SB Nation - Drew Gooden

Game Recap: Mavericks Drown Out Thunder 100-86

zdgmans — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:08:58 -0000

More photos » by ALONZO ADAMS - AP

The 12-11 Okalahoma City Thunder, who are much more dangerous than their record would indicate, welcome the Dallas Mavericks into their gym for the first time this year. The second youngest team in the NBA likes to get off to a fast start and push the ball in transition whereas the Mavericks look to execute in the half court and push only when there is an opening.

The Thunder present a challenge for any team in the NBA (there are no easy games in this league no matter what anyone thinks). This will be a game of wills and it comes down to which team executes their game plan better.

Game as a Whole:

Dirk Nowitzki recovers from his previous off night to help push the Mavericks over the hump tonight. He ended up besting Kevin Durant all night (Durant is currently third in the league in scoring) both in points and on the boards. While Dirk deservers almost all of the credit for the win, Shawn Marion and Erick Dampier both turned in excellent performances to compliment everything that Dirk was doing.

While the five-game winning streak is great, the Mavericks still have a few things that they will need to improve on if they hope to continue rolling. Jason Terry’s defense is just as much a liability for the team as Barea’s. Tonight, he was consistently getting blown by, and fouling in an attempt to make up for his defensive shortcomings. Too many second chance points given up by the Mavericks kept the Thunder in the game for most of fourth quarter.

1st Quarter

11:37, Barea kicks of his night by missing a three-point jumper. Are we going to see the Barea that dominated the Hornets?
10:48, Barea redeems himself by drawing an offensive foul against Russell Westbrook. If he even slows Westbrook down a little bit the Mavericks should be able to pull out a win.
10:26, What is this, the Barea three point shooting clinic? Let’s get somebody else a shot shall we?
8:26, You absolutely cannot give up 2 offensive rebounds in one sequence to the Okalahoma City Thunder. They are going to make you pay. The Mavericks woes on the offensive boards continue.
Shawn Marion is looking really active tonight. You won’t see his contribution in the stats sheet night in and night out but he is definitely making his presence felt for the Mavericks.
7:20, Is it me or is Barea taking way too many shots tonight? I know the coaches told him to stay aggressive but this seems a bit over-aggressive.
3:59, Shawn Marion block on Kevin Durant. Mavericks will need more of that if they want to take the lead in this game.
3:39, Josh Howard comes in for the first time tonight. Let’s see whether Howard can give us a spark off of the bench.
3:24, Definitely dodged a bullet on this offensive sequence. One offensive rebound and two missed three pointers for the Thunder isn’t the best outcome but I will take it.
2:20, Shawn Marion in for Dirk? Marion and Howard on the floor at the same time? This is interesting.
0:03, Looks like this lineup has effectively tied the game. Thanks Shawn Marion and Jason Terry.

2nd Quarter

11:38, Like the hustle from Josh Howard (almost back to his old form) but you have to put one shot in if you get your own offensive rebound.
10:52, Drew Gooden misses a 12-foot jumper (shouldn’t be taking those) and then makes up for it by fouling at the other end. That’s not going to put your team in a position to win.
10:03, Dirk misses a jumper. Color me surprised that the Mavericks are only down by three at this point.
9:07, Drew Gooden cleaning up the garbage on a missed layup attempt by Barea. This is really what Gooden should stick to, not jump shots.
7:33, Josh Howard seems to be taking his ride on the off night train. Glad to see him make an 18-foot basket at this point in the game.
6:07-5:37, Welcome to the Drew Gooden show! Dunks (Jason Terry assists), defensive rebound, and then draws a shooting foul. That’s how you start to take over a game.
Shawn Marion used to be an okay three-point shooter when he was at Phoenix. When is he going to start setting up for some three’s again?
3:45-3:42, How is it that in the span of 3 seconds you can have two offensive rebounds gathered in by two different players and they both end up missing the put back? Not going to name names, as it is embarrassing.
1:54, Erick Dampier makes a layup (Kidd gets another assist) and the Mavericks are now only down two points.
:22, Dirk out of the timeout is always a great play. I wonder how many times they draw up the play specifically for Dirk?

3rd Quarter

10:20, The fade away is back. Dirk, it’s looking like you need put the Mavericks on your back tonight after the poor game you had the other day. Comes back and gets fouled on the next possession.
The Thunder are another team who have a record that doesn’t tell the full story. They have a pretty dangerous starting five, even if they are pretty young.
Mavericks are 2 of 9 from behind the 3 point line right now.
9:06, Great hand-off by Kidd to Dampier, but he couldn’t finish the play. Kidd, nice old school moves going off of the playe’rs back to get the ball inbounds.
Dampier makes both of his free throws. Great when he does that.
8:37, Mavericks only down 3 and Kidd takes a three pointer off of a screen. Didn’t even set his feet. If he hit those all the time, wow.
7:21, Dirk really looks awesome when he takes it to the basket. He really should mix his game up more and continue to do that.
5:53, Dampier looks like Dwight Howard rolling to the basket. Takes a lob from Kidd and banks it off the glass before touching the ground. Sadly, basket doesn’t count as Kidd was fouled on the pass.
4:08, Josh Howard has a great turn-around jumper. That was his best shot tonight.
Mavericks are going on a run. Dirk hits a baseline jump shot and then, after a defensive stop, Josh goes coast-to-coast for a layup. Thunder cannot be happy with that.
2:00, Dirk trailing for three is the Mavericks new go-to play. I really like how people haven’t figured out that you need to run out to the three-point line and cover him.
:22.9, Marion takes it hard to the basket to put the Mavericks up by 4. Weren’t they just up by 7 not even a minute ago?

