Tag Archives: Darren Collison

Gunners for Hire

Posted on by
Reply

(www.espn.go.com)

It has finally happened. The Mavericks have devolved into the selfish, playing-to-catch-the-eye-of-their-new-team group of future free agents that we feared they might. Even the mighty Rick Carlisle cannot hold a group together when each individual is faced with missing the playoffs, and the uncertainty of their next NBA check.

Mike James is the worst offender, taking 14 shots in the loss to the Brooklyn Nets. James is taking 8.6 shots per game in just over 20 minutes per game in the last 11 games. If you go back and watch the last three games in particular, all of the times that Dirk has been frozen out, James has been putting up shots like it’s 2005. It isn’t his fault – James wasn’t a true point guard when he was a good basketball player – it’s unfair to ask him to be one now that he is a poor player.

Other Mavs who have begun to play more selfishly: Darren Collison and Chris Kaman. Can you blame them? They are also the two players least likely to be back on the Mavericks roster in 2014.

Dirk Nowitzki is shooting the ball with a 76 percent rate of success the last three games, but the “me-first” approach of other Mavs has allowed him just 31 total shots in those games. The vast majority of those shots have come early in the game when Carlisle still has some control of the offense. As time passes in these games, guys who know they are not coming back are forcing up shots in order to inflate numbers and open their off-season options.

The Mavericks have 14 games left, and if the last three games are any indication, Dallas’ basketball team not only miss the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, they will also have giant ugly beards to show for it.

Mavs beat Kings 123-100

Posted on by
Reply

(www.defpenradio.com)

The Mavericks made easy work of the Sacramento Kings, beating them 123-100. The game was competitive for the first quarter and a half, but the Mavs pulled away with a late 25-9 first half run to lead by 15 at the break.

They maintained that lead for most of the 3rd quarter, before Vince Carter got silly hot from 3 point land, making 4 in a row late in the 3rd. Dirk, Jae Crowder and even little-used Mike James also hit from distance at the start of the 4th. The Kings were finished at that point, and everyone was just waiting for the clock to run down.

Overall, this game was about the Mavericks beating a bad team with no real team offense. There is no reason to get excited, but if the Mavs are to win 20 of their last 31, they certainly needed this one tonight.

Continue reading →

500: Carlisle gets 500th career win against Blazers

Posted on by
1

(www.bleacherreport.com)

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Portland Trailblazers 105-99.  The American Airlines Center proved a sanctuary as the Mavs returned home from a disheartening road trip. Rick Carlisle collected his 500th career win, becoming the 28th coach and 11th fastest in league history to do so. He also stated that this and every other game this season is the team’s “Super Bowl”.

That sense of urgency showed up against the Blazers with OJ Mayo making 4 out of his 5 1st quarter shots. Mayo had 20 of his game high 28 points at the half, and he had to, with Damian Lillard scoring 15 for the Blazers at the halfway mark. The Blazers shot the ball better in the first half, and lead the Mavericks 61-57 at halftime.  Continue reading →

Mavs win

Posted on by
Reply

(www.nba.com)

Tonight was the answer for those of us who question Donnie Nelson’s ability to draft quality players. At least for tonight, Jae Crowder and Bernard James, both second round picks in this years draft, looked like good young players.

Jae Crowder had 13 points, including a 7 point run in the 4th that helped the Mavs pull away from the Suns. Bernard James had 7 points to go along with 5 rebounds and some stingy defense and much-needed energy. These surprise performances along with good nights from the usual suspects added up to a 109-99 win without Dirk. Continue reading →

It’s not working out

Posted on by
1

(www.sportscity.com)

Darren Collison is a good NBA player. He can score and distribute at a high level. He cannot however, be a starting point guard. Collison simply doesn’t know how to sacrifice his offensive game in order to make way for more talented scorers.

It was understandable that Collison was putting up a lot of shots early in the year while Dirk was out. Most nights, he was the second or third best offensive option for the Mavericks depending on what Vince Carter’s knees felt like. Even early after Dirk’s return, the Mavs depended on Collison’s offensive aggressiveness. However, since Dirk’s return to regular minutes on January 2nd, Collison has not been able to make the transition from scoring threat to orchestrator of the offense.

Before January 2nd, Collison was taking 9.4 shots per game. OJ Mayo was taking almost 14. Since Dirk’s return, Collison has taken 9 shots per game. Mayo 13.3. That’s correct, Mayo, the shooting guard, has made more of a sacrifice in shots per game with Dirk returning than the point guard. Dirk is taking just over 2 shots less per game than his career average. For his career he shoots 16.8 shots per game; this season 14.7. Continue reading →

Turn out the Lights

Posted on by
Reply

(www.espn.go.com)

Tonight, Dallas dropped their second straight game, losing 100-97 to the Golden State Warriors. Dirk Nowitzki could not go for the Mavericks as he had some sort of issue with a muscle near his thigh.

