Well, as Hoffman and I have both been teasing a blog regarding Avery Johnson, I figured I would bite the bullet as it were and go ahead with my thoughts on Dallas' biggest weakness.
Go back to the days when Don Nelson was in charge of the Mavs and you had a team that would run you out of the gym but let you keep up with them scoring wise. They were exciting, powerful, and frenetic, but as with all Nelson coached teams they were a regular season team, not a playoff team, and so they sputtered.
Enter Avery Johnson, who was groomed for the position almost from the moment he was hired. Once he assumed the head coaching duties his first step was to convert the Mavs from a shoot the lights out team into a defensive team that could shoot. The results were a wonderful run in the playoffs that year that culminated in a hotly contested series with his old team, the Spurs, which Dallas won, albeit barely.
Then in the finals they got hammered by the Dwayne Wade show, and the Mavs have never recovered. They played last year as if the regular season and playoffs were just a formality, the NBA title was already on their mantle, then they ran into Golden State's buzzsaw and found out just how good they were NOT.
This year they are up, down, in, out, all over the place, unable to put together any real momentum despite their strong record. They beat the teams they should beat (90% of the NBA), and lost to those they should lose to (the best of the rest), and have a record that will look good on paper but only if that paper is tissue.
So what's wrong here? Why are the Mavs such a mess after Avery's first magical season?
From my perspective it seems like Avery is in a constant struggle to truly find who HE is as a coach, and this is affecting him and his team. When he first took over the team, he was almost cocky, which for him is almost unheard of (I loved his attitude as a player). Here's a guy who went undrafted as a player, found a niche with the Spurs that netted him a championship ring and the respect of David Robinson and Greg Popovitch, and next he is given the reigns of the Mavericks by a boss who happens to be a billionaire! Who could blame him for feeling a little cocky?
Avery tries various management techniques (player councils, on floor coaches, individual responsibilities, etc) but always has to take them back and assume the full reigns himself. Its almost like he wants to be a hands off manager but can't bring himself to really do it.
So where did this all begin? I believe it started at the end of the NBA Finals when they lost to Shaq and the Heat. I remember watching that series, I was rooting for either team, so I was happy, but what amazed me was that after putting in dazzling plays and going for broke during the Western Conference series against the Spurs Avery suddenly went into conservative mode, doubling up on Shaq to the point of absurdity when it was clear that Wade was the real threat. For some reason he didn't let his players PLAY, he micromanaged that NBA finals series to death and lost as a result of his lack of confidence in the very coaching skills that got him to that point!
Then came the year after, and I remember watching Mavs games and shaking my head in sadness. I actually won money (I rarely if ever gamble on basketball but this time I was really sure of my instincts) when the Mavs finished with the best record in the league but lost in the first round. Teams reflect their coach's attitudes, and IMO the problem with the Mavs last year was that Avery Johnson was so embarassed that he got beat by the Heat in the finals the previous year that every team in the league would have to pay for that embarassment by getting pounded into the ground.
As a parallel to what I am talking about I would like to compare the Mavs of last year to the Patriots of this year in the NFL. Both teams came in to the season after an embarassing loss where they were the overwhelming favorite (Mavs lost to the Heat, Patriots had lost to the Colts in the conference finals the year before). Both teams reflected their coach's attitude that the league's other teams will pay for their embarassment by pounding into submission every team they play against the following year (The Mavs last year were accused of running up the scores in their games just like the Patriots were this past year in the NFL). And then came time for the playoffs, and the Pats and Mavs were both beaten by a combination of their coach's attitude and a team who was quite literally gunning for them, and as a result the embarassment is even worse than before.
This year Avery is coaching like he feels he has to shake things up, make changes, excite his players, when all he REALLY has to do is sit back and let the machine he helped build run itself! The Mavs are still playing like they have that "deer in the headlights" look in their eyes and it exactly matches the look in AJ's eyes. It's like he has forgotten what he needs to do and needs to be for this team to succeed.
Avery lost his swagger in the NBA Finals two years ago, the probem is he does not realize it and so cannot get it back, and the Mavs will continue to have their problems as a result.
Jason Kidd is not the answer for this problem. Anytime you trade half your team for a superstar only to sit said superstar on the bench during crunch time against the team you will most likely have to go through to win a title is nothing short of ludicrous. Mark Cuban must have been thinking "Wait a sec, Im paying Keith Van Horn $4 million to sit on a bench in New Jersey just so that Jason Kidd can sit on a bench too?"
Any team as loaded with talent as the Mavs are will post a solid regular season record and make the playoffs, their record is NO indication of the lurking problems that are soon to be exploited BIGtime by the Popovitch's, Sloan's and Jackson's of the coaching world. They have figured it out too, make Avery afraid, and you make the Mavs afraid as well, and then you can tear them apart.
I hate to say this, but the best thing that the Mavs could have done to win a title THIS year would have been to keep their team and change their coach (Rick Carlisle anyone?) The initial success of his first full year as coach has proven hard to duplicate for Avery, and I do not sense Cuban is the kind of owner to put all kinds of pressure on his employees, so Avery I think is doing this to himself, and the end result is a team that plays as uncertain and as fearful of what's around the next bend in the road as their coach seems to be.