4th Quarter

11:33, Starting off the quarter by getting the Thunder into foul trouble. Yes please. Mavericks are really fighting for rebounds now.
10:50, Gooden tries to put it up against two defenders under the basket. Bad choice.
I can’t believe the Thunder are the number one free throw shooting team in the league.
Shot clock violation. Kidd needs to be back in the game. Tied 71-71.
Mavericks have turned it over in each of their last three possessions. The Thunder now lead the game by two.
8:18, Time for Drew Gooden to sit down and Erick Dampier back in the game. Offensive rebound with a put back "and 1". Come on.
7:55, In case of emergency, let Nowitzki go glass. 2-point banker is good.
7:33, Howard ties it on two free throws.
5:29, Dirk hits another 2 point shot to put the Mavericks up five. Their interior defense falls apart on the next possession.
4:43, Offensive rebound for Dampier, who then gets fouled. Dallas needed these foul shots to slow the game down. This will allow their defense to get back and get set on the next play.
4:05, Howard may have hit a dagger three. Mavericks get a block on the Thunder’s next possession.
2:18, Dampier takes a perfect pass from Dirk at the three-point line (after a shot fake). This is going really well now.
1:43, Correction, Dirk hits the dagger three. The Mavericks are officially taking over the 4^th quarter (something they normally don’t do).
The Thunder have absolutely fallen apart at the end of the game. I guess this is what you get from a young team? Mavericks are up 12 with less than 40 seconds to go.
Mavericks win 100-86.

Some Choice Statistics

More clutch play from Dirk, 55-55 on Free Throws in the Fourth Quarter/OT this year.
Shawn Marion and Drew Gooden both end up coming out of this game with -7 in the +/- even though they had valuable contributions.
Dallas is currently the third best free throw shooting team in the league at around 80%.

Closing Thoughts:

The Mavericks haven’t been known as "closers" but after a tight game against the Thunder it was a great sign to see them close the game out with a big run to completely shut the door on a comeback. The winning streak continues even though the team is still a work in progress.

Game 24 Preview: Oklahoma City vs. Dallas

Zorgon — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:03:40 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Hey man! Easy!

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This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 7:00 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: KSBI-TV, Fox Sports Southwest, ESPN

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Mavs Moneyball, That Two Man Game

Backstory: As a team that's not even one and a half years old, we don't have many rivalries. In fact, to fans in Oklahoma City, I'd say we have 0 rivalries. The only time they'll take a game seriously is when the team we're facing is really good, or when the Thunder are on National TV. To fans nationally, the thunder might have a rivalry going with the TrailBlazers, but to fans in Oklahoma City, the rivalry is irrelevant. In fact, I don't think I can even remember the games against the TrailBlazers, except through a recap I read.

But I think the closest we're getting to a rivalry is the one with our neighbors to the South, the Dallas Mavericks. Some were gunning for a Denver rivalry, but after last nights snorefest combined with the fact that only one game was really good makes for a dud of a rivalry. The Mavericks, on the other hand, have provided an entertaining game every time we've met them. Our first game against them was a close loss, which was one of the first indications that last season's Thunder weren't going to be the worst team in NBA history. Then, we had a close overtime loss in Dallas, and finally, a victory in Oklahoma City through a rally of some of our worst players. No Green? No Durant? No problem, just have Kyle Weaver go off on them!

But, this season, the games actually have meaning for both teams. We are both gunning for good seeds in the Western playoffs. The Mavericks have been doing a lot better, but what's to say that we don't already have their number? The players may have changed, but the coach and the strategy is the same.

Below: Matchups, Prediction

Matchups:

Center: Nenad Krstic vs. Erick Dampier

Erick Dampier isn't as young as he used to be. In fact, he's at the ripe old age of 34. But he's always proved to be the perfect compliment to Dirk Nowitski. Whereas Dirk is focused on offense, Dampier provides the yin to his yang by focusing on defense and inside battles. Even though he's facing a light weight in Nenad Krstic, I wouldn't expect Dampier to go above 15 Points or so, though. You can only set up so many plays for him, but expect him to really own the rebounding department,

Power Forward: Jeff Green vs. Dirk Nowitski

Jeff Green has never done well against big players, but Dirk Nowitski isn't your typical 7 footer. He'll get the same numbers as Dwight Howard, sure. But he'll do it through sheer size and outside shooting prowess, rather than bullying his way into dunks. This might open up opportunities for Jeff Greens quickness to outclass Dirk offensively, but I still wouldn't bet on a big game from him. The Dallas frontcourt wins by a longshot.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant vs. Shawn Marion

Shawn Marion is your typical above-average small forward. He'll get you just over 12 points, grab a couple of rebounds, and dish an assist. But he's no match for Durant. He'll produce his usual game offensively, but Durant will put up far better numbers.

Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha vs. Jose Juan Barea

Jose Juan Barea is the only member of the Mavericks starting five to not have played pro-basketball in the 90s. Still, that doesn't make him any worse than his counterparts. He's known as a quick combo guard who can light it up on occasion for bunches of points. Unfortunately for him, he's going up against one of the best defenders in the NBA, and he won't have much success.

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook vs. Jason Kidd

This isn't your father's Jason Kidd. He can't defend or score as well as he used to, but, luckily for the Mavericks, his lightning quick passing skills and his ability to rebound are still there. He'll definitely out-assist Westbrook tonight, but I have a feeling Westbrook will put more points on him. It should be interesting to see the old guard vs. the new.

Battle of the Benches:

The Mavericks, as always, have an incredibly deep and talented bench, including the likes of Drew Gooden, Jason Terry, and Rodrigue Beaubois, who is way better and awesomer than B.J. Mullens. Since we're still without a Point Guard, I'll give them the win here.

Coaching and Intangibles:

Both teams are equally rested and have almost their full roster intact, but the Mavericks are at home, so they have the advantage.

