SB Nation Dallas - Mavs vs. Blazers: Dallas wins 114-91https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48887/dallas-fave.png2012-11-06T07:02:21-06:00http://dallas.sbnation.com/rss/stream/33695572012-11-06T07:02:21-06:002012-11-06T07:02:21-06:00Mavs vs. Blazers: Mayo, Collison keep rolling
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The two Dallas guards continued to impress on Monday, leading the Mavs to a dominating 114-91 blow-out of the Blazers.</p> <li>The story of the game was, once again, the new Mavs backcourt. OJ Mayo (32 points on 12-18 shooting) and <span>Darren Collison</span> continued their strong play on Monday (14 points, 13 assists), blowing the Blazers off the court almost from the jump as the Mavs won 114-91. It was OJ the Juiceman's birthday today. In honor of that, two fans in the lower bowl brought cardboard posters of orange juice and mayonnaise, which amused me at least.</li>
<li>The two work well in tandem, and it's a credit both to the coaching staff and their feel for the game that it has happened so quickly. OJ the Juiceman is basically playing as a spot-up shooter: most of his points came from going 6-8 from beyond the arc, primarily off the penetration of Collison. Mayo, in turn, spreads the floor for Collison, which allows him space to roam around the paint off the dribble. While they looked great on Monday, the one concern is that they are both undersized for their position, which bigger and more athletic backcourts can exploit defensively.</li>
<li>However, against back-courts like the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Trail Blazers</a>, the two can look like All-Stars. Damian Lillard's stat-line -- 13 points on 2-13 shooting, 5 assists -- is what you call a welcome to the NBA moment. That doesn't even count Collison getting him in early foul trouble and completely abusing him defensively. And if Lillard isn't going, Portland's not getting much offense from the perimeter: none of their other guards can get their own shot off the dribble, which puts an awful lot of pressure on their rookie PG.</li>
<li>I think Lillard will be a good NBA PG, but there are a few things about his game that concern me if people are going to call him a future star. I'm not sure if he was just tired on the third game of a road-trip, but he could not get around Collison or Dom Jones. Everything was from the perimeter or off the pick-and-roll. The strongest part of his game is his outside shot, which is what he goes too when he's in trouble, as his 1-8 line from beyond the arc showed against the Mavs. In general, I'd rather my PG set other guys up for 3's than take his own off the dribble. I don't like guys dribbling into 3-pointers; it takes everyone else out of the flow of the offense and leads to easy fast breaks. </li>
<li>That being said, Lillard is still an excellent ROY candidate. He's going to get every opportunity to play with the ball in his hands, because none of their other perimeter starters -- Wes Matthews, Nic Batum -- are really comfortable in that role. Their second unit is even worse: they were bringing <span>Ronnie Price</span> and <span>Sasha Pavlovic</span>, marginal NBA players, at best, as the first two perimeter guys off the bench. I feel bad for <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span>, who will continue to be criminally underrated by most fans and media. That lack of perimeter firepower is going to kill Portland this year.</li>
<li>The one bad bit of news for Dallas came with <span>Shawn Marion</span> being knocked out of the game with some type of knee injury. The Mavs can ill afford his loss, as neither <span>Vince Carter</span> nor <span>Jae Crowder</span> can bring what Marion provides, either defensively or on the glass, where Dallas got absolutely destroyed tonight, which as Andy Tobo talked about in his column today, is becoming a very worrying theme. However, both are better perimeter shooters, which will provide even more floor spacing, but at a certain point, you do need some defense on the floor. Marion played only 24 minutes and was the Mavs leading rebounder with 7.</li>
<li> <span>Chris Kaman</span> has played good enough to be a starter, but I like having him come off the bench to score on back-up 5's. His sheer size (7'0 270) makes him more of a force on the boards than Brand, and he's been a better rebounder for the last several years now. Pairing the front-court will be tricky, but I think Kaman and <span>Brandan Wright</span> is probably the best combination to go with to close out games as long as Dirk's out. Kaman gives the bulk and size at the 5, Wright brings the athleticism and shot-blocking at the 4 and they're both skilled big men who are excellent finishers at the rim, something Mavs fans probably forgot was possible after watching Bradley, Diop, Dampier and Haywood for so long. Yeeeesh. </li>
<li>Brand, I think, should be the odd man out when Dirk gets back. At this point in his career, he feels more like a #4 starter, to mix a sports metaphor. He's out there eating innings and he won't kill you when he's on the floor, but he's not winning games for you either. That's valuable to have as a big man, especially because he can play at the 4 and the 5, but that's more suited to a 4rth big man role. He's solid at every aspect of the game, but he's not particularly good at any either.</li>
<li> <span>Troy Murphy</span>, meanwhile, showed the limits of his game on Monday, especially if his jumper isn't falling. He's useless defensively and he doesn't bring as much to the offense as Kaman or Wright; I don't think his -4 in a night when Dallas won by +23 is a coincidence. The duo of Kaman and Murphy was an absolute disaster on the defensive side of the ball. I hope we don't see that combination again. Murphy is more potentially valuable than the greatness that was <span>Eddy Curry</span>, but that's where it stops.</li>
