Press conference transcript

[Pj5]

Here it is folks!

On Aug. 19, 2005, the Mavs hosted a press conference with Darrell Armstrong, Doug Christie, DeSagana Diop, Rawle Marshall and Josh Powell. Following is a transcript of the Press Conference:

Mark Cuban:
Welcome everybody to a culmination of what was an interesting long and different summer, but more importantly the start of what we think is incredibly exciting and the foundation for the Mavericks next generation. I'm proud and excited to introduce our new group of Mavericks, and a returnee, Darrell Armstrong.

Avery Johnson:
We’re excited to have all of these guys. This is a really big day for us, and it’s also a big day for us because we are also going to have our core group of guys back from last year. Also, we didn’t overhaul this whole team because we are really excited about how our team finished up last year. All of the young men that are up here today, they fit right into where we’re going, they fit right into our system. As you know, DA was a very instrumental part in helping us last year, and especially in helping us win that first round series against the Rockets. Doug Christie has been a tremendous competitor, has a ton of experience and he’s going to really help us on the defensive end, help us get the ball to the basket a little bit more this year. Josh Powell came out of college 2 years ago. Him and Rawle Marshall are like our two rookie first round draft picks that we didn’t have. Losing Shawn Bradley, we had to fill in that hole, so we are excited about getting DeSagana Diop. He’s going to add some shot blocking off the bench. With the mentality of us trying to get better defensively, still get the ball up the court and play offense at a high pace, these guys really fit into our system. I’m a happy man today, and I want to thank Donnie and Mark for working so hard to get these guys on our roster.

Doug Christie:
Hello everybody. I don’t know where to start. We’re so excited to be here we couldn’t sleep last night or in the last few days. First of all I obviously want to thank God, my family. This is a class organization., and being a free agent—this is my first time I have been a free agent, I didn’t know the process and how it went but once we got the call from Mark, Avery and Donnie came up and saw us. Right when they came to our home I think we knew that this was a situation that we wanted to be in. They’ve showed class and spoken the truth, and that’s something that when you are a free agent in the NBA that’s difficult to get in this day in age. Looking them in the eyes and talking to them gave me the reassurance, and my wife and my family, that this is the type of place we want to be. We had some other offers, and different places that we could have went, but this is the perfect fit for us. Obviously winning is big, obviously the chance for a championship is big, and when you take all of that into consideration with where I’m at in my career this is a great fit. Mark supports the team like no other owner you see in the NBA and in professional sports for that matter. I have long respected Avery and what he’s done in the NBA. As a coach, I told him the story about the time he came to Seattle and kind of went off on the press last year. I was sitting at home watching and saying “yeah baby, do it, do it!!” When you get behind your players like that it’s something special. He’s the general and we are soldiers, you go out there and want to lay it all on the line…that’s the type of situation I wanted to be in. Obviously we have had battles here in the past. We know that the fans are fantastic. For these fans to be on our side now is going to be an incredible experience. I’m very happy, I’m excited and I’m not usually at a loss for a lot of words, but right now I am a little bit. I want to get started and give these guys everything that I possibly have.

Darrell Armstrong:
When I left here, to be honest with you I wasn’t planning to come back. My mindset was to be back home close to my Mom, with my Dad passing and all. She told me to go ahead and position yourself the best you can. As I stepped back and thought over the last week about where I wanted to play, Dallas kept popping into my head because I’m all about trying to win and all about trying to get a championship. I love the fans here, I think they come out and support the team every night, no matter who you are playing. I just want to give these fans something special, and hopefully I can do that this year. I want to thank Avery and Mark Cuban for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to come back and play this year. I’m looking forward to another great year.

DeSagana Diop:
Hello everybody. I want to thank God and thank my Mom, because without my Mom I wouldn’t be here right now. I had a tough time in Cleveland, I didn’t play that much even though I worked hard every day. I’m just excited to be here. Texas was the first state I came to when I came to the United States, so I always dreamed about playing for the Mavericks. I’m ready to come to work and do my best to help this team win. It’s a winning organization, I’m ready to come here and do it.

