Yet another disappointment

April 5th, 2008 Posted in Avery Johnson, Game Recap

I really didn’t want to have to write a post like this tonight. Maybe I bought into how good this team looked Wednesday night and really didn’t take into account the circumstances of that game. But I wanted to think they could carry over some momentum from that game into tonight and win this game. And for the first three quarters of the game they did and it looked they had things under control. Then came another classic (as of late) Mavericks fourth quarter meltdown.

Dirk was once again out there giving his all tonight. Still obviously uncomfortable, at the least, he had a great offensive game scoring 27 points on 13-19 shooting. As the game went on though you could tell the ankle was troubling him. He couldn’t push off on it, he had no lift on his shot attempts, he was a guy playing when he really shouldn’t be. So why then does Avery call two isolation plays for him late in the fourth quarter? Lamar Odom was all over him and both possessions ended up in fall away jumpers that came up short. For most of the game prior to that Kidd was helping create shots for Dirk, so why go away from that when the game is on the line?

Another thing that didn’t help Dirk was Avery’s decision to have Dampier try to trap Kobe off of picks. This happened numerous times late in the fourth quarter. Odom or Gasol would come out to set a pick for Kobe and Damp would stay on Kobe. This made Dirk responsible for Gasol and Odom since he was getting no weak side help. Throughout the game Odom was having his way with Dirk. So how could it have been a good idea to have Dirk try to cover both Odom and Gasol on those possessions? I’m glad Avery finally decided to double Kobe, but there should have been a much better way to accomplish it.

The dumbass award of the night goes to Josh Howard. I don’t care how badly you think you got fouled, getting called for a technical at that point of the game is just stupid. I was glad to see Avery get in his face about it, but it was also telling how he just turned away looking disgusted as whatever Avery was saying. Other than that brain-dead moment he had a solid game. He only shot 8-20 but he was attacking the basket and ended up with 8 free throws.

Jason Kidd also shouldn’t escape blame free. He didn’t take a shot in the second half. This is after going 4-7 including 2-2 from three in the first half. I don’t know what happened in the locker room at the half, but there has to be some explanation why he would continue to pass up open looks throughout an entire half.

It looks like a lot of people, myself included, may have drank a little too much of the Kool-Aid from Wednesday night’s feel good game. Now the Mavs are back to being only one game ahead of the Warriors for the 9th seed. And the Mavs schedule is much tougher through these final six games than Golden State’s.

The Mavs now head to Phoenix to play the Suns on Sunday afternoon. I have no doubt Dirk will be out there doing everything he can but I don’t exactly like the idea of Amare being able to dominate him on the defensive end. We’ll just have to see if the rest of the team and the coach can step up and help him out.


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  1. 23 Responses to “Yet another disappointment”

  2. By Mav in Cali on Apr 5, 2008 at 1:46:46 am

    Man, I want this team to win so bad, but I just don’t see it happening when every opponent knows the Mav’s playbook like the back of their hand. There is ZERO creativity in offense and defense, especially after the opposing coach makes adjustments. It’s absolutely frustrating to watch. You would think that if one coach can figure out how to make the game a lay-up drill for their team, the other coach would then figure out how to stop making it a lay-up drill for the other team. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way in Mavs land. Avery has no clue how to stop the bleeding once it starts.

    Avery, at times you are an effective planner, but your ability to make on-the-fly in-game adjustments is completely non-existent. It’s a travesty to see so much talent on the court go to so much waste… especially in Dirk’s prime.

  3. By GtiRSmiley on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:00:05 am

    Why oh why was George at PF while Dirk was on C…What happend to Malik Allen and Brandon Bass??????????????

    Eddie Jones wasnt much of help either

  4. By Josh Howard on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:06:08 am

    I’m so disgusted how’s Avery gonna yell at me on national television for gettin a tech when he’s the one who always gets techs and loses his composure first. Trade me to a good team with a good coach, like the Lakers.

  5. By Avery is... on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:12:19 am

    …probably a really good guy but, we need a real head coach right now if you want to win a championship with Dirk as a Maverick. An assistant coach with too much talent than he knows how to handle isn’t cutting it.

    It’s blatantly obvious that Avery has way too much to learn before he can coach a team to a championship. And right now, Dirk and especially the other players on this team don’t have 5 years of time to give Avery on-the-job training until he can gain that experience.

    No doubt he will make a good coach in years to come, but Maverick’s management, if you are willing to go for broke to win a championship NOW, then it’s going to take more than a new point guard… it’s going to take a new coach.

    Hey, if you can get Del Harris to come down and be an assistant coach again (but in actuality the person really running the show), that may make a acceptable substitute to FIRING AVERY. But either way, something BIG has to change in the coaching staff if you want the Mavs to be a contender in the next year or two.

  6. By mike on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:27:40 am

    I don’t remember who suggested this man for the head coaching position a while back, but I like the idea of him coaching our team; Rick Carlisle. Good basketball mind, and I bet he’d be the one to maximize the seemingly-endless potential this Mavericks team has(but never uses)!!!

