Mavericks Practice Report (01/11/10)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavericks Practice Report (01/11/10)

While the Dallas Mavericks' front office was wheeling and dealing on Monday, the team was getting back to business on the practice court.

The Mavericks announced Monday that they had acquired forward Eduardo Najera from the New Jersey Nets, sending big man Kris Humphries and forward Shawne Williams to the Nets. The move freed up an extra roster spot for the Mavericks, and took Williams' contract off of Dallas' hands. Williams, formerly the inactive 15th man on the Maverick roster, hadn't seen action since January 4, 2009. The Nets soon waived Williams shortly after the deal was completed.

(Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
Eduardo Najera returns to Big D

"I don't know exactly when (Najera) is getting here, but he has to have a physical and get through that part of it," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We know he's a good veteran player. He's very well thought of in these parts, and we obviously feel like he can help our team...We're looking forward to having him here."

Dallas did have to cut ties with the versatile Humphries, who had played in 25 games for the Mavericks this season while averaging 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in limited game time.

"Kris did a good job when he was here and he'll play well for New Jersey," the coach said.

But the Mavericks did get a familiar face back in the deal. The 6-foot-8, 235-pound Najera spent his first four seasons with the Mavericks after a Draft Day deal in 2000. Playing in 208 regular season games (34 starts), 39 postseason games and averaging 4.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17.4 minutes a game, Najera was a key contributor during his first stint in Dallas.

Najera became a fan favorite in Dallas during that four-year span, diving for loose balls and getting on the floor with hustle plays. The way he plays the game has always best been described as "all out," though it has caused the veteran to experience nagging injuries this season.

"He's going to be who he is...I've never coached him, but my perception is he plays one way, and that's full speed ahead," Carlisle said of his newest player. "He's a guy that contest everything on the court, and guys like that you always want to have as many as you can on your team.

"His health situation, he's had some injury things go on this year, but the understanding is that he's doing better."

The Chihuahua, Mexico native and former Oklahoma standout was excited when he got the news that he would be returning to Big D.

"When the news was starting to break, I was getting excited, but I didn't want to react until I knew for sure," Najera told Mavs.com in an exclusive telephone interview.

"My game hasn't changed...(The hustle plays) is what has kept me in the league and that's what I'm going to keep on doing."

Now Najera tries to help a team that is second in the Western Conference standings. It is a team that is ready to add the veteran role player into the fold as the quest for an NBA title continues.

"Me going to Dallas, I think I can provide the same energy that I've been playing with to try to help the team," the newest Mav said.

"Nejara is a veteran guy," point guard Jason Kidd said of his new teammate. "He's been here before and he understands what it takes to win...He's a guy that can help us."

(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the Mavericks hit the practice court in preparation for Wednesday's game against the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. Though the two teams are knotted at 1-1 in the season series, the Mavericks are out to spit out the bitter taste of a 131-96 loss in L.A. on Jan.3. Now the Mavericks, still dazed from a 111-93 home loss to Utah on Saturday, try to get sweet revenge on the Lakers at the American Airlines Center.

Though the Maverick offense wasn't at its best in two of the last four games, the losses to L.A. and Utah, the Mavs say there must be more attention shown to the defensive intensity going into the matchup with the Lakers.

"Our defense has slipped, especially against the Lakers and again against Utah. If we don't play defense, we're not going to win. We understand that we have to get back to defending first and then getting out and getting some easy baskets," Kidd said.

The Mavericks-Lakers matchup will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA HD at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

Dallas and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Pacers Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks 113 at Indiana Pacers 92

It seems only right that the hard-charging Dallas Mavericks run their road winning streak to five in the city that plays host to the Indy 500.

The run-and-gun and fast-breaking Mavs drove out to a big lead and put it on cruise control to the checkered flag against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, as the Dallas starters watched from the sideline in the fourth with plenty of gas left for the second night of a back-to-back after a 113-92 runaway win.

"We're happy to get out of here alive," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "This isn't an easy game. These guys can put a lot of points on the board. But fortunately they were missing some shots tonight and we were active defensively."

In a game matching the NBA's sixth and eighth leading scorers, the Mavericks entered Indianapolis hoping to play balanced team basketball, much like they did in Houston en route to a 130-99 blowout win over the Rockets. Dallas accomplished that goal once again, getting another solid effort from the Maverick bench.

(Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Nowitzki sent a message to Granger and the Pacers early

"Our offense really seems to be clicking," Dirk Nowitzki said. "The last two games we've done a good job of swinging the ball and shooting the ball well."

For the second straight game, the Mavericks put out a starting lineup of Jason Kidd, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Shawn Marion, Nowitzki and Drew Gooden. As advertised, the two superstars, Nowitzki and the Pacers' Danny Granger, paced their squads early on. No. 41 set the Mavs up for a big first quarter with 11 early points, before J.J. Barea's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave Dallas a 35-26 lead after one.

