Mavs Moneyball - MMB Gameday Stream: Dallas Mavericks 111, Memphis Grizzlies 99Rick Carlisle approved.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50869/mmb-fav.png2013-11-03T08:00:07-06:00http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/rss/stream/48225252013-11-03T08:00:07-06:002013-11-03T08:00:07-06:00Video Quoteboard: Dallas beats Memphis
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It was a strange game in many aspects, but the Mavericks pulled off a double digit victory over the Grizzlies in a game that was really quite close despite Memphis never leading after the first quarter.</p> <h4>Game Notes</h4>
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<li><span>So NBA.com/stats has a new feature called SportsVU and it had a couple cool stats regarding the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a>. In short, of all the rebounds that are available for Shawn Marion to get, he leads the league grabbing 90%. And of all the players in the NBA, <span>Monta Ellis</span> has the most "drives" to the bucket.</span></li>
<li><span>What to make of all that? Nothing, really. It's two games worth of stats and really shouldn't be taken until we get at least to double digit games to draw data from. But if you're a stat geek or just want to look at some cool charts that you may or may not understand (trust me, I'm more the latter than the former), check it out.</span></li>
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<span>Dallas' 40/46 free throws attempted was the most since 2/8/10 at Golden State (they went 41/46 that night</span><span>).</span>
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<li><span>I got stonewalled on a question by <span>Rick Carlisle</span>. He mentioned that he didn't like some of the bench matchups, so I asked the following: "<span>Wayne Ellington</span> didn't play tonight. Was he one of those matchups that you didn't like, as you mentioned before?" Stone cold, straight up, "It's a coach's decision." Gosh, the look that accompanies those answers is terrifying, but me and the other MMB peeps had a good laugh about it afterwards. Trust me, if you plan on covering the Mavericks for any length of time, that's bound to happen.</span></li>
<li><span>It didn't help that his sarcasm meter was on full throttle tonight. When a reporter mentioned he had talked with Calderon earlier, Carlisle blasted back, "Oh really!? What did he say?" But in and around all this, he did actually say a few things worth repeated, listed below.</span></li>
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<h4>Rick Carlisle</h4>
<p>On <span>Shawn Marion's</span> versatility as a defender.</p>
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<p>"If you think of the history of the modern game, I can think of less than five, maybe six guys who can guard a guy like Conley for big minutes, then turn around and guard Zach Randolph. And then any other kind of guy in between. Jordan could do it, Pippen showed that he could do it, <span>LeBron James</span> does it. I don't know, I could probably come up with some other names but there aren't many. We're talking about a really special player and he really personalized this game tonight. He felt lousy about last night and he knew we needed a spark. From start to finish, he was on."</p>
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<p>On the run Memphis made to close the first half.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"It's the NBA; teams make runs. We made a run last night so we had to withstand it, we had to change with a bit of a paradigm shift at the start of the second half. We had to kind of get to the side of having an edge, playing with an edge."</p>
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<p>On Sam Dalembert.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Dalembert did a nice job tonight. He made some timely plays out there offensively. Defensively he was a factor, other than the fouls. I thought he and Blair did a tremendous job off the bench. He brought consistent attitude to the game. That was huge and it's a big win for us. It's important to get off to a solid start to the season."</p>
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<p>On the defense.</p>
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<p>"Before the game, we looked at seven clips, seven defensive clips [of plays] that happened in the first four minutes [last night] that were just unacceptable for what we've talked about, in terms of what we need to be. I appealed to the guys that if we want to be good, we've got to turn this around. And they did."</p>
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<p>On Jose Calderon's poor shooting start.</p>
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<p>"I'm not worried about him. His jump shot is by far on the lowest list of whatever problems and challenges he might have. If you want to talk about his rhythm and conditioning and that I've been doing a lousy job getting him good shots, we can talk about that, but he's a great shooter and that's why we got him. He made three big ones tonight and he's going to keep getting better."</p>
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<p>On Jose Calderon and Monta Ellis playing big minutes.</p>
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<p>"I stretched him and Monta out because I didn't like some of the matchups with the bench guys and they did a good job closing the game."</p>
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<h4><span>Dirk Nowitzki</span></h4>
<p>On the fast start and setting the tempo.</p>
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<p>"We heard about it from coach all day about how we started the game off yesterday, and we gave up 40 points in the first quarter yesterday, so that was a big emphasis. I thought we played with good energy and we knew they had a tough game yesterday."</p>
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<p>On Marion.</p>
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<p>"Shawn is one of the best all-around players this league has, we all know that. I think coach mentioned it, there's not a lot of players who can guard the point guard then the big four guy."</p>
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<p>On what he's learned about the team.</p>
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<p>"If we play hard and fight defensively we can play with anybody, and if we don't we can get embarrassed like we did in Houston in the first half. We're not good enough to coast so we got to compete at all times and make it hard on the opponent."</p>