    I cannot believe Avery had Dampier out doubling on Kobe… there had to be someone else we could’ve used for that(Eddie Jones)? No inside presence(besides Dirk) because of it!! That’s a major reason we lost this game. That and a couple of missed free throws(Tyronn Lue missed BOTH at the end of the first quarter!!!). It doesn’t sound like such a big difference, but 4 or 5 more points would’ve made the Lakers work even harder to get back in the game and not take over like they did at the end.

  7. By mike on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:51:52 am

    Dallas is really going to have to fall flat on its face to not make the playoffs; they’ve only got a one game lead over GS, but they have also the 3-1 tiebreaker. As long as they manage to get a split(I’m hoping for 4-2, though), they should get in; a here-there series with Seattle should result in 2 wins, as should a trip to Portland. The game against Utah(at AAC) should be telling of our postseason chances. GS probably won’t do any better than .500 either the rest of the way, with stops in New Orleans and Phoenix, and a home match-up with Denver(the other three are gimmies; vs SAC, vs LAC, vs SEA).

  8. By mike on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:52:58 am

    Now, what happens in the playoffs is another topic.

  9. By Toney on Apr 5, 2008 at 8:14:02 am

    Noticed something: After the most of Avery’s timeout, Mavs would start with losing more than 4 points.

  10. By Mark on Apr 5, 2008 at 10:41:53 am

    Please sell me the team so I can fire Avery.

  11. By WyldMavsFan on Apr 5, 2008 at 11:05:17 am

    the team can’t lose every close game and it no be avery’s fault. In the 4th quater, he tightens up our offense and our defense. we don’t push the ball at all (we don’t even attempt to push the ball). why do we need to call a TO to iso Dirk. This is exact same thing we did against LA last time we played them. Avery uses a TO to iso Dirk, Phil Jackson, being the way, way, way better coach, knows it’s coming, and Dirk gets triple teamed and turns the ball over.

    it is so frustrating to watch avery play ‘Not to lose’. He just hopes we can hang on and win. Instead, in the 4th, we should be more aggressive.

    To start the 4th quarter kobe and Gasol are out of the game and yet we are getting out scored by a lot. You should’ve had you best players in so that by the time kobe comes back in, you are up by 15pts. Instead, eddie jones, lue, and co. are in the game in playing crucial min. Neither of them should ever play. Devean george can do everything eddie jones does but much better, and Jet can run he point when Kidd is out.

    Also, Josh Howard needs to wake up. I don’t know what he does worse, pass or dibble. He dribbled into a corner and had a turnover. He doesn’t pass on fast breaks or in the half court. He looked Dirk off on a wide open 3 to take a fade away. He is not a smart player.

    the defense on Kobe was a joke with Damp, plus you don’t have to trap Kobe a half court, b/c he is smart enough to find the open man and now they have numbers with a hobbled Dirk only there do defend. WAKE UP AVERY

    in conclusion, Avery is the worst, we can’t a close game, b/c he isn’t good enough, or smart enough, and the new commerical could be “where overcoaching happens” and they could have a picture of avery jumping up and down like moron

  12. By Mav in Cali on Apr 5, 2008 at 11:22:30 am

    WyldMavsFan, great commercial at the end. I would do a whole series on Avery, and the next one would be “Where getting out-coached happens” and they can have a picture of Avery and a graphic of a calendar flipping through the entire Mavs season.

  13. By Zippy on Apr 5, 2008 at 1:55:05 pm

    I am so happy that a website like this finally exists. Last night’s coaching decisions to double Kobe 30 feet from the basket with Damp on two consecutive plays single-handedly decided the game.Oh and by the way Its not Avery’s fault Howard got the technical. But leaving him in the game is all on YOU COACH. He was clearly out of his mind at that point and showed it with two consecutive bad shots that allowed LA to cut into the lead. And it’s fine if your an Avery supporter because you can continue to celebrate when we win games against the 9th seeded Golden State. Is that what Mavs basketball has become?

  14. By MFFL on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:42:18 pm

    it is really amazing we’re even close in a lot of these games the way Avery coaches. Avery has YET to make any sort of substitution or call out a play that helps the Mavs win. Our only chance of winning against a good team it seems is when we’re up by over 20. But what I’m really wondering about though is why are we witnessing his flaws just this year? Did Del Harris really have that much influence on our offense?? If so, Mark needs to move him back there again!! He can’t be blind to all this!

  15. By bossmajor on Apr 5, 2008 at 5:06:56 pm

    Fire Avery! He makes me sick!!

    Josh Smith please come to Dallas!!

