04-11-2006, 02:27 AM
|
#1 (permalink)
|
|
Player
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 819
|
Griffin the odd man out?
Quote:
Mavs' Griffin may be odd man out
Guard's return from injury no guarantee he'll be a starter again
12:52 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 11, 2006
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
LOS ANGELES – The Mavericks played some of their best basketball of the season when Adrian Griffin was a starter.
That doesn't mean his job is waiting for him now that he's back.
Jerry Stackhouse was expected to start his ninth consecutive game Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Stackhouse stepped into the starting lineup two weeks after Griffin went down with a strained right hamstring and appears to hold the spot heading into the playoffs.
"I think we're just going to see how it goes," coach Avery Johnson said before Monday's game. "It all depends who we play and what situation we're in.
"Right now, what we have going is working out pretty good for us, especially when we have a healthy Josh Howard. We'll continue to see where we go, whether Grif [Griffin] is the guy or Devin [Harris] is the guy or Stack.
"He's been playing pretty good."
Griffin wasn't on the team at the start of the season. He was signed Nov. 28 to add depth and to give Johnson a defensive option, someone to turn to when opposing perimeter players got hot. A rash of injuries thrust him into the starting lineup, the team started to click, and Johnson didn't want to disrupt the chemistry.
But Griffin has been out for a month, and the chemistry has changed. One of Johnson's strengths in his first full season as coach has been adapting to the circumstances of the moment.
"We kind of evolved into this," Johnson said of the starting five that took the floor Monday. "We didn't plan on DeSagana Diop starting for us this year. We didn't plan on Grif starting for us this year. We didn't plan on Devin starting a few games for us."
And Griffin can't plan on starting again this season. He might, but there is no assurance he will.
"I've been through this before," Griffin said. "They were winning before I got here, and they're going to keep winning. We have a great system.
"Our main focus is just to get ready for the playoffs. You never know what is going to happen. Everyone just has to stay ready."
Easing back in: Griffin was in uniform for Monday's game. Johnson said he hoped to use Griffin a few minutes against the Clippers and build from there.
"I'm just glad to be back on the court," said Griffin, who hasn't played since March 11. "It's been a month. It seems like three months.
"I know he [Johnson] probably won't try to push it tonight. We don't want to jeopardize it. He will just gradually work me back in."
|
Adrian Griffin played tonight, only 3 minutes thought. How'd he look?
|
|
|
Griffin the odd man out?
Linear Mode
