Blazer's Edge

Quick: McMillan To Consider Starting Crawford Over Felton

2012-02-12T07:36:06Z

Quick: McMillan To Consider Starting Crawford Over Felton

Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports from Dallas that Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan acknowledged that he will consider moving reserve guard Jamal Crawford into the starting lineup in place of starting point guard Raymond Felton.
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"It's time the play becomes better," McMillan said Saturday.

So will he consider taking Felton out of the starting lineup in favor of Crawford?

"I have to look at it," McMillan said.
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McMillan brushed off similar questions following Portland's home loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Felton shot 4-for-17 in a Saturday loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Whether Felton remains as starter or not, one thing has not changed since this look at his terrible start back in January: he must play less. There is only one player in the entire NBA who plays more minutes than Felton does while producing a lower PER: Toronto Raptors wing DeMar DeRozan.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Game 28 Recap: Portland Trail Blazers 94, Dallas Mavericks 97 (2OT)

2012-02-12T05:56:34Z

In a Nutshell

In an all-too-familiar story the Blazers play lackadaisical, uninspired, brain-dead basketball and dig themselves a horrible first-half hole before coming back in the third and fourth quarters to make the game close. In this case, thanks to some of the most un-clutch shooting in the history of the universe by Dirk Nowitzki, "close" equaled an overtime, then two, before the odds finally caught up with the Blazers and they lost.

Game Flow

Here's what you need to know about the first half: the Blazers scored 32 points. Yes, in the half. Their entire offense was perimeter-oriented and slow...a bad combination. Meanwhile on defense they repeated their performance from the last couple games, defending in initial attacker just fine but completely missing any kind of rotation or help when the dribbler got past his man. It was horrible. The Mavericks had an 11 point led after one and pumped it to 18 in the second period. A little bit of scoring by Jamal Crawford and LaMarcus Aldridge plus some forced turnovers cut it back to 11 at the half, but this was bad. How bad was it? Earlier today we stopped by the liquor store in a rare trip to pick up some adult beverages for the evening. Watching the Blazers I figured, "Why not? There won't be much to write about this game anyway." So I downed a couple shots. OK, a few. OK, I put one down every time the Blazers made a stupid play. No joke. Two overtimes later I am still writing this somewhat buzzed. If you catch a typo, that's a shot for you. Catch enough of them and you'll stop noticing.

Portland dodged a bullet near the end of the second period when Khloe Kardashian's husband ran over Marcus Camby, who was set up to take the charge, and fell right on his leg. At that point I was tempted to grab the whole bottle but as it turned out after limping off the court Camby was back in the second half.

The second half featured more forced turnovers from Portland plus some filthy defense from Nicolas Batum and Gerald Wallace. Batum moved so fast blocking shots from behind that he was a blur on the screen. At least I think it was because he was moving so fast. Anyway...his defense prevented at least half a dozen easy points at the ~~rum~~ RIM for Dallas...points which often came because the guard defense was as poor as ever. Wallace grabbed some rebounds and hit some people, the usual. Portland's poor offensive possessions continued, however. They could only manage 23 points in the period, The good news: that was their best period of the evening by far. Plus denying Dallas with the blocks and a few steals kept the Mavericks at 18 for the quarter. Awww, heck. The Mavs' own indifference kept them at 18 as well. Portland played so poorly in that first half they convinced the opponent it was for real too. Dallas had a little bit of a ballgame on their hands headed into the fourth up 5, 61-55. Obviously that's exciting if you're a Portland fan but third parties would look at this game and say that at 61-55 after three things were getting ugly. Third parties would be right. The story wasn't so much Portland taking over as Dallas slipping back.

