Unfamiliar Territory: Watching The Balls Drop

by Ryan Wilson on May 21, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

The 2013 NBA Draft lineup will be determined tonight in New York City, and for the first time since 2000, your  Dallas Mavericks will be participants. In an off-season full of potential, this marks the first step in that process.

Donnie Nelson and Keith Grant will be in New York to represent the Mavericks, and all of Mavs Nation have their fingers, toes, and anything else you can imagine crossed. After all, it’s really a game of luck.

“As much as we want to say it’s all science, there’s a big part of it that’s luck.’’ – Mark Cuban

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Once Upon A Time: Chris Paul a Maverick?

by Damian Jackson on May 10, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

The Los Angeles Clippers won 56 games and their first Pacific Division title in the regular season.

Postseason play produced only two wins before losing four straight and elimination to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Not quite the conclusion the little brother in Los Angeles expected. More importantly, Chris Paul becomes are free agent July 1st and the early ousting may affect his decision to stay or leave.

Here are some quotes from his exit interview (VIDEO: Complete Version) on Saturday May 4th:

A long, great season hits a brick wall:

“I have nothing to do, this is unreal, like I had no idea this season would be over…we only played two weeks longer than everybody else who didn’t make the playoffs. It sucks.”

You recruited players last summer, will they (LA Clippers) now be recruiting you?

“I don’t know…we’ll see, we’ll see. I don’t know how this whole thing’s gonna go or play out. I’m gonna pray about it.”

Asked to compare the 17-win streak in December and the playoffs:

“December and May, they don’t go together…at all.”

What does ‘built for the playoffs’ mean to you:

“Built for the playoffs means you have to have a little bit of everything. You have to have shooting, defense…all that different stuff.”

Whether it’s difficult or not to watch the rest of the playoffs:

“Yeah. No question…and I watch ESPN, SportsCenter all day…everyday, but not now.”

On liking LA, West Coast guy now? Part of the equation for you, family?

“Did I like it, yeah I liked. I loved it out here – Of course, if everybody hated it…you know what I mean? My family is very easy going, what’s not to like. It’s far away from home, but fortunately I’ve been blessed to be in a situation where my parents, my wife’s parents and my family we always got people in town.”

Paul talks about taking his time to decide on his future in what will be his first true all-out free agency frenzy. A Clippers return on a 5-year max contract worth $107 million appears the probable route.

However, since CP3 isn’t ready to make an official announcement nor should he prior to the July 1st free agent floodgates, we can take some time to at least consider other options for the NBA’s best point guard – with focus on our Dallas Mavericks.

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Once upon a time Chris Paul was ready to be a Dallas Maverick. Reported early in the 2012-2013 season by CBSSports’ Matt Moore which originally derived from Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Marc Spears’ article titled ‘What stopped Dwight Howard and Chris Paul from playing together as Dallas Mavericks?‘.

Inside you’ll understand that this idea spanned over a couple years and would have involved the cooperation from BOTH Paul and then Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. Howard’s indecisiveness deflated the opportunity to join forces at that point.

If I take anything away from their failed execution to partner up, it’s the fact that Paul was ready to work for Mark Cuban and the Mavs organization just last summer. Events didn’t materialize then, but now Paul (and Howard) are on the brink of becoming unrestricted FA a year later.

Dallas or any team with cap space could only offer Paul a 4-year max contract worth about $80 million. On the surface that’s a glaring disadvantage, but in reality with some mathematical breakdown of all known money/tax details involved the numbers aren’t far off.

This with the thought process that Paul or Howard would both try for one last max deal which involves them opting out of a fifth year with their respective Los Angeles squad. At that point Paul will be 32 years-old and Howard 31.

For more in-depth coverage on this check out the material from Mike Fisher and David Lord at DallasBasketball.com or this article (Dollar Differences) by Tim MacMahon on ESPN Dallas.

A section in Moore’s report on CBSSports from November 2012 intrigues as it relates to the current situation:

 - Dallas continues to be the “almost but not quite” destination for superstars, and it leaves them both in the running for Paul and Howard in 2013 should their stints with their respective teams go catastrophically wrong, and still huge underdogs despite being really the only other team on the board.

Catastrophically wrong? Both Paul and Howard were ejected in their final games of the season. Howard used ‘nightmare’ to describe his lone year as a Laker, while CP3 was clearly not satisfied playing only six more games than non-playoff teams.

In other words, neither concluded their seasons with a fairy tale ending.