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<p>On the 46 free throw attempts and whether this team is more suited to draw fouls.</p>
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<p>"It was good tonight, we got in the bonus early then every little push foul and over the back automatically gets you two free throws so we love to get in the bonus early. That's usually an emphasis every week. Some nights it works early, some nights it doesn't."</p>
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<p>On Jose and his shot.</p>
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<p>"We all have confidence in him, we always say to shoot when you're open. I even want him to shoot more, he pump fakes too much. We want him to shoot."</p>
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<p>On whether he's actually going to have tomorrow off (it's a team off day).</p>
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<p>"For me, no. Since Holger's is here, I'll probably come late night, probably seven or eight [p.m.] and get an hour in. It's more like a recovery, get a couple of shots up, get a little bit of stretching and call it a day."</p>
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<h4>Shawn Marion</h4>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Xgfh37t_ur0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><i>(ed. note: sorry, just one video today. I'll try to get more next time around.)</i></p>
<h4><span>Vince Carter</span></h4>
<p>On staying ready coming off the bench.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"It's my job. I don't have a choice! It's just bringing the level of intensity up from where the starters, whatever tone they set."</p>
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<p>On his routine in the offseason to stay prepared.</p>
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<p>"Aw man, we'll be here a long time. I have to do a lot to keep with these younger guys who have careers in this league. I have to prepare myself."</p>
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<p>On athleticism off the bench.</p>
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<p>"We just have a lot of guys who do a lot of different things. Coming into camp, I just talked to a lot of the younger guys about what was needed. Now that we have Jae [Crowder] and Sarge [<span>Bernard James</span>] who are a year older, a lot of guys know what is expected of them. Everybody's wanting to do their job. That's the way we're going to win."</p>
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<p>On Marion and his defense.</p>
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<p>"He's just very versatile. You can put him on one through four, sometimes a five, and he's great. He's able to rebound and play hard and he can run the floor with the best of them. That gives us an advantage."</p>
</blockquote>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/11/3/5060382/video-quoteboard-dallas-mavericks-beat-memphis-grizzlies-111-99Tim Cato2013-11-02T22:09:06-05:002013-11-02T22:09:06-05:00Mavs defeat Grizzlies, 111-99
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In the third game of the young season, the Mavs pulled out a solid win against a Grizzlies team also on the second night of a back-to-back.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> 111-99 in their third game of the season, taking them to a record of 2-1. Your scoring leader was <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> with 24. <span>Shawn Marion</span> had an insane night, with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. All five starters finished in double figures. The Mavs led the entire game after overcoming a Memphis 7-0 start, though Memphis tied it once and kept it close at points.</p>
<p>The first quarter started off rough for the good guys, with the Grizzlies keeping the Mavs scoreless for the first three plus minutes. But that quickly changed as the Mavs either found their groove or the Grizzlies decided not to defend or a little bit of both. Memphis seemed absolutely unwilling to switch on pick and rolls, and the Mavs took full advantage. Marion had 5 early rebounds and Dirk had a pretty ridiculous dunk that set Mavs Twitter afire. The team found some nice transition offense(!) off of the Grizzlies' misses, and the pocket passing was especially pretty to watch. At the end of the first quarter, the Mavs were up 32-16 on 44% shooting and 15 rebounds, to the Grizzlies' 35.3% shooting and 10 rebounds. Basically, the Grizzlies looked like a tired team on the second night of a back to back, and the Mavs seemed fresh (despite being in the same situation).</p>
<p>The second quarter continued the Mavs hot scoring but they cooled off quickly. Both teams traded sloppy possessions on both ends of the floor. After only one turnover in the first quarter, the Mavs racked up 6 more. Memphis started to find some open corner looks that the Mavs' zone defense provided, and started to eat away at the Mavs' lead with a 15-1 run towards the end of the half. Halftime saw the Mavs' lead, which had been as much as 21, down to just 6. Dallas was only 5 for 18 in the second quarter, and the shooting percentages evened out with Memphis shooting 39% to the Mavs' 39%.</p>
<p>The third quarter didn't see much of a change from the play and pace of the second quarter, as both teams really started to show that they were each on the second night of a back to back. The Mavs were able to maintain their lead despite some pretty bad sets, including a particular stretch of 20 horrible seconds I'd love to erase from my memory. At times it really appeared the Mavs were defending well, but in all honesty, it was more the Grizz making mistakes and seeming tired. At times, Marion seemed to single-handedly keep the team in it, grabbing 11 boards through 3. The Mavs were up by 10 at the end of the quarter.</p>
<p>The fourth quarter saw the Mavs build their lead and really never come close to giving it back. Dirk had some incredibly clutch shooting and the Mavs continued to exploit the available pocket passes and the Grizzlies' general confusion on defense to cruise to a 111-99 victory.</p>
<p>Some game notes:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<span>Shawn Marion had himself quite a game, my goodness. In addition to 21 points / 14 rebounds / 4 assists he also had 2 blocked shots. Everything with the caveat of "it's early," but i</span><span>t's becoming hard not to see him as crucial to the team's success if they have any shot at the playoffs.</span>
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<li>
