As Dallas improves to 68-18 with their two best players (Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler) in the lineup, and the country is forced to ponder the question, who is the more unlikely champion, J.J. Barea or DeShawn Stevenson, I thought I'd briefly trace the history of the various parts of this Mavs juggernaut, as it is a "who's who" of teams that fell just short of a championship, or were notable in some other way. If an NBA championship is supposed to bring "redemption", than this team redeemed a lot of people.
Nine years after the 2002 WCF, Peja Stojakovic is an NBA champion.
Eight years after the 2003 Finals, and ten after being traded for Stephon Marbury, its own type of infamy, Jason Kidd is an NBA champion.
Six years after the Malice At The Palace, Rick Carlisle is an NBA champion.
Five years after the 2006 Finals, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry are NBA champions.
Four years after Amar'e got suspended for leaving the bench, Shawn Marion is an NBA champion.
Four years after being swept out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Arenas' last good year, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood (and Caron Butler) are NBA champions.
One year after being dumped by the Charlotte Bobcats* for cap relief, Tyson Chandler is the second best player on an NBA champion.
And somehow, someway, amazingly, Brian Cardinal is an NBA champion.
Cardinal jokes aside, this Mavs team has so many players who have been a part of so many interesting, fun, and important teams over the past decade, it's great to see so many of them finally win a championship.
It's been a fantastic 2011 for the NBA, here's to a great 2012. Hopefully, we'll get one.
Showing posts with label dallas mavericks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dallas mavericks. Show all posts
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Why is Dallas "Clutch"?
Inspired by this post at The Painted Area.
In my Finals preview, I noted that [Dallas'] ability to space the floor and pass also means they are one of the only teams in the league whose crunch time offense is something other than an ugly ISO into a packed lane. But are there any other reasons Dallas has been so good in the clutch?
I don't think those players (Dallas' crunchtime lineup of Kidd/Terry/Marion/Nowitzki/Chandler) are intangibly "clutch", but have the skills to be better in clutch time basketball. Now, If you think about it, clutch time basketball is different from regular basketball. What are these differences?
1) More leeway is given to defensive players, especially in the area of "touch fouls."
Kidd and Marion are two of the best in the league at getting away with these types of plays, which helps the Mavs immensely.
2) Because of this, teams generally transition to a "give the ball to our best perimeter guy and hope he makes a play" offense. In 2011, it's really difficult to get the ball to your low post scorer in the final minute of the game in good position. (This is why Hedo Turkoglu was so important in 2009)
Dallas' zone, especially when anchored by Tyson Chandler, is frighteningly effective against this type of offense. Carlisle deserves a lot of credit here I think.
3) On the other hand, because of Dirk and Terry, Dallas has the personnel to run their normal offense extremely effectively during late game situations.
When Dirk gets the ball at the elbow, unlike guys like LeBron, Wade, Kobe, Rose, or Anthony, you can't stop the drive, and hope he misses a clean 17 foot fadeaway. If you play him tight, he's skilled enough to drive past his defender and/or draw the foul. If you double Dirk, he can reliably find Terry (or anyone, one of the advantages of being 7 feet tall is that it opens up passing lanes that almost none of the other crunch time perimeter scorers in the league have). Now, you have the guard who can hit the open three, the midrange shot, or find the open man with the ball, and the defense is already out of position because of the double team. Now Terry can get an open shot, find Kidd on the second pass for an open three, or get the ball back to Dirk if the defense adjusts. And, Dallas has an athletic 7-1 finisher hanging around the rim the whole time, and Kidd, Terry, and Nowitzki are all good enough passers to lob him an alley-oop.
The defensive advantages are obviously somewhat new, starting with the arrival of Kidd, but the Dirk-Terry dynamic has been happening for years. Dallas is uniquely effective in these situations because their two best offensive players are at their most dangerous doing what the other 29 teams have to be forced into doing at the end of the game.
