Are the excuses beginning?

March 30th, 2008 Posted in Avery Johnson

Could the excuses for the poor performance since the All-Star break be starting? Here’s what Avery has to say about having 8 new players this year, 5 since the break.

“Had we remained the same, maybe you could see some common maladies in those situations… But this is a different club, different situation. We don’t have the continuity we’ve had in the past.”

I’m probably just putting words in his mouth, but it sounds like he’s saying that it’s not his fault the team is struggling. At least not now. If it’s this same group of guys next year is it his fault then?

And this is from a few days ago, but I just now saw it. Avery’s talking about how the team needs to perform better in the half-court.

“We’re going to have to do a better job in the halfcourt. We haven’t been very good in the halfcourt. We’re going to have to do a better job of executing our plays, setting better screens, a better job of running our pick-and-rolls, attacking. … it’s just in the halfcourt, we’ve just got to find a way to get the ball to the basket and if not, take our shots and make our shots.”

Perhaps if the half-court strategy involved more than iso plays ending in a 20 foot Josh Howard jump shot they could be more effective?

And in the standings the Nuggets are now in 8th after taking care of the Warriors last night. A loss tonight would move the Mavs to 8th with the same record as Golden State. Right now the Mavs have the tie break against the Warriors being 2-0 against them on the season.


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  1. 23 Responses to “Are the excuses beginning?”

  2. By mrtwister on Mar 30, 2008 at 3:38:59 pm

    I can see the Mavs and the Warriors going 5-5 from here on in. That’s given that both teams beat each other at home, Forget the Nuggets, they’ll go 6-3. The only problem with the Warriors is that most coaches will counter a run and gun team like them with good solid half court offense. Something that just isn’t there for the Mavs right now. (Isolation plays aren’t good solid half court offense). All they need to do is beat the crappy teams and beat GS at least once.

  3. By Aubrey on Mar 30, 2008 at 4:27:35 pm

    Honestly at this rate I wish we would not make the playoffs since we will just lose first round….that may mean there is a better chance Avery would get fired and we could get a draft pick and hopefully get a pg…since when Kidd retires (hopefully very soon) we will need a pg….and hopefully we will have coach who knows how to coach a young point guard something Avery cannot do!!!

  4. By Aubrey on Mar 30, 2008 at 9:57:24 pm

    As i sit and watch the gs dallas game i am realizing how very pathetic kidd is…brick after brick he throws up, and constant turn overs. Even the gs announcers think we gave up to much for Kidd (if ur watching on the nba package). Kidd is now sitting on the bench once again looking like he may cry prehaps bc once again he is realizing how bad he truly is. And poor Howard is the only offense we have. And Stack seriously this is like a playoff game i dont care what is wrong w/ u if u can walk u need to playing what a wimp come on now!!!

  5. By Avery Johnson on Mar 30, 2008 at 10:41:38 pm

    I hate Azubuike

  6. By David on Mar 30, 2008 at 10:47:36 pm

    Keep blaming Kidd. Yup, 14 assists and 1 turnover are real terrible.

  7. By Aubrey on Mar 30, 2008 at 10:49:31 pm

    please 0-10 since he’s been here i blame him and avery mostly avery he brought him here….i’d rather have baron davis!!

  8. By Aubrey on Mar 30, 2008 at 10:49:59 pm

    and sorry 0-10 against teams over 500

  9. By Momo Abdul Jakul on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:03:43 pm

    I agree with David. I respect the opinion of Aubrey if he don’t like Kidd with the Mavs. But I don’t think he’s the problem, it’s in the system and coaching style of our man, Avery Johnson. We have good players. Wake up Mr. Cuban and fire Avery!

  10. By mike on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:07:08 pm

    Jason Kidd is not the problem.

  11. By KeepingItReal on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:10:48 pm

    I wish the Mavs would hire a Jim More type coach. He keeps it real. Instead of coming up with the numerous excuses he should be saying this (except in basketball terms)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq7BYOnDrM&feature=related

  12. By Aubrey on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:15:09 pm

    All im saying is Avery should be fired…but if Kidd is a superstar he shouldnt be this bad. Dirk plays through Averys awful coaching and still manages to put up decent stats.

  13. By mike on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:18:04 pm

    Avery took Dirk away from the 3-point line; and that cost us more than our share of games, or at least I think so. And Kidd can only do so much when he’s being limited by the coach(still puts up decent numbers, though).