You know how when you were a kid your mom would tell you to go and beat up on a pillow when you got frustrated? In the fourth period LaMarcus Aldridge was frustrated and the Dallas Mavericks were the pillow. Aldridge scored 15 in the period. With a little help from Crawford he pulled the Blazers even, much to the chagrin of the Dallas crowd. Aldridge's teammates deserve some credit. First, they got him the ball. Second, their position defense was much better in the closing period than it had been earlier. Dallas' easy looks and offensive rebounds disappeared. With both teams sensing a win within grasp two battles ensued. One pitted Jason Terry versus Crawford. That was mostly a draw. Jamal's scoring kept Terry from winning the game outright for the Mavs. The second battle pitted Aldridge versus Dirk Nowitzki. Aldridge won that one hands down. He destroyed the Mavs on his offensive end (not being guarded by Nowitzki). He took up the defensive challenge against Dirk at the other end and Dirk just wilted. Not only could the guy not hit a shot (open or guarded) he was barely hitting the backboard, and sometimes not. That advantage was all Portland needed to stay close. Down 4 with a minute left the Blazers pulled even behind a Crawford drive and an amazing Aldridge turn-around. Dirk missed two shots in the interim. This game went to overtime, 81-all.

The first OT was sloppy. Portland missed a ton of shots from the perimeter. On the other end, though, they made the Mavericks work, got a block, forced a turnover, and limited them to 5 total shots in the OT. Dallas made 2 of those shots plus a couple free throws. Portland shot 3-10 in the same span. The game was still tied 87-all after one extra period.

For some ungodly reason the Blazers took until the 1:45 mark of the second overtime to get LaMarcus Aldridge, their savior, a shot. Crawford and Raymond Felton did the honors...if honors is the right word. What they did is shoot 1-4 between them, that "1" being a circus-shot 180-degree back-to-the-basket layup by Felton who was fouled along with the miracle make but missed the free throw. Crawford also drew 2 foul shots, making them both. That was Portland's scoring. Meanwhile Delonte West made 3 shots in 4 possessions against Wesley Matthews and crew. (This stretch was a failure for Portland's guards all the way around.) The Mavs led 93-91 with the ball and 2:00 left when Jason Terry threw a pass into the stands and Portland finally decided their main man should get a shot. Aldridge hit another patented 12-footer and the game was tied again. Everybody was thinking triple-overtime but a couple of unfortunate events conspired against it. The Blazers forced a Shawn Marion miss on a layup but only Gerald Wallace went for the rebound against two Mavericks. Aldridge drifted through the area while Crawford just stood and watched. Wallace had been a blue-collar hero all night but he couldn't keep Brendan Haywood from tipping in and giving the Mavs a lead. After Crawford (!) missed another shot Nowitzki took the ball against Aldridge at the top of the key and proved the old adage from White Men Can't Jump, the sun shines even on a dog's hindquarters. He put in an old-school leaning back on one foot Nowitzki special, making him approximately 1-6 on critical shots in the game but providing enough margin for the Mavericks to win. Dallas survives a Wesley Matthews 1-2 trip to the foul line to cut the lead to 3, an amazing forced jump ball on the rebound by Wallace which gave Portland possession off the tip, and a desperation no-chance heave from Crawford at the buzzer to tie. The Mavericks win, 97-94 in double overtime.

Take-Away Points

One of the words used copiously after the Oklahoma City Thunder robbing/loss was "narrative"...not just the facts of events but their meaning and significance. Here's the narrative of this game: the Blazers lost. That's it. Yes, people are going to go, "World Champions" and "road game" and "double overtime" and "Aldridge shining" and construct positive stories from this. Heck, if this were the first time this had happened all season I'd be doing that too. But how many times have the Blazers played flat for large stretches of games and then tried to come back at the end, only to fall short? If in the first two quarters of this game Portland had played with half the energy and focus they showed on defense at the end of the fourth and those two overtimes then they would have won this game. They did not. They lost. They lost in the same way they've lost a half dozen times before on the road. Neither double overtime nor the quality of opponent (which frankly wasn't that high tonight no matter what the name on the uniform) turns that "L" into a "W". Portland knows this. They know how and why this happens. They're either unable to compensate, unable to find the drive and energy, or unwilling to put enough into the game to do so. No matter how you slice it, that's going to lose you games.