Bottom Line:

This is the last game of the "Deadly Trio" that we lined up, with games against the Cavaliers and the Nuggets prior. If we can win this one, I'd say it was a successful 3 game stretch. But if we can't dial the Mavericks number again tonight, I'll have serious doubts about our playoff chances. And yes, I said the P-Word! If the Thunder can get some production out of Green and make sure Westbrook doesn't put up too many bad shots, I'd say we have a good shot at winning this thing.

Prediction: Oklahoma City 112, Dallas 110 (OT)

How do you think the game will go? Vote in the Poll!

And, again, feel free to drop any comments you might have during, before, or after the game below. I'll be in the Ford Center cheering the teams on, but I'll be back to write a recap later tonight. Go Thunder!

Poll

Who's going to win tonight?

Big 12 All Decade Team

Evan Pfaff — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

With almost a full year yet to play, Kansas center Cole Aldrich muscled his way onto the Big12Hoops.com First Team All Big 12 Decade Team (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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In the first full calendar decade of the Big 12 conference, one thing was apparent: there were two schools that produced a good majority of the talent. And while the best individual players may not have come from Kansas or Texas, a look at the Big12Hoops.com All Decade team reveals that a majority were either Jayhawks or Longhorns.

Don't see your favorite? The Honorable Mention list is after The Jump

First Team All Big 12

PG – Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa St
SG – Tony Allen, Oklahoma St
SF – Kevin Durant, Texas
PF – Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
C – Cole Aldrich, Kansas

Second Team All Big 12

PG – Kirk Hinrich, Kansas
SG – Acie Law, Texas A&M
SF – Michael Beasely, Kansas St
PF – Marcus Fizer, Iowa St
C – Chris Mihm, Texas

Third Team All Big 12

PG – TJ Ford, Texas
SG – Andre Emmett, Texas Tech
SF – PJ Tucker, Texas
PF – Drew Gooden, Kansas
C – Nick Collison, Kansas

[UPDATE: Lots of good suggestions and opinions in the comments section. Lemme give a little insight into how I compiled this list.

I started with a list of Big 12 Players of the Year. My rationale was that if someone was good enough to be the best in the league, even for one year, he warranted entry into this exclusive club. 9 of the 10 Big 12 Players of the Year made the top three teams. The only one who didn’t was Wayne Simien, and that is because he played a PF position that, if you look at the past decade, was just STACKED. Blake Griffin, Marcus Fizer, Drew Gooden. Really you could put Simien in there, but who gets bumped off?

As for PG, Tinsley over TJ Ford and Kirk Hinirich has also garnered a lot of attention. Tinsley’s place as the 2000-01 POY got him on the first team. But you really cant go wrong with any of them.

Lastly, there is this question on what to do with Durant and Beasley. Each only played one year, but they dominated the league (and the country). Durant was a Naismith winner as the best player in the country and Beasley was a finalist for the award. Both were league POYs. Because they didn’t play a full 4 years, they didn’t accumulate career stats that some others players did, but my list was based on selecting the best players, during their time in the Big 12, at each position.]

All Big 12 - Honorable Mention

Baylor Bears
LaceDarius Dunn
Lawrence Roberts

Colorado Buffaloes
Reggie Roby
David Harrison

Iowa St Cyclones
Craig Brackins

Kansas Jayhawks
Wayne Simien
Aaron Miles

Kansas St. Wildcats
Cartier Martin

Missouri Tigers
DeMarre Carroll
Clarence Gilbert
Arthur Johnson
Kareem Rush

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Aleks Maric

Oklahoma Sooners
Taj Gray
Hollis Price

Oklahoma St Cowboys
Byron Eaton
Joey Graham

Texas Longhorns
DJ Augustine
LaMarcus Aldridge

Texas Tech Red Raiders
Jarrius Jackson

Texas A&M Aggies
Bernard King

Mavericks Vs Heat: Game 23 Preview

Phillip Baggett — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:39:21 -0000

Phil is out tonight so you have me (zdgmans) coming off the bench (don't get used to it). To his credit, he did write part of this post!

The Match-ups:

Point Guard

Jason Kidd: This is the situation that every Mavericks fan does not look forward to. A young stud point guard with something to prove. While Mario Chalmers is not a Chris Paul he is definitely someone who can score in bunches. Jason Kidd has shown that he can slow down these young bucks but he isn't a lock-down defender by any stretch of the imagination. Look for J Kidd to come out on top while getting some help defense from his friends.

vs.

Mario Chalmers: Mario has had a pretty shaky start this year, there have been a few spectacular nights along the way but for the most part he has struggled on the offensive end, and on several occasions on the defensive end as well. Good PG play is essential for the Heat, without it they must shift Wade to that spot causing their offense to go stagnate. Chalmers has been playing with a sore shoulder for a while now, and who knows how much that it is affecting his play.

Edge: Mavs

Shooting Guard

Jason Terry: JET gets another start in place of Josh Howard or Roddy. I would have been really interested to see Josh get the start to see what sort of defense he could play against Wade but I am sure that it is a bit too early for him to take on the task of guarding the top tier players just yet. This is a definite mismatch for the Mavericks as JET is not one of our best defenders and while he can score he is just no match for Wade's offensive potential.

vs.

Dwayne Wade: Okay I have been sitting here for 20 minutes trying to come up with something to say about D Wade, and well this is all I can come up with... FUCK YOU Wade!

Edge: Heat

Forward

Shawn Marion: Everyone including myself is waiting for Shawn to have a "big" game where he drops 30/10 and just push his defensive assignment around (like the old Matrix). It definitely could happen tonight if Marion decides that he wants to be aggressive with Richardson. Quentin is not a prolific scorer and is only a sub-par defender when it comes to matching up with a player of Marion's talent level. While I can't discount some of the good games he has had, this is a match-up in Marion's favor.

vs.

Quentin Richardson: Deadly in stints but definitely not someone that should be considered a true starting forward (who else do the Heat have though). Quentin has had some good games this year but he is basically at his maximum potential when it comes to this Heat team. Look for Quentin to host up a bunch of early jump shots to try and get himself going.