Dallas may not have the most attractive roster to alone lure Paul away from his highlight reel big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Mavs have veterans in Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Vince Carter, but the Clippers have some too in Caron Butler, Jamal Crawford and Chauncey Billups.

The Mavs do have positives in their favor.

Mark Cuban – Owner with unmatched passion for his team, savvy and involved.

Donnie Nelson – GM that’s advantageous, bold and beyond diligent in his work to always make the Mavs better.

Rick Carlisle – An upper-echelon coach in the league today. Respect. Relentless to get the most of his players.

Dirk Nowitzki – He’s going to be 35, we know, but let’s get that out of the way. Dirk’s work ethic combined with his unique style of play should grant him three or four more solid years in his legendary career, a couple still at an elite level. Dirk isn’t Blake, but more importantly Blake isn’t Dirk. 41 is an accomplished player, future first ballot Hall of Famer and NBA champion – a winner.

It’s not fair to say Paul has the best shot at winning a title with Dirk and the Mavs, because a player of CP3′s caliber could go to most teams and morph them into title contenders.

The point here is more about visualizing his short-list options IF he surprised people and decided to move on from the Clippers. On that list you probably have Dallas, Atlanta and Houston.

Each has its reasons to attract Paul. I already went over Dallas, but what about the Hawks and Rockets?

With the Houston Rockets, you envision CP3 merging into an already rich environment of untapped youth potential and a superstar in the making – James Harden. Chandler Parsons elevated his game this season which would provide Paul with two sweet treats on the wing. Houston has always wanted Dwight Howard and may be able to entertain the idea of Paul and Howard finally joining forces as Rockets.

Atlanta owns plenty cap space to sign both Paul and Howard, similar to the Rockets. They have their own star free agent in Josh Smith who isn’t sure about his future either. The Hawks would LOVE to sign Chris Paul, the point guard they passed on in 2005, drafting Marvin Williams instead. Paul running the show with Al Horford, a re-signed Josh Smith and other solid free agents has appeal.

It all comes back to the Mavs and playing alongside Dirk though. Chris knows something when it comes to German father-to-be…

He is a problem, Chris. Now imagine Paul and Dirk working pick and roll/pop. Dirk and Terry had formed themselves into quite the impressive two-man game, but it would not compare to the deadly duo of 3 and 41.

One thing you see in Chris Paul – he’s hungry. Paul wants to win more than anything and at 28 the time in now. It’s safe to say that realistically looking at the options available to him, Paul cannot join a better superstar than Dirk in this moment.

James Harden exploded this season and is on the verge of superstar status, but Dirk is still the better option and fit. Dwight Howard and Paul would be fun to watch and it could happen, in what city though? Not LA. After those two, no one is close to Dirk’s level.

All in all, we must continue to wait this process out until the new season officially begins on the first of July. We already know Mark, Donnie and staff are in the battle room devising multiple plans and scenarios, prepping for what they would like to be the best summer in Mavericks history (2011 was pretty good, Champs!).

It starts with Chris Paul.

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Feel free to comment with your thoughts and questions!

Follow and contact me on Twitter @thedfactor and @TheMavsFanatic

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Mavericks Inch Closer To Razors & Final Playoff Spot

by Ryan Wilson on March 27, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

“It’s not the cards your dealt, but it’s how you play the game”

Amen. The Dallas Mavericks are proving this theory true. Down a game and a half back from the Los Angeles Lakers and the final spot in the playoffs, the Mavericks showed that the team chemistry is really coming together, and that they won’t go down without a fight.

In the Mavericks’ 109-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Mavericks now find themselves one game back and one win away from shaving those beards.

“We’re fighters,” Mayo said. “We’re going to keep coming. We’re going to keep coming until I guess they say the fat lady sings. We’re going to keep coming, keep trying to get better, keep trying to win ballgames and give ourselves a shot.”

You got that right. The Mavericks have confidence, and anyone can tell you that when that happens they are always going to think they have a chance. It’s the way this franchise operates.

“Our work is not done. … The motivation is clear. This has been a winning franchise for a long time.” – Rick Carlisle

 

The Mavs had their backs against the walls multiple times last night, and just kept coming back for more. Tied up at 95 a piece with 25 seconds remaining, Chris Paul drove on Marion and got the shot off the glass to go, all but assuring the Mavericks another devastating loss in yet another crucial game.

That was the Mavericks before. Not now. With 5 seconds left on the clock, Mayo tip toed his way on the baseline and got the lay in to fall, eventually pushing this game to overtime. In the extra period, it was vintage Dirk Nowitzki. He went 2-3 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line, as the Mavericks went on to prevail 109-102.

