Coach: "We Aren't Ready for the Playoffs" <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">DALLAS - With only eight games left before the playoffs, Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said his team is far from being ready for the postseason. Even though the Mavs appear to be locked into the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, Johnson doesn't plan on letting his players coast into the playoffs. An important factor is the return last week of center Erick Dampier and guard Jerry Stackhouse after extended stays on the injured list. "Now if they had been here for the last 30 games, then I can say, 'Well, we're getting close [to being playoff ready]," Johnson said. "But we're far. Can we get there? Yes. Because these guys are quick learners, and they want to get ready." Though guard Michael Finley disagrees on where the Mavs stand, he knows they have to turn the intensity up if they plan on winning a championship. "We're playoff ready, but to be successful in the playoffs I think we are still getting there," Finley said. "The [two weeks] or so we have remaining in the season, these games will be very beneficial for us." As a player, Johnson helped guide San Antonio, which the Mavs host at 7 tonight, to the 1999 NBA title and said his primary focus is getting the Mavs to play at a high level going into the playoffs. "... Our veteran players, they understand that the window [to win a title] is closing," Johnson said. "You're not on good teams like this every year, so when you're on teams like this you better give it your best shot, because things change from year-to-year." He wants his players focused and paying attention to detail for 48 minutes, especially on defense.</div> Source
Two and a half weeks later, this article still applies. In game 1, this team didn't "turn the intensity up". In game 2, they matched Houston's intensity, but too many mental mistakes, especially towards the end of the game, proved to be their downfall. So, Avery's players were NOT "focused and paying attention to detail for 48 minutes, especially on defense." If the Mavs can bring that same intensity level, but now add the focus for 48 minutes, then they will be in a position to win a game. At this point, that's how the Mavs have to approach the rest of the series. Just win a game. Do what it takes to win a game, and the series will take care of itself. If you don't win, but play with the focus and effort it takes to win, then the playoffs haven't been a total loss.
I still don't understand why Marquis Daniels and Hendu aren't getting more playing time. When Daniels came in the game, he was making things happen for the Mavs. He didn't score, but his ability to get to the rim created some easy putbacks by his teammates. He's also a decent defender and would be able to post up Wesley, Sura, James, or Barry. Henderson would feast on all the second chance baskets the Rockets are giving up. The Mavs had 14 offensive boards, but I think they only scored 11 points from it. That's a terrible conversion rate. Let Henderson go in the game and have him physically out play Yao Ming. Also Darrell Armstring has yet to play. He's a veteran who's been in close playoff games. He would be good to put in games to get the team under control and not make careless turnovers, like Van Horn did. Van Horn's tentativeness cost them the game on that one huge turnover.
At this point, Avery needs to start trying something else. At the very least to try to get a spark of some kind. Or a curveball that JVG might not expect. I say if the Mavs lose game 3, they need to just throw Dirk and Dampier out there with the young players. These are valuable experience games for them, and since nothing else has worked, why not? My pre-season prediction was that the Mavs wouldn't even make the playoffs, so for me, the post season has been a bonus. Don't get me wrong, if they are eliminated, I would be upset, but I really didn't even think they would be here this year. I thought they were atleast a year away. Houston may be proving me right.
