Tag Archive | "tyson-chandler"
Posted on 12 December 2011. Tags: angeles, breakup, dallas, friday-odom, lakers, lamar-odom, last-season, mavericks, nba, then-requested, trade-exception, training-camp, tyson-chandler
The Lakers have traded forward Lamar Odom and a second-round draft pick to the Dallas Mavericks for a first-round pick and an $8.9 million US trade exception, capping Los Angeles’ stunning 72-hour breakup with last season’s Sixth Man of the Year.
The Lakers and Mavericks announced the deal Sunday night, three days after Odom learned Los Angeles was attempting to trade him in a megadeal for New Orleans superstar Chris Paul.
After the NBA blocked that trade, Odom declined to report to the Lakers’ opening day of training camp on Friday. Odom then requested a trade, and the Lakers improbably swung a deal with the rival Mavericks, who swept Los Angeles out of the second round of last season’s playoffs.
Odom will aid the Mavs’ recovery from Tyson Chandler’s departure.
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Posted on 12 December 2011. Tags: angeles-lakers, before-the-deal, dallas, editing, given-the-nba, hornets, julian-linden, lakers, nba, orleans-hornets, protected-first, said-on-sunday, trading-the-two, tyson-chandler
(Reuters) – The Dallas Mavericks have signed forward Lamar Odom from the Los Angeles Lakers, the reigning NBA champions said on Sunday. The prospect of trading the two-time NBA champion had been criticized by Los Angeles‘ top player Kobe Bryant but still went ahead. Odom was the top reserve on the Lakers roster and was given the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. The Mavericks said in a statement that the versatile 32-year-old arrived along with a 2012 second round draft pick and other second round considerations for 2013, while the Lakers gained a ‘protected first round pick’. Last week Dallas traded center Tyson Chandler to the New York Knicks while the Lakers were blocked in their bid to bring in Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets. Odom, who averaged 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in 82 games last season, was reported to have been part of the trade and would have headed to the Hornets if the move had come off. Speaking on Sunday before the deal had been announced Byrant told reporters: “To be honest with you, I don’t like it. It ‘s tough to lose Lamar”. Dallas beat L.A in the second round of the playoffs last year, a point that was not lost on Bryant. “We were supposed to come back and get them back. It’s tough,” he said.
(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Julian Linden)
There is the quick update of the day.
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Posted on 11 December 2011. Tags: dallas, defending, nba, orleans-hornets, present-as-part, remains-unclear, saturday-credit, tyson-chandler, yahoo
The Lakers don’t have to fret anymore whether Lamar Odom will report to training camp.
No, the Lakers didn’t acquire New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul. In fact, they actually pulled out of the three-team trade proposal involving New Orleans and Houston. Instead, Odom will be traded to the Dallas Mavericks for their first-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft. The Times’ Mike Bresnahan reported it’s unclear whether the Lakers made that move simply to dump Odom’s $17 million salary or use the added funds somehow to acquire Paul or Dwight Howard.
It’s a horrendous move if it’s just a salary dump. He won the sixth-man-of-the-year award last season after averaging 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds, remained a locker room fixture and provided the Lakers with front court depth. Plus, the Lakers give the defending champion Mavericks added depth after losing Tyson Chandler to the Knicks.
But it’s more likely a move represents something bigger ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Lakers pulled out of the Paul deal so they can load up on Howard. It remains unclear how feasible that will be. The Lakers’ $8.9 million trade exception can’t be offered to absorb Hedo Turkoglu’s contract worth over $11 million. But it could possibly be used to acquire a player they could present as part of their offer for Howard.
For now, Laker fans don’t have to worry if Odom missing training camp again. But no one outside of Kobe Bryant can fully breathe a sigh of relief on whether they’ll remain on the Lakers’ roster. Likewise, Laker fans shouldn’t fully feel comfortable what direction the front office is taking this franchise.
–Mark Medina
E-mail the Lakers blog at [email protected]
Photo: Lamar Odom was disturbed that he was part of the voided Chris Paul trade and did not practice the first two days of Lakers training camp. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Posted on 10 December 2011. Tags: before-going, butler, caron-butler, dallas, fill-before, injured-much, mavericks, postseason-star, season, tyson-chandler
The Dallas Mavericks are thinking about a repeat
– even after losing some key players from their championship run.
“We’re world champions,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said.
“We’re excited about that.”