Some things that stood out to me in this one was the Mavericks scoring inside. The Mavs outscored the Clippers 48-32 in the paint. I ask you all to read that one more time. The Mavs, who aren’t known for their inside presence, seemed to get to the rim time and time again.

Dirk Nowitzki finally started shooting the ball. Look, I’m all for getting everyone else involved, but he has to get some touches. Nowitzki shot 21 times, missing only 9 of them, en route to 33 points on the night. Analysts continue to stay that Dirk is on his decline, but his stats are misleading. A night like last night goes to show the contrary to what the analysts are spitting out. This is Dirk’s team, and he is still capable of putting them on his backs some more.

The road to the final playoff spot is still very bumpy. The Mavericks will need to keep the momentum going along with the new found team chemistry in order to have a shot. Rick said this is a winning franchise first and foremost. Tuesday night, the Mavericks took one more step towards proving it.

What’s On Tap:

@ Pacers (3/27) - The Mavs will be looking for some revenge in this one. Not only are the razors within their grasp, but the Mavs got stomped in Indiana earlier this year, 103-83.

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Mavs Game Night: Chris Paul and Clippers in Dallas

by Damian Jackson on March 26, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

The Dallas Mavericks are playing there way right back into the playoff picture and receiving help along the way.

With the recent win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night and a Golden State Warriors victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last night, the Mavs position themselves to grab the 8th and final playoff spot.

A difficult road lies ahead and it starts tonight with the Los Angeles Clippers who currently own the 3rd seed, but are in a battle to maintain it with both the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies in hot pursuit.

Already winning the first two meetings in Los Angeles, the Clippers have claimed the season series regardless of tonight’s outcome with the Mavs. In the previous game the Clippers won 99-93, led by Chris Paul’s 19 points and 16 assists. Mavs guard Darren Collison scored 22 points with 6 assists.

In March the Clippers are 6-4 after winning the last two. Meanwhile the Mavericks have put together a 9-4 month thus far and look to improve on that number tonight.

Much of the Mavs success of late must be attributed to 37-year-old Mike James. Since James became a starter 11 games ago, Dallas is 8-3. In that stretch James’ averages are 27 minutes, 10.4 points and 4.8 assists.

“(Mike) brings attitude and fearlessness … He’s just very seasoned,” said Vince Carter. “I think he’s done a great job of taking on this role. He brings it in practice. He pushes in practice. He’s really helped our guards. He’s really helped (Darren Collison) with just his focus and approach. They talk a lot and they go at it in practices which is good.”

That fearlessness will come in handy against the NBA’s best point guard tonight. CP3 owns his own fearless attitude and competitive edge so this should be an awesome butting of the heads.

This game will feature two of the top four scoring benches in the league as well as two men very deserving of the Sixth Man of the Year award. Dallas leads the NBA with 41.5 points from its reserves and the Clips get an even 40 from their own.

Jamal Crawford, second only to the New York Knicks’ J.R. Smith in reserve scoring, leads the Clippers bench with 16.8 points including 26 games with 20 points or more. On the Mavericks side, Vince Carter makes his case pacing the best bench with 13.2 points.

Tonight’s game will be for all to see in the national spotlight. And as it’s been well chronicled this season, the Mavericks haven’t come through against the best teams in the West. A win tonight would be massive, yet only get Dallas to 2-13 against the top five seeds within the conference.

With 12 games left, every one is as important as the next. In a perfect world the Mavs finish the regular season on a 14-game winning streak. That’s not the focus though, it’s all about taking one at a time.

The Mavs have shown they can play with the better teams, now it’s time to execute down the stretch of close games and finish with wins.

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Playoff Picture Update:

MAVERICKS - 10th seed in West; 1.5 GB of the Los Angeles Lakers for final playoff spot.

CLIPPERS - 3rd seed in West; 3.5 GB of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2nd seed. In virtual tie with Denver Nuggets (4th) and 1 game ahead of 5th seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

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Clippers at Mavs tip at 8:30 p.m. CT and airs on TNT.

Let’s Go Mavs!

Sources: TheTwoManGame; Associated Press (Mike James photo)

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Mavs Game Night: Dallas Looks To Stop Lob City

by Ryan Wilson on January 9, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

While Kaley Cuoco hosts the People’s Choice Awards in the Nokia Theatre, the Dallas Mavericks will be around the block in STAPLES Center prepping themselves for a clash with the NBA’s best Los Angeles Clippers.

