Dallas News Keith Van Horn has regrets about the way last season ended. He had to watch the Mavericks' last 10 playoff games from the bench, his left ankle swollen from a nasty sprain. At the time, Van Horn hoped the Mavericks could extend their playoff run so he could contribute later in the postseason. As it turned out, they could have played to the NBA Finals, past the NBA draft and beyond baseball's All-Star break, and he still would have been sitting. Whenever he practiced, the ankle blew up like a balloon. And it was that way much of the summer. "I spent about 2 ? months rehabbing," Van Horn says. "Toward the end of August, I was finally able to do some really hard workouts. And by Sept. 1, my ankle was about 100 percent. It took a long time. It wasn't in good shape, and to be quite honest, I really needed that summer to rehab." Van Horn, a 6-10 power forward who was acquired by the Mavericks on Feb. 24, found out how tough it is sitting on the bench. "There's nothing worse," he said. "I really felt I was brought here to help this team go further than in years past. We weren't able to, but I think we got a good shot this year." Van Horn is the Maverick who could make a world of difference this season. He has the 3-point shot, the athleticism and the ability to penetrate and post up that make him the perfect weapon for coach Avery Johnson. The ankle is 100 percent, and Van Horn, who will come off the bench this season, has been one of the most consistent performers in camp. "He understands what we're doing," Johnson said. "I know I can count on him. He's one of the top reserve players in this league. When Dirk's [Nowitzki] not in the game, we got a guy who is pretty good and we can run our offense through. "And I think he wants another shot, because he was really disappointed that he was unable to play in the playoffs. We missed him tremendously. That's just like the Spurs losing Robert Horry. That's the equivalent to what Keith does for us." Source What expectations do Mav and KVH fans have of him this year? He's going to become a free agent, so will he produce more hoping to get another large pay day or will he find himself struggling for minutes behind the younger Mavs?
Not sure if that was the article, but when faced with the question "What was the biggest offseason move" Avery replied that having KVH for a full year would be it.
<font size="-1">By ART GARCIA</font> <font size="-1">Star-Telegram Staff Writer </font> DALLAS - Ask a fan of the Mavericks to run through the roll call of issues facing the team for the upcoming season, and it's a safe bet his name isn't included. Even the most fervent follower probably fails to bring it up. For a team beginning its first full season under Avery Johnson as head coach, replacing Michael Finley, working in Doug Christie and hoping to get something out of Erick Dampier, worrying about Keith Van Horn gets lost in the shuffle. Not that Van Horn minds. "My role, mentally, is trying to be a sparkplug for this team," Van Horn said. "I'm just going to figure out what this team needs each and every game." Van Horn, a starter for the first 7 1/2 years of his career, is no longer that. The second overall pick, by Philadelphia, in the 1997 draft was acquired from Milwaukee at the trade deadline last season to back up all-world forward Dirk Nowitzki. Though Van Horn's responsibilities have changed from his years as a starter, he's an integral part of the Mavs' plans. When Nowitzki is out of the game, the same offensive sets can run through the 6-foot-10 Van Horn. The coaching staff also touts his solid post defense, especially against the pick-and-roll. Van Horn, in Johnson's words, is "our versatility guy." He can play anywhere along the frontline, including center, and will be on the court with Nowitzki, as well. "Whether [the team] needs an offensive boost, whether it needs some defensive help, some energy," he said, "I think I can provide it." He wasn't able to do it in the playoffs last season. A severely sprained left ankle suffered in the third game of the first-round series against Houston sidelined Van Horn for the remainder of the postseason. "We missed him tremendously," Johnson said. "That's just like the Spurs losing Robert Horry." Though there was talk at the time that he could have returned had the Mavs advanced past Phoenix, Van Horn doesn't think he could have suited up against San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals. "I tried to do some practicing, but it ended up blowing up like a balloon," he said. Van Horn did his rehab work in the mile-high altitude of Denver this summer, which he said prepared him well for training camp. The ankle sprain -- the first such injury of his career -- didn't fully heal until early September. Van Horn's production and health this season -- he missed 19 games with the Bucks last season because of ankle tendinitis -- could determine whether he returns to the Mavs next season. In the last year of a contract that pays a team-high $15.7 million (not counting Finley's salary), Van Horn could have plenty of options. "I haven't thought about it at all, and I probably won't even put any thought in it during the season," he said of free agency. "I'll just wait until the end of the year and see where I'm going from there and then make some decisions. I just really want to focus on the season."
Man, it will be great to have KVH at full strength. He is gonna be one of our biggest contributors. I look forward to watching him play defensively. He did say he has been running a lot to increase his stamina. All the extra stamina should atleast help his defense. He is already good offensively. This will be a great season for the Mavs.
