Things are not good in Mavs land

April 28th, 2008 Posted in Avery Johnson, Mavs Talk

Here’s a quick look at a few reactions in the media after the game last night.

Mark Stein in the Daily Dime says that the Hornets were looking forward to getting the Mavericks because they don’t think Avery’s a very good coach.

The Hornets likewise never imagined … that Johnson, getting nothing from his reserves apart from Brandon Bass, would gamble on playing little-used guard J.J. Barea and then pay the price during New Orleans’ second-quarter burst without Paul.

Yet there have been whispers coming from the Hornets’ camp, going back before the series even started, that they looked forward to playing Dallas because they were convinced that Kidd couldn’t hurt them in his current role, given Johnson’s penchant for slowing the game whenever it gets close and an offense not exactly known for ball or player movement, which so often turns Kidd into a weakside shooter.

Jean-Jacques Taylor sees what one of the big deciding factors for this team is going to be in the offseason.

Kidd, anointed a savior for the season when he arrived in February, was a non-factor with three points, three assists and four rebounds. He didn’t shoot, as usual, and didn’t impact the offense with his passing.

If Avery can’t figure out how to get the most out of him for whatever reason, then Cuban needs to find another coach. Or get rid of Kidd.

It’s not that complicated.

And finally, for now, Randy Galloway says it best about what’s in the immediate future for the Mavericks.

And then there’s Avery Johnson, the head coach who almost certainly won’t be by next weekend, barring some kind of miracle revival by his team. Big changes are on the way for the Cubans, changes that guarantee nothing, except the Mavs we once knew will be no more.


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  1. 25 Responses to “Things are not good in Mavs land”

  2. By selke99 on Apr 28, 2008 at 1:10:56 pm

    Here’s my venting post at the DMN blog.

    I’m not asking for Avery’s head right now, and I’m just a fan, but I’m puzzled with Avery’s substitutions. In Game 3 which Mavs mostly dominated, he had a starting 5 of Kidd, JET, J-Ho, Damp, Dirk. Bass would spell Damp. Stack played limited but still allowed starters to rest for a few minutes. And George played a few quality minutes. That’s an 8 man rotation. That’s all you need!!! Jones, Allen, Juwan Howard, Wright have been largely ineffective. I believe Avery even said that he’d found his 7-8 man rotation! So why in the hell does JJB come in? Can anyone remember that last time he played quality (not garbage) minutes? I remember some poster here or on another blog clamoring for JJB to get minutes. Well, there you go, losing a 7 pt lead. I’ve been the first to say JET isn’t the answer at backup PG, but with Lue out with injury and Avery refusing to play him, why would we go back to JJB, who got replaced by JET at starting PG this year when Harris was injured?

    It’s not rocket science. JET can play PG when Kidd needs a rest. Bass can sub for Dirk & Damp, George can sub at the 2, 3, or 4, and Stack can sub at the 2 or 3. NO REASON TO PLAY ANYONE ELSE!! THIS IS THE PLAYOFFS!! I’m not a basketball expert, but doesn’t that make so much sense??!!

    Have no idea why J-Ho is giving them nothing on offense or defense. Pretty much the #1 reason we probably will lose.

    Kidd has GOT to convert/attempt to shoot on drives to the basket. He is looking to pass too much, even when he gets open lanes. We miss Harris here. People look to Dirk’s scoring avg going up as justifying the trade. Well, it’s not like he’s scoring 50 now! Dirk’s scoring does not balance out Kidd not scoring AT ALL. He hasn’t even gotten double digit assists in the playoffs yet! Their offensive production has suffered since the trade.

    To all the people/experts who say we were not going to win with Harris anyway, do you forget we were 2-3 in the West when Harris went down? WE HAD NO BACKUP PG!! Would have been great to have had Lue then.

    I’m not trying to MMQB the trade, though I didn’t like it. Bottom line is if J-Ho produced and Avery tightened up his bench and didn’t start a gimpy Stack for the first 2 games (don’t get me started on that one!!! Is Avery seeing something entirely different in practice??!!), Mavs win this series with ease.

  3. By Dirk Nowitzki on Apr 28, 2008 at 2:16:09 pm

    n41

  4. By drew on Apr 28, 2008 at 2:25:38 pm

    I can’t believe anyone thought the trade for Kidd was going to get us a championship this year, maybe only if we got him before the season began we would have adjusted better.

