New starting point guard

[kg_veteran]

Armstrong might be joining starters
Nelson ponders making Harris third guard; Finley return close


01:10 AM CST on Tuesday, December 7, 2004

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News


The Mavericks likely will have a new starting point guard tonight at Minnesota.

Coach Don Nelson said after Monday's 101-85 loss to Detroit that he is toying with the idea of starting newcomer Darrell Armstrong in place of rookie Devin Harris. That Armstrong, acquired Friday from New Orleans, opened the second half against the Pistons with the starting five was a sign that a change is coming.

"Maybe it's a good time to make Devin the third guard," Nelson said. "I still think he's going to be a very good player for us. But I think this is something I'm going to go to."

Harris has started all 19 games after winning the job in camp. The No. 5 overall pick in the draft said he's disappointed, but understanding, if Nelson makes the change.

"I'm struggling right now," he said. "I'm trying to climb over that wall."

Armstrong said he felt more comfortable Monday than he did in a brief stint on Saturday, barely 24 hours after getting traded.

"Devin has already had a taste of the starting lineup and playing a lot," Armstrong said. "He's going to be a great player in this league. When you're young and you're not used to this many minutes and this many games, it can be tough."

No major moves coming: It's inevitable that the Mavericks get linked to trade rumors regarding New Jersey's Jason Kidd and other major players who are on the block.

It's their reputation that gets their name dragged into the speculation, not anything that is happening now, owner Mark Cuban said.

"Other than a periphery thing, like Darrell Armstrong, we're not going to make any major trades," Cuban said. "Everybody fills a role on this team right now and for the future."

Finley nears return: Michael Finley's return is going to happen sooner, rather than later, the 6-7 swingman said.

Finley has been out since Nov. 11 with a sprained right ankle. The Mavericks made the decision to give Finley plenty of time to get the injury healed, rather than risk pushing him back early.

"I'll be back soon, hopefully," Finley said. Asked if there was a chance he could play this week, he said: "Yeah, there's a chance."

The Mavericks' only trip of the season to Finley's hometown of Chicago comes next Monday. Finley would like to be playing by then, but not so he can play in front of the home folks.

"I want to be there for my team and my teammates, not for anybody else," he said. "But even if I didn't play, I'd still need 50 tickets."

[FilthyFinMavs]

Kg you trying to hide the Fin return lol? J/p

It's good to hear something atleast. I can't really disagree with starting Armstrong. Terry has been inconsistent all season long and if I had the choice of starter I would go for him hoping starting would benefit him dearly. I do agree with no longer starting Harris. I think he's the type to bring that spark off that bench unlike Terry.

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs
Kg you trying to hide the Fin return lol? J/p

It's good to hear something atleast. I can't really disagree with starting Armstrong. Terry has been inconsistent all season long and if I had the choice of starter I would go for him hoping starting would benefit him dearly. I do agree with no longer starting Harris. I think he's the type to bring that spark off that bench unlike Terry.

Believe me, I can't wait until Fin gets back. He's sorely missed.

As for starting Armstrong, it's idiotic. Period. It's just typical Nelson. Last season it was Tony Delk.

[vinnieponte]

funny how things fall apart after we let the best point guard walk away [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran

Believe me, I can't wait until Fin gets back. He's sorely missed.

As for starting Armstrong, it's idiotic. Period. It's just typical Nelson. Last season it was Tony Delk.

You have to sit Harris though. It's useless to start him and then play him for 6 more minutes. The starter should be Jason Terry. I'm not sure if Nellie really believes he's a spark or if he has something personal towards him.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: vinnieponte
funny how things fall apart after we let the best point guard walk away [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Your one of the ones sad to see Dan Dickau go?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[vinnieponte]

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs

Your one of the ones sad to see Dan Dickau go?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

lol, never! But I'm starting to sense some kind of trade to help our offense, as weird as that sounds. We can't get nash back but we need something, someone to make passing go smoother and set up plays for our guys.

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs
You have to sit Harris though. It's useless to start him and then play him for 6 more minutes. The starter should be Jason Terry. I'm not sure if Nellie really believes he's a spark or if he has something personal towards him.

If Nellie wants to play Terry as the starter and bring Harris off for 12-18 mpg as the backup, fine. But to play Armstrong to the exclusion of Harris AND Terry?

Idiotic.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: vinnieponte

lol, never! But I'm starting to sense some kind of trade to help our offense, as weird as that sounds. We can't get nash back but we need something, someone to make passing go smoother and set up plays for our guys.

I'm not really for making trades right now but if we can get Kidd in here for Stack and some spare parts then i'm for that move. But IMO this team really doesn't have many spare parts so we might have to give up someone significant.

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: vinnieponte
funny how things fall apart after we let the best point guard walk away [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Things have fallen apart?