Edge: Mavs

Power Forward

Dirk Nowitzki: There isn't really much that hasn't already been said about Dirk. The Mavericks franchise player will do his part tonight against the Heat. It seems in Monday's game against the Suns Dirk got some of his scoring touch back (finally breaking the 30 pt barrier after a few bad starts). Look for a continued trend upwards as Dirk pours in a 30+ and 10 performance. Defense is no question here as Michael Beasley is a bit hard to slow when he gets in the zone. Fortunately, Dirk can quickly get the young Beasley in trouble if he is as aggressive with his play as Beasley is with his D.

vs.

Michael Beasley: Is Beasley really a forward? Only a few years removed from college, Beasley is definitely still a bit wet behind the ears. Make no mistake about it, Beasley is a very good basketball player who can score in bunches and defend with a passion but sometimes he lacks focus. This is definitely the year we start to see Beasley mature a bit (now with some of his problems behind him). Although we already know who the match-up goes to in this case, look for Beasley to still have a great game (if he doesn't get into foul trouble).

Edge: Mavs

Center

Drew Gooden: Drew isn't in the game to score but he is in there to bring energy and get the Mavs offensive rebounds. If Gooden decides to be active tonight on the boards he could make a killing (as long as O'Neal is definitely out). Here's to hoping Gooden doesn't decide he wants to take any 15 foot jump shots and instead takes everything close to the basket.

Vs.

Jamaal Magloire: Okay as a backup but definitely not someone you would enjoy starting. Do I really need to say anything more about Jamaal Magloire?

Edge: Mavs

Injuries/Suspensions

Miami Heat

OUT - Jermaine O'Neal (personal reasons)

Dallas Mavericks

OUT - Quinton Ross (back)

Prediction: As long as Wade doesn't explode the Mavericks should be able to keep the Heat on low (I made a cooking pun there).

Dallas Mavericks: 110

Miami Heat: 95

Game Recap: Suns Set, Mavericks win 102-101

zdgmans — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:32:38 -0000

Mavericks fans got a great surprise today with Josh Howard returning to the line-up (although not in a starting roll). Howard definitely is the X-factor for this Dallas team. Don’t believe it? Check out the last twelve minutes of tonight’s game against Phoenix and you will see that Howard was a part of almost every major play the Mavericks had.

The team is still suffering from some offensive woes but you can chalk those up to Howard trying to shake off the rust and get integrated back into the line-up.

Game as a Whole:

Poor shooting aside, the Mavericks looked in control tonight. They didn’t get flustered when they were down or when Phoenix started to make a run in the 4^th quarter. The team executed the game plan and had an answer each time Phoenix came up with a big play.

What was different? A lot of things that had been going badly for the Mavericks all of a sudden started to go right. Barea actually contributed quality minutes (14 points), Dirk was the scoring monster he always has been (33 points), and Howard came back and played some clutch minutes (20 points and 6 rebounds in 24 minutes).

The Mavericks played with heart tonight and it seemed like the entire team keyed off of what Josh Howard was doing on the floor. The team, probably frustrated with its last two poor performances, seemed to play with a renewed passion and sense of urgency.

Hustle plays, lose balls, and defensive stops were all being made at crucial points in the game. The ball was definitely bouncing the Mavericks way tonight.

1st Quarter

Marion is off to a 1 of 5 start. He seems to be really out of sync on the offensive end. Taking really bad shots.
Barea is getting the chance to prove that he deserves to start. This is an interesting decision by Rick Carlisle.
Howard comes in for the first time at 5:07 while Dirk takes foul shots.
Howard misses his first shot but then makes up for it on the defensive end by getting a nice block.
The Mavs are still taking too many outside shots. It would be okay if we were making them but we are currently missing everything.
Dirk is fighting inside tonight, 2 offensive rebounds, puts it in, and 1.
Dampier shows off his terrible hands. First, can’t make a catch under the basket, then makes a bad pass.
Howard seems like he has something to prove tonight. He is driving REALLY hard to the basket.
Both teams are currently perfect from the line.

2nd Quarter

Dirk has a nice dunk to start off the quarter.
Gooden misses a point blank lay up at around the 9:07 mark. Can’t blow easy points like that.
Jason Terry is arguing a lot about the foul he committed at 7:12. Luckily the refs are being generous tonight.
Nice driving lay up by Barea but then he quickly picks up his second foul while tring to guard Jared Dudley.
5:19 Dirk gets a great reverse under the basket and is fouled. Just the type of action the team needs in the paint.
Mavericks have erased an 8-point lead that the suns had accumulated.
I cannot count how many times I have heard "toes were on the line" and Kidd mentioned in the same sentence.
Terry picks up his third foul with 56 seconds to go in the quarter. This could mean a rocky start to the third.
Marion misses at point blank range to end the quarter. Not the kind of performance you want to put together against your old team.

3rd Quarter

Second half line-up. Gooden is on the floor instead of Dampier. Dampier is not having a good night.
In an interesting move by Rick Carlisle JJ is kept on the floor even though he picked up his third foul early.
Two dunks by Dirk in one game. When the heck does that ever happen?
Kris Humphries gets put in for Drew Gooden. Hasn’t done anything special yet. Make those minutes count.
At 3:51 the Mavericks switch from a small 3-guard line-up to something more traditional with Humphries, Howard, Kidd, Nowitzki, and Terry.
Great to see the classic Josh Howard floater at the 2:25 mark. Welcome back Josh.
Hard foul by Amare on Kris Humprhies trying to go up for the dunk.
Josh Howard is starting to feel it. Hits a nice looking three-pointer and then the Mavericks force the Suns to take a timeout on the other end.
Things start rolling the Mavericks way. Dirk gets and one on a 21 footer. Mavericks currently up seven.

