Defensive-Minded Mavs Will Test Knicks and Nets
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The Knicks and Nets are on their longest winning streaks of the season, but this week, they’ll each receive a stiff test from the same team, the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks, who visit the Knicks at the Garden tomorrow night and host the Nets on Saturday, have accomplished a rare feat this season: They’re playing .735 ball without many people noticing. During the last couple seasons, the Mavericks have received more recognition for who they don’t have – reigning MVP Steve Nash and new Spurs sixth man Michael Finley – than what they’ve accomplished with their present core of talent, and those accomplishments have been impressive. Last season they won 58 games and nearly topped San Antonio for the Southwest Division title. Entering last night’s game against Boston, the Mavericks were just one game behind the Spurs.
These Mavericks are a very different team than the one that put up 75 first-half points en route to a 40-point lead over the Knicks at the Garden in December 2004. Although they can still score in bunches when they have to, the 2006 Mavericks are as likely to make a statement with their defense. For years under coach Don Nelson, Dallas put up eye-popping offensive numbers and left defense for discussions about the Cowboys.Since Avery Johnson took over as head coach last season, their focus has changed.
A defensive taskmaster, Johnson apprenticed under San Antonio’s superb coach Greg Popovich before joining Nelson’s staff as coachin-waiting. He subbed for Nelson on several occasions before taking the reins full-time last March, and those games were highlighted by improved defensive play. Opponents shot only 42.7% in the 31 games coached by Johnson; the team went 25-6.
The Mavericks entered the season talking about their defense, but their progress hasn’t been linear.Through their first nine games, the Mavs ranked in the top 10 in Defensive Efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions) at 97.9.They fell into the middle of the pack while swingman stopper Josh Howard was injured, but have been improving steadily in recent weeks and now rank 13th at 105.8.
Like most defensive teams, the Mavericks have slowed down their tempo on offense, too. Last year they played the ninth-fastest pace at 90.9 possessions per game.This season, they’re the eighth slowest team at 88.1.But the change of pace hasn’t hurt Dallas’s Offensive Efficiency, which ranks third in the NBA.
A big reason is their solid execution in the half court. Dirk Nowitzki roams the baseline and low blocks, firing his deadly midrange shots and occasionally posting up for his nearly unstoppable turnaround jumpers. Point guard Jason Terry, a 46.8% shooter who ranks as one of the top perimeter marksmen in the game, usually operates from the top of the circle using his quick first step to drive the lane or to created space for his shot. The Mavs are also extremely well balanced, so teams that focus too much on these two are likely to get burned by Howard or swingman Jerry Stackhouse.
Tomorrow night, Dallas’s defense will pose a substantial challenge for the Knicks offense. The Mavs will likely begin by defending point guard Stephon Marbury with Terry, but they’ll switch to Howard if Stephon gets off to a quick start. Rookie forward Channing Frye’s touch from outside will be needed as Nowitzki has substantially improved his interior defense. Both teams rank among the league leaders in rebounding, so a close game may be decided by a battle of the boards. The Knicks defense only stands a chance if they create turnovers on the perimeter.
Although Saturday’s game comes at the end of a killer road trip that takes them to San Antonio and Memphis, the Nets stand a good chance against Dallas. One of the Nets’ wing threats, Vince Carter or Richard Jefferson, will be left alone against an inferior defender, and point guard Jason Kidd usually excels against smaller defenders like Terry. If pivotman Nenad Krstic can draw Dallas big men Erick Dampier and De-Sagana Diop inside away from the basket to challenge his jumper, Carter and Jefferson should get good opportunities to drive.
On the defensive end, closing down the middle will be the Nets’ primary challenge. Their stubborn weakness in their improving defense this season has been a tendency to let opponents get to the rim, and by extension, the free throw line. The Nets don’t want to engage Dallas in a shoot out. The Mavericks may be transitioning toward being more of a defense oriented team, but their offense is still their best weapon.
