Updated: May 29, 2006, 11:08 AM ET
Scouting report: Mavericks vs. Suns Game 4
By John Carroll
Scouts Inc.
Low turnovers! Each game in this series, the Mavs have lowered their turnovers. In Game 3 they were sharp mentally and only had 6 turnovers. In fact, they did not have a turnover in the last 17 minutes of the game. This is playoff execution and why the Mavs find themselves up 2-1.
The Mavs offensively do two things that have been extremely effective in this series:
• 1. They run the middle pick-and-roll with Dirk Nowitzki and the point guard. The Suns switch this pick-and-roll and then the Mavs have Dirk being guarded by Steve Nash or some other small guard. They get the ball back to Dirk at the elbow and they have a total mismatch so he can back in and shoot over the guard.
• 2. They run Jason Terry off single and double screens and let him use his speed and quickness to free himself. This really taxes the Suns because the defenders guarding the screeners do not really help Terry's man with shows and bumps and the Mavs are always getting good looks.
Offensive rebounding is a sign of energy and will. The Mavs are imposing their will on the glass and it is paying dividends. In Game 3 they had 19 offensive rebounds coming from 6 different guys. They have height advantages at several positions and in a half-court game where they are getting quality shots, they have been able to pound the glass without compromising their transition defense.
Dallas Defense: Transition Defense! This is by far the biggest reason the Mavs are up 2-1 in this series. They allowed 32 points in Game 1 and they have solved their biggest dilemma. They were so good in this phase of defense that they only allowed the Suns four fast-break points in Game 3 and none in the second half. Avery Johnson and his staff have made offensive and defensive tempo such a big emphasis that his team is adhering to his instructions: Run back and dig in vs. Phoenix or lose.
The Mavs have adjusted to the Suns' style better than the Suns have to theirs. The Mavs are just the better half-court defensive team. Their defensive team principles are just better than the Suns. Both teams are in a scramble mode and the energy and hustle of the Mavs have showed up big in this series. Mavs earned this 2-1 lead by doing all the little things: loose balls, long rebounds, deflections, steals, etc. In order to beat the Suns at their game it is imperative to win the hustle game and the Mavs have so far.
Avery Johnson was a genius with his insertion of Devin Harris in the Spurs series. His use of DeSagana Diop in this series has been extremely effective. He used Diop in the second half of Game 3 and he was the X factor. Diop's presence disrupted the Suns offense. He did not allow easy drives to the basket. He has a tough assignment because of the distorted size on the court. There is no true center to guard. But Diop moves his feet and sprints back on defense and was instrumental in the Mavs winning Game 3.
The Suns need to get the game into a frenetic pace. They need to bring high energy to Game 4. For 48 minutes they must create a track-meet pace and attempt to lure the Mavs into the trap. They need to defend at a much higher lever to create turnovers and steals that can get them in an uptempo game.
In their offensive flow the Suns need to play five-on-five rather than one-on-one. They did not move the ball and share it as they usually do. You could see they were in trouble in Game 3 in the first quarter. They had one assist, no 3-pointers and no fast-break points. They must force their will on the Mavs and make the game as close to a playground game as possible in Game 4.
In addition the Suns must not have mental lapses. Their assist to turnover ratio in Game 3 was pitiful. Because of their lack of depth and size they cannot afford poor stretches in games where they do not play smart and make the extra pass.
Suns Defense: No stops, no deflections, no loose balls, no long rebounds, no steals. The Suns got beat in every hustle and defensive phase of the game. It was as simple as that. They let the visiting team come into their building and just outwork them.
Zero steals is an eye opener. This is a team that feeds off of switching, gambling, quick hands and forcing mistakes. The Suns have not had a game in the last 99 games where they had no steals.
The Suns miss Raja Bell. They can say all they want, and not make excuses, but they miss him desperately. They are 1-5 this year without Bell during the regular season and playoffs and they miss his toughness and attitude. They can only hope he returns before this series is over.
Phoenix switched the matchups in Game 3 and it was effective in the first half. They moved Shawn Marion over to guard Josh Howard and put Tim Thomas onto Dirk. This switch proved effective because in Game 2 Howard and Nowitzki combined for 22-40 field goals and in the first half of Game 3 the Suns were able to limit them to only 6-20 field goals. Look for the Suns to start Game 4 in this way.
Pick: The Suns played about as bad as they could in Game 3 and it was still close. Look for them to regroup and play their best game of the series. They are desperate and desperate teams are dangerous. Suns win to even the series at 2-2.
Scouting report: Mavericks vs. Suns Game 4
By John Carroll
Scouts Inc.
