The Mavericks are Cookin'

(Note: this post will use effective field goal percentage. Here's the definition from Basketball Reference.com: "Effective Field Goal Percentage; the formula is (FG + 0.5 * 3P) / FGA. This statistic adjusts for the fact that a 3-point field goal is worth one more point than a 2-point field goal. For example, suppose Player A goes 4 for 10 with 2 threes, while Player B goes 5 for 10 with 0 threes. Each player would have 10 points from field goals, and thus would have the same effective field goal percentage (50%).")

When the Mavericks had their incredible start in November and December and looked as good as any other team in the league, defense was the common denominator. The Mavericks were fourth in defensive efficiency when I wrote about the defense some months ago. The defense has slipped and that's a topic for another day. The Mavericks have still continued their winning ways but now with a blistering offense that looks practically unstoppable.

Since the Clippers game 16 games ago in which the Mavericks blitzed the Clips in the second half, Dallas is averaging a ridiculous 114.7 points per 100 possessions while having an effective field goal percentage of 55.8 percent. This has to be what Gwen Stefani was talking about when she said this shit is bananas.

To put this in proper perspective, Denver leads the league in offensive efficiency with 109.7 points per 100 possessions. Boston leads the league with a 52.8 effective field goal percentage. Dallas is playing out of its mind offensively over the last month and the next step is why.

If you compare and contrast the Mavericks roster now with the roster that was winning games in November, you can find the reasons. Peja Stojakovic has essentially replaced Caron Butler's production but Rodrique Beaubois has been only "meh" in his handful of games back. Dirk and Tyson Chandler have been continuing their expected brilliance and Shawn Marion continues his steady if not infuriating game of baby hooks and awkward layups.

The difference comes in J.J. Barea and Jason Terry. Terry has scored at least 20 points in five of the past 16 games. The previous 43, he totaled seven games of 20 points or more. It isn't a secret that when Jason Terry is hitting, the Mavericks offense is blazing. But combine that with the ludicrous play of Barea (who leads the league in 3PT percentage since late January) and you suddenly have a potent offense capable of scoring five to eight players in double figures on any given night. Barea had 11 games of double figure scoring in the first 43 games. In the last 16? Another 11. The efficient scoring of Barea and Terry has been made Dallas a tremendous success on offense over the last month.

Now, here comes the shocker. We've all heard the tired adage that the Mavericks are a jumpshooting team with that relies too much on the ultra inefficient two point mid-range jumper. And that was true in the seasons first 43 games (all before the last Clipper game) Dallas only averaged a tad over 18 shots at the rim per game, a very mediocre number at best. And that is saying something.

Over these past 16 games, the Mavericks have been averaging 23.75 shots at the rim per game, highlighted by The Mavericks parade through the lane yesterday afternoon in Toronto, which saw Dallas get to the rim for 30 shot attempts. And these aren't even counting the free throw attempts.

With Roddy Beaubois not even contributing much to the efforts to get to the rim, the chances of Dallas sustaining this are fairly likely. This isn't as much fools gold as other Maverick hot streaks were. Those were predicated on the hot shooting of Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Antoine Wright (*shivvers*)

Maverick fans rejoice: Dallas is (temporarily) an efficient, elite offensive basketball team.

(Advanced stats courtesy of the lovely HoopData.com. Che-che-check it out, man.)

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TROP Gameday Chat: Dallas at Toronto

A 5 p.m. local start time for a game against a really bad Eastern Conference team on the second night of a back-to-back with the Oscars starting sometime soon afterwards. Sounds like perfect conditions for a chat to me.

The Dust Settles: Making Sense of the Trade Deadline Rubble

In what many are calling the biggest trade deadline since the last big trade deadline, the NBA landscape has changed dramatically. In fact if you're reading this, there's a 50 percent chance you were just traded and should be expecting a buyout this evening. Unbelievably, Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson stood pat, surprising with Caron Buter and DeShawn Stevenson's expiring contracts and the young talent in Rodrigue Beaubois. Since there were 405 trades completed this afternoon, here's a quick look at the two big ones that can impact the Mavericks.

