Mavs need Finley back--David Moore - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

MavsFanFinley · 12-07-2004, 01:41 PM

Mavs need Finley back
Offense has hit the wall while shooter nurses ankle injury

By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News

Michael Finley has been around long enough that we tend to pick on what he can't do.

The Mavs are struggling, especially on offense, without Michael Finley. These last 14 games should remind everyone just how much he does for this team.

That's not to say the Mavericks would have beaten Detroit on Monday night with Finley on the court. But they would have stood a chance. They lost, 101-85. This team needs him back by the end of the week so it can begin to move forward.

Other than an obnoxious, and frustrated, fan yelling at Finley to stop being a wimp, his absence hasn't generated much discussion. But it's clear the Mavericks have hit a competitive wall without him.

The offense has languished. Monday marked the seventh time in the last nine games that the Mavericks have failed to score 100 points. Dallas is averaging nearly five fewer points a game without Finley than it was when the guard was in the lineup for the first five games of the season.

The Mavericks have improved on defense, but this team retains an offensive identity, one that has been watered down without its best outside player.

Rave all you want – and it's deserved – about Dirk Nowitzki. But he was just 6-of-24 from the field against Detroit because the Pistons didn't have to worry about putting the defensive clamps on anyone else.

Starting shooting guard Marquis Daniels? He scored just four points. Small forward Josh Howard has flourished this season, but he doesn't demand double-team attention from the defense. Jerry Stackhouse can create his own shot but has been inconsistent off the bench.

"We need another shooter out there," Nowitzki said. "They're [everyone else] not the shooter that Fin is.

"I'm looking forward to him coming back and spreading the floor for us."

Coach Don Nelson can change the starting point guard, which he will do for tonight's game against Minnesota. And Darrell Armstrong is a nice addition. But the Mavericks don't have a chance to reach their potential until Finley returns from a sprained ankle.

He is the second-most important player on this team, something we too quickly forget. The Mavericks already lost Steve Nash in free agency. Take Finley out of the equation, and the Big Three is whittled down to one. It compounds the loss of Nash even more.

"A glaring weakness" is what owner Mark Cuban calls Finley's absence. He's right. The Mavericks rank in the bottom half of the league in field goal percentage and next to last in assists. Do you think that would be the case with Finley on the court?

"Our spacing has been terrible because our guys don't want to be standing at the 3-point line looking at an open 3-point shot," Cuban said. "To Josh's and Marquis' credit, they haven't settled for that. That's what happened to this team in the past, they all settled for shots."

The Mavericks aren't settling for shots these days against good teams like Detroit. They have to work hard to get contested ones. Finley can hit the open jumpers that too many of the Mavericks are missing.

It's not fair to pile on too much here. Only three teams have won more games than the Mavericks.

Of course, all three are in the Western Conference.

"I feel fortunate," Nelson said of the record. "But I don't know that I feel good, because our offense is still not running the way we want it."

And it won't until Michael Finley is back.

E-mail dmoore@dallasnews.com

MISSING IN ACTION
Some key numbers for the Mavericks with Michael Finley and without:

Category W-L PPG
With Finley 4-1 102
Without Finley 8-6 97.3

Mavericks Notes
Finley believes he's close to returning

By Art Garcia
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS - Michael Finley doesn't want to risk disappointing himself or anyone else by putting a timetable on his return, but the Mavericks' second-leading scorer sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

Finley, out for the last 14 games after suffering a third-degree sprain to his right ankle, could return within the week. Finley said it's not necessary to practice before playing.

"The way our schedule is set up, I wouldn't be able to practice anyway," Finley said before Monday night's game.

The Mavs play at least every other day for the next week, not leaving much time for practice. Coach Don Nelson has already decided to give the heavy-minute players Wednesday off.

Though the Mavs are off to a solid start, Finley is definitely missed. Nelson isn't able to use his preferred rotation, forcing the Mavs coach to use players not as familiar with his system. Marquis Daniels and Josh Howard are in their second seasons, and Jerry Stackhouse is in his first with Nelson.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban predicts Finley will be back for Thursday's game against Seattle.

"I'll be back soon," Finley said. "Hopefully."

kg_veteran · 12-07-2004, 01:45 PM

The Mavs need Finley back, and Nellie gone.

LRB · 12-07-2004, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
The Mavs need Finley back, and Nellie gone.

Amen brother KG!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

FilthyFinMavs · 12-08-2004, 12:09 PM

Good articles. I hope this guy does come back because i've heard previous dates for him to return and obviously he didn't come back those dates.

Murphy3 · 12-08-2004, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Rave all you want – and it's deserved – about Dirk Nowitzki. But he was just 6-of-24 from the field against Detroit because the Pistons didn't have to worry about putting the defensive clamps on anyone else.