Beginning with Tyson Chandler, the team’s defensive and leader,
the Mavericks have significant holes to fill before the season
starts Dec. 25.
Chandler agreed to the deal Friday with the New York Knicks as
training camps opened. Jose Barea, a part-time starter and
postseason star, is resigned to the fact he’s not coming back to
Dallas.
Caron Butler, injured much of last season but a key contributor
before going down, has already signed with the Los Angeles
Clippers. The Mavs also don’t appear to have much interest in
bringing back DeShawn Stevenson.
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Posted on 07 September 2011. Tags: conversation, dallas-mavericks, down-the-lakers, durable-as-kidd, lakers, mavericks, nba, psychological, scouting-report, team, tyson-chandler
This is the second part of a series breaking down the Lakers’ potentially troublesome Western Conference opponents.
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Lakers’ record versus Dallas last season: 2-1 in regular season, lost 4-0 in Western Conference semifinals
How Mavericks fared last season: NBA champions
Why Dallas is a threat to the Lakers: They won the NBA title after all, so of course Dallas would immediately be involved in the conversation as one of next season’s title favorites. The Mavericks’ championship run also illustrated the team featuring many assets the Lakers lacked.That included clutch shooting (Dirk Nowitzki), handling adversity (six fourth-quarter comebacks), consistent inside presence (Tyson Chandler) and a consistent bench (Jason Terry, J.J. Barea).
WIth the Mavericks finally clearing the psychological hurdle of imploding in the postseason, they have the confidence and talent to match up with any team, including the Lakers. Plus, Caron Butler will be fully healthy.
Why the Lakers are a threat to Dallas: As talented as the Mavericks are, many of the Lakers’ shortcomings against them proved to be self-inflicting. The Lakers’ problems included a lack of clutch shooting from Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol’s disappearing act, Ron Artest’s inconsistent defense and a spotty bench surely won’t be as egregious as it was in the 2011 playoffs. The Lakers’ fatigue, injuries and motivation will also improve.
Meanwhile, Dallas captured lighting in a bottle during its title run. As talented as Nowitzki is, it’s unrealistic to think he can replicate the 27.7 points per game playoff average, including 10.3 in the fourth quarters. As durable as Kidd proved to be, it’s possible he will retire. As much of an inside threat Chandler proved to be, he’s given strong indications he might not re-sign with Dallas. As much as Barea bolstered his bench, he may not return either. Owner Mark Cuban developed a reputation for spending whatever necessary to retain top talent, so every effort will be made to keep the team’s core roster. But part of Dallas’ success last season points to being underestimated, a luxury it won’t have next season.
Verdict: The Lakers-Mavericks matchups will prove to be competitive, but the Lakers will soon reclaim their superiority over the defending champions.
RELATED:
Western Conference Scouting Report: Oklahoma City Thunder
Dallas’ 2011 championship team featured many assets the Lakers lacked
J.J. Barea interested in the Mavericks — or the Lakers, Heat or Knicks
–Mark Medina
E-mail the Lakers blog at [email protected]
Photo credit: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images
Not much else going on in the NBA world today.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 08 July 2011. Tags: career, chandler, dallas, dallas-mavericks, follow-scoop, incredible-year, nba, rumors, take-everything, tyson-chandler
Since 2005, Tyson Chandler(notes) has played for five organizations. And it doesn’t appear that he’s seeking stability for next season.
The 7-1 center is coming off an NBA championship year with the Dallas Mavericks, for whom he averaged 10.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. But Chandler isn’t necessarily planning to stick around in Texas. He’ll be a free agent when the next collective bargaining agreement is figured out.
“It’s a great point in my career, and I’m coming up under free agency and there’s a lot of great teams out there, a lot of great opportunities out there, a lot of up-and-building things,” Chandler told ESPN Dallas. “So, I mean, I’ve got to take a look at all that. I’ve got to take everything into consideration, and the good thing is I’m on a good side. I’m coming off an incredible year, so it’s not a situation where it’s worrisome.”
It may be worrisome to Mavs fans, though.
Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.
Source: ESPN Dallas
Related: Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks
That’s all for today.
