Diop, Dampier center their attention on little things

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MIDDLE MEN

Diop, Dampier center their attention on little things

By JEFF CAPLAN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS -- It's not as if DeSagana Diop had become a human highlight film.

Fact is, he never averaged more than 3.4 points in any month this season, yet he is entrenched as perhaps the Mavericks' most unlikely starting center ever -- and there have been several who've passed through -- unseating the seemingly detached Erick Dampier 37 games into the season.

When the 7-foot Diop's young legs bounded onto the court, he rebounded, he blocked and altered shots and, as he bounced around on defense, his bothersome wingspan caused disruptions and forced turnovers. He infused energy into a team Dampier, for whatever reason, seemed to sap.

When coach Avery Johnson boldly decided to sit the veteran Dampier (and his $71 million contract) in favor of Diop, a high school-to-NBA washout after four barely noticeable seasons in Cleveland, it proved a pivotal juncture.

"I know he had to be angry because he's a winner, too, just like I am," Diop said of Dampier. "I mean, I would be mad if somebody takes my spot. But, I would take it out on the other team, and I think that's what he did."

After the switch, the Mavs won 13 consecutive games. Dampier wasn't thrilled, but the 6-foot-11 center, lambasted during last season's playoffs, picked up his pride and soon began to play as if re-enthused, perhaps re-invented.

"I just go out there and work," said Dampier, who still logs more minutes than Diop and is often playing during crunch time. "I'm willing to sacrifice my game for the good of the team. I think I've always been that way."

Together, Diop and Dampier have melded into the physical, low-post presence the Mavs never had during Don Nelson's years as coach; a necessity Johnson believes gives Dallas a legitimate matchup against any frontcourt in the league, including nemesis Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

"Gana has made our center position better, and Damp's made our center position better because of the enthusiasm and emotions and the physicality and the way he sets picks," Johnson said. "Damp has taken our center position to another level because he's played much more efficient this year."

The beauty of the Mavs' tandem is neither Diop nor Dampier is asked to score on this deep and talented team, so, as Memphis' 7-footer Pau Gasol discovered during the Mavs' first-round sweep, Johnson can focus the duo's attention on specific orders.

"They have two centers whose only job is to pound the glass," said Gasol, who was held under 50 percent shooting and under his season rebounding average in all four games. "They don't have to do much else."

Dampier had three key offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter of the Game 3 overtime squeaker, including the tip that found Dirk Nowitzki for the game-tying 3-pointer.

The Mavs handled Memphis on the boards in all four games and bullied the Grizzlies on the offensive boards. Dampier leads the team in the playoffs with 35 total rebounds and 19 on the offensive glass, where he gets most of his shot attempts.

Diop, largely relegated to the bench with foul trouble in Games 1 and 2 in his first playoff experience, has 20 rebounds.

Together, they've accounted for 43.7 percent of the Mavs' offensive boards, 31.9 percent of overall rebounds and 14 of Dallas' 18 blocks.

"That's what we do after every game; we put the rebounds, the blocks, everything we do together," Diop said. "We don't need to score, we have to do the little things like we did against Gasol -- body him up and make him tired by the end of the game.

"Ben Wallace does that for the Pistons."

The Mavs will take that two-for-one production any time.

[dude1394]

"They have two centers whose only job is to pound the glass," said Gasol, who was held under 50 percent shooting and under his season rebounding average in all four games. "They don't have to do much else."

And give Gasol some sleepless summer nights. Watching Dampier against him in the second half of game 4, you could tell he was a whipped puppy.

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Dampier back on his feet

After last year's playoff flop, center giving Mavs just what they need

[By David Moore / The Dallas Morning News]

It was about this time last year that the townsfolk gathered in Lots C and D with their pitchforks, ready to storm American Airlines Center and chase him out of Dallas.

Erick Dampier survived. And while it's a stretch to say he's flourished, the Mavericks center has been a solid, consistent contributor for the last three months.

Lowered expectations and an altered role have helped. The coaching staff once feared a move to the bench would cause Dampier to retreat into his shell. The opposite has been true. Dampier has embraced his role as DeSagana Diop's backup, playing with an enthusiasm that was too often lacking in last year's playoff run.

Dampier has averaged 2.25 blocked shots in the playoffs to rank fourth, one spot ahead of one of his most frequent critics, Shaquille O'Neal. His average of 8.8 rebounds leads the Mavericks. His defense on Pau Gasol was a big part of the team's first-round sweep of Memphis.

Dampier appears much more at ease this time around. He's even spending extra time in the gym with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, something that didn't happen last year.

"I think it's his focus, accepting his role," Terry said. "Now he knows what we need from him off the bench, and he's bringing that every night consistently.

"There was a lot of pressure on him last year, me and him, it being our first time in the playoffs. I think he's handling it a lot better this year."

There were some positive moments last year. But the pattern became frustratingly familiar for teammates and fans. Dampier would follow every good game with a bad one. Or two. Maybe even three. He would take himself out of games by picking up two quick fouls and earning a spot on the bench.

"Some of the fans are fair weather," Dampier said. "When you're rolling and playing good, they're on your bandwagon. When you're having a bad game, or two or three bad games, everybody says, 'Who is that guy? We don't like him any more.'

"You take the good with the good and the bad with the bad."

The worst came in Game 1 of the second round against Phoenix. O'Neal and Washington coach Eddie Jordan had already taken swipes at Dampier from afar. He then went out and was humiliated by Amare Stoudemire. The Suns' big man outscored Dampier, 40-0, in that game, a performance that prompted Nowitzki to yell at the Mavs' center on the court.