Did Moore watch the game? Dirk missed a ton of open looks. I can honestly say that I think the defense was just as good or better on Dirk the night he scored 53. Dirk just missed shots.

MavKikiNYC · 12-08-2004, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
The Mavs need Finley back, and Nellie gone.

Yes to Nellie gone.

But to be honest, as much as I liked Avery as a player, I am not at all sure about him at the helm of what could/should be a championship-contending team.

Who out there can steer them where they need to go?

Azn_Baller101 · 12-08-2004, 02:14 PM

THE ZEN MASTER THAT'SWHO!!

EricaLubarsky · 12-08-2004, 02:16 PM

Jackson would do nothing for us this year.

DevinHarriswillstart · 12-08-2004, 03:49 PM

I stopped reading after him saying finley is our "best outside player."

EricaLubarsky · 12-08-2004, 03:53 PM

Isnt he? By percentage he was shooting 44.4% from three before he left. Dirk is shooting 40.7%

bloodyhell · 12-08-2004, 08:29 PM

>Isnt he? By percentage he was shooting 44.4% from three before he left. Dirk is shooting 40.7%

Finley's lost a lot of his game with age setting in, yeah he's still important and what not but he's on the end of his career. As for perentages, dirk is better and was better last year. dirk might be a bit behind because of that poor game recently but i'm sure he will pick it up and lead once again.

mavs413 · 12-08-2004, 10:26 PM

Any update on Finley's status?
Did he practice today?

fin4life · 12-08-2004, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: DevinHarriswillstart
I stopped reading after him saying finley is our "best outside player."

He is definetly our best outside player. With Dirk playing the way he is, there wil be plenty of double teams on him and Finley will prove how good of shooter he is.

fin4life · 12-08-2004, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: bloodyhell
>Isnt he? By percentage he was shooting 44.4% from three before he left. Dirk is shooting 40.7%

Finley's lost a lot of his game with age setting in, yeah he's still important and what not but he's on the end of his career. As for perentages, dirk is better and was better last year. dirk might be a bit behind because of that poor game recently but i'm sure he will pick it up and lead once again.

Ignorance. "Improtant and what not"?????????????

I seriously doubt that Dirks percentages are down 4% because he had one sub-par game. Should really good games not count becasue they make his percentages go up too much??? Dont be stupid. I understand that this is Dirk's team, and so does Finley.... but it is very obvious that Dirk and the mavs need Finley. Finley was the teams second leading scorer this season, even though he has "lost a lot of his game" (as you claim). He is slightly past his prime, but he is the second best player on this team and will be needed more than anyone (besides Dirk) if the mavs expect to compete for a title.

u2sarajevo · 12-08-2004, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: mavs413
Any update on Finley's status?
Did he practice today?

I read somewhere today (and forgive me for not remembering the thread) that Finley said he wouldn't be able to practice today but that wouldn't be a factor on whether he would play or not Thursday.

dude1394 · 12-08-2004, 11:29 PM

Finley is needed pretty badly. This team isn't a very good outside shooting team at all.

FilthyFinMavs · 12-08-2004, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: DevinHarriswillstart
I stopped reading after him saying finley is our "best outside player."

If by outside you mean 3 point shooting than you should've kept reading. Fin is our best outside player or atleast he was last season and this season before he got hurt. No one on this team is more reliable behind the 3 point stripe.

FINtastic · 12-08-2004, 11:32 PM

Finley has still been playing some pretty darn good ball. His first few games this season were pretty good, and he had a stretch last year where he was playing some of the best basketball of his career. The Mavericks need Finley because his presence will open things up for Dirk.

FilthyFinMavs · 12-08-2004, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: fin4life

Quote:

Originally posted by: bloodyhell
>Isnt he? By percentage he was shooting 44.4% from three before he left. Dirk is shooting 40.7%

Finley's lost a lot of his game with age setting in, yeah he's still important and what not but he's on the end of his career. As for perentages, dirk is better and was better last year. dirk might be a bit behind because of that poor game recently but i'm sure he will pick it up and lead once again.

Ignorance. "Improtant and what not"?????????????

I seriously doubt that Dirks percentages are down 4% because he had one sub-par game. Should really good games not count becasue they make his percentages go up too much??? Dont be stupid. I understand that this is Dirk's team, and so does Finley.... but it is very obvious that Dirk and the mavs need Finley. Finley was the teams second leading scorer this season, even though he has "lost a lot of his game" (as you claim). He is slightly past his prime, but he is the second best player on this team and will be needed more than anyone (besides Dirk) if the mavs expect to compete for a title.

And for those who are afraid that with Fin coming back Dirk's shot attempts will go down well I think with Fin's return it will make Dirk even better because that's another threat on the offensive end. Right now I honestly can't say I fear anyone offensively other than Dirk. And Dirk should face less double teams.

