Mavs Win...Roddy B Was Freed, And Dirk Gets Ejected?

As I watched the first half unfold of Dallas' game Tuesday night I kept a close watch on a couple things. First, if and when Roddy B got playing time. And second, whether or not Dirk could get hot and have one of those 28 points + games. These two things along with the Mavs' ability to play solid defense were my keys to a victory. So, how did things unfold?

Well on the Roddy B situation, it has been accurately chronicled that statistically he is way better than JJ Barea. No offense to JJB but Roddy has light-years more talent and potential. Its just the way he was born! Statistically, Roddy B's numbers are very good compared to JJB's. Roddy plays only 12 minutes a game while JJB is playing right up near 20 per game, and the fact is...their scoring numbers are almost identical. JJB is scoring 7.7 in his 20 minutes a game while Roddy is 1 point less at 6.8 per 12 minutes. see the problem with that is Roddy B is scoring about 14 points per 23 minutes while JJB is still only scoring 8. 

But aside from the scoring comparison, JJB is a LIABILITY on the defensive end of the floor every time he is on the basketball court in the NBA and that will never change. He is the worst +/- guy on the Mavs' roster right now. He struggles to have +1 games this year whereas Roddy B played for 15 minutes Tuesday night and was a +14. The nice thing is...Roddy B has shown flashes of great defensive play. His main rookie mistake is an all too frequent reach in foul. But the thing about that is...he's trying to create turnovers and make something happen. I personally think that a "reach in" foul is nothing less than a guy trying to hustle around and do something positive. Discipline on defense is key, but if the other guy knows that your going to be attacking instead of sitting back and waiting for him to make his move; wont that weigh on his mind and maybe make him force something quicker than what would be "ideal"? Whether he passes the ball, shoots the ball, or picks up his dribble at an awkward moment. Any of those are better than JJB getting pushed around and run around and scored on. And that is what I see every time Roddy B is in the game. A defensive spark that ignites the offense. 

Roddy B likes to run and he is a PHENOMENAL finisher at the rim. Every time he is on the court I come out of my seat 2 or 3 times to marvel at some kind of incredible show he puts on at the rim. Quite frankly its unbelievable at times. But the point is he needs more playing time...he needs to be the 7th or 8th guy off the bench. The legit back up PG to J Kidd. He is no doubt the future of this franchise at the PG position and JJB is and always will be the situational spark plug guard. So there is my case for why Roddy B should be getting more than 12 minutes a night. There are actually T-shirts that say "Free Roddy B" out there! Awesome! 

Here's what I saw last night. Roddy B came in the game with 2:55 seconds left in the third quarter. At that time the Mavs' were down 4. Ten minutes later...the Mavs' are UP by 19. Thats a 23 point swing in ten minutes. I'm not saying Roddy was the reason for that but...RODDY B WAS THE REASON FOR THAT! Within seconds of entering the game he hit a big time three, followed by a sweet lay in with the left hand, and finally to begin the fourth quarter they ran "the lob" play which is where Roddy B takes the ball at the top of the three point arch, then gives to Kidd who steers right for a moment during which the pick set by Haywood (or whatever big is in the game) on Roddy's man gives the speedy Roddy B a sprint to the hoop where he finds J Kidd's alley oop lob pass waiting for him to go up, get, and slam it home. It works nearly every time...and boy can Roddy B fly! By the way, the Mavs' also created 5 turnovers and got alot of stops while playing the 2-3 zone during this stretch. 

So during the 14:55 seconds Roddy B played he had 10 points, 3 boards, a steal, and the Mavs' took the lead and won by double digits at home; which unfortunately has not been easy to do this season for some reason. All in all, I like what I see from this kid. And I'm going to continue to monitor his playing time and stats because I believe that come playoff time he deserves the opportunity to relieve Jason Kidd from time to time and can be effective in those minutes.

On to the subject of Dirk. Let me start by saying that Dirk Nowitzki is incredible. But, what I wanted from him was a statement game, because of the Mavs' sloppy play of late I needed Dirk to come out and put his stamp on this one and pretty much play like the MVP he is. And he was on his way to doing so. His game was interrupted by a couple of bogus calls by a young and whistle-happy referee. Dirk was shoved in the back and they did not call a foul, then Dirk contested a shot and didn't make too much contact with the guy but they called the foul on Nowitzki anyway. So naturally Dirk talks to the ref about it and maybe said a little too much at first so the ref T's him up, and then, frustrated and confused probably Dirk turns and continues to not bite his tongue and the ref immediately gives him a second Technical and throws Dirk out of the game. This is only Dirk's 3 ejection in his career. I'm not so sure that he deserved it, I and many others think that the ref was a little quick on the draw this time but hey...Dirk may have alluded to his prescription specs or something, who knows? 

Fact is, Dirk got thrown out of the game only a couple minutes into the 3rd quarter, leaving the rest of the dudes to fend for themselves. Which they did. But I said I wanted one of those monster games from Dirk, and he was giving it to me before his ejection. Check out these numbers and keep in mind that all of his stats are from only one half of this game. 

19:18 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and he was 8-11 from the floor. That's efficiency! If he gets his normal 35+ minutes we would be talking about Dirk shooting 14-20 for 34 points and 7 or 8 rebounds. I like it. So his impact was huge even though he was stuck in the locker room for the second half. 

The other thing the Mavs' needed to do was play defense and they did that pretty well last night. They forced 11 turnovers and didn't commit 18 as they had the previous two games. And their bigs played well...Haywood had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks; while Damp in limited time had 3 points, 2 blocks, and 6 rebounds. This is a vast improvement over the last few games. Keep that up. 

Also, it was Jason Kidd's birthday yesterday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! He turned 37...and he played like he was 27. He had a phenomenal game...it was a thing of beauty to watch him dominate the game in the fourth quarter the way he did. He ended up with a season high 26 points to go along with 12 assists and 6 rebounds. But he also played a monster 41 minutes and only turned the ball over twice! That is great. Plus with Dirk out the second half, someone had to step up, and why not Kidd? This is what J Kidd said about his game: 

"Since Dirk was gone, I thought I'd play (like) Dirk today!"

That's funny stuff, but its also true! It is worth mentioning that Kidd has transformed himself into an incredible and legitimate three point threat! He was 6-11 for the game and is shooting 42% from beyond the arc for the year! Awesome! Coach Rick Carlisle had this to say about Jason Kidd after the game: 

"He willed the team with his energy and his enthusiasm. He got guys engaged and you know, it wasn't just play-making, it was shot-making, it was assists, it was defensive plays, it was, you know, giving guys confidence out there. ... He is just phenomenal."

Here is a great little statistical tribute to J Kidd, courtesy of Fish of dallasbasketball.com: http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=2763