PGT: Mavs kick off the season with a W - Page 2 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

dirt_dobber · 10-31-2013, 09:50 AM

Notebook: Mavericks 118, Hawks 109
http://www.nba.com/games/20131030/AT...fo.html?ls=slt

Micah Powell, for NBA.com
Posted Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:21 AM - Updated Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:21 AM

THE FACT: Dallas continued its regular-season dominance over Atlanta, recording its 21st win in the last 29 meetings between the two teams.

THE LEAD: Monta Ellis introduced himself to his new home crowd by pouring in 32 points and adding eight assists in his Mavericks debut. Vince Carter chipped in 21 points off the bench to power Dallas to a 118-109 victory over Atlanta Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center in the season opener for both teams.

Trailing 70-67 midway through the third quarter, Ellis delivered a picturesque alley-oop to Carter to initiate a 17-4 run, giving Dallas an 84-74 advantage that it would not relinquish.

Dallas scorched the nets from the get-go, shooting a robust 57.1 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from long distance, and crashed the boards, outrebounding Atlanta 42-33. Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points and led the 3-point barrage, canning 4-for-6 attempts from beyond the arc.

QUOTABLE: "The way he played in the second half was fantastic ... The second half he really did a great job of distributing, scoring, attacking and made big free throws at critical points in the game. He played a terrific game."
--Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle on Ellis' performance

THE STAT: Ellis became the first player in Mavericks franchise history to tally at least 30 points and eight assists in a season opener.

TURNING POINT: Atlanta chipped away at Dallas' fourth-quarter lead but the Mavericks pulled away by connecting on 7 of their 8 attempts from 3-point distance in the final frame.

QUOTABLE II: "You have to give Dallas a lot of credit tonight. They played well through a lot of stretches and longer than ours. We played well at times, but give them credit for playing better longer."
--Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer

HOT: Ellis was not only unstoppable from the floor (11-for-17), he was sensational in driving the lane and drawing contact. The lightning-quick guard made the most of his opportunities at the charity stripe, connecting on all eight of his free-throw attempts.

NOT: Jose Calderon was just 1-for-7 from the floor and posted just five points in 34 minutes of action.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Atlanta big man Al Horford racked up five steals and four blocks to go along with 11 points. Samuel Dalembert led the Mavericks with nine rebounds in just 27 minutes.

INSIDE THE ARENA: The Mavericks furthered its league best sellout streak to 474-consecutive games with a full house Wednesday night. Dallas has packed the American Airlines Center to capacity since Dec. 15, 2001.

NOTABLE: Seeing the court for 33 minutes, Nowitzki became the 27th player in NBA history to log 40,000 minutes. ... Calderon notched his 500th career steal with 3:52 remaining in the first quarter. ... Recently-hired Mavericks general manager, Gersson Rosas, who took the job on Aug. 1, was resigned Tuesday. ... Jeff Teague became the first Hawks player to post 20 points and eight assists in a season-opener since Glenn Robinson in 2002.

UP NEXT: For the Mavericks, Friday @ Houston, Saturday vs. Memphis, Tuesday vs. Los Angeles Lakers. For the Hawks, Friday vs. Toronto, Sunday @ Los Angeles Lakers, Tuesday @ Sacramento.

Underdog · 10-31-2013, 10:34 AM

There were definitely some sloppy moments in this game, and our defense obviously isn't our strong suit, but I'm really encouraged by the fact that we didn't let up once we pulled ahead in the 4th - Atlanta couldn't close the gap down the stretch.

We're very much going to be a "best defense is a good offense" kind of team, so it's nice to see that we're not afraid to keep running up the score in the closing minutes, instead of letting our opponent back in it by becoming complacent and vanilla... Much improved over last year, despite the sample size of it being just one game.

grndmstr_c · 10-31-2013, 10:35 AM

Didn't get to see the second half, but loved the way the ball was moving early in the game. Everybody deserves credit when that's happening, but I though Dirk in particular was instrumental in setting that tone during his first stint. Looking forward to seeing if they can carry this through some of the upcoming tough stretch of games.

