Mavs want to preserve Nash at 32 and below

[Dooby]

Mavs want to preserve Nash at 32 and below
Nelson: Guard better down stretch if minutes are held to 32 or less


03/07/2003

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Steve Nash doesn't want his stamina to become a focal point in the last weeks of the regular season and the playoffs.

But the way he's been used lately by coach Don Nelson has drawn attention to the Mavericks' point guard as he has been spending longer periods of time on the bench during early portions of games.

Nelson said Thursday that Nash's playing time has been altered somewhat as the season begins its twisting journey toward the playoffs. While Nash's minutes per game may not drop much, the coach's goal for his spark plug is to ensure he can put in quality time at crunch time.

"We want to make sure he's ready to play the last eight to 10 minutes of the fourth quarter," Nelson said. "Nick [Van Exel] is playing very well for us and if we can get the bench contributing, we hope to keep Steve as fresh as possible."

In other words, Nelson is hoping to keep Nash's minutes below 32 per game and would like to occasionally mix in a game when Nash doesn't have to play more than 20 or 25 minutes.

The New Jersey game on Tuesday was a prime example of how Nash is being saved for crucial situations. Though he played 34 minutes, just above his season average, Nash was on the bench for more than seven minutes of clock time from the middle of the third quarter to early in the fourth. He responded with 11 points and four assists in the final 10:06.

Nash said his minutes have been monitored all season. But with the Midwest Division title chase under way and the playoffs beckoning, conservation of energy is critical, whenever possible.

"His [Nelson's] whole goal is making sure I feel good in the fourth quarter and at the end of the season when we get to the playoffs," Nash said. "There's going to be the odd game when the legs just aren't there, like the game against the Grizzlies [last week].

"But I feel pretty good, for the most part. I think a lot of people are talking about it, but in some respects, I think my fatigue is a little overblown."

Nelson said watching Nash's health and stamina is part of a bigger picture that has the Mavericks adjusting their sights toward the playoffs.

"We're going to prepare ourselves to win games that we can win now," he said. "But we also have to begin preparing for the playoffs, too. Winning our division is still a priority. But we have to start thinking ahead, too."

Changes set in ticketing


Season-ticket holders have been receiving their playoff invoices in recent days, and the Mavericks have made a change in that policy.
Customers are being asked to place a 25-percent down payment on season tickets for the 2003-04 season and are being given the option to pay for those seats early to lock in this season's pricing. Playoff tickets, meanwhile, will be billed separately.

"In the past, we charged customers' credit cards for the playoffs, then had to credit them back, then sent out renewal notices [for the next season]," owner Mark Cuban said. "That was confusing to our customers and they told us so.

"This year, at the request of the customers, we just combined the two. This gives everyone more time for season-ticket renewals, and it gives us more time to re-sell tickets remaining in the event some don't renew their tickets."

Schedule gets a bit tougher


Having played only once in the past five days, the Mavericks will open a challenging four-day stretch Friday night at Miami.
They will play three games, including a back-to-back with Utah visiting American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Minnesota, one of the hottest teams in the league, visits on Monday.

"We've had a pretty nice, easy week, so we should be ready for this," Nelson said. "We have to assume they're all going to be very difficult to win."

The Mavericks have lost to a team with a losing record only once since Jan. 20, at Milwaukee on Feb. 12.

Briefly ...


Dirk Nowitzki was excused from practice on Thursday to stay at home and rest. The 7-footer has had the sniffles for more than a week. He's been improving the past couple of days and the Mavericks wanted him to rest rather than work out with the team in advance of Friday's game ... Raja Bell will have a homecoming Friday. He spent his high-school years in Miami after being born in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also attended Florida International for two years after two seasons at Boston University. ... Michael Finley turned 30 on Thursday.

[kg_veteran]

Funny, I've been asking all season long for the Mavs to keep Nash to 30-32 minutes per game, and now Nelson comes out and claims the idea as his own? My influence on Nellie is greater than I thought. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Nellie, if you're reading this: NO MORE UNDERDOG BALL.

[Murphy3]

yeah, kg, i think the credit belongs with you.

actually, sometimes i wonder if nellie has been reading the board.

things that we've demanded:
1. dirk getting more shots
2. limit nashes minutes..yeah, everyone has asked for that
3. more dirk in the post
4. more dirk down the stretch
5. less small ball
6. less underdog mentality
7. more defensive lineups down the stretch


and i could go on and on...but, you can see that some of the things are happening

[Chiwas]

With this article I understand more why Najera doesn't start often.