[DMN] Mavericks Q&A

[kriD]

No camp news is good news

[By David Moore / The Dallas Morning News]
01:32 AM CDT on Thursday, October 12, 2006

It's great to be back.

OK, let's put the brakes on that a bit. It's good to be back. Great is waking up every morning and your biggest decision is golf or a movie. Great is not having to talk to Big Ed every day.

Don't get me wrong. I love the Big Guy. But every day? I would get bored talking to myself every day, and I'm much more interesting than Ed.

Which brings me to my point: this training camp is boring. If you're poised to challenge for a championship – and the Mavericks are – that's a good thing. There will be enough stress and adversity over the course of the season. When you open camp with no major question marks and no major injuries, that's a good thing. The next few weeks are about conditioning and getting even more comfortable with Avery Johnson's system.

It's the ideal way to ease into a long season.

MAVERICKS Q&A

Q: All right, knuckleheads, I'm a Mavs fan living in Milwaukee of all places. Let me tell you how behind the times Milwaukee is – Eddie's haircut would be considered cool and hip here. With that out of the way, onto my question.

A couple of years ago when the Mavs were wheelin' and dealin' to get the likes of Antawn Jamison, our beloved owner Mark Cuban said in response to criticism, "We're the only team that got younger this off-season." It was a shot at the Spurs who did not get younger in that off-season.

Now, the 2006-07 season is right around the corner, and we just picked up guys at the tail end of their collective careers. Experienced? Yes, but at what price? We dumped a bunch of young talent, including Marquis Daniels, who I predict will have a great career. Sure, you're going to say the core group of guys got us to The Finals, and that's what matters. But I don't think adding Greg Buckner or picking up Austin Croshere is going to stop Jason Terry from shooting 25 clanks in a Finals game next summer, do you?

Will

MOORE: Normally, I wouldn't let you ramble on this long, but you brought up some good points. More important, you made fun of Big Ed's looks. Anyone who does that has carte blanche as far as I'm concerned.

You're right. The Mavericks didn't get any younger during the off-season. But they got deeper and collected more 3-point shooters – a serious shortcoming in their collapse against Miami.

What the Mavericks do have are two players in the prime of their career – Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry – and two other young players on the rise in Josh Howard and Devin Harris. I'd argue supplementing that core with experienced role players is the way to go.

I agree with you on Daniels. I don't know if he'll have a great career, but I think he'll be a very productive player in this league. But it would not have happened here. He just wasn't a good temperamental fit with coach Avery Johnson.

And if you want to write back next week and make fun of Big Ed's clothes, go ahead.

•••

Q: At this point, why are the Mavs so hesitant to resign Josh Howard to a much- deserved contract extension? Is Howard asking for way too much money? I just don't see the sense in potentially alienating Howard by making him wait another year until he becomes a restricted free agent. Usually, the price only goes up the longer you wait, not vice versa.

Jason Lustig, Boca Raton

MOORE: I'm with you on this one. Waiting only drives the price up. The bigger concern is alienating Howard, who can take the lack of an extension after Terry and Nowitzki signed theirs as an insult.

Neither side is saying much about this, but obviously since Howard hasn't signed, the club believes his asking price is too high. I also think Cuban looks at this differently than we do, which is probably why he has more money.

From Cuban's standpoint, Howard will be a restricted free agent next season if he doesn't sign an extension. Cuban can still retain Howard's rights by matching another club's offer. In Cuban's mind, I'm not sure he sees much of a downside to having a good, young player motivated all season to get his first big contract.

That appears to be what's happening here.

•••

Q: Hey Eddie, do you think the Mavs will ever find the will to win? Taking it to the hole seems to be something the Mavs do grudgingly, only to get ahead in the game. As soon as they have a lead, they revert back to their old standard of jacking up stupid outside shots. After the way they gave Miami the championship last year, Cuban should have gotten rid of half the team.

Drew Rutkowski

MOORE: I know I'm not Big Ed, but I thought I'd take this one so you'd understand the answer.

I think the Mavericks had the will to win the title last season, they just weren't good enough to carry it out. But I do agree with your point about attacking the basket.

Miami's zone – and 7-footers Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning – made it difficult to attack the basket. But as the series wore on and the chance to win began to slip away, the Mavericks drifted back into the bad habits Johnson worked so hard to break during the regular season. They settled for jump shots rather than continuing to attack to impose their will on the Heat.

Getting rid of half the team seems a bit drastic, but there are five new players who have a chance to reshape the rotation. That's significant change.

•••

Q: Avery Johnson is a real class guy and my favorite Spur of all time, but I was shocked at the way he melted down against that news guy in a postgame conference toward the end of last season's great run. Did he ever apologize, and as far as you know, is all forgiven?

D.W. in San Antonio

MOORE: Johnson apologized publicly – and privately – before Game 6. All is forgiven.

That news guy, by the way, was Big Ed. If he can forgive me for all the stuff I say about him, you know he can forgive Johnson.

•••

Q: Is there or could there be a rift developing between our star player and the owner? After the season ended, Dirk publicly criticized owner Mark Cuban for his boisterous behavior and strong verbal attacks about officiating, basically saying it was embarrassing and Mark needs to chill. Now as the preseason has begun, Dirk grumbles about the Mavericks declining the offer by the NBA to have their training camp in Germany and the chance to play for the Mavs in his native country. Cuban totally dismissed the idea of training camp in Europe, saying it would be ridiculous.

Oddly enough, the Mavericks will soon play a preseason game in Pittsburgh, the hometown of Cuban. Isn't there some hypocrisy here? Don't you think Dirk would feel some resentment or bitterness toward the owner?

Van, Central Texas

MOORE: If this was your typical star player, I'd say yes. But Nowitzki is so laid back that he doesn't let this stuff bother him. Would he like to play in Germany? Sure. If he made an issue of it, Cuban might look at it differently.

But Nowitzki doesn't make an issue of it. He expresses his opinion or feeling, then goes about his daily tasks. There's no resentment or bitterness than I've been able to detect.

As for the hypocrisy of it all, I do think it's easier to swing through Pittsburgh for a preseason game than it is to pick up camp and relocate in Germany.

•••

Q: Some believe that the tough officiating the Mavs received last year in the playoffs was because of the constant tension created by Mark Cuban. Given the past history between Cuban and NBA officials, what can we expect for the upcoming season from Mark and the officials?

Lainey Reist, Carrollton

MOORE: Cuban isn't going to change. The officials aren't going to change. I'd expect more of the same.

•••

Q: Tom Hicks is the owner in the Dallas area who gets criticized for not spending money. The Mavericks went to The Finals last year and in the off-season have dramatically reduced their payroll. How come Mark Cuban gets a free pass? I think the Mavs will regret not going after a legitimate shooting guard. I would have liked to have seen them sign Bonzi Wells. The guy's aggressiveness, defense and rebounding would have made him a good fit here.

Kevin, Dallas

MOORE: I don't agree that Cuban dramatically cut the payroll. The Mavericks had the second highest payroll in the league the last two seasons and should hold down that distinction again. Keith Van Horn's big contract dropped off, but Terry is playing for a bigger number than he did last season, and Cuban signed Nowitzki to a big-money extension. Unlike Hicks, Cuban deals with a salary cap. When a team is over that number, like the Mavericks are, and a player drops off, you don't get to replace that salary slot.

The shooting guards the Mavericks brought in this off-season aren't as talented as Wells, but you can argue they are better fits and bring fewer issues combined than Wells.

•••

Q: Will the team's preseason games be shown on local TV? If so, when will the TV schedule be announced?

Bob Arnold

MOORE: It has been announced and can be found on the Mavericks Web site. But let's save you the trouble.

The Sacramento game (Oct. 12) can be seen on HD Net. The next three games – Houston (10-17), Milwaukee (10-19) and Washington (10-21) – can be seen on KTXA and HD Net. The game against Cleveland (10-25) is on HD Net and the final preseason game against San Antonio (10-27) is on ESPN.

[kriD]

Stars missing from never-ending preseason

06:03 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 18, 2006
[By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News]

Welcome to the rip-free zone.

I know a lot of you out there in cyberspace don't think I can go a whole newsletter without poking fun at D-Moore. You see no chance of me avoiding such easy targets as his new, midlife crisis car that is smaller than I am.

But you're wrong. I am taking the high road.

Sort of like my opinion of the Mavericks right now. True, we've seen more from Ndudi Ebi so far than Jason Terry or Dirk Nowitzki. And by the way, did you notice on Tuesday in the exhibition against Houston that Ndudi was covering Haryasz, as in Matt Haryasz. Public-address announcer Billy Hayes could hardly contain a snicker with those names.