4th Quarter

Howard gets another big three and the Mavericks seem to be feeding off of him.
8:40 mark and Carlisle has to call a timeout due to poor transition defense that leads to a Jared Dudley 3-pointer.
Howard has scored the last 9 points for the Mavericks. That slowed down a Phoenix run that was starting to build.
Dirk has scored 31 points with around 3 minutes to go in the game. This is the Dirk we are used to seeing.
The Mavericks are starting to trade baskets with the suns. Kidd takes a perfect charge on Richardson to stop another Phoenix run.
The quintessential Dirk fade away on the base line puts the Mavericks up by 7 with a 1:39 to go. The Mavs then have an excellent defensive sequence to force a shot clock violation.
Kidd hits a 2 (to make it a two possession game) with 26 seconds left.
Steve Nash has drilled two threes for the Suns (making it a three point game). Mavs decide to play the foul game on his next trip so that Nash cannot take another 3.
Terry saves the game. Intentional miss on a foul shot (to start the clock) after missing his first.
Mavericks get the win 102-101.

Some Choice Statistics

Josh Howard has been out of the line-up since November 11^th (went out in a loss to the Spurs).
The Mavericks went 33-19 with Josh Howard in the line-up and 17-13 without him last season.
Dirk has a two game streak of wearing the headband.
Continuing the Josh Howard theme: Howard is the second player after Shane Battier to attain 1000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals, 100 blocks, and 100 three-pointer.

Closing Thoughts:

Everyone has already said this but I will say it again. Josh Howard needs to stay healthy for the Mavericks to reach their true potential in the West. I am excited to think what this team will look like in a couple of weeks once Howard is fully back into form. We will still have some growing pains ahead (as we integrate Howard back into the line-up) and the team tries to figure out its defensive identity. It’s a long season and we are all along for the ride.

Mavericks Vs Suns: Game 22 Preview

Phillip Baggett — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:09:11 -0000

Suns vs Mavericks preview

Bright Side Of The Sun

Suns vs Mavericks coverage

The Match-ups:

Point Guard

Jason Kidd: The Mavericks will need a little extra from Kidd tonight. The Mavs will have to call on Kidd to try and penetrate in order to create better shots for the slumping Mavericks shooters. Normally this is not a very profitable idea but tonight Kidd will have the leagues other ageless wonder covering him, and this should allow Kidd to at least be on equal ground as far as quickness. However for everything that goes up must come down. Kidd will draw a very tough cover in Steve Nash, and that beautiful teardrop shot of his. It is imperative for Kidd to keep a tight handle on Nash and not allow him to get on one of his shooting streaks.

vs.

Steve Nash: How on earth did Cuban ever allow this guy to leave Dallas? Even though he plays for the enemy I still love to watch Nash. As tough a cover as Kidd will have all year (yes that includes CP3, and Tony Parker) he has the uncanny ability to create just enough space for himself to get a good look at the basket, and a good look for Nash is most assuredly a shot that most others would not have a chance at. Nash will create shots not only for himself but is unbelievably good at getting open looks for his teammates.

Edge: Suns

Shooting Guard

Rodrigue Beaubois: This is simply a guess on my part as to who the starter will be, it is very possible that the JET will get his second consecutive start. The Mavericks and Coach Carlisle must start getting Beaubois more time on the floor, and his length and athleticism would surely help tonight. However whoever gets the nod will have their hands full with the Suns dead eye shooter Jason Richardson. I believe that Roddy B would give the Mavs their best chance against Richardson.

vs.

Jason Richardson: Richardson comes into the night averaging 16.4 ppg and 4.9 rpg but it his FG% and 3P% that are most shocking. Josh is shooting 49.6%FG and 42.3% from beyond the arc, this is one guy that the Mavs can not afford to let run free.

Edge: Suns

Forward

Shawn Marion: Continues to play very solid offense but the Mavs will need more from him tonight. Shawn's offensive game will need to be in full swing tonight for the Mavs to be able to compete.

vs.

Grant Hill: Did I mention my extreme hatred of anyone from Duke?

Edge: Mavs

Power Forward

Dirk Nowitzki: Continues to struggle somewhat from the field, the Mavs cannot stand for Dirk to continue to struggle from the field, and settle for jump shots. Dirk will also need to be on top of his defensive game as well, as Channing Frye poses serious problems with his length and shooting prowess.

vs.

Channing Frye: While not on the same level as Dirk he does pose some of the same issues that Dirk does. He is a tall forward with a nice 3point shooting touch.

Edge: Mavs

Center

Drew Gooden: Drew Gooden should get the nod tonight ahead of Dampier simply because he is the more athletic option and should be able to stay with Stoudemire with much more consistency than Dampier. Either way though they will need to make sure that he is accounted for on every possession.

Vs.

Amare Stoudemire: Even after major surgery he still has most of the same abilities he had before the surgery, and continues to be Phoenix #1 option each time down the floor. Stoudemire is at his best in the open court and running, an extremely proficient finish around the basket.

Edge:Suns

Injuries/Suspensions

Phoenix Suns

OUT - Leandro Barbosa

Dallas Mavericks

OUT - Josh Howard

Prediction: If the Mavs starting 5 can stay close to the Suns the second rotation should be able to do some damage. Look for this game to be very competitive the whole way through, but the strength of the Mavs bench will come through in the end.

Dallas Mavericks: 118

Phoenix Suns: 113

Game Preview - Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks

Mike Lisboa — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:07:04 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

"Trade me for a Shaqtus, will you?" Former Sun Shawn Marion plots his revenge. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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So, after a creampuff of a schedule so far in terms opposition, the Suns finally get a chance to prove they belong in the discussion of Western Conference powers. Those 2 losses to the Lakers? Totally expected. It's going to be the rare team that gives that Laker squad a run for their money. Anyone who expected the Suns to do more than compete for 2 or 3 quarters in either of those games was probably a little delusional.