That’s right, the Clippers.

It’s been a change of pace in the city of angels. While the Los Angeles Lakers are just 15-19 amidst struggles and injuries, the Clippers played a perfect 16-0 month of December. That stretch made for all but one win of their league/season-high 17-game streak of victories.

This will be the second meeting between the Mavs and Clippers, the first also in Los Angeles. Ironically that game was broadcasted on ESPN as will this one and the Clippers made easy work of Dallas 112-90.

A huge part of the Clippers success is attributed to their quality depth. They may get even deeper tonight as veteran forward Grant Hill practiced today and could make his Clippers debut. But it has been the strong play from reserves Jamal Crawford (16.5 pts) Matt Barnes (11 pts & 5 rpg) and Eric Bledsoe (19.79 PER) that have aided the starters in becoming the league’s best squad.

In a far darker place are the Mavericks. At 13-22, they watch their playoff hopes squander further and further away with each loss. This team hungers for victory. In a span of losing 12 of 14 games, the Mavs have found each and every way to NOT win a basketball game.

Though the two teams are separated by 14 games in the conference standings, Dallas has reason to believe they can contend in this one. Since Dirk Nowitzki returned, Dallas has played two title contenders in Oklahoma City and Miami very closely. In the end the Mavericks did drop both games, each an overtime defeat.

So if it’s tight down the stretch, the Mavs need to do something they’ve struggled with all season – close out in regulation.

Chris Paul has been an MVP candidate throughout the whole season. The Clippers chances at ultimate success start and finish with the former Demon Deacon.

“We’ve been pretty good at home,” Chris Paul said.

An understatement from CP3 as his squad has an impressive 17-3 record as the home team in STAPLES. Dallas comes into this one with a 5-15 road record which would favor the Clippers winning No. 18, but the Mavs won’t fold before they battle.

Defense has been a cause of concern all season for the Mavericks. Mavs’ top defender Shawn Marion has been openly, yet rightfully frustrated as a result.

“It seems like we can’t guard nobody. Until we’re able to contain guys and make them do something they’re uncomfortable doing, we’re going to have problems. When you can’t guard nobody, you can’t win.” – Shawn Marion

NOTES:

• 37 year-old Mike James will be in uniform tonight for Dallas. Mavs signed the veteran guard to a 10-day contract.
• Dallas is 2-7 in the first game of back-to-backs this season. Mavs face the Sacramento Kings tomorrow night.
• Mavs F/C Brandan Wright is probable to return tonight after missing the previous four games (quad strain).

Game action tips at 9:30 p.m. CT and airs on ESPN/PRIME. Let’s Go Mavs!

Sources: ESPN

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The Wrap Up: Mavs Clipped By Lob City

by Ryan Wilson on December 6, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

On a night when Dirk Nowitzki traveled with the team for the first time this season, the Dallas Mavericks showed everyone just how much they miss him. The Mavericks loss was a sharp contrast from their last game in LA, when they shocked everyone on opening night with an eight point victory over the Lakers. Wednesday night, the Mavericks looked like a completely different team, and I’m not referring to the acquisition of Derek Fisher, either.

The Mavericks never lead, and except for a run in the third quarter, never really threatened to take the lead. It was hard to expect anything different going into Wednesday night, as the Mavs had lost three straight before a victory over the lowly Pistons on Saturday night, and the now 12-6 Clippers who lead their division, had won three straight. The Clippers are trying to establish themselves as a legit contender in the West, while the Mavs are trying not to fall too far behind in the standings. Jamal Crawford led all scorers off the bench with 20 points, and added 4 assists. Vince Carter led the Mavericks with 16 points. Vinsanity has been doing his part in making up for Dirks absence lately, now averaging 14 points the last 5 games.

The only other bright spot for the Mavs was the 38 year old Derek Fisher, who’s 15 point performance was much better than the 2 points he scored in his first game with Dallas on Saturday night. The five-time champion shot 3-5 from long range and played better defense than any other point guard has for Dallas this season. Obviously it will take some time for Fisher to get acclimated with his new teammates and to get back into shape, but the 18 year veteran appears to be a nice fit, not only to run the offense but also teaching the younger guys a thing or two.

“I’m just looking forward to be as helpful as possible with this team,” Fisher said. “There’s a lot of young guys, but we do have some potential.”