  5. By drew on Apr 28, 2008 at 3:02:19 pm

    Kidd avoids suspension for his flagrant foul.

  6. By jasper lindon twistlebottom on Apr 28, 2008 at 3:18:44 pm

    Avery almost looks like a coach who wants to get fired when you contemplate his substitutions. It’s really hard to imagine how JJB was even considered an option — and the entire game turned on those 3 disastrous minutes. I believe his strategy was to try and find a way to keep both Kidd and JET on the floor at the same time, so he used JJB to spell Kidd while JET was out too. What a freakin’ trainwreck.

    And at some point, we’re going to have to conclude that these players’ unwillingness to drive to the basket is a direct accountability of the coach. He can either get them to do what they should or he can’t. Avery can’t. It’s unfortunate.

    Keep Dirk, Kidd and Bass. And hope you can rebuild something respectable.

  7. By Adil Malik on Apr 28, 2008 at 3:35:16 pm

    I personally think that this series is over. This team doesn’t have the spark they had 2 years ago, and they are so damn inconsistent. The Jason Kidd trade was a horrible move because Devin Harris is much quicker, and a better defender. Avery will get fired unfortunately, he is a great coach and Cuban would be stupid to fire him, but he will. Dirk is the heart of this franchise, and we need to rebuild around him. Trade Kidd, Howard, and Dampier. We should try to get Devin Harris back =). By the way, why was Barea in the game last night. As Mark Jackson says, “Are you kidding me.”

  8. By drew on Apr 28, 2008 at 3:50:08 pm

    We can’t trade Dampier. He’s overpaid and no team wants to pick up the tab. Unfortunately, we are stuck with him.

    As for Kidd, I don’t think any team is willing to pay his salary along with his age. If Cuban and company really thought Kidd was gonna do it for them by joining mid-season, I don’t blame anyone but whoever advised him on such things.

    I have a feeling though Howard isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be disciplined internally for his comments and he’ll be back next year. Let’s just hope his slump is early in the year instead of playoff time.

  9. By mike on Apr 28, 2008 at 4:00:55 pm

    Getting rid of Kidd only makes sense if Avery stays. This team would be so much better with a coach that doesn’t have such tight reins on the PG position.

  10. By MFFL on Apr 28, 2008 at 4:59:34 pm

    Adil Malik,
    Avery Johnson is NOT a good coach!
    Instead of extending his contract, Cuban should have fired him because we didn’t win the championship in ‘06. What people and Cuban wrongly thought was because we got to the finals that year, he was to be rewarded - that was wrong, because he didn’t do his job. And he made sure and put the blame on the players. If we had fired him then, we would have surely gotten past the first round if not winning it all last season.

  11. By Josh on Apr 28, 2008 at 5:29:25 pm

    Kidd would be good trade bait at the deadline next year because he has a $20 mil expiring deal. No idea what kind of quality you could get for him but be can be moved.

  12. By ihatekidd on Apr 28, 2008 at 5:31:31 pm

    i really think Kidd has 2 go no matter what he just doesn’t have a place in the future of the organization…they need a good rebuilding

  13. By Mark on Apr 28, 2008 at 5:43:35 pm

    Josh Howard is a heartless bastard. Kidd’s flagrant made me sick. I am embarassed to be a Mavs fan. please trade Dirk. Get him away from these damned losers.

    Sorry for the delay-I had to go vomit. Stack’s lines on the scoreboard appeared in my mind and I threw up my lunch. Stack is a heartless bastard as well and Avery is too ignorant to take him out of the game.

  14. By Mark on Apr 28, 2008 at 5:45:45 pm

    I just vomited again thinking about these heartless bastards. If I dehydrate from all this vomiting I will sue Avery and Cuban. Get Dirk away from them!

  15. By ihatekidd on Apr 28, 2008 at 5:50:32 pm

    ^^ haha….idk tho man i want Dirk 2 stay forever i just think everybody around him (except a few people) needs 2 change

  16. By Mark on Apr 28, 2008 at 5:50:42 pm

    and get Brandon Bass away from them!