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Posted on 10 June 2011. Tags: dallas, finals, game, german, heat, james, maverick, mavericks, miami, nba, related, shawn-stevenson, tyson-chandler, veteran
The Dallas Mavericks, behind Dirk Nowitzki’s 29 points, went on a 17-4 scoring run with just over four and a half minutes remaining to defeat the Miami Heat Thursday night, 112-103 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Boston
Doubters of the Dallas Mavericks have always looked to their NBA Finals matchup against the Miami Heat with two numbers in mind: 3 versus 1. Miami’s “big three” of lightning-quick, pinpoint shooting scorers, versus Dallas’s prodigious seven-foot German forward, Dirk Nowitzki.
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However, after five games, the veteran Mavericks have confounded critics and established a reputation for hard-fought comebacks and clutch wins. This was once again the case in Game 5 Thursday night in Dallas, where the Mavericks ended the fourth period on a 17-4 scoring run that gave them their largest winning margin (9 points) of the Finals, 112-103.
And apparently, those who have dismissed the Mavericks as too slow in transition and too reliant on one player’s performance have missed where Dallas has had back-to-back games getting five players scoring in double figures. The Mavericks have distributed the ball well and, in addition to Nowitzki’s gutsy play, have gotten some outstanding performances inside by Shawn Marion and Tyson Chandler as well as clutch scoring outside by Jason Terry, Jason Kidd and J.J. Barea.
Defensively, Dallas has allowed Miami only 91.8 points per game so far, which is over four points below their season average of 96.1. For a team that in the playoffs routinely scored and allowed over 100 points per game and was widely thought to wither in the face of Miami’s sixth-rated NBA defense, Dallas has themselves become incredibly stingy in that area.
After a few games of mixed results from beyond the arc, the Mavericks managed 68.4 percent (13-for-19) from 3-point distance – which offset a 36-26 rebounding deficit. Six Dallas players had at least one three-pointer, led by J.J. Barea (4-for-5), Terry (3-for-5) and Kidd (3-for-5).
Once again, Miami’s perimeter offense went cold as ice when it counted most. With four and a half minutes remaining in the game, Miami went up 99-95, but LeBron James scored their next points with only a half-minute remaining. And that was his only bucket of the entire fourth period.
Although James had a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the game, his shooting trouble has persisted. He was only 8-for-19 from the field, including 0-for-4 behind the three-point line. During the three games played in Dallas, James has shot just 38.6 percent from the field (17-for-44) and 1-for-11 from 3-point range.
Chris Bosh added 19 points and 10 rebounds and Dwyane Wade was high scorer with 23. But once again, turnovers spelled trouble for the Heat, particularly down the stretch. They had 16 giveaways versus Dallas’s 11, which contributed directly to 21 Maverick points and completely erased the Heat’s advantage on the boards. Miami’s “big three” committed 12 of those turnovers, and they negated a strong 40-point output by Miami’s bench, led by Mario Chalmers (15 points) and Udonis Haslem’s 10.
On the other side of the ball, Dallas’ ball-handlers, Terry, Kidd and Barea, scored a combined 51 points, versus only 6 turnovers. This is the second consecutive game Dallas coach Rick Carlisle has started J.J. Barea over DeShawn Stevenson, and it’s been paying strong dividends. Also, for the second consecutive game, Carlisle has strategically inserted muscular forward Brian Cardinal to soften up the Miami interior. This has also proved to be a successful strategy.
The series now shifts to Miami on Sunday night, where the biggest question of all in Game 6 is which LeBron James will show up – the two-time NBA MVP, or the relatively lackluster version of the past few games? James himself called Game 5 “now or never;” but the Mavericks have to be aware in the back of their minds that there’s at least one more game to be played and that James is always a threat to break out in the clutch.
Nowitzki, who led all Dallas scorers with 29 points in Game 5, was stoical about the return to South Beach: “… Now we have to go down there and basically approach Sunday’s game as Game 7.”
Game 6 will be broadcast on ABC this coming Sunday night, 8 p.m., Eastern time.
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Posted on 05 June 2011. Tags: brendan-haywood, dallas, heat, mahinmi, mavericks, miami, miami-heat, nation-dallas, nba, play-the-miami, postseason, smaller-lineup, tyson-chandler
Read More: Tyson Chandler (C – DAL), Brendan Haywood (C – DAL), Ian Mahinmi (C – DAL), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat
The Dallas Mavericks will likely be without reserve center Brendan Haywood when they play the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the 2011 NBA Finals on Sunday night. He is listed as a game-time decision with a strained hip flexor, but the team will prepare as though he will not see the court.
