Mavs Links: Defense, Minutes, Ibaka
After winning the NBA championship last season against the Heat, the Mavericks will begin their title defense Saturday on the road against the Thunder. The Mavericks fell to the seventh seed after losing four out of their last six games to close out the season. Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News has the latest out of Dallas with a series of updates from Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle.
- Defense will be a key for the Mavs if they want to contain the Thunder's trio of stars that guided the team to the third-highest scoring average in the league at 103.1 points per game. Carlisle wants his squad to focus on defending the Thunder as a collective unit rather than attempting to guard them individually. Fouling won't help the Mavs as the Thunder rank first in the league for both free throws made per game (21.3) and free throw shooting percentage (.806).
- Limiting the minutes of star players such as Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd will not be a consideration for the Mavs as the team looks to rely on their veterans for heavy usage throughout the playoffs. Carlisle rested Kidd the last two games of the season and decreased the 38-year-old point guard's minutes per game this season to 28.7. Nowitzki finished the season averaging 33.5 minutes per game as his time on the court decreased less than one minute from a year ago.
- The Thunder's Serge Ibaka will be a test for the Mavs' big men after a season in which the 22-year-old rising star blocked 21 shots against the Mavs in four meetings. With defensive stalwart Tyson Chandler now on the Knicks, the Mavs will rely on Brendan Haywood, Ian Mahinmi and Brandan Wright to occupy space in the paint for the team. "Our center position is going to be very important in the series, because the way they defend, our centers have got to give us activity around the basket,'' Carlisle said.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Dragic, Batum, Terry
The Southwest Division will be well represented in this year's postseason, with the defending champion Mavericks getting their series underway tomorrow night in Oklahoma City. The Spurs and Grizzlies will join the action on Sunday, hosting Game Ones against the Jazz and Clippers, respectively. While we look forward to what should be some excellent series, let's round up the latest news and rumors out of the division….
- Following Thursday's regular-season finale, there was a sense in the Rockets' locker room that the team could look much different next season, says Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. According to Feigen, Houston's primary goal, to find a star player to be the team's foundation, remains unchanged.
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey seems very interested in re-signing Goran Dragic, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Morey took to Twitter last night to lobby for Dragic's return, tweeting: "Rockets fans,tell Goran Dragic how much U want him 2extend his time with Hou. I will get your message 2him."
- Nicolas Batum talked to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com about the possibility of signing with the Spurs this summer.
- Rick Gosselin and Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News discuss Jason Terry's contract situation with the Mavericks, and whether the free-agent-to-be will be "playing for his money" during the postseason.
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Terry, Blazers, Howard
Let's round up a few Wednesday afternoon odds and ends from around the league….
- After former Bobcats coach Larry Brown ripped Michael Jordan for surrounding himself with "yes men" who don't challenge him, the Bobcats owner fired back in an interview with Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Jordan denied that his top executives are afraid to tell him no, and suggested that Brown may still be wounded by losing his job in Charlotte.
- Jason Terry, who hasn't been shy about discussing his impending free agency this year, is focusing on the Mavericks' title defense rather than the upcoming summer, says Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
- Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com wonders if the Trail Blazers may have the best candidate for their general manager opening right under their noses, in Chad Buchanan.
- The fact that Dwight Howard won't rejoin the Magic this season is the latest indication that "Dwight and the Magic are officially separated and will soon file for divorce," writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Tyson Chandler was happy to hear that the Knicks named Glen Grunwald their permanent GM, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
Mavs Notes: Nowitzki, Terry, Carlisle
The last time an NBA Champion subsequently returned to the playoffs and repeated a title run without holding homecourt advantage in the first round was when the Rockets won as the sixth-seed in 1995. Currently, the Mavericks find themselves in a potentially similar scenario heading into the playoffs, as they can no longer finish higher than sixth this season. Dirk Nowitzki acknowledges that the significant offseason roster changes have had an effect on the team, and added that only time will tell if the decisions made this past off-season would have been worth it (Brad Townsend of SportsDay DFW reports). Here's more of the latest we've heard out of Dallas:
- Mike Heika of SportsDay DFW quoted Nowitzki as he shed some light on teammate Jason Terry:"Hopefully, he'll play well, and we'll have a deep run. If I was in his shoes, that's what I would be focusing on, playing my best and helping this franchise ultimately win a couple playoff series." Terry, who will turn 35-years-old in September, is due to become a free agent this summer.