In Fishers first game, his backcourt mate O.J Mayo thrived scoring 27 points, Wednesday night Mayo only scored 11 points on 4 of 12 shooting and went 0 of 4 on threes. Mayo is not getting near as many open looks as the season has progressed, as teams have learned he maybe the Mavs only legitimate option on offense right now. Jae Crowder continued to struggle, scoring only 2 points in 18 minutes and still looks very much like a rookie on defense, causing many Mavs fans to wonder why he’s still in the starting lineup.

Once again, the Mavericks got out-rebounded, and just got crushed down low overall, getting outscored 62-30 in the paint. However, that wasn’t what caused them to struggle. What caused them to struggle? A disgusting 22 turnovers to a team that loves to run the floor and excite the crowd with big time dunks and lobs. 5 of those turnovers were committed by Darren Collison, who only played 18 minutes off the bench. Collison has struggled after getting off to a great start for Dallas, causing speculation on how injured his finger really is. Blake Griffin had 19 points including a few typical electrifying dunks, and 13 rebounds. Caron Butler, the former Maverick, also had an electrifying dunk mixed in his 16 points. Honestly, a lot of players for the Clippers had electrifying dunks.

It got to the point in the last couple minutes after back-to-back fast break alley-oops, it appeared Mark Cuban was trying to go to sleep slouched down in his chair behind the Mavs bench. A look that he most likely shared with Mavs fans everywhere.

“I don’t think it was rubbing it in,” Carter said. “It wasn’t anything that was done maliciously. The plays were there for them.”

Sure Mayo had a bad shooting night, and yes there were a lot of shots that went in and out for Dallas, but the Mavs still got outplayed, in every aspect of the game, by a team that, quite simply, is just better. That’s something Mavs fans aren’t used to hearing.

Dallas slipped to 8-10 on the season, and if the season ended today, the Dallas Mavericks would be left out of the playoffs. Also something Mavs fans aren’t used to hearing. But, the season doesn’t end today, in fact we’re only a quarter into the season and the face of the franchise has yet to suite up. The feeling with most Mavs fans is if they can just hang around the .500 area and not fall apart without Dirk, this is a team that could surprise some people come playoff time.

In the meantime, Dallas has to get some production out of the power forward position, cut back on the turnovers, and play better team defense. The Mavs stop in Phoenix on Thursday night for back-to-back games on national television.

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Mavs Game Night: Mavs(8-9) @ Clippers(11-6)

by Ryan Wilson on December 5, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The favorable start to our season schedule ended after the home win against the Detroit Pistons Saturday night. Without Dirk Nowitzki in the lineup through the first 17 games, the vastly new-look Dallas Mavericks are 8-9.

Tonight opens a challenging stretch for the Mavs who will play nine of the next 12 games away from the American Airlines Center. The Los Angeles Clippers will play host tonight to get the current three-game roadie underway.

The Mavs and Clippers have a few familiar faces on each side. Caron Butler is in his second season with the Clips after joining last year following the championship run in Dallas. Then there’s Lamar Odom who will likely go down as the worst Maverick player ever. Not statistically alone, but his overall time spent with the organization was a complete disaster.

Both parties have moved on after Odom was dealt to the Clippers this summer in a small three-team trade that had Dallas receive a traded player exception and the Utah Jazz acquired Clippers combo guard Mo Williams.

Former Clippers Chris Kaman and Elton Brand now play for the Mavericks and in the absence of Dirk, both are starting for the 2010-2011 champs. Kaman had some of his best years in a Clippers uniform, the only team he had played for before a trade sent him to the New Orleans Hornets last year where he was one and done. Brand spent seven seasons with the Clippers organization himself before leaving for Philadelphia.

Everyone involved with the Mavs received positive news recently when we heard Dirk would travel with the team on the trip. It got even better when a picture surfaced with Dirk working out taking set jumpshots. He’s not ready to resume full basketball activities yet, but this is more than a welcome sight for a team that desperately needs its superstar player back.

The Clippers had some good news of their own when Chauncey Billups made his triumphant return to the court after sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury in February. He’s played three contests and started each one. Billups will be eased back into the mix as he’s currently averaging 7.3 points in 19.7 MPG.

Chris Paul hasn’t skipped a beat in his own second year as the Clippers point man. His 9.3 APG ties him for the second best in the league to go along with 16.2 PPG, third best on the Clippers. Not long ago Paul and the Clips were marred by a four-game losing streak, but have since won three straight and enter tonight 11-6.