How will the Mavericks compensate if Haywood is unable to play? The 6-foot-11 Ian Mahinmi could see extensive time as Tyson Chandler’s backup, but he averaged less than nine minutes per game in the regular season and 3.1 points. In the postseason, he’s played in just three games.
The alternative is playing with a smaller lineup, but SB Nation Dallas points out what happened to the Mavericks when they did that in Game 2:
[...] the last stretch during which Dallas went without a center was the early part of the fourth quarter in Game two. They found the lead stretched from four to 15 points during those five minutes. They went back to Chandler and immediately began their comeback.
A smaller lineup or the untested Mahinmi, the Mavericks will need someone to step up on defense when Chandler is on the bench.
For full series coverage, check out our Heat vs. Mavericks hub. For more on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier. For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.
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Posted on 04 June 2011. Tags: after-the-game, before-the-game, boston, came-out-firing, game, heat, helped-the-heat, lead, mavericks, nba, nowitzki, time, tyson-chandler
The Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade and LeBron James might be wise not to celebrate in front of the Dallas Mavericks’ bench any more during the NBA Finals.
After making a 3-point shot over Jason Terry from the far corner that extended Miami’s lead to 15 with 6:20 to play in Game 2 on Thursday night, Wade joyously kept his right arm raised and his wrist cocked while James shouted praises and playfully jabbed him in the chest as they headed back to the Heat bench for a timeout.
It got the Mavericks riled up enough to close out the game on a 22-5 run. Dirk Nowitzki scored Dallas’ final nine points, including a layup with three seconds remaining that gave the Dallas the lead for good in a 95-93 victory.
“Seeing them celebrate like that, man, it was really disheartening,’’ Terry said. “Then I took another glance at the score and the time, there was a lot of time left.’’
Terry said he looked at Nowitzki and said there’s no way they were going to go out losing in a rout.
“He (Wade) celebrated in front of our bench,’’ Mavericks center Tyson Chandler said. “I think it angered us. We came out there and responded.’’
After the game, James said they didn’t celebrate, but admitted they were excited about Wade hitting a big shot that extended the lead.
“It was a shot made going into a timeout,’’ Wade said. “Every team does something. If it pumped them up — they won the game. Don’t make nothing out of that celebration like you guys did in the Boston series.’’
NO LIMITATION: With a torn tendon in his left middle finger he sustained in Game 1, Nowitzki played with a splint Thursday night. But it had no affect on him when the Mavericks made their 22-5 run to close out the game.
Nowitzki scored a game-high 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting.
“It felt great,’’ Nowitzki said. “Like I said before the game, I thought it wasn’t going to bother me, and it didn’t.’’
SLUMP ENDS: Heat point guard Mike Bibby broke out of a horrid shooting slump by scoring 14 points in Game 2, but it didn’t lead to a win.
Going into Game 2, Bibby had not scored more than eight points through 15 playoff games. He came out firing in the third quarter, hitting two of four 3-point attempts that helped the Heat extend their lead to 10.
“Mike shot the ball well,’’ Wade said. “That’s the Mike that we love to see. We want him to continue to shoot like that.’’
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Posted on 03 June 2011. Tags: beach, boston, chandler, dallas, game, heat, introductory, james, mario-chalmers, mavericks, music, tyson-chandler, western
By Ben Volin
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 8:08 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2011
Posted: 5:54 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2011
MIAMI — Of course Dallas center Tyson Chandler saw the whole thing. It happened right in front of the Mavericks’ bench.
He saw Dwyane Wade’s exaggerated follow-through, raising both arms skyward and loitering in front of the Dallas bench for several seconds, after making a three-pointer in the corner to put the Heat up by 15 with 7 minutes, 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He saw the punches LeBron James threw into Wade’s chest as the two came back down the court. He saw the fans’ celebratory seat-cover toss, and heard the loud party music blaring throughout AmericanAirlines Arena.
“I think it angered a lot of us,” Chandler said. “When you got a guy showboating in front of your bench with seven minutes remaining, all the music and dancing and that kind of stuff, you say, ‘I don’t care what they say, the game is not over.’”
No, it wasn’t. Wade’s three-pointer was the Heat’s last field goal for the next 6:50. Meanwhile, Dallas hit nine of its final 10 shots, finished the game with a 22-5 run and pulled off an unthinkable 95-93 victory to tie the finals at 1-1.
