Game 1 New Orleans Hornets-Dallas Mavericks: Role Reversal

The New Orleans Hornets' 102-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks was a tale of two halves.

Understandably, New Orleans struggled in their first acclimation to playoff basketball and it took a half for them to adjust. Unexpectedly (or perhaps as expected), the Mavs played the second half as if they themselves were the playoff rookies.

First Half

In the first half, Dallas took advantage of New Orleans’ lackadaisical transition defense and ran their way into several transition scores by Dirk Nowitzki. Jason Kidd was the prime initiator of this particular segment of Dallas' game plan.

Because of New Orleans’ tardy transition defense, Dallas routinely ended up with advantageous mismatches. For example, Morris Peterson guarded Erick Dampier in the post, resulting in a foul.

Whenever Josh Howard ended up in an isolation with Peja Stojakovic, Dallas cleared out and allowed Howard to go one-on-one. As a result of Peja’s slow-footed defense, Howard ended up with three early baskets and got to the line to hit six of seven free throws.

Jason Kidd made Chris Paul pay for going under screens by nailing both of his long jumpers. Kidd was also able to post Paul up, requiring New Orleans to double-team. On one occasion, New Orleans doubled Kidd with Peja Stojakovic, and Peja made no effort to rotate back to Josh Howard, resulting in an easy runner.

Howard, Dirk, and Kidd were willing to take New Orleans off the dribble and initiate contact, as evidenced by their 16-19 line from the stripe.

Dallas’ defensive rotations were quick, tight, and anticipatory, preventing New Orleans from locating any open spot on the floor.

Dirk was surprisingly engaged on defense, putting his arms up, rotating quickly, bumping, banging, and staying patient on pump fakes to record two impressive first half blocks.

Dallas decided to make Chris Paul a scorer rather than a passer.

The Mavs had Kidd fight over the top of every screen with Dampier waiting under the basket. Because Dampier wouldn’t rush out and show, Tyson Chandler never ended up with free lanes to the hoop.

And because Paul was unwilling to shoot, New Orleans' screen/roll game was useless.

Only once did the Hornets make the Mavericks pay for their defensive tactic on Paul—when Dampier came out and helped Kidd double Paul midway between the hoop and the basket. Because the Mavs had nobody protecting the basket, Chandler ended up with an alley-oop.

Speaking of useless, Stojakovic had a half to forget.

Besides his struggles with Howard, he committed three fouls, including a careless loose ball foul, missed a layup, failed to box out Devean George resulting in George’s only basket, tried to induce a flop while driving and stumbling into Devean George, and was correctly whistled for a travel.

Also, he got nailed by a Dampier screen and gave up on a Howard drive. After poking away and stealing a Kidd dribble from behind, Peja made an awful outlet pass to Paul, allowing Kidd to step right in for the steal.

With every Hornet off to the races anticipating a break, nobody was back to prevent a 3-0 Dallas break.

Peja did hit two threes, made a couple of snappy passes,  and had eight points. But the points he allowed overwhelmed the points he created.

David West was personally trying to rebuild New Orleans by laying down nothing but bricks—1-7 FG to start the half.

New Orleans played tight, unimaginative, somewhat soft basketball while Dallas was quick, lively, advantageous, physical, and the score reflected it—52-40 Mavs at the half.

Second Half

New Orleans made three radical changes (one accidentally) in the second half which completely and radically altered the face of the series.

Instead of passively drifting while using screens, Paul attacked them and looked to score, hitting three mid-range jumpers right out of the second half gates.

No Maverick was able to stay in front of Paul. Not Jason Kidd, not Josh Howard, and not Devean George.

Once Paul became more aggressive and looked to score, he had the Mavericks in the palm of his right hand.

He dashed past Josh Howard for a floater in the lane, dazzled Jason Kidd with a step-back jumper, destroyed Devean George with a blow-by for a layup, and disheartened Mavericks fans with a superstar (perhaps MVP) second half—10-15 FG, 24 PTS, 7 AST, 0 TO.