With the starters getting rest on the bench and Kris Humphries dominating the glass, the Mavericks' second unit put distance between themselves and the Pacers early in the second period. Pushing the tempo and increasing the lead to as large as 22 in the quarter, Dallas took a 66-54 advantage into the half.

Behind Humphries' 10 rebounds, the Mavs held a 29-17 rebounding edge after the first 24 minutes of play.

Nowitzki led all scorers with 19 first half points, while Jason Terry added 11 points off the Dallas bench to help the Mavericks shoot 50 percent. Meanwhile, Granger's 15 points in the half kept Indiana close.

"My first couple of shots felt good. All around, our offense has been looking better the last couple of games. I like what we’re doing lately," Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki and the Mavs kept coming in the third, as Dallas attacked the rim more aggressively in the period. Scoring easily inside, Dallas began to drive and kick it outside for the long range shot. Following that formula, the Mavericks pushed the lead back up to 26. Scoring the last 11 points of the third quarter, after a Carlisle 20-second timeout with Indiana within 15, Dallas took a 95-69 lead into the fourth.

"They’re aggressive. They have some competitors and are well coached. The third quarter, we protected the ball and kept executing," Nowitzki said.

With the big lead in the pocket, the Mavs' starters sat on the bench and iced in the fourth in preparation for the second night of a back-to-back. The Dallas bench was up for the challenge of finishing the Pacers off for the night, as James Singleton made the hustle plays to put the cap on the eventual 21-point win.

"Singleton gave us great energy," Carlisle said. "We made a good push when he was in, in the first half. "He's just physical and rebounds. He makes a lot of things happen. He was ready to play, and our second unit was good."

Nowitzki led the way with a game-high 31 points without playing a second in the fourth quarter. Terry (17), Marion (13), Humphries (12) and Kidd (11) all scored in double-digits in the victory.

(Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Humphries dominated the glass in the Dallas win

Humphries record a double-double, cleaning the glass with a game-high 11 rebounds (five offensive). Behind the former Minnesota standout, Dallas out-rebounded Indiana 54-33 with 17 boards coming off the offensive glass.

"We did a nice job, particularly on the defensive boards, and with 17 offensive rebounds you should be scoring some points," Carlisle said.

The Mavs' rebounding only enhanced a 45 percent shooting night, while the Dallas defense held the Pacers to 43 percent at the other end.

The Mavericks hit the court again on a quick turnaround on Saturday evening against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA HD at 6:30 p.m. CT.

"Our activity and our energy were good, and we have to carry it over to Cleveland tomorrow," Carlisle said.

Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Nov. 30, when they play host to the Philadelphia 76ers. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks Practice Report (11/21/09)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Practice Report (11/21/09)

In the midst of a grueling 82-game NBA schedule there are few days to simply hit the practice court and correct the mistakes made on the hardwood.

With a 10-3 record, five straight wins and a third-day break in between games, the Mavs took advantage of the kind schedule and concentrated on sharpening up their offense on Saturday. With health a concern for Dallas, as three starters (Erick Dampier, Josh Howard and Shawn Marion) sat out Friday night's 104-102 win over the Sacramento Kings, the team looked to integrate role players more into Mavs coach Rick Carlisle's system. In doing so, the team went through almost the entire offensive playbook, practicing against the assistant coaches.

"We're practicing today and taking tomorrow off, so we had to get some things done," Carlisle said after Saturday's practice. "It can be tough after a game day, but they did a good job."

"Today was offensive-oriented and then Monday will be more geared towards defense. We have some guys that need to catch up. (Tim Thomas) has been out. He's gotten some reps but now he has to be able to play three positions, so he caught up a little bit. (Marion) has been out a little bit, so he needed to get some reps. And we're just solidifying what we're doing."

With so many players in and out of the Mavs' lineup, the team has needed production from multiple sources. The contributions have come from different last names on the back of Dallas uniforms on a nightly basis. But with different players stepping up every game, Carlisle says it has caused the team to lack a true chemistry on the court.

"We have to work toward gaining a team rhythm offensively and staying persistent defensively," Carlisle said.

While the Mavs coach has liked his team's effort, and of course the results in the win column, he is still looking for consistency from the Dallas bench.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
Dallas is looking for more from Kris Humphries at both ends

Despite games like Friday night's win, where the Dallas reserves out scored their Sacramento counterparts 52-14, there have also been nights where the bench scoring fell solely on the shoulders of sixth man Jason Terry. With Drew Gooden inserted into the starting lineup in Dampier's stead, Carlisle is looking for more from Thomas and Kris Humphries in the interior.

