Mavs' Stackhouse finds game again - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

kriD · 04-12-2006, 05:53 AM

Mavs' Stackhouse finds game again

Time as sixth man suited Mavericks guard, but he loves new role

OAKLAND, Calif. – Something wasn't right.

Jerry Stackhouse wore a sweet suit to Monday's game in Los Angeles and his tie was impeccable. But look a little closer, and you discovered he was wearing a T-shirt. Stackhouse blamed a mix-up that kept the shirt he wanted from being delivered.

Then it hit me. That's how I felt watching Stackhouse play in February and most of March. He didn't look bad, but something wasn't right.

In a Mavericks season that has been full of impressive performances, Stackhouse has been uncharacteristically quiet. That's why coach Avery Johnson quietly inserted Stackhouse in the starting lineup toward the end of last month.

It was the latest in a series of good moves by the Mavericks coach. The Mavericks need a forceful, effective Stackhouse to realize their potential in the playoffs. That is what they have been getting in recent games.

"I like what I'm doing right now," Stackhouse said. "I like starting the game, getting into a flow early. It's like sitting on pins and needles waiting to get into the game off the bench.

"I've done it for a year and half. It was cool. But I feel more in my element with what I've been doing over the last 10 or so games."

When the Mavericks acquired Stackhouse before the start of last season, there were questions about whether he would be a problem off the bench.

He was – for opposing players. Stackhouse was on his way to winning the league's sixth man award until a groin injury robbed him of a significant chunk of the season.

Stackhouse alone outscored the opposing bench nine times in 2004-05. He has done that seven times this season despite missing the first 26 games with a sore right knee.

But the 20-point games and the nights that Stackhouse made a difference became more sporadic after the first of the year. His shot was off, but there was something else. The edge that endeared him to Johnson and his teammates seemed to be missing.

Stackhouse scored fewer than than 18 points in the nine games before Johnson put him in the starting lineup. He was held below 10 points in three of those games.

"It might have caught up with me a little bit," Stackhouse said of coming off the bench. "Like I said, I talked with Avery. He felt he had to give me a jump-start because I was not playing as well.

"I don't know what it was. But I do know I picked it up once I got in the starting lineup."

The shooting percentage isn't where he would like it. Stackhouse has had a tendency lately to settle for too many jumpers rather than drive to the basket.

Still, he's a threat that spreads the court in a way Adrian Griffin can't. Stackhouse has scored 20 or more points nine times this season, and four of them have come when he's in the starting lineup.

The veteran guard doesn't defend or rebound as well as Griffin. But Josh Howard's return helps cover those deficiencies and frees Stackhouse to do what he does best.

"I love Stack's game off the bench or as a starter," Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "He's a very explosive player for us. We post him up a lot. I like what he brings to the table. He's so aggressive, and he's one of our toughest players."

Now, if he could just do something about that T-shirt.

kriD · 04-12-2006, 05:54 AM

MAVERICKS NOTES

Stackhouse glad to be starting over

By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jerry Stackhouse is a starter. At least he was before joining the Mavericks prior to last season.

He's returned to his roots, and truth be told, would rather stay put in the starting lineup. He's comfortable, he's found a rhythm, and the Mavericks are winning.

Is there any need to change it with four games left before the playoffs?

"I don't have any gripes about it," Stackhouse said simply. "It's been going well."

The Mavs (59-19) have won five in a row going into tonight against Golden State at The Arena in Oakland. The Mavericks are in the middle game of a three-game road trip that ends Thursday at Phoenix.

Stackhouse began this season just like the last, as the Mavs' designated assassin off the bench. His offensive punch wasn't the only aspect of Stackhouse's game that coach Avery Johnson was looking for to key the second unit.

Stackhouse's ball-handling skills made him a facilitator for the offense, especially when Dirk Nowitzki wasn't in the game. Only point guards Jason Terry and Devin Harris average more assists than Stackhouse's 3.0, and the Mavs are 14-3 when he dishes out at least four assists.

Stackhouse had four assists Monday, when baskets were scarce in the Mavs' 75-73 win at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Don't think for a second the career 20-point scorer can't play man-up. Just ask him.

"I ain't no sucker on defense," he injected.

Though Stackhouse accepted the sixth-man job without complaint and flourished in the role, it wasn't a natural transition. He did get used to it, however.

After starting one game in February (Josh Howard was out), Stackhouse asked Johnson to return to the bench to begin the second half to get back into his routine. He won't be asking Johnson that again.

"I don't like sitting on pins and needles waiting to get into the game," he said. "I've done it for a year and a half. I feel more in my element now."

Stackhouse is averaging 12.9 points this season, though his scoring jumps to 15.3 points in 10 games as a starter.

