Don't discount Dallas

[dirno2000]

Predictions can be easy sometimes. The Yankees will win the pennant. Shaq will take Miami to the next level. The Spurs will win the West. How many prognosticators picked the Pistons at the start of last year? And how many of those experts picked Detroit to make a repeat appearance in the NBA finals?

I'm as big a culprit as any. In my first column this year I picked Detroit and San Antonio to face off in this year's final. Sometimes when you're unsure you stick with conventional wisdom. But it's January, and while I think the Pistons will eventually start playing better, there is a team in the West that bears watching as we head into the second half.

The Dallas Mavericks.

We all know the Mavs history. They're a rotisserie team, one with too many gunners and not enough defenders. They lost their starting point guard in the offseason and replaced his salary slot with a 29-year old center who has a questionable work ethic. But so far things haven't been as bad as many had expected. They have a future star in rookie point guard Devin Harris, and while Erick Dampier hasn't put up the numbers he did last season, he has provided the physical presence Dallas has lacked during the Nowitzki/Nelson Era.

Going into Tuesday night's shootout with the Wizards, Dallas was allowing 96.4 points per game, down from the 100.8 per contest last season. Defenders are getting out on the shooters -- last year the Mavs ranked 25th in opponents 3-point percentage, this year they're first in defending the 3. Nowitzki, in addition to being unguardable, has matured as a player and as a leader in the absence of Steve Nash and he has gotten major contributions from long time running mate Michael Finley and the vastly underrated Josh Howard. They still have their issues: turnovers, especially when you have a natural two (Jason Terry) and a rookie running the offense, and injuries -- to Finley, Howard and Marquis Daniels -- which have prevented the Mavs from developing cohesiveness. But they have overcome these deficiencies by playing smart, solid basketball throughout the first half of the season.

Will this translate into playoff success? Hard to say. San Antonio must be considered the favorite, but beyond the Spurs everyone else in the West has holes. Seattle and Phoenix, two teams capable of scoring with the Mavericks, have cooled off as of late. Sacramento, despite the addition of Cuttino Mobley, has been inconsistent and Minnesota and L.A. look nothing like the two teams that met in last year's Western Finals. So the window, albeit a small one, is there for the Mavericks.



link

[EricaLubarsky]

brings me to microsoft.com

[dirno2000]

It's fixed

[EricaLubarsky]

nice article.

[sike]

They still have their issues: turnovers, especially when you have a natural two (Jason Terry) and a rookie running the offense

times they'ra a changing...he might want to check out Terry's actual play as of late, very much like a point guard and a good one at that...

[birdsanctuary]

I agree with you Sike, Terry certainly is beginning to learn how to be a point guard. I'm also starting to feel that his stock on this team is rising quickly. The guy is a legitimate shooting threat, and I thought the Mavs lost that with Nash leaving. I won't believe it yet, but I am starting to think he might be a better shooter than Nash. He'll have to show me some game winners before that becomes my maxim. Terry's still not consistently penetrating and hitting Damp off pick and rolls for dunks or kicking out to our perimeter shooters on a nightly basis. He still does that side to side dribbling crap in the backcourt which really drives me nuts.

Right now I rank Terry as the 3rd most important player behind Dirk #1 and Howard #2, and It looks like we can't beat anybody without Howard in the line-up.

[sike]

I am starting to think he might be a better shooter than Nash.

whoa....lets look at career stats thus far...

Nash Career FG% 47%
Terry Career FG% 43%

Nash Three Point % 41%
Terry Three Point % 37%

Nash Free Throw % 89%
Terry Free Throw % 84%

they are close, but still Nash is ahead in every category....I think its safe to say that Nash is the better shooter, but not by a landslide at all.
(of course Nash never faced the double team like Terry, so that should be considered)

if the point is that Terry is a high quality shooter...then no one will argue that.

[DubOverdose]

Nash seems like a much better shooter when he is being guarded, but wide open, Terry seems like he takes the edge over Nash. Nash made some TOUGH shots when he was here. He also was able to lull his defender to sleep at the 3 pt line with slow dribbling then pop up a three. I have yet to see Terry exhibit that ability.

[Simon2]

I t looks like a case wherein if you are label as a non-pg, you are branded for like. Even in the beginning, I thought Terry was a natural pg. He isn't a sg in my eyes. He's a legit point. He probably can't dribble over shoot like Nash but his defense is way better and he jumps higher.

Originally posted by: sike

times they'ra a changing...he might want to check out Terry's actual play as of late, very much like a point guard and a good one at that...

[Arne]

It's a lot easier to have good shooting-percentages, when you're on a good team like Dallas, which has many scorers. In Atlanta you have to create your shot and you shouldn't expect any teammate to be double-teamed...

[grndmstr_c]

Originally posted by: sike

times they'ra a changing...he might want to check out Terry's actual play as of late, very much like a point guard and a good one at that...

He especially might want to take a look at Terry's TO's. He's only giving it away 2.9 times per 48 while playing the point (compared to 3.8 last year for Nash). Additionally, the Mavs as a team are only giving it away 12 times per 48 with Terry on the floor, which is identical to the team TO's last year with Steve running the show.