OJ Mayo and Vince Carter played well, scoring 25 and 22 respectively Shawn Marion filled the stat sheet as always with 18 points and 17 rebounds.

The Mavericks had two big runs in the 2nd half, including a 13-0 run in the 4th to tie the game at 92. They failed to ever get a lead in this game and could only manage a spinning Vince Carter 3 point attempt at the end of regulation to tie the game at 100. Carter missed, and the Mavericks lost a game they deserved to lose.

More telling than the game-ending play however, was the Mavs’ possession before, when OJ Mayo dribbled around, kicked to Collison who found Brendan Wright under the basket, who was then blocked by Andrew Bogut. The Mavs were down 2, needed a bucket, and the ball ended up in the hands of Brendan Wright. Mayo has to be decisive and either get a shot up, or create a shot for someone willing to take it. That’s what big time players do, and that’s what Mayo needs to do if he wants to eventually get paid as a big time player.

Continue reading →

Tonight is not the night

Posted on by
1

(www.interaksyon.com)

Dirk Nowitzki did not score 30 points and the Mavericks did not look good in a 113-107 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were without Tim Duncan, but it didn’t matter. The Mavs refused to guard the 3-point line and San Antonio was willing to take them all night. The Spurs made nine 3-point shots.

The rest of the Spurs’ offense came from easy buckets off the pick and roll. Tony Parker showed once again that Dallas has no defensively adequate point guards. He scored 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting, but was more effective as a passer with 10 assists. DeJuan Blair had 22 points. Yes, DeJuan Blair.

As for my call for Dirk to have a big night. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Dirk looked a bit better, with more spring in his step on a 6 for 14 shooting night. Most disappointing was that Dirk finished the first half with only two buckets. After the break, he came out and hit his first jumper of the 3rd quarter. Then the largest man on the court became invisible. He took one more shot in the quarter as the Spurs went on an epic run that essentially won the game. Most point guards understand that when the other team goes on a run, you need to get your superstar the ball in his favorite spot to get a bucket and turn the tide. That, apparently, is asking too much of the bunch the Mavs put out. Dirk was frozen out until late in the 3rd quarter.

The only real bright spot is that Rodrique Beaubois remembered that he can play basketball for a night. He scored 19 points on 6 of 8 shooting.

This game wasn’t as close as the final score. The Mavericks played very poorly. The guards have no idea how to play with Dirk. So much so that even if he gets all the way healthy, and his shooting percentage improves, he probably won’t reach his level of normal productivity. He isn’t getting the shots he got with Kidd, and he isn’t demanding them either. Instead, Jay Crowder takes 3′s early in the shot clock. Elton Brand gets endless looks at the short corner. Darren Collison drives recklessly into traffic and too often turns the ball over. The franchise that has been known for smart basketball, now has a team with some less-than-smart basketball players. It’s getting better, but it’s still bad. The only question left, was Charles Barkley just a year early on burying Dirk?

Back on Track

Posted on by
Reply

Vernon Bryant/dallasnews.com

The Dallas Mavericks got back to their winning ways after a tough overtime loss Friday night by handing Orlando a 111-105 defeat. Darren Collison hit a giant 3 in the closing minute and Dirk and OJ Mayo hit big free throws down the stretch.

Dirk still didn’t look himself with only 6 points through the first 3 quarters. He equalled that amount in the 4th despite sitting out a large chunk in the middle of the 4th as it looked like Rick Carlise was trying to avoid putting him back in the game. Dirk’s search for a big game continues as the Mavs return home against the Spurs on Friday.

Shawn Marion led the Mavs in a game in which seven Mavs were in double figures. Marion had a monster night with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Matrix had a vintage game and has been playing exceptionally well in the Mavs’ recent change of fortunes.

All five Mavericks starters played well after a slow start which found them down 14 points in the 1st.  The starters were accompanied well by Vince Carter and Elton Brand, who have also been major catalysts in the Mavs’ season revival.

Mike James is starting to show the reasons he was out of the NBA. He shoots slightly more than he should and isn’t quite as stable as Derrick Fisher was running the offense. Darren Collison has done a good job capitalizing on this, and may win his closing point guard role back.

