Tuesday NBA Roundup: Mavericks' Win Masks Backcourt-Chemistry Issues for a Night
In times of turmoil, displays of resiliency can help quell concerns over chemical imbalances. But when it comes to the Dallas Mavericks, backcourt issues may be too significant to ignore—even if they were briefly thrust into the rearview mirror during a 101-94 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
After scoring a combined 23 points on 7-of-31 shooting over his last two appearances, the streaky Monta Ellis erupted to tie his season high, scoring 38 points on 16-of-27 shooting. Arguably more impressive was that Ellis did the bulk of his damage defended by the seemingly impenetrable Kawhi Leonard.
Point guard Rajon Rondo wasn't nearly as numerically prolific, finishing with two points, nine rebounds and five assists to go with some stellar defense on Tony Parker (eight points, 3-of-11 shooting).
However, one night won't be enough to overshadow some problems that have hounded the Mavericks since Rondo arrived in Dallas. Bryan Gutierrez of MavsOutsider.com noted that Ellis didn't seem pleased with Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com asking questions:
According to NBA.com, Dallas' offense has suffered mightily when its two biggest enigmas have shared the floor. Namely, the offense is producing just 101.8 points per 100 possessions—down from a cumulative offensive rating of 107.2. Combined with a defensive rating of 103.7, Dallas is actually a net-negative with Rondo and Ellis sharing a backcourt.
"Dallas' offense was operating at a league-leading clip before acquiring Rondo, scoring almost 114 points per 100 possessions, primarily with plenty of ball movement and only one 'ball stopper' to speak of: Monta Ellis," ESPN Insider Amin Elhassan wrote earlier this month.
With Rondo assuming primary ball-handling duties, Ellis has been thrust into more of an off-ball role that hasn't been kind to his numbers the past two months.
Those trends were reversed momentarily on Tuesday, but it's hard to envision two ball-dominant backcourt partners like Rondo and Ellis prosperously working in tandem long term.
But head coach Rick Carlisle begs to differ.
"This is not a Monta Ellis shooting problem," Carlisle said, according to ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon. "This is a Dallas Mavericks hard-play problem, all right? We don’t play hard all the time. And that’s a problem."
Nevertheless, it's hard to dispel the notion that Ellis and Rondo are a tactical odd couple, each of whom would be better off running the show solo.
Which is why this summer is going to be so fascinating.
Not only is Rondo set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent, but Ellis will also be able to decline a 2015-16 player option worth $8.7 million. And according to BasketballInsiders.com's Steve Kyler, that's exactly what Ellis plans on doing.
"The big wrinkle for the Mavericks is Monta Ellis, as sources close to the situation believe Ellis will opt out of his deal this summer and seek a new multiyear deal based on his current play," Kyler wrote.
This poses a perplexing conundrum for Dallas. Based on the three-month sample we've been exposed to, attempting to keep both Ellis and Rondo would be a lateral move. Instead, it will be on the Mavericks front office to figure out which player represents a better long-term tactical fit for the franchise.
And when it comes time to make the call, Dallas needs to pore over the evidence and stick with what works.
| Rondo-Ellis-Parsons-Nowitzki-Chandler | 102.3 | 106.5 | -4.1 |
| *Nelson-Ellis-Parsons-Nowitzki-Chandler | 116.4 | 103.6 | +12.9 |
| Harris-Ellis-Parsons-Nowitzki-Chandler | 116.1 | 108.9 | +7.3 |
The numbers don't lie. Ellis is the answer.
Around the Association
Middleton Provides the Dagger
Just when it looked like there was no end to their losing streak in sight, the Milwaukee Bucks captured a buzzer-beating 89-88 win over the Miami Heat, thanks to Khris Middleton's quick trigger.
On a tear during his third professional season, Middleton finished with 13 points, four rebounds and two dimes. His game-winner came on the heels of a miraculous 14-0 run that helped Milwaukee tie the game late after getting outscored, 28-16, in the third quarter.
"I had the confidence to be this type of player," Middleton told Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley in a recent interview. "Just being myself, playing my role, trying to take advantage of the opportunity when it's given to me."
An impending restricted free agent primed to rake in serious dollars this summer, Middleton (averaging 18.5 points on 44 percent shooting in March) helped the Bucks maintain a stranglehold on the Eastern Conference's No. 6 seed. Following the win, Milwaukee's now a solid 2.5 games up on the seventh-seeded Heat.
Miami, though, is in danger of plummeting as far as the eighth seed by Wednesday night with a showdown against the Boston Celtics slated for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Pacific Claimed
The Golden State Warriors took care of the depleted Portland Trail Blazers, 122-108, to capture their first Pacific Division title in nearly 40 years, according to