In my Finals preview, I noted that [Dallas'] ability to space the floor and pass also means they are one of the only teams in the league whose crunch time offense is something other than an ugly ISO into a packed lane. But are there any other reasons Dallas has been so good in the clutch?
I don't think those players (Dallas' crunchtime lineup of Kidd/Terry/Marion/Nowitzki/Chandler) are intangibly "clutch", but have the skills to be better in clutch time basketball. Now, If you think about it, clutch time basketball is different from regular basketball. What are these differences?
1) More leeway is given to defensive players, especially in the area of "touch fouls."
Kidd and Marion are two of the best in the league at getting away with these types of plays, which helps the Mavs immensely.
2) Because of this, teams generally transition to a "give the ball to our best perimeter guy and hope he makes a play" offense. In 2011, it's really difficult to get the ball to your low post scorer in the final minute of the game in good position. (This is why Hedo Turkoglu was so important in 2009)
Dallas' zone, especially when anchored by Tyson Chandler, is frighteningly effective against this type of offense. Carlisle deserves a lot of credit here I think.
3) On the other hand, because of Dirk and Terry, Dallas has the personnel to run their normal offense extremely effectively during late game situations.
When Dirk gets the ball at the elbow, unlike guys like LeBron, Wade, Kobe, Rose, or Anthony, you can't stop the drive, and hope he misses a clean 17 foot fadeaway. If you play him tight, he's skilled enough to drive past his defender and/or draw the foul. If you double Dirk, he can reliably find Terry (or anyone, one of the advantages of being 7 feet tall is that it opens up passing lanes that almost none of the other crunch time perimeter scorers in the league have). Now, you have the guard who can hit the open three, the midrange shot, or find the open man with the ball, and the defense is already out of position because of the double team. Now Terry can get an open shot, find Kidd on the second pass for an open three, or get the ball back to Dirk if the defense adjusts. And, Dallas has an athletic 7-1 finisher hanging around the rim the whole time, and Kidd, Terry, and Nowitzki are all good enough passers to lob him an alley-oop.
The defensive advantages are obviously somewhat new, starting with the arrival of Kidd, but the Dirk-Terry dynamic has been happening for years. Dallas is uniquely effective in these situations because their two best offensive players are at their most dangerous doing what the other 29 teams have to be forced into doing at the end of the game.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
NBA Finals Preview
Both of these teams are better than you think.
Dallas? Don't let their overall record and point differential fool you. They have gone 64-16 with Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler in the lineup. They also won both regular season games against the Heat. Their ability to space the floor and pass also means they are one of the only teams in the league whose crunch time offense is something other than an ugly ISO into a packed lane.
Miami? After losing to Dallas on November 27th, they have gone 61-19. More impressively, they have gone 27-6 in their last 33 games, a 67 win pace, and looked better than Dallas in the conference finals. And Udonis Haslem, their 4th best player, is finally becoming healthy. And they have the best player in the series.
I think Miami is the favorite, but it should be an interesting series.
Dallas? Don't let their overall record and point differential fool you. They have gone 64-16 with Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler in the lineup. They also won both regular season games against the Heat. Their ability to space the floor and pass also means they are one of the only teams in the league whose crunch time offense is something other than an ugly ISO into a packed lane.
Miami? After losing to Dallas on November 27th, they have gone 61-19. More impressively, they have gone 27-6 in their last 33 games, a 67 win pace, and looked better than Dallas in the conference finals. And Udonis Haslem, their 4th best player, is finally becoming healthy. And they have the best player in the series.
I think Miami is the favorite, but it should be an interesting series.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
So, The Mavs Are Pretty Good
In the wake of the Dallas Mavericks' deconstruction of the Los Angeles Lakers comes the inevitable question, should we have seen their victory coming?
