Stackhouse Next Year's Walker?

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: ddh33
I really think that Stackhouse can be a great postive for this team. He can do things that no one else on this team can do - at least, things that no one person can do.

He is a beast on offense. The guy is a heck of a scorer - one of the best in the league. He hits the open jumpers, drives the lane, and gets to the line. He can handle the ball. He is a creator. He distributes. But I think he helps the D too.

I do think there is a logjam at the 2-3. Right now, there aren't enough minutes to go around. Someone from that group probably gets dealt. I don't think it will be Finley. Daniels can't be if resigned. That leaves Stack or Howard.

I can't say I have watched Stack play alot of games but can you explain how he can hit open jumpers and is one of the best scorers in the league when shooting 40% from the field?

[EricaLubarsky]

can you explain how he can hit open jumpers and is one of the best scorers in the league when shooting 40% from the field?

Help explain that in terms of NVE too. He shot that percentage and was a scoring stud.

[grndmstr_c]

Thanks for cutting off the next sentence. Getting to the line is important when you can't score but Mavs can.

I thought your question was off base enough as to deserve special attention. Mavs go through scoring droughts just like everyone else. You absolutely have to have guys on your team who can get to the line or you're screwed. The Mavs biggest offensive weakness has been the fact that Dirk was the only guy who could get to the line with any regularity. Stackhouse's ability in that respect will be a major asset if he stays.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: grndmstr_c

I thought your question was off base enough as to deserve special attention. Mavs go through scoring droughts just like everyone else. You absolutely have to have guys on your team who can get to the line or you're screwed. The Mavs biggest offensive weakness has been the fact that Dirk was the only guy who could get to the line with any regularity. Stackhouse's ability in that respect will be a major asset if he stays.

Does him going to the line have alot do with him having the ball in his hands alot? Which is why he puts up so many assist? If that's the case he isn't going to have the ball in his hands here. Under Nellie's system all he's good for is a spot up jumper and that isn't guaranteed to go in with his shooting percentage.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky

Help explain that in terms of NVE too. He shot that percentage and was a scoring stud.

Scoring stud in the playoffs yea. That 40% from the field on 12 points a game wasn't flattering to anyone. Even this board is proof of that with all the hate Nick got in the regular season. If Stack can put on a show like Nick did in the playoffs then keep him here. But I doubt it.

[ddh33]

Every team has droughts. It seems to me that, despite Dallas' great offense, the Mavs struggle in half-court sets at times. In those times, you need guys who can go one on one. Every good team has that...and uses it. I think that is where Nick was missed the most. When the shotclock was running down, get out of his way. He would go one on one and get a shot or create for someone else. You didn't want him doing that all the time, but it was a great luxury to have. Is it any wonder that the offense looked it's best then?

Right now, who do the Mavs have to go one on one? Finley? Dirk? Nash?

Stackhouse brings that same dimension (if he stays). He can take the ball and get to rim or create for someone else. And he gets to the line. So, when the jumpers aren't falling, the Mavs now have two guys who can consistently get 20 points even when they aren't on the games. The free throw should be a huge friend to this team.

Now, someone brought up how I could say that Stackhouse was one of the better offensive players in the league despite his pedestrian shooting percentage. The anser is actually pretty simple. Stackhouse has always taken a lot of diffiuclt shots - just like Nick. He has always had to be the main offensive threat for his teams. As such, he has faced a ton of double and triple teams. He still took shots because it was the only chance those teams had. The bottom line is that he has never gotten many open shots. In the process, he killed his shooting percentage. There are a lot of other stats though that indicate Stack is much more efficient than he is given credit for.

In Dallas, I think a lot of those difficult shots won't have to be taken. He won't face all the double and triple teams he used to. He'll get more open jumpers. He'll have more single coverage that will allow him to get to the bucket even easier. I expect his game to improve if he stays here. I don't see how it couldn't.

And if he does stay, he can make life easier for all of the other Mavericks. Imagine Nash, Dirk, and Finley spotting up when Stack posts or drives. Imagine Daniels and Howard cutting to the basket with Stack to help them get easy buckets. Imagine Stack playing in the open court again (his strength) instead of playing beside a half-court oriented Wizards team with Jordan or the Pistons slow it down game.

Like I said, I don't even know if Jerry stays here. I'm just saying that if he does, it could be a great thing for this team.

[madape]

So where does Stackhouse rank among the Maverick players in terms of offensive efficiency? Here are the career points/FGA stats for some current and former Maverick players.

Dirk - 1.34 points per field goal attempt
Nash - 1.30
Stackhouse - 1.26
Jamison - 1.19
Finley - 1.16
Daniels - 1.16
Bradley - 1.14
Van Exel - 1.11
Howard - 1.08
Walker - 1.07

[grndmstr_c]

He'll have to adjust to all the other guys handling the ball, especially Steve, but the play being initiated by someone else shouldn't interfere with his ability to get to the line, per se. On the contrary, I think the space the Mavs offense will provide for him should be a boon because it will allow him to attack out-of-position defenders who won't get as much help containing him as they would if Stack were on a less offensively potent team. It's easier to draw fouls that way than it is in iso sets because the defense isn't properly set up and because the primary defender will have to gamble more. The fact that you can give him the ball and clear out on an iso, and that he's able to get to the line under those kinds of circumstances as well is just gravy.