This game will be a barometer to inform us where the Mavericks truly stand among the contenders and pretenders. I do think right now the Mavs aren’t close to actual contention, but it’s always helpful to analyze against more stout competition, especially on the road.

Once again the offensive burden lies heavily on the shoulders of O.J. Mayo. Until the Big German returns, Mayo will continue to be the vocal point all every team’s defensive schemes. Mayo has been dealing with two sore ankles which resulted in a rough three games before he bounced back with a 27-point perfomance against the Pistons.

The Mavs could use a strong balanced team effort tonight. Taking care of the ball remains to be an important factor in wins and losses. Rebounds. Ball movement. Attacking. These are several keys to this game and our guys will likely need to win most of them to leave LA with a victory.

This will be Derek Fisher’s second game for the Mavs and already making a trip back to STAPLES Center where he played so many years, five ending with a championship ring.

Game action will tip after 9:30 p.m. CT as the second game on ESPN. Let’s go Mavs!

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The Little Engine That Will

by Ryan Wilson on October 12, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The Dallas Mavericks returned home, fresh off a 1-1 record in Europe. They would like to forget the recent game in Spain, where the lack of a gelled team really showed. What also showed in this EuroTip was that Mavericks are going to be vastly improved in the point guard department. Darren Collison could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

This is no knock to Jason Kidd, but the Mavericks couldn’t expect this team to compete night in and night out with a 39 year old point guard. Enter Darren Collison, who in my opinion, is one of the more under-rated point guards in the NBA. He, along with Chris Kaman, were the two big bright spots for the Mavs in Europe.

Collison averaged 14 points and 6.5 assists against Alba Berlin and FC Barcelona Regal, going 11-19 from the field. Forget that this is preseason. Keep in mind that Collison is doing this with a whole new band of members.

“Collison’s going to be great for us,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He played well, and he’s going to get better as each passing week goes by.”

We’ve talked about this quite a bit before, but the Mavericks were dealt a blow when they swung and missed on Deron Williams, and Dwight Howard. What they did as an encore to that screw up was go young. They tried there best to make things simpler for Dirk Nowitzki. Get a quick young point guard. Check. Find a dependable scoring center. Enter Chris Kaman. Check.

One thing is for sure. Darren Collison is no Jason Kidd. If you watched any of the Mavericks pre-season games, you noticed that this team is going to run. They will be faster than you’ve seen in previous years. That fuel is generated by Collison.

“They know every miss, every make, I’m constantly trying to run down there and score in transition first,” said Collison, who has career averages of 10.0 points and 3.9 assists. “I’m constantly trying to put pressure on the defense with my speed. As long as they run, they’ll be fine.”

Nowitzki also said: “Obviously, he’s got to use that speed to our advantage. He’s got to push the ball off makes, misses, it doesn’t really matter. He’s got to fly up the court and get the wings running with him. He’s got to penetrate for us, make some stuff happen, collapse the defense, kick it out to shooters. We expect him to be our motor every night.”

In New Orleans, he was Chris Paul’s replacement. While in Indiana, he was on a team that didn’t generate much excitement until the playoffs last season. In Dallas, sky’s the limit!

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Cuban Has Mavs Set Up For Future Run

by Ryan Wilson on July 26, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

Hours before the Dallas Mavericks‘ title defense fizzled in a first-round sweep, a first in Mark Cuban’s dozen seasons, the outspoken and out-of-the-box owner of the dismantled champions chastised sports writers, demanding the know-it-alls digest the new collective bargaining agreement before questioning his suddenly scaled-back spending approach to team building.

For the many fans who didn’t find the enthralling document on the best-sellers shelf at their local bookstore, a perception surfaced that the new fang-bearing CBA, with its harsher luxury tax penalties, scared the billionaire Cuban from re-signing Tyson Chandler this past December and into becoming cheap.

What other explanation could there be for an $88 million payroll — in the top three in the league and $18 million over the luxury tax line — during the championship season and a payroll today that stands to top out at about $61 million, $9 million below the tax line?

In actuality, Cuban doesn’t fear the larger luxury tax hammer the CBA starts swinging in 2013-14 nearly as much as the roster handcuffs it will slap on luxury tax offenders.

This is not about being cheap versus spending extravagantly, as Cuban unabashedly had done throughout his ownership and as the Brooklyn Nets did this summer in an attempt to put a competitive team around prized free agent Deron Williams, who spurned the Mavs and sent them scrambling for contingency plans. This is about differing interpretations as to how to best build a team under the new rules.

The Nets and Mavs have emerged as a fascinating case study in opposing approaches to the new CBA that will play out over the next three to five years.