[Fidel]

Just start Harris and let him develope. We are not a contender this year anyways. I think we have a really good talent pool right now but some of the guys definitly need more expirience. At some point you need to stop messing with lineups. I also think we shouldn`t do any more trades at this point. Just let this group play together for 1-2 years and see what happens. If it doesn´t work out you´ll still have one or two more shots to rebuild around Dirk.

[NewMexiMav]

kg, you hit the nail on the head--pure idiocy here.

With all the depth we now have, why does Nellie insist on inferior starting lineups? JET has been a starter his entire NBA career, so let's piss him off and make him come off the bench! Great idea. So far, Terry has handled it with class, but you have to know this will piss him off, first getting passed over for the rook, and then getting passed over for a guy whose been with the Mavs less than a week.

Sure, Terry has been somewhat inconsistent, but I have to believe that part of the reason for that is adjusting to a bench role. I would love to see how Terry would perform as a starter, but it looks like we may never know.

Additionally, Armstrong is a mature vet and is completely accustomed to the bench role. He brings just as much of a spark off the bench as JET, so why not put him in that position?

The only positive out of this is moving Devin to a back-up role. I think the kid is going to be a player, but let him get his feet wet against the other team's back-up point, why throw him to the wolves every night against the starters?

I hope Nellie comes to his senses and starts the JET tonight. If not, I fear we will soon have a disgruntled player on our hands, which is a real shame because JET's attitude and enthusiasm have been great so far. Nellie just needs until the All-Star break to completely crush that spirit. Mind boggling!

[Simon2]

I can't believe it but I was able to predict what Nellie is doing! He's going to start Armstrong. Its the second coming of Tony Delk. Nellie will start Armstrong and find out he can't handle the point. Meanwhile, Jason Terry is mad on the bench because a has-been is starting in his place. First, a rookie starts over him, now its a guy they got for Dickau and a secodn round pick. Tell me. If you were Terry, no matter how good a person you are, wouldn't you pissed at Nellie for jacking around with the starting pg spot?

START JASON TERRY!

[JLEEHASMUCHGAME]

Originally posted by: Simon2

START JASON TERRY!

I agree.

[vinnieponte]

Originally posted by: Murphy3

Things have fallen apart?

No things haven't fallen apart, that is in referance to our current point guard position. Every game we have a different starter, and still we can't get it right.

[Charlie Brown]

we need to bring signs that say "start jason terry!" to the games . . .

nellie's an idiot. it was jamison last year and terry this year. potential all-stars being benched for lesser caliber players. why? i have no idea . . .

[V2M]

I agree with KG... this is such an idiotic move. Can't believe Cuban's going along with this. It was wrong to start Harris in the first place and then it was wrong to start and limit him to just about 12 min/game. Now it's just a disastrous move to start Darrell and relegate Harris to 3rd string. For pete's sake, he's a #5 pick and you treat him like dirt!!! Also, Terry is a fine player in his prime and he's already been passed over twice, once by a rook and next by a 36yr old has-been.

Ideally, when Fin comes back, we need to start Terry/Fin/JHo/Dirk/Damp. Let Stack & Daniels be the 6th & 7th men backing up the #1, 2 & 3 spots, and let everyone else earn situational minutes.

I believe, Nellie is now officially too senile to coach. In the last 2 months, he's made statements hyping up Harris & MBenga like they were the 2nd coming or something only to turn around and make a joke of their play. On the flip side, he's mentioned JHo is the odd man out with Fin, Stack & Daniels taking up all the minutes at 2 & 3. And we know how that worked out. I just can't take any of his comments serious any more. And I wonder what's going through the players' minds now. Hope we don't waste yet another year of Dirk at prime. *sigh*

[FilthyFinMavs]

Terry/Fin/JHo/Dirk/Damp

This should've been the lineup at the beginning of the season. You still get Daniels, Harris and Stack coming off the bench for that so called "spark".

[dirno2000]

Originally posted by: Fidel
Just start Harris and let him develope. We are not a contender this year anyways. I think we have a really good talent pool right now but some of the guys definitly need more expirience. At some point you need to stop messing with lineups. I also think we shouldn`t do any more trades at this point. Just let this group play together for 1-2 years and see what happens. If it doesn´t work out you´ll still have one or two more shots to rebuild around Dirk.

I agree totally

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs

This should've been the lineup at the beginning of the season. You still get Daniels, Harris and Stack coming off the bench for that so called "spark".

And if Nellie would go with this lineup, I wouldn't gripe at all. But as long as he starts Darrell Armstrong, I'm going to bitch incessantly.

Every time I try to back Nellie, he does something else stupid that makes me regret my decision.

[sike]

KG: If Nellie wants to play Terry as the starter and bring Harris off for 12-18 mpg as the backup, fine. But to play Armstrong to the exclusion of Harris AND Terry?

Idiotic.

agreed...and its starting to tick me off.

[Simon2]

Well, I'll tell you. Last year, it was Jamison or Walker. Jamison was more amicable so he let Nellie do it to him. If Nellie approached Walker about the idea, he knew Walker would go ballistic. Jamison was off the bench because he let Nellie do it to him.