But starting alongside Terry in the backcourt isn't guaranteed in the playoffs.

Adrian Griffin is working his way back, and the Mavs were in a groove before the defensive-minded veteran went down with a hamstring injury.

"There are some things I don't do as good as Griff," Stackhouse admitted.

Stackhouse's gifts do give the Mavs four scoring threats in the starting lineup, along with Nowitzki, Howard and Terry. With the previous starting five, opponents were able to lay off Griffin and center DeSagana Diop, freeing up a defender for double teams.

"They say they were going to make Griff and a [center] beat us," Stackhouse said. "The way we've been playing lately, they're not going to do that."

Playoff rosters

The Mavs will be allowed to take their 13 relatively healthy bodies into the playoffs. The league announced Tuesday teams can carry 13-man rosters in the playoffs, up from the usual 12, though only 12 players can be active for a game.

Teams can carry up to up 15 during the regular season, with three inactive. The Mavs have 15, though Keith Van Horn is out indefinitely with a broken hand, and Pavel Podkolzin is doing a rehab stint with the Fort Worth Flyers.

Avery Johnson might decide to include Van Horn on the playoff roster if there's a chance he'll play at some point in the postseason. Teams have until April 20, the day after the regular season ends, to submit playoff rosters.

Harris rejoins team

Devin Harris joined the team Tuesday, and Avery Johnson said he will suit up Sunday against Utah at home.

HexNBA · 04-12-2006, 07:32 AM

He finds his game again? 2-11, 3-7, 4-9, 5-11, could've fooled me. My main problem with Stackhouse starting is that he has gotten away from playing within himself. Like on a fast break, if Stackhouse ever pulls up for a jumper again I will punch him in the face. Either dish it, or take it to the rim. Same with those 20 feet shots just inside the arc, those have got to go. Sure you hit 3 pointers nicely for a while there, but now you dont, so back to post play and 15 feet jumpers max.

sixeightmkw · 04-12-2006, 09:10 AM

here we go. it was going to happen sooner or later. The only reason he is starting is because of the injuries. Get ready for a big ordeal with him in the offseason. he won't be back. that is good news though.

Male30Dan · 04-12-2006, 09:53 AM

Ha... I planned on jumping in this thread and saying the exact same thing Hex did...

COULD'VE FOOLED ME!!!

Mavs Rule · 04-12-2006, 09:57 AM

Good to see that I am not the only one disagreeing with this article. Stack has slowed a step this year. Offensive charges instead of blocks are being called regularly. His assists are about the only thing looking better recently, but they are not enough to carry the other parts of his lagging game.

Murphy3 · 04-12-2006, 10:35 AM

Stack never lost his game. He's an up and down player that's down too often.

sike · 04-12-2006, 10:41 AM

Stack is a decent to good passer for a 2 and is great at getting to the line...just stick to that Jerry...and your game will be what they need it to be...

chumdawg · 04-12-2006, 11:28 AM

Don't you get the feeling this move to the starting lineup is a move down a one-way street? Once you make the move, you can't go back.

Five-ofan · 04-12-2006, 11:32 AM

They must have meant he found a copy of nba live 06 because there is no way in hell they mean he found his game meaning he is playing well on the court.

sike · 04-12-2006, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Don't you get the feeling this move to the starting lineup is a move down a one-way street? Once you make the move, you can't go back.

I'd would not mind losing Stack in the off season....his deal is up right?....

Harris
JT
Howard
Quisy...those are the guards that need PT.

orangedays · 04-12-2006, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sike

I'd would not mind losing Stack in the off season....his deal is up right?....

Yup, expires after '06-07 ($8mm). Good trade bait for a team looking to get under the cap.

MavsX · 04-12-2006, 12:38 PM

trade bait = jail bait

sixeightmkw · 04-12-2006, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Five-ofan

They must have meant he found a copy of nba live 06 because there is no way in hell they mean he found his game meaning he is playing well on the court.

Associated Press
April 12th, 2006

In a related story, Jerry Stackhouse explained how, that after a month and a half, he had finally come across his NBA Live 2006 video game that he had misplaced the previous road trip.

"Yeah, it was in my backpack behind some other video games and, uh, there it was. I found my game."

Jerry Stackhouse went on to explain how he was the MVP in this said video game and lead the league in scoring.

HAHAHA, just kidding

Mavfan + Ravenfan · 04-12-2006, 01:05 PM

"Harris
JT
Howard
Quisy...those are the guards that need PT."

I would add griffin to that list. Howard's good but we need a real shutdown defender. With our success with him this season, I don't think he's going anywhere.

Mavfan + Ravenfan · 04-12-2006, 01:08 PM

Stack really isn't playin to different then he has all season. He's still streaky and still turns the ball over too much. With harris back he and daniels will not have to handle the ball as much.