It will be entertaining at least, because the Mavs are a solid offensive team with sparks of great defense, but at the end of the day AJ's personal flaws, reflected on his team, will be the tiny crack that the experienced NBA coaches he will face in the playoffs will be only to happy to bust big and wide when the time comes.
It's truly a pity for one of the most respected, but internally uncertain, coaches in the NBA.
REALLY good read. Great insight. Are you a psychologist in your non-sportsblog life?
Avery is obviously pressing, he is such a perfectionist, and his team is working to change their soft image with a new, more physical style of play. This season and in the last few weeks especially, they are playing much harder, unfortunately Dirk appears to have taken it too far with the hard foul on AK resulting in the suspension in the critical Rockets game.
Kidd may turn out to be the answer for the Mavs in general, we all saw in the Lakers game what he is capable of, but as you said he can't solve the coach's problems.
Looks like another disappointing playoff run ahead.
Hope they prove me wrong!
Last edited by nba is the worst on March 6th at 6:16 AM.
I think you nailed the problem. I agree that Avery has not found his identity as a coach. He obviously wants to use the mold his team on the Spurs' model, with defense the first priority.
But the team he took over was not built that way, And instead of just biting the bullet and saying this is what we are going to do, it seemed he tried to ease his way into it, keeping the successful parts of the old and patching on the new. It worked in so far as the Mavs won a lot of games. But it did not work when the patches came loose under the pressure of the playoffs.
And he does seem hesitant in his control as a coach. There was never that feeling from Pop. Maybe it was his military background, but he was in charge from day one. No one questions his authority, not the players, not the owners, and certainly not himself. And they didn't even before he won championships. Pop was in charge and everyone knew it.
With Pop, it is do it my way or take a hike. Avery does not seem to exude that toughness. He is still the nice guy who wants everyone to like him. That seems strange considering that his was the voice of toughness when he was on the Spurs. He was the one who could get in David's face and challenge him to play better. But that was not really a risk, because David was literally his best friend and he had his and Pop's respect.
I don't think Avery is going to reach his potential as a coach until he decides two things.
1. What kind of team does he want. Is it going to be a grind it out defensive minded team or a wide open run and gun offensive minded team. You can't have both. Your team has to have an idenity. Doesn't mean you can't run either as the circumstances demand, but you have to be one or the other at heart.
2. How does he maintain control? From the day Pop took over the Spurs, no one questioned who was in control, not the players, not the owners, and certainly not himself. Maybe that was his military background, but it has worked for him. Do it his way or take a hike.
It seems that Avery wants to have that kind of control, but is it his personality? Avery is a people person. He challenges, he conjoles, he pushes. But he has to find a way, his way to be in control, a way to make the players, the owners, even the fans buy into his way of doing things.
Is it too late to do that in Dallas. Perhaps. I hope not. Avery was one of my favorite players, I wish him well.
That's a very interesting perspective. I wonder what it says for the quality of coaches in the league overall, or at least as compared to the NFL, college football or college basketball.
What will be interesting to see is how Detroit and Boston respond with their coaches who have also been traditionally criticized.
Nice analysis, Dal. I love reading blogs where I feel like I'm smarter at the end of it than I was at the beginning.
nba is the worst --- The knock on Dirk last year was that he didn't deserve the MVP because he vanished in critical situation and played soft. Dirk seems to be bent on erasing those two notions and is probably over reacting with the hard (dirty) fouls. He had one I thought was flagrant against the Lakers too.
Spurcse --- Every so often on NBATV they show a team's practice. I realize that coaches and players alike know there are cameras in the room and that probably changes behavior, but compared to the New Jersey Nets, the Denver Nuggets (and others?) who I've seen practice on TV, I found Popovich to be far from military in his approach. In fact, I've changed my own coaching style a bit from watching him. He asks a LOT of questions and has the players think through things on their own with him guiding. Pop also jokes and teases with his guys a bit and come off as a real "players' coach."
Avery, on the other hand, from when they mic him and from his all star game coaching practices (where they've mic'd him), he seemed bossy to me.
But I agree with you in that Avery Johnson has not found his identity as a coach yet.
Appreciate the comments! And no LOL, Im not a shrink, actually Im a technogeek :)
I agree with you in that Avery is pressing, but I think that is the overall problem. He is nervous, and his team is playing nervous as a result. The AJ of 2 seasons ago (Pre NBA Finals), would have had the confidence and swagger to say to his team "We're going to WIN", whereas this AJ says to his team "We can only win if..."
The team cannot find a new identity if their coach doesn't yet have one, and that's part of the reason for their erratic play this year. They should have won those recent games again the Spurs and Lakers, but there was no spark or fire in the team or the coach, and so they lost.
I hope I am wrong as well, I just don't see it this time.
Spurscse, thanks for dropping by!! Great response and comparison to Pops!
AJ at heart is always the guy who is tough minded on the court, but when the lights go down wants everyone to like him as well as respect him. Truly successful coaches in ANY league will say they will demand the respect from their players, and take the liking only when it presents itself, as liking is not a requirement to success. This is something Avery needs to accept.
