Dampier - Lack of effort or lack of minutes?

One of the biggest criticisms I've heard of my Dampier Index is that even though the numbers seem to indicate that Dampier should definitely get 30 minutes a night, the reason that often doesn't happen is that a) he isn't playing well or b) he's in foul trouble. David Moore addressed the question here:

Q: Is it too early to start worrying about Erick Dampier’s production? He’s really slumping lately, and a guy his size should be able to pick up more rebounds and points in the paint in his sleep.

Michael P. Reaves, Manhattan, N.Y.

MOORE: It’s not too early. More than a third of the season has been completed, and Dampier is averaging nearly four points and five rebounds less than he did last season. The question is this: Is Dampier not getting enough minutes to be successful or is Nelson not giving Dampier more minutes because he doesn’t deserve them? It’s a little bit of both. Nelson has a quick hook with Dampier and tends to forget him once he’s on the bench. But Dampier is also prone to early foul trouble, and Dirk Nowitzki said the other day that the Mavericks are a different team when Dampier isn’t coasting on the court.

Dampier’s production and minutes have been on the upswing the past week or so. It could be a sign that he’s more comfortable with the system and Nelson is more comfortable with leaving him on the floor.

And then this from the DMN this morning:

"When you're on bad teams, I'm not sure how much of a demand there is on your game," said assistant coach Avery Johnson, who ran Wednesday's practice for Don Nelson, who was ill. "Maybe there wasn't as much pressure.

"But, hey, you got what you wanted. You wanted to be on a championship-caliber team, so there's no more hiding."

The Mavericks don't have to get star-quality showings from Dampier to win. But they do need consistency, which Dampier knows has been missing so far.

"I've had a lot of chances," the 6-11 center said. "But it's a matter of guys getting used to each other, knowing where I like to catch the passes in traffic. Last night, it was wide-open. It's definitely getting a lot better."

Johnson has pushed Dampier to shed any lingering attitudes he may have had at Golden State, where he never reached the playoffs.

To me, it sounds like we're headed in the right direction. Sure, I'm willing to concede that Dampier's inconsistency has been PART of the problem, as has his foul trouble. But I also think, like Moore does, that Nelson has had too quick of a hook with Dampier when he feels that the big man isn't playing well. But thank goodness that we have Avery in the fold. He's made Dampier cognizant of his inconsistency, and he's demanding that he improve. That's what a coach is supposed to do. Not just bench the guy and get mad at him. Demand that he improve, and show him how. Maximize talents, and minimize weaknesses.

Based upon the comments by Avery and Dampier, it sounds like Dampier is having to adjust to higher expectations on a better team and also to not being able to play his way into a groove through touches on the offensive end. I've seen a concerted effort in recent games to get Dampier the ball early, which is definitely a necessary move to get Dampier involved, but Dampier IS going to have to learn how to get himself going in those games where he doesn't touch the ball much on the offensive end unless he gets it off the glass.

Having said all that, at the end of the day I still think my Dampier Index is instructive about Dampier's impact on this team. When he plays well, the Mavericks are difficult to beat. It's up to Dampier AND the coaches to ensure that he plays well, as often as possible.


Copyright © 2004 kg_veteran

Jason Terry: Shoot the ball!

I'm befuddled by Jason Terry and what his role is on this Mavericks team.

The guy shoots 49.2% from the floor, 41.9% from beyond the arc, yet he only averages 7.2 FGAs per game. As a starter the last 4 games, he has shot even better, hitting 57.1% from the floor and 50.0% from beyond the arc, yet he has averaged only 8.75 FGAs per game. After Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier, he has the highest "points-per-shot" average on the team. To me, that is indicative of a player that's not being aggressive enough offensively. The question is: Why?

My personal suspicion is that Jason Terry has been trying so hard to become somebody he's not (Steve Nash) that he has gone away from the strengths of his game. Is this because of pressure from Nelson? Is this because of pressure he has placed upon himself? I'm not sure, but rather than try and find a culprit to place blame upon, I'd like to look at what the Mavericks might do, going forward, to better utilize Terry and improve the overall team play.

It seems to me that there are some guys on the team that shoot a bit too much, and some that don't shoot enough. With that in mind, I started thinking about the "ideal" shot distribution for this team. Naturally, that also encompasses the ideal minute distribution.

With Stackhouse about to come back from injury and Daniels presumably about to go on the shelf or 2-3 weeks, I think the Mavericks should use this minute distribution for the time being:

Dampier 30-32 - Bradley 16-18
Nowitzki 38 - Henderson 10
Howard 34 - Stackhouse 14
Finley 32 - Stackhouse 16
Terry 32 - Harris 16

Once Daniels comes back, it would probably be appropriate to trim back Finley's and Howard's minutes a bit more and then divide backup minutes between Stackhouse and Daniels based upon their play.

As for a shot distribution for the time being, I'd do something along these lines:

Dampier 8 - Bradley 3
Nowitzki 18 - Henderson 3
Howard 10 - Stackhouse 10
Finley 15
Terry 12 - Harris 5

I believe that would translate into point production as follows:

Dampier 10.6 ppg
Bradley 3.0 ppg
Nowitzki 25.5 ppg
Henderson 3.5 ppg
Howard 11.3 ppg
Stackhouse 12.0 ppg
Finley 17.1 ppg
Terry 16.0 ppg
Harris 5.0 ppg

TOTAL: 104.0 ppg

By adding Terry as a third main scorer into the mix rather than as a bit player, I think the Mavs could push their way back into elite status as an offensive club, whether or not Terry can play the point position like Nash could. Terry is one of the most efficient scorers on the team; to continue to ask him to dribble up and then stand by while less efficient options take the shots doesn't make much sense to me.


Copyright © 2004 kg_veteran

The Dampier Index

I thought I'd start off my new blog with a little statistical analysis that I did recently regarding Erick Dampier and his impact on the Mavericks this season. I call it "The Dampier Index".


When Dampier plays 30 minutes
Record: 10-2 (.833)

Mavs FG%: .446
Opp. FG%: .418
Differential: +2.8%

Mavs PPG: 100.7
Opp. PPG: 90.2
Differential: +10.5

Mavs RPG: 47.5
Opp. RPG: 42.0
Differential: +5.5

When Dampier plays fewer than 30 minutes
Record: 8-8 (.500)

Mavs FG%: .425
Opp. FG%: .438
Differential: -1.3%

Mavs PPG: 98.9
Opp. PPG: 98.3
Differential: +0.6

Mavs RPG: 43.6
Opp. RPG: 45.6
Differential: -2.0


These numbers clearly suggest that when Dampier plays at least 30 minutes, the Mavericks are much better offensively, defensively, and on the boards. While it is true that in several instances Dampier has been hampered by foul trouble and in some instances he simply hasn't been playing well, I think that these numbers, by and large, suggest that Dampier is a crucial component that has to be on the floor for the Mavericks to have the best chance to succeed. Unless Dampier is prevented from playing by fouls or is playing absolutely terrible ball (which has only happened a couple of times this season), I believe Dampier should get, at a minimum, 30 minutes a night at the the center position for the Mavs.


Copyright © 2004 kg_veteran