A narrow loss to the Mavericks tonight is no more encouraging than a narrow win against the pathetic New Orleans Hornets last night in a game that followed the same general pattern. Quality of opponent doesn't factor in with the Blazers as much as the quality of their own play. If they don't look themselves in the mirror soon and come up with some answers they have no hope of anything more than a golf clap as they exit this season, victims of a team that's no more talented but plays smarter, more consistent, and more motivated basketball.

Individual Notes

The Blazers forwards were generally superb tonight, especially after the team got rolling. Aldridge led the pack with 33 points on 14-26 shooting with 12 rebounds. The only critiques are repeated ones. First, why not wring somebody's neck when they're hoisting shots early in the shot clock in critical situations and not letting you touch the ball? Once, OK. But the Big Dog has got to demand the ball when the game is on the line and he's on a roll. Otherwise he's just one of the pack. Second, if you're really going to take this team on your back and drive them to victory you have to do whatever it takes. Aldridge was probably 99% good tonight, or at least when it mattered. He hit shots. He played good defense. But that 1% may have been that fatal Haywood tip-in rebound. You can't just watch Wallace try to battle for it. If you come flailing in too late to get the rebound, fine. But at least come flailing in. At least make a dive for it. Superstars aren't the guys who make the play every time. Superstars are the guys with enough courage and drive to go after every play and thus, by percentage, make a lot of them you wouldn't expect. But you can't win if you don't play, so to speak. It feels bad knocking LMA for that kind of thing on a great night but this seems like one of the few remaining steps between him and true, franchise-changing greatness. He hasn't made it yet and it's a big one.

Don't let Gerald Wallace's 3-4 shots in 50 minutes fool you. He played 50 minutes because he was once again one of the only guys going after this game consistently. He had 10 rebounds, his 8 defensive boards leading the team by far. He shouldered that responsibility when Camby went down. He also had 4 steals to go along with his 10 points...points scored at the rim and foul line on a night when perimeter play was Portland's M.O.

Nicolas Batum had 7 rebounds and shot 5-11 for 12 points. He also had 3 mighty blocks, saving the game for Portland before anybody knew the game could be saved. He did well. The quibble for him came with 40 seconds left in the first overtime and the game tied. He got the ball in the corner with time running down and faked a streaking defender beautifully with a pump. Seeing his man fly by overhead he put the ball on the floor and drove to the basket. He had acres of open space to pull up or could have driven hard for the foul. It was going to be a game-defining moment. But instead he heaved the ball all the way across the court to Raymond Felton (of all people) who was out beyond the three-point arc (of all places) with the clock now running down. You can guess what happened. A potentially beautiful opportunity off of a broken defense turned into a horrific one at the most critical of times. I say this not to knock Nic for a single mistake, but to point out that there's more to go in his development. Coach McMillan seemed to agree, as he was pulled immediately after.

Portland's guards didn't fare so well. Each had something decent about their game but each ended up flawed. Felton contributed 9 points and but 2 assists on 4-17 shooting. I guess you could say he was aggressive. The second overtime might not have been the best time to show it. But he did keep the Blazers' heads in the game and turnovers low, though committing an obvious one himself late. Jamal Crawford also was "aggressive" shooting 6-23 for 19 points. The Blazers needed those points though. He didn't really do much else but he was handy to have around when Aldridge needed someone to distract the defense. Wesley Matthews shot 3-10 for 9 points but he did have 6 rebounds. His defense...I just don't know any more. The safe thing to say is I like his ability more than his results at this point. Combined these three guards went 3-15 from the three-point arc, making Aldridge's scoring clip even more impressive.

Marcus Camby had 6 rebounds in 16 minutes. Let's hope there are no ill effects from the fall. Kurt Thomas struggled tonight. Neither big man was a big factor.