This year, Terry was the good (fallguy) again. He said things like, "I'll do it for the good of the team." So, Nellie was able to experiment again. If Terry was pissed and threw a hissy fit at not starting, he would be starting right now. People on this board said that Terry was a good guy for allowing himself to come off the bench. He is a good guy but at what cost? A very good point guard is disgruntled and coming off the bench to replace a rookie or a has-been.

It just seems like Nellie wants to experiment.

Originally posted by: Charlie Brown
we need to bring signs that say "start jason terry!" to the games . . .

nellie's an idiot. it was jamison last year and terry this year. potential all-stars being benched for lesser caliber players. why? i have no idea . . .

[V]

[LRB]

Pure insanity by Nellie to start Armstrong. Talk about going out of your way to piss off Terry. I really like Armstrong and fell that he's a great player to have coming off your bench. "Coming off your bench" being the key words.

I seriously think that Nellie is way past his time as being effective as coach here. I think Nellie tries to put the most unconventional lineups on the court and still keep his job. I'm just hoping that he doesn't get to keep his job if he continues with moves like the one he's proposing.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran

And if Nellie would go with this lineup, I wouldn't gripe at all. But as long as he starts Darrell Armstrong, I'm going to bitch incessantly.

Every time I try to back Nellie, he does something else stupid that makes me regret my decision.

I'm with you. I can't even stick up for him on this. I've been pissed at the way he's handled the rotation all season long.

[EricaLubarsky]

I like Armstrong quite a bit, and grabbing a starter for the low, low price of Dickau was a coup.

but my real concern here is not Harris. My concern is that even with all the swingmen we had available, Nellie put Terry at the 2 for more time last night than I was comfortable with. Terry needs to start, DA needs to find a rhythm and some minutes, and I'm not too concerned with Harris if he can get a few minutes that aren't in sweep-up mode.

[Ninkobei]

Originally posted by: Fidel
Just start Harris and let him develope. We are not a contender this year anyways. I think we have a really good talent pool right now but some of the guys definitly need more expirience. At some point you need to stop messing with lineups. I also think we shouldn`t do any more trades at this point. Just let this group play together for 1-2 years and see what happens. If it doesn´t work out you´ll still have one or two more shots to rebuild around Dirk.

I couldn't agree more! The only way they are going to learn to play with each other is if they gain experience with each other. You can't just put random talented guys together and hope they do well, look at America's Olympic team for cryin out loud.

[SeriousSummer]

Harris can't keep starting--he isn't playing even halfway decently. I'm not sure he's ready to play at all right now. Daniels is hurt. Not sure he should be playing at all either, and certainly not at point guard.

Armstrong and Terry need to split most of the minutes at point guard, at least until Harris matures a little (I don't think that will happen until next year) or Quis gets better. I don't think it matters who starts. Both will get a chance to play and whoever plays best will get the most minutes.

[doggnutz]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran

If Nellie wants to play Terry as the starter and bring Harris off for 12-18 mpg as the backup, fine. But to play Armstrong to the exclusion of Harris AND Terry?

Idiotic.

KG, man I'm not sure, I think it's a good move at this point. Devin is clearly going to be special but we have time to bring him along. The biggest thing I see missing from the Mavs point guards is consistency of pushing the ball, hustling and assists. Until these guys get comfortable, especially Terry, Armstrong should be starting. Armstrong in my opinion provides a spark at point guard with defensive hustle like Najera and pushing the ball. This will set the pace for the other guards to come in and do the same. At the beginning of the year Devin was doing it. His on the ball pressure was a lot better. But know you can tell he's a lil more timid to do so. Especially when he's getting hit with early fouls because he's a rookie. Terry has to learn to use his quickness for fast breaks. Right now he dribbles to much and plays a half court game. He's been better since Armstrong got here in assist and pushing the ball. I think because he feeds of the intensity of Armstrong. I would rather have that spark to start than coming off the bench at this point. Terry should be starting but until he gets the concept of what we need him to do, DA is the right choice and let Terry come off the bench. I remember playing the Hornets this year and twice Dallas thought the had a clear fast break, easy two and the DA blocked the layup off the back board and the other I think was called for a fouled but he still got the ball, hustle plays. If successful he sets a wonderful tone every night at the PG position and I think that's what Nellie has been seeing in practice. As long as it's temporary I see as a good thing.

[Poindexter Einstein]

The Mavs are hurting for a 2nd outside shooter, to take the pressure off of Dirk. Last night, Daniels, Howard, and Stack couldnt hit a thing - and that isnt unusual (all of them are slashers, not shooters). So Terry is being utilized as a shooter, out of necessity - rather than as a distributor.

That effects the rotation at PG, more than is understood generally.

[dirk2003]

WTF is wrong with Terry? Damn you Nelson, damn you!