xray

Seems like a no brainer - no doubt this was a license deal (read:money) that usually makes little sense.

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Saint Baller

The way the players are complaining is kind of pathetic. Get over it guys, all it is is a new ball. Ask kids around the world, most play with a different ball every day. Just get used it.

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t1no

But most kids do not get paid playing basketball and do not get rings after winning a championship.

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DALLAS MAVERICKS

xray

And this shouldn't be confused with playground basketball.

The revenues - and the careers of thousands of "little people" who work in the sports and entertainment industry - are dependent upon the product on the court. If the sport suffers because of an equipment flaw...

...well, it is pretty inexcusable. Imagine FG percentages falling 10%, and the casual fan's interest falling by greater margins. That would get the owners' attention - and finally Mr. Stern would wake up to reality.

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Saint Baller

Still, would you be complaining if you made their cash?

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t1no

Yes, i want to win basketball games and if the balls are going to hurt my game then yes i want new balls.

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DALLAS MAVERICKS

Saint Baller

Sorry, the way you said it was funny.

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VeN

lmao

t1no

Yea i just noticed, what can i say.. i am a funny guy.

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DALLAS MAVERICKS

xray

Mavs centers thinking big

Dampier wants to start; Johnson wants more production

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

DENTON – A popular theory in the NBA is that true centers are virtually extinct. Teams are going with quicker, smaller centers as opposed to traditional, back-to-the-basket, low-post players.

If that opinion is indeed widely acknowledged, allow Erick Dampier to retort.

"You tell me how many teams were in the Finals that didn't have a true center," Dampier says. "I don't know of many teams that have won a world championship that don't have a true center."

He's right. Miami had Shaquille O'Neal last season, as did the Los Angeles Lakers when they won three titles earlier this decade. Detroit has Ben Wallace, who plays like a true center, even if he's somewhat undersized.

San Antonio? You can argue whether Tim Duncan is a true center or not, but David Robinson was, and he was there for two of the Spurs' three titles.

Which brings us to the Mavericks, who are stocked full of traditional centers with Dampier and DeSagana Diop.

As training camp at North Texas winds down today, Diop remains the starter, just as he was for the second half of last season. But Dampier would like to dispel the notion that he's OK with his spot on the bench.

Dampier's body language on the court is always hard to gauge. His facial expressions change about as often as the ones on Mt. Rushmore. But as he starts his third season in Dallas, he wants it known that he's not stoic on the inside. He cares more than he lets on.

"I'm not going to say it doesn't matter because it does matter," Dampier says of his absence from the starting lineup. "I've been a starter since I've been in this league. If it's up for grabs, everybody's got a shot at it. May the best man win."

That's as far as the 6-11 Dampier will go in terms of throwing down the gauntlet. He's not wired to be emotionally charged. He's not going to demand a starting job.

Some would say that's part of the problem with Dampier. His passivity can be misread as a lack of passion.

Meanwhile, Diop is coming off a remarkable summer in which he and coach Avery Johnson spent a couple of weeks in West Africa, including a stay in Diop's home country of Senegal.

It was a rejuvenating trip, and Diop is ready to compete for a bigger chunk of the playing time in the paint. Johnson has said that Dampier was the star of the off-season workout programs. But that won't automatically translate into Dampier retaking the starting job.

"I would venture to say four spots are spoken for, unless somebody gets beat out," Johnson said. "We don't need to play games with our guys. We got to the Finals with four guys who started and guys like Damp and [Jerry] Stackhouse who were major contributors off the bench."

But no matter who starts and comes off the bench, Johnson wants more from his centers in at least one area – offense.

"I need more than I got last year from them," Johnson said. "We can't allow teams to play us four on five. We can't allow five men to zone us. And that's my fault. We got to look for them more. So it's a combination of us looking for them more and them making quality moves."

link

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xray

Thursday in Mavericks camp

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Full-court press: D.J. Mbenga

A daily look at life on and off the court for the Mavericks

This summer, D.J. Mbenga spent some time in Houston, along with DeSagana Diop, working out with Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the best centers in NBA history:

Who or what gave you the idea to get together with Olajuwon?

Gallo (Amadou Gallo Fall, Mavs director of international affairs) hooked us up with Hakeem. He asked him if he'd work with us some and give us some tips. It was a great learning experience. Hakeem looks and plays like he could still play in the league.

What was it like learning from him?

He's the greatest. He is older now, but he still has those smooth moves just like when he was in his prime. They had it right all those years about him. He's like a dream.

