Avery wants more from Mavs - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

kriD · 03-30-2006, 06:10 AM

Avery wants more from Mavs

Coach not impressed with stumbles on road during stretch run

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

CLEVELAND – Healthy or not – and the Mavericks will be closer to full strength Friday night at Orlando – coach Avery Johnson is none too pleased with the way his team is treating the most important time of the season.

He equated it Wednesday to a long-distance race – one the Mavericks aren't handling well at the end.

"You're in the New York Marathon, how many miles is that, 26.2 miles?" Johnson said. "After the 20th mile, your body doesn't feel like it felt when you started, right? It requires even more toughness, fight and perseverance, because those last six miles are going to be tougher than the first 20."

Point made. The Mavericks are not running their best race as the season strides into the final 10 games. Tuesday night's loss at Detroit drove home several issues that the Mavericks must address as they continue to get injured players back. Mainly, they must pay closer attention to details at the defensive end of the court.

"There were one or two things that really disturbed me about that game that I won't get into," Johnson said. "I'm just trying to figure out if they really understand this next level that we need to go to."

The Mavericks were outscored 11-2 in the final four-plus minutes against Detroit, fumbling away a game that was there for the taking.

Howard to return: Josh Howard said before Wednesday's game at Cleveland that he would be back in uniform Friday at Orlando.

"I'm going to give it a shot, I think," he said.

Johnson reiterated that the Mavericks have a definite timetable for bringing back Howard, Adrian Griffin and Devin Harris.

"And," Johnson said, "somebody's definite time to return will be the next game."

When they come back, Johnson expects great things.

"I'm hoping that my injured guys are as rested as anybody in the NBA," he said. "I'm hoping they can really show that on the defensive end, because they've been watching and seeing how we've been getting burned."

Diop drops by: DeSagana Diop played four seasons in Cleveland and saw a lot of old friends and familiar faces in his first trip to Quicken Loans Arena as a Maverick.

He also got a smattering of boos when he was introduced with the Mavericks' starting lineup.

"I tried to do the best I could when I was here," he said. "It wasn't like I was a bad guy. Sometimes, you just have to move on."

No big deal: San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters before the Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night that fans should not be surprised that the Mavericks and Spurs are headed for another photo finish.

"Everybody acts like this is a new deal," he said. "It's been like this for the last four, five years with Dallas. We have a race every year.

"The only thing different is they have that little traitor [Johnson] over there coaching for Dallas."

kriD · 03-30-2006, 06:13 AM

MAVERICKS NOTES

Avery keeps pushing team

By DWAIN PRICE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

CLEVELAND -- Coach Avery Johnson is like the dad who is trying to teach his kids not to put their hands on the stove because the stove is really hot.

In the case of the Mavericks, Johnson is trying to teach his players that they have to sacrifice a little more and dig down a lot deeper if they truly want to become NBA champions.

He wants them to follow the game plan to a T, pay more attention to detail, and don't settle for anything but the best.

By Johnson's standards, being a good NBA team requires certain standards.

But being an elite team capable of winning the whole enchilada requires much, much more.

"It's like you're in the New York Marathon," Johnson said of the 26.2-mile journey. "At the 20th mile your body doesn't feel like it felt when you started.

"It requires even more toughness, fight and perseverance, because those last six miles are going to be tougher than the first 20."

Before Wednesday's 107-94 loss to Cleveland, Johnson wondered whether his players are capable of going that extra six miles.

The discussion came one day after the Mavs lost at Detroit 97-90.

"I'm just trying to figure out if they really understand this next level that we need to go to," he said. "But again, you're dealing with a lot of situations where you need to just remind and teach and hug sometimes, and discipline sometimes.

"You're just dealing with a lot of situations where you have to just do what you're paid to do, and that's coach."

Not a Stoudemire situation

Avery Johnson said the Mavs' injury situation isn't similar to the one the Phoenix Suns faced with Amare Stoudemire.

While it appears the Suns might have brought Stoudemire back too soon from a knee injury, Johnson said the Mavs are not exactly resting Josh Howard, Devin Harris and Adrian Griffin.

"We are trying to come up with the best game plan to not have any setbacks," Johnson said. "We don't know what's going to happen when they get back.