Josh Powell:
I just want to thank God and thank my family for their love and their support. I want to thank the organization for giving me the chance to come here and hopefully be a big help. I don’t really have too much to say, but just a thank you to the Mavericks for giving me the opportunity to be in the NBA and hopefully have a chance to play.

Rawle Marshall:
I’d like to first thank God for putting me in this position. I’d also like to thank Mark Cuban and Coach Avery for giving me this opportunity and also the organization. Like Doug Christie said, it’s a class organization and I’d just like to do my best to try to fit in and give this team all that I can. I couldn’t ask to be put in a better position. This is a great position and a great opportunity, and I look to take full advantage of it as a rookie.

Media Questions:
To Mark Cuban:
How much does adding Doug to the mix help improve the Mavericks defense, and in what way?
The other nice thing about bringing Doug in is that he’s been an all NBA first team defender and until he got injured last year he was a reigning all NBA second team defender. I think that experience is going to help Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels quite a bit. Doug knows what it takes to be the best in the NBA in terms of perimeter defense.

To Avery Johnson:
Do you think that this offseason you have gotten done what you wanted to?
Last year you guys always heard me talk about system. We have a vision of where we are trying to go, and I think that from where we were at the beginning of this summer we filled in the necessary holes that we felt we had. We are all about winning a championship here. I know that a lot of times coaches really don’t want to talk about that because they are always scared about job security. I’ve experienced it, I want the rest of the organization to experience it, and I want Mark to experience it because he has given me the opportunity to be the head coach. We feel that adding Doug Christie to our team is giving us the best chance to win a championship. We like DeSagana coming off the bench to help our center position alongside Erick Dampier. We have players that fit into a system that we like to play that we feel will help get us over the top.

How much does adding Doug to the mix help improve the Mavericks defense, and in what way?
He’s a really good on the ball defender. We really had a lot of problems last year in the playoffs with pick and rolls. Obviously, a lot of the guys we are playing against you are not just going to shut down, but we think that if we can get better with playing perimeter defense, pick and roll defense, and guarding penetration, it will take some pressure off of our big guys which will cut down on points in the paint. Doug is really good at slashing and getting to the basket, he’s a really good passer, so that’s going to help us get Jason Terry off the ball a little bit more. We feel that his skill level really fits where we are trying to go.

What do you think will make Diop a better player here in Dallas than he was in Cleveland?
Playing time, consistent playing time. I just think that he’s at a stage right now where he’s been in the league for 4 years, he’s got his body in the best shape I’ve ever seen it in, and I worked him out last week, I liked what I saw. We studied a lot of film and talked to a lot of different people and we figure that this is a time now where he is ready to blossom.

What does adding Powell and Diop to the front court do to the playing time of guys like Mbenga and Pavel?
You can't ever have too many big guys. Mbenga and Pavel are still fairly inexperienced, but we hope that they can continue to progress, but right now we feel that Diop stabilizes our whole front court for us.

To Doug Christie:
How much do you feel like you have lost from your prime and how much do you have left that you can bring here?
I train my whole body, something I didn’t do when I was 18, 20, 25 years old. I’m probably in better shape than I used to be, maybe not as athletic as I once was, but as you get older you have to understand how much pain you are willing to go through, and I’m willing to go through whatever type of pain I need to go through to get where I want to go. I’m still something, a championship. Whether or not I ever win one is a story that’s untold, but doing the work to get there, I’m willing to do whatever that’s going to take.

In your mind, what makes a good defensive player?
Team effort. Everybody playing together. People always talk about one person playing defense. I think it’s kind of a misnomer. If everyone trusts each other, everyone automatically becomes a better defender. I know that I can get up on my man and press him while having faith that people are going to be behind me to help me out. You’re not going to get up on Kobe Bryant and stay there, it’s just not possible, but if you know that a big man is behind you, you can do that. If we as a team come together and support each other, I think that we will improve immensely.

Does it matter to you if you come in and start or if you come off the bench?
No, I just want to come here and contribute all that I can. Obviously the coaches are going to dictate what happens with that, but if my play and my hard work dictate that I’m out there then that’s what you will see.

