Dallas Mavericks focus on defense as season nears

Post #1 » by **HMFFL** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 4:18 pm

Dirk Nowitzki was joking, presumably, when he asked to get NBA Players Association head Billy Hunter on the phone to log a complaint about practice length.

"I’d be happy to talk to him," Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "I’d be happy to get out of here an hour earlier, believe me. ... If we were playing as well as we should, [practice] wouldn’t be this long, I promise you that."

Carlisle is no longer as laid-back as players made him seem at the beginning of training camp. With the regular-season opener against Houston creeping up Thursday, Carlisle’s sharp focus has turned to defense, defensive rebounding and repeating drills until done correctly.

On Monday, the Mavs couldn’t close out a drill designed to last five or six minutes, so it dragged on for 25, Carlisle said. A full seven-day lull between the end of the preseason and the start of the regular season, Carlisle surmised, has compromised player concentration, leading to poor execution in some drills and thus extended time on the court.

"Heck, yeah, they’re long," forward Brandon Bass said after another practice Monday that extended nearly three hours. "He’s trying to get us to compete and become mentally tougher. So if that’s what we’ve got to do to get to the next level, then I’m with it, and I know all the guys are with it."

The Mavs finished the preseason Thursday with consecutive losses that included displeasing double-negatives: giving up 223 points and being outrebounded 101-89.

In the new up-tempo offense, Carlisle has preached that the Mavs will be in trouble if they allow the transition offense to erode defensive principles.

"That’s why there aren’t a lot of running teams that are really good defensive teams," Carlisle said. "Defensive rebounding has to be a constant, because on nights when your shots aren’t going in, that’s what holds you in games."

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Realmavsman · Post #2 » by **Realmavsman** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 4:32 pm

Don't we hear about how the Mavs will focus on defense every year? They are an OK defensive team but I don't expect them to be a really good defensive team.

Deus · Post #3 » by **Deus** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:42 pm

Mavs were a great defensive team in Avery's first full year as coach when they won 67 games, but it didn't matter when they lost to Nellie's Warriors. If they don't play that good defesively again under Carlisle, then they won't make it far. I think they will.

JES12 · Post #4 » by **JES12** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:15 pm

If he is focusing on defense, that SHOULD mean that Terry's and Stack's role will be reduced.

SpeedyG · Post #5 » by **SpeedyG** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 11:26 pm

JES12 wrote:If he is focusing on defense, that SHOULD mean that Terry's and Stack's role will be reduced.

Does it really mean that, given that the other guys behind JT and Stack are JJB and Gerald Green? Neither of those players can be considered good defenders.

JES12 · Post #6 » by **JES12** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:29 am

^^^
JT at the PG, fine. JT at the SG sucks defensivley.

And please, Wright, Green, Williams, George, Howard all would be better than Stack's 2-10 or maybe even a 3-10 average. At least George plays defense on his 0-11 shooting nights. I'd take any of them over Stack. The ones that are less than Stack defensively are a huge upgrade offensively.