He had probably the best work ethic the Spurs had ever seen when he was their Point Guard, and it inspired his teammates. As coach, he has to inspire by his confidence, understanding of his players, and willingness to adapt his game to their skills. Ever since the NBA Finals 2 years ago he has stopp doing two of these three things on a consistant basis.
Doc Rivers is, in my opinion, 2nd only to Byron Scott in making the successful transition from player to coach (Scott Skiles being a close 3rd). These 3 players all understood that you cannot win with players who like you but you can win with players that respect you.
It's a pity in many ways, the Mavs have all the tools to win the title, but they lack the passion and focus to put together all the little pieces they lack to win it all.
Its like I mentioned with the Celtics, who have to be ready to play through pain to win the title this year, the Mavs have not had that identity, they play like they areout for a casual stroll with a little umbrella out to keep them from getting too much sun. The Mavs (and most importantly AJ) have to be ready to get Dirty in their attitudes, not their play, to win the title.
Hey Tom - long time no speak! Good to run into you again!
Yeah, Dirk's clearly trying to overcompensate in all the wrong ways for his perceived weaknesses. Dirk's game is the finesse game, a 7 footer who can play almost like a point guard in many ways, but Avery seems determined to make him a hard nosed Karl Malone type of player, and he just is not built for that.
The man is a pro, and is doing what's asked of him but it's clear his heart is not in it when he's required to try slamming some balls into the paint instead of taking his beloved outside jumpers that spread out the defenses his teammates face.
Pop's biggest asset as a coach is that he gives his players NO answers, he makes them find the answers themselves, and thus his players take the solutions to heart having figured it out on their own (with help of course). Avery seems to be the type who does not give his players the answer THEY need, he gives them the answer HE needs, and and as a result they question and remain uncertain. It's a key difference between a manager and a coach. Avery is a manager, Pops is a coach.
Pity is, in his first full season after taking over for Nelson, AJ WAS a coach!
Cboy4ever, pleased to meetcha!! Thanks for stopping by.
Is there hope for the Mavs? Actually there is, but one of two things must happen.
(1) Avery Johnson must change. in the NBA film is life, you study film on the opposition, their sets, their tendencies, everything. Avery should pull out the film of his practices and games from his first full season as the Mav's head coach and study that man and his tendencies, and adapt himself to be that man again. That Avery Johnson was a coach who took risks, inspired his players, and was not afraid to rattle the cages of ANYONE, be it his players or even his beloved mentor Popovitch. That was an Avery Johnson that could win a title because he was confident and honest with himself and his players.
(2) Remember this is still his first head coaching job, so move him down a level to assistant coach, and bring someone a'la Rick Carlisle or even Larry Brown who can arrive with a fresh perspective, a respect for his players skils and styles, and most importantly has their own identity they can imprint on the team. Johnson has all the skills to be a fabulous coach, but he has to conquer his own demons to do it, and maybe a couple more years of seasoning under another successful NBA coach would be the final lessons he needs to learn.
As things stand right now, Mavsare a first or 2nd round exit waiting to happen depending on who they play. They get the Lakers, Spurs or Jazz and it's over and done. the other teams its 50/50.
We've been discussing this for awhile. I agree with many of your points.
Avery is a great motivator. Players enjoy playing for him. But he's a terrible X's and O's and in game adjustments guy.
The first mistake he made was paying so much attention to Shaquille in the 2006 NBA Finals. That decision cost the Mavs the NBA championship. Van Gundy and Marc Jackson alluded to that fact this past Sunday when Kobe was killing the Mavs in the 4th quarter and overtime. Van Gundy said something to the effect that most coaches would send a double team at Kobe as soon as he touched the ball. Avery didn't do that last Sunday and he definitely didn't do it in the NBA Finals vs. Wade.
He made a TERRIBLE decision in choosing to shake up his starting lineup and attempt to play small ball before Dallas' first round series against the Warrios last year. By making that move, he hurt his team's confidence and gave Golden State more confidence.
The Mavs remind me of the Detroit Pistons. They're a great team but they're prone to letting one player beat them. I think it starts at the shooting guard position. RIP and Jason Terry are poor defenders. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have walked all over the Pistons the past two seasons. Kobe scored 62 in 3 quarters vs. Dallas, Dwayne Wade destroyed them in the NBA Finals, Baron Davis did the same thing in the first round last year.
I think this trend will continue for both teams. They can match up well with good teams with balanced scoring but if the opposition has a dynamite guard who assumes nearly all of the scoring responsibilities...it's over.
I am a big basketball fan, tho I admit I prefer the NBA to college, mainly because the NCAA has even more stupid rules than the NBA does. I enjoy other sports as well, tho I do admit I prefer the playoffs than the regular season for most sports other than the NBA.
My favorite teams in the NBA ?
1. Phoenix Suns
2. Dallas Mavericks
3. Chicago Bulls
4. Indiana Pacers
5. Los Angeles Lakers (Tho I can't STAND Kobe)