You know how long Michael Finley was here, have you thought at all about how what people will think about you filling his shoes?
I don't look at it that way because I am a professional athlete and I realize that this is a business. You have to make decisions that are best for your organization at that particular time. I'm not trying to fill Fin's shoes because I don't think that anyone can do that. He's a man of his own right who still works hard and who's a heck of a competitor. I loved playing against him and hopefully that by the end of my time here you will be speaking the same about me.

To Josh Powell:
You have been with this organization for a couple of years, how does it feel to finally get a shot to play? Has it finally sunk in that you have arrived?
No, not really. I'm just continuing to work and continuing to get better to learn as much as I can. It's exciting though, I'm just thankful to be here and can't wait to get started.

[kg_veteran]

Thanks for posting the transcript.

[Pj5]

No problem kg. I'm pretty excited with the signings. Can't wait for the season to start so we could stop speculating and actually see shat our team is capable of doing. I do believe we'll get even better on defense.

[chumdawg]

I wonder they edited parts of the transcript. Like the question Cuban got about waiving Finley. And Christie punctuating his desire to be one day seen in the same light as Fin, "except with some jewelry."

[Rhylan]

They also edited DA saying how he had a change of heart because his Mom told him she was doing fine, and he didn't wanna get a whuppin. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

They took out even the harmless funny stuff.

[jacktruth]

First of all I obviously want to thank God, my family
I want to thank God and thank my Mom
I just want to thank God and thank my family for their love and their support.
I’d like to first thank God for putting me in this position

I think that is pretty cool. We all know Avery is a committed Christian and I think this makes the team stronger.

[Drbio]

Pj5 - thanks for the transcript. Good job.

jacktruth- agreed.

It makes me a little pissy to get an editted version though. Was that the Mavs doing?

[MavsFanFinley]

And Christie punctuating his desire to be one day seen in the same light as Fin, "except with some jewelry."

Did nobody tell him that he's already more loved than Finley ever was? Maybe the Mavs should set up an email account so they can print those up and send them to him.

[Drbio]

I have to admit....Christie's responses were surprisingly good. Not what I had expected.

edit - > Did he really say that about the jewelry? That is not very good if so.

[kg_veteran]

Again, I didn't hear the press conference, but the jewelry comment just means he wants to be viewed positively and to win a championship, right? I mean, surely you don't think Christie was taking a dig at Fin. He said nobody could fill Fin's shoes. How deferential does he really have to be?

[Dirkenstien]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
Again, I didn't hear the press conference, but the jewelry comment just means he wants to be viewed positively and to win a championship, right? I mean, surely you don't think Christie was taking a dig at Fin. He said nobody could fill Fin's shoes. How deferential does he really have to be?

I listened to the press conference live this morning on ESPN radio and I can assure you that the comment was not meant to be taken as a knock to Fin.

[V2M]

Christie comes off real cool. Although I always admried his game, while in SAC, I used to hate him for his personality. But clearly he has a side to him that's refreshingly cool and I look forward to the times ahead where he'd annoy the heck out of our lil' old friend, Steve Nash.

Speaking of which, the way Mark, Donnie and AJ supposedly courted him, I bet they had one and only one recurring nightmare all summer... of Nash tearing us apart on literally every damn play during the playoffs. And when they scoured the league for a Nash stopper, there was one and only one name that must've popped up... Doug Christie. I'm glad they played their cards well to land him even though there was reportedly serious interest from 5 or 6 other teams. Of course, Christie could come in quite handy against TMac and Manu also.

Once again, I just hope he's healthy enough and if he is, we're gonna' be in for some exciting playoffs next year.

Can't wait for it to all begin!

[chumdawg]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
Again, I didn't hear the press conference, but the jewelry comment just means he wants to be viewed positively and to win a championship, right? I mean, surely you don't think Christie was taking a dig at Fin. He said nobody could fill Fin's shoes. How deferential does he really have to be?