Brooklyn, boasting a payroll approaching $82 million next season with five projected starters each earning at least $10 million and a slew of long-term deals, is locked into restrictive luxury tax territory through 2015-16. The newly fiscally self-restrained Mavs, with only Dirk Nowitzki ($20.9 million) scheduled to make more than $8.5 million next season and no one locked up beyond 2013-14, are flush with cap space for the foreseeable future.

“The money is secondary to the team-building strategy,” Cuban said. “Once you get above the tax apron [the $70.307 million luxury tax plus $4 million], there are limitations in player movement that I think have a big impact on how to build a team.”

If the Nets manage to land Dwight Howard in a midseason trade, their high-dollar offseason maneuverings — signing Gerald Wallace to a $40 million contract and trading for Joe Johnson‘s enormous contract, which ultimately enticed Williams to stay — will give Brooklyn a roster it can love long term and a luxury tax bill that Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov will pay as if checking his luggage on a flight home to Moscow.

But if Brooklyn doesn’t acquire Howard and the Nets aren’t contending in two or three years, they will be locked into the current roster, limited to making only minor adjustments. It’s why Cuban ultimately decided that sacrificing a true title defense in favor of trimming the payroll and creating future cap space was a wiser bet than backing the franchise into a corner with an aging, potentially unmovable roster.

Two key CBA restrictions are at the center of Cuban’s 180-degree philosophical change.

In the past, he would pursue trades and take back bloated salary that added to his luxury tax bill. He was happy to pay the phasing-out dollar-for-dollar luxury tax in the name of acquiring the player or players he wanted in order to keep his teams consistently competitive. It’s a strategy Cuban believes is no longer sustainable under the new rules.

It has little to do with the coming luxury tax that grows larger for every $5 million spent over the cap and a one-time crushing hit for taxpayers in any four out of five seasons.

Starting next summer, and more pertinent to Cuban, teams above the tax apron can no longer receive a player in a sign-and-trade. If the rule had been in place this summer, the Lakers would not have been able to deal for Steve Nash. Next summer, the Lakers and Nets will be prohibited from making sign-and-trade proposals for Dwight Howard, if he has yet to be dealt, or any other player. They also won’t have the cap space to sign Howard outright as a free agent.

The Mavs, one of three teams along with the Nets and Lakers on Howard’s original trade list, will weigh heavily in both potential discussions.

“It will be interesting to see what happens next summer,” Cuban said, “when we hear lots of talk about teams not being eligible to receive free agents in sign-and-trades due to being over the tax apron.”

Teams over the luxury tax apron also will not have access to the full midlevel exception of $5 million, instead relegated to the taxpayer exception of $3 million, a significant blow when trying to sign a quality veteran player.

Cuban’s strategy is obviously not without risk, as the all-or-nothing pursuit of Williams proved. The Mavs then lost Jason Terry and Jason Kidd to free agency, and Cuban and company were getting ripped for a grand offseason failure that threatened to plunk them in the lottery.

They responded with a show of resourcefulness in acquiring five interesting players, and all at low cost and with short-term contracts. The moves might not make the Mavs bona fide contenders, but they should be entertaining and make the playoffs. And, unlike the Nets, Knicks and Lakers, they will be flush with cap space to either sign a max-contract free agent next summer or potentially nab one at some point from a team that wants out from under a weighty contract.

That’s the plan, anyway. Of course, Howard might not reach free agency next summer. The same goes for Chris Paul and Andrew Bynum. The Mavs’ strategy won’t change. They’ll remain patient and seek creative trades for players on expiring deals (such as Darren Collison) and players who slip through the cracks (such as O.J. Mayo), and sign them to reasonable, short-term deals.

At some point, the Mavs believe, their ability to absorb contracts with cap space will facilitate a major trade, or being a rare big-market team with cap space will ultimately land a big fish in free agency.

If either occurs, be sure that Cuban won’t be afraid to cross the luxury tax line on a year-to-year basis to build a contender around a superstar with an eye on only the four-in-five chronic taxpayer crackdown.

“I expect to go into the luxury tax in the future,” Cuban said, although declining to specify the obvious scenario in which he would. “I’m not going to lay down my cards in public.”

Jeff Caplan

ESPNDallas.com

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Jeff Caplan joined ESPNDallas.com in December 2009. Jeff covers the Mavericks, Rangers and colleges. He has a wealth of experience in the area, covering multiple beats in his 11-plus years with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

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Spurs Continue To Roll, Bounce Clipps

by Ryan Wilson on May 21, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The San Antonio Spurs mowed down another opponent, using their guile under pressure to close out another perfect playoff series.