Locked_Up_Tonight · 04-12-2006, 05:00 PM

Stack was moved to the starting lineup because of the Spurs. Nothing more... nothing less.

dude1394 · 04-12-2006, 05:12 PM

I like stack in the lineup more than griffin. I have never liked playing 3 on 5 offensively.

I truly wish griffin could sit in the corner and hit a 3ptr, ala bowen. Then I'm on board with him.

sixeightmkw · 04-12-2006, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dude1394

I like stack in the lineup more than griffin. I have never liked playing 3 on 5 offensively.

I truly wish griffin could sit in the corner and hit a 3ptr, ala bowen. Then I'm on board with him.

Defense wins championships.

sixeightmkw · 04-12-2006, 05:19 PM

really though, I was listening to Avery on Norm this morning and Avery said he has a lineup already if every one is healthy but would not tell. He kinda hinted at having Harris possibly start with Stack and Griff off the bench, or possibly Stack start and Harris and Griff off the bench. I guess we'll find out.

Five-ofan · 04-12-2006, 05:30 PM

The best lineup the mavs can throw out there against the spurs assuming everyone is healthy is Devin Jet Josh Dirk Damp. The matchups would be.
Devin guards parker
Josh guards manu
Dirk guards rasho/nazr/horry.
Jet guards bowen.
Damp guards Duncan.

I dont know how they would match up. i think the last game showed that duncan cant guard josh which hurts the bowen guarding dirk scenario. In that lineup i think they would counter with
Parker
Gino
Bowen
Horry
Duncan.

Leaving them with parker guarding Harris, gino guarding terry bowen on dirk, horry on josh and duncan on damp but mostly just helping out. The more i think about this series the more confident i am that the mavs beat them this year. The mavs have an answer for everything the spurs can do.

Murphy3 · 04-12-2006, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dude1394

I like stack in the lineup more than griffin. I have never liked playing 3 on 5 offensively.

I truly wish griffin could sit in the corner and hit a 3ptr, ala bowen. Then I'm on board with him.

So with Stack, you'd rather play 3 on 5 more than half the time on offense and be an additional player down on defense with him...

dude1394 · 04-12-2006, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

So with Stack, you'd rather play 3 on 5 more than half the time on offense and be an additional player down on defense with him...

You aren't making sense because of your stack hatred.

bonitaapplebum · 04-12-2006, 10:18 PM

This may be in the game day thread soon. Thought this was a good place for it, though . . .

ESPN broadcasters just said Stack would vote for Kobe as MVP. I am not really into these awards, but I think this statement means something. He said Kobe does the most for his team because the Lakers, basically, would be lost without him. Maybe I'm being judgmental, but I heard that and thought he was thinking: "but Dirk has me." I think Stack really believes that he could carry a team. He shoots enough after weak-ass moves to indicate this, and the aforementioned article seems to indicate this mind-set as well.

While I don't think he's bad, I think losing Stack in the offseason would, like Finley, be addition by subtraction. He has too much confidence coupled with too little game to not be readily replaceable. A young guy with real hops or someone with a consistent jumper or someone who can really lock down an opposing swing player would all be better (and likely cheaper with more upside) than Stack, who chooses one of these traits to exhibit in most games--while doing a pretty bad job of the other traits.

And this doesn't even address the issue that you don't go on the record discounting your own teammate's worthiness of the MVP. Even if you yourself are in the running, you don't do that. And you especially don't mention someone on another team as your clear-cut favorite over your own teammate. Sort of pissed me off, I guess. Am I alone in this?

dude1394 · 04-12-2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonitaapplebum

This may be in the game day thread soon. Thought this was a good place for it, though . . .

ESPN broadcasters just said Stack would vote for Kobe as MVP. I am not really into these awards, but I think this statement means something. He said Kobe does the most for his team because the Lakers, basically, would be lost without him. Maybe I'm being judgmental, but I heard that and thought he was thinking: "but Dirk has me." I think Stack really believes that he could carry a team. He shoots enough after weak-ass moves to indicate this, and the aforementioned article seems to indicate this mind-set as well.

While I don't think he's bad, I think losing Stack in the offseason would, like Finley, be addition by subtraction. He has too much confidence coupled with too little game to not be readily replaceable. A young guy with real hops or someone with a consistent jumper or someone who can really lock down an opposing swing player would all be better (and likely cheaper with more upside) than Stack, who chooses one of these traits to exhibit in most games--while doing a pretty bad job of the other traits.

And this doesn't even address the issue that you don't go on the record discounting your own teammate's worthiness of the MVP. Even if you yourself are in the running, you don't do that. And you especially don't mention someone on another team as your clear-cut favorite over your own teammate. Sort of pissed me off, I guess. Am I alone in this?

