Avery: 'I take full responsibility'

[HMFFL]

Words like angry and embarrassed were being used at the AAC this afternoon to describe the way the Mavs feel about their pathetic performance in New Orleans.

Avery Johnson accepted blame ... sort of.

"I take full responsibility about everything," Avery said. "And that's my job. But at the same time, we have a game plan. We've got to have a high level of concentration, and we have to have a high level of physicality, which I haven't seen yet. We'll get there. We'll keep prodding them and cheering them on and challenging and doing all that we do to try to get the team ready to play."

Avery was asked whether it was hard for him to accept responsibility when he wasn't on the court.

"It all starts with me," Avery said. "Whenever something goes wrong with the team - if we're not making free throws, if we're not making layups, if we're not defending - it's not the players. It's me."

I'd be much more convinced if Avery didn't use the simple tasks of shooting free throws and layups as examples of things that fall on him. OK, Avery, so what in particular have you done wrong during this series?

"Probably trapping him maybe a little too much," Avery said, referring to Chris Paul (33.5 ppg, 13.5 apg in series). "We've got to mix in the traps here and there. Without giving you a scouting report, I think we've just got to know when to trap and when not to trap.

"Again, with our basketball team, everybody has to do their job. We all haven't done a good enough job in the first two games."

The players aren't worried about whether Avery is the scapegoat, at least not publicly. Jason Kidd said it's up to the players to execute the game plan better and "play with some passion and pride."

Jason Terry said Avery doesn't need to make any drastic changes to help Dallas get back in this series.

"Just keep being Avery," Jet said. "He's staying positive. He's giving us pep talks, but it's on the players now. We have to go out there in between the lines and play the game - and play with enthusiasm, pride, determination."


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[dirkforpres]

This quote definately doesnt help Avery's job security at all....

[Rand10]

"It all starts with me," Avery said. "Whenever something goes wrong with the team - if we're not making free throws, if we're not making layups, if we're not defending - it's not the players. It's me."

[/sarcasm]