Tim Duncan scored 21 points, Tony Parker added 17 and the Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 102-99 on Sunday night to win their second-round matchup 4-0 and advance to the Western Conference finals.

“They played great, they made it tough on us,” Parker said. “The last 2 minutes we got the stops we needed. Everybody did something.”

The Spurs extended their winning streak to 18 games and their playoff record to 8-0, tying the third-best postseason streak in franchise history.

“Until we go all the way, I can’t compare this team,” said Parker, who has won three NBA titles with the Spurs. “We’re just trying to stay focused.”

Danny Green and Gary Neal added 14 points each, and Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter had 11 each.

“We needed a game like that. It arrived at the perfect time,” Parker said. “We battled. We executed our plays, made big baskets.”

San Antonio could find out as soon as Monday night who it will play next. Oklahoma City leads the Lakers 3-1 in their series, with Game 5 on Monday.

“We haven’t done anything yet. We’ve won two rounds,” Duncan said. “We haven’t done anything so you can’t qualify or classify our team as anything other than that we’ve gotten this far.”

The Spurs trailed much of the fourth until tying the game twice in the final 3:32 before their 30-something trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili took over most of the scoring.

“Their experience showed with their execution,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “Tim looks great and the rest of the guys are feeding off that.”

Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 assists, Blake Griffin added 21 points, and Eric Bledsoe had 17 for the Clippers, who blew a six-point lead in the fourth quarter when Paul faltered in the final two minutes, usually a time when the All-Star guard is at his best.

“We had our opportunities and we couldn’t convert,” Del Negro said. “We made our mistakes at some key moments and that was the difference.”

Both nursing injuries, Griffin and Paul combined to score 21 of the Clippers’ 28 points in the third quarter when they took their first lead of the game. In the fourth, Bledsoe came up big, scoring 11 in a row, to extend the lead to 90-85 with 5:38 remaining.

After Reggie Evans missed two free throws, Green hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 92.

Duncan’s hook put the Spurs in front 96-94 before Paul tossed up a one-handed shot that rose to the top of the backboard before dropping straight in as he crashed into a baseline photographer. He made the free throw to put the Clippers ahead by one.

Parker scored consecutive baskets and the Spurs regained the lead, 100-97, with 1:47 left.

Paul’s two free throws drew the Clippers within one. After a timeout, Paul drove the basket and lost the ball. He fouled Green, who made the first and missed the second to keep the Spurs ahead for good.

“I messed up, bad decisions,” Paul said, holding his 2-year-old son on his lap. “I should have shot it and I missed the shot, all on me.”

Paul then missed another shot, and Mo Williams fouled Parker, who missed the first and made the second with a second left.

“To let my team down in that situation is probably the toughest part of the season,” Paul said. “We scrapped, we played hard. At the end of the day, playing hard isn’t always enough. You got to execute. On that last play, at least we could have gotten a shot off and I turned the ball over.”

DeAndre Jordan added 10 points. Paul had best performance of the series after sub-par efforts in the first two games. He’d been playing with a strained right hip, while Griffin has a sprained right knee, an injured left hip and got stitches for a cut lip in the first half.

Neither team led by more than five points in the third period. Duncan had 10 points for the Spurs. Bledsoe’s putback slam dunk gave the Clippers 75-74 lead going into the fourth.

The Spurs stretched their lead to 12 points with Duncan sitting out the opening 7 minutes of the second quarter.

The Clippers closed on a 14-6 run to trail 51-47 at halftime. Paul got it started with a 19-foot jumper and ended it with a 3-pointer. Early in the spurt, Griffin ran into Ginobili’s shoulder, fell and one of his top teeth went through his lip. He left the court with 2:20 remaining to get two stitches on the inside and outside of his lip.

Los Angeles began the game on a 9-4 run before San Antonio scored 14 unanswered points, reminiscent of its 24-0 third-quarter spurt Saturday that led to the Spurs’ eventual 10-point victory in Game 3.

Game notes

Duncan, Parker and Ginobili played in their 130th postseason game together, the most played as an active trio in the league. … Duncan finished with nine rebounds, just short of notching his 135th career playoff double-double. … The Clippers have lost all seven of their playoff series after losing Game 1. … The Spurs had a 40-36 edge on the boards, while the Clippers outscored them in the paint, 56-50.

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