But the Mavericks? They're the proverbial "someone our own size." In addition to hoping for similar seeding in the Western Conference play-off picture, the Mavericks have even had some of the same early season challenges/knocks the Suns have:

The Mavericks have played 12 of their first 21 games on the road. The Suns have played 14 of 21 away from Phoenix.
The Mavericks have had an even softer schedule than the Suns. Opponents winning percentage is .457 vs. .487 for Phoenix.
The Mavs have only played 7 times against teams with a record better than .500. The Sun have only played 7 times against teams with a record better than .500.
The Mavericks are 5-2 in those games. The Suns are 3-4 in those games.

And that's where these two teams diverge in terms of early season success. The Mavericks even notched an early win over the Lakers (a 94-80 thumping at Staples Center) who have proved... how shall we say this... challenging to the Suns.

Let's go to the match-ups and see how else these teams stack up.

Guards

At the point, Steve Nash squares off against one-time benchmate Jason Kidd. Both long in the tooth and wizards with the ball in their hands, Nash is a better scorer and Kidd is a better defender. And according to a panel of basketball expert types, Kidd holds a slight edge in "basketball IQ." This is basically a push and should be a fun match-up to watch as the two veterans try to out-wile each other. Off the bench, it's J.J. Barea vs. Goran Dragic. Barea's been logging heavier minutes than Dragic, but serves the same role: holder of serve while the starting maestro catches his breath between virtuoso performances. Hopefully, confident Dragic shows up and can use his size and speed to over-match the smaller Barea. Again, there's no discernable advantage for either team here.

At shooting guard, the Mavs roll out French rookie Rodrigue Beaubois against Jason Richardson. Beaubois is fast as all get out and can leap tall guards in a single bound. Look for the Mavs to get him going early with their now-trademark alley-oop play they run for the little guy. Whatever. The real story at the 2 for the Mavs is Jason Terry, who notoriously lights it up against the Suns. J-Rich will have his hands full preventing Terry from getting his and better remember to pack his offense if he hopes to out-gun Terry. The Suns may miss Leandro Barbosa's scoring punch here.

Forwards

Well, well, well... if it isn't our old friend Shawn Marion. I expect to see a motivated Matrix against Grant Hill tonight. Off the bench, Jared Dudley versus Quinton Ross is fairly even match-up of hustle guys who trade on their defense.

At power forward, we have both teams big guns, men who, when playing at the tops of their games are virtually unguardable. Dirk Nowitzki is a one man wrecking crew from all over the court and while Amare Stoudmire doesn't have Dirk's range or ability to create off the dribble, he's a handful from 20 feet inwards. Slight edge to the Mavericks here. Off the bench, the Mavericks have Kris Humphries and former Sun Tim Thomas. Is tonight the night we finally see Lou Amundson back in the line-up? The Suns could probably use some of his energy on the road after a tough loss to the Lakers.

Center

True story: when Erick Dampier and Steve Nash were free agents a few years back, I wanted the Suns to throw gobs of money at Dampier after his career year at Golden State and nearly tore my hair out when they offered Nash his massive contract. Let's just say that was not my best basketball moment. That said, despite his tendency to mail it in from time to time, Dampier can do his damage down low. If he gets physical, Channing Frye could be in for another long game. While more athletically gifted, Robin Lopez needs to stay in control of himself and not pick up cheap fouls against Dampier or veteran back-up Drew Gooden. This is an opportunity for him to show his stuff against some veteran competition and a very manageable match-up if he can keep his wits about him.

Predictions

On paper, this is a good quality match-up for both teams and an opportunity to shed early season "soft" labels. As usual, the teams square up well against one another on a position by position basis. For the Mavs defensively, I expect we'll see a lot of Dampier and Gooden staying home down low with Amare while Dirk floats to the perimeter against Channing Frye.

Also, I expect the Mavs will continue the trend of switching longer defenders out on to Nash to disrupt his passing game. Nash will have to figure out how to shake his former partner-in-oop Shawn Marion to keep the Suns offense from stagnating.

It's at this time where I have to point out the one big discrepancy between the two teams. While the Suns hold the offensive edge, scoring 112.1 points per 100 possessions (1st in the NBA) versus 106.2 for the Mavericks (12th), Dallas is a much, much better defensive team, allowing only 99.9 points per 100 (5th) versus a whopping 107.6 (24th) for the Suns.

While the Suns can win this game if they can return to the terrifyingly efficient offensive game that tormented opposing teams earlier in the year, I see them struggling against the Mavs relatively strong defense and slow pace. The Suns haven't been able to push the tempo against quality opposition (Celtics game notwithstanding) and Steve Nash has yet to adjust his game to overcome bigger opposing defenders. Until the Suns improve their sieve-like porous matador thus far weak defense, they are reliant on an increasingly tenuous jump-shooting offense to pull them through.

It pains me to do it, but while the Suns should be much more competitive in this game than previous ones against quality teams, I see the Mavs pulling away on the strength of big games by Nowitzki and Terry and their superior defense. 107-96, Mavericks.

That said, it should be a fun game, and after a couple days of rest the Suns will be looking to prove me all kinds of wrong, so getcha popcorn ready! Head over to Mavs Moneyball to check out the view from the other side of the bleachers.