Anyway, the Mavericks look great so far. They are 0-4 and treating the preseason like it's supposed to be treated – as a means to get ready for Nov. 2.

Incidentally, here's hoping the NBA figures out a way to scale back the preseason to six games instead of eight. Surely one less home game wouldn't be that big a hardship for owners. Just tell them to raise ticket prices by $1 and make up the difference.

Not that there's anything wrong with Ndudi vs. Haryasz, of course.

MAVERICKS Q&A

Q: In an article you wrote recently, you made reference to Nowitzki committing a foul on Dwyane Wade in Game 5 of the Finals. It really irritates me that you guys in the media are so careful to try to stay "objective." Why won't anyone criticize referee Bennett Salvatore for making that bogus call? You don't have to be a homer to admit that Bennett blew it.

Steve K.

SEFKO: First of all, we get paid to be "objective." We also get paid to be "unbiased," "fair" and "impartial."

What we don't get paid to do – unless our picture is in the paper next to our words – is insert our opinions into news stories. Admittedly, this gets done all the time. But it's almost always a tangible piece of evidence that gets analyzed, such as a bricked free throw or a player missing the wide-open game-winning shot.

If you noticed through the years, I don't "comment" on referee calls in any story. Just ask Mark Cuban. He knows my policy. I don't let the Mavericks whine about the refs, and I don't let the opponents do it, either.

Now if somebody wants to go on the record and say "Bennett Salvatore is a crook," then I would quote them.

Second of all, it was a foul. I have seen the reverse angle on the play, and Nowitzki's forearm shoves Wade. NBA players "usually" don't lose their balance without some sort of "outside" influence.

So get "over" it. And have a "nice" day.

• • •

Q: A fast forward to March/April, what will be the Mavs' priority to upgrade to get over the hump in the playoffs? Also, if they come out of the gate like gangbusters and if (and I know this is a big if) Erick Dampier could average a double-double through the first quarter of the season, would any team give up anything of value for him?

Michael, Nashville, Tenn.

SEFKO: Have you been dipping into the Tennessee moonshine? Or are you more of a fruity merlot guy like … oops, you almost got me to lob a cheap one-liner at D-Moore. That's off limits this week.

The Mavericks made the NBA Finals last season with Dampier playing the majority of the minutes at center. Even after he was benched, he still played more than DeSagana Diop.

Avery Johnson likes Dampier, and he senses that the big man is close to having one of his double-figure rebounding seasons. If that happens, the Mavericks have a better chance of getting back to the Finals.

Nobody wants Dampier's contract. So the best thing the Mavericks can do is try to get the most out of him. He's still the best center on the roster.

• • •

Q: How crucial do you think this year is for Devin Harris to truly establish himself? Is Avery ready to make him the starter? I'm just wondering their level of faith in him at the moment.

Jason L.

SEFKO: Very. No. Limited.

Those are the answers, in order. We can't forget that Harris was the No. 5 overall pick in 2004. Either he was worthy of that lofty selection, or he's a mistake. There is no in between.

Now is a good time for him to make the argument that he was not a mistake.

That said, Johnson can't start him on a regular basis until Harris develops some consistency. That doesn't mean scoring 15 points a night. It means giving out five assists a night and something less than 2.5 turnovers per night.

Right now, health concerns still dog Harris. And he has yet to prove that all those jump shots he took in the summertime are paying off with a sharper shooting eye. He's still a one-trick pony in the eyes of defenses, but those slashes to the basket are one heck of a weapon for the Mavericks.

• • •

Q: I'm pumped about the Mavs this year. But Eddie, try to be a little more of a homer this year. In the Mavs-Heat series, I couldn't tell who you were pulling for.

Wayne W., Lindale, Texas

SEFKO: Once again, to reiterate what the e-mailer a few paragraphs earlier suggested, I was doing my job if you couldn't tell who I was pulling for.

If you want flaming homerism, check in next week with … nope, I'm still not going to zing my partner in crime in this newsletter. This is a warm-and-fuzzy week.

In an NBA arena, it's an old saying that there are only about a half-dozen people in the entire building who don't give a rip which team wins. Three of them are wearing officials' garb. The rest are the writers covering the team.

And, in reality, that's not entirely true. When the Mavericks do well, more people watch them on television and read words that are written about them. So it helps everybody. But when it comes to reporting about a game, we praise when it's deserved and hack with a machete when needed.

• • •

Q: Why are the Mavs hesitating on signing Darius Washington? He is clearly a better athlete and is a good role model. Look what he's done in limited minutes. Imagine what he could do in 20 or 30 minutes.

Vinny R.

SEFKO: I imagine he could average about four turnovers. That's what he's been doing per 24 minutes played. Look, he's a good young prospect. But he's not an NBA player yet. He needs to spend a year in the D-League and learn how to handle the ball. He's too small to play shooting guard.

I still believe Jose Barea is the guy the Mavericks will keep with their 15th spot. But that's not saying Washington doesn't have a future. I'm just not sure it's with Dallas.

• • •

Q: David, why is it you didn't mentor Eddie and teach him how to dress well? OK, beyond that, why is it that fans talk about Mark Cuban getting a free ride from the media, and [Rangers owner] Tom Hicks gets harsh treatment for not spending money? Isn't it about making the right decisions? Cuban's temper becomes forgivable when you bring up Hicks' name.

R. Brown

SEFKO: Mark Cuban has made mistakes, just like the rest of us. Some, like D-Moore make more than others. Oh, darn it. Sorry. That one just slipped out.

What Cuban does better than almost any owner is market the heck out of his team and find a way to fix his mistakes with a minimal amount of harm done. Clearly, the baseball owner hasn't quite gotten a grasp on either of those qualities.

• • •

Q: Answer me one question: How can Dirk be a superstar when he's never even started an All-Star Game? He can't play with the real superstars like Duncan, Stoudemire, Wade, McGrady, LeBron and K.G.

Lewis P.

SEFKO: I would point out that four of your six superstars have never been to the NBA Finals, and one (McGrady) has never won a playoff series.

When it comes to rating talent in the NBA, the last thing I'd use as a barometer is the All-Star Game. It's a popularity contest among fans to pick the starters. I give more credibility to the reserves who are picked by the coaches.

Nowitzki is a top-five player in the league. If you were starting a team and could pick one player to build around for the next five years, you would probably pick LeBron James, Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade. After that, who? If you have the No. 4 or 5 pick in that draft, Dirk is on your board.

• • •

Q: Does Pops Mensah-Bonsu have a spot on the team locked up?

Cody B.

SEFKO: Yes. He is guaranteed his salary this year at the NBA minimum. And wouldn't we all like to get that minimum wage of $412,000?

There is one spot open with Jose Barea, Darius Washington and Ndudi Ebi in the running.

• • •

Q: Why won't the Mavs extend Josh Howard now rather than playing games with him? Also, will they ever get an athletic power forward to play behind Dirk? It seems like they always come up with a Dirk clone.

SEFKO: We got a slew of these questions, so we might as well knock them out at the same time.

As for Dirk, I presume by clone you mean a big white guy to play like Dirk. There's some relevance to that theory. The Mavericks' offense is built around the power forward (Nowitzki) being able to hit shots from the perimeter. If the guy who fills in 10 minutes per game for him can't do that, the entire attack must be altered.

I would say, however, that they do have an athletic power forward on the team. Pops Mensah-Bonsu can bring the athletic game around the basket. He just can't shoot.

In Howard's case, Cuban believes it's good business to get employees out of their comfort zone, to have a carrot (financial or otherwise) dangling in front of them to bring out the best of their abilities. That's business 101.

But not every employee needs an incentive to perform his best. I would like to see the Mavericks offer Howard $48 million over five years and see if the thing could get done. That's a starting salary of $8 million with 10 percent raises each year. It's not a cap-breaker for the team. And it sets Howard up for the prime of his career.

By the way, a contract starting at $7 million per year would add up to $42 million over five years.

But don't expect to see either of those any time soon. I suspect this negotiation won't happen until next summer when Howard's a restricted free agent. And then it will cost the Mavericks six seasons instead of five.

[kriD]

Mavs sent good sign with Howard's extension

10:30 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 25, 2006
[By David Moore / The Dallas Morning News]

The Mavericks downplayed their negotiations with Josh Howard before he agreed to an extension. The company line was the club wanted to get it done, but if it didn't, the forward's status would be addressed in the off-season.

