Taste of Finals left Mavs' Johnson wanting more - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

kriD · 10-01-2006, 02:45 AM

Taste of Finals left Mavs' Johnson wanting more

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Mere days before training camp opens, Mavericks coach Avery Johnson is as relaxed as ever. He jokes. He pokes fun at anybody in firing range. And he smiles.

Starting Tuesday, he'll bark. He'll pace. And smiles will be harder to come by. It'll be back to business as usual.

Johnson embarks on his second full season as an NBA coach. He produced a tough act to follow last season, when the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals, losing to the Miami Heat in six games. Now, it's time to set course for what Johnson hopes will be another trip to the Finals, complete with a more desirable result.

As the new season beckons, Johnson sat down with The News for a question-and-answer session. The highlights:

So, what do you do for an encore?

Finish. We got where we wanted to go. We just didn't get what we wanted to get. So it's unfinished business.

What's it going to be like for this franchise to be the big dog, to be one of the clear favorites to win the Western Conference?

I don't think we're the big dog. I think Miami is the big dog. The Spurs, they're the big dog. Detroit's a big dog. I don't consider us the big dog yet until we can actually win a championship. I look at all the teams that have won championships recently. Those are the big dogs to me.

However, it does seem this franchise is getting more respect than in the past, right?

Well, we wanted to get this team to that level, where we couldn't hide, OK? We wanted to get in situations where we were picked to win and there is a high level of responsibility to go with it. We never really wanted to sneak up from behind. If you have to sneak up from behind, you're behind. So something didn't go well for you to be behind.

Are you happy with your team?

I can't say I'm happy with this team, because you can't compare it yet. But on paper, I'm more excited about this team than I was about last year's team – on paper. I feel we've added some solid pieces. Three of the key guys we brought in have been to the Finals.

Let's talk about Avery for a moment. Was it too much too soon last year for a rookie coach, making a trip to the NBA Finals?

It was the first full season. Fortunately, we had a chance to get a jump-start on it the year before. We probably wouldn't have learned as much had we not gone against Houston and the series with Phoenix and those last 18 games of the regular season.

That was a great, great jump. I really didn't look at myself coming in as a "rookie" coach. That jump I had on it the year before and just being around the NBA for a long time was big.

But sitting in that seat for 82 games and for the playoffs, it's not as easy as people think. I have a higher degree of respect for the other 29 coaches in the league.

How hard is it in the Western Conference simply to survive?

Just getting out of the state of Texas alive is a big deal. Who knows what's going to happen with Houston. And the Spurs are always a good team. As long as [Gregg] Popovich is the coach and Tim Duncan is the staple of that franchise, they're going to be up there. That's just the way it is. They're one of the teams to beat. But a lot of things have to go right. Anybody can get hot. If the ball bounces different for us in Phoenix, they're in the Finals. In San Antonio, they could have moved on. In Miami, it could have been us. It depends on how the ball bounces sometimes.

What are the biggest questions of training camp?

One of the key things is to try to find that guy who can fit well with our starters. Find out whether it's [Greg] Buckner or Devean George or Anthony Johnson or Devin [Harris]. Just find out who fits well in that spot.

Then, it's to make sure we play with a high level of physicality.

Are you satisfied with your contractual situation?

I have the same contract now that I finished the season with. And if it's ever going to be addressed, the owner's going to come and tell me. I don't have anything to worry about. Dirk can give me a loan.

(...)

KEY DATES

Monday – Media day

Tuesday – Two-a-days begin in Denton

Friday – Scrimmage at the University of North Texas

Oct. 10 – Preseason opener vs. New Orleans in Oklahoma City

Oct. 12 – Preseason home opener vs. Sacramento

Oct. 31 – Rosters must be trimmed to 15 (12 active)

Nov. 2 – Regular-season opener vs. San Antonio at American Airlines Center

nikeball · 10-01-2006, 03:31 AM

great article!

keep fightin' general.

Dirkadirkastan · 10-01-2006, 04:26 AM

"Let's talk about Avery for a moment. Was it too much too soon last year for a rookie coach, making a trip to the NBA Finals?"

