Finley and the playoffs - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Murphy3 · 02-08-2002, 07:43 AM

To be honest..i see finley's scoring dropping the rest of the season. I see the mavericks continuing to play alot of up tempo game which often times leaves finley out a bit. Finley's strong point isn't handling the ball, so the fast break and driving aren't necessarily his strengths.

However, we all know that the playoffs is something different.
The playoffs is based upon the half court offense. This being said, could finley's average drop to 18 points or so during the regular season only to see him play better in the post season?
Is finley a better fit for post season basketball on this mavs team than he is for the current mix during the regular season?

Obviously, in a series, if a shooter is off, ..this can cause him to have a poor series..
but, with the spacing that is being created by nash and dirk's ability to draw the double team, i see finley having open jumper after open jumper in the playoffs... if he's on, i see finley being more valuable in the playoffs than he is in the regular season.

thoughts?

LAC-HocusPocus · 02-08-2002, 07:45 AM

Yea just make Finley the scapegoat huh?

Murphy3 · 02-08-2002, 07:50 AM

a scapegoat?
well, i guess if you had a twisted mind and all you expected was failure, you could look at it like that.

However, I thought that it would give him a decent chance to be the hero.

finley's most comfortable in the half court game..and that's what the playoffs are all about.... so it's obvious that the playoffs would be a stage in which finley could shine... plus, finley is a clutch shooter. With dirk and nash drawing a tremendous amount of the defensive pressure away from finley, he will have a great chance to shine

MavsFanFinley · 02-08-2002, 09:46 AM

I can see this happening Murph, but it could backfire on the Mavs if they are not careful.

Problem is, if Finley is left out too much for the regular season, it would be too much to ask him to just turn it on in the playoffs and produce. He could be looked at as him trying to be the man, etc...

We've seen what happens when Dirk and Nash get the two man game going and Fin is forgotten about. The Laker and Utah game come to mind with Finley watching the other two play.

He's been back, what, 5 games? Only once has he taken more than 15 shots a game and that was against the Pacers (21 shots) and he scored 31 points.

Clippers (11 shots)
Houston (12 shots)
Lakers (14 shots)
Pacers (21 shots)
New Jersey (9 shots)

Even you would have to agree that this is a ridiculous amount of shots for Fin to be taking. The only game that I can think of that he forced things was the Laker game, otherwise he's been passing more than shooting. I think he's been a little too hesitant.

Anyway, back to your original point. Someone has a point about Fin being used as a scapegoat in the playoffs, if what you suggest happens in the regular season.

Let's just hope that Fin isn't forgotten in the regular season and then expected to turn it on in the playoffs simply cause his game is more suited for that senerio.

Good topic though.

Murphy3 · 02-08-2002, 12:27 PM

i don't see him being forgotten in the regular season at all...
i'm saying his scoring averages dips about a point..he'll still get his shots.
part of the reason why he hasn't gotten his shots yet is because he's just coming off of an injury...and he hasn't gotten his normal minutes yet in some of the games.

fin won't be a scapegoat. i think he'll have more of a shot to increase his average a bit with some open jumpers once the playoffs role around.....open jumpers often times lead to game winning shots and clutch shots....

Hoopsmeister · 02-08-2002, 01:07 PM

I tend to agree that Finley's scoring average is going to dip a bit (beyond simply the effect of his first few games back) but I think his shooting percentage will go up. I don't think it will happen so much because of his game in relation to the Mavs fast-breaking offense--that opens up as many easy scores for Fin as it does anybody else either in terms of easy baskets or finishing at the basket off a pass from Nash--but simply because of the shift in the offense.

In the past, Finley was the Man. The Mavs needed him to score no matter what to have a chance in the game. Now of course, over the course of his injury, the Mavs have shown that they don't need Finley to score 20 every game. Not only the increase in Nash and Dirk's games but the addition of Howard, Hardaway, Griffin, Wang, etc, etc. I'm not saying the others are better scorers than Finley, but rather that this team is loaded with guys who can put the ball in the hoop. There will still be nights when Finley is hot and goes off for 30+. But on nights when he is not shooting as well, I don't think he will force up as many difficult shots because somebody has to. Instead, he can have confidence that if he doesn't have a good shot, he can pass it off and somebody on our offensive juggernaut will end up with a better shot.

TheKid · 02-09-2002, 04:06 AM

Meister, I agree with what you said about his points dipping and percentages increasing. Also, I'm in full agreement that I think the up tempo would HELP him more than it hinders him or takes him out of the flow of the team. I think it would create more shots for him that are easier than it would in the half court set actually.

Although it's an interesting topic Murph. This could happen, and I don't think that would make him the scapegoat. I think what would happen in that case if it did happen would be the focal point of the offense would shift to Dirk and Nash. If that happens, that would put a weaker defender on Fin during the playoffs and he is STILL a strong enough offensive threat that he could hurt a team, so that could be the case and it would come down to if Fin was on or not.

The one thing that would bother me then is I could see the threads already with some people saying, "Dirk hasn't come of age yet." or "This is still Fin's team." When that wouldn't necessarily be the case. Like I've said even if Fin's points did dip to 18 a game, I think it would be SOLELY because he's not getting the shots that we've become accustomed to seeing him take, but I don't think that would be a bad thing for the teams sake or Fin's sake.

Murphy3 · 02-09-2002, 08:21 AM

i agree that part of the reason fin's points will drop is because of other players on the team..i think dirk's average will drop a bit as well..
this team is getting more comfortable with certain guys off of the bench..this could have an impact on the scoring of dirk, fin and nash.

however, when i think fin might shine again is in the playoffs..when the half court game is almost always the norm.
i just see fin having an amazing playoff run this year...

nothing negative about fin at all..just kinda what i see

TheKid · 02-11-2002, 04:54 PM

Well Murph, you see when you're making a valid point and not taking shots at Fin (or atleast it doesn't seem like you are to me) I can definately see your points. Not because I'm in agreement with this one (only to a certain extent though), but because it seems like this time you are actually focusing on the team instead of focusing on what Fin is incapable of adding to the team. Anyway, not to start but to point out that I don't think what you said in this post was bad at all, actually it makes a lot of sense to be honest.

Murphy3 · 02-11-2002, 07:10 PM

thekid, i know he adds to the team....however, i did say the mavs would be in the playoffs without him..but of course they wouldn't be as good without him..

TheKid · 02-13-2002, 09:37 AM

Simply to say that I don't mind either because it's your opinion, I don't take that as you putting him down.

Murphy3 · 02-13-2002, 09:46 AM

it's my opinion that he makes the mavs better?
well, yes, of course it is..
hope you don't mind