James and Wade have been criticized all season for too much celebration – from their introductory party last July to the emotional outburst after defeating Boston last month – and Wade and James once again found themselves Thursday night defending and trying to minimize the impact of their actions.
“It was no celebration at all,” James said. “The same thing we’ve done over the course of the season. We knew we still had seven minutes to close out the game.”
“A celebration is confetti, champagne bottles,” Wade added. “That was no celebration. It’s just being excited about the moment. It had nothing to do with the outcome of the game for us.”
But Chandler wasn’t the only Dallas player who said the Heat stars’ antics fueled their comeback.
“Right at that moment, it was a turning point in the game,” said shooting guard Jason Terry, who had 16 points off the bench. “We looked at each guy in the huddle and said, ‘There’s no way we’re going out like this.’”
Of course, the Heat’s premature celebration was not the only catalyst for its meltdown. Terry scored six straight points to bring the Mavericks within single-digits, and Dirk Nowitzki scored the Mavs’ final nine points to seal the comeback. The Heat missed 10 of its final 11 shots, scoring only two James free throws and a Mario Chalmers three-pointer in the final seven minutes.
Nowitzki, playing with a torn tendon in his left middle finger, scored his final two baskets both with his left hand, including the game-winner with 3.6 seconds remaining. He finished with a team-high 24 points and 11 rebounds.
“I don’t know how that finger felt, but I know he didn’t care,” Terry said. “He was going to do whatever it took for us to get the win tonight.”
Thursday’s victory was the Mavericks’ fourth of the 2011 playoffs after they faced a double-digit deficit. Just 10 days prior, they erased Oklahoma’s 15-point lead with 4 minutes to play in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals. In that game, too, Kevin Durant celebrated prematurely by pretending to strap on a championship wrestling belt.
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle specifically brought up that comeback in the team huddle after Wade’s three-pointer.
“He said, ‘Look up fellas – seven minutes. That means we have extra time,’” Chandler said. “And I think at that point, everybody kind of tuned in, only worried about chipping off points.”
Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 03 June 2011. Tags: dallas, dallas-mavericks, dwyane-wade, fact, game, james, jason, jason-terry, mavericks, nba, shawn-stevenson, tyson-chandler, watch-the-video, yahoo
Read More: Jason Kidd (G – DAL), Tyson Chandler (C – DAL), Jason Terry (G – DAL), DeShawn Stevenson (G – DAL), LeBron James (F – MIA), Dwyane Wade (G – MIA), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat
Here is the much-discussed “celebration” that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade engaged in that supposedly fired up the Dallas Mavericks and caused them to rally from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. It was a play that Tyson Chandler, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd all resented, with Chandler going as far to say that it “angered” the Mavericks. This means that everyone writing about this game has a built-in narrative that will be happily consumed by the masses thanks to all the Heat hate.
But let’s step back for a second. Really, Dallas Mavericks? That’s the celebration that you say inspired you? Weak sauce.
As Holly MacKenzie pointed out: if that’s your standard for a celebration, then Miami should be inspired every time DeShawn Stevenson does anything. If you watch the video, the only player on the Mavericks who is even responding to Wade holding his follow through is Terry, which is ironic in and of itself considering Terry’s antics when he hits big shots. As for Chandler, you can’t even really see him in the picture anyway.
Wade and James didn’t seem to think it was a big deal either. Via Dan Wetzel of Yahoo!
“It was no celebration at all,” James said, unwilling to acknowledge the comments pouring out of the Mavericks’ locker room. “I was excited about the fact that [Wade] hit a big shot, and we went up 15. The same thing we’ve done over the course of the season. There was no celebration at all. We knew we had seven minutes to go still to close out the game.”
“There was no celebration,” Wade said. “It was a shot made going into a timeout. Every team does something. That’s the game. … That’s not the first time. It won’t be the last time.”
It’s a nice little turning point that Mavericks players can turn to after the fact to explain their stunning comeback, but that’s not the same thing as saying it actually fired them up. No, what fired Dallas up was facing a 15-point deficit in what was essentially a must-win game in the NBA Finals. If the Mavericks want to say otherwise, it’s their right, but that’s closer to the truth.