Why would they edit it out, then? The question was not about his desire to win a championship. The question was about any pressure he might feel in replacing a franchise stalwart. The bulk of the answer was fine--and basically what you would expect out of most people. In my estimation, tacking the "jewelry" bit to the end of his answer *to that particular question* was at best unnecessary and at worst a subtle indictment of Fin. The PR guys recognized this, which is why they edited it out.

It's in line, though, with AJ's comments about Christie getting us closer to a championship.

[mary]

I thought Christie was very respectful towards Finley if you listened to the way he answered the entire question. I'm sure if his lawyers would have given him a prepared statement to read just in case someone asks him if he could fill Finley's shoes, they would've reworded the "jewelry" comment a bit differently. But when you're just talking casually at a press conference, your chances of saying something that can be misconstrued are at least 50/50.

That being said, I thought it was pretty clear that Christie's "jewelry" comment was more about his desire to win a ring, than it was about Finley's lack of one.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally posted by: Dirkenstien

I listened to the press conference live this morning on ESPN radio and I can assure you that the comment was not meant to be taken as a knock to Fin.

I'll second this. Doug spoke of Fin as a standard he hoped he could live up to, and was nothing but respectful.

[grndmstr_c]

From ESPN's blurb, here's part of the actual quote:

"I'm not filling Fin's shoes ... he still works hard, he's a heckuva competitor and I loved playing against him," Christie said. "Hopefully at the end of my time here you guys will think the same of me, except with some jewelry."

[Pj5]

Originally posted by: jacktruth

I think that is pretty cool. We all know Avery is a committed Christian and I think this makes the team stronger.

AMen my friend. That's what I like about this tweaked team and our new head coach [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[grndmstr_c]

Well, God forbid (literal implication intended) we get a Buddhist on the team. That could really screw everything up.

Sorry, just felt like being contrarian.[img]i/expressions/beer.gif[/img]

[Phil Helmuth]

I think Christie will be a great signing for our team. I always hated him on Sacramento because he did all the little things to win games and beat my beloved Mavs but now I will love him for it because it will be us winning rather than losing.

[Drbio]

I'll take you all's word on it. Like I said before....he comes across much better than I thought he would.

[FreshJive]

Originally posted by: Pj5

AMen my friend. That's what I like about this tweaked team and our new head coach [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

So is that why you guys are so hardcorely drinking the kool-aid? I never made the connection before.

[dirno2000]

I was preoccupied during the news conference but it sounded like Cuban was calling Rawle Marshall mini me...was he talking about DA?

[The Miles]

When you get behind your players like that it’s something special. He’s the general and we are soldiers, you go out there and want to lay it all on the line…

Love that quote from Doug Christie.

Let's go win a title!

[chumdawg]

Originally posted by: dirno2000
I was preoccupied during the news conference but it sounded like Cuban was calling Rawle Marshall mini me...was he talking about DA?

You got it right. It was Marshall. And I believe I heard a "J-Po" as well.

[Mavs414]

Originally posted by: Phil Helmuth
I think Christie will be a great signing for our team. I always hated him on Sacramento because he did all the little things to win games and beat my beloved Mavs but now I will love him for it because it will be us winning rather than losing.

yea im glad we signed him too and thanks pj5 for this

[dirno2000]

Originally posted by: chumdawg

You got it right. It was Marshall. And I believe I heard a "J-Po" as well.

Marshall's 6'7, did he explain?

[dude1394]

Originally posted by: grndmstr_c
From ESPN's blurb, here's part of the actual quote:

"I'm not filling Fin's shoes ... he still works hard, he's a heckuva competitor and I loved playing against him," Christie said. "Hopefully at the end of my time here you guys will think the same of me, except with some jewelry."

That's a fine quote, quite gracious. He didn't wave to his wife though did he? ugh

[DubOverdose]

Originally posted by: grndmstr_c
Well, God forbid (literal implication intended) we get a Buddhist on the team. That could really screw everything up.

Sorry, just felt like being contrarian.[img]i/expressions/beer.gif[/img]

If you aren't a Christian, you should just be happy that many teammates will have more in common than most which could bring this team closer knit, which definitely doesn't hurt.