It's a good thing the Mavericks took care of Howard now. I don't think they would have liked the result if they had waited.

Money is always the overriding concern in these matters. But don't discount pride, especially in a young athlete who feels slighted. To him, money and respect are often intertwined.

Think of this from Howard's perspective. You're consistently told how valuable you are to the franchise. Then the club goes out and signs Jason Terry to a contract. It signs Dirk Nowitzki and coach Avery Johnson to extensions.

If the Mavericks had not worked out an extension with Howard, I don't think he would have felt all warm and fuzzy about the organization. Who knows how that plays out over the season? I think getting him signed next year would have been extremely difficult.

Now, it's not an issue.

MAVERICKS Q&A

Q: Whoever is doing the newsletter this week, you do the best job, are more manly and for sure more intelligent than the bum next week. I think the Mavs have improved, but do you think the Spurs have improved or is that strictly a matter of (Tim) Duncan's health? Also, I know that (Chris) Webber, (Allan) Houston and (Anfernee) Hardaway were never the same after microfracture surgery. Will (Amare) Stoudemire ever really be as good as he was?

Gary, Richardson

MOORE: You're right. Big Ed isn't manly, and he's a quart or two low in that other area you mentioned, but I've got to give him his props. He held your e-mail for a week, knowing there was no way it could be addressed to him.

Either that or he read your e-mail and forgot your point within seconds. That happens a lot.

Duncan's health is crucial for the Spurs to win another title, and it appears he reported to camp in the best shape of the last five or six years. But has the team improved? I'm not so sure. They've added a few more role players, but I don't think the players they added to fill out the bench are as good as the Mavericks.

You're point about Stoudemire is also a good one. He has experienced soreness in both knees during training camp. I think there will be nights where he is as explosive and as dominant as before the injury, but can he do it on a consistent basis? That will be the key.

• • •

Q: To the good looking one: Basically, the Western Conference will boil down to three teams: Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix. Who do you think improved the most and thus has the best chance?

MOORE: Another e-mail clearly directed to me. I feel honored.

The easy answer is to say that the Suns improved the most because Stoudemire is returning. But I'm not sure it's that easy. His return to the front line means Boris Diaw, who was so effective last season, will see his role change. Will the ball still go through his hands as much? Will the Suns ball movement be as good as last season, or will inserting Stoudemire back into the equation alter the chemistry?

The Mavericks improved their depth and 3-point shooting. Any significant improvement will have to come from the natural development of Howard and Devin Harris.

The Spurs improved their depth and became more athletic. But any improvement in their nucleus is tied to Tony Parker's continued development and Manu Ginobili's health.

The bottom line: the Suns improved the most, but I'm not sure it moves them past the Mavericks and Spurs.

• • •

Q: What's wrong with Jason Terry and when do you expect him to suit up for the first time? Will he be ready for the regular season?

Brian Murray

MOORE: There's nothing to be concerned about. Terry made his first appearance of the preseason Wednesday night in Pittsburgh and should be ready to go to start the regular season. Johnson wanted to give Terry some rest – soreness on the top of his right foot was the official reason – and give the new players more minutes to help them learn the system and get a feel for how they will fit into the rotation.

• • •

Q: Guys: One of the spots I feel the Mavs can improve in is point guard. Devin (Harris) has shown flashes, but has problems with consistency. One player that may be able to help and may be tradable is Steve Francis. To balance out the contract, I would suggest trading Austin Croshere and a protected No. 1 pick to NY for Mr. Franchise. Just my two cents worth to Donnie Nelson.

Arlyn J., Seoul, Korea. U.S. Army.

MOORE: You're right about Harris. He has shown flashes – usually when he flashes by the man trying to defend him – but has lacked the consistency that Avery Johnson demands. That's why the Mavericks acquired Anthony Johnson. He runs the point the way his coach – no relation – used to run the point.

Is Anthony Johnson a better player than Francis? No. But he's a better fit for this team. Francis is a wonderful player, but put him on the floor at the same time as Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard, and I'm not sure you get him at his best. You get a compromised offensive version who isn't nearly as effective. Besides, if you gave up Croshere to get him, you no longer have a solid backup behind Nowitzki. I think Anthony Johnson will give you what you want at the point, and he came at a much lower price than Francis.

As for that two cents, Nelson can put it in the jar with all the suggestions myself and others have given him through the years. He should have enough by now to buy one of his father's vacation properties on Maui.

• • •

Q: Do you expect to see another championship run this year, because there are few teams in NBA history that have done just that. And what is it with your hat? It is the darnedest thing.

Phillip

MOORE: It's too early to say the Mavericks will win the championship – although that won't stop me or anyone else from putting down a team in our preseason predictions – but they will be in the running. You're right, few teams that lose in The Finals make it back the next year, but New Jersey did it not long ago.

I'm not sure what you're talking about with the hat. I don't wear one. Big Ed doesn't either, but his head is so big I can see where you would mistake him for wearing one.

• • •

Q: I want to ask, who is likely to receive the remaining roster spot for the Mavs? And what will happen to Keith Van Horn? Have they officially waived him? And how does Devin Harris look to be taking to the starting point guard spot?

Scott Godfrey, Tasmania, Australia.

MOORE: First off, let me say there will be no lame, Tasmanian Devil jokes here. If you wanted that, you would have sent this during Big Ed's week. Here, in lightening round form, are the answers to your questions.

One: Forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu (George Washington) and guard Jose Barea (Northeastern) will nail down the final two roster spots.

Two: Van Horn won't be back and is free to sign with any team. So far, he hasn't worked out a deal.

Three: Harris has been erratic this preseason. He may open the season as the starting point guard, but don't discount Anthony Johnson.

• • •

Q: Who is replacing Adrian Griffin?

Gloria Everett

MOORE: Greg Buckner and Devean George will fill the role that Griffin played last season. This gives Johnson even more flexibility than he had last season. It also allows him to send defenders at the other team's top shooting guard in waves.

• • •

Q: Every year before the Mavs season starts, you guys print a month-by-month schedule with your win/loss prediction for that month. I have used that schedule as my reference to keep up with the Mavs and it has been very helpful. I have not seen that schedule this year. Did I miss it?

Leo Noriega

MOORE: You didn't miss it. That will run in the sports section next week before the season opens Thursday night against San Antonio.

[kriD]

Mavs one of the 'Sweet Six'

12:44 AM CST on Thursday, November 2, 2006
[By Eddie Sefko / The Dallas Morning News]

Let the season begin.

There is no better time for a basketball fan than the start of the NBA season, because no matter what anybody thinks, they don't know for sure what's going to happen over the next six months before the playoffs start.

OK, that's not entirely true. I know what's going to happen. But I'm sworn to secrecy. I can't even tell D-Moore what's forthcoming because you know he'd blab it everywhere.

What I can tell you is that the Mavericks are one of six teams that have a legitimate chance to win the NBA championship: San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix in the West and Miami, Chicago and Detroit in the East.

Sorry to inform the folks in Cleveland and New Jersey and Houston, but you're either a year too early or too late.

So enjoy the regular season for what it is. There will be great basketball moments and probably some surprises along the way. But it's the best time of the year – at least until the playoffs start.

MAVERICKS Q&A

Q: I love these newsletters. I also love the e-mails where you claim your opinion is entirely objective and unbiased. Do sports reporters really think they are serious journalists? You guys are no less part of the show than the Mavs dancers. So get over yourself, put on your Daisy Dukes and entertain us.

William O.

Sefko: First of all, sir, I don't look half bad in those tightey-whiteys that the Mavs dancers wear. But I absolutely draw the line at putting on a pleated skirt, although D-Moore has been known to dabble.

Hey, we're here to entertain, poke fun and, if possible, inform. But there are times when we actually have to be fair. It's one of those things that our bosses demand – whenever space permits.

•••

Q: Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. Your attempt at humor by bashing D-Moore is boring and getting old. Just stick with the facts. Hearing your opinion will go further with readers, in my humble opinion. This is a mature franchise and we need in-depth analysis about our team, not silly putty.

John D.

Sefko: Hey, you try being professional and going in-depth when you have to work with all the riff-raff around here. I won't name any names.

But your point is well-taken. Just two weeks ago, I went a whole newsletter without tearing into the ample supply of D-Moore rips that are just begging to be written. Our research indicates it was the worst-read newsletter in the long and storied history of newsletters.

Besides, how can I go in-depth when D-Moore came up to me the other day, handed me a wet paper bag and dared me to write my way out of it.