  17. By Dick Chambers on Apr 28, 2008 at 6:31:44 pm

    Mark, I’m sorry you blew chunks over those shenanigans…Personally speaking, I sharted when I saw Avery Johnson wearing that spurs championship ring during the game the other night, and again yesterday. Avery thinks it says he’s a “championship caliber coach”. Everyone else knows it means “I won’t ever be able to win one as a coach.” Maybe a dumb owner watching this game might think he’s won one to give him another job, or maybe the more he yells and sounds like a 12 year old girl, the more respect he’ll earn from the players… I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR AVERY JOHNSON,WHO IS IN LOVE WITH READING ALL ABOUT HIMSELF AND THROWING HIS PLAYERS UNDER THE BUS- GET YOUR NARROW BEHIND BACK TO THE SPURS BENCH WHERE YOU WISH YOU BELONGED, AND TRY LEARNING A THING OR TWO FROM POPPS & STAFF. RIGHT NOW, I HAVE SERIOUS RESERVATIONS ABOUT YOU EVEN COACHING A HIGH SCHOOL TEAM, SEEING THAT YOU DESTROY YOUR OWN PLAYERS PSYCHE. ALSO, I KNOW WHAT NELLIE DID IN HANDING THE REIGNS OVER TO YOU. HE FIGURED OUT A WAY TO NOT ONLY GET BACK AT MARK CUBAN, BUT TO DESTROY THE TEAM, AND MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A COMPLETE IDIOT DURING THE PLAYOFF MELTDOWN WITH GOLDEN STATE. I SERIOUSLY THINK THAT IF YOU STAY COACHING IN THE NBA FOR AT LEAST 3 MORE YEARS, YOU WILL HAVE EARNED A PLACE AS “THE NEXT ISIAH THOMAS”. NOW THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS AVERY, GO WATCH SOME MORE TAPE AND QUIT WORRYING ABOUT WHAT WE ALL THINK AND PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DON’T WRITE ANY MORE BOOKS.

  18. By Dick Chambers on Apr 28, 2008 at 6:33:24 pm

    AND ONE MORE THING AVERY……KISS MY GRITS….NOOOCH

  19. By drew on Apr 28, 2008 at 6:47:06 pm

    Dick Chambers,

    I saw every coach who’s won a championship wearing one of their rings and it’s almost every coach on the Mavs who’s gotten a ring in the past. Most NBA players or at least coaches sport their latest Championship, it has nothing to do with anything but wearing a ring that they were proud of.

  20. By anthony on Apr 28, 2008 at 9:02:45 pm

    Forget that. You wear your old championship ring to the bar to impress girls or something. You don’t wear that ring while you are coaching our team. Especially if you got that ring while with our most hated rival. Piece of garbage. Wouldn’t it be awesome if Pop retired and San Antonio hired Avery to wreck their team.

  21. By Rog Wil on Apr 28, 2008 at 9:45:54 pm

    THe very first reason we are loosing this season is Mavericks is too old to win this series. We saw the physicalness of HOrnets and chris paul WOwwwwwwww. But last night jason kidd turned the ball away without any reson and fouled out. At this point I feel like Devin Harris was our hero even though we didn’t win the championship on 06 and 07 but remember we went to final and won 67 games last season.

  22. By ihatekidd on Apr 28, 2008 at 10:01:02 pm

    ^^ exactly!, and you don’t solve the problem of being not young and athletic enough by adding age and more non-athleticism to your team lol

  23. By FreeDirk on Apr 28, 2008 at 11:17:58 pm

    Free Dirk. Free Dirk. Free Dirk.

  24. By joe on Apr 29, 2008 at 8:04:47 am

    you think san antonio is that stupid to hire avery? if pop retired? they’re probably laughing their butts off every time we lose, thanks to avery’s plan….

  25. By Mark on Apr 29, 2008 at 9:58:40 am

    We have all been duped by Cuban. We all drank the Kool-Aid.

  26. By Adil Malik on Apr 29, 2008 at 4:46:37 pm

    MFFL,
    Don’t blame Avery for the way his PLAYERS perform on the court. Who else could be the coach next year. Maybe Cuban should step in and run this team down, lower than the Knicks. Avery is the best for the Mavs.

    GO MAVS

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