Isn't it about time to show some love to Avery Johnson? - Page 2 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

MFFL · 02-01-2006, 10:22 PM

Avery has won coach of the month 3 of the 4 months that he's been the head man.

First time in Mavs HISTORY that we've held 10 straight opponents under 100 points.

Thespiralgoeson · 02-01-2006, 11:40 PM

Any chance AJ beats Flip for coach of the year?

dude1394 · 02-01-2006, 11:42 PM

keep winning.

Drbio · 02-01-2006, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Any chance AJ beats Flip for coach of the year?

With the anti mavs bias it will take a conference championship.

MFFL · 02-02-2006, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Any chance AJ beats Flip for coach of the year?

We'll have to have a better record than Detriot. They had too much drama there. Brown quitting, Flip replacing, the chase for 70 wins, the dominance of the East - all that makes Flip the odds-on favorite. AJ's only chance is if the Mavs make up the 4 game difference.

jleefilled · 02-13-2006, 11:56 PM

'Little General' commands respect in Dallas
Perdue
By Will Perdue
ESPN Insider
click this

When I played with Mavericks coach Avery Johnson in San Antonio, there was no doubt was the leader of our team was. We called him the "Little General" for a reason. You could see back then that this guy was going to be a coach. I use to love watching Avery get in David Robinson's face and explain in no uncertain terms, "We need you, 5-0." Avery was ornery, but that was because he knew what he wanted and he had a vision of how it needed to be done. I can image that things are no different now.

You want to talk about a desire to succeed; this cat willed himself to be an NBA player. Avery went undrafted and started his career in the USBL in 1988. He then bounced around the NBA in Seattle, San Antonio, Denver, Houston -- the list goes on. He definitely rented everywhere he played, but he would not let the league get the best of him. He eventually won the battle by helping San Antonio win the championship in 1999. I realized just how passionate Avery was about winning when -- on a fast break, mind you -- he stepped in front of Shaq and took a charge. He was risking life and limb for his teammates.

He's already won three Western Conference Coach of the Month awards. In his first full year of coaching, he's clearly a leading candidate for Coach of the Year honors, and set to direct the West squad in Sunday's All-Star Game.

His team is neck-and-neck with San Antonio for the West's best record, using a recent 13-game win streak to boost its mark to 40-11 after Monday's 100-72 win over the Knicks.

As you look at teams out West, it's Johnson's Mavs who seem to be the team that has the best chance of challenging the Spurs for the Western Conference title. I know what you're thinking: "What about Phoenix when they get Amare Stoudemire back?" Do we really know how well Amare will be able to play when he returns? That leads me back to the Mavericks.

We know by looking at the Mavs' roster (Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels and Devin Harris, to name a few) that they can score. This is a team that, over the past six seasons, has finished no worse than fourth in the NBA in scoring. So if they do not have a problem scoring, they obviously need to work on their defense. This is true, but I think Johnson has helped them work on some things that you will not find in the box scores. This team has improved its standing in levels of leadership, desire and belief.

Johnson was the man for this job. Who better to help this team improve important intangible factors than the head coach? I can tell you from personal experience that this guy oozes those qualities from his pores.

Finally, if Avery didn't believe in himself, who would have? He is a perfect example of what can be accomplished if you put your mind to it. I know he helped me become a better player. I think Mark Cuban realized the possibilities when he promoted Avery to head coach toward the end of last season. It's amazing how things go full circle. Avery is looked upon as the "Little General" once again.

ESPN Insider Will Perdue, who is on the call for this weekend's All-Star Game coverage on ESPN Radio, played 13 seasons in the NBA, including four in San Antonio (1995-'99)

birdsanctuary · 02-13-2006, 11:59 PM

Nice Avery....Nice

G-Man · 02-14-2006, 02:37 AM

AJ should be one of the big stories this All-Star weekend. Flip stepped into a proven championship team and just opened up the offense a little bit. AJ took a team with a horrible reputation on defense, and changed the mindset, the style, the offense, everything. He also got the entire team to buy into his vision. He's juggled his starting lineup, and is winning with 2 starters who the league saw as worthless scrubs until the moment Avery started coaching them. He's getting solid production out of Dampier, and he's so far sucessfully managing minutes on a team that has too many players good enough to play. Just about everything thats hard for a coach to do, he's doing.

Compare that to the job the great Phil Jackson is doing with SuperKobe. He's teaching the guys Kobe ignores how to whine. How about the great Pat Riley, struggling with just 2 all-stars? Unlike Phil, he does have the class to give AJ his props. Only Phoenix is getting similar results from good coaching, but I don't think Nash will get the credit, even though he may be more the coach than D'Antoni.

It will be interesting to see how much publicity he, and the Mavs get during All Star weekend. It will also be fun to see how the all-stars, who've allplayed against him, react to his coaching style. Kobe will crap when AJ sits him for hogging the ball.

MFFL · 03-05-2006, 01:07 AM

This will come as zero consolation after Thursday's loss at San Antonio, but Avery Johnson needs only two victories in his next seven games to record the best 82-game record ever to start an NBA coaching career.

Dallas' Lil' General is 61-14 in the regular season. Paul Westphal went 62-20 in his debut season with the Suns to set the record.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailyd...dime-060303-04

kriD · 03-05-2006, 06:25 AM

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH ... MIKE BREEN

Digging Avery and the Mavs

By DAVID MARTINDALE
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

Mike Breen -- the play-by-play announcer whom ABC calls its new "Voice of the NBA" -- is an Avery Johnson fan.

He liked Johnson as a player and loves him as the Mavericks' head coach.

"When you talk to his players, they rave about this man -- and not necessarily on how he teaches to defend the pick and roll," Breen said. "They're talking about how he helps them in life. Jason Terry says he's never had a relationship with a coach like he's had with Avery Johnson.

"And anybody who spends five minutes with him understands what people are saying. He's one of the more impressive people you're going to meet in sports."

Breen is at American Airlines Center for the telecast of the Suns-Mavs game at 2:30 p.m. today on WFAA/Ch. 8.

Do you think Johnson, as good a player as he was, has found his true niche as a coach? That's an interesting point. He had a great career as a player, even though he never played on an All-Star team. He had a huge impact on teammates. But he might have more of an impact as a leader in the head coaching spot.

In your opinion, what's the best change Johnson has made so far? This is no knock against [former Mavs coach] Don Nelson, who's a brilliant coach and one of the all-time greats. But Avery has his own style and you could see the change in the team last year toward starting to have a defensive mind-set.

And you believe that will get the Mavs to the next level? As talented as they were offensively all those years, you still have to be able to play defense to win a championship. He has them turning that corner. Are they the best defensive team in the league yet? No. But they're on their way.

Do you still see the Spurs as the team to beat? I do. They've been through it and know how to win the big, tough series. The Mavericks haven't proven they can yet.

Your main gig is still calling Knicks games. How tough is that? It's been difficult. When you go into a season where there's excitement, which there was in New York with the hiring of Larry Brown and the addition of some new players, there's nothing worse than an underachieving team.

TXSportsFan4 · 03-06-2006, 05:45 PM

Avery is a great coach imo. I don't see why more people don't love him, I mean what more could he do, go undefeated lol?... But yeah he is doing a great job in Big D.

MFFL · 03-07-2006, 11:34 PM

Avery is 63-15 so far in his first "season"

Four games to go - what will be the new record?

MFFL · 03-14-2006, 10:53 PM

Total 82 game record: 66-16

Avery led us to 50 wins the fastest in Mavs history.

rabbitproof · 03-15-2006, 12:19 AM

Go Avery! Congratulations.

Now bring Dallas back its first rock.