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Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 01 June 2011. Tags: boards, dallas, fourth, heat, jason-terry, lebron-james, mario-chalmers, mavericks, miami-heat, nba, stroke, tyson-chandler
Read More: Tyson Chandler (C – DAL), Jason Terry (G – DAL), Dirk Nowitzki (F – DAL), Mario Chalmers (G – MIA), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat
The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks 92-84 to take a 1- 0 series lead in the NBA finals. The game began and 18 seconds into the game Tyson Chandler picked up his first foul. Not the start the Mavericks were looking for. It was a slow start for both teams. Stevenson forced James into an early air ball and it was a defensive struggle early on. With the offense stagnant Jason Terry checked into the game at the 5:30 mark. The spacing dramatically improved and Kidd hit back to back threes to get the offense back on track. Jason Terry exploded to the rim and attempted to posterize Lebron James, he failed but succeeded in getting Lebron James in foul trouble as he picked up his second foul on the attempted block. The Mavericks took a 17-16 lead into the second quarter. In the second quarter it was Chris Bosh who continued to make an impact on the game. Bosh finished the half with 13 points and seven rebounds, including four of the offensive variety. Additionally, when the Mavericks went to a zone defense Mario Chalmers was able to get loose for a few threes. Chalmers went 3-5 from three and finished the first half with 10 points. After another sluggish start in the second quarter, the Mavericks scored on eight straight possessions to close the half and took a 44-43 lead into the break.
The Mavericks carried that momentum into the third quarter and went on a 7-0 run extend their lead to 51-43. The Heat called a timeout and immediately began to attack the basket. Wade made two straight driving layups and Chandler picked up his third foul on his second drive and Miami had cut the lead 53-51. And then the game became stagnant once more. For both teams, but the Mavericks in particular. After the 7-0 run, the Mavericks scored six points in the next six minutes. To put the capper on an awful stretch by the Mavericks, James drilled a three at the buzzer to give the Heat a 65-61 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Mavericks started off well in the fourth quarter with a couple of Dirk drives and after a Stevenson three pulled them within 72-69, the offense went stagnant again. They went four minutes without a basket in the fourth quarter before a Chandler freethrow and yet, Miami was unable to pull away. Until they called a timeout. Following the Chandler freethrow, the Heat called a timeout and put the game out of reach. They stretched their lead to ten and that was it. An alley-oop from Wade to James put the finishing touches on their 92-84 win.
This is the first time the Mavericks have trailed in the playoffs but I don’t see any reason to panic.
Dirk Nowitzki struggles with his shot going 7/18 but still finished with 27 points by attacking the rim and getting to the free throw line 12 times. He hit all 12, of course. But the game was lost on the boards and by the benches.
The Mavericks were outrebounded 46 to 36 and the Heat had ten more offensive rebounds than the Mavericks. For a team with the distinct size advantage, that’s inexcusable and can not continue moving forward. After rolling through the playoffs thanks to the terrific play of their bench, the Mavericks’ bench laid a dud in game one. They were outscored 27-17. Brutal. Chalmers and Miller were left wide-open on busted zone coverages and hit a few threes and Haslem hit a couple of shots for them but it was Juwan Howard’s contribution that really irked me. Howard played eight minutes and got three offensive rebounds. And that’s all about effort. The Mavericks will need to hit the boards a lot harder if they expect to win this series. That falls to Tyson Chandler who had a particularly awful game. Chandler went 3/4 for nine points but was only able to snag four rebounds. He also lost his composure at times and committed silly fouls, he has to improve and I have no doubt that he will.
Peja Stojakovic, J.J Barea and Jason Terry were not any better. Stojakovic has not been able to find his stroke since his perfect shooting display against the Lakers and was blowing defensive assignments on almost every possession. If Peja can not find his stroke, he should not be on the floor. J.J Barea was able to get open looks and penetrated at will at times, he just couldn’t finish going 1-8 from the field. After starting the game 2/2, Terry finished 3/10. He rushed shots at times but again, most of them were open looks and they will begin to fall eventually.
All in all, it could have been a lot worse. The Mavericks were severely outplayed in all facets of the game and were still within six in the fourth quarter. James and Wade were held relatively in check and only paid seven trips to the freethrow line. Attack the boards, better bench play, close out on threes and they should have a great chance to steal game two.
Game 2 is Thursday night at 8 p.m. CT on ABC.
Thanks for reading! .
