Look to the Roster...

[DDansby123]

There is a certain truth that is being overlooked on these boards, and I feel it necessary to point it out...

This team's biggest problems can be predicted simply by looking at the roster and the players on it.

The problems that plague us, particularly in the playoffs, are, in no particular order: settling for jumpshots offensively, poor ball movement offensively, and inconsistent defense. (Any argument on this?)

(1) Why do we settle for jumpshots? 4 of our 5 best offensive players (JET, Dirk, Josh, and Stack) are jumpshooters 3/4 of the time (or more). And the guy who isn't a jumpshooter (Harris) takes more shots than only one of the other 4 (Stack). Our defensive specialists (Jones, Hassell, and George) are also jumpshooters. So of our perimeter-oriented players, 7 of 8 are jumpshooters. Even 2/3 of Bass's shots are jumpers.

(2) Why is our ball movement poor? Of our 5 best offensive players, I wouldn't consider even ONE an above-average passer overall, and only one (Dirk) is above-average at his position. Same goes for our guys off the bench: not an above-average passer in the group (with the possible exception of Barea). In addition, ALL 5 of our best offensive players are one-on-one scorers first and foremost. When they go one-on-one, they do so to score first, not to create anything for a teammate. And most of them can't create for a teammate effectively (with the possible exceptions of Dirk and Harris). And the defensive specialists off the bench are all spot-up shooters and (again) poor passers/creators, so they compound our offensive problems more than help them. That's particularly true given that none of their teammates can consistently create open looks for them (again with the possible, though inconsistent, exceptions of Dirk and Harris).

(3) Why is our defense inconsistent? 3 of our 5 best offensive players are average-to-below-average defenders (Dirk, JET, and Stack). The other 2 are above average, but the best one (Harris) can be taken out of the game with a pick-and-roll, because neither Dirk nor our true Cs are mobile enough to even slow down a PG coming off the screen. The one big guy who can defend that pick-and-roll (Bass) can't defend the basket, so it's a Catch-22. And, of course, when the offense is struggling, it makes it that much more difficult to get back and establish your defense.


When you look at it in this (appropriate) context, it's clear that our biggest problems don't exist in isolation. If you try to fix one, you wind up compounding another. For example, if you put Hassell in for Terry more often, you'd still have an offense full of jumpshooters (just worse jumpshooters) and poor ball movement (just worse ball movement), and the defense might not improve enough to correct it. Or, if you put two PGs in the backcourt to help with ball movement and provide mismatches offensively, your defense suffers on the other end.

And some of these problems can't be fixed without personnel changes. I mean, we can't make veteran jumpshooters (like JET, Stack, George, Jones, and Hassell) into slashers, just like we can't make those same guys into above-average passers. We don't have the personnel to run a motion-type offense and move away from the iso-oriented sets we use now, either.


This is not absolution for Avery; it's just a reality check. We have a team whose biggest problems are almost solely attributable to the personnel on the roster. So while Cuban, Donnie, and Avery all sit there and talk about happy they are with the team, and we on here complain about how they shoot too many jumpers, and don't attack enough, and force too many shots, and play poor defense, I just sit here and get more frustrated. Because these problems were OBVIOUS and PREDICTABLE, and they will plague us again in the playoffs.

I don't know what the solutions to these problems are specifically, but I do know that when I (and others) suggest changes to the roster, it's not a knee-jerk reaction to a loss. It's just that losses tend to highlight what we already know, and that's the team's biggest problems, the reasons we lose games and playoff series, aren't correctable without personnel changes.

[ppp000]

I don't know what the solutions to these problems are specifically, but I do know that when I (and others) suggest changes to the roster, it's not a knee-jerk reaction to a loss. It's just that losses tend to highlight what we already know, and that's the team's biggest problems, the reasons we lose games and playoff series, aren't correctable without personnel changes.

I agree. There is a reason this team has flamed out the last two playoffs...yes we can always use the whole, "bad matchup-fluke" "refs" reason but those were not the major issues. In a playoff series, our team is very predictable and thus stoppable. The fact that the FO has failed to address our biggest needs (an athletic SG, perhaps a decent offensive C, or more two-way, less one-dimensional players????) and keeps feeding the crap "we love our team just the way it is" is frustrating. I'm not saying gut our team, but we need to make a personnel change. Even George, who wants to be traded, said that this team has too many players of the same mold.

[dirkforpres]

We just need Harris back, Terry is God awful at handling the point.

[catalyst]

where we used to think that mavs were assuming the persona of Avery, they have assumed the persona of Finley as they have aged. No handles, occasionally interested in defense, and jacking from all places except the lane.

I think we need harris back, but also need a driving, unafraid 2 guard to pressure a defense, cause fouls, and extend a game.

[ppp000]

With Harris playing well, we are a great team.
But a championship team? I have my doubts I guess. Still need upgrade at SG.