Dirk's Knee · 10-31-2013, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Didn't get to see the second half, but loved the way the ball was moving early in the game. Everybody deserves credit when that's happening, but I though Dirk in particular was instrumental in setting that tone during his first stint. Looking forward to seeing if they can carry this through some of the upcoming tough stretch of games.

The 1st and 4th quarters were pretty spectacular offensively. 2nd was a preview of what it's going to look like when we're not shooting 57%. Really interested to see them play the Rockets and Thunder. If we're able to outscore or somehow control them defensively, this team is going to kick some serious ass.

DevinHarriswillstart · 10-31-2013, 11:07 AM

The team just looked like they gave a crap about winning. When everyone is clicking like that, it means that chemistry is strong. Lots of good passing on this team.

Underrated performance was Blair basically protecting the lead by himself for a few minutes in I believe the 3rd quarter? Can't believe we got him for pennies.

grndmstr_c · 10-31-2013, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk's Knee

The 1st and 4th quarters were pretty spectacular offensively. 2nd was a preview of what it's going to look like when we're not shooting 57%. Really interested to see them play the Rockets and Thunder. If we're able to outscore or somehow control them defensively, this team is going to kick some serious ass.

Hopefully once they're at full strength with Devin and Brandan we'll see the bench do a better job holding leads when key members of the starting 5 are resting.

yahyes · 10-31-2013, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

The team just looked like they gave a crap about winning. When everyone is clicking like that, it means that chemistry is strong. Lots of good passing on this team.

Underrated performance was Blair basically protecting the lead by himself for a few minutes in I believe the 3rd quarter? Can't believe we got him for pennies.

I want Blair to pair up with Wright once he's back.

Underdog · 10-31-2013, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Hopefully once they're at full strength with Devin and Brandan we'll see the bench do a better job holding leads when key members of the starting 5 are resting.

I wonder how much Devin is going to help our overall defense? He's fallen off a bit with age, but he's still a pretty good defender... Possibly the best guard we have on that end of the floor, but that remains to be seen. If he can recover quickly from surgery and play at the same level that he has for the last few years, then he might be able to mitigate some of our defensive deficiencies. If nothing else, he can still score.

And Wright tends to give up an uncomfortable amount of offensive rebounds to our opponents, but he's bulked up a bit, so hopefully that doesn't happen so much this season... Plus, he tends to make up for it in blocks and steals, so he at least holds his own enough on defense to take advantage of his upside on offense.

This team is only going to get better when they're healthy...

oilfieldtrash · 10-31-2013, 12:15 PM

Donnie needs to show his worth and pull off something for a legit center. I'm not even asking for someone to replace Dalembert as I understand how hard it is to get big men. Just someone to compete with him or back him up. If they pull off a miracle and get a legit starting center than even better.

grndmstr_c · 10-31-2013, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

I wonder how much Devin is going to help our overall defense? He's fallen off a bit with age, but he's still a pretty good defender... Possibly the best guard we have on that end of the floor, but that remains to be seen. If he can recover quickly from surgery and play at the same level that he has for the last few years, then he might be able to mitigate some of our defensive deficiencies. If nothing else, he can still score.

And Wright tends to give up an uncomfortable amount of offensive rebounds to our opponents, but he's bulked up a bit, so hopefully that doesn't happen so much this season... Plus, he tends to make up for it in blocks and steals, so he at least holds his own enough on defense to take advantage of his upside on offense.

This team is only going to get better when they're healthy...

I think Devin will help quite a bit once he's healthy. He's a significant step up from Mekel at backup point guard, he'll be able to play a bit of a Monta-light role as a basket-attacking guard off the bench (otherwise missing from the roster), and I actually think he and Ellington will make for a pretty solid two-way backcourt bench duo.

Blair (particularly in the second half) and Daly seem to have both played reasonably well last night, so to be fair, I don't know that Dallas missed Brandan all that much in that game. That said, he's arguably the team's second best "big" after Dirk, he's the only proven rotation-caliber shot-blocker on the team after Daly, and he has a history of fitting well on court with the team's two best players (Dirk and Monta), so I'm pretty confident he'll make a significant impact when he's back.

oilfieldtrash · 10-31-2013, 12:31 PM

When is Larkin coming back and if so can he even crack the rotation? It sure will be tough with all the guard depth we have. It really seems overloaded in the backcourt. Have plenty of trade bait for a big.