  14. By mffl on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:20:05 pm

    So, Avery decided to play Eric Dampier for only 13 minutes tonight against the Warriors, AFTER the same thing got us kicked out in the first round last year. He played small AGAIN tonight, against the Warriors…I guess he decided to see by how much they would beat us this time. The result…we were close in every category except one - Rebounding - they out-rebounded us. A small running team out-rebound us!!!!!! Avery needs to get fired TONIGHT. We seriously might make the playoffs still if he’s gone!

  15. By KeepingItReal on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:25:49 pm

    That would be a dream come true if you ask me.

  16. By Aubrey on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:33:45 pm

    ha decent numbers for a role player that comes off the bench maybe not for the superstar everyone makes him out to be. Plus defensively im sorry but im not seeing anything that wows me. But u know what if for some reason we make it to the playoffs and play the spurs int he first round they will be happy cuz Parker hated defending Harris he gave him problems…and well Kidd ya he doesnt really do that. Notice when he shoots he’s wide open no one guards him cuz they know more then likely he will not make it.

  17. By Aubrey on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:35:35 pm

    Also, i agree i dunno why Avery goes small ball w/ them when we dont beat them that way. You think he would get it after our first round loss last year!!!

  18. By Mav in Cali on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:42:43 pm

    After Damp gets a blocked shot and a thunderous dunk, he gets put on the bench. What the heck… obviously his presence in the middle was making a difference until he gets pulled out of the flow of the game. What is it going to take to get Avery fired? He went back to the same losing strategy of last year’s playoffs against this team. There must be something wrong in that boy’s head - EVERYONE knows that no one plays small ball better than GS, aside from the Suns without Shaq… and so what does he do? “Hey ya’ll, let’s beat ‘em at their own game!” DUH!! AVERY GET A CLUE!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

    Sometimes I honestly think he doesn’t know what else to do but throw his raggedy “game plans” out there every night, and then he just hopes and prays that somehow his team lucks out and wins. Because once the whistle blows and they are in the midst of battle, there is absolutely no intelligence in any of the coaching whatsoever.

  19. By KeepingItReal on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:48:21 pm

    I will be stunned and surprised if Avery isn’t fired next season.

  20. By mike on Mar 31, 2008 at 12:26:51 am

    That goes back to my comments about the coach, but that’s just your opinion.

  21. By T on Mar 31, 2008 at 3:57:37 pm

    I think we should just let Terry run the point 40 minutes a game, walk the ball down the court and let Howard shoot a 20 ft jump shot every play. If Howard actually starts hitting shots lets immediately pull him and put George in the game to throw up bricks.

  22. By mffl on Mar 31, 2008 at 4:00:39 pm

    T, I think you just read Avery’s mind!

  23. By Ronald on Mar 31, 2008 at 6:52:33 pm

    T:
    Hahaha… I think you have the greatest plan of all time… ever thought about being a coach… I know someone you could easily (and I mean EASILY) replace…

    Aubrey and all those that share your view:
    I don’t really think Kidd is trully the one to blame here; I was also a bit sceptical about the trade but at the end of the day with the talent we have on hand you can’t tell me that kid is such a set back from Harris that we can’t even beat a single team (not even one) that’s above .500 — That’s just ridiculous… Kidd is actually not as bad as I had feared and with any other coach he could do wonders with Howard, Dirk, Stack and the others

    I agree with Mav in Cali, most of the time Avery thinks that his stupid moves are genius moves that will throw off everybody but that scenario only plays in his little brain, and he throws off his own team.
    He is a perfect example of someone confused between activity and productivity, he thinks that by standing on the sideline and gesticulating he is being a productive coach.
    Can’t wait for the day when Kidd tells him to shut the **** up and let them play ball and keep that nonsense for himself…

  24. By matt on Mar 31, 2008 at 9:35:55 pm

    well said t and ronald.

    I hate avery and he should have been fired after miami and gs beat us in the playoffs.

    I dont know how much of the blame is on avery but you have to start at the top.

    three years, three meltdowns, just stop putting us through this cuban

    devin harris, diop, 2 first round picks, lose last years first….basically 5 first rounders for kidd

    i want to cry

    or keep avery and fire cuban

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