This Mavericks team is playing well, and may be on the cusp of a playoff push. However, that 13 of 15 losing streak to end 2012 and begin 2013 may be too big a mountain to climb. It feels like if they can get to .500, then Dirk will get well and carry them back to the playoffs. Perhaps you can’t keep a good franchise down.

I’m a Hater: Darren Collison

Posted on by
1

Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

Darren Collison is currently the Mavericks’ second best player, and I hate him. Collison may be a good guy, but he couldn’t be more wrong for the Dallas Mavericks. People were quick to speak about the Mavericks’ good fortune when Jason Kidd turned down their three year offer, and soon after they were able to trade for Collison.

Collison is much younger than Jason Kidd, but nothing he does is more beneficial to the Mavs on the court. Kidd, with all his age and wisdom, is currently 7th in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio. Collison is 41st. Unlike Kidd, Collison can’t help the Mavs’ poor rebounding, and most importantly, can’t run the Mavs’ flow offense. It seems that when Carlisle developed his offense, Collison’s patented “jump, panic and pass” technique wasn’t part of it.

Collison’s greatest sin, however, has been his inability to play effectively with Dirk. Darren has been so poor at involving Dirk that the Mavericks have begun playing Roddy B with Dirk in high pick-and-rolls. Roddy B. Yes, Darren Collison has been so bad that the player that Rick Carlise seems to want to wish out of existence is put in his place at times. Carlise would rather wear Larry Birds’ back brace everyday than play Roddy Buckets, but Collison’s inability to pass the ball to a 7 foot man has given him no choice. With Collison running the point, Dirk’s usage percentage* is down 5.7% from last season to 23.5%. That is his lowest usage percentage since 1999, when he still had buck teeth and Michael Finley was the Mavericks’ best player.

Collison might be a decent NBA point guard who is being asked to do too much by running the Mavs fluid system. He is truly a one man fast break whose speed puts pressure on opponents. But at 13.1 points per game, he doesn’t score well enough to justify leaving one of the 50 best players of all time at the other end of the court as he jets down to miss yet another layup. I wish the best for Darren Collison, but his one year here will have been one year too long.

-Travis Kvaal

*Usage percentage is an estimate of team plays used by a player while he was on the floor.

Stats from basketball-reference.com and correct as of 1-15-13

That’s 3

Posted on by
Reply

Jerome Miron/US PRESSWIRE

It all seems much brighter now.  The Dallas Mavericks won their third straight game against the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-98.  This game was the Darren Collison Show, as he seems to be becoming much more comfortable in Rick Carlise’s flow offense. Collison scored 23 points on 7-11 shooting and added 9 assists. He was a much better facilitator tonight than he’s been for much of the season while maintaining his aggressiveness. I do worry about his future with the Mavericks as he still has not found a way to make Dirk Nowitzki’s life any easier.

Dirk did not look good on the offensive end tonight, scoring 10 points on 5-12 shooting. Perhaps even more telling, he did not attempt a single free throw in 33 minutes. It wasn’t all bad for Nowitzki, as he did have 6 assists, ran the court well and looked pretty active defensively. Bob Ortegal made the point that he thinks Dirk is setting the tone moving the ball. That theory is lent credence by the fact that the flow offense didn’t work without him.

The Mavericks had 33 assists tonight on 46 field goals. The ball movement was certainly as good as it’s been since the departure of Jason Kidd. The major beneficiary of that ball movement was Elton Brand. Brand scored 20 points on 10 of 13 shooting and looked like the player the Mavs had hoped for when they claimed him off the amnesty waiver wire.

Two players on the Timberwolves that the Mavericks should covet are J.J. Barea and Nikola Pekovic. Barea took out his frustrations of not being resigned after the 2011 title by scoring 21 points to go along with 5 assists in just 26 minutes. Pekovic is a rare breed in the NBA as a good rebounding, solid defending, high percentage shooting center. He had 20 points on 11 shots and 12 rebounds. This surely is a player that Donnie Nelson dreams about at night.

OJ Mayo had 20 points and 9 assists on the night. Mayo has really picked up his game with crisp passing. His turnovers were killing Dallas two weeks ago, but he seems to really have worked to correct that issue and is now moving the ball the way Carlise requires from a shooting guard.

While Dallas also caught Minnesota on the second night of a back-to-back and they allowed them to get back into the game after it looked like they had them put away, this game was impressive. Even without Kevin Love, the Timberwolves are a good team, and three wins in a row shouldn’t be scoffed at by this year’s version of the Mavericks. The mountain now seems a little less steep, and your Mavs look a little more capable.

-Travis Kvaal