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Old 11-02-2004, 11:05 AM   #1
MavsFanFinley
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Default Finley Q+A with throwback jersey photo



MICHAEL FINLEY Q&A
The answer man delivers


By Art Garcia
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

What happened last season wasn't Michael Finley's fault. It just feels that way to him.

The Mavericks have been called Finley's team for years, and publicly he's never shied away from that perception. But behind the scenes, the 31-year-old admits he let the team down.

It had nothing to do with his performance on the court. During his seven full seasons with the Mavs, Finley has never averaged less than last year's 18.6 points per game. He's earned two All-Star nods, is fourth on the franchise's career scoring list (he should move into third sometime this season) and, along with Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, led the team back to playoff glory after a decade of losing.

No, Finley didn't live up to his end of the bargain inside the four walls of the locker room. Problems festered last season -- from Antoine Walker and others complaining about minutes to the team never actually resembling a cohesive unit -- and the Mavs splintered in the process.

Finley vows not to let that happen again.

He begins his 10th season with a new cast of characters and a new set of challenges. Finley's backcourt mate for the past half-dozen years left for Phoenix. Jason Terry is the new point guard; Erick Dampier the new man in the middle.

Finley also sees the twilight of his career approaching. It's not here yet, but he knows he won't play forever. If he has anything to say about it, he's not going to waste another year.

For the first time in six years you're breaking in a new partner in the backcourt. How is that transition going to be?

It's going to be an awkward transition. Not only for myself and Dirk [Nowitzki] on this team, but for Steve [Nash] in Phoenix. We have to get adjusted to playing with someone new. Fortunately for us, the guy replacing Steve, whether it's Jason [Terry] or Devin [Harris], is a pretty good player, so the transition should be a good one.

Do you have a timetable for how long it might take? You and Steve knew instinctively how to play together. That doesn't happen overnight.

No matter how long I play with Jason or Devin, it will never relate to the relationship Steve and I had on and off the court. That's something you can't duplicate. For me to get adjusted to the new guys, we just have to turn over a new leaf and start our friendship as teammates.

Do you like what you see out of [Erick] Dampier and Terry, the two new pieces in the starting lineup?

Dampier is growing on me. I like what he brings to the team. It's the first time in a while where offensively, we're focusing on getting the ball inside and giving it to a person who can make something happen. That's a positive thing. As he continues to get comfortable with [coach Don Nelson's] system, he can be very effective for us. As far as Jason, he has the biggest shoes to fill. No matter what he does, they're going to continue to compare him to Steve. That's a tough situation for him. What I've seen from Jason is he's trying to play the perfect game. He's trying to make the perfect pass, trying to make the perfect play, and, because of it, he's not giving us his all. Once he gets comfortable with Nellie's system, he should be very effective for us as well.

Is your feeling about this team different from last year? Is there a new mind frame or spirit?

For the first time in a long time, other people don't have high expectations of us. In the last few years, we've had high expectations for the team. Some years we've met those expectations and last year, in particular, we fell fairly short. This year the expectations are low, which is a good thing. We can use that as motivation as players to go out and prove everybody wrong.

What are you doing to motivate the team and get everyone on the same page?

Last year I had an opportunity to do some things and say some things as the leader of this team, and I let it slide. As a result, I think it blew up in our face. This year I won't let that happen. This year if I see a problem within the team attitude-wise, I'm going to confront the guy. If it's a big enough problem, I'm going to confront the coaching staff before it gets to the media and gets blown out of proportion. Last year those kinds of things really affected us.

It sounds like you took that personality last year, thinking you should have stepped up more. Did you feel you let the team down?

I think so. As a leader you have to do some things that the guys on the team don't like. Get in the face of some guys who might not like it. It might disrupt your friendship with a teammate, but as a leader of the team, that makes the team stronger. Last year I had opportunities to do that and I didn't do it.

You must feel like the window of your career is closing. People only play in this league for so long, and it seems you don't want to miss out on what this team can do.

Like a lot of people last year, I figured the team was good enough and mature enough to get through tough times. Now that I look back, we weren't. This year I'm not going to let that happen. If I see a situation arise, I'm going to step in and make my voice be heard. Like you said, my window of opportunity for success, not only with the Mavericks but in the league, is slowly going away. I don't want to look back when I retire and say I would've, should've, could've. I'm going to take advantage of that now while I'm playing.

What don't we know about this team?

We're a better team than people in the media are predicting us to be. I think we are. In a nutshell, we can be a lot better than the team last year. But we have to mature quickly and learn quickly, and it's going to be tough with the injuries we have. Everything has to be a step faster for us to reach the next level.

What don't you know about this team?

I want to know how this team handles adversity. I want to know how hungry this team is to win. In the past I've had guys in the locker room who I've been through wars with, and I know how they handle adversity and tough situations. Now I have a new nucleus of guys, and I want to see how they react to adversity. Do they fold up? Do they get stronger?
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Old 11-02-2004, 11:22 AM   #2
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Default RE: Finley Q+A with throwback jersey photo

that photo is messed up...but HOW SWEET IS THAT!!!!
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Old 11-02-2004, 12:11 PM   #3
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Default RE:Finley Q+A with throwback jersey photo

What's the deal with that jersey? Are they going to actually play in it this year? Tough!

About the article...that seems a pretty lukewarm endorsement of Dampier. Hmm. It also seems clear from that article that Finley let his off-court friendship with Walker get in the way last year.
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Old 11-02-2004, 01:05 PM   #4
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Default RE:Finley Q+A with throwback jersey photo

where is the new jersey?
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Old 11-02-2004, 02:57 PM   #5
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Default RE: Finley Q+A with throwback jersey photo

No kidding.

What are they wearing tonight?
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Old 11-02-2004, 03:04 PM   #6
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Default RE:Finley Q+A with throwback jersey photo

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Old 11-02-2004, 03:20 PM   #7
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Default RE:Finley Q+A with throwback jersey photo

Quote:
Originally posted by: sike
that photo is messed up...but HOW SWEET IS THAT!!!!
last year they had a picture of Josh Howard dressed in a vibrant, vintage Rolando jersey. It looked so sweet.

Dirk may look like a nerd in those old green jerseys but Howard, Terry, and Daniels will look sharp.

I actually liked Damp a lot in the vintage Warriors jerseys too. We'll see how he looks in the vintage Mavs uniforms.

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Old 11-02-2004, 07:57 PM   #8
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Default RE: Finley Q+A with throwback jersey photo

I am a fan of the vintage Warriors jerseys as well
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Old 11-02-2004, 07:58 PM   #9
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Default RE:Finley Q+A with throwback jersey photo

I also like the vintage Nuggets jerseys in white with the rainbow and the Rockies.
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