[chumdawg]

Originally posted by: dirno2000

Marshall's 6'7, did he explain?

I didn't hear an explanation. Maybe it's the way his face looks?

I like the kids. They sounded today as though they couldn't believe their good fortune, which I can understand. I get the sense that Avery will try to include the kids and make them feel like contributors to the team, regardless how small their role. Nellie, of course, never had the patience for that. No rookies on the wood makes the game go good. But I think Avery will be very judicious about ensuring they get to play a role in things, which I hope will make the team a tighter unit. And hey, it might pay some serious dividends on the court before too long.

We haven't talked about the Super Spare much lately, but I'm very happy that he's going to be the #3 PG. His off-court contributions will be far more valuable to the team than probably any other third PG's would. Devin is lucky to have to SS and Johnson to groom him. Well, I bet AJ's going to be really, really hard on him, and he might not like that a whole lot at times. But it will serve him well.

[MavsFanFinley]

[Thespiralgoeson]

I don't know about everyone else, but seeing Christie wearing no. 13 is gonna take some getting used to for me.

[u2sarajevo]

Originally posted by: Thespiralgoeson
I don't know about everyone else, but seeing Christie wearing no. 13 is gonna take some getting used to for me.

word. but the other guy can still suck it.

edit: And for all the non-Christians making the comments about the God mention.... I'm praying for y'all.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

[dirno2000]

Rawl Marshall is an undrafted rookie from Oakland and Josh Powel has kicked around in the Euro leagues for two year working on his game…sitting in a press conference because they signed with an NBA team had to be surreal…even if everybody was there for Doug Christie.

Speaking of Marshall, or the D-league in general, there’s going to be a strange dichotomy there. Most of the players will be marginal NBA prospects making, I don’t know, $50K? How will they interact with Marshall and Pavel making $400K and $1.1MM respectively? There’s a huge potential for jealously and selfishness…we better have a coach on the staff, otherwise Pavel may not see the ball for games at a time as some point guard jacks up shots trying to catch the attention of NBA scouts.

[Don_Didi]

Originally posted by: jacktruth

I think that is pretty cool. We all know Avery is a committed Christian and I think this makes the team stronger.

Oh, sure. Fitting then, that Darrell Armstrong did not thank God. Boo-hoo.

[kriD]

Christie 'giddy' to play for Mavericks

By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News

Doug Christie said exactly what Mavericks coach Avery Johnson wanted to hear.

At a news conference introducing him Friday, Christie extolled and explained defensive basketball — something Mavericks players usually do only after allowing 120 points in a playoff loss.

It’s the message that Johnson has been preaching.

Defense starts with the team, said Christie, a member of the NBA’s first or second all-defensive team four times.

“People talk about a person playing defense, and I think it’s kind of a misnomer,” Christie said. “If everybody trusts each other, that person automatically becomes a better defender. I know I can get up on my man and be aggressive and have faith that people are going to be behind me.”

He said he’s healthy again after the removal of bone spurs from his ankle that had bothered him for two seasons. The Mavericks even requested videotapes of the surgery before signing Christie.

At 6-6, Christie offers a potential defensive matchup against everybody from Houston offensive machine Tracy McGrady to Phoenix MVP Steve Nash. Both gave the Mavericks playoff fits with the pick-and-roll last season.

Johnson said Christie, a strong on-the-ball defender, could take pressure off the Mavericks’ big men.

And Christie understands the Mavericks’ needs.

“Being a free agent, looking at the options, I said I can vastly help that situation in Dallas, and it would be fantastic to get there,” Christie said. “Then the call came, and I’ve been giddy ever since.”

Johnson and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson visited Christie in Seattle, sealing the deal.

Christie wasn’t even upset about his portrayal in Dallas during a 2004 playoff series. The Mavericks mocked several Kings in a pregame video that included an animated Christie being led around on a leash by his allegedly domineering wife, Jackie. The NBA fined the Mavericks $25,000.

“Life is bigger than that,” Christie said. “With all the problems in the world today, nothing is wrong with comedy.”