What areas did you concentrate on most when you worked with him?

A lot of footwork. We worked on getting in the right position, then using the right moves, quick moves, to get where you want to go. And then we worked on vision, seeing the court and being able to make the right pass. He's unbelievable at how he can see things. And, of course, his footwork is incredible.

Can you see a difference in your game because of it?

Well, it's too early to tell.

Stars of the day

It had to be newcomers Anthony Johnson and Devean George. Both have picked up plays and terminology – not to mention the intensity – in a hurry. Johnson was praised for his floor-general leadership by assistant coach Del Harris. "He's directing traffic and really showing the initiative, especially considering he's only been through a handful of practices," Harris said. George has begun showing the mettle that comes with multiple championship rings that he won with the Lakers. His defense has made him a star during drills and scrimmages.

Briefly ...

Don't expect Josh Howard's contract to be settled before the Oct. 31 deadline. More likely, he will go through this season, then become a restricted free agent next summer. The Mavericks still have every intention of wrapping him up with a long-term deal. It just isn't likely to happen until next summer. ... Elsewhere on the contract front, the team option on the fourth year of Devin Harris' contract has been exercised, president Donnie Nelson said. Harris is one year behind Howard on his rookie contract. ...

Coach Avery Johnson called off Thursday night's practice, saying that the players needed to get their legs back underneath them. Instead of the workout, the Mavs had a team dinner at a Fort Worth steakhouse. Johnson promised "a pretty tough day" today, ending with a scrimmage that will wrap up the team's time in Denton.

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StackAttack

I guess there's a lot of catching up to do, I'll do as much as I can now and I'll get the rest in a couple of hours, tons of interesting stuff.

Day 2

"Aaaaaaaaaalmost didn't go today. Kinda tired and thought today would just be a boring replay of yesterday's experience. Wrong. Glad I went - whole different vibe.

When I got there the gym doors were open and there were more security people than media people. Nobody stopped me so I just approached and stood in the gym entrance-way watching the Mavs scrimmage. After a few secs a very official-looking large man turned to me and scowled, wanted to know what I was doing there. I nodded at Sarah Melton and said that Cuban and Sarah invited me. Ha! THAT kinda changed the expression on his face a bit. I stood a bit longer until somebody politely informed me that the media really shouldn't be watching and they'll call me when they're done scrimmaging. So, I went out to the waiting area. No harm, no foul. All I really remember from the little bit of scrimmage I saw was Dirk botching an entry pass to Damp from the high post and shaking his head in frustration.

Same routine as yesterday when Melton came and got us a few mins later. We lined up against the end wall and watched FT practice for about 10/15 mins. There were waaaay fewer media people there. Lots less equipment - boom mics and cameras. I guess the TV people show up and get their stock footage the first day. It was basically the beat writers, a 1310 The Ticket guy, the UNT student press, Fish and me. Maybe a few other photogs and yahoos, too.

This time I made a point to note the shooting groups at the 6 goals ...

Dirk+, Josh, AJ+ - right in front of us
Croshere, DJ+, Pops
Damp+, George, Buck
Jet, Devin, Ager+
Ebi, Carroll, Washington+ - way in the distance
Diop, Barea

Stack was sitting against the wall with his knees iced reading the label of the energy drink he was sipping from. Stack was there yesterday, I just missed him. The UNT website got his photo - you should explore the stuff the UNT student press are putting up on the school website. The bill of my cap was in one of their photos. heh The players with the '+' signs listed above were in grey tops - just in case you wanna know how the teams were divided up in the scrimmage I was shooed away from earlier."



"Here's the obligatory Dirk photo - kinda gives a good idea of the size and set-up of the gym they're using. Dirk was VERY flat-footed while shooting these - not even lifting his heals. I think I only saw him miss one.

Avery eventually approached us for his media scrum. [I'm just gettin' started folks.]"

"Avery seemed to be much more relaxed and jovial. He was in a great mood. Said all the standard stuff about training camp, wouldn't really point to any stand-out performances. He was asked about Buck Showalter's firing - he empathized with guys like Buck and Dusty Baker - said he talked with Buck just a coupla weeks ago. Coach was just kinda giddy - maybe camp is going pretty well so far in his eyes. He said the players know they're a contender and are showing some anger and want-to. But he emphasized that you gotta get to the playoffs first so concentrate on the steps to get there. Eventually Avery broke it up and returned to his fellow coaches ..."