The stunner: BOS C Kendrick Perkins and G Nate Robinson to the Thunder for OKC C Nenad Kristic and F Jeff Green

I'm stunned, shocked, flabbergasted and a little stunockgasted. Doc Rivers was famously quoted last June say his starting five of Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett and Perkins has never lost a playoff series (Perkins was hurt in the Finals last year and in 2009 Garnett had a bum knee and missed the playoffs.) It confuses me as to why Boston would move what many consider the best defensive center in the NBA this side of Dwight Howard and Tim Duncan. While we don't have much to worry about on the Celtics side (except for the fact that they are much easier to beat this year if they somehow make the finals) the Thunder suddenly become the "perfect" team. Getting rid of their worst two defensive players for a big man that OKC has been wanting (remember they originally traded for Tyson Chandler) sounds scary on paper and a lineup of Westbrook, James Harden, Durant, Serge Ibaka and Perkins should be terrific. I judge it by this: Last year the Thunder guarded the Lakers Gasol and Bynum with Kristic and Green to start out games. Now? That'll be Perkins and Ibaka. A HUGE game changer to say the least and the Thunder shouldn't be bullied around in the paint by the Lakers, Spurs or Mavericks. Anytime you can get Ibaka and underrated power forward Nick Collison more minutes, it's a win.

On the other side, Perkins knees are made of some combination of glass and drywall and after coming back from knee surgery on his right knee this season, he's been hampered by some strain in his left. Perkins also comes from Boston, which runs a fairly specific defensive set and he his offensively challenged. But still, you can't help but fear the Thunder a bit more after this one, especially since Jeff Green provided Dirk Nowitzki with so many nice practice sessions *rimshot!*

Portland C Joel Przybilla and F Dante Cunningham to the Bobcats for CHA F Gerald Wallace


If the NBA playoffs started right now, the Mavericks would be matched up with the Blazers, so it is worth to take a look at this deal that doesn't quite have the same pizzaz as Melo to NYC or Deron Williams to New Jersey.

First off, Portland sims to love collecting as many perimeter guys as humanly possible. Wallace and Nicolas Batum now anchor the forward spots with LaMarcus Aldridge maning the middle and Andre Miller and Wesley Matthews in the backcourt. It is an interesting moves, with Portland having to pick up Wallace's large contract to play some small-ball. Interesting that the Blazers go smaller as division rival Thunder get bigger. Wallace is a nice defender and rebounder but has never and will never be a good jump shooter. His 43.3 percentage from the field is his lowest since become a full-time starter and his 5.9 free throw attempts per game is his lowest from 2005-2006. A change of scenery could refresh Wallace's drive to get to the rim, but the Blazers are banking a lot of Wallace changing his ways. As far as facing the Mavs, Dallas just has to make sure to not adjust to Portland's small-ball. Sure, Wallace or Batum being guarded by Dirk is a mismatch but the Mavericks should more than make up for it by dominating the glass and if need be, putting Shawn Marion out there to even things out. It would certainly make me sweat a bit, seeing Dirk guarding the perimeter, but as we've seen with Dallas handling Oklahoma City, Dirk is smart enough to know what to do when guarding a smaller player and going against one offensively.


I understand that more deals have been made, with Shane Battier heading back to Memphis and Baron Davis shipped off to Cleveland, but they don't really make much of an impact on how the Mavericks will handle things going forward. Now, the Mavericks not making a move is a topic I will save for later and will tie it into the ramifications of Deron Williams heading to New Jersey. For now, the NBA landscape has drastically changed and some Western playoff teams definitely shored up their rosters. Both will provide Dallas with some interesting problems, but with the way they are playing right now, the Mavs have to feel confident going forward.

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Mavs Don't Land Harris, Now What?

I know by the time you read this, you'll already know about the shocking deal that went down this morning that flip-flopped Devin Harris and Deron Williams. Sure there were some other players and picks involved, but basically the two point guards the Mavericks have had their eye on for some time have been dealt and so have the Mavs chances for landing a big-name player before this week's trade deadline.

I won't bore you with the ramifications of the deal, such as the shocking demolition of what was once a contending Utah team or the Nets' naive approach at hoping Williams sticks in New Jersey after the summer of 2012. Instead I'll shed light on the fact that the Mavericks tried to land Harris straight up for Caron Butler's expiring contract and balked when New Jersey also wanted rookie guard Dominique Jones.

This brings up two crucial points: 1.) The Mavs ARE willing to deal Butler. 2.) The Mavs AREN'T dealing anyone else. If Dominique Jones, whose upside is no where near Rodrigue Beubois' but some felt he was more NBA ready this season, and then failed to impress in pre-season before not earning anytime with the Mavs at all before going down with a foot injury, then what are the chances the Mavericks move Beaubois before the deadline? I'm actually somewhat shocked about the Jones aspect of this deal. While Jones was a promising combo guard out of South Florida and his ability to get to the rim was unquestioned, he couldn't shoot and failed to get any minutes at the NBA level. The Summer League helped boost Jones' stock by not only showing off that ability to get to the rim, but also being able to make a play at the rim, whether it is scoring or finding another teammate. Jones was bound to get some burn at the start of the season, mainly because Rick Carlisle felt he had enough offensive skills combined with his on-ball defense to make some noise. The pre-season changed everything as Jones inexplicably failed to convert at the rim, constantly driving to the hole, making good moves but missing layups. It was truly baffling.