•••

Q: I live about 100 miles south of Dallas and can't come to a lot of games. How many tickets are available for fans like me to order on the phone.

Tom C.

Sefko: The Mavericks hold a few thousand tickets back for individual sales for each game. You can go online at mavs.com and purchase them or do it via the phone at 214-747-MAVS. But if it's a marquee game, call ahead as early as possible.

•••

Q: I'm responding to the incredibly absurd misconception that Jason Terry is not a clutch player. I've heard it said on national shows that he's yet to prove he can come up big in big-time situations. I think he's as clutch as anybody on the Dallas team other than Dirk and possibly Stackhouse. Are they ignorant or do they have a point?

Kyle B.

Sefko: Anybody who saw the Houston series a couple years ago, or has seen Terry drop in game-winning shots against Seattle (twice) would not be questioning his clutch ability.

If you're Avery Johnson, you have no problem whatsoever with Terry taking the shot to win or lose a game – as long as he's got a sliver of an opening.

If he has a half a step of open space, that's all it takes.

However, I would add that you shouldn't hold too much against some of the fringe national "experts." They usually know each team's stars. But keeping up with the strengths of the top four or five players on every team is a tough task.

You should simply trust your local newsletter writers.

•••

Q: I know you guys find this hard to believe, but the city that is always jealous (Houston) is jammed on the talk shows with predictions that the Rockets are a top-five team in the West. What does the dynamic duo think? And by the way, who's Robin?

Dean B.

Sefko: First of all, the Rockets should think of themselves as a top-five team in the West – assuming they are healthy. If Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady are physically fit, that team is at least a 50-win outfit.

But they aren't good enough to win the whole thing.

Secondly, D-Moore is the only one of us who has ever worn tights, so he has to be both Batman and Robin. I'm more of an Incredible Hulk sort of superhero.

•••

Q: Any word on Erick Dampier? Is he ready for the opener and do you think he'll eventually overtake DeSagana Diop for the starting job?

Michael H.

Sefko: Dampier is fine. The hamstring and hip problems seem to be behind him. And as for starting, Avery Johnson said it best this week when he said that Dampier is a starter who comes off the bench.

He will play more minutes than Diop. And he will be on the court when crunch time starts, more often than not. And, most important, he won't be on the court to get those two fouls in the first four minutes of the game.

•••

Q: Any chance of updating the picture of Dirk on the heading of this newsletter? He looks sad or frustrated in the current picture. Plus, it could be bad luck not to change it.

Pedro

Sefko: Sad and frustrated is the way D-Moore goes through life, so it was kind of an honorary picture for him. But we will take it under advisement.

Perhaps we can alternate between sad-and-frustrated Dirk and happy-and-satisfied Dirk. But we'd have to find one of those pictures, first.

And by the way, Pedro, we voted for you.

•••

Q: Is it just me, or did the Big Edster seem a bit more feisty and nastier than usual in his last newsletter? It made me wonder if the Mavs are going to start showing more of the same attitude to try to change their perception of being a soft team. Is Avery Johnson taking any pointers from Big Ed?

Tom W.

Sefko: Funny you should ask. I've been trying to get Avery to realize that I have the plan that can lead this franchise to the promised land. He followed all my suggestions last year except the one about not staying in Miami for seven straight days.

But that was then. This is now. Avery knows his team better than even I do. Personally, I thought all they really needed was me as a towel-waver down at the end of the bench. A minimum-salary guy with no illusions that he's going to take any precious playing time from the heavy lifters can be an invaluable asset. Plus, I've worked as a bodyguard at bars before (just ask Charles Barkley).

Somehow, these advances have been met with no interest by Avery.

•••

Q: What do you think about a starting lineup of Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier or DeSagana Diop and D.J. Mbenga at small forward?

E. Jay

Sefko: I think you'd have a hard time guarding the other team. And Mbenga, for all his athletic skills, has a hard time picking up the offensive and defensive calls at center. At small forward, he would be completely lost on the court.

These days in the NBA, teams are going smaller, not bigger.

If the other team went small, you'd have no chance of stopping their penetrators without fouling.

•••

Q: Am I overreacting when I tell people that the Mavs should be scared of Don Nelson and the Warriors? Didn't they own the Mavs last year?

Mario

Sefko: Yes, they did own the Mavericks, winning three out of four times against the Mavericks, including both games in Dallas.

Nelson would take that right now and forego the entire season series.

Last season was the definition of a bad matchup. The Mavericks had trouble with Jason Richardson every time they played him.

Wouldn't it be interesting if the Mavericks and Warriors ended up meeting in the first round as the Nos. 1 and 8 seeds? I'm betting the Mavericks can think of other matchups they'd rather see.

[kriD]

Double-digit win streaks like Mavs' will be rare

12:34 AM CST on Thursday, November 30, 2006
[By Eddie Sefko / The Dallas Morning News]

At least one of us doing this newsletter likes to go out on limbs. And I'll beat D-Moore to the punch line about how it had better be a real big limb to support me long enough to get a risky prediction out of my mouth.

But there's something about a long-shot proposition that gets the blood boiling, so here it is.

The Mavericks will be one of only two teams this season that string together a double-digit winning streak.

They just beat the Toronto Raptors for their 11th victory in a row, and nobody else has gotten past eight wins so far this season.

Racking up 10 consecutive wins this season is going to be tough for anybody. In the Western Conference, there are too many good teams to bank on a bunch of wins in a row. There's always a San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix or even Utah, Golden State, Clippers or Lakers waiting in the wings with a big-time effort.

And in the Eastern Conference, there just aren't any teams good enough to win that many in a row.

So the Mavericks have already done it. And the guess is that either San Antonio or Phoenix will hit a hot spell and make it to 10 wins. But that's it.

And if I'm wrong, I'm sure the other author of these newsletters will let me know about it.

Eddie Sefko

MAVS Q&A

Q: How come I'm seeing D-Moore on the telecasts on FSN and not you? Since when did you become the Garfunkel to his Simon?

Ronnie, Rockwall

Sefko: Hey, Art Garfunkel did some quality solo stuff. It's just that nobody ever heard it.

It's true. Some of you may have seen D-Moore on the Fox Sports Southwest pregame and postgame shows for Mavericks games.

To you, I would say: get a life.

But there's good news about Moore's TV gig. I don't know how much dough he's getting for it, but whatever it is, maybe it'll help him buy the rest of his new car. Those two seats are tough whenever three of us have to get from practice to Dickey's for lunch.

And, by the way, some of us actually have to work for the newspaper before and after games, which is a key reason why D-Moore is able to throw out his witticisms on television and I'm not. Besides, I don't look near as good in pancake makeup.

•••

Q: Where do you see this win streak ending?

Esther, Dallas

Sefko: Well, now that they've gotten past Toronto to make it 11 straight, the Mavericks will be sitting on 12 in a row after the Sacramento game Friday. That puts them at Washington and New Jersey early next week. They will lose one of those games.

But if they don't, they would return home with 14 wins in a row and a chance to break the franchise record set at the start of the 2002-03 season.

I'll make the bold prediction, however, that the Chicago Bulls' 71-win record for season victories is safe.

•••

Q: Ein Frage (that's German for "a question.") All right, guys, the 2007 draft will be one of the deepest in recent history. What kind of value can the Mavericks get for three second-rounders? Currently, we have our own, Denver's and the Lakers' second-rounders, with no first-round choice. I know it's early, but with the depth of this draft, could they find a steal in the second round?

Jay, Irving

Sefko: Man, I'd like to help you, but I'm just now getting to know Moe Ager, whom the Mavericks got in the last draft.

But I'll take a stab at it anyway. If all the guys like Greg Oden and Kevin Durant that couldn't come out after high school last year decide to enter the draft after their freshman seasons, you are correct, this will be an attractive draft.

But no matter how good a draft is, if you're picking late in the first round or in the second round, you are throwing darts. No guarantees. Maybe you get lucky with a Josh Howard. But maybe you end up with a bust.

I wish I had some names for you, but my best guess is that the Mavericks will try to package one or more of those picks and either move up or move out of the draft.

That said, they will have three free agents next summer – Austin Croshere, DeSagana Diop and Jerry Stackhouse. Not all of them will be back. So there will be some room for incoming talent.

•••

Q: Great to see the Mavericks have righted the ship. My question is: What is Shawn Bradley up to in retirement? Does he attend any games? He was my favorite player. Any plans to honor his career with a Shawn Bradley night?

