Updated: May 31, 2006, 5:45 PM ET
Scouting Report: Mavericks vs. Suns
By John Carroll
Scouts Inc.
The Mavs need Dirk Nowitzki to come back in Game 5 with a high-level performance. Nowitzki helps settle Dallas into its half-court game. The Mavs know they can run middle pick-and-rolls or isolations for him and he can slow the pace of the game and get quality shots for them.
Dallas needs to push the ball and probe offensively, but if the Mavs cannot get a good shot in transition they have to get into their favorite offensive sets. They should get the ball to Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse with middle foul-line isolations, run middle pick-and-rolls with Nowitzki and Jason Terry and run Terry off multiple screening action.
When Leandro Barbosa and Steve Nash are in the game together, the Mavs recognize they have a mismatch when Barbosa is defending Stackhouse. Look for them to continue to attack Barbosa with "elbow drops" (post-ups of Stackhouse on the left box).
The Mavs must take care of the ball. Their turnovers in this series have a tremendous impact on the pace of the game. The Suns convert those turnovers into fast breaks and 3-point shots, and it has a compounding effect. In the Mavs' two wins, they have only averaged 6½ turnovers, while in their two losses they have averaged 15 turnovers. They must have fewer turnovers in Game 5 in order to get back on track.
Mavs Defense: The Mavs must be into Game 5 mentally and physically. They cannot afford to have a lack of effort or energy as they did in Game 4 and think they can beat the Suns. When you bring a half-hearted effort versus the Suns, you lose. The Mavs need to do the following things defensively to win Game 5:
1. Transition Defense: Send two bigs to the glass and sprint everyone else back. Must be a high level of communication in transition. Stop the ball and find all the 3-point shooters.
2. Be active defensively, similar to how they played in Game 3. Get to the loose balls, box out and track down the long rebounds, and play with the defensive mind-set that put you up 2-1 in this series.
3. Be sharp in their pick-and-roll schemes. If they continue to switch they must bring support to clog up the middle so the Suns cannot take advantage of the mismatches so easily.
4. Utilize DeSagana Diop to clog the middle and not allow easy drives to the rim.
5. Must be able to play scramble basketball. When you play the Suns you must be able to move, rotate and talk at a very high level, otherwise you will not only get beat, but embarrassed.
Raja Bell had a major impact on the Suns' ability to win Game 4. The biggest effect was how his insertion into the starting lineup helped the Suns' bench. Bell's 31 minutes allowed Mike D'Antoni a lot of flexibility in utilizing his bench. It had the most dramatic effect on Barbosa, who had his best game of the series. This was the first game in which the Suns were able to counter the depth of the Mavericks' bench. If Bell is able to play in Game 5, it will give the Suns a much better chance of winning on the road.
Suns Defense: Phoenix is not a strong defensive team, but when they bring a high energy level to the defensive end of the floor they can cause opponents problems. In Game 4 they were tremendously active and got to the loose balls and rebounds they did not get to in Game 3. Bell took three charges and Shawn Marion blocked three shots and had three steals. If Phoenix can get this type of defensive attitude throughout the rest of this series, they have a chance to knock off Dallas.
The Suns were trapping the middle pick-and-rolls of the Mavs rather than switching on them. This forced the ball out of the dribblers' hands and put the Suns into a scramble rotating mode. Even though it leaves the Suns slightly vulnerable, I liked this because it is better than creating a total mismatch with Nowitzki and a Phoenix point guard. In addition, the scramble mode takes the Mavs out of a slower tempo.
Pick: The Mavs laid an egg in Game 4. They had a golden opportunity to put a stranglehold on this series but instead only got a split in Phoenix. Look for Avery Johnson to get his team back to doing the things necessary to win Game 5.
Scouting Report: Mavericks vs. Suns
By John Carroll
Scouts Inc.
