Mavs Practice Report
A quiet confidence is brewing inside the Dallas Mavericks' locker room.
Some may call it a silent swagger, but the Mavs had an extra bounce to their steps when they took the practice court Monday after consecutive wins in Los Angeles over the Lakers and Clippers.
The Mavericks' excitement is centered around the effort on defense in the back-to-back L.A. wins over the weekend. The strong defensive showings helped the Mavs overcome poor shooting nights to improve to 2-1 on the season. Dallas will need repeat defensive performances Tuesday and Wednesday night against two of the top point guards in the NBA.
"Our defense was good both games," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We have to continue with that and we have areas where we can get better defensively as well. Offensively, we need to execute better. We didn't execute as well in the Clipper game as we did in the Laker game, so we're a work in progress. Every day we have to get stuff done and get better, and we will."
(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
Mavs have to slow down Deron Williams Tuesday night
Though Carlisle doesn't plan on relying on it, the Mavericks' zone defense worked well in stints during both wins. The zone could continue to be a staple in Dallas' defensive package.
"We have it. Most teams have a zone, and when it's the right time, we'll use it," Carlisle said.
While Carlisle has been enamored with the defense from the Dallas starters, and not so much their offensive execution, his feelings quickly change when it comes to the Maverick bench. While Jason Terry, J.J. Barea and Kris Humphries have led the charge offensively for the second unit, Carlisle would still like to see more at the other end of the court.
"We have to get better defensively with our bench. We've had some guys play well offensively, but our defensive numbers with the guys off the bench need to improve. I'm mindful of not overreacting to a 3-game set of statistical data, but there's a little bit of a trend there that we have to put a stop to," Carlisle said.
"Intensity and a little bit more energy, get more into the ball," Barea said of what the reserves need to do defensively when they come into the game. "Just play more as a team when we come off the bench. We need that offense and if we get stops with it we'll be a lot better."
One player that should certainly assist the Maverick bench really soon, both offensively and on defense, will be forward Tim Thomas. The versatile big man practiced for the first time on Monday after rehabbing from off-season knee surgery.
While Thomas can stretch the court with his ability to knock down 3-pointers, he is also another body that can defend in the paint if called upon, though there's still no timetable for his return.
"It's progress," Carlisle said of Thomas' return to the court. "He did a little live stuff for the first time, but there's no set timetable."
"The biggest thing is right now I'm kind of getting my legs up under me a little bit," Thomas said after his first practice. "It's the first short step of being back. It felt good, but at some points it felt a little weak. I think it's mind over matter right now. I just have to continue to stay in the weight room, get it stronger and get it back into basketball shape."
Missing in action from the Mavericks practice were Josh Howard and Drew Gooden. Howard, who continues his fight to return from off-season ankle surgery, missed the day with a sinus infection. Gooden underwent x-rays on his strained rib cage, after missing the team's last game with the injury.
"We hope it's not that long," Carlisle said when asked how long Gooden may miss. "He appears to be doubtful for tomorrow, but we'll see where things are at in the morning."
For now, the Mavericks have to move forward with who they have, as the Dallas schedule doesn't get any easier. The Mavericks play their second back-to-back of the young season when Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz travel to the American Airlines Center on Tuesday, followed by the Mavs' trip to see Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.
"We're excited. It's another great opportunity at home, and hopefully we get some home court advantage," Terry said. "I kind of like back-to-backs because that means you don't have to practice. We'll take care of this first one, and then we have to see Mr. Paul down in New Orleans."
Dallas plays host to Utah on Tuesday night 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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