Kevin

Sefko: It's disturbing on many fronts that Bradley was your favorite player. But to each his own.

Shawn is enjoying retirement and still getting paid by the Mavericks ($4.8 million this year). Bradley was a good dude and a terrific family man. He's enjoying the home life, and there may come a time when he rejoins the Mavericks in some capacity.

As for a Shawn Bradley night, I wouldn't hold your breath. If you start honoring former players who were not stars, you open yourself for all sorts of criticism. Why one player and not another? So it's better just to keep your memories of him.

•••

Q: When are the Mavericks and their superstar going to start showing a ton of swagger? Dirk Nowitzki recently said that ultimately, you have to go through the Spurs to win the West. The Mavs are the defending West champs. They should take a page from Kobe Bryant and show a little arrogance. Make it change.

Craig H.

Sefko: Just because the Mavericks don't beat their chests and announce to the world that they are the team to beat doesn't mean they don't feel that way.

There's an old saying in the NBA that applies only to really good teams: Stay humble and hungry. Outwardly, you should show respect and make sure you are the picture of humility.

But behind the scenes, the killer instinct, that "to heck with them" mentality, has to be evident for teams to be really good. The Mavericks have that. They just don't advertise it all the time.

And by the way, that's the only page I'd take out of any book about Kobe Bryant.

•••

Q: Up until the win over San Antonio, I didn't think the Mavs had been impressive all season. The wins since then have reversed that trend, though. One worry: The Mavs seem to have reverted to relying on the jump shot too much. Those shots fell against the Spurs and Hornets. But history tells us they won't over the long haul. Am I off base?

Rick M.

Sefko: You couldn't be on base any more unless you were Michael Young. And the Mavericks know it, too.

They know they can't rely on their perimeter shooting to get them through difficult times. Rest assured that Avery Johnson has addressed it. It was no coincidence that in the game against Minnesota, the Mavs only had six 3-pointers through three quarters and were winning handily. Then they jacked up seven of them in the final period, missed them all and almost lost the game.

Those messages sink in quickly.

•••

Q: Is DeSagana Diop OK with being the backup center? It seemed like he did a decent job starting last year.

Doug, Garland

Sefko: Remember, Diop was stuck in Cleveland for four years where he never played. So any playing time for him is a blessing.

And let's face it, Erick Dampier is a better player, when he's giving the game its proper attention. Diop can come off the bench and give this team terrific production in the rebounding and shot-blocking departments. Any scoring he does is a bonus.

Just be thankful the Mavericks finally appear to have something other than a black hole in the center position.

•••

Q: I noticed you had the Mavericks winning 57 games this season in your preseason evaluation. I'm wondering after the first month if that prediction has changed.

Sefko: If you also noticed in that prediction, I had the Mavericks going 11-4 in November. I'd say I nailed that one pretty good, even though I didn't expect them to be 0-4 after the first week.

I'll stick with 57 wins as the total. It's going to be hard to avoid the occasional 6-4 stretch over 10 games in the Western Conference. There's just too many talented teams and too many potholes to navigate.

But I'll also say that 57 wins will win the Southwest Division.

[V2M]

Originally Posted by kriD

[B][SIZE="3"]
Eddie Sefko

[B]MAVS Q&A


Q: Where do you see this win streak ending?

Esther, Dallas

Sefko: Well, now that they've gotten past Toronto to make it 11 straight, the Mavericks will be sitting on 12 in a row after the Sacramento game Friday. That puts them at Washington and New Jersey early next week. They will lose one of those games.

But if they don't, they would return home with 14 wins in a row and a chance to break the franchise record set at the start of the 2002-03 season.

I'll make the bold prediction, however, that the Chicago Bulls' 71-win record for season victories is safe.

•••

Bulls had a 72 win season in 95-96...

[EricaLubarsky]

Shhhh V2M

[V2M]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Shhhh V2M

oh.. ok, my bad!

[kriD]

Difficult tests await Mavs

06:51 PM CST on Wednesday, December 6, 2006
[By David Moore / The Dallas Morning News]

Some have questioned the legitimacy of the Mavericks recent 12-game winning streak, as if any streak that long could be illegitimate.

Well, for those who want a more accurate gauge of where the team stands in the second month of the season, you're about to get it.

The Mavericks face three division leaders and one of the hottest teams in the league over the next seven days. The order: Detroit, Denver, Utah and the Los Angeles Lakers. The combined record of those teams is 48-21.

A split in those games wouldn't be bad. If the Mavericks manage to go 3-1 or win all four games and you're still not convinced, well, I doubt if you'll be satisfied with anything but the championship.

The only satisfaction you can take is that the players and coach Avery Johnson feel the same way.

One last note: I believe the first question in last week's newsletter was a plant. From what I can tell, Big Ed only has one friend in Rockwall – not counting the people who work in bars and serve drinks – and his name is Ronnie.

Trying to poke fun at my work on the pre and postgame shows for Fox Sports Net Southwest is an obvious Big Ed ploy. As for the crack about pancake makeup, you might want to try it yourself, big fella. You're looking a little pasty.

David Moore

MAVERICKS Q&A

Q: Can you get Mark Cuban to replace the two of you with me to write your newsletter? My questions make your newsletter without fail when I choose to write in. Give me a shot at it. What other Mavs fan has 1987-88 Bouncing Back Mavs video memorized besides me?

Ryan Kahn

MOORE: First of all, your premise is wrong. If Mark Cuban had anything to do with this newsletter, do you really think he'd let either one of us write for it? I'm guessing Tariq Abdul-Wahad would get a shot ahead of us.

Personally, I wouldn't mind sharing the newsletter with you. Here's the test: If you aren't afraid to use a word with more than two syllables and are at least mildly amusing, you're infinitely more qualified to do this letter than Big Ed. If you answered yes to both of those questions, congratulations, you're in.

By the way, try to get next week's letter to our editors earlier than I did this one.

•••

Q: Please evaluate Anthony Johnson's play thus far. It seems to me that he has been pretty solid defensively, but his offensive game has really struggled.

Ryan Kahn

MOORE: I was going to save this question for next week so you could answer yourself, but I didn't want to put you under that kind of pressure.

Anthony Johnson has been very solid defensively. I would agree that he's struggled from the field – it's hard to say otherwise when he's shooting 37.2 percent – but he's doing an outstanding job of running the offense and distributing the ball. He serves a valuable role right now even if his shot doesn't come around. When it does, he will be even more effective.

•••

Q: Regarding the loss to the Wizards on Monday, why aren't the Mavericks pounding the ball inside, which they are capable of doing, instead of settling for outside jumpers when it's obvious they didn't have their offensive touch that night? Also, what do you think of the Magic? I know it's early, but they're not getting a lot of love from the media.

Marie Malazarts, Mavs fan in Orlando

MOORE: You're right. When this team struggles offensively it tends to settle for the jumper rather than attack the basket. When it doesn't get an easy basket off its transition offense and can't attack the rim quickly in its half-court set, a 3-pointer often follows. But give opposing defenses credit. They will zone Dirk Nowitzki or just play a zone, period, to make it more difficult to find a lane to the basket and force the Mavericks to shoot jumpers.

As for the Magic, I'm sold. I doubt if Orlando can maintain its current pace for the rest of the season – that would result in 60 wins – but I do think 55 wins is a realistic number. The team is committed to defense, strong on the boards and has a rising star in Dwight Howard. That combination guarantees success.

•••

Q: I understand the natural tendency is to take the foot off the accelerator some when a team looks up and sees they have a double-digit lead. But how much can you attribute teams getting back into games recently to the Mavs newcomers still getting used to their new surrounding and new teammates? After all, they make up most of the second team. I ask because I believe they are good players whose only obstacle is learning to work with each other.

Chris Baecker

MOORE: I would list the answers in the order of your questions. I think human nature plays the biggest part. It's hard to have a sense of urgency when you open up a 15-point lead in the first quarter, which the Mavericks have been doing a lot of in recent weeks. There are times when you can see the Mavericks rotation hasn't quite jelled yet because it has so many new players. But on most nights, the Mavericks bench is producing more than its counterparts in all facets of the game. In March and April, this bench should really be something to watch.

•••

Q: After seeing the movie Casino Royale, I've determined that D-Moore looks a lot like the main villain. Coincidence? Can Cuban invent a device for Avery to wirelessly shock the Mavs shooters when they take a dumb jump shot instead of driving to the basket?

David Snitzer, Plano

MOORE: Which main villain? The one who got stabbed, the one who got shot in the head or the one who wound up as two after 007 severed their relationship?