I can claim no prognosticative powers here. I didn't think Dallas would lose to the Blazers, but that was due more to pessimism about Portland than optimism concerning the Mavericks. I didn't think the Mavericks had much of a chance against Los Angeles, and even tweeted, when the playoffs began, about the easy road the Lakers had to the Western Conference Finals. Why was I so wrong? I think there were three main factors.
The first factor was that I underestimated how good Dallas is. I saw a team that went 57-25 with a plus 4.2 point differential, which is good, but hardly elite. However, if you eliminate games missed by Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler, Dallas' two best players (JET's heroics nonwithstanding), that record becomes 52-13 with a point differential over 6, which is "best in the Western Conference" territory.
The second factor was that I bought into the Laker narrative. Sure, they had plenty of weaknesses, and they struggled against a weak Hornets team, but they could turn it on when they wanted to, right? I thought they were just too big and too talented to lose this way. It turns out that they were until they weren't. Like the Spurs-Suns sweep of last year, this series is a reminder of how relying on established narratives can become lazy and inaccurate without asking if the reasons behind those narratives are still valid, in this case L.A's particular matchup advantages that Dallas was able to neutralize.
The third factor was the matchups, and I have said in the past that Dallas matches up well against the Lakers, but I didn't realize just how true that was. The Lakers' biggest weakness has always been small, quick guards, and their biggest strength has been imposing size and skill up front. Dallas was uniquely poised to take advantage, with Jason Terry and J.J. Barea shredding their perimeter defense, and their own trio of 7 footers (Chandler, Nowitzki, Haywood) neutralizing the Lakers' biggest strength.
On the other side, Dallas' biggest weakness the past few years has been, like L.A., quick guards. Exhibit A was their loss to San Antonio last year in the playoff series that briefly fooled people into thinking George Hill was a potential star. The Lakers (or the Blazers, for that matter) had no one who could exploit this weakness. Bryant's game is built around guile and precision instead of speed, making him the one type of good player Jason Kidd can still guard, and Derek Fisher, Steve Blake, and Shannon Brown provide the Mavericks with three of the only NBA players Terry or Barea can guard without looking atrocious.
Why did the Lakers get to the NBA Finals three straight years? One of the biggest reasons was that it was extremely difficult to score inside against them, and when an opponent takes your most efficient shot away from you, disaster often ensues. Fortunately for them, the Mavericks' biggest strength has been scoring from the outside, which they were able to do with ease against the Lakers' lackluster perimeter defense.
Oh, and for some reason Pau Gasol played terribly. Otherwise this series goes 6 or 7, maybe with the Lakers winning anyway.
I can claim no prognosticative powers here. I didn't think Dallas would lose to the Blazers, but that was due more to pessimism about Portland than optimism concerning the Mavericks. I didn't think the Mavericks had much of a chance against Los Angeles, and even tweeted, when the playoffs began, about the easy road the Lakers had to the Western Conference Finals. Why was I so wrong? I think there were three main factors.
The first factor was that I underestimated how good Dallas is. I saw a team that went 57-25 with a plus 4.2 point differential, which is good, but hardly elite. However, if you eliminate games missed by Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler, Dallas' two best players (JET's heroics nonwithstanding), that record becomes 52-13 with a point differential over 6, which is "best in the Western Conference" territory.
The second factor was that I bought into the Laker narrative. Sure, they had plenty of weaknesses, and they struggled against a weak Hornets team, but they could turn it on when they wanted to, right? I thought they were just too big and too talented to lose this way. It turns out that they were until they weren't. Like the Spurs-Suns sweep of last year, this series is a reminder of how relying on established narratives can become lazy and inaccurate without asking if the reasons behind those narratives are still valid, in this case L.A's particular matchup advantages that Dallas was able to neutralize.
The third factor was the matchups, and I have said in the past that Dallas matches up well against the Lakers, but I didn't realize just how true that was. The Lakers' biggest weakness has always been small, quick guards, and their biggest strength has been imposing size and skill up front. Dallas was uniquely poised to take advantage, with Jason Terry and J.J. Barea shredding their perimeter defense, and their own trio of 7 footers (Chandler, Nowitzki, Haywood) neutralizing the Lakers' biggest strength.