Dirk's Knee · 10-31-2013, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

I think Devin will help quite a bit once he's healthy. He's a significant step up from Mekel at backup point guard, he'll be able to play a bit of a Monta-light role as a basket-attacking guard off the bench (otherwise missing from the roster), and I actually think he and Ellington will make for a pretty solid two-way backcourt bench duo.

Blair (particularly in the second half) and Daly seem to have both played reasonably well last night, so to be fair, I don't know that Dallas missed Brandan all that much in that game. That said, he's arguably the team's second best "big" after Dirk, he's the only proven rotation-caliber shot-blocker on the team after Daly, and he has a history of fitting well on court with the team's two best players (Dirk and Monta), so I'm pretty confident he'll make a significant impact when he's back.

Devin will be a huge upgrade over Mekel backing up PG but don't get your expectations up regarding him defensive. He may be an upgrade even over Calderon in defense but the better guards in the league will still have their way with him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oilfieldtrash

When is Larkin coming back and if so can he even crack the rotation? It sure will be tough with all the guard depth we have. It really seems overloaded in the backcourt. Have plenty of trade bait for a big.

I'm wondering this as well. Last night Mekel only clocked 9 minutes. Now Larkin should return before Harris, but Mekel knows the offense. Perhaps he'll show something in practice which will get him a handful of minutes rather than Mekel. But once Harris is well Larkin and Mekel will both probably ride the end of the bench only seeing trash time. A shame really. But the point is we have an insurance policy at PG and won't be pulling up guys off the street.

We may be deep at PG, but with the exception of Calderon (who shouldn't be a trade option) the salaries don't amount to anything so unless there's a talented center out there who's earning next to nothing on a team with too many big men the idea of bundling up a few smalls for a big, which is a GM no no anyway, is pretty far fetched.

I think once Wright is back we should be OK in the paint. Dalembert is likely going to net ~7 RPG with a block or 2. Wright's going to add another 5 boards and 10+ points if he gets solid minutes. And you can still fall back on Bernard James to hack the hell out of the premier centers and force them to earn their buckets at the line. Let's see how we look against Houston. That will be a real test of our big men (well, except Wright).

markus1234 · 10-31-2013, 01:08 PM

Cool, now let's talk about the elephant in the room....

"New and improved" Crowder played 9 min and was -6.

Whatcha think ?

I'd rather have an old veteran than Crowder who will be (maybe) ready once Dirk retires.

Dirk's Knee · 10-31-2013, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markus1234

Cool, now let's talk about the elephant in the room....

"New and improved" Crowder played 9 min and was -6.

Whatcha think ?

Well...he hit his 3. I'd say he's just fine for our third string small forward earning the min. If he starts any games or has more than 10 minutes in a game this season I'll be very surprised.

grndmstr_c · 10-31-2013, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk's Knee

Devin will be a huge upgrade over Mekel backing up PG but don't get your expectations up regarding him defensive. He may be an upgrade even over Calderon in defense but the better guards in the league will still have their way with him.

The better guards in the league are the better guards in the league because they have their way with pretty much everybody. I'm not expecting Devin to be a stopper; just expecting him to be a guy with good lateral quickness who'll make his opponents earn their points.

grndmstr_c · 10-31-2013, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markus1234

Cool, now let's talk about the elephant in the room....

"New and improved" Crowder played 9 min and was -6.

Whatcha think ?

I'd rather have an old veteran than Crowder who will be (maybe) ready once Dirk retires.

I don't think the phrase "elephant in the room" means what you think it means.

markus1234 · 10-31-2013, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

I don't think the phrase "elephant in the room" means what you think it means.

The "new Crowder" hype in pre season was elephant-esque.

DevinHarriswillstart · 10-31-2013, 01:22 PM

The good news is that Crowder is a third string SF. Can't always have a quality third-stringer.

grndmstr_c · 10-31-2013, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markus1234

The "new Crowder" hype in pre season was elephant-esque.

There is nothing elephant-esque about a third-string SF on a minimum salary contract. Same goes for preseason hype.

Dirk's Knee · 10-31-2013, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

The better guards in the league are the better guards in the league because they have their way with pretty much everybody. I'm not expecting Devin to be a stopper; just expecting him to be a guy with good lateral quickness who'll make his opponents earn their points.

Basketball Reference has his defensive rating (estimated points allowed per 100 possessions) at 106 last year. Calderon had a rating of 111 last year. I know stats aren't always the absolute indicator especially when talking about abstracts such as defensive presence, I'm just guarding my expectations.

DirkFTW · 10-31-2013, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JET41

The last time 3 Mavs had 20+ pts was April 12, 2013 vs Nuggets.

Dirk Nowitzki - 22pts
OJ Mayo - 20pts
Vince Carter - 22pts.

Fine, when was the last time 3 Mavs had 21+ points? Eh? Eh??

CanadianMavsFan · 10-31-2013, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oilfieldtrash

Donnie needs to show his worth and pull off something for a legit center. I'm not even asking for someone to replace Dalembert as I understand how hard it is to get big men. Just someone to compete with him or back him up. If they pull off a miracle and get a legit starting center than even better.

My thoughts are the same and it made me even more angry when I saw that Washington got Gortat for measly Okafor. Because the bigger salaries on this team are mostly newly acquired free agents it was a matter of hoping Phoenix would wait, and wait they did not.

There is Bogut, who recently affirmed that he will be looking for a large pay day once his contract is up this year with Golden State. I assume the Mavericks would have to give up some young talent or perhaps a draft pick in addition to Dalembert and/or Marion to snag him. Wishful thinking that they would throw in Barnes to shore up our SF spot. Still, Bogut is injury prone and if Golden State is on the war path by the trade deadline they will probably look to just roll with the squad they have in hope that they can really contend in the West.

After that, there are not many options. Good centers are so rare in the NBA right now it is very hard to pry them away. Deandre Jordan may be on his way out of LA depending on how the Clippers do in the first few months, but that may be a lateral move in place of Dalembert (or close to it). There is Varajao on the Cavs, obviously a stalwart rebounder but he may actually hurt this team on defense. Then there are options for a backup role like Hawes or maybe Koufos.

Interested to see how this team does in the coming weeks. Everyone already pointed out the offense, which looked great. I hope Ellis can undergo a transformation this year, because when he is one (like he was last night) he really is extremely valuable from a scoring and play making perspective.

grndmstr_c · 10-31-2013, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk's Knee

Basketball Reference has his defensive rating (estimated points allowed per 100 possessions) at 106 last year. Calderon had a rating of 111 last year. I know stats aren't always the absolute indicator especially when talking about abstracts such as defensive presence, I'm just guarding my expectations.

So, what you're saying is, he should be better on the defensive end than the guys who played the point guard minutes last night. Again, when I say two-way player, I'm just talking about a guy who's going to contribute solid minutes on both ends of the court. Not that high a bar, and apparently one you don't even disagree with, so I'm not sure where the disconnect is here.

Underdog · 10-31-2013, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

There is nothing elephant-esque about a third-string SF on a minimum salary contract. Same goes for preseason hype.

What, you don't remember the numerous threads and lengthy discussions we had about Crowder's new slimmed-down look over the summer? It was kind of a big deal around here - bigger than that obscure spare, Dwight Howard, choosing Houston over Dallas, or the completely non-controversial Monta Ellis signing, anyway...

Seriously, you're being kind of an elephant in the room, yourself, grndmstr_c... Try to be more like two birds with one stone or a monkey in the wrench (I know, animal clichés are hard to understand).

DevinHarriswillstart · 10-31-2013, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk's Knee

Basketball Reference has his defensive rating (estimated points allowed per 100 possessions) at 106 last year. Calderon had a rating of 111 last year. I know stats aren't always the absolute indicator especially when talking about abstracts such as defensive presence, I'm just guarding my expectations.

I'm not much of a stats geek, but didn't someone post Harris' defensive impact on Atlanta here when we signed him? Apparently that team was much better defensively when he was on the floor.

Dirk's Knee · 10-31-2013, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I'm not much of a stats geek, but didn't someone post Harris' defensive impact on Atlanta here when we signed him? Apparently that team was much better defensively when he was on the floor.

-6 points net defensively with him on the floor, which is good. +9.6 overall, which is very good. Actually way, way better than Calderon's numbers last year using the same metrics (though with Calderon's split between 2 absolutely horrible teams so when the numbers are negative no matter if a player is on or off the court it's tough to really make any judgement). Like I said, just guarding my expectations...

Bayliss · 10-31-2013, 06:26 PM

Crowder is what he is.... if he ever finds a jumpshot he will last in the league. If not he will go the way of the Dodo... I mean DoJo.

As for the game, I hope Dirk averages 4-6 threes a game this year. Less wear and tear on his body, spaces the floor better, and can create mismatches with the weapon.

Monta did really well. Hope he continues to pick his spots. That two man game with Dirk is great.

Calderon actually looked Dirk's way a few more times last night. He needs to be a spot up shooter on offense though.

Makel just needs to probe but not overcommit.

Dalembert was nice.

Blair was nice. But boy oh boy is he a "get two give up two" type of player.

spreedom · 10-31-2013, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanadianMavsFan

My thoughts are the same and it made me even more angry when I saw that Washington got Gortat for measly Okafor. Because the bigger salaries on this team are mostly newly acquired free agents it was a matter of hoping Phoenix would wait, and wait they did not.

There is Bogut, who recently affirmed that he will be looking for a large pay day once his contract is up this year with Golden State. I assume the Mavericks would have to give up some young talent or perhaps a draft pick in addition to Dalembert and/or Marion to snag him. Wishful thinking that they would throw in Barnes to shore up our SF spot. Still, Bogut is injury prone and if Golden State is on the war path by the trade deadline they will probably look to just roll with the squad they have in hope that they can really contend in the West.

After that, there are not many options. Good centers are so rare in the NBA right now it is very hard to pry them away. Deandre Jordan may be on his way out of LA depending on how the Clippers do in the first few months, but that may be a lateral move in place of Dalembert (or close to it). There is Varajao on the Cavs, obviously a stalwart rebounder but he may actually hurt this team on defense. Then there are options for a backup role like Hawes or maybe Koufos.

Interested to see how this team does in the coming weeks. Everyone already pointed out the offense, which looked great. I hope Ellis can undergo a transformation this year, because when he is one (like he was last night) he really is extremely valuable from a scoring and play making perspective.

Bogut re-upped with Golden State a few days ago.

mac222b · 10-31-2013, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanadianMavsFan

My thoughts are the same and it made me even more angry when I saw that Washington got Gortat for measly Okafor. Because the bigger salaries on this team are mostly newly acquired free agents it was a matter of hoping Phoenix would wait, and wait they did not.

There is Bogut, who recently affirmed that he will be looking for a large pay day once his contract is up this year with Golden State. I assume the Mavericks would have to give up some young talent or perhaps a draft pick in addition to Dalembert and/or Marion to snag him. Wishful thinking that they would throw in Barnes to shore up our SF spot. Still, Bogut is injury prone and if Golden State is on the war path by the trade deadline they will probably look to just roll with the squad they have in hope that they can really contend in the West.

After that, there are not many options. Good centers are so rare in the NBA right now it is very hard to pry them away. Deandre Jordan may be on his way out of LA depending on how the Clippers do in the first few months, but that may be a lateral move in place of Dalembert (or close to it). There is Varajao on the Cavs, obviously a stalwart rebounder but he may actually hurt this team on defense. Then there are options for a backup role like Hawes or maybe Koufos.

Interested to see how this team does in the coming weeks. Everyone already pointed out the offense, which looked great. I hope Ellis can undergo a transformation this year, because when he is one (like he was last night) he really is extremely valuable from a scoring and play making perspective.

Bogut re-signed a few days ago. Doesn't mean he wont be traded eventually, but we don't really have the pieces to get him anyway. Bogut would cost a premium pick(lottery)as well as a good young player or two. For instance the Sixers sending Evan Turner and the pick they got from N.O. and even that probably wouldn't be enough.

markus1234 · 10-31-2013, 10:00 PM

Noah, Chandler...34 rebounds

Why can't Wright play like that.

DevinHarriswillstart · 10-31-2013, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markus1234

Noah, Chandler...34 rebounds

Why can't Wright play like that.

The good news is that Wright is pretty much the opposite of Dalembert. As long as Daly and Blair rebound, then Wright can do all of the scoring. Certainly some question marks, but a nice mixture is going on there.

CanadianMavsFan · 10-31-2013, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spreedom

Bogut re-upped with Golden State a few days ago.

Wow my bad totally missed that piece of news.

LonghornDub · 10-31-2013, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

I don't think the phrase "elephant in the room" means what you think it means.

LonghornDub · 10-31-2013, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

What, you don't remember the numerous threads and lengthy discussions we had about Crowder's new slimmed-down look over the summer? It was kind of a big deal around here - bigger than that obscure spare, Dwight Howard, choosing Houston over Dallas, or the completely non-controversial Monta Ellis signing, anyway...

I'm never going to give up those discussions about Crowder's slimmed-down luck. They're never gonna let me down.

Lestat_1795 · 11-01-2013, 06:05 AM

My thoughts:

First of all, Mavs look great on German Pay TV in HD.

Finally after years of internet streams.

Without looking at the boxscore I thought Monta played great.
I hope he can keep it up.
Vince looked good. Matrix as well.
Dirk had a quiet and solid game for his standards.
Calderon was solid at distributing and had some nice passes.
Dejuan Blair was a surprise for me. I really like his attitude.
No final verdict on Dalambert. But encouraging.

Looking at the boxscore Monta had to many TOs.
But his shooting was great.

Pretty encouraging game. Especially the offense.

Bayliss · 11-01-2013, 06:23 AM

Start the game day thread..... Dirksknee......

Aggie E · 11-01-2013, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac222b

Bogut re-signed a few days ago. Doesn't mean he wont be traded eventually, but we don't really have the pieces to get him anyway. Bogut would cost a premium pick(lottery)as well as a good young player or two. For instance the Sixers sending Evan Turner and the pick they got from N.O. and even that probably wouldn't be enough.

Bogut didnt do much to stop the Clippers from killing GS on the boards last night. Not so sure he would be a better rebounder than Dalembert and Dallas does not need offense from the center position...

GhostOfAdamMorrison · 11-01-2013, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aggie E

Bogut didnt do much to stop the Clippers from killing GS on the boards last night. Not so sure he would be a better rebounder than Dalembert and Dallas does not need offense from the center position...

Well that's just silly. Bogut was in foul trouble most of that game, and it's tough to cover for Lee's deficiencies (arguably the worst defensive starting PF in the NBA). Bogut is 10X the player Dally is. His DRtg, despite last night's drubbing, is 99. That's how important he is to them. He's one of the best defensive centers and passers in the NBA. I'd kill to have him here. Obviously a moot point, but still, needs to be clarified...

GhostOfAdamMorrison · 11-01-2013, 04:14 PM

Another thing I'd like to note...Dirk's "rebounding woes" are being severely overblown. I noticed a lot of people on this board (well, mostly the same member complaining multiple times...), even noting at halftime that Dirk "should easily have 5 more rebounds." That would have been quite the feat, considering the fact that the Hawks only had 3 offensive rebounds at halftime. So Dirk should have gotten all of those (even if he wasn't on the floor), and a magical extra 2? Someone mentioned Millsap "killing" the Mavs on the glass. He had one more rebound than Dirk in 3 more minutes.

The Mavs outrebounded Atlanta 42-33. That's a decisive edge. Is Dirk the same rebounder he was in his prime? Of course not. But I feel this "Dirk can't rebound anymore" schtick is a bit unfounded.

markus1234 · 11-01-2013, 10:48 PM

Dirk still can rebound. Come playoff time he will get his usual 8+ rebounds.

If you watch the games closely you will see that Dirk often lets his teammates grab many rebounds on defense. Usually he could easily grab them and pad his stats, but he prefers to run and be ready on the offensive end asap.