Mavs' Griffin always sweats the details

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Mavs' Griffin always sweats the details

Swingman ready for whatever Avery throws his way in the playoffs

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

The Memphis Grizzlies thought they had a plan.

Adrian Griffin shot holes all through it.

And yet, he expects to see the same plan – or some variation – in the second round of the playoffs.

Griffin is used to it by now. He knows opponents will put their weakest defender – or their most-prized offensive player – on him. Who can blame them? If you have to worry about Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse, whom are you going to leave?

Against Memphis, it was Pau Gasol who defended Griffin. The Mavericks responded by putting the ball in Griffin's hands.

"Teams have tried to hide a player by guarding him," Mavericks assistant coach Del Harris said. "So then we just play point-Grif, like when Gasol was on him. That lets us run any play we want to run."

The result was an efficient Mavericks offense that shredded the Grizzlies in four straight games.

Griffin knows what's next. Probably a diet of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili or Michael Finley, the players who the Spurs try to protect on defense.

"They might do that," Griffin said. "And if they do, I just have to be aggressive and active and look for the opportunities. Avery talked to me before the Memphis series that they might do that with Gasol. So he had some plays ready just in case they did. And it worked out."

The playoffs are Griffin's time of year. Not because he's a superstar who raises his game to otherworldly levels. But because he is the hard worker who will do whatever job is asked of him.

He's like scrubbing bubbles, working in places nobody else wants to work.

Against Memphis, the 6-5 swingman averaged 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and shot 55.6 percent from the field, putting in 25 minutes per game.

He embodies what coach Avery Johnson, his staff and the playoffs are about – attention to detail.

"Little things become bigger things in the playoffs, and he was a quiet, big factor in the Memphis series," Harris said. "And regardless of who we play in the next series, we think he can be a good part of what we need to do."

"The main thing," Harris said, "is that Grif finds a way to contribute, whether it's defensively or getting a loose ball or rebounding."

He's not the only person on the team who does that. Centers DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier are of that ilk.

They are here to serve. And if they don't score a point, they are still like little air bubbles in the aquarium that the rest of the fish can survive off.

"We can really make a difference in a series just by being active," Griffin said. "Everybody's got their role. If we all do our part, we'll be fine."

Johnson said that Griffin's presence is part of why the Mavericks should be a confident crew headed into the second round.

"This is a great time of year for guys like Grif, Damp and Gana," Johnson said. "They've got rested legs, and they are able to concentrate on one guy and one team."