On the other side, Dallas' biggest weakness the past few years has been, like L.A., quick guards. Exhibit A was their loss to San Antonio last year in the playoff series that briefly fooled people into thinking George Hill was a potential star. The Lakers (or the Blazers, for that matter) had no one who could exploit this weakness. Bryant's game is built around guile and precision instead of speed, making him the one type of good player Jason Kidd can still guard, and Derek Fisher, Steve Blake, and Shannon Brown provide the Mavericks with three of the only NBA players Terry or Barea can guard without looking atrocious.
Why did the Lakers get to the NBA Finals three straight years? One of the biggest reasons was that it was extremely difficult to score inside against them, and when an opponent takes your most efficient shot away from you, disaster often ensues. Fortunately for them, the Mavericks' biggest strength has been scoring from the outside, which they were able to do with ease against the Lakers' lackluster perimeter defense.
Oh, and for some reason Pau Gasol played terribly. Otherwise this series goes 6 or 7, maybe with the Lakers winning anyway.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Shallow Thought Of The Day, Vol VII
One of the memes floating around this year's playoffs has been that this is Dirk Nowitzki's best chance to win a title. But I'm not sure this is accurate. The first reason is that I am pessimistic about this group's ability to win a title. Every team that has won a championship in recent memory has done so with great defense or two stars (usually both). This Dallas team has neither.
The second reason is that I think they have a better shot next year, or in 2012, because of Rodrigue Beaubois and some advantageous contracts. If Beaubois continues to improve, and gets 30-35 minutes a game, he could become the excellent second option that the Mavs need. They have Dampier's valuable contract to deal this summer, as well as Butler's expiring to add pieces. If they get a good return on those players, and if Marion can remain a good defender, then a starting five of Kidd-Beaubois-Marion-Nowitzki-Haywood (with Terry, the Dampier and Butler bounties, and Rookie X off the bench) would be improved defensively (with Beaubois guarding the quick guards that destroy the Mavs now) and offensively.
The second reason is that I think they have a better shot next year, or in 2012, because of Rodrigue Beaubois and some advantageous contracts. If Beaubois continues to improve, and gets 30-35 minutes a game, he could become the excellent second option that the Mavs need. They have Dampier's valuable contract to deal this summer, as well as Butler's expiring to add pieces. If they get a good return on those players, and if Marion can remain a good defender, then a starting five of Kidd-Beaubois-Marion-Nowitzki-Haywood (with Terry, the Dampier and Butler bounties, and Rookie X off the bench) would be improved defensively (with Beaubois guarding the quick guards that destroy the Mavs now) and offensively.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Brendan Haywood Is The Best Mavericks Center Ever No Really: A Play In One Act
Scene: a darkened auditorium. There are very few people in the seats and a monstrous spotlight on the court.
Enter: PA Announcer
Aaaaannnd now, ladies and gentlemen, the top 5 centers in Dallas Mavericks hiiiisssssstoooorrryy!!!!
applause
In the first category, we have honorable mentions for some decent players who weren't really centers, but played there anyway because yooouurr Dallas Mavericks didn't have anyone else!!! Let's here it fooooooorrr Raef LaFrentz, Drew Gooden, Roy Tarpley, and Saaaaammm Perkins!!!
wild applause
Now, the number 5 center in Dallas Mavericks history. From Dakar, Senegal, the man who has blocked more shots than he has made, DeSaganaaaaa Diop!!!
wild applause followed by highlight reels of Diop alternately blocking shots and turning the ball over
For your Dallas Mavericks, the number 4 center of all time. You've seen him in posters, you've seen him posterized on YouTube, you've seen him in Space Jam, you may even have seen him on Walker, Texas Ranger...the seven foot six inch shot-blocker extraordinaire, from Landstuhl, Germany, Shaaaawwwnn Bradley!!!