"But at least when they get back, we can feel as a staff ... we gave them the best shot at coming back and staying back. Because when you're dealing with hamstrings and pulled muscles and all of this stuff, you never really know."

Johnson is hoping there's a silver lining to the injuries that have kept Howard, Harris and Griffin on the sidelines for three-plus weeks.

"I'm hoping that my injured guys are as rested as anybody in the NBA," Johnson said. "I'm hoping that, boy, they can really show it on the defensive end.

"And that they've been watching and seeing how we've been getting burned. And then they can say, "Well, you know what, when I get back, we're not going to get burned like that.'"

jayC · 03-30-2006, 09:12 PM

Howard is the second best player on the team. We miss his rebounding and defense. Avery said on Norm today that Griff should be back on Tuesday. He also siad that Devin should be back seven to ten days from today. The mavs just need to get healthy. We need enough time to get the starters going. It will be huge to have Daniels, Dampier, KVH and Stack off the bench.

jleefilled · 03-30-2006, 09:40 PM

"Everybody acts like this is a new deal," he said. "It's been like this for the last four, five years with Dallas. We have a race every year.

So true...

"The only thing different is they have that little traitor [Johnson] over there coaching for Dallas."

Funny!

shaw-xx · 03-30-2006, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayC

Avery said on Norm today that Griff should be back on Tuesday. He also siad that Devin should be back seven to ten days from today.

Good news. Thanks for the info.

Locked_Up_Tonight · 03-30-2006, 11:05 PM

I just hope Devin Harris is primed and ready for SA. With his pentration and ability to distribute off of penetration will be Dallas's great chance against SA. Without his play, I don't believe Dallas can win 4 out of 7 against SA.

nashtymavsfan13 · 03-31-2006, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayC

It will be huge to have Daniels, Dampier, KVH and Stack off the bench.

We already have these guys healthy, we need Devin off the bench.

kriD · 03-31-2006, 06:47 AM

MAVERICKS NOTES

As Mavs sputter, coach says team in need of a hug

By DWAIN PRICE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Several times during the course of this season, coach Avery Johnson talked about the times to discipline his team, the times to work them harder, or the times to just give them a hug.

Now, Johnson said, is the time to deliver some hugs.

The short-handed Mavs have dropped four of their past six games going into tonight's 6 o'clock contest against the Orlando Magic at TD Waterhouse Centre. But throughout the losing, Johnson said his players have given 100 percent effort.

"I really love coaching this team, through thick and thin," Johnson said. "I'm on the train with them, whether it gets rocky or not, and I told them that after Wednesday's game in Cleveland."

Injuries the past three weeks to Josh Howard, Devin Harris and Adrian Griffin have handcuffed the Mavs, and it's finally catching up with them, Johnson said. Howard, though, might be able to play tonight, with Griffin expected back next week.

"I think we have a heck of a team," Johnson said. "I think we still can turn this into a special season, but right now we're just sputtering. But that doesn't mean our season is over, that doesn't mean we don't still have the same goals."

Because the Mavs (54-18) are two games behind the San Antonio Spurs (55-16) in the loss column, securing the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs might be a lost cause. The Mavs already trail the Spurs in head-to-head competition 2-1, and they still have to play at San Antonio on April 7.

"You want to be clicking on all cylinders and you want to have everybody healthy," forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "That's really more of a concern than the one or the four seed.

"We would love to get everybody healthy and be playing well coming into the playoffs. If it's a one seed, great. If not, we've still got to make the best out of it."

A special place

For Darrell Armstrong, playing in Orlando is like playing in his own back yard.

The Magic was the first NBA team to give Armstrong a chance when they signed him as a free agent in 1995. The point guard spent nearly nine years with the Magic, becoming one of the team's most popular players before he left via free agency in 2003.

"It's just a special place," Armstrong said. "Nine years, especially being a walk-on free agent and the way the fans accepted me. They're always going to have my love and my heart, and I know I'm going to have their love and their heart."

Armstrong still has close ties with Orlando that he said will never be broken.

"I still have my foundation for premature babies in Orlando, I have a child development center for premature babies, and I donate ambulances that they use around Central Florida and Orlando for babies," Armstrong said. "Plus, I still do my basketball camps three times in the summer in Orlando."

And the best nugget of all for Armstrong?

"The Magic still haven't made the playoffs since I left," he said, smiling.