<h2>Dallas needs a fresh coat of paint</h2> <div class="byline"> <div class="byline_left"> By Matt Carter | July 28th, 2007</p> </div> </div> Over the course of the 2006-07 season the Dallas Mavericks managed something truly remarkable: winning 67 games in spite of being arguably the worst post-up team in the league. You want evidence? Dallas was second to last in the league (only in front of the abysmal Minnesota Timberwolves) in points in the paint, averaging only 35.3 points per game. For the sake of argument let’s take away the points per game from the center position, Erick Dampier (who shouldn’t leave the paint offensively unless fired at by a gun) with 7.1 and DeSagana Diop with 2.4, and this means the remainder of the Mavericks scored only 25.1 points per game out of a total 91 points from non-centers. This ratio of just about 1.2 points in the paint for every 4 points scored is the lowest in the league.</p> Of course I realize taking the centers out of the mix skews the stats slightly, but I did so to point out that the majority of other NBA teams have more scoring in the paint from their superstars. The Spurs have Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, the Suns Amare Stoudamire, and the Heat Shaquille O’Neal. Minnesota may be the worst paint team statistically, but even they have Kevin Garnett. None of these guys are relying on their defense-first role players to score in the post.</p> Now, look at the progression of our stars over the past couple of years. Josh Howard shot four more times as many 3-pointers in 2006-07 as he did in 2005-06. Jerry Stackhouse doesn’t have the athleticism to drive much anymore, though he does still post up on the block. Jason Terry makes his living as a jumpshooter, and Dirk Nowitzki is relegated mostly to the mid-range game. The majority of the baskets the Mavericks take are not what would be regarded as “high-percentage” shots, shots in the paint or on wide-open looks. Unfortunately, the Mavs’ preference for jumpshooting was terribly exposed by the Golden State Warriors, the NBA’s leader in points in the paint at 46.8 per game. The 6-game series proved that even a #8 seed can win if they know exactly what the other team is going to do. Avery Johnson never changed his gameplan, and the Mavericks continued to take outside shots.</p> How good can the Mavericks be when they score in the paint? Very good, it turns out. According to 82games.com Dallas was 32-1 over the course of the season when they won the interior battle. Therefore, it would seem to just about everyone that Dallas needs to get some more work done inside.</p> Where to go for the points</p> Just like any other team stat is basketball, all players must be involved. Some will need to make more than an effort than others, but a few more trips to the basket per game by each player could help to raise points in the paint by 3 or 4 points a game.</p> Dirk Nowitzki must be looked towards first simply because he is the superstar. He will never become a low post player, but there’s no reason why he can’t take a Stephen Jackson or a Bruce Bowen down low and score over them. Next the philosophy must be passed along to Josh Howard, who has somehow forgotten what the paint looks like over his 4 seasons in Dallas. Jason Terry’s game probably will not change much, but other role players (Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George, and Greg Buckner) should be trying to get inside considering their deplorable 3-point percentages. Devin Harris already gets to the basket plenty, so I can’t really blame him for the lack of production.</p> What can we add?</p> The signing of Nick Fazekas and Brandon Bass may eventually help us get some more points in the paint, but probably not for the next season or so. If our current roster can’t step it up, the answer may have to come via trades or free agency. Chris Webber, P.J. Brown, Corliss Williamson, James Posey, Matt Barnes, and Andray Blatche are the six most likely players if we want to improve our inside scoring. Unfortunately out of the 6 Webber, Corliss, and P.J. are old, Posey shoots too much from the outside, Matt Barnes is built for a specific system, and Blatche is only 20 years old and unreliable. Basically each one of these guys would need as much work as anyone on the current roster to get them to fulfill the specific need of inside scoring.</p> In terms of trades, there may be some guys not named Kevin Garnett available with some ability in the post. Nick Collison from Seattle is still young and can also rebound, and they may even be willing to deal him with Robert Swift, Chris Wilcox, Petro and Sene already taking up key minutes at the 4 and 5 positions. Charlie Villanueva with the Bucks is another interesting possibility, and his value may be lower due to some injury issues last season. If Dallas wanted to go in a more controversial route, Ron Artest is a good post-up player even if he is a trail wreck off the court. There are options out there if Dallas wants to make a deal, and one could be made without touching Harris, Howard, Terry, or Nowitzki. It’s all about assembling the right salaries and draft picks.</p> Conclusion</p> Dallas has to do something about their problem in the post. The Warriors exposed their greatest weakness to the world in the playoffs, and unless the Mavs change their offensive gameplan more and more teams will copy the pattern started by Golden State.</p>