Mavs414 · 12-08-2004, 11:38 PM

why you all hatin at on nellie

V · 12-08-2004, 11:58 PM

Fin's back tonight ... not sure if he's going to start but he'll be activated before the game. We'll see....

GP · 12-09-2004, 12:17 AM

I really don't think 3 point shooting has been the Mavs problem this year. I think the problems have been 1 on 1 basketball, injuries and a profound lack of good passing. Everything should start to look better real soon because the rest of their December schedule is filled with mediocre to poor teams (after this game).

MavsFanFinley · 12-09-2004, 12:31 AM

Finley's return to start
However, Nelson expects guard to need time to play into form

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Michael Finley is expected to be back in uniform tonight against the surprising Seattle SuperSonics, his right ankle deemed healthy.

Now, if history holds true, phase two of his rehabilitation begins – and the on-court recovery can be almost as painful as the healing process.

Finley has been sidelined for extended periods the last three seasons. Each time he has returned to the court, he has needed several games to regain his form.

Coach Don Nelson expects nothing different this time.

"He's like a lot of players; they need to knock the rust off," Nelson said. "I'm assuming both he and Marquis [Daniels] will be available."

Finley scrimmaged Wednesday with the group of Mavericks who did not play in Tuesday's victory at Minnesota. Heavy-minute players were given the day off.

Finley is expected to go through today's shootaround and probably will be activated before the game.

The Mavericks made two changes to the starting lineup Tuesday, and they responded with a big win in Minnesota. With Finley's impending return, plus Daniels likely to be back in uniform after missing Tuesday with an ankle sprain, juggling players could be challenging for Nelson.

Finley's return coincides with the hope that they can kick-start their level of play at home. They are 7-4 at American Airlines Center, and the Seattle SuperSonics come to town with a sparkling 15-3 record entering Wednesday's game at San Antonio.

Against winning teams, the Mavericks are 1-4 at home, the lone victory coming against Sacramento in the season opener.

"I think we've had some tough opponents come in so far, and we haven't had our full complement of players," Nelson said.

The run of tough competition doesn't stop tonight. Seattle has had a remarkable start and qualifies as the top surprise in the league thus far. The Sonics are built around Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, 3-point shooting threats, and the strong play of second-year point guard Luke Ridnour.

Defense making the grade:

The Mavericks have a goal of holding opponents under 42 percent shooting for the season.

They aren't quite there yet, giving up 42.7 percent through 20 games. But it's a major improvement on last season's 45.9 percent. And it's showing up in how the Mavericks are winning.

Last season, the Mavericks shot less than 40 percent 11 times, going 2-9. Through one-quarter of this season, they already are 3-5 when their percentage goes south of 40.

The message is that they can win that way if they have to. Maybe not all the time, but more frequently than they have in the past.

"I was really proud of our defense," said assistant coach Avery Johnson of the win at Minnesota on Tuesday. "That's the type of defense I know we can play."

The Wolves took notice, too. They saw Josh Howard tipping passes and keeping rebounds alive.

Briefly:

NBA players can't be featured on U.S. postage stamps because such people must be deceased for 10 years. However, Dirk Nowitzki is one of several players who is on various stamps worldwide. Nowitzki's face graces a stamp in Micronesia. ... Though the level of competition wanes after tonight's game, the Mavericks will play five of their next seven games on the road. ... About 1,000 tickets remain for tonight. The tickets, starting at $10, can be purchased by calling 214-747-MAVS or going online at mavs.com.

bloodyhell · 12-09-2004, 02:28 AM

>Ignorance

Base, plebeian esque response.

>I seriously doubt that Dirks percentages are down 4% because he had one sub-par game.

Well, they are.

>Dont be stupid.

Don't be vitriolic, and carry on with inane diatribes .

Murphy3 · 12-09-2004, 08:01 AM

For their career, Dirk's the better 3pt shooter. Last year, Fin was a better three point shooter. This year, we'll see.

Regardless, the Mavs need Fin and his outside jumper back.

FilthyFinMavs · 12-09-2004, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by: GP
I really don't think 3 point shooting has been the Mavs problem this year. I think the problems have been 1 on 1 basketball, injuries and a profound lack of good passing. Everything should start to look better real soon because the rest of their December schedule is filled with mediocre to poor teams (after this game).

There's been alot of missed jumpers off of good passes. IMO, Fin will hit some of those jumpers.

EricaLubarsky · 12-09-2004, 02:38 PM

Bloody, you need some new vocabulary, man. You only get four uses of the word "vitriol", three of "plebian" and two of "diatribe". You are looking pretty silly.

bloodyhell · 12-09-2004, 08:34 PM

>Bloody, you need some new vocabulary, man. You only get four uses of the word "vitriol", three of "plebian" and two of "diatribe". You are looking pretty silly.

How about, simian, jejune varlet, and labrose. You fit all of those. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]