Game Day Links

Suns vs Mavericks coverage
Mavs Moneyball
HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Jorge Sierra » Most Valuable Tweeters
the former Bobcat is the clear Twitter MVP. His trade to a relevant team like Phoenix and his impressive activity with the social media website have made him a recognizable face for NBA fans – which wasn’t the case one year ago while still in Charlotte. Dudley reports news (calls himself JMZ), gives away tickets and interacts with fans, journalists, owners and fellow NBA players.
azcentral.com - members
They still might get there. But with the Lakers taking root in Los Angeles so far this season, the Suns playing a league-high 14 road games and "Phoenix at L.A. Lakers" coming up twice a night after a home game that was just a check-in from an East Trip, it's hard to make take any lasting impressions away other than that the Lakers are better.
Lakers rout Suns in LA again
"They bottle up everything you try to do," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "They switch, and they knock off. We could never really get anything going. We're not so much a fast-break team but a rhythm team and they just take you out of your rhythm."
Lakers 108, Phoenix 88: Second verse, same as the first | Lakers Blog | Los Angeles Times
I think we can all agree that if asked to create NBA kryptonite for this year's Suns squad, it would look a lot like the Lakers. Length, mobility, dominating post play, and so on. Generally speaking I like to avoid grand proclamations so early in the season, but I'm comfortable declaring that there is absolutely no earthly way Phoenix would beat a healthy Lakers team in a playoff series. None. Something under zero, really. But the Suns are 15-4 vs. the rest of the league. That's worth something, and Sunday night the Lakers beat them by 20. That's worth something, too.

This one is a must read. A true basketball poet lays the Suns bare

Hardwood Paroxysm » Blog Archive » What a Feeling, To Be Mortal
Maybe the hustle and the bustle of the Suns doesn’t quite fit your living style, but who could possibly claim that the exaggerated in-game highs and lows of the Suns — the 20-point lead built and swallowed by a 5-25 run, the 3-point barrages followed by defensive letdowns — aren’t basketball’s most fitting equivalent of life on the outside? It’s not about the 9-5 grind, and it’s not necessarily about winning all the time; the Suns’ existence is predicated on winning more than you lose, embracing who you are, playing by your own rules, learning to live through the ups and downs, and remembering that the line between work and play doesn’t have to be crystal clear. They work hard, they score points, and they play basketball like it’s a game worth playing. They may not have the talent of the Lakers or the convention of the Spurs, but this is a team of hard workers and ball players with a plan.
Suns hope to warm up in Dallas
Suns fans must yearn for those 14-3 NBA darlings they had a week ago - probably as much as the Suns now yearn to rediscover their offense. That Suns team had three four-game winning streaks, an unflappable road mentality and shot 50.7 percent from the field.
azcentral.com blogs - Coro's Suns dish - PaulCoro - A fair fight for the Suns
The Suns get some help with that tonight with Louis Amundson returning from his flu bout. His stomach still hurts but he going to play tonight and probably get to guard Nowitzki. Welcome back. His key is energy so we will see how much of it he has after a couple days in bed.

Mavericks Vs Grizzlies:Game 20 Preview

Phillip Baggett — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:57:14 -0000

Mavericks vs Grizzlies preview

Mavericks vs Grizzlies coverage

Straight Outta Vancouver

The Match-ups:

Point Guard

Jason Kidd: Someone needs to go investigate Kidd's home and make sure he is not holding Dr. Emmitt Brown and his time traveling Delorean captive, because he is playing more like the 1997 version of himself.

vs.

Mike Conley: His points are down and his turnovers are up, a deadly combination not only for his career but his team as well, but then again when you have to play with the likes of O.J. Mayo, and Zach Randolph (two of the largest ball hogs in the league) what do you expect. Mike would be a solid point guard on just about any other team in the league, except the Nets of course.

Edge: Mavericks

Shooting Guard

Rodrigue Beaubois: Another game, another start, another 9 minutes of court time. When will we see more of Roddy B and less of the man with the tiniest arms in the league?

vs.

O.J. Mayo: Tons of talent, but no brains. If he would ever learn how to be a team player he could be deadly, but until then he will be just what he is... the +/- on a crappy team

Edge: Mavericks

Forward

Shawn Marion: The Mavs defense begins and ends with Shawn Marion, he has been the catalyst for this team. When Marion is on the floor the Mavs are +13.5, when he is not on the floor that number goes to +2, not only that but their opponents FG% jumps 5%.

vs.

Rudy Gay: If I could take one player from the Griz and bring him to Dallas it would be Rudy without any second thoughts. Rudy is an explosive player and shoots the ball unbelievable well, coming into tonight he is averaging 21ppg and shooting 50% from the field. Can you imagine a Mavs line up of Kidd, Gay, Marion, Dirk, and Erick Gooden, WOW

Edge: Memphis

Power Forward

Dirk Nowitzki: The Mavs will go just as far as Dirk takes them. Tonight could be a huge night for Dirk with Zach Randolph drawing the defensive assignment.

vs.

Zach Randolph: As great as he is on the offensive end, he is equalling terrible on defense. He will have his hands full tonight trying to guard Dirk Nowitzki.

Edge: Mavericks

Center

~~Drew Gooden Erick Dampier~~ Who knows: In my last preview I said that Drew Gooden deserved the start, but after Damps performance in that game my opinion has changed. Either player is capable of starting, so whomever gives the Mavs the best opportunity should be the one to start on any given night. Tonight I believe Gooden will be that man... but who knows

vs.

Marc Gasol: Is a legitimate 15 and 10 guy, however Marc seems to have some of the same disease that has plagued Tony Romo over the years, you know that thing that causes him to fall apart in clutch time.

Edge: Mavericks

Injuries/Suspensions

Memphis Grizzlies

OUT - Darrell Arthur

Dallas Mavericks

OUT - Josh Howard

Prediction: The Mavs take control early and never look back.

Dallas Mavericks: 114

Memphis Grizzlies: 101

Mavericks Vs Nets: Game 19 Preview

Phillip Baggett — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:23:41 -0000

Mavericks vs Nets coverage

Mavericks vs Nets preview

The Match-ups:

Point Guard

Jason Kidd: The time has come once again for the trade partners to face off against one another. In the previous battles Harris has won the match up with relative ease, does this one go to Harris as well? or does Kidd finally prove that the Mavs made a good trade? Who knows, what I will say is that Kidd has been excellent this year and Harris has been... well not to good.

vs.

