Mavs don't want to get too far ahead of themselves

[MavsFanFinley]

Mavs don't want to get too far ahead of themselves

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

With their full stable of players together for only four days of practice, the Mavericks are bracing for what could be a difficult start to the regular season. They said they can live with that – as long as they see dividends down the line.

"If we take a few lumps, even though we're getting better, that's acceptable," Michael Finley said Monday. "But I'm not going to say that just because we got a new group of guys that we can just accept losing. That's not acceptable."

Coach Don Nelson is just happy the team had four relatively good days of practice. Injuries that had sidelined Finley, Marquis Daniels, Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry and others healed enough for the Mavericks to get some consistent work done over the weekend.

"I got my wish," Nelson said. "Everybody practiced these last four days. Four days isn't that much, but it's better than no days. The season's going to open anyway."

Dirk Nowitzki suggested putting much stock in what happens in November might not be prudent. Nelson agreed that short-term results in either direction are nothing to get excited about.

"I think we're going to be really good," Nelson said. "I don't know when we're going to be good. I just don't know how we're going to be early. Late, we'll be real good."

Harris has one goal:

After hearing Charles Barkley predicted Devin Harris would be rookie of the year, the starting point guard said that's not his main goal.

"My goal is to win" tonight, he said. "It looks good in the paper and I'm grateful. But I got things to work on before worrying about accolades at the end of the season."

Don Nelson said he will watch Harris. "If he stubs his toe," the coach said, "I'll make a quick sub."

Briefly:

The Mavericks had a relatively light practice Monday because they open the season with back-to-back games. They leave after tonight's game for New Orleans, where they play Wednesday night ... The Mavs will have a 10-man rotation with Alan Henderson winning the job as Dirk Nowitzki's backup. That makes Calvin Booth and Shawn Bradley the 11th and 12th men ... Dan Dickau was put on the injured list, joining Pavel Podkolzin and Tariq Abdul-Wahad . ... Former Maverick Danny Fortson, who plays for Seattle, has filed a defamation suit against Phoenix Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo and a newspaper columnist. The suit, filed Oct. 25 in Florida, quotes New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey's Nov. 30, 2003, story saying Fortson is a "thugged-out player" and engaged in "attempted murder" when he pushed Phoenix's Zarko Cabarkapa while the player was in midair. Fortson was ejected and suspended three games for the flagrant foul Nov. 26.

Taking care of the ball a concern for Mavs

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

With a rookie starting at point guard, a questionable ball-handler as his backup and a third playmaker who was injured throughout training camp, holding onto the ball is going to be a key issue for the Mavericks early in the season.

The fact that the Mavericks have only one player on the roster who ranked in the NBA's top 50 in assist-to-turnover ratio last season raises more cause for concern.

"We have to be a good passing team," Mavericks coach Don Nelson said. "And I think we got better as training camp went on."

Better, but still not to the level the Mavericks were at last season. The team led the league in fewest turnovers for the last three seasons. Then again, with Steve Nash knowing Nelson's complicated system backward and forward, the offense was in good hands.

Now, the offense is in new hands with rookie Devin Harris starting at the point and Jason Terry, who had one of the worst assist-to-turnover ratios among point guards last season, as his backup. Marquis Daniels, perhaps the team's best returning ball-handler, can expect considerable time handling point-guard duties.

PASSING GRADE

The NBA leaders last season in assist-to-turnover ratio, and the Mavericks' best from a year ago (Steve Nash signed with the Phoenix Suns during the off-season):

Player Team Asts TOs Ratio
1. Antonio Daniels Seattle 298 61 4.89
2. Damon Jones Milwaukee 478 103 4.64
3. Reggie Miller Indiana 249 68 3.66
4. Jason Williams Memphis 492 136 3.62
5. Jeff McInnis Cleveland 430 120 3.58
6. Steve Nash Mavericks 687 209 3.29
7. Eric Snow Philadelphia 563 187 3.01
8. Gary Payton LA Lakers 449 151 2.97
9. Earl Boykins Denver 295 100 2.95
10. Rafer Alston Miami 372 128 2.91
27. Michael Finley Mavericks 212 83 2.55
Marquis Daniels Mavericks 116 44 2.64
Jason Terry Atlanta 437 229 1.91
Dirk Nowitzki Mavericks 207 135 1.53

Note: Terry and Nowitzki did not rank in the top 50; Daniels did not have enough assists to qualify for inclusion.

[grndmstr_c]

I was curious to see who would get those backup PF minutes. Go Hendu. As for that second article about TO's, that's sloppy reporting. The Mavs made great strides throughout the preseason getting their TO's under control, and even after the rough start finished 4th best in the league for the admittedly meaningless games. Beyond that, not having a great assist man with a league-leading a/to ratio doesn't mean you're going to be TO-prone. It means you have to rely a little more on one-on-one play than you otherwise would have.

[V2M]

This been an amazing off-season/pre-season. Here's a top-ten (chronologically!) that excite me this year:

1. Traded 6th MOY with ugly contract for a #5 pick (used to get us a starting PG) plus a potential 6th MOY plus a seasoned veteran in his final year (who's later traded to get us a starting Center).

2. Traded up in first round draft to get a 19yr old Man-beast (7'4" Center with a huge potential)

3. Lost the starting PG and the key component of our offense. Yet, somehow we've managed to make other moves to make this loss seem now like a blessing-in-disguise.

4. Signed an undrafted 7' blocking machine with 7'5" wingspan, 3' vertical, blackbelt in judo and runs like a gazelle.

5. Traded a backup 6'8" PF for a backup 6'11" Center

6. Traded a starting 6'9" Center/Point Forward (failed experiment, one might say) and a backup SG for a young, incredibly athletic, combo guard with a terrific attitude, plus a backup PF and a #1pick (which is later used to get a starting Center).

7. Traded two backup veteran PFs plus two potentially worthless #1 picks for arguably a top 5 Center.

8. Rookie PG is so impressive during the pre-season that he's earned a starting role

9. Last year's late 1st round pick improves significantly to earn a starting role as the SF

10. Undrafted rookie Center so impresses the coaches to earn playing time as #2 Center moving up from #4 (if not the IR)


Can't wait no more!!