Jackie Christie described the video as “hilarious. It is just part of the rivalry between Sacramento and Dallas.”

The Christies have a unique series of hand signals they exchange during games and have been filming scenes for a possible TV reality series.

“That’s my queen,” Christie said. “And when you have one, you’re going to treat her the best you can. I think a lot of things have gotten blown out of proportion. My wife loves me. She’s my No. 1 fan. She doesn’t come to every game on the road but darn near every one just to support us and make sure everything is running smooth for me.”

While Christie arrives as a known commodity, the Mavericks gambled on 7-foot DeSagana Diop, the other major off-season acquisition.

He’s big (280 pounds), athletic and was considered a potentially dominant center when Cleveland picked him eighth in the 2001 draft. But he has limited offensive skills and hasn’t developed a feel for the game. He got into the doghouse of former coach Paul Silas in Cleveland and saw his playing time dip last season.

Briefly: Owner Mark Cuban said the transactions completed the Mavericks’ summer, although the team has a history of making major acquisitions just before training camp. “Different era … different coach, different approach,” Cuban said. “So we’re done.”

Avery Johnson dodged a question about Rolando Blackman’s probable move from director of player development to assistant coach, saying an announcement will come next week.

Cuban said negotiations are progressing with center Shawn Bradley, expected to retire later this summer.

Tariq Abdul-Wahad, who has not played since the 2002-03 season because of a knee injury, will either be traded or released, Cuban said.

[kriD]

Mavs hope to unleash Christie

By Jim Reeves
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS - The Mavericks took the leash off Doug Christie on Friday, both figuratively and literally.

Oh, surely you remember that little scoreboard skit the Mavs cooked up for Christie a couple of years ago in the playoffs when he came to town with the Sacramento Kings. It showed Christie's spouse Jackie, perhaps the most well-known and outspoken wife in the NBA, leading her husband around on a leash.

Funny, sure, but Mavs owner Mark Cuban still felt compelled to apologize for the political incorrectness of the cartoon skit at the time.

And now the leash comes off for good. Christie, the man we loved to hate, is a Maverick.

Don't tell me you didn't abhor him when he was a King, and it seemed the Mavs' playoff route always led through Sacramento.

He had all those tattoos and that smirk and that seething passion for the game that made us grit our teeth and wish somebody, anybody, would just wipe that infuriating grin off his face.

And now he's a Maverick and here's an easy prediction: He'll be the player you love to love.

Christie is like former Ranger Will Clark, the shrill and irritating first baseman who helped lead Texas to two division titles. You hate him when he's on the other team, but you adore him when he's on your squad.

"Obviously, we've had battles here in the past," Christie said at a crowded Mavs' news conference Friday that featured five players sitting at the head table with Cuban and coach Avery Johnson. "We know that the fans are fantastic. For these fans to be on our side now is just going to be an incredible experience."

Maybe, he seemed to be saying, they won't even bark at him any more.

And never mind who else was at the table. Christie was easily the headliner; the free agent the Mavs hope will somehow replace the dearly departed Michael Finley.

Christie's arrival signals a long-awaited change in Mavericks' philosophy on two fronts. One, defense does matter. Two, the days of blowing up the team and bringing in two or three new high-priced, big-reputation starters every year are over.

"When we went back and evaluated it, it didn't make any sense to blow this team up and have Dirk come back and not recognize any of his teammates," Johnson said. "From what I've seen and the teams I've been on, that formula doesn't work. We like the formula we're implementing, and we're sticking with it."

Instead of bringing in another Antoine Walker or Antawn Jamison, the Mavs elected to keep their core group together and fill in a hole or two with Christie and backup center DeSagana Diop.

"The idea is to be smarter than other teams, not always spending more money," said Cuban, who saved $51 million in luxury tax cash this week by waiving Finley. "Where before it was always about trading up, trading up, trading up and if that didn't work, try the next thing, now we're going to try to let Avery develop his system."

That system will stress defense, a basically foreign concept to Mavericks teams, and that's where Christie comes in.

