He said he's 90 percent recovered but won't be 100 percent for the first round of the playoffs.

"I don't think it's going to be physically possible," Harris said.

Health over win: Coach Avery Johnson downplayed the importance of potentially breaking the franchise's season record for victories tonight.

"We're not as concerned about the 61st win as we are coming out of the game healthy, mentally and physically," he said.

Marquis Daniels (left hamstring) is doubtful for tonight's game.

Staff Writer Rachel Cohen contributed to this report.