feverish applause during which the PA announcer runs down to the court and dunks on Bradley
The number three center of all time for the Dallas Mavericks. He has shot over 60% the last four years, and is one of the NBA's better rebounders. The man you know as Ericka for his inconsistent effort, from Jackson, Mississippi, Erick Dampiiieeeerr!!!
mild applause, after some confusion it is determined that Dampier is not in the building
Now, the number two center in Dallas Mavericks history. Going back to the 80s, to the days of Mark Aguirre and Derek Harper, to a man who seldom missed and seldom fouled, from the United Kingdom, the incomparably efficient Jaaaaammeeess Donaldson!!!
euphoria in the crowd, Brad Davis and Dick Motta are seen celebrating courtside while highlights from that time Dallas almost beat the Lakers in the playoffs are shown on the MiniTron
Finally, the man you've all been waiting for. The best center to ever put on a Dallas Mavericks uniform, he's a defensive standout who is in the NBA top 10 in rebounds and blocks per game, formerly the best player on the Washington Wizards, from New York, New York, Breeeeeendaaaannn Haaaaayywooooodd!!!
pause. is he really better than Jamison? best player on a bad team doesn't mean anything. anyway, he's never made an all-star team like Donaldson, who was really good let me tell you, and we still can't beat the Lakers...actually he is kinda good...ecstatic rioting in the streets
Exeunt
Enter: PA Announcer
Aaaaannnd now, ladies and gentlemen, the top 5 centers in Dallas Mavericks hiiiisssssstoooorrryy!!!!
applause
In the first category, we have honorable mentions for some decent players who weren't really centers, but played there anyway because yooouurr Dallas Mavericks didn't have anyone else!!! Let's here it fooooooorrr Raef LaFrentz, Drew Gooden, Roy Tarpley, and Saaaaammm Perkins!!!
wild applause
Now, the number 5 center in Dallas Mavericks history. From Dakar, Senegal, the man who has blocked more shots than he has made, DeSaganaaaaa Diop!!!
wild applause followed by highlight reels of Diop alternately blocking shots and turning the ball over
For your Dallas Mavericks, the number 4 center of all time. You've seen him in posters, you've seen him posterized on YouTube, you've seen him in Space Jam, you may even have seen him on Walker, Texas Ranger...the seven foot six inch shot-blocker extraordinaire, from Landstuhl, Germany, Shaaaawwwnn Bradley!!!
feverish applause during which the PA announcer runs down to the court and dunks on Bradley
The number three center of all time for the Dallas Mavericks. He has shot over 60% the last four years, and is one of the NBA's better rebounders. The man you know as Ericka for his inconsistent effort, from Jackson, Mississippi, Erick Dampiiieeeerr!!!
mild applause, after some confusion it is determined that Dampier is not in the building
Now, the number two center in Dallas Mavericks history. Going back to the 80s, to the days of Mark Aguirre and Derek Harper, to a man who seldom missed and seldom fouled, from the United Kingdom, the incomparably efficient Jaaaaammeeess Donaldson!!!
euphoria in the crowd, Brad Davis and Dick Motta are seen celebrating courtside while highlights from that time Dallas almost beat the Lakers in the playoffs are shown on the MiniTron
Finally, the man you've all been waiting for. The best center to ever put on a Dallas Mavericks uniform, he's a defensive standout who is in the NBA top 10 in rebounds and blocks per game, formerly the best player on the Washington Wizards, from New York, New York, Breeeeeendaaaannn Haaaaayywooooodd!!!
pause. is he really better than Jamison? best player on a bad team doesn't mean anything. anyway, he's never made an all-star team like Donaldson, who was really good let me tell you, and we still can't beat the Lakers...actually he is kinda good...ecstatic rioting in the streets
Exeunt
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