Fun With Numbers

Blazers shoot 37% from the floor, 15% from the arc. (3-20...ouch!) It's a miracle they were that close. Don't fool yourself. It was only Portland's grit for about 10 minutes total in regulation. The Mavericks took this game for granted and played sloppy. Though at least they could shoot. (46% from the field)
Portland forces 23 turnovers from the Mavs with a big assist from the Mavs.
Blazers get 11 assists all night. With 2 overtimes. Think maybe the guards had something else on their minds?

Final Thoughts

I want to say the Mavericks are a shadow of the team they were in last year's playoff matchup with Portland. The problem is, I fear the Blazers might be too.

Hear the Dallas story at Mavs Moneyball

Trail Blazers vs Mavericks boxscore

Your Jersey Contest scoreboard and form for the Wizards game.

--Dave (blazersub@gmail.com)

FINAL: Dallas Mavericks 97, Portland Trail Blazers 94 (2OT)

2012-02-12T04:32:00Z

What started as an awful game turned into a barn-burner. Trailing from the opening tip, the Blazers spent the evening in comeback mode, eventually coming up short against the Dallas Mavericks in double overtime.

The Blazers were led by LaMarcus Aldridge's 33 points and 12 rebounds, with support from Gerald Wallace (10 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals) and Nicolas Batum (12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks). Jamal Crawford scored 19, but missed a few big shots down the stretch.

Let's keep this first half recap short. The Blazers stunk. At one point in the second quarter, the score was 34-16. The Blazers were allowing open dunks and threes, while missing jumpers. Finally, Dallas went cold from the outside and the Blazers made a small run. They only scored 32 points in the half, but were lucky to be down 11.

In a big moment, Lamar Odom landed on Marcus Camby's foot, leaving him in pain [details here]. He came back to the game later nonetheless.

Dallas opened the second half with a 3-pointer. It looked bad, but the Blazers kept pushing, as a four-point possession cut the lead to 6 in the middle of the third. However, it was short-lived as 8 Dallas points in 40 seconds bumped the lead back to 14. From there, the two teams fought in and out of single digits. With some help from a Delonte West flagrant foul, the Blazers closed to within 6 after three.

An Aldridge jumper cut the lead to 4 to start the fourth quarter. Thanks to some early Blazer fouls, Dallas pushed the lead back to 8, but could not pull away, as the Blazers pulled to within 2 with under 6 minutes left. Then, after struggling all night, Raymond Felton nails a three pointer to tie the game with 5 minutes left. However, the Mavs scored the next 4 points to regain the lead. Jamal missed a layup with just over two minutes left that would have tied the game, then LaMarcus missed a jumper to do the same. Portland eventually had the ball with 30 seconds left, down by just 2 points. Marion guards Aldridge strong, as Aldridge double-clutches, throws the ball toward the hoop... and it dances around the rim and falls in to tie the game. Dallas has the last possession to win. Dirk takes a fadeaway, and clanks it, sending the game into extra minutes.

Batum hit a jumper to give the Blazers their first lead of the whole night as overtime began. And before you could blink, Crawford added a layup for a 4 point lead! Dallas stayed close, but struggled to tie the game thanks to strong defense and rebounding from Crash. However, the Blazers failed to score on three straight possessions, and Dallas tied the game on a Marion layup with 1 minute left. When the Blazers couldn't score, Marion is fouled on the rebound and hits two free throws to regain the lead. But with 24 seconds left, LaMarcus hits a sky hook to tie it back up. Dirk missed a jumper with two seconds left, giving the Blazers a chance to win. However, Crawford clanked a three, and we're headed to another overtime.

Raymond Felton took all of the Blazers' shots for the first 2 minutes of overtime. He even made one (and missed a FT). However, of all people, Delonte West found the range to give Dallas a four point lead. Crawford's free throws cut it to two, then an Aldridge jumper tied the game with 90 seconds left. They had a chance at the lead, but Aldridge's jumper bounced out with a minute left. Dallas took advantage, tipping in a miss for a 2 point lead with 45 seconds left. After a Crawford miss, Dirk hit a jumper with 16 seconds left. The Blazers had a jump ball opportunity while down three, got possession, and Crawford took the worst three in recorded history to finish the game

Check out the box score, then stay tuned for Dave's recap a little later. The Blazers have two days off, then host the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. -- Tim

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Update: Click on the image below to survey the damage done by the Felton/Crawford/Matthews trio in going a combined 13-for-50 from the field, including 6-for-35 from outside the paint. It looks like errant machine gun fire.