I like the shock idea. I'll pass that along to Cuban's research and development department. For now, we'll just have to settle for Cuban shocking David Stern every time the commissioner opens his mouth.

•••

Q: I sometimes wonder, say five or six years from now, who will be carrying the scoring load Dirk is carrying for the Mavs right now? Looking at the roster, most Mavs will be either retired or close by that time. Dirk and Jason Terry will be 33 or older and playing veterans minutes. I don't see Josh Howard, Devin Harris or DeSagana Diop carrying 25-plus points per game or the Mavs trading for a top lottery pick or a big name.

Victor, Hong Kong/Ohio State

MOORE: Good question. I'm sure the Mavericks front office is wondering the same thing. But since five years is a generation in this sport, there's no way to address the issue right now. All the Mavericks can do is enjoy what's going on and do their best to surround Nowitzki with complementary talent, which they've done.

But two to three years from now, you can be sure the club will begin to position itself financially and in terms of personnel to address the inevitable decline or departure of its best player.

•••

Q: Why does the league ban leggings (and standing up to cheer your teammates during a game) but allow Mike Miller to wear that woman's headband? I could not get over how ridiculous he looked. I am still mad about reading that the league office telling the Mavs during halftime in San Antonio to sit down and quit blocking the view of the high-priced seats behind the bench. And in the same vein, why is it OK for Steve Nash to lay down on the floor when he's not on the court, but it's not OK for a Mavericks player to sit on the floor next to the bench? It seems to me that somebody is either just a little to nit-picky or doesn't have enough to do if that's all they have to worry about.

Betty Cole

MOORE: I'd go with the nit-pick angle. I understand – that does not mean I agree – the league's desire to present a more uniform appearance. That's why the leggings are out. Teams are still allowed to decide whether or not to let their players wear headbands, but I'm betting the league will assert itself in that area as well down the road.

The problem is there will always be an element of hypocrisy in enforcement. You brought it up yourself. I'd argue Nash is allowed to lay on the floor and stretch when he comes off the court because he has had back problems and is trying to stay loose. I'd argue the Mavericks get a call to tell them to get one of their reserves off the floor and on the bench because it looks unprofessional.

Fine. But trying to tell players to stifle their emotions and show no support for their teammates by sitting on the bench all game is one in a growing number of ways this league is getting it all backwards. True team spirit and emotion should be encouraged, not discouraged because it temporarily affects someone's sight lines. Sure, people pay big money for those seats. They're paying for the total experience that comes with being so close to the court. The nature of their proximity means their view will be obstructed at times. That doesn't mean the league should begin to legislate the emotion of its players.

And don't worry. The next time Memphis is in town, I'll pass along your message to Miller.

•••

Q: I recently went to see Santa Claus and told him that all I want for Christmas is the Mavericks to trade for Kevin Garnett. He told me that one of the elves said Cuban was working on a deal that would send Maurice Ager, Anthony Johnson, Mavs Man, the ghost of Shawn Bradley and a lock of Cuban's hair to the T-Wolves for Garnett and a second-round pick in the 2065 draft. Any truth to this? But seriously, why do fans keep believing or wanting Garnett to come to the Mavs? I think the team is managing without him.

Nick in Plano

MOORE: You have good sources. The only thing I'm working on now is if the hair comes from Cuban's head or his expanding goatee.

I'm with you on this. I don't understand why some fans have fixated on acquiring Garnett. I guess leading his team past the first round of the playoffs once in his career is enough to convince them that he's the answer.

•••

Q: During the NBA Finals last spring, it appeared some of you media guys were placed where there had been regular seats during the season. What happens if someone, somewhere arbitrarily decides that my section is where the media will sit? Do us fans get other seats, do we get some say in where we are relocated or do we just get the chance to test our cable connection at home?

Lawrence Barron, Grand Prairie

MOORE: Don't worry, I won't be taking your seat. But Big Ed might. Of course, that's assuming you have two seats. I don't think one is enough for Big Ed these days.

You are right. The media crush is so great during The Finals that the league converts a section designated for the fans during the season and turns it over to the media. But if you're a season-ticket holder you won't be tossed out in the cold – although I don't think cold is really an issue in June. Any fans that are displaced by the media during The Finals are relocated in comparable seats. The Mavericks have enough flexibility in their seating arrangement to make that happen.

[mary]

MOORE: I was going to save this question for next week so you could answer yourself, but I didn't want to put you under that kind of pressure.

Anthony Johnson has been very solid defensively. I would agree that he's struggled from the field – it's hard to say otherwise when he's shooting 37.2 percent – but he's doing an outstanding job of running the offense and distributing the ball. He serves a valuable role right now even if his shot doesn't come around. When it does, he will be even more effective.

Its an obvious point, but I'm glad he made it.

Edit: Look for this post to be followed up by plenty of "Moore is a moron" comments.

[V2M]

'Outstanding' is far too good a description to use on anything that AJ2 has done thus far!

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by mary

Its an obvious point, but I'm glad he made it.

Edit: Look for this post to be followed up by plenty of "Moore is a moron" comments.

Respect.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Its an obvious point, but I'm glad he made it.

Edit: Look for this post to be followed up by plenty of "Moore is a moron" comments.

If you remove the first four games from AJSpare's (in which the Mavs went 0-4 btw)... here are his numbers:

33% FG
11% 3P
4 PPG
3.6 APG
2 RPG

Man. I guess that is "outstanding." Averaging 4 points on that crappy shooting in 20 minutes of game time. And 4 assists. Wow. That's outstanding? That's not outstanding. That's the greatest backup point guard producttion in the histoory of western civilization.

[mary]

Perhaps if AJ were a primary offensive option, or taking lots of shots, I might somehow worry about him being a crappy shooter a bit more. I think Avery expects him to run the half-court offense and get the ball into the hands of the right person, at the right time. On defense, I think he's more than holding his own, but I'm going to start paying more attention to defensive possessions when AJ2's on the floor.

Coming out of last year, passing and perimeter defense were areas that the team struggled in, and I think that's what they had in mind when they brought Anthony Johnson in. I don't believe for a second that they brought him in thinking he was going to bring alot of scoring. That being said, I expect AJ2's shooting percentage to improve.

If you're waiting for AJ to fill up a box score before you're convinced he's doing his job, then we don't have much to talk about.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Perhaps if AJ were a primary offensive option, or taking lots of shots, I might somehow worry about him being a crappy shooter a bit more.

If you're waiting for AJ to fill up a box score before you're convinced he's doing his job, then we don't have much to talk about.

I don't want him to fill up the boxscore. I want him to not stall the offense. I want him to be able to shoot a little better. I want him to push the ball. I want him to **move**.

And he does NONE of those things.

[mary]

Originally Posted by Locked_Up_Tonight

I don't want him to fill up the boxscore. I want him to not stall the offense. I want him to be able to shoot a little better. I want him to push the ball. I want him to **move**.

And he does NONE of those things.

I want him to shoot a little bit better too. I think he will. He wasn't this bad his last two years in Indiana.

I still disagree about him stalling the offense. Its just different. He's not going to push the ball. He's going to walk it up the court and Avery's going to give them a play to run in half-court.

Last year, Marquis Daniels was probably the best half-court passer on the team. That should tell you something.

They're not going to push the ball on every single possession. And when they don't, I rather see AJ2 distributing the ball on a screen-roll play, or dishing it down to Dampier in the lane....than watch Stackhouse dribble the ball for twenty seconds and take an ill-advised, contested shot with time expiring on the shot clock.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

They're not going to push the ball on every single possession. And when they don't, I rather see AJ2 distributing the ball on a screen-roll play, or dishing it down to Dampier in the lane....than watch Stackhouse dribble the ball for twenty seconds and take an ill-advised, contested shot with time expiring on the shot clock.

In 14 games, Anthony Johnson playing 20 minutes a game has averaged 1 free throw attempt a game. That's pretty sad. He rarely gets into the lane. He rarely draws a foul. Part of that is because he stalls the offense. Part of that is because he doesn't push the ball. He'd rather dribble the ball around the perimeter and never get anywhere then maybe push the ball to the teeth of the d. It's the same when the Mavs give him an outlet pass too. He rarely pushes the ball into the open court towards the basket maybe drawing a foul. He walks it up and then sets up the o. Which is fine, if you want to be the Indiana Pacers of last year who had trouble scoring in an open gym.

But when you have to play Miami or Sa in the playoffs, you push the damn ball and get into the lane. He does neither. He will never do those things. He never has.... even when he was with NJ.

