Mavs Practice Report
Slowing down arguably the NBA's best player and the league's best team was impossible for all of the 29 other squads last season. The Dallas Mavericks were no exception.
The Mavs failed, as did everyone else, in their efforts to contain Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers last season, as the "Lake Show" went on to when the NBA title and claim championship banner No. 15. The Lakers swept the Mavericks last season en route to the championship.
(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
If the Mavericks are going to enter the Staples Center and escape with their first win of the season, making things tough for Bryant and forcing other members of the defending champions to step up will be key in doing so.
"You want to take away the really clean, wide-open looks," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said is the secret to keeping Bryant's impact to a minimum. "He's so good at just raising up and getting a shot that you have to try to put him under some duress. And you have to try to have some help ready. At certain times of the game, he's going to look to take the game over and you don't want him to beat you single-handily."
"He's as good a player that we have in this league, and they're the World Champions, so it's a tough game but it's also an opportunity for us to play better and we're also trying to get on the board with a win."
A successful night for Dallas may fall in hoping to merely contain Bryant's output, while trying to force the other Lakers to when the game.
In addition to Bryant, new Laker Ron Artest is another player that Carlisle and the coaching staff is hoping to key in on. Carlisle may know Artest's game better than most in the league after coaching the combustible, yet versatile, forward when the two were with the Indiana Pacers.
When the coach studied film of his former player, he noticed that Artest has been a willing and able facilitator of the basketball, though he still possesses the ability to score and rebound with the best in the league.
"Artest is a great passer. He's a tremendous inside player. He's a very good shooter out to three. He can play the total game. He's going to be able to do a lot of different things for them," Carlisle said.
Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki echoed Carlisle's sentiments.
"He's a tough guy," Nowitzki said of Artest. "He can shoot, take you off the dribble, can post some and he's a great defender. He's one of the best all-around players we have at the three (small forward) position. He definitely adds to that team that was already World Champions."
Still, the coach and No. 41 both know that relying on off nights from Bryant and Artest will not lead to a win. If the Mavericks are to be successful against the Lakers, Dallas must be clicking on all cylinders.
"The key is we're going to have to play at our highest level, in terms of our physical capacity. We're going to have to play smart and tough. We're going to have to screen well. We're going to have to get back and we're going to have to rebound well. You can't have any weakness in your game playing the Lakers. You're going to have to be good in all areas to beat them," Carlisle said.
"We're just going to go in there and hopefully play a little harder, play a little better, make some shots and go from there," Nowitzki said.
The Mavs and Lakers meet on Friday night, with the game airing locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD and nationally on ESPN at 9:30 p.m. CT. Dallas then plays the L.A. Clippers on Saturday night, with the game airing locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Nov. 3 to face the Utah Jazz at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets remain available. For ticket information call (214) 747-MAVS. The game will air on FSN Southwest.
The Mavs have also introduced the “MavsU” program, designed to offer college and university students an opportunity to attend Mavs games at a discounted rate. The Mavericks and Genghis Grill have teamed to offer discounted tickets to students for many upcoming games.
To purchase any MavsU ticket and receive a coupon for a free bowl at Genghis simply call 214-747-MAVS or visit Mavs.com.
Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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i wish kobe was on the mavs
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