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Mavs Offense: The biggest key to the Dallas offense is that they have been able to find the correct pace for them to win. They rebound, look up and run selectively when they have an advantage on the break. If they do not have numbers they slow it down and get into half-court sets. Occasionally when they run and take quick shots Avery Johnson will bang a timeout, refocus his team and get them back on track. Low turnovers! Each game in this series, the Mavs have lowered their turnovers. In Game 3 they were sharp mentally and only had 6 turnovers. In fact, they did not have a turnover in the last 17 minutes of the game. This is playoff execution and why the Mavs find themselves up 2-1.
The Mavs offensively do two things that have been extremely effective in this series:
• 1. They run the middle pick-and-roll with Dirk Nowitzki and the point guard. The Suns switch this pick-and-roll and then the Mavs have Dirk being guarded by Steve Nash or some other small guard. They get the ball back to Dirk at the elbow and they have a total mismatch so he can back in and shoot over the guard.
• 2. They run Jason Terry off single and double screens and let him use his speed and quickness to free himself. This really taxes the Suns because the defenders guarding the screeners do not really help Terry's man with shows and bumps and the Mavs are always getting good looks.
Offensive rebounding is a sign of energy and will. The Mavs are imposing their will on the glass and it is paying dividends. In Game 3 they had 19 offensive rebounds coming from 6 different guys. They have height advantages at several positions and in a half-court game where they are getting quality shots, they have been able to pound the glass without compromising their transition defense.
Dallas Defense: Transition Defense! This is by far the biggest reason the Mavs are up 2-1 in this series. They allowed 32 points in Game 1 and they have solved their biggest dilemma. They were so good in this phase of defense that they only allowed the Suns four fast-break points in Game 3 and none in the second half. Avery Johnson and his staff have made offensive and defensive tempo such a big emphasis that his team is adhering to his instructions: Run back and dig in vs. Phoenix or lose.
The Mavs have adjusted to the Suns' style better than the Suns have to theirs. The Mavs are just the better half-court defensive team. Their defensive team principles are just better than the Suns. Both teams are in a scramble mode and the energy and hustle of the Mavs have showed up big in this series. Mavs earned this 2-1 lead by doing all the little things: loose balls, long rebounds, deflections, steals, etc. In order to beat the Suns at their game it is imperative to win the hustle game and the Mavs have so far.
Avery Johnson was a genius with his insertion of Devin Harris in the Spurs series. His use of DeSagana Diop in this series has been extremely effective. He used Diop in the second half of Game 3 and he was the X factor. Diop's presence disrupted the Suns offense. He did not allow easy drives to the basket. He has a tough assignment because of the distorted size on the court. There is no true center to guard. But Diop moves his feet and sprints back on defense and was instrumental in the Mavs winning Game 3.
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Suns Offense: The Suns have not been able to force a pace or tempo that favors them in the last two games. They cannot win this series scoring 88 points and having only four fast break points. They came to a grinding halt in the second half of Game 3 scoring only 36 points. They need to correct this quickly because if they cannot get the game up into the 105-115 point total they will lose. They are not a good enough half-court offensive or defensive team to win this way. The Suns need to get the game into a frenetic pace. They need to bring high energy to Game 4. For 48 minutes they must create a track-meet pace and attempt to lure the Mavs into the trap. They need to defend at a much higher lever to create turnovers and steals that can get them in an uptempo game.
In their offensive flow the Suns need to play five-on-five rather than one-on-one. They did not move the ball and share it as they usually do. You could see they were in trouble in Game 3 in the first quarter. They had one assist, no 3-pointers and no fast-break points. They must force their will on the Mavs and make the game as close to a playground game as possible in Game 4.
In addition the Suns must not have mental lapses. Their assist to turnover ratio in Game 3 was pitiful. Because of their lack of depth and size they cannot afford poor stretches in games where they do not play smart and make the extra pass.
Suns Defense: No stops, no deflections, no loose balls, no long rebounds, no steals. The Suns got beat in every hustle and defensive phase of the game. It was as simple as that. They let the visiting team come into their building and just outwork them.
Zero steals is an eye opener. This is a team that feeds off of switching, gambling, quick hands and forcing mistakes. The Suns have not had a game in the last 99 games where they had no steals.
The Suns miss Raja Bell. They can say all they want, and not make excuses, but they miss him desperately. They are 1-5 this year without Bell during the regular season and playoffs and they miss his toughness and attitude. They can only hope he returns before this series is over.
Phoenix switched the matchups in Game 3 and it was effective in the first half. They moved Shawn Marion over to guard Josh Howard and put Tim Thomas onto Dirk. This switch proved effective because in Game 2 Howard and Nowitzki combined for 22-40 field goals and in the first half of Game 3 the Suns were able to limit them to only 6-20 field goals. Look for the Suns to start Game 4 in this way.
Pick: The Suns played about as bad as they could in Game 3 and it was still close. Look for them to regroup and play their best game of the series. They are desperate and desperate teams are dangerous. Suns win to even the series at 2-2.