But comparing him to Stack? Is that truly a compliement? Stack shoots illadvised shots. But he is also shooting better than AJSpare. And his passing is not that far off from AJSpare. In 7 less minutes since the winning streak occurred... Stack is averaging .8 less assists.

So don't try to praise AJSpare's passing so much when he isn't just passing a lot better than Stack.

[mary]

But when you have to play Miami or Sa in the playoffs, you push the damn ball and get into the lane. He does neither. He will never do those things. He never has.... even when he was with NJ.

In the short eight minutes that I watched him during the last game, he did it twice. On every other play he was involved in, he got the ball to the open shooter. In fact, during the 3rd/4th quarter, the only possession that ended badly with AJ2 initiating the offense, was when AJ2 drove into the lane (wait....I thought he never does that..), dished the ball to Damp, and Damp committed an offensive foul because Wright established position on him.

A few other players ended in Drk and Stack missing wide open looks.

That is not stalling the offense.

Playoffs? Whose talking about playoffs?

I'm talking about AJ providing some quality back up minutes during the regular season. During the playoffs, I've got no problem with tightening the rotation a bit...but I expect AJ2 will still get minutes.

[kriD]

Mavs have cleared early-season hurdle

05:45 PM CST on Wednesday, December 27, 2006

The Mavericks are into the second trimester of the season and, accordingly, their win total is starting to look a little bloated.

They have the best record in the league, at least until Phoenix comes in Thursday night for a game that I predict will end the Mavs' winning streak.

But the key now is that the Mavericks have gotten past a potentially problematic early portion of the season.

Admit it. When they were 0-4, you thought there was a chance that this team might have been content to make its one trip to the NBA Finals, get beat and blend back into the wallpaper.

I thought the same thing was possible. NBA coaches will tell you that it's always a short trip between being really good and losing all faith in a system and having things go haywire. They made it past that crossroads.

Now, it's a matter of taking care of business during the meat of the season, which they have become very good at doing.

Eddie Sefko

MAVERICKS Q&A

Q: OK, I will admit I wasn't man enough to bring this up when they won 12 in a row. But now I have grown some genuine NBA leather … uh, well, you get the idea. And I have two problems with this team. One, Devin Harris can't play. He's a point guard who can neither dribble nor shoot. I think Moe Ager will be a better alternative by the end of the season.

Second, Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki seem to have a problem with each other. It's either a personality conflict or, as I suspect, Howard wants to be "the man." He rarely makes eye contact with Dirk and even more rarely passes the ball to him late on the shot clock. Maybe we can trade Howard and Harris for Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams. Am I right?

Dean B.

SEFKO: You had me right up until the trade for Boozer and Williams. First of all, Utah would never do that deal. Deron Williams might end up being an All-Star point guard for years. Not sure you can say that about Harris. And Boozer finally has his act together.

As for your concerns, Harris is doing a solid job as a functional starter on a team that is on pace to win 60-plus games. Hard to find fault with that. He even makes a shot once in a while. Is he a pure point guard? No. But he's not a bad bus driver for a team that has plenty of score-first passengers.

In regard to Dirk and Howard, I would contend that it's not a bad thing to have more than one guy who wants to be "the man." Howard has played like it lately and that's not a bad thing. Everybody on this team knows that when it gets to the nitty-gritty, Nowitzki is going to get the chance to make plays.

And it's a lot easier for Howard or anybody else to try to be studly in Game 28 or 38 than it is Game 7 of a playoff series. Just be glad Nowitzki is getting some legitimate help during the grind of the season.

• • •

Q: I read somewhere that the Mavericks are searching for a shooter. Any truth?

SEFKO: Of course there is. Every good team is always looking for another shooter because there aren't enough good ones in the league to go around. San Antonio is looking for help, too. And Miami, for that matter.

There's nothing wrong with keeping your eyes and ears open for a player who can help you. But the Mavericks are not shopping any of their players at the moment, as best I can tell.

• • •

Q: Why didn't the Mavericks trade Stackhouse, Harris and Croshere for Iverson?

Rob, Plano, Texas

SEFKO: Because they have brains. While people like D-Moore might actually think it would be a fun experiment to get Allen Iverson into a Mavericks' uniform alongside Dirk and Howard, this team is too far advanced to be wasting time with experiments.

And there's a reason why Iverson has made so many teammates mad in the past. He wants to score and be the superstar. That's Dirk's job on this team.

• • •

Q: When we don't get production from our backcourt, we lose. It really looks as simple as that. In the seven losses, the starters in the backcourt have averaged 18 points and shot 34 percent. We won the West last year, but it was real close. And the other teams look a lot stronger this year. Any thoughts?

Michael B.

SEFKO: My thought is we need you on our research team at the office to do charts and graphics. M.B. did a thorough chart along with his question chronicling the starting guards in the losses. Very impressive.

But what this also points out is that the guards have been pretty solid in 21 of 28 games (75 percent). And if you get that kind of consistency, you win 60 games, get the first or second seed and love life deep into the playoffs.

This team is deep and can withstand off nights by certain players. Detroit has the same luxury when Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace go south for games at a time. San Antonio has two starters that nobody even has to guard except maybe on the 3-point line (Bowen and the center du jour).

• • •

Q: Eddie, you're looking pretty slim lately. It's nice for a maybe-aspiring sports journalist to see that it's possible to stay in such great shape. For some reason, the Mavericks don't look right. The defense is back to average. Stack is settling too much. Jet won't drive. Even Devin doesn't seem like he wants to get laid out at the rim anymore. Will it come together soon?

SEFKO: Thanks for those kind words. You know, the longer I stand next to D-Moore, the thinner I look.

Actually, this being the season of good cheer, I have to say something nice about my partner, so I will:

He has better-looking friends than I do.

And have patience. The Mavericks are rounding into a better form. Either that or they are becoming like most other championship teams: a bit boring.

• • •

Q: What's up with Marquis Daniels in Indy? It's like he's a non-event. And is Big Ed big because he's big, or because D-Moore is small?

John, Clearwater, Fla.

SEFKO: Most important, I am big. And I mean big, in every sense of the word. My stature is irrefutable. And that's all I'll say about that since I'm trying to be nice during the Christmas season.

As for Daniels, he was a non-event here during his last season because he was a square peg that didn't fit into Avery Johnson's round holes.

Wait, that didn't sound right.

Just suffice it that Daniels is the kind of player who doesn't fit into any single position and doesn't play well enough at any single area to be consistent for his team. I like his game. Always did.

And if he's your sixth or seventh man, you might be a pretty good team.

• • •

Q: When Dirk gets hurt and does not finish a game, which happened in Seattle last week, does that game count against his averages? I realize this question involves math, so I'm not sure either of you are qualified to answer.

Randy, Spicewood, Texas

SEFKO: Hey, I scored higher in math on my SAT than I did on verbal, which is probably why I never win any writing awards.

When any player gets into the box score, even if it's just for a few seconds at the end of the game, that counts as a game played. An old joke in the NBA is about guys who had 100 trillion.

That would be 1 minute played, followed by 14 zeroes for what they accumulated in each statistical category on the final box. This is what is known as an average-killer.

• • •

Q: Why have the Mavs been listed fourth in the standings when they have the third-best record? I thought they fixed that this year.

Charles A., Gainesville, Texas

SEFKO: We did. There were a few weeks when we had not updated our standings in the paper to reflect the new seeding process. It since has been corrected and, if things proceed as they are now, the Mavs and Spurs will finish 1-2 but won't have to worry about meeting until the conference finals.

• • •

Q: Can you explain how player minutes are calculated? How is it broken down when partial minutes are played?

Sam M.

SEFKO: If a player plays 1 second, he gets credit for a full minute in the box score that you see in some newspapers. The DMN, like many other papers, now carries the box scores with minutes and seconds under the playing time category. That's really the only way to make it add up to 240 minutes for a regulation game. If you have three guys come in for the final 40 seconds of the game, they all three would get 1 minute under the old system, even though they only combined for 2 minutes of playing time.

I'm sorry that's so confusing. I don't even understand what I just wrote. So I'll pass that question on to D-Moore next week for some clarification.

[mary]

Second, Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki seem to have a problem with each other. It's either a personality conflict or, as I suspect, Howard wants to be "the man." He rarely makes eye contact with Dirk and even more rarely passes the ball to him late on the shot clock. Maybe we can trade Howard and Harris for Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams. Am I right?

Dean B.

???