Pisses me off big time. I may have to find a stackhouse website to let him know it as well.

orangedays · 04-12-2006, 10:55 PM

Why bother - Stack is an absolute waste. I'm ashamed to have him on this team after pulling that sh*t.

chumdawg · 04-12-2006, 11:37 PM

Then againn, don't we admire nuts when Nowitzki shows them, with comments like "I'm the go-to guy?" Don't we admire the brass balls of Terry when he pops the clutch three in the last minutes of a playoff game and pops his jersey and then does that airplane thing?

Why should Stackhouse not get credit for his bravado?

orangedays · 04-12-2006, 11:46 PM

Dirk's good. And Jet makes the 3.

All Stack does is suck it. Hard.

capitalcity · 04-13-2006, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Why should Stackhouse not get credit for his bravado?

Uh, cause he ain't 'walkin' the walk.'

bernardos70 · 04-13-2006, 12:11 AM

Stackhouse is pissing me off. However, who didn't see this coming? He just cannot be relied upon. He has to play the 2nd string players coming off the bench when the Mavs have the lead. And when he does, he has to post up or drive to the hoop. If one of those two things does not happen, then he's a liability. Finley could shoot out of a slump given enough time. What Stackhouse is going through is not a slump, this is what Stackhouse is. What you see is what you get.

Murphy3 · 04-13-2006, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dude1394

You aren't making sense because of your stack hatred.

Do you have any clue what you're talking about? Look at his game by game stats. You can make a strong case....very strong case that Stack is somewhere in the range of 19 good offensive games and 25 or more bad offensive games this season... And that's being generous... In a few games, he was borderline either way..

Regardless, in more than half the games, the Mavs would have been just as good having a guy out on the court with the following offensive box score.

FGA 0
FGM 0
FTA 0
FTM 0
Assists 0
OBoards 0
points 0
3pt Made 0
3pt attempts 0

nashtymavsfan13 · 04-13-2006, 12:47 AM

Stack and KVH need to go. I'm tired of both of them. And we HAVE to resign JET.

MavsFanFinley · 04-13-2006, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nashtymavsfan13

Stack and KVH need to go. I'm tired of both of them. And we HAVE to resign JET.

Yes, we need Jet for his defense. Where would we be without it?

orangedays · 04-13-2006, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nashtymavsfan13

Stack and KVH need to go. I'm tired of both of them. And we HAVE to resign JET.

Stack and his expiring contract will be gone by the deadline next year. KVH and his expiring contract will be gone this off-season.

Murphy3 · 04-13-2006, 12:58 AM

You have to bring someone in that can replace Stack if you're going to move him. Is Hank Dudek available?

orangedays · 04-13-2006, 01:09 AM

When Stack plays:

The offense scores +3.8 pts per 100p and the defense gives up +0.5 pp100. Meaning? We lose -4.3 pts every 100 possessions that Stack graces the hardwood. Good.

Our eFG% drops 1.9%. Our eFG% allowed goes up 0.5%. Our total rebounding decreases by -1.2%. Good.

Our man is shooting 39.6% from the field. 26.8% (yes...26.8%) from beyond the arc. In 'crunch time', his FG% drops to 30%. His ast/TO is 1.34. Good good.

All that and coppin' an attitude? Where do I sign up???

F*ck Stack. Yup.

chumdawg · 04-13-2006, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

Do you have any clue what you're talking about? Look at his game by game stats. You can make a strong case....very strong case that Stack is somewhere in the range of 19 good offensive games and 25 or more bad offensive games this season... And that's being generous... In a few games, he was borderline either way..

Regardless, in more than half the games, the Mavs would have been just as good having a guy out on the court with the following offensive box score.

FGA 0
FGM 0
FTA 0
FTM 0
Assists 0
OBoards 0
points 0
3pt Made 0
3pt attempts 0

Are you suggesting the former Mavericks great Wang Zhi-Zhi?

Winwall · 04-13-2006, 01:53 AM

weren't there some talks about a camera crew following stackhouse through this season to film some sort of documentary ? what happened ? are they still doing this or did they never start filming ? would be pretty interesting to watch the behind the scenes to get a better impression of stack.

EricaLubarsky · 04-13-2006, 01:55 AM

Did the water change in Dallas over the last 2 years? Something the 2-guards have been drinking has been making them into terrible teammates

digit · 04-13-2006, 01:58 AM

I can't believe Stack stabs his teammate in the back like that, when the whole club including owner, coaches, fans and players show their support for Dirk in the MVP race. And then it should be the Drama Queen...?!

This has absolutely nothing to do with having the "balls" to say that, this is only about the lack of Stack's brain mass.

Stack can SUCK IT..honestly...