- In a separate article, Heika documented coach Rick Carlisle's thoughts on Terry as the team's X-factor: "He's not just a scorer, he's a play-maker. He has the ability to be a difference-maker defensively for us, and when he's out there scrambling, and getting loose balls and putting himself into position to get steals, we're a different team out there. So we need his total game, and his focus should be a basketball player and not just a scorer.''
Southwest Links: Rockets, Hornets, Carlisle
With the Spurs, Mavericks and Grizzlies in action tonight, here are a few links regarding the Southwest division:
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle says that the down-the-stretch pressure was simply too much for the Rockets, who have folded in April essentially closing the door at any hopes for postseason play.
- Bill Ingram of Hoopsworld examines the Rockets' offseason needs, specifically replacing Yao Ming at center. With the futures of Marcus Camby and Samuel Dalembert uncertain in Houston, Ingram says that Houston could turn to Hornets' potential free agents Chris Kaman and/or Houston-born Emeka Okafor this summer. Kaman is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent and while Okafor is under contract, he is considered a viable amnesty candidate.
- Mark Cuban says that he would like to retain head coach Rick Carlisle, tweets the Star-Telegram's Dwain Price. Carlisle's contract is up at the end of the season. In his fourth year with the Mavs, Carlisle has led the team to the playoffs every year, winning the Southwest division in 2009-2010 and the NBA title in 2010-2011.
Southwest Rumors: Hornets, Allen, Mayo, Kidd
Let's check in on a few Wednesday updates out of the Southwest Division….
- The Hornets are expected to waive Chris Johnson and sign another big man to replace him, reports John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. With Chris Kaman and Emeka Okafor likely done for the season, New Orleans is lacking in frontcourt depth, and Johnson hasn't played in over two weeks since he suffered a concussion.
- Following up on the Ray Allen/O.J. Mayo trade rumor from Yahoo! Sports, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal says he heard the Celtics' asking price also included Mike Conley, Dante Cunningham, and Josh Selby in a large deal that included draft picks. The Grizzlies didn't want to give up so many assets to rent Allen, says Tillery.
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld examines whether or not Mayo has a place in the Grizzlies' future.
- Asked if he could see Jason Kidd becoming a coach when his playing career ends, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle replied, "He'll probably be an owner" (Twitter link via Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
Sefko On Mavs’ Summer Moves
SportsDayDFW's Eddie Sefko answered some questions in a two-part mailbag (part 1 here, part 2 here) about the Dallas Mavericks' future moves, including which players may or may not be brought back.
- Among the current Mavs players Sefko speculates will not be in Dallas next season are Ian Mahinmi, Vince Carter, Delonte West, and Brian Cardinal, in addition to the all-but-guaranteed departure of Lamar Odom.
- Sefko thinks there's a chance Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, and Brendan Haywood remain in Dallas. Terry will be an unrestricted free agent, Marion has been discussed often in trades, and Haywood is widely believed to be a candidate for Dallas' amnesty clause.
- In addition to Deron Williams, whom it is common knowledge the Mavs will pursue heavily this offseason, Sefko is intrigued by Utah's C.J. Miles as a possible backcourt partner.
- Haywood isn't a sure thing to be amnestied, but the Mavs are still banking on Dwight Howard being in play at some point, at which time it's a lock that they will cut ties with him.
- Sefko believes that if the Mavs sign Williams and retain Marion, free agents will be interested in signing in Dallas for below market value.
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Raptors, Brown, Draft
It's an eventful night in the NBA with 11 games, many of which have playoff implications. There's been plenty of draft news as well, as teams look past the playoffs, and one item concerning the distant future, with the NBA announcing the Hornets will host the 2014 All-Star Game, just six years after hosting the 2008 event. The new ownership of Tom Benson had plenty to do with that, though he's already come up short in his quest to get the Jazz nickname back from Utah, as Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune notes. If Benson ditches the Hornets name, it'll be a while before Charlotte could use it again, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. While nicknames won't be moving for a while, there's plenty of movement on other fronts, and here's the latest:
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com doesn't think free agents Roy Hibbert and Eric Gordon will switch teams this summer, but says the Celtics have interest in both (Twitter link).
- Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun breaks down the Raptors' roster and predicts who'll be there next season and who won't.
- Longtime coach Larry Brown is pursuing the Blazers GM job even as he zeroes in on the SMU coaching gig, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford discusses the possibility that Kentucky senior Darius Miller, currently projected as a second-rounder, could climb up the draft board and make it six first-round picks for the Wildcats (Insider only).
- Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday rounds up Carmelo Anthony's comments on multiple radio shows today about the way new Knicks coach Mike Woodson has held him accountable (Sulia links).
- Mavs cast-off Lamar Odom leads Sam Smith's list of the biggest disappointments this year on NBA.com
- Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida shares the results of an informal survey of 11 former MVPs, who give a slight edge to Kevin Durant over LeBron James in this year's race. The former players won't have official votes for the award; instead, writers and broadcasters will make the selection.
- Roland Beech of 82games.com crunches the numbers and determines Gilbert Arenas, taken in the second round by the Warriors in 2001, was the shrewdest draft choice in recent years (hat tip to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld).
Caplan on Terry, Nowitzki, Cuban
After today's loss against the Lakers, the Mavericks currently hold just two less losses than the ninth-place Suns and the tenth-place Jazz. Denver's win against Houston tonight places them only a half-game behind the Mavericks for the sixth spot, and the Rockets would be 1.5 games behind. Luckily for the Dallas, they own the tie-breaker against the Nuggets, Suns, Rockets, and Jazz. However, both Utah and Houston will still have their chances to spoil the Mavericks' standing in the Western conference as their respective matchups against Dallas this week could have major implications. Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas presents the hot topics surrounding the team tonight:
- Owner Mark Cuban has lobbied to make basket interference calls reviewable during the last two minutes of regulation and overtime. This stemmed from a crucial play in which the Lakers took a 2-point lead in overtime after Pau Gasol knocked down a three point shot. Matt Barnes appeared to have touched the ball while it was in the cylinder and even acknowledged it afterward, according to Cuban.
- Dirk Nowitzki is in the midst of a shooting slump and insists that despite his 9-for-28 performance today, being a volume shooter is not how he wants to play. Dirk is shooting 38.3% from the field over his last five games.
- Jason Terry briefly recounts the last play in overtime in which he came up short on a drive to the basket.
Mavs Notes: Playoffs, Carlisle, Kidd
The Mavs take on the Lakers at the Staples Center later this afternoon in a matchup with playoff seeding on the line for the two Western Conference rivals. Unfortunately for the Mavs, the Lakers have played well even with an injured Kobe Bryant on the shelf as players like Andrew Bynum and Matt Barnes have taken their game to the next level in their superstar's absence. Let's check in with the Mavs to find out what's making headlines with the reigning NBA champions.
- Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com says the chances of the Mavs missing the playoffs has become highly unlikely as other contenders faltered in important contests on Saturday night. Caplan predicts the Mavs will take the sixth seed which would mean Sunday afternoon's battle against the Lakers could potentially be a preview of the first round of the playoffs. If the Mavs somehow collapse and fail to secure a playoff spot, it would mark the first time a reigning champion missed the postseason since the Bulls in 1999.
- While he won't be taking home any hardware for his coaching performance this season, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle has successfully handled a difficult season, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News (subscribers only). From losing six players off of a championship-winning squad to the Lamar Odom debacle, Carlisle has been able to keep his team focused on winning basketball games amidst myriad setbacks.
- Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram says a healthy Jason Kidd has been a major reason why the Mavs can now breathe a little more easily about their hopes for the playoffs. With Kidd dealing with a strained right groin, the Mavs went 1-3 and fear set in surrounding their chances of making the playoffs. While he'll be in the starting lineup today against the Lakers, the Mavs plan to periodically rest Kidd over the remainder season with hopes of keeping the future Hall of Famer fresh for the playoffs.