<li> <span>Dominique Jones</span> continued to be useful, which is a pleasant surprise. The Mavs have finally found a role that fits his game: as the backup PG who dominates the ball and sets everyone up. He had 6 assists on only 1 turnover in 14 minutes tonight. His size (6'5 215) makes him a surprisingly good passer as well as effective defensively at the 1, but his lack of a perimeter jumper is going to wreck his usefulness as his scouting report gets around the NBA. I hope Jones' play isn't going to give Carlisle another excuse to bench Roddy B, but if Marion's out for awhile and you have to slide Carter and Crowder down in the line-up, Jones and Beaubois might could work as a second-unit guard combo ala Collison and Mayo.</li>
<li>That was another big difference between Portland and Dallas tonight: the Mavs kept rolling useful players off their bench, while the Blazers kept digging into their pockets and finding lint. <span>Joel Freeland</span> and <span>Jared Jeffries</span>? As John McEnroe would say, you've got to be kidding me! JJ Hickson is a 4rth big man; if he's your starting center, that's not a good sign, at all. This bench rivals the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> in terms of giving you nothing. I do like Meyers Leonard's size and activity, even if he's not always sure what's going on. That kid is going to be nice in a few years.</li>
<li>Giving Ronnie Price 20 minutes a night is a pretty good indication of what the Blazers think of <span>Nolan Smith</span>, but so was him being one of only two first-round picks from 2011 to not have their third-year option picked up. He doesn't have great size or athleticism at 6'2 185, and he's not a true PG, so that really limits the roles he can fill on a team. A guy like that has to be a light-out shooter ala Jet Terry and Smith's outside shot isn't great either. Here's a column I wrote from right after that draft about why Portland <a href="http://basketball.realgm.com/article/214815/Big_Man_Scarcity">should have picked up Kenneth Faried instead.</a> </li>
<li>At some point, <span>Terry Stotts</span> should think about giving second-round pick <span>Will Barton</span> a chance. If he's giving Sasha Pavlovic (a 10th-12th man) serious run, he's got nothing to lose. Barton is preposterously skinny, but at 6'6 175 with a 6'10 wingspan, he's skilled, athletic and can slither his way into the lane. The real concern for him is defensively, but Portland, with so many versatile perimeter defenders, can hide him fairly easily. I had Barton and Lillard rated as fairly similar prospects coming into the draft. Just throwing this out there, not saying it will happen, but there's a chance Barton becomes the better NBA player.</li>
<li><b>Big Picture:</b></li>
<li>Dallas showed the ability to blow out an average team at home, which is exactly what good teams need to do in terms of banking wins for the playoff chase, which is going to be brutal out West this year. And looking at the early schedule, the Mavs could get off to a very fast Dirk-less start: of their next five games -- vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a>, at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a>, at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/charlotte-bobcats">Bobcats</a>, vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> (w/o <span>John Wall</span>), vs. Wolves (w/o <span>Kevin Love</span>, <span>Ricky Rubio</span>) -- the only one they won't be favored in is against New York. Toronto, Wednesday's opponent, is an interesting young team, but they've got defensive and depth issues. I guarantee the Juiceman is ready to play <span>DeMar DeRozan</span>; no way he preeshed that guy getting $40 million plus and him being out here playing for a job on a one-year deal.</li>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-mavericks/2012/11/6/3608252/mavs-vs-blazers-mayo-collison-keep-rollingJonathan Tjarks2012-11-05T22:02:50-06:002012-11-05T22:02:50-06:00Mavs vs. Blazers: Dallas wins, 114-91
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<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Dallas Mavericks used a strong fourth quarter to take down the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, 114-91.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dallas Mavericks</a> pulled away late from the <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Portland Trail Blazers</a>, taking a 114-91 win on Monday night thanks to a strong fourth-quarter performance.</p>
<p>The first three quarters stayed close, with a 57-55 score at half time and an 83-79 line after the third. The fourth quarter belonged to Dallas, which pulled away early and outscored the Blazers 31 to 12 in the final frame.</p>
<p><span>O.J. Mayo</span> put up the biggest numbers for the Mavs, scoring 32 points and chipping in two rebounds in almost 40 minutes on the court. His scoring was needed, as the Mavs looked to continue working on offense with no <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span>. <span>Chris Kaman</span> was the top bench performer for Dallas, putting up 16 points and six rebounds.</p>
<p><span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> and <span>Wesley Matthews</span> led the Blazers in scoring with 20 points each.</p>
<p>Dallas' win over Portland moved them to 3-1 early in the season. They'll play their next game on Wednesday when the Toronto Raptors come to town.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-mavericks/2012/11/5/3607800/mavs-vs-blazers-2012-final-scoreChris White2012-11-05T08:00:52-06:002012-11-05T08:00:52-06:00Mavs vs. Blazers: An interesting challenge