Dampier played better the remainder of the series but was still erratic as the Mavericks were eliminated in six games.

"I got a chance to experience it, see what it is like, see what the level of play is like, see how consistent you have to play and how hard you have to play," Dampier said. "With that behind me, I know what I have to do for this year's playoffs. I have to come out and leave it all on the floor."

Avery Johnson stuck with Dampier for the first two months of this season. But the Mavericks' coach is big on reading body language, and Dampier's wasn't good. He moved Diop into the starting lineup Jan. 14.

Diop has played well. But Dampier is usually on the floor to close out games. Johnson said "Damp has taken our center position to another level" with how he's responded to the move.

It's not about scoring. It's about rebounding, defense, setting screens and playing with energy.

"I think this is the probably the most appreciated he's ever felt," assistant coach Del Harris said. "He views himself as a necessary part of a system that demands that type of player."

A player the Mavericks need to move forward.

"If people are talking about me, that makes me think they're thinking about me," Dampier said. "They can keep on talking about me if they want."

So far, that's been a good thing.

[G-Man]

I love this quote.

"They have two centers whose only job is to pound the glass," said Gasol, who was held under 50 percent shooting and under his season rebounding average in all four games. "They don't have to do much else." What he should have said is "their only jobs are to pound the glass, and pound me."

It is interesting how rarely anyone in the national media even mentions how much different the Mavs are because of the effective play we get out of the center. While Damp was here, as a starter, he was always in foul trouble and not much help. This year, we can put him and Diop on guys like Gasol and Duncan, and at least push them out of their favorite spot on the post, and make them into jump shooters. The fact that we always have a shot blocker in the game makes it a lot easier on our wing guys. They can take more chances and defend the 3, because they are less worried about the drive and dunk.

The media may not have noticed, but you can be damned sure Popovich has. It will be interesting to see his plan to get Timmy good looks. He had a free ride with Brad Miller on him at Sac. Lets see how his foot holds up with Damp leaning on him 35 minutes a night for 2 weeks.

The last time they eliminated us from the playoffs, we had to play zone to protect bad defenders like Nash, Raef, Fin and Bradley. Nobody could slow down Duncan without help, the 3 pointer was always open and Steve Kerr was deadly. Now our center is solid, our wing players are quicker and longer and our rotations are crisp.

We got our revenge on Bobby Jackson. Now its payback time for Bruce Bowen. One Mav killer down, 12 more wins worth to go. Lets get it on.

[dude1394]

And I love this quote from the G-Man.. (Is that a G.GordonLiddy reference by the way?)

Originally Posted by G-Man

We got our revenge on Bobby Jackson. Now its payback time for Bruce Bowen. One Mav killer down, 12 more wins worth to go. Lets get it on.

HooRah..

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MAVERICKS NOTES

Double trouble for Spur?

By Jeff Caplan
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO -- The Mavericks finally have a center combination they believe can make life uncomfortable for Tim Duncan.

Starter DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier clamped down on Memphis 7-footer Pau Gasol in the first round, and coach Avery Johnson said it's mandatory to let Duncan know he's in for a physical series.

"Now you're dealing with a guy that's a three-time MVP," Johnson said. "He's not going to get worn down as easily, but it's still a tough job. You've got to try to keep a body on Timmy as much as you can because he is so good."

Dampier, at 6-foot-11, 265 pounds, said he's prepared for a rugged series against the 7-foot, 260-pound Duncan, who's averaging 18.3 points on 61.2 percent shooting and 9.2 rebounds in the playoffs.

"A lot [of the Spurs' offense] is going to run through him," Dampier said. "Whenever we get an opportunity to foul hard, obviously, we're definitely going to do that.

"He's the catalyst of that team, so we've just got to go out there and be physical with him and play him tough."

Who's footing the bill?

Of Michael Finley's $18.6 million salary, the Mavs are paying $15.9 million.

After waiving Finley to take advantage of an amnesty clause that allowed the Mavs to avoid paying luxury taxes on the remainder of his $51 million salary, Finley signed a free-agent deal with the Spurs, who pay him an additional $2.7 million.

Coming off the bench, he averaged 10.1 points and shot nearly 40 percent from 3-point range in 26.5 minutes a game this season.

"He's really fit that role nicely just coming in and being a spot-up shooter, coming off the bench, giving them that veteran experience," Avery Johnson said. "We know his game very well. But, again, you've got to try to keep him out of his strength, which is shooting the basketball and shooting it from certain spots on the floor."

So very witty

Avery Johnson sarcastically brushed off questions about the dynamics of coaching against his former coach and mentor Gregg Popovich.

"Yes, there's a really good dynamic: He's going to put on a Spurs uniform, I'm going to put on a Mavericks uniform and then we'll know we're going to win," Johnson said. "We just know, because you wouldn't expect him to beat me in a one-on-one, and we're going to play full court, too, so he's going to be out of breath because I'm still pretty quick."

He continued: "We're going to match wits so good that we're going to be relying on five other young men on the court to be able to implement those witty thoughts that we have."

Sucker seedings

The NBA's seeding system, which has the Mavs fourth instead of second, and consequently pits the Spurs and Mavs in the second round, had not been brought up by Avery Johnson ... until Saturday.

"We were here in this situation a couple of years ago [2003] where both of us won 60 games. It's just the system was better, so we met in the Western Conference Finals," Johnson said. "But, I guess somebody got smarter and they changed the system."

In '03, when each conference had only two divisions, the Mavs were seeded third.