-- Ben

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Portland Trail Blazers forward takes a scary blow to the head from Dallas Mavericks guard Delonte...

2012-02-12T03:47:44Z

Portland Trail Blazers forward takes a scary blow to the head from Dallas Mavericks guard Delonte West during the third quarter of a Saturday night game at American Airlines Center. West was whistled for a flagrant foul on the play.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Holdahl: LaMarcus Aldridge Deals With Double Teams

2012-02-11T23:50:45Z

Holdahl: LaMarcus Aldridge Deals With Double Teams

Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com with some quotes from Portland Trail Blazers All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge on dealing with constant double teams during Friday night's game against the New Orleans Hornets.
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"Coach Mont [Monty Williams] made me feel like I'm going to get double-teamed even more now," said Aldridge, half joking. "I felt like after last night, getting called an All-Star and then playing these guys, I feel like I'm not going to be able to play anymore! I feel like my one-on-one play is done now. I'm going to try to become a better passer. That's how I felt tonight. I was like, man, every time I took one dribble they double-teamed like clockwork."
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"If we're getting double-teamed and we're not making them pay, then that bothers me," said Aldridge. "As the game went on we started getting to the basket, Jamal (Crawford) started making shots, Ray (Felton) made some threes and I feel like that's when I started feeling better about it, because if I'm getting taken out of the game and we're not getting nothing from it then I'm getting frustrated. I'm not doing my job. But if I'm forcing them to play me and we're scoring out of it, that's what I want. I don't mind not scoring, but we have to get something out of it."
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-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Five Questions with SBN Dallas

2012-02-11T19:08:03Z

In preparation for tonight's game we did a little back and forth with Jonathan Tjarks of SBN's Dallas regional site. Here's the link to.his questions and our answers. The inverse here:

BE: What's up with Dirk? Did he just win a title and shift it into cruise control? What's the status there and how do Mavs fans feel about the slow start?

SBNDALLAS: The lockout affected his off-season routine, whichis a big deal for a player whose game depends so much on timing. But after a decade of pretty much being a 24/7basketball machine, it would only have been natural for Dirk to stop and smell the roses a bit.

Really the big thing has just been the sheer number of games this season. Dirk is 33 and he's played in over 1,200 playoff and regular games; this is not a guy who should be playing five nights a week. There's been a lot of nights where he's had no lift in his legs whatsoever.

The good thing is Dallas is much deeper offensively than they were last year, so they can afford for Dirk to go on cruise control. And as long as he gets enough rest by the playoffs, Dirk's going to be at the bottom of the list of concerns for Mavs fans.

BE: Can you clarify exactly how and why the Mavericks won their title? One of the things I am already sick of in this season is pundits, fans, and media folks saying, "This team could be the next Dallas Mavericks" as if the only (or most important) criterion which won them their rings was surprise. Every half-heralded team all of a sudden gets a championship mention because people weren't talking about Dallas last year before they won it. Other than flying under the radar, what contributed most to the Mavericks' success? There had to be some solid, long-term underpinnings there.

SBND: There was a lot of talk about how Dirk overcame his post-season demons last year but really he's been the same player for almost a decade. Dallas has won 50+ games for 11 straight seasons, and that's while building three different elite teams around Dirk -- the Nash/Finley/Dirk"Big Three", the Avery Johnson helmed '06 Finals team and the 2011 title squad.

The difference last year was Dirk finally had an elite defensive center in Tyson Chandler. Dirk and Chandler were a perfect combination: the most versatile offensive 7'0 in the NBA and the most versatile defensive 7'0. Chandler was absolutely incredible for Dallas last season: he could shut down guys like Griffin and Amare on the perimeter, check Bynum and Gasol on the low block and cut off LeBron and Wade's penetration at the rim.