[raefformvp]

Originally Posted by mary

???

my thoughts exactly. there are some sports idiots out there. and the moore and sefko schtick is getting quite tiresome. just answer the damn questions.

[stuportremens]

Originally Posted by raefformvp

my thoughts exactly. there are some sports idiots out there. and the moore and sefko schtick is getting quite tiresome. just answer the damn questions.

Yeah, this irks me, too. I find it curious that he didn't answer this question and wonder if he intentionally avoided providing an answer - especially because it would've been easy to point to the recent statements of Howard (calling Dirk the leader etc.) and Dirk (complimenting Howards play after the last game) and say everything's alright.

Makes you wonder if there actually is / was some tension between the two.

[kriD]

Anthony Johnson should stay a Maverick

01:22 AM CST on Thursday, January 11, 2007

Do not trade Anthony Johnson.

There. I said it.

This is a good player and a good teammate. Just because he's expendable right now doesn't mean you should try to fleece somebody out of a power forward or a shooter who may or may not help you and who may or may not fit in as well as Johnson has in the locker room.

Experience has proven that a good player at one position, even if he's not playing much right now, is more important than an unknown commodity at another position. And that's all you'd be getting if you tried to find another Keith Van Horn or Calvin Booth or somebody else who you think might be a better option at backup power forward than Austin Croshere.

And besides, as soon as there's a trade, you just know either Jason Terry or Devin Harris would get injured, and all of the sudden you'd have Jose Juan Barea as your backup point guard.

He's a good young prospect. But not who you want playing significant minutes on a championship caliber team.

Another consideration: Why tinker with a team when it has the best record in the league? If things had continued to plod along after the 0-4 start, everybody would be clamoring for a change. But this team is too good to mess with.

I'm hoping the Mavericks will agree with this line of thinking.

Eddie Sefko

MAVERICKS Q&A

Q: When will Avery Johnson learn that the regular season means nothing? I think it's about time he gave Dirk and the other starters some decent rest and played the youngsters. They can beat a lot of teams even playing the deep reserves. What do you say?

Prasheel C.

SEFKO: I know what Avery would say and that's that you aren't giving the NBA enough respect. There's a reason why deep reserves are deep reserves. They can't stay on the court for long with the good players in the league or even the fifth, sixth and seventh men on most teams.

Johnson knows that this is the kind of team that can't prove anything until the playoffs. But that doesn't mean the regular season is meaningless. He often talks about a process in which you can't skip steps. There are steps that have to be addressed in January and February that will pay dividends in April.

And, while the Mavericks know they can win road games in the playoffs, it's not like they aren't playing for something. Having home court in the playoffs is a nice advantage and makes those early rounds much less taxing.

• • •

Q: This is not about the Mavericks, but I'd be interested in your opinion about Larry Brown. It wasn't like he was John Wooden or Pat Riley winning championships. Does anybody else wish he'd just go away? He's starting to get creepy, always lurking around for any potential opening.

Barbara K., Flower Mound

SEFKO: First of all, Larry Brown is well known as an X's and O's genius. He knows how to run a team and manage a game.

Second, you're right. It is a little creepy the way he hovers around the league and seemingly availing himself to every potential job opening.

Now, he's in Philadelphia and he's just a seat or two away for taking over for Maurice Cheeks, who deserves better but probably won't get it.

Brown is a lifer. He's going to stay in the league as long as he can. I wouldn't expect anything else.

• • •

Q: When will you and the other sports writers at the DMN stop trying to make Dampier look good in the press? With the exception of two or three games, he has had negative results to the bottom line. A.J. and others made a major mistake in bring in a $60M player who can't catch the ball, does not have a shot (except a dunk) and can't play defense. The best thing you could do to help the Mavs win the NBA this year would be to outline how really bad Dampier plays, compared to the opposing center, and push really hard for a trade or release and sign a new player.

Mack M.

SEFKO: There's no way they can get rid of Dampier. He's owed too much money. But unlike you, I don't think he's been as bad as all that this season. Hey, even D-Moore has good days, although not recently.

Dampier sets the best pick on the team in the high screen-and-roll, which is the team's bread-and-butter play. I know you don't need a $60-million pick-setter. But that's the breaks. Sometimes you overpay for a player and sometimes you get a bargain (like Diop or Howard).

He had a pretty nice block of a shot at Utah on Tuesday night to preserve the victory. Those kinds of plays are important and justify a player's existence.

And he's catching the ball much better this year. How many centers are better than him? Yao, Camby, Shaq, Eddy Curry, Ben Wallace and Amare Stoudemire, if you want to include him as a center.

OK, I'll give you those. But if you size him up against the Krstics, Pryzbillas and Nesterovics of the world (and there are a lot of those), Dampier is better.

The bottom line is that there are no perfect teams. Don't you think San Antonio would like to have a legitimate small forward or center instead of a sometimes cheap-shot defender who can't do anything offensively except make one out of every four 3-pointers and Francisco Elson?

• • •

Q: Oh great and mighty one, can you explain how player minutes are calculated when partial minutes are played?

Sam M.

SEFKO: Some box scores are printed with the actual minutes and seconds broken down. Sometimes you'll see them with just the minutes and no total, which is 240 minutes for a non-overtime game.

Most newspapers and some online services use minutes rounded up or down to the nearest minute. Sometimes, they don't add up to 240, but the player minutes are always within 30 seconds of the actual time that was spent on the court.

If a newspaper doesn't run minutes and seconds, it's likely because of space considerations. Every spec of space in the paper is important these days.

• • •

Q: I recently saw a rumor that the Mavericks would be getting Earl Boykins and Eduardo Najera for Austin Croshere. Could you see this or any other trade happening before the deadline?

Zach C.

SEFKO: As much as I like Boykins and Najera, I don't see why the Nuggets would do such a deal. Both players have as much or more value than Croshere, other than his expiring contract. But Denver is in a win-now mode. The Nuggets won't do anything until Carmelo Anthony gets back from suspension later this month.

If the Mavericks continue to win at an 80-percent clip, why in the world would they tinker with what is an obviously solid team with good chemistry? That's a nirvana that isn't often reached in any sport.

• • •

Q: Did I read recently that Josh Howard had a game with zero rebounds? I noticed his rebounds are a shade below last year and his career number. Could that be the result of him shooting more and subsequently (that means happening after something else, if D-Moore is writing the newsletter) not being around the basket?

Also, what's the rule on jump balls and the shot clock? I thought I saw a jump ball in the Kings game where the Mavs had only one second on the shot clock, but when they retained possession, it was reset to five seconds.

Chris B.

SEFKO: Last month against the Lakers, Howard indeed did play 42 minutes without a rebound. Amazing for an athletic 6-7 player.

It should be noted, however, that he has averaged more than eight rebounds a game since then. His season average is up to right at seven boards per game. That's more than his previous career high for a season, 6-4 per game in 2004-05.

As for the jump ball/shot clock snafu, I don't remember that happening, but if it did, it's a mistake. When a held ball is called, the shot clock is supposed to remain where it is when play was stopped. If the defending team gets the jump ball, it goes to 24 seconds. If the offensive team remains in possession, the clock starts from wherever it stopped.

• • •

Q: How would you rate Erick Dampier's chances for most improved player thus far?

Ryan K.

SEFKO: For a minute, I thought this was Mrs. Dampier with an e-question.

I'll be the first to admit I'm one of the Maverick center's biggest backers. He does a lot of dirty work on the court that goes unnoticed, except by the coaching staff and his teammates.

But even I can't make the argument that he should be most improved. Kevin Martin in Sacramento might have that honor already wrapped up. If not him, then Luke Walton or maybe Jose Calderon or somebody else I might be forgetting.

Dampier is doing what he does. But eight points and eight rebounds is nowhere near his best season and only marginally improved over last year.

• • •

Q: I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Mark Cuban. Dirk was right last year that Cuban went over the line more than once in the playoffs, but isn't there some middle ground for him? Can't he still be part of the show without all the histrionics? Or has David Stern University finally worn him down?

Kirby H., Weatherford.

SEFKO: The one thing I miss about the toned-down Cuban is his wit. He's a funny dude who thinks quickly on his feet. He's great for a beat reporter because he can throw out a cute one-liner that reads well in the paper.

But remember, this is just January. I think you'll see a few more Cubanisms as the season gets closer to the playoffs. And it'll be very interesting to see how he conducts himself when the stakes rise in the playoffs.

[Flacolaco]

lol "Cubanisms"

I hope Cuban doesn't read this. He doesn't need any encouragement