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 31 May 2011. Tags: durant-at-times, figured-out-now, heat, jobs, mavericks, nba, step-on-offense, tyson-chandler, udonis-haslem
NBA FINALS MATCHUPS È DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. MIAMI HEAT
CENTER
Tyson Chandler receives plenty of credit for giving the Dallas Mavericks an interior defensive presence they long lacked, and he can score some. Joel Anthony can give the Miami Heat a boost with a timely offensive rebound or blocked shot, but he provides next to nothing offensively. Miami’s best lineup probably has Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem playing together up front.
Edge: Mavericks
POWER FORWARD
The Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki is having as good a postseason as anyone, scoring 28.4 points per game and shooting nearly 52 percent. . Miami’s Chris Bosh occasionally found it tough understanding his role as the No. 3 behind LeBron James and Dwyane Wade but has it figured out now. He is coming off an excellent East finals, averaging 23.2 points against Chicago.
Edge: Mavericks
SMALL FORWARD
Quickly swept aside in his lone finals appearance, Miami’s LeBron James has done everything it takes to give himself another shot, from clutch 3-pointers to timely defensive stops against the opponents’ top offensive player. The versatile Shawn Marion’s insertion into the starting lineup allowed the Dallas Mavericks to overcome the season-ending loss of Caron Butler in January.
Edge: Heat
SHOOTING GUARD
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Mike Bibby rarely has been a factor since joining the Heat during the season and lacks the speed to take advantage of 38-year-old Jason Kidd, who has lost a step on offense but has played terrific defense for the Mavericks to give himself a third attempt at a ring. He has guarded Kobe Bryant and the much-taller Kevin Durant at times, and he might get a crack at Wade in big spots.
With Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem healthy after battling injuries most of the season, the Heat can put its best lineup on the floor at the most important times. Haslem defended Nowitzki well in 2006 and will get opportunities again. But the Mavericks can surround their All-Star with plenty of perimeter shooting by going to Jason Terry or Peja Stojakovic, and J.J. Barea’s penetration is a good change of pace from Kidd. Brendan Haywood provides a solid backup in the middle to Chandler.
Few coaches had tougher jobs than Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, who many thought wouldn’t be around at the finish even if the Heat was. But team president Pat Riley believes in him, and so do the Heat’s superstars. Rick Carlisle brought a defensive-minded approach to a Dallas team that was previously offense first, and his calm demeanor will be a plus.
That’s all the news for today.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
Posted on 31 May 2011. Tags: dallas, from-the-field, game, heat, nba, power, shawn-marion, shawn-stevenson, spectacular, thunder, tyson-chandler, udonis-haslem, versatility
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
Power forward
Dirk Nowitzki vs. Chris Bosh: One of the game’s underappreciated stars, Dirk is finally winning universal praise for his spectacular playoff run. Nowitzki is averaging nearly 30 points and shooting 52 percent from the field and 90 percent from the line. He is simply unstoppable. Bosh is no easy foil, though. After a slow start, the Dallas native has figured out where he fits in the Heat offense and is coming off a 23.2-point scoring average in the East finals.
Advantage: Mavs
Small forward
Shawn Marion vs. LeBron James: Marion made a major impact in the Thunder series with his versatility. He averaged 20 points over the last several games and played terrific defense. Marion, however, is not LeBron. The incredibly gifted James is showing that Miami is his team more than D-Wade’s. He leads the Heat in scoring, rebounding, assists — and desire. James also brings all-NBA defense to the table.
Huge advantage:Heat
Center
Tyson Chandler vs. Joel Anthony: Chandler has been a big addition for the Mavs, providing interior defense they had sorely lacked. He also can score some, which Anthony definitely cannot. Miami works best when Udonis Haslem plays inside with Bosh.
Advantage: Mavs
Shooting guard
DeShawn Stevenson vs. Dwyane Wade: Obviously, this is a total mismatch. But Stevenson is just a place-holder for Jason Terry. Wade was responsible for wrecking Dallas in the 2006 Finals. There is speculation he’s nursing a sore shoulder, and he’s made just 17 of 46 shots (37 percent) in the last three games. Still, Dallas will have to use some zone to try to slow down Wade and James.
Huge advantage:Heat
Point guard
Jason Kidd vs. Mike Bibby: The 38-year-old Kidd is rejuvenated by possibly his last shot at an NBA title. He runs the show, plays tough defense and occasionally makes a big shot or grabs an important rebound. Bibby plays older than his age (33) and looks pretty much washed up.
Advantage:Mavs
That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.
Posted in nba, Uncategorized