Devin Harris: I think I can speak for most everyone when I say that I really like Devin Harris, and have wished that he was still here. However he has been just another mediocre player on an awful team this year. As bad as the Nets are I never would have suspected that of the TWO players on the team with a +/- above zero one of them would NOT be Devin Harris.

Edge: Mavericks (did I really just say that?)

Shooting Guard

Rodrigue Beaubois: Roddy gets the face time as being the starter, but the PT will surely go to JJ and JT. Not real sure what the Mavs plans are for Roddy but the guy should get more than 9 minutes a game, in my opinion, but then again who am I to decide what the Mavericks guard rotation should be? This is one game however that the guard rotation should be irrelevant (I said SHOULD BE)

vs.

Chris Douglas - Roberts: Well the first thing that I saw with Chris is that he has the worst +/- on the team (if he played for the Lakers this would not be such a big deal, but when you are the worst +/- on a hideous team it is a huge deal). However with that in mind he has been much more productive as the teams PG than at any other position. Chris does lead the Eastern Conference sophomore class in scoring at 16.4 per, he will turn the ball over though and the Mavs should be able to capitalize on his poor handling skills.

Edge: Even

Forward

Shawn Marion: Defense, Defense, Defense these are apparently the orders given to Shawn before every Mavs game. This has worked out pretty well so far but I would like to see the Mavs try to get him more involved on the offensive end rather than defering to the heavily over used three guard system.

vs.

Trenton Hassell: Since coming into the league in 2001 Trenton's production has neither gone up nor down, however when your production is less than 1 rebound per 10 minutes and 1 point every 5 minutes, does it really matter that you are consistent?

Edge: Mavericks

Power Forward

Dirk Nowitzki: The best Power Forward in the game. Nuff said

vs.

Josh Boone: Once again a former number one draft pick that has failed miserably for the Nets. Josh would be a decent offensive rebounder off the bench, anything past that is not going to be good. The Nets are asking a marginal player to be a starter in the NBA, no wonder this team has yet to win a game.

Edge:

Center

Drew Gooden: While Erick Dampier was sidelined with an unknown Vaginal disease, Drew was absolutely sensational but has now apparently lost his starting spot back to Dampier? This was a bad mistake by Carlisle and a move that may cost the Mavs later on. Erick Dampier is likely to start but should not, therefore he is not in my starting lineup.

vs.

Brook Lopez: He is the lone bright spot on a miserable team. All of Brook's numbers have improved over his rookie campaign. He is a solid scoring option for the Nets and does a nice job on the boards, the Nets offense should and will flow through Lopez.

Edge: Mavericks

Injuries/Suspensions

New Jersey Nets

OUT - Yi Jianlian

Dallas Mavericks

OUT - Josh Howard

Prediction: On paper this game is not even close. On paper the Mavs should win this game by 20. On paper this game should not even be played due to the shear destruction that the Mavs would bring upon the Nets. These games however are not played on paper, they are played on the court, and the Mavs have showed over the course of their first 18 games that they tend to play to the level of their competition (excluding the Cavs game), and frankly this game scares me. Since I have been well... not so good with the prediction this yearit will not matter if I am wrong because you are all used to that by now. So my prediction is (drum roll please)

Mavericks: 104

Nets: 86

Mavericks Vanquish Kings 104-102

Ziller — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:00:31 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

View full size photo »

This was the Mary, Queen of Scots of basketball games. The Mavericks were always in the executioner's role, always with the biggest weapon and the strategically superior position. But damn if they didn't have to hack at the Kings repeatedly to get the job done. "Put the kids to bed, Sally, the Kings are in town!"

Dallas ended up winning 104-102, though it was basically a three-possession game for the entirety of the fourth quarter. The Kings had the deficit at three points a couple times, but couldn't do enough to stop the Jasons Terry and Kidd. Sacramento ended up scoring 37 points in the fourth, a figure not terribly bloated by the foul party at game's end. But Dallas scored 36 of their own, cinching up the win.

Tyreke Evans was unbelievable, finishing with 29 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He actually threatened the triple-double mark the entire fourth, having hung on nine assists and seven rebounds until the final, superfluous play. That's how awesome Evans's floor game was through three quarters, while he made his biggest late-game contributions in the scoring ledger. 'Reke had 13 points on six FGAs in the fourth, including 10 in the last six minutes.

Of course, that wasn't enough. Terry hit for 12 points in the fourth, and Kidd had a big three-pointer (his fifth of the game) late. Dirk Nowitzki -- the axe, in our opening metaphor -- was kept under wraps, limited to 20 points on 6-15 shooting. Credit Andres Nocioni and Jason Thompson for keeping Dirk out of his comfort zone, for the most part. Nowitzki's used to making tough shots, but the Kings made many of them too tough while also working hard to limit his attempts by bringing a keep double (often Evans off of Kidd, which didn't exactly work in terms of beating the Mavericks as a team).

Thompson's game looks much better in the box score than it did on the court -- he and Spencer Hawes were beat to a lot of defensive rebounds by Drew Gooden, who had an unbelievable nine offensive rebounds in 30 minutes, including six within the first nine minutes of the game. That's some awful defensive rebounding by the Kings bigs; the team did correct the problem, giving up nine in 34 opportunities in the second, third and fourth quarters combined (as opposed to eight in 18 opps in the first). But there's no excuse to let Gooden go hog wild early, not given the Kings size advantage.

Omri Casspi had two baaaad turnovers, but played well overall. Donte Greene got short shrift (fourth man off the bench, less than 12 minutes) for unknown reasons. His defense looked good. There was a bit of finger-pointing on the defensive end after a few blown assignments, and from my seat it doesn't exactly look like Thompson and Spencer Hawes are on the same page at either end.

But in the end, sticking with as good a team as Dallas for 48 minutes on the road is damn impressive. There's no such thing as a moral victory, but there are losses that aren't depressing, and this is one of those. 5-6 has never looked better.