http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...005/05/10/bc.bkn.mavericks.suns.ap/index.html (ha ha !! ) Mavs bickering after Game 1 loss PHOENIX (AP) -- A prominent pair of Dallas Mavericks are bickering in the wake of the team's blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs. That's just one of the problems rookie coach Avery Johnson has to rectify before the teams meet again on Wednesday night. Team leader Dirk Nowitzki criticized Erick Dampier after Amare Stoudemire outscored the Dallas center 40-0 in Monday night's 127-102 Phoenix victory. "He's a step slow on everything," Nowitzki said after the game. "He never got involved in the game. He has always been in foul trouble. The first series was the same thing. He gets a quick two fouls in the first two or three minutes, and we can't be aggressive any more. Then he gets the third foul and has to sit." Nowitzki didn't stop there. "The bottom line is we've got to get something out of our center position," he said. "We really haven't gotten anything out of it." Nowitzki also shouted at Dampier as the two ran down the court following a three-point play by Stoudemire over the Dallas center's back. Dampier lashed back before the team's workout on Tuesday. "He can say what he wants," Dampier said. "We really didn't get a lot from anyone. This is not a one individual game. It's a team concept. We didn't play the way we are capable of playing, so for him to say something like that is totally stupid." Told of Dampier's remarks, Johnson said, "You know what's stupid? The way the Mavericks played the last game, that was stupid." Nowitzki, meanwhile, stood by his post-game comments. "I'm not going to change what I said, and I don't think I need to talk to him," he said. Johnson said he would take care of the rift. "We're OK. We trust each other," the coach said. "We have strong character and strong fiber on this team. We just didn't play like the team you guys saw in the first round. We're embarrassed, we're bitter, we're disappointed. Obviously we know we're up against a very tough team, but our best team didn't show up last night." The squabble stems from Dallas' inability to slow Stoudemire in Game 1, a problem that the Mavs never solved in three regular-season meetings either, when he averaged 32 points. "He's a great player. He's going to get his numbers," Nowitzki said, "but we can't give him 40 and send him to the line 17 to 20 times." There are problems against Stoudemire regardless of whether the defender is Dampier, Alan Henderson or Nowitzki. "He's going to out-quick the bigger guys," Phoenix's Quentin Richardson said, "and if they try to put Dirk or a smaller guy on him, he's going to overpower him, so it's a dilemma." The ever-confident Stoudemire wonders if there's anything the Mavericks can do effectively against him. "It's going to be tough for them. They're not exactly Memphis," he said, referring to the team Phoenix swept in the first round. "Memphis had more scrappy players and more defensive players. I'm not sure. They might just polish up their offensive and defensive games." The Mavericks may decide to double-team Stoudemire, but that opens up the Suns' array of outside shooters, and Stoudemire still could get his points. "Obviously, one-on-one he's a handful," the Suns' Steve Nash said, "but he becomes more dangerous out of a pick and roll because you have to kind of pick your poison. Are they going to leave me? Are they going to leave someone from the weak side with the tremendous shooters we have. At the same time, we've got people moving to get the ball. I think our team has a lot of balance, and that highlights his superior ability." After watching video of Monday night's horror show, Dallas' players knew that their main problem was a lack of effort and energy. Two days after their 40-point blowout of Houston in Game 7 of their first-round series, the Mavericks sleepwalked while the Suns sped over, around and through them. "We were just flat in all areas," Nowitzki said. "We were a step slow on offense and defense. We were jogging around." The Suns said they know that Game 2 will be far more difficult. "Last night we had a great game, we played well, we had a lot of fun, but you know that game's over," Richardson said. "We don't expect to win by 20. I've been saying all the time, I expect this to be a dogfight. We don't get any extra wins by winning by 20 or more points. It counts as one win."
Funny. The weak, soft PF crying about the poor play of the weak, soft Center. Dampier may be a big guy, but he doesn't play up to his size. He is about as bad as it gets defensively, and can't score besides getting offensive rebounds. They're both overrated. The playoffs show who the great players are (as well as the great teams), and neither of these guys have shown themselves much. They should be thanking Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse that they are in the second round.
Wait, I'm confused -- I thought Dampier was the 2nd best center in the league? So how could it be that he's being totally outplayed by the other center 2 series in a row?
I just thought it was funny that the two people that HAVE NOT stepped up so far in the playoffs are the ones b****ing at each other... Yes Dampier has sucked majorly, but Dirk isn't exactly living up to his billing either...
LIke Jerry Stackhouse said, they'd be happy just to win in the first round if they don't win a title - better get those "first round winner" rings made now, boys.
Gee...Dirk the Flopper and Dampier the "2nd best center on the team" going at one another. The irony is, as someone has already posted, those two were the worst players in the Rockets series, and both underachieved in a major way. Just rest assured that Dampier will either not be on this team next year or Bradely will be playing more minutes. The Mavs just looked plain flat in Game 1, I think the Rockets series has worn them out more than they thought. Still, I don't think they will be pushovers this series with the Suns.
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Dirk should sack up and take on the defensive assignment against Amare......show Dampier how it's done I cannot wait to watch the ensuing DUNKFEST
Wow. This drama is like the Laker's feud, except without the talent, the championships, and the rape trial. I would have thought that coming back from a 0-2 brink to win a 7 game series would make a team bond tighter than ever. I guess this shows Avery Johnson is more clueless than most people thought.
Maybe Avery needs to go w/ a little Crazy(glue) on his leather soles!!....Maybe then he won't be slip slidin' on the court all game.....This series is supposed to be about basketball....Not rolling around and monkeying around on the hardwood.....Avery don't like to make excuses....But fact of the matter is he just dropped some of his banana peel and that's why he slipped.....So it wasn't never about the refs.....Avery just loves him some bananas!!