Jones fell out of the rotation completely and with the Mavs ability to not blow teams out, Jones stayed on the bench until being demoted to the Texas Legends NBA D-League team. Jones played well, averaging a tad over 18 points per game while getting to the free throw line about seven times a game, a great number. Jones was doing everything the Mavs asked and scored 30, 24 and 20 in his last three games before fracturing his foot. In five of his D-League games, Jones got to the line at least 10 times. It was sad to see his development derailed but also a high mark of confidence from the Mavs (and the Nets) that he be mentioned in this deal and also be taken out of it. I'm not sure in what universe trading two players who won't play this season for an All-Star doesn't make sense, but apparently for the Mavericks and Nets, it did. It's a bold statement from the Mavs to turn down such an offer and I hope the team chemistry of Caron Butler leaving had nothing to do with this deal. If you turn down a trade in which you give up practically nothing for a guy who can go off for 20 a night, there better be good reason for it. The minute situation would have been prickly with Harris here, but I'm not sure it makes this deal null and void.

The Mavericks love Caron Butler and Dominique Jones, two players that will have no impact whatsoever on the Mavericks' playoff hopes this season. I can only hope they know what they're doing. It does make me relaxed that the Mavericks are floating Caron Butler's deal out there, but I always fear that the connection he has made with his teammates and Dallas are valued more than it is actually worth. Don't get me wrong, chemistry means a whole lot more in basketball than it does in say, baseball (and a certain baseball team in the area has had many debates over the worth of chemistry) but hopefully not more than enough to potentially improve the team.

With Harris out of the picture, any major deals involving the Mavericks have dried up. Mike Fisher has reported that the Mavs are balking at Gerald Wallace, who's defense and rebounding would have helped a great deal, but his outside shot would have limited a Maverick offense that depends on the three or small forward to hit corner threes off Dirk double teams. That's why Caron Butler's career high 3PT percentage was helping such a great deal and why Peja will be a helpful stopgap.

And if you want to read about my thoughts on Harris coming here, I already talked about it. From here on out though, I believe the Mavericks have the pieces to contend, they just need to be patient and see them fit. After all, isn't the Mavericks biggest need a perimeter guy that can shoot and attack the basket? Isn't that exactly what a fully-formed Beaubois is? Trading Beaubois now for something he can be later seems a little counter-productive to me, especially since this team has 40 wins without him making significant impacts on the game. We always want the Mavericks to be on the agressive and bring in some sort of savior, but for once, standing pat might be the best moves this years Maverick team can make.

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Programming Note: Vacation

For once in my life, I'm actually going to take time to celebrate myself for just a little bit. I won't bore you to tears with my past birthday failures or I why I don't get all worked up about the day I came out of my mother's womb, just letting you know that I will be in Austin all from tonight till Sunday, so unless Adam (the co-host/producer of our excellent/terrible podcast) wants to run the gamechat for tonight against Phoenix or maybe even for the All-Star weekend, you're all out of luck.

I'll still have my laptop with me, of course, to do my other job requirements and maybe I'll throw up a post between now and then, especially after last night's sweet, delicious and tasty game. Check me out on Twitter (link below) because I'm sure I'll have plenty of thoughts on the All-Star Saturday night. Also, I should be home in plenty of time for a special All-Star Gamechat so we can all bitch and moan and watch Dirk takes two shots.

Or maybe I'll be defecating on a parked car in the middle of downtown Austin. It's a toss up.

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Take Dat Wit Chew: The Rice of Passage Podcast Episode 3

How was your Valentine's Day? Mine was wonderful because this podcast was making sweet, sweet love to my ears all night. Here's a little bit of what you can expect to hear about this episode, with exclamation points:

Game Recaps!
Roddy B Talk!
Phillip Long!
Nash Trade Talk!
Mic Problems! (Who needs to hear Josh anyway?)
DeMarcus Cousins in a Blanket Fort!
Bob Ortegal Speculation!
Josh Being Unintentionally Racist! Twice!
My Roommate Showering!
Me Saying I Like the Skills Contest and then Immediately Bashing It!
This Video!

What Josh Means When He Says Peppering!

All this and much, much more. For free. Every comment restores a little bit of Josh's will to live!

Now safe for listening ears.



High? Listen to this version. It's more your speed.