  16. By mrtwister on Apr 5, 2008 at 11:08:24 pm

    I have been to the future and I can tell you that Dallas will make the playoffs but will meet the Hornets. Given they also play them on the last regular season game, Avery should get a decent look at them and their game by the time the real season starts. Whether he can do anything with this information remains to be seen. Lakers will finish second and play Denver. San Antonio will finish third and will spank, er, sorry, will play Houston while Utah will have court advantage to Phoenix.
    On both occasions that NO have beaten Dallas, Paul went for 30+pts and 10+ assists AND as a team shot over 35% from 3. When these events didn’t happen, Dallas got the win (which was at home). On that occasion, Paul was kept to 22pts and 3 assists. I wonder if Avery has a magic game plan to combat this? Maybe he’ll instruct his players to step way off him at the 3, to allow them to not get beat off the dribble? Maybe he might put Damp on him to utilise his reach advantage? Maybe he might get Stack to rub him out (Sopranos style)? I’m sure all these tactics will go through Avery’s head at some stage. Such good ideas!
    Personally, I’d play aggressive at him and pick hip up full length and double in the back court to make someone else handle the ball. By the time he gets it back, which he’d have to work hard to do, the shot clock will be looking a little tiresome (hopefully) and they might rush some shots.
    Interestingly, in all 3 games combined, Howard has gone 15 from 46 from the field and Nowitzki only dropped 7 points on 2-8 shooting in the winning game. The most efficient from the Mavs using the +/- system is Stackhouse though he only played in 2 of the 3 games missing one of the losses.
    NO haven’t been in the Western Finals before and with the right approach to the game, Avery (or whoever is coaching by then) can be involved in an 8th seed over 1st seed victory again……..in a good way.

  17. By Will on Apr 5, 2008 at 11:08:26 pm

    Well mate, you just seemed to be served by Avery-

    mavsmoneyball.com

    Avery Johnson Sues FireAvery.com for libel
    By Jake
    Posted on Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 02:40:54 AM EDT

    While details are scant, Mavsmoneyball has learned that Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson has filed suit against FireAvery.com late yesterday. In an email exchange, principal site author Greg [last name withheld by request] explained: “I can’t say much on the advice of my attorney. But the basic facts are that Avery is unhappy with what I’m writing and is suing me for libel.”

    The Dallas Maverick press office was closed by the time we were informed of the lawsuit and Avery Johnson was unavailable with the team on the road in Los Angeles. However, team owner Mark Cuban replied via an email inquiry:

    I can’t and won’t control what my employees do on their personal time, so I can’t comment on anything Avery or anyone else does outside of the arena. However, I will say that if bloggers want to be held to the same standard as journalists, then they better be prepared to face the consequences.

    With the threat of the lawsuit, FireAvery.com is understandably silent, but we will follow this up as well as we can.

    —

    Still, Avery needs his ass taken out behind the woodshed and shot. I swear he intentionally gets this team to lose by using ploys that no one else in the world would do. Great idea to send your only interior defender out to double Kobe! He should have got Kidd instead to do that so either Fisher or Sasha had to take the shot. I’d sure take one of those guys taking a long jumpshot over an easy layup for either Pau or Odom….

    PS- FIRE AVERY, CUBES!

  18. By mike on Apr 5, 2008 at 11:20:36 pm

    Interesting article by Johnny Ludden of Yahoo! Sports.

    Hope you don’t mind, made the text a link. - Greg

  19. By Em on Apr 6, 2008 at 12:41:13 am

    So Avery’s suing-isn’t he also bothered by articles by sportswriters that say the same things everyone’s said here? His coaching methods have been questioned quite a bit since the Kidd trade. He needs to find another team to coach-one where he can’t inflict so much damage.

  20. By mike on Apr 6, 2008 at 12:55:02 am

    No prob.

  21. By mike on Apr 6, 2008 at 12:56:19 am

    I should’ve done that beforehand, anyway; except I don’t remember how to =|

  22. By Mav in Cali on Apr 6, 2008 at 3:01:09 am

    Hey Will and Em, just so you know, that was an April Fool’s Day article written by Mavs Moneyball. Avery’s not really suing or anything remotely close to it.

    Anyway, he’d be the one at fault to sue a site that speaks the truth!

    Avery, you better learn how to learn quick, otherwise it’s time for you to go.

  23. By Fred on Apr 6, 2008 at 3:13:33 am

    I just want to thank the owner of this site for what they are doing here. I can’t believe everyone doesn’t want Avery’s head on a platter by now, especially cuban. I can’t believe Avery was made head coach with no experience on a supposed championship contender, with a superstar like dirk in his prime. A superstar that is no easy task coaching because he is so unique and because the Mavs aren’t built properly around him. Then after all this, Avery still wasn’t fired after the debacle in last seasons playoffs, which he caused.

    To Greg.. is there anywhere on the site where you discuss your view of Avery from the beginning and how you viewed Avery’s performance from the beginning to now? I wish others would write this down as well. Make they opinion known. I will start working on mine. could you please make a blog post where we could submit these?

  24. By Em on Apr 6, 2008 at 3:27:06 pm

    Mav in Cali-
    Ugghh-thanks for pointing that April Fool’s Day bit out. I completely overlooked it. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if Avery did decide to eventually sue-he and Cuban are taking turns embarrassing the franchise.
    It is past time for Avery to go. A young “green” team might be better off with him-but we all know how he loves to mentor young talent such as Devin Harris. Sad and sickening.

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