<span>Passing and offense were certainly on full display tonight. As we all thought would happen, this offense can and will exploit a weak defense. Though Memphis is certainly considered to be one of the stronger defenses in the league, they seemed to be having an off night and </span><span>Dallas often made them look silly. </span>
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<li><span>Related, <span>Monta Ellis</span> quietly had a nice, efficient game. He drove a good amount and created opportunities at the rim, and had good shot selection. If this is Monta Basketball, I'm thrilled with it. </span></li>
<li><span>I mentioned earlier that all the starters were in double figures, and that included Dalembert, who actually had a pretty nice game. Not super sure why he sat in favor of Blair to end the game, but 14 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists? I'll take it. </span></li>
<li><span>Ellington was a DNP-CD. Carlisle talked in his post game press conference about this game being match-up dependent. Though he didn't specifically elaborate on why Ellington didn't get any minutes tonight, that certainly seemed to be the indication. </span></li>
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<p>Though it is of course early in the season, this game was really encouraging from a lot of perspectives. For me, the most encouraging part of it was that this is the kind of game the Mavs frequently found ways to lose last season. For the two wins, at least, they were able to maintain their leads and find a way to win. That's something I think we can all get behind as fans.</p>
<p>See y'all against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> on Tuesday night!</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>More from Mavs Moneyball:</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/11/2/5058630/nba-dallas-mavericks-roundtable-whats-the-deal-with-chemistry?utm_source=mavsmoneyball&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">MMB Roundtable, part 3: Biggest factor for success and cohesiveness</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/11/2/5058484/mmb-gameday-stream-dallas-mavericks-vs-memphis-grizzlies?utm_source=mavsmoneyball&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">MMB Gameday Stream: Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/11/2/5058202/the-four-point-preview-dallas-mavericks-vs-memphis-grizzlies?utm_source=mavsmoneyball&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">The Four-Point Preview: Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/11/2/5057306/mavericks-rockets-11-1-2013-quoteboard?utm_source=mavsmoneyball&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">Mavericks-Rockets 11/1/2013 Quoteboard</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/11/1/5056854/mavericks-vs-rockets-2013?utm_source=mavsmoneyball&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">Mavericks Final Score: Houston Closes Out Dallas, 113-105</a></li>
</ul>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/11/2/5059818/recap-dallas-mavericks-defeat-memphis-grizzlies-111-99Rebecca Lawson2013-11-02T18:30:08-05:002013-11-02T18:30:08-05:00GAME THREAD: Mavericks vs. Grizzlies
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<img alt="lolololol they have a photo of Yi Jianlian in here." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I0M_zCNhVUwgWgXJ0lCetT4IIgw=/0x195:466x506/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/22298647/20120229_pjc_sc6_195.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>lolololol they have a photo of Yi Jianlian in here. | Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Mavericks look to overcome a disappointing loss that allowed Dwight Howard to poop all over them.</p> <p><strong>WHO</strong>: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Memphis Grizzlies</a></p>
<p><strong>WHAT</strong>: An MMB party.</p>
<p><strong>WHERE</strong>: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX</p>
<p><strong>WHEN</strong>: 7:30 p.m. CST</p>
<p><strong>HOW</strong>: Fox Sports Southwest</p>
<p><strong>THE STORY:</strong> Game three against another division opponent in Memphis. Should be a good match-up. Mavs Moneyball is going to have FOUR writers at the game, so we should have four times the coverage. Or something like that.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/11/2/5058514/game-thread-dallas-mavericks-vs-memphis-grizzliesTim Cato2013-11-02T11:57:33-05:002013-11-02T11:57:33-05:00Preview: Mavericks vs. Grizzlies
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<img alt="Air Dirk." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5wjgMN4E84LslncsMVOir_9F9hw=/0x0:2780x1853/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/22296645/20131101_pjc_at5_389.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Air Dirk. | Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Game number three? Here's a few words to get you ready.</p> <p><b>1) What did Memphis do over the summer?</b></p>
<p><span>Lionel Hollins</span> has moved on after five seasons and in his place arrives Dave Joerger. The word is a faster pace will help that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> offense that has lagged behind its defensive effort for years, but plenty of coaches have uttered those same words in the long <strike>winter </strike>offseason. Other new additions include <span>Mike Miller</span>, Kosta Koufas and -- finally getting his chance in the NBA -- <span>Nick Calathes</span>.</p>
<p><b>2) Which Memphis player might be due for a big game?</b></p>
<p>This one's too easy, isn't it? <span>Marc Gasol</span>, much like <span>Dwight Howard</span> the night before, should have no problems ravaging the glass on both ends.</p>
<p><b>3) Which <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> player might be due for a big game?</b></p>
<p>If Brandan Wright was healthy, I'd love his match-up against Gasol and Zach Randolph. But I'll settle for Jose Calderon. His shot has been ice-cold so far but it's only a matter of time for last year's leader in three point percentage.</p>
<p><b>4) Which team stat might determine the game?</b></p>
<p>The Mavericks will be outrebounded and will probably lose in points in the paint. But the Dallas offense relies on three pointers as much as anything, and if they finish with a three point percentage 20% higher than Memphis, I feel pretty confident in the win. Of course, if <span>Mike Conley</span> and the gang can match Dallas shot for shot, don't even bother.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/11/2/5058202/the-four-point-preview-dallas-mavericks-vs-memphis-grizzliesTim Cato