Three years ago, Christie was named to the NBA All-Defensive first team, and he's been an All-Defensive second-team pick three times since the 2000-01 season.

"He's a really good on-the-ball defender," Johnson said. "We really had a lot of problems last year in the playoffs with pick-and-rolls.

"We think if we get better perimeter defense, pick-and-roll defense, guarding penetration, then we'll take some pressure off our big guys, and that'll cut down on points in the paint."

And sometimes good team defense starts with one outstanding defender.

"What excites me defensively is that he does it on an individual level and on a team level," said Donnie Nelson, the Mavs president of basketball operations. "We're so young; we really need some kind of defensive team captain type guy. He's been that forever. He intrinsically has that and I think that can be infectious."

Wait, there's more.

The Mavs also believe, and maybe with good reason, that Christie can help solve a problem that turned fatal in the postseason. He can help Jason Terry, who is hardly the prototypical point guard, distribute the ball, sort of a second point guard, if you will.

"They were a lot more defensive-oriented," Christie said of watching the Johnson-coached Mavs in the playoffs. "They made a conscious effort to get stops and their communication looked better.

"But I thought offensively their shots were harder to get than in the past. It just looked like they were struggling to get their shots where in the past they just came so much easier."

Bingo.

(Doug: You think they missed Steve Nash?)

"It's nice if you have a scoring point guard like we do, to have another position that can be a glue factor and create opportunities," Nelson said. "Last year you saw us go through Dirk a lot, either on post-ups or that type of thing because he initiated double-teams and opportunities.

"The problem with that is you want Dirk on the receiving end, rather than drawing the double-team and kicking it out to someone else. You want him catching the ball and shooting the last shot. This gives us another weapon that can create shots."

Christie did just that in Sacramento, where he could dish to one of the league's sweetest shooters in Peja Stojakovic.

[dude1394]

Christie's arrival signals a long-awaited change in Mavericks' philosophy on two fronts. One, defense does matter. Two, the days of blowing up the team and bringing in two or three new high-priced, big-reputation starters every year are over.

"When we went back and evaluated it, it didn't make any sense to blow this team up and have Dirk come back and not recognize any of his teammates," Johnson said. "From what I've seen and the teams I've been on, that formula doesn't work. We like the formula we're implementing, and we're sticking with it."

Sure wish cubes had recognized this in 02-03...idiot.

[dude1394]

This is an interesting topic of discussion:

The Mavs also believe, and maybe with good reason, that Christie can help solve a problem that turned fatal in the postseason. He can help Jason Terry, who is hardly the prototypical point guard, distribute the ball, sort of a second point guard, if you will.

"They were a lot more defensive-oriented," Christie said of watching the Johnson-coached Mavs in the playoffs. "They made a conscious effort to get stops and their communication looked better.

"But I thought offensively their shots were harder to get than in the past. It just looked like they were struggling to get their shots where in the past they just came so much easier."

Bingo.

(Doug: You think they missed Steve Nash?)

"It's nice if you have a scoring point guard like we do, to have another position that can be a glue factor and create opportunities," Nelson said. "Last year you saw us go through Dirk a lot, either on post-ups or that type of thing because he initiated double-teams and opportunities.

"The problem with that is you want Dirk on the receiving end, rather than drawing the double-team and kicking it out to someone else. You want him catching the ball and shooting the last shot. This gives us another weapon that can create shots."

What exactly does christie do differently here? Will he bring the ball up or something?

Both he and finley had 3.7 for their career?

[jthig32]

From watching the Kings play us so often, I don't think you can deny that Christie is a far more accomplished passer and decision maker than Fin. Their assists numbers may be similar for one reason or another, but I think most people around here would agree that Chrstie will help ball movement.

And yes, he did bring the ball up a lot for the Kings, and probably will some here as as well, but it won't be limited to that. As Cuban said, you will see a lot of plays keying off him, with the ball in his hands, and him making decisions on where to go with the ball.

I'm very excited about this aspect of the change.

[alby]

Christie has played with shoot first point guards before, Bibby, Bjax, Francis. He will only make Jason Terry and the Mavericks that much better.