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Mavs Offense: The Mavs are human and it showed in Game 4. They played right into the Suns' hands. They did not have the discipline or sharpness necessary to beat the Suns on the road. At times they had a look of panic and were never very comfortable with their offensive flow. The Mavs need Dirk Nowitzki to come back in Game 5 with a high-level performance. Nowitzki helps settle Dallas into its half-court game. The Mavs know they can run middle pick-and-rolls or isolations for him and he can slow the pace of the game and get quality shots for them.
Dallas needs to push the ball and probe offensively, but if the Mavs cannot get a good shot in transition they have to get into their favorite offensive sets. They should get the ball to Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse with middle foul-line isolations, run middle pick-and-rolls with Nowitzki and Jason Terry and run Terry off multiple screening action.
When Leandro Barbosa and Steve Nash are in the game together, the Mavs recognize they have a mismatch when Barbosa is defending Stackhouse. Look for them to continue to attack Barbosa with "elbow drops" (post-ups of Stackhouse on the left box).
The Mavs must take care of the ball. Their turnovers in this series have a tremendous impact on the pace of the game. The Suns convert those turnovers into fast breaks and 3-point shots, and it has a compounding effect. In the Mavs' two wins, they have only averaged 6½ turnovers, while in their two losses they have averaged 15 turnovers. They must have fewer turnovers in Game 5 in order to get back on track.
Mavs Defense: The Mavs must be into Game 5 mentally and physically. They cannot afford to have a lack of effort or energy as they did in Game 4 and think they can beat the Suns. When you bring a half-hearted effort versus the Suns, you lose. The Mavs need to do the following things defensively to win Game 5:
1. Transition Defense: Send two bigs to the glass and sprint everyone else back. Must be a high level of communication in transition. Stop the ball and find all the 3-point shooters.
2. Be active defensively, similar to how they played in Game 3. Get to the loose balls, box out and track down the long rebounds, and play with the defensive mind-set that put you up 2-1 in this series.
3. Be sharp in their pick-and-roll schemes. If they continue to switch they must bring support to clog up the middle so the Suns cannot take advantage of the mismatches so easily.
4. Utilize DeSagana Diop to clog the middle and not allow easy drives to the rim.
5. Must be able to play scramble basketball. When you play the Suns you must be able to move, rotate and talk at a very high level, otherwise you will not only get beat, but embarrassed.
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Suns Offense: The Suns did not reach the frenetic pace they wanted. However, they definitely increased the tempo and got the Mavs to fall into their trap. The Suns' energy on defense and scramble mode created the turnovers and pace they needed to win. The Suns are the best team in the NBA at racing the ball down the floor, spacing the court with shooters and moving the ball. They must continue to play like that way the rest of the series.Raja Bell had a major impact on the Suns' ability to win Game 4. The biggest effect was how his insertion into the starting lineup helped the Suns' bench. Bell's 31 minutes allowed Mike D'Antoni a lot of flexibility in utilizing his bench. It had the most dramatic effect on Barbosa, who had his best game of the series. This was the first game in which the Suns were able to counter the depth of the Mavericks' bench. If Bell is able to play in Game 5, it will give the Suns a much better chance of winning on the road.
Suns Defense: Phoenix is not a strong defensive team, but when they bring a high energy level to the defensive end of the floor they can cause opponents problems. In Game 4 they were tremendously active and got to the loose balls and rebounds they did not get to in Game 3. Bell took three charges and Shawn Marion blocked three shots and had three steals. If Phoenix can get this type of defensive attitude throughout the rest of this series, they have a chance to knock off Dallas.
The Suns were trapping the middle pick-and-rolls of the Mavs rather than switching on them. This forced the ball out of the dribblers' hands and put the Suns into a scramble rotating mode. Even though it leaves the Suns slightly vulnerable, I liked this because it is better than creating a total mismatch with Nowitzki and a Phoenix point guard. In addition, the scramble mode takes the Mavs out of a slower tempo.
Pick: The Mavs laid an egg in Game 4. They had a golden opportunity to put a stranglehold on this series but instead only got a split in Phoenix. Look for Avery Johnson to get his team back to doing the things necessary to win Game 5.