"That's Gar Heard, Sam Vincent, Del, Avery and Prunty [I think] behind Avery. Del soon afterward walked to a goal toward the right in this picture and gathered the bigs around him for some post-practice lecture. Dirk, Damp, DJ, Diop, Croshere and some others - Gar and Vincent were by Del's side. I wasn't about to get caught eaves-dropping but I got the feeling it had to do with switching and defensive recognition. I noted that Dirk was as involved and attentive as anyone there to Del's lecture. Very nice.

One of the goals I had in mind for today's experience was to try and get close to Josh Howard - try not to miss any interviews he held. You've probably noticed the lack of Josh mentions in my stuff so far. Dude just fades into the background. He immediately sits down and puts his headphones on every opportunity to rest. Just not one to go looking for attention. I sorta assumed that Josh would conduct a media scrum today ..."



"But this was about as much as I could get of him. That's a 1310 The Ticket guy with the mic, so if you hear some Josh sound-bytes today you know how they came about. I'll keep trying, guy eventually will get cornered and I'll try to be there.

Next, I get my hands on that new official NBA ball everybody is complaining about ..."

"After I clicked that Josh photo I noticed that Devin Harris was cornered by a couple of the UNT guys - I wandered over to listen. They were discussing his off-season shooting program that's being talked about. Harris is a fun guy - not cocky but enjoys attention, kids and jokes - pulls faces, smiles and rolls his eyes. "



"I asked him if his work was on the technical aspects of shooting - his form and such. He said no, it was more on recognition, knowing his sweet spots on court, repetition - stuff like that. Not really so much about the technical aspects. Sound's like Devin's aim was comfort and freedom - letting it flow in the offense. Knowing when to hold 'em and when to fling 'em. He was asked about the new ball - he didn't have many complaints about it - which reminded me to see if I could get a hold of one of them muthahs. We broke it up with Harris and I spotted a ball to my right against the wall and Sarah Melton right in front of me. So I very politely asked her if I could try out the new ball - "Go 'head on, daddy cat!" she purred.

The ball looks heavy - and I know that's a stupid thing to say. But it's very light in your hands - and I know that every regulation NBA ball weighs the same and that's a stupid thing to say, too. But it did. So there. It is very grippy in your hand and on the floor. Del's lecture was going on just about 25 feet away so I knew I shouldn't just stand there and dribble forever, but I did let loose anyway with a little Curly Neal action to see how das spheroid handles. I found that it creeps into the heel of my hand as I dribbled - the grippy action made the ball walk towards me unexpectedly with each bounce - away from my fingertips and down my hand. I can see how this thing might take some getting used to. I asked Equipment Manager Al Whitley about the ball and he said he gives it a one-year shelf-life - that was just his off-hand feeling - next year it will be different he thought, 'cause the players hate it. I also asked Whitley how much ice they go thru every day - the players get bag-fulls stuck all over them after practice - he figured it was HUNDREDS of pounds."



"Here's a pic of Pat Carroll and Stack - they were sitting over next to Josh after practice - just chillin'. Sounds like Avery is taking it easy on Stack's knees - not over-working them in training camp. I had wondered why I hadn't seen Ro Blackman around yet - well wonder no more 'cause Ro was there today. I haven't seen Cuban in Denton yet, he might come up for the Friday night public scrimmage I suppose - we'll see. FYI - the Friday morning shoot-around will not be in the Pohl rec center but over at the Super Pit. Autograph hounds take note. Sefko wrote that the team was not staying in Denton, so I asked Melton where the team hotel was ... but she wouldn't tell me [that minx] - but she did say it was only about 15 mins out of town. I'm guessing that they're not staying at the Krum RV park. heh

Next, we exit the building into the arms of our adoring fanz ..."

"The players go thru a short hallway as they exit the gym where the security and bldg staff get first shot at pics and autographs ..."



"Here's the easy-going Diop making some friends. [Tony Fisher, you're an Internet STAR!]
Then the players walk out into the sun and face this ..."



"Here's Devin, Damp and Jet entering the fray. Word got out on campus because there were lots more students there waiting in line today. Dirk's exact words upon seeing all the kids outside were, "Jesus Christ!? Good God!" He smiled wide and threw himself into the fray, though - a boisterous "MVP" chant greeting him. Which reminds me - Avery did mention in his media scrum earlier that he plans on visiting Dirk in Germany next off-season - thought some might find that interesting.

Well, guess that's it. Tomorrow should be fun again. See you then."

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"You can't do nothing to D-Wade," Rasheed Wallace said. "If you say 'boogety-boogety booh' to him, that's a foul."