<span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%">Mavs quietly making some noise</span>The one thing Avery Johnson thinks his Mavericks lack may be the one thing that gives this team a chance to get to the NBA Finals for the first time. The Mavericks won their 60th game Sunday for only the second time in franchise history. They have a true MVP candidate in Dirk Nowitzki for the first time in franchise history. They just beat the defending champions in San Antonio, which is what they are going to have to do at least once in the second round to get where they want to go. The team is full of skill, full of confidence. The team does not have a vocal leader.Johnson lashed out at the players for their lack of internal leadership after a poor showing at Golden State last week. Now he should be glad they don't have one. If they did, someone might have stepped up to the media and said: "Would you tell Avery to shut up? We're going to win 60 games despite a rash of injuries, Dirk's playing better than ever, Josh Howard's playing better than ever, we have an effective two-center situation for the first time ever, and this team plays harder night in and night out for him than it ever did for Nellie." But no one said that. The Mavericks looked the other way and figured that was just Avery Johnson doing what Avery Johnson does, which is get more out of this team than maybe any other NBA coach gets out of his. Johnson simply doesn't want his team to rest on its laurels until those laurels include an NBA title. And for once around here, finally, an NBA title is no pipe dream. Even Johnson sounded excited after hitting the 60-win plateau. "Our system is not this year where it's going to be in a year or two, but we're not worried with that right now," Johnson said. "We're trying to speed things along and pursue our big goals. We don't have a full 10 right now, but the guys we've got are really playing well." The Mavericks will not have a healthy Devin Harris at the start of the first round, almost certainly against Memphis. That's OK. Get him ready in two weeks. That's the plan. A healthy Harris able to play 20 to 24 minutes against Tony Parker gives the Mavericks a chance against San Antonio. A very good chance, to be honest. The change to a more defensive mind-set is incomplete, but what Johnson has accomplished in pursuing that goal is remarkable. And these Mavericks are going to talk about defense throughout this playoff run. But you know what's going to win it for them? The offense supplied by Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse is going to be what it's all about. Nowitzki, Howard and Terry give Dallas three starters who shoot better than 40 percent from the beyond the arc. That's what Hubie Brown would call "a tough guard." Stackhouse is not a good 3-point shooter, but he can help in streaks and he gets to the basket. This team's offense still scares opponents far more than its commitment to defense. Nowitzki can't get off his game and get frustrated the way he did a year ago. There's no sign that will happen. He improved dramatically in his eighth season. At the home opener, Johnson told me Dirk was a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10 as a post player and that the Spurs' Tim Duncan was 10. Johnson said the Mavericks had to get Dirk up to a 5 to run an efficient offense. After the club's 60th win, Johnson said Dirk had left 5 in the dust. "He is almost an 8 right now," he said. "He has made tremendous strides, beyond what we had hoped for." For Nowitzki, 27 points and nine rebounds and three assists and effort at the defensive end ? that's leadership. He tried it the other way, calling out Erick Dampier in the playoffs last year. That didn't work because Nowitzki was off his game, too. Johnson will have to settle for the quiet watch-what-I-do leadership of Nowitzki, a little fire from Terry and Stackhouse and the too-often-overlooked steadying hand of Josh Howard. Those are the things that can lead the Mavericks to someplace they have never been. And then they can all take their turns shouting. E-mail wtcowlishaw@dallasnews.com FOUR ON THE FLOOR Tim Cowlishaw says the Mavericks' NBA title chances rest with their high-powered offense. A look at their four top point producers, with their scoring averages and Cowlishaw's comments: Dirk Nowitzki, 26.6: MVP-type season without Nash underscores his rise as superstar. Jason Terry, 17.2: Hasn't stopped making big shots since last postseason. Josh Howard, 15.8: Team's best player at both ends. Is U.S. Olympic invitee. Jerry Stackhouse, 13.1: Streaky shooter is a tougher, upgraded version of Finley. LINK
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (pjcolpitts @ Apr 18 2006, 03:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The Mavericks will not have a healthy Devin Harris at the start of the first round, almost certainly against Memphis.</div> :no1:
^Agreed, we should not even let him play at all in first round unless we have too, or unless he's healthy enough to get out their and knock off some rust.Anyone else notice that the article talked about Dirk, Terry, Howard, and Stack as being the 4 key guys this offseason. No mention of Harris(except for the SA series). Marquis, Powell, or Benga...hmm, interresting.And yes, that comment is pointed at someone.
If you go by point total than that's correct. If you go by better overall player than Stackhouse isn't it. If you go by efficient players than Stackhouse is the 2nd worse on the team. There are a lot of people that want Daniels to play more than Stackhouse. If it goes by chemistry than Stackhouse also is one of the worse.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>There are a lot of people that want Daniels to play more than Stackhouse.</div>I don't care for either. Also, start naming these people who think that. I expect a lot of names, so don't disappoint.
Everyone not named Rok and Marvinmartian and ape. Stackhouse is overrated and almost everyone following this team this year knows that. Unfortunately people overrate point totals and underrate overall game.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Everyone not named Rok and Marvinmartian and ape. Stackhouse is overrated and almost everyone following this team this year knows that. Unfortunately people overrate point totals and underrate overall game.</div>Stop bringing <Censored> out of your <Censored> then, if you can't name the people who are saying that. Like I said I expected a lot of names. Start naming them, and I want to see their quotes on saying Daniels needs more pt over Stack. I don't care for either because their adequate sg's. But I just want to see you start naming people instead of saying <Censored> like a lot of people say this. If you can't then don't state stuff like that. To me, I don't care if Stack gets more minutes or Daniels does, because I think it will be about the same production from the sg spot. You beg to differ with the effiency stat but I think with either playing, wins and losses won't change much because were not dependent on either player.
Yes they are about the same. Avery should play them the same amount of minutes. Also it is good news that Stackhouse isn't starting anymore. There is more offense coming off the bench and Armstrong and Griffin should not be on the court at the same time.