"With Damp being out, it brings other guys into the equation. Humphries has got to play well for us. Thomas is healthy now, and he's back in there playing two or three diferent positions. And so, we need everybody. We really do."

Humphries and Thomas combined for 26 of the 52 bench points for the Mavs on Friday night. While Thomas will see time both in the paint and out on the perimeter, Humphries' role is set in place as the grunt-working, hustle play-making, energy guy.

"He's kind of like a construction worker with Sunday school clothes on," Carlisle said of Humphries' ability to bang in the paint while also having a smooth jumper from the perimeter. "He's a dirty work guy, but also he has some very good skill aspects to his game."

"A construction worker dressed up for Sunday school," Humphries repeated. "The reality is, guys off the bench have to be blue-collar type of guys. You have to be willing to do the things that guys can't necessarily do if they play 40 minutes a game. I'm just a guy out there playing hard and running the floor."


If Humphries' willingness to create hustle plays continues, it can only enhance the Dallas bench, making the Mavs even more well-rounded. Despite their health situation, Dallas sits tied atop the Western Conference with the Phoenix Suns. Still the Mavs are being overlooked by many across the league as serious contenders for the title.

"You know what, it's early and as long as we can slide under the radar, we are cool with that. It's not where you are now, it's where you are at the end of the year. For us, we're not cheering because we're 10-3 and at the top off the Western Conference. We're sitting here thinking we have to keep stringing together wins and working on our stuff, and it's going to lead to a good record in the end," Humphries said.

Dallas hits the court again Tuesday night to start a stretch of four games in five nights, as the Mavs host the Golden State Warriors at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Practice Report 10/18/09

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com (10/18/09)
Mavs Practice Report

The Dallas Mavericks will be the first to tell you that Saturday night’s 93-82 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers was a mirage.

With the Cavs resting LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and eight other key rotation players, the Mavs were still strongly opposed by Cleveland reserves. The full Cavalier lineup will be in action when the two teams meet again on Tuesday night on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, giving Dallas the test of stopping a team expected to contend for the Eastern Conference championship and possibly an NBA title.

“Cleveland is going to have their whole team on Tuesday,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “(Cleveland coach) Mike Brown told me that before the game. We’re hopeful that we have our team, or as many guys that are available. They were tough to beat without those guys (James, O’Neal and the Cavalier supporting cast). So, it’s the kind of test we need.”

Carlisle is merely hopeful that his squad has as many players available for Tuesday’s game because it is the team’s second to last preseason matchup, the game that most coaches decide to play their starters and key reserves extended minutes before resting the final exhibition game in preparation for the season opener. It is a luxury that Carlisle doesn’t know if he will have as Shawn Marion (calf), Josh Howard (ankle) and Tim Thomas (knee) continue to rehab.

“As the preseason goes along and you get down to the last couple of games, normally you start looking at what your rotation is going to be and stretching those guys out to a few more minutes than you had been playing them,” Carlisle said.

“Being mindful of it being a 181-day season, three or four games a week, and I’d like to have everyone playing full-board today. But when that’s not the case, you just have to piece it together. You have to get the guys healthy that have injuries. You just have to work towards getting it all in place.”

(Glenn James/ NBAE via Getty Images)
One guy that will be ready to go regardless of whether he starts or plays just a handful of minutes in the game will be forward Kris Humphries, who has shown a high propensity to score, rebound and take care of the Mavs’ grunt work in the paint.

“He’s been pretty steady. I’m greedy, I want him to play better and better. He needs to be an energizer guy for us off the bench. He’s going to give us really quality depth at the big positions,” Carlisle said of the former Minnesota standout.

“You’ve got a handful of guys that shoot the three really well. You’ve got guys that penetrate and distribute the ball. Then you have guys that are going to have to run the floor, dive on the floor, rebound and bring a little extra that sometimes guys that play a lot more minutes have a tougher time doing night in and night out,” Humphries said referring to himself as the ladder.

Humphries said Saturday’s game was a hard game to play, citing the difficultly in game-planning against players for Cleveland that Dallas hasn’t seen before. He does however expect Tuesday night’s matchup to have more of a regular season feel and physicality.

“If you look at this game, there’s not going to be anything that’s the same,” Humphries said comparing the Cleveland lineup from Saturday to the one Dallas expects to see Tuesday. “The intensity. If they play their full rotation of guys, I’m sure we will probably do the same.”

The Mavs and Cavs meet on Tuesday night at the Petersen Events Center. The game will air on HD NET at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Mavs then finish the preseason on Oct. 23 in Houston against the rival Rockets, with the game airing on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD at 7:30 p.m.

Dallas tips-off the regular season at home against the Washington Wizards on Oct. 27, and tickets remain available. For ticket information call (214) 747-MAVS.

Dallas has 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.