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C'est bon de te revoir, Roddy B

Rodrigue Beaubois has become legend in a way among the DFW area. His name conjures up hope -- visions of a brighter future and the mystery of the unknown. He is normally spoke of as some savior, a hero of sorts, to bring justice to a town starved of any kind of championship. In a way, you can see he's the hero Dallas deserves AND the one it needs right now.

Because he brings something to Dallas that the team hasn't really had during its playoff runs. Sure, the Mavericks have had shooters (Dirk, Nash, Finley, Van Exel.) They've had slashers (Devin Harris, J.J. Barea...uh...Devin Harris.) But there has never been a real combination of the shooter, slasher and the athletic ability that Beaubois possesses. Harris came close, but his outside shot seems to have been left buried in the deep snow of Wisconsin. He never found it in Dallas and isn't finding it in New Jersey.

What even fascinates us more with Beaubois is the possibility. Teased by his raw talents in his rookie season, we've all had to wait five months before finally seeing how Roddy B could do with the spotlight squarely on him. The glimmers of hope last year from the games in Chicago where Beaubois stood toe-to-toe with Derrick Rose, the 40-point explosion in Oakland or the controversy and brilliance in San Antonio. All stories that are all legend-worthy.

When Beaubois steps back onto the court either Wednesday or Thursday night, what can we possibly expect? For one, the rust of not playing any sort of organized basketball for five months. Beaubois just recently became ready for full-contact practice and before that was doomed to the tedious task of rehabbing and shooting drills. Even though Beaubois has been exerting a lot of effort in working out (Chuck Cooperstein on the radio today even mentioned that Carlisle had him running up the steps of the lower bowl in the Toyota Center in Houston for about half-an-hour) we should temper immediate expectations. If you care to argue, see Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic. Granted, Beaubois has age on his side, but considering the differences in layoffs, I would expect almost the same, if not more, rust.

Once the dust has been kicked off the tires, the possibilites, offensively, could be extraordinary. In only a little over 12 minutes a game last season, Beaubois shot an astonishing 51.8 percent overall, 40.9 percent from three and scored 7.1 points per game. Take that to per 36 minutes? It's a Dallas Maverick fan's wet dream -- 20.4 points per game, four rebounds, 3.8 assists. While it would be weary to expect those sorts of minutes, the production per minute, is realistic. Beaubois, as a pure scorer mind you, is almost perfect. His only knock being his height (which he more than makes up for in athleticism) and perhaps his usage rate (24.7 percent last year, a fairly high number) but the usage won't matter if Beaubois keeps pouring in the points in an efficient manner. Beaubois is the total package: A deadly three-point shot with a quick release, an explosive first-step, a variety of maneuvers and release points once inside the paint and pure, unadulterated speed. Beaubois took over 50 percent of his shots last year from two places: at the rim and beyond the arc. He is the definition of an efficient scorer. One can only hope that the broken foot did not damper what is Beaubois' most glaring attribute -- his speed.

There are of course other questions and flaws with Beaubois that hopefully people can temper when salivating at their overall expectations in the coming days. He still can't run an offense, with high turnover numbers when being the primary point. While having the physical gifts defensively, Beaubois was overmatched in any pick and roll or help scenarios defensively at times last year. He also falls in love with the three-point shot a bit much, not hesitant to fire a step back jumper well behind the arc early in the shot clock. And it will be interesting to see what Beaubois will do with video crews and coaching staffs honing in on him more than ever before. Maybe they'll finally figure out how to stop this:



The next big question comes down to minutes. With the spectacular play of J.J. Barea and the steady play of Jason Terry, who gets the axe? Most likely it will be DeShawn Stevenson who is 3 for his last 15 three-pointers and hasn't hit the 20 minute plateau since Feb. 5. Barea is, dare I say, indispensable due to his ability to control the offense off the bench and with his heightened play. Terry has the skins on the wall. Marion is the team's best perimeter defender. Peja looked fantastic against Houston. Stevenson is the odd man out, it seems to look like. Expect him to start games and third quarters, but not much after that.

The time has finally come. Beaubois will emerge from the night to bring forth possible salvation for a Maverick's team looking for an elusive championship. As Zach Lowe mentions, despite the splendid play of Tyson Chandler, the Mavericks are again a middle of the pack team both defensively and offensively. They are in essence, the same team that flamed out against the Spurs, at least statistically. Beaubois, however, is different. He represents change, something new. I believe in Roddy B.

(Just for fun, here's Beaubois' scintillating performance against Golden State last year. So, so good.)

(All stats courtesy of Basketball Reference and HoopData. Check them out, ya dig?)

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