The Mavericks won for the same reason the Celtics and the Lakers won: they dominated the paint with two 7'0 guys. The NBA has become obsessed with perimeter players in the post MJ era, but realistically, the closer you are to the basket, the easier it is to score, so the teams with tall and athletic players who can control the paint are going to have a huge advantage.

Dallas was not as talented as Miami or OKC but they had talent in more important places on the court, which is why I took a flyer on them at 16:1 last February to win it all. This year, honestly, I think the one team who can copy the Mavericks run is Portland, with Aldridge in the Dirk role and Camby in the Chandler role.

BE: The obvious: How do you feel about the chances of repeating this year? Has anything changed which makes you think the road will be harder or easier?

SBND: The second Chandler walked out the door, the Mavericks chances of repeating went down to zero. Dallas made a lot of smart moves after letting Chandler walk, and they're still going to be a real tough out in the Western Conference playoffs, but I'd consider the WCF a real accomplishment.

BE: If the team doesn't make it all the way, at what point do they tear it down? At some point the formula of Nowitzki + Ancient Guards + High Profile Free Agent Small Forward + Serviceable Center that the Mavericks seem to employ every year or two has to break down. Do you foresee a future in which they reset?

SBND: What everyone in Dallas is talking about is the summer of 2012. If you assume they amnesty Haywood, the only players under contract are Dirk, Marion, Beaubois, Brandan Wright and Dominique Jones. I'm not sure exactly about the math but that gives them enough room to offer Howard and Deron Williams near-max money. And if the Netsand the Magic hold on to them all season, I don't see another team offering a more attractive supporting cast for those guys. Williams is from Dallas, so there's that too.

It's a lot of ifs obviously, and I would have rather had kept Chandler and just pursued Williams in 2012, but it's definitely something to keep an eye on.

BE: What's the biggest barometer of the Mavericks' success so far this season? How do we know if they're having a good game (outside of the scoreboard, of course)?

SBND: Dallas needs either West or Beaubois to give them dribble penetration and create open shots, otherwise the offense is way too stagnant.

Defensively, Haywood is pretty much done, so they need either Mahinmi or Brandan Wright to give them minutes at the 5 position.

Wright, in particular, has really come on in the last few weeks. He was a McDonald's All-American and a lottery pick out of UNC for a reason: he's 6'10 with a 7'3 wingspan,really athletic and coordinated. That's enough to merit a spot in most teams rotations.

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Thanks to our friends at the Dallas regional affiliate for taking us deeper inside the Mavericks and this matchup!

--Dave (blazersub@gmail.com)

Game 28 Preview: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks

2012-02-11T08:00:08Z

Game Time: 5:30 p.m. TV: CSNNW

The Portland Trail Blazers face the World Champions tonight. Given the course of Portland's season you'd expect that to be a tall order. It probably still is, but the Mavericks aren't in any better position than the Blazers right now. Their home record is an anemic 9-5. Their overall record puts them on a par with Portland.

The unimpressive (given the standards) start has been directly attributable to a couple of factors. Superstar Dirk Nowitzki has so far treated the season more like a victory lap than a quest to repeat. His production has dropped precipitously...per minute, per game, it's been bad in every category. His scoring has dropped from 23 per game to below 18. His shooting percentage has plunged from 52% to 46%. His three-point percentage was 39% last year. It's 21% this year. You read that right. Dallas fans used to chant "MVP" every time he took the floor. Now they're chanting new initials. The first two are "WT..." You can fill in the last. On the upside he's had three straight impressive games, so maybe he's back in gear. If not the Mavericks aren't going anywhere no matter what the rest of the roster reads.

Tyson Chandler, the backstop of Dallas' defense, is now in New York. Brendan Haywood rebounds better and has a more varied offensive attack but he's not the defender or intimidating force Chandler was. Ian Mahinmi is hit and miss at center. They're OK at center but not anywhere near as potent as they were with Chandler.