I've never understood questions like these. "Oh yeah, now that you mention it, Doc, I really wish we didn't make it to the Finals..."

StrikerV · 10-01-2006, 09:51 AM

lol I love the part where he says he'll get a loan from Dirk

Underdog · 10-01-2006, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrikerV

lol I love the part where he says he'll get a loan from Dirk

Exactly...

mqywaaah · 10-01-2006, 10:26 AM

He's gonna get his. Oh wait and see. The Lil' General will soon get his!

Flacolaco · 10-01-2006, 12:03 PM

I'm getting a little excited now.......

StackAttack · 10-01-2006, 01:48 PM

Taste of Finals left Mavs' Johnson wanting more

08:06 PM CDT on Saturday, September 30, 2006

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Mere days before training camp opens, Mavericks coach Avery Johnson is as relaxed as ever. He jokes. He pokes fun at anybody in firing range. And he smiles.

Starting Tuesday, he'll bark. He'll pace. And smiles will be harder to come by. It'll be back to business as usual.

Johnson embarks on his second full season as an NBA coach. He produced a tough act to follow last season, when the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals, losing to the Miami Heat in six games. Now, it's time to set course for what Johnson hopes will be another trip to the Finals, complete with a more desirable result.

As the new season beckons, Johnson sat down with The News for a question-and-answer session. The highlights:

So, what do you do for an encore?

Finish. We got where we wanted to go. We just didn't get what we wanted to get. So it's unfinished business.

What's it going to be like for this franchise to be the big dog, to be one of the clear favorites to win the Western Conference?

I don't think we're the big dog. I think Miami is the big dog. The Spurs, they're the big dog. Detroit's a big dog. I don't consider us the big dog yet until we can actually win a championship. I look at all the teams that have won championships recently. Those are the big dogs to me.

However, it does seem this franchise is getting more respect than in the past, right?

Well, we wanted to get this team to that level, where we couldn't hide, OK? We wanted to get in situations where we were picked to win and there is a high level of responsibility to go with it. We never really wanted to sneak up from behind. If you have to sneak up from behind, you're behind. So something didn't go well for you to be behind.

Are you happy with your team?

I can't say I'm happy with this team, because you can't compare it yet. But on paper, I'm more excited about this team than I was about last year's team – on paper. I feel we've added some solid pieces. Three of the key guys we brought in have been to the Finals.

Let's talk about Avery for a moment. Was it too much too soon last year for a rookie coach, making a trip to the NBA Finals?

It was the first full season. Fortunately, we had a chance to get a jump-start on it the year before. We probably wouldn't have learned as much had we not gone against Houston and the series with Phoenix and those last 18 games of the regular season.

That was a great, great jump. I really didn't look at myself coming in as a "rookie" coach. That jump I had on it the year before and just being around the NBA for a long time was big.

But sitting in that seat for 82 games and for the playoffs, it's not as easy as people think. I have a higher degree of respect for the other 29 coaches in the league.

How hard is it in the Western Conference simply to survive?

Just getting out of the state of Texas alive is a big deal. Who knows what's going to happen with Houston. And the Spurs are always a good team. As long as [Gregg] Popovich is the coach and Tim Duncan is the staple of that franchise, they're going to be up there. That's just the way it is. They're one of the teams to beat. But a lot of things have to go right. Anybody can get hot. If the ball bounces different for us in Phoenix, they're in the Finals. In San Antonio, they could have moved on. In Miami, it could have been us. It depends on how the ball bounces sometimes.

What are the biggest questions of training camp?

One of the key things is to try to find that guy who can fit well with our starters. Find out whether it's [Greg] Buckner or Devean George or Anthony Johnson or Devin [Harris]. Just find out who fits well in that spot.

Then, it's to make sure we play with a high level of physicality.

Are you satisfied with your contractual situation?

I have the same contract now that I finished the season with. And if it's ever going to be addressed, the owner's going to come and tell me. I don't have anything to worry about. Dirk can give me a loan.

^^ lol at the last answer, gotta love Avery.

nashtymavsfan13 · 10-01-2006, 02:37 PM

Um, this was already posted in another thread...