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<figcaption>Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>After an easy win on Saturday over the Bobcats, Dallas welcomes an intriguing young Portland team that will go as far as their rookie PG can take them.</p> <p>Both the Mavs and the Blazers have gotten off to 2-1 starts to the season behind strong performances from their new PG's.</p>
<p><span>Darren Collison</span>, taking command of the offense with Dirk out, has averaged 17 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds on 61% shooting. <span>Damian Lillard</span>, Portland's No. 6 overall pick out of Weber State, has averaged 21 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds on 47% shooting.</p>
<p>Since both teams surround their PG's with players more comfortable finishing rather than creating their own shot, each plays with the ball in his hands a lot, making their contributions invaluable offensively.</p>
<p>The difference, right now at least, is that Lillard has an elite 6'11+ big man he can throw the ball inside to in Dallas native <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span>, who has quietly become an All-NBA player on both sides of the ball.</p>
<p><span>Rick Carlisle</span> will have an interesting dilemma when it comes to matching up with Aldridge. Neither of his two nominal starters -- <span>Elton Brand</span> (too short) and <span>Brandan Wright</span> (too skinny) -- can match up with the Blazers star, though I suspect Wright will get the defensive assignment, as Aldridge would prefer to just shoot over the top of the shorter Brand rather than establishing deep post position against the longer Wright.</p>
<p>One wrinkle both coaches may turn to is turning loose his long-limbed defensive specialist at the 3 -- <span>Shawn Marion</span> for Dallas, Nic Batum for Portland -- on the other team's PG and daring the other perimeter players to create offense.</p>
<p>Aldridge gives the Blazers the edge in the starting line-up, but where the Mavs may have an advantage, especially at home, is from their bench play. Portland only got 6 points from their bench in their win against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> on Saturday, while the Mavs can turn to guys like <span>Vince Carter</span> and <span>Chris Kaman</span> for reserve points.</p>
<p>However, both veterans are better off spotting up off the ball, which is why the health of backup PG <span>Rodrigue Beaubois</span>, who didn't play on Saturday after turning his ankle in practice, could be huge. If the talented young Frenchman can't play, the Mavs will need <span>Dominique Jones</span> to play as well as he did against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/charlotte-bobcats">Bobcats</a>, where he dished out 6 assists in 16 minutes and consistently got into the lane and made plays for his fellow reserves.</p>
<p>The game, scheduled for 7:30 Central Time, will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-mavericks/2012/11/5/3599988/mavs-blazers-preview-2012Jonathan Tjarks2012-11-05T07:30:07-06:002012-11-05T07:30:07-06:00Trail Blazers preview: Is Damian Lillard enough?
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<p>Portland, a long-time playoff team, decided to rebuild this off-season. How much they progress in 2012-2013 will depend in large part on their highly touted rookie PG from Weber State.</p> <p><i>Dave Deckard is a staff writer for SB Nation's excellent Blazers blog, long one of the leading sites on the NBA blogosphere. You can follow their takes on the NBA in the Pacific Northwest on Twitter at <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/blazersedge">Blazers Edge</a>. Head over<a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/"> to his site </a>for my answers to his questions about the Mavs.</i></p>
<p><b><i></i>As someone who has watched <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> since he played at Seagoville and later UT, I've always felt that he's never quite received as much national acclaim as he deserves. Where would you rank him among the top players in the NBA?</b></p>
<p>He's among the top power forwards for sure. Most serious basketball people would rank <span>Kevin Love</span> above him. Casual fans would add <span>Blake Griffin</span>. <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> isn't going anywhere although you'd not start a team with him as readily as you would with these three youngsters.</p>
<p>I'm of the opinion that whichever one of these guys your team has will be your favorite. It's easy to love them all for different reasons. We're probably looking at Aldridge being the second or third best power forward in the game.</p>
<p>Beyond that, though, we have to admit that the overall level of power forward play in the league right now is fairly high and that great power forwards don't tend to bend the game (or win totals) as much as, say, great point guards or centers. LeBron, <span>Dwyane Wade</span>, <span>Derrick Rose</span>, <span>Dwight Howard</span>, <span>Chris Paul</span>, <span>Kobe Bryant</span>, Dwight Howard, <span>Kevin Durant</span>, <span>Russell Westbrook</span>, and <span>Tony Parker</span> all rank above Aldridge and you could name maybe a half-dozen players on his level that you still couldn't trade him for because of value to their teams and/or potential. That leaves him somewhere between 12th and 18th in the league overall, depending on your criteria and taste.</p>
<p><b>Aldridge's contract expires in three seasons. Do you expect that he will spend the prime of his career in Portland and how much worry, if any, is there among the <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Trail Blazers</a> fan base about the whole situation?</b></p>
<p>Worry is modest at this point, as three years is an eternity in the NBA. The issue is evident and gets discussed plenty, but it'll likely resolve itself. If the Blazers get good in the next three years LaMarcus doesn't have a ton of incentive to leave. If they are bad enough to give him doubts when his contract runs out, that means he wasn't making them that much better in the interim. He's unlikely to carry them to the promised land alone, so there wouldn't be a ton of incentive to keep him at that point. After three straight years of stinking, most folks would probably agree it was time to blow it up and start over. Likely that would start with a trade in the final year of his deal, hopefully bringing back young pieces for the next generation. Either outcome would work. Portland's future is so clouded right now that it's hard to make firmer plans than that.</p>
<p><b><span>Damian Lillard</span> has been getting a lot of hype as a rookie, with many expecting him to be <span>Anthony Davis</span>' main competitor for Rookie of the Year. What are your expectations for him this season, and from what you've seen, what NBA vets would you compare him to?</b></p>
<p>Expectations are that he learn the job, improve steadily, and keep scoring as he adjusts to running a team against NBA defenses. The Blazers aren't making the playoffs this year even if he plays out of his mind. Even if by some miracle they did, they aren't going anywhere in the post-season. It's not like the kid will make or break the season. In many ways he's the reason for the season in terms of letting him develop. As long as he doesn't end up a rancid, stunted failure and keeps his public perception relatively likable, he will get a passing grade for the year.</p>
<p>One-to-one comparisons are inevitably inadequate. Lillard has a kind of sneaky athleticism, not raw but in the way he attacks and moves his body, reminiscent of an early <span>Brandon Roy</span>. Roy didn't look that impressive standing still but then you blinked and he was by you for an open shot without ever seeming to move that fast. Lillard has a nice outside shot, including a wicked step-back. He also sees the floor incredibly well for a rookie. His passing ability is well beyond his experience, which is where some of the <span>Chauncey Billups</span> comparisons come. Defense is his biggest weakness.</p>
<p>At worst, Lillard will end up a serviceable point guard, heady and capable of canning a jumper. After his debut, Blazer fans are kind of thinking star-level player. He's probably capable of reaching that level too. Either way, Portland got their money's worth out of that pick.</p>
<p><b><span>Meyers Leonard</span>, Portland's other lottery pick, has somewhat snuck under the radar, but he's a very intriguing prospect. What type of role will he have on the team this season and how do you see a pairing of Leonard and Aldridge working long-term?</b></p>
<p>Leonard doesn't do any single thing that well. The key to his game is mobility. He's a legit 7-footer who gets around the floor, noticeably on defense. His show and recover on picks is a sight to behold. But he needs work on fundamentals: footwork, powering up for the basket, any kind of go-to move, and just knowing where to be on the floor. The kid's got guts, though. He plays like he wants to get better. I'd anticipate that Leonard will end up as a good all-around center, not a standout but one of those guys you're never sorry to have on your team.</p>
<p>Leonard's mobility and Aldridge's will make them a formidable defensive combo. You worry about post scoring a little. Perhaps rebounding as well.</p>
<p><b>The Blazers have certainly assembled an interesting young core. What needs do you think the team will need to address going forward, either in free agency or the draft, in order to challenge teams like Oklahoma City and the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lakers</a>?</b></p>
<p>"Interesting" is polite. Aldridge is the least-heralded star in the league and his style of play isn't going to change that situation. <span>Nicolas Batum</span> and <span>Wesley Matthews</span> have been good role-players to this point in their careers. One or the other will have to break out of that mold if Portland's fortunes are to change without major upgrades through the draft. Though each had a promising first outing this year, the proof is in the pudding and the pudding is served every night. Lillard looks promising but he's still a question mark. The most dependable guys on the roster might not have much ceiling left overhead. The guy with the highest ceiling we don't know much about yet. Most of the rest of the roster has neither ceiling nor a dependable track record. Therefore it's fair to say the Blazers need almost everything.</p>
<p>Depth will be a huge issue as the season progresses. Portland could use a boost in the interior on either end. The Blazers could use another scorer who could attack off the dribble. Tough rebounding bigs would help. You name it, the Blazers could probably make use of it. Portland will probably depend on one more high draft pick, cut loose a lot of cheap, temporary players, make a run at somebody in free agency, and hope like heck that Lillard pans out and either Matthews or Batum becomes a star-level player.</p>
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https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-mavericks/2012/11/5/3600098/nba-2012-preview-portland-trail-blazersJonathan Tjarks