Dallas' smaller players fare better. Jason Terry and Shawn Marion are reliable enough at shooting guard and small forward, though Marion is missing the incredible touch from the field he showed last season. Both can connect on threes to spread the floor, as can Vince Carter and Delonte West. They're certainly not challenged for alternate scorers. Though none of these players retain the vigor or production of their youth it's pretty certain at least a couple of them will be in tune on any given night.

The Mavs had reasonable hopes for Lamar Odom, considering he was 6th Man of the Year last season with the Lakers. This year he's apparently going for 10th Man of the Year, shooting a wretched 35% from the field (almost 20% lower than last year's average), grabbing fewer rebounds...heck, the best way to explain it is his PER going from 19.4 to 9.8. That's like failing art class: theoretically possible but pretty hard to do.

Also somewhat disappoint has been young guard Rodrigue Beaubois, With each of his three years his minutes have increased while his production decreased. Defense has been his only area of improvement after his promising rookie season. He's neither consistent nor productive enough to trust, especially with veterans ahead of him at his position. No doubt the Mavericks still have hopes for him but either the mix or the player is wrong.

Brandan Wright has had a few good games and provides counterpoint to the disappointment of Odom and Beaubois. Portland will need to watch his energy.

And that's been typical of Dallas' start. The names are right. Talent, if a little aged, is plentiful. But confusion at the top of the rotation and rot at the bottom are exposing, rather than covering up for, the weaknesses of the guys in the middle.

Unsurprisingly last year's highly-efficient offense has become middle-of-the-road this season. The Mavericks aren't scoring in the paint and are only average on the break. Lack of any dependable attack in the middle, either in the post or off the dribble, has left them relying on the jumper. That's OK when the ball moves and the right people receive it but too often they're stuck shooting deep bail-out shots. Despite the four good three-point shooters mentioned above the Mavericks are only 21st in the league in three-point percentage and they take a bunch of them. They're only fair drawing foul shots. They don't rebound on the offensive end. They're just not getting enough easy buckets, enough extra points, enough extra chances to generate a dominant offense.

On defense the Dallas philosophy is simple: they want you away from the rim. They'll let you shoot all the threes you want. They'll let you pull up too. You can get past their exterior defenders for a step or two but they'll collapse on you before you hit the paint. They want a shot over their heads and a rebound in their hands. They get steals, a few blocks, and they also commit fouls in the process. It's basic old-man, conserving energy, play the percentages defense. It's not a bad scheme though. They're the 7th most efficient defense in the league...far better than their offensive standing.

Like Portland, Dallas is playing their second game of a back-to-back with travel. Like Dallas, Portland has chronic weaknesses and always battles the temptation to succumb to stagnation. Either team has the talent to play great. Neither team does on a consistent basis. This game may come down to energy, one team exploiting and tiring out the other. Whichever team comes out with fire, vicious rebounding, an effective driving attack, and the capacity to hit a few jumpers will have an enormous advantage. Your guess is as good as mine which that will be. Likely Dallas, I suppose, but it doesn't have to be that way if the Blazers are willing to play.

MavsMoneyball will have your Dallas look.

You can find the Jersey Contest form for this game here.

--Dave (blazersub@gmail.com)

Blazer's Edge

Quick: McMillan To Consider Starting Crawford Over Felton

Quick: McMillan To Consider Starting Crawford Over Felton

Game 28 Recap: Portland Trail Blazers 94, Dallas Mavericks 97 (2OT)

FINAL: Dallas Mavericks 97, Portland Trail Blazers 94 (2OT)

Portland Trail Blazers forward takes a scary blow to the head from Dallas Mavericks guard Delonte...

Holdahl: LaMarcus Aldridge Deals With Double Teams

Holdahl: LaMarcus Aldridge Deals With Double Teams

Five Questions with SBN Dallas

Sponsored Post Follow-Up: XFINITY Social Media Contest Voting

Game 28 Preview: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks