Sunday Camp Report

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Sunday's training camp report


04:23 AM CDT on Monday, October 11, 2004


By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News




INTRODUCING


Jason Terry: Like all the other players who are going through their first training camp with Don Nelson, starting point guard Jason Terry got his first earful from the coach Sunday. The Mavericks had a film session that lasted about an hour, then hit the court to work on all the miscues Nelson pinpointed on the video from Saturday's Blue-White scrimmage. "I wouldn't say he was angry," Terry said. "He was a little disappointed that we had a great week of practice and that didn't translate into a game situation. We definitely saw what we should have been doing. And he pointed everybody out, not just one individual. I think he called out every single name on the team. Nobody was perfect." Not surprisingly, defensive lapses were the primary focus from the scrimmage.


SUNDAY'S BUZZ

Bad habits are hard to break, something the Mavericks are finding out. For players who are just getting to know each other and each other's games – and especially for three Mavericks who have been together for more than one season – the coaches are trying to get them to forget the way they used to do some things. "We're not playing a two-man game like we have historically where everybody else stands on the weak side," player/assistant coach Avery Johnson said. "We have a center this year that we have to get involved." Johnson said he is trying to accelerate the pace at which the players are learning the strategic wrinkles. "Every practice, every film session, every shootaround, everything we do, we need him [center Erick Dampier] to feel more comfortable. Coach [Don Nelson] is emphasizing that once he has position, let him have the ball. So maybe our shooters who normally let those [3-pointers] fly need to throw the ball down low. So we're trying to break some bad habits with our shooters because they never really looked inside." With good reason, some would say.


HE SAID IT

"I guess I'll take credit for that. That's the old coach's deal. If it works, the coach drew up a good play. If it doesn't work, the players didn't execute it."

Player/assistant coach Avery Johnson, who drew up the end-of-game 3-pointer by Dirk Nowitzki that tied the Blue-White scrimmage Saturday.

E-mail esefko@dallasnews.com

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Bad habits are hard to break, something the Mavericks are finding out.

Are you serious?We still haven't even had a pre-season game...