StackAttack · 10-01-2006, 02:38 PM

Oh. Dammit! My bad.

sike · 10-02-2006, 01:11 AM

I'm more excited about this team than I was about last year's team – on paper.

good to hear...

chumdawg · 10-02-2006, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sike

I'm more excited about this team than I was about last year's team – on paper.

good to hear...

Last year didn't you dance down the streets of Rockwall in nothing but a Dirk jersey?

What do you have planned for this year?

kriD · 10-02-2006, 06:08 AM

Back for more

Mavs have added toughness, but can they take next step?

By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Next year officially tips off this week. What's done is done. What's lost is lost. The Mavericks return from the most successful season in franchise history determined not to repeat it. An unforgettable ride to the NBA Finals ended with emptiness, a Dwyane Wade-induced collapse two wins shy of a championship. Filling that void won't be easy. The new Mavs begin training camp Tuesday in Denton with their nucleus intact, along with a few playoff-hardened additions. "I said going into last season that I was excited about the team, and I'm just as excited this year," coach Avery Johnson said. "I like what we've done. We've added more toughness. We've added more experience." The questions for Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki, right, and the boys probably won't be answered by the time the San Antonio Spurs visit American Airlines Center in about a month to open 2006-07. That's fine. That's what starting over is all about. It's time for next year.

1 Will the hangover from the Finals linger? That's the $90 million question. Wondering what might have been, what went wrong, how it all came apart is natural. Letting doubt creep into the next season sets up failure. The Mavs realize they're talented enough to be champions. They also know a return to the Finals isn't their birthright. The Western Conference should be stronger (scary thought), and the East is no longer the Least. The Mavs are in a new position: They're the hunted team in the West for the first time. It's going to take total commitment from the top on down to get back. And a little luck.

2 The Mavs are deeper, but will the chemistry be there? With the additions of veterans Devean George, Greg Buckner, Austin Croshere and Anthony Johnson, the bench is considerably more talented than last season. So when the injury bug inevitably bites -- and it always does -- the Mavs should be better equipped. But if everyone stays relatively healthy, does the General have enough minutes to spread around? When does Anthony Johnson play? How about Devin Harris? There's a swingman logjam and a $70 million center (Erick Dampier) coming off the bench. Massaging egos might be more important than treating sprained ankles.

3 Will another summer of basketball take its toll on Dirk Nowitzki? The German made good on a personal commitment to his national team and competed in the World Championships despite playing well into June. A legitimate MVP contender the past two seasons, Nowitzki hasn't shown any signs of slowing down -- and he's avoided serious injury -- but he's 28 now, and the miles are adding up after eight seasons in the league. When it comes to practice and conditioning, no one outworks Nowitzki. At some point, though, even the best start to slip.

4 Is there any friction between Avery Johnson and Mark Cuban? Johnson isn't headed toward Nellie-Cuban territory. There's too much to accomplish together. However, ongoing negotiations on a new contract for Johnson, one of the lowest-paid coaches in the NBA, have been sticky. Cuban's antics on and off the court didn't help Johnson's cause last year, and Johnson didn't do himself any favors with unseemly outbursts during the Finals. The pair communicate, which by itself creates a healthier environment than the previous coaching regime. Both want it to work, but if it doesn't, they have no one else to blame.

Darth Ape · 10-02-2006, 06:31 AM

The title of this article should read "the taste of Dwaynne Wade's Johnson", because Wade and the Heat gave the Mavs quite a mouthfull last year. And if that left Avery "wanting more"... well, call me very concerned.

u2sarajevo · 10-02-2006, 06:53 AM

You would have to be an idiot to not know what that headline was referring to. Does it need to be spelled out for you? Or do you think you can figure it out on your own?

Or were you just trying to be cute?

Not funny. Usually you are. But that certainly was not.

sike · 10-02-2006, 10:03 AM

can you say...."drawn on jersey"?

endrity · 10-03-2006, 02:39 AM

When he says that he'll take a loan from Dirk, I think it's also motivation speach. Dirk is now being paied as top level superstar of the league. He has to deliver.