It should be noted that without fail Paul went right on every screen/roll and showed much better touch on his passing and shooting when using his right.

In fact, on one sequence, Paul did use a screen/roll to go left. But after the screen, he stopped and darted back to his right around the same screen to leave Josh Howard strung out and eating dust.

Methinks Dallas must overplay Paul hard to his left.

The second and third changes happened nearly at the same time. Stojakovic was replaced by Bonzi Wells after picking up a fourth foul and New Orleans’ physicality picked up tenfold.

New Orleans’ interior rotations were street-fight physical and no Maverick was allowed to go up for a shot around the basket without being knocked down hard. With Dallas unable to muscle their way for open looks around the basket, the Mavs settled for taking futile jumpers late in the shot clock.

In fact, the tone for the series was set midway through the third quarter.

Tyson Chandler entered Dirk’s living room when guarding him on the perimeter, preventing Dirk from getting any separation. Dirk drove, there was contact, and then Chandler gave Dirk a subtle shove after the whistle. This sent Dirk sprawling wildly to the floor.

In truth, the shove was very weak and Chandler didn’t even extend his arms to push off. Yet there was Dirk, flailing around looking for a ref to plead his case.

Sure a technical was called on TC, and Dirk’s three free throws established a nine-point lead for Dallas. But the parameters were established—New Orleans was going to get in your face and knock you down while Dallas was going to pray for the refs to bail them out.

And with that, Dallas, as we’ve seen before, reared its yellow belly.

With Bonzi Wells latched onto him, Josh Howard missed 12 of his final 13 shots, including all eight in the second half, the majority of them meek jumpers.

Dirk turned cowardly, going 2-6 after his weasel act, with only one of those baskets created entirely of his own accord.

Devean George, Brandon Bass, Jason Terry, and Jerry Stackhouse proceeded to go 4-14 in the second half.

Dallas’ rotations completely collapsed and Chandler, Mo Pete, and David West found numerous open shots or driving lanes.

After a dismal start, West found his mojo. For the game, 8-18 FG, 4 BLK, 23 PTS.

Bonzi Wells had a physical impact—4-8 FG, 5 REB, countless knockdowns, 8 PTS.

With Paul percolating, the Hornets were able to poison the Mavericks defense for 64 second half points. Meanwhile, New Orleans held the Mavs to 27 points from the middle of the third quarter on, 7-28 shooting.

No doubt, Dallas has been physically and psychologically assaulted by New Orleans’ newfound physicality, one that will drain the fragile psyche of the weak-minded Mavs.

Indeed, the assumption was that Dallas and New Orleans would battle each other to a physical stalemate and the Mavs would win based on their quick rotating defense and their ability to create mismatches.

While panicking is never an option, the manner in which New Orleans manhandled Dallas throws everything into question.

Still, there are plenty of adjustments both teams can make.

Dallas needs to radically overplay Paul to his left. Kidd and George are two steps behind Paul and Howard can’t get around screens. If Paul is allowed to continually go right, his brilliant handles, his deft touch on his floater, and his terrific floor vision will dissect Dallas.

The Maverics had the right idea in the fourth quarter by doubling Paul as soon as he crossed the time line. But one pass to a teammate and one pass back to Paul would leave CP3 alone again with a single defender.

Does Dallas want to trap Paul? Do they not want to trap Paul? Do they know what they want to do? Those traps must be harder and must be consistent if that’s Avery Johnson’s strategy.

Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, and Dirk Nowitzki, for the first time in their careers, have to meet a challenge head-on.

Dallas must take full advantage of New Orleans’ putrid bench and wear out the Hornets starters by running every chance they get. Hilton Armstrong was unreliable, Jannero Pargo was out of control (1-9 FG, 3 AST, 2 TO, 5 PTS), and Ryan Bowen and Julian Wright were both useless.

The Hornets must give Bonzi Wells the majority of minutes over Stojakovic to keep the pressure on Dallas.

But even with all these adjustments, the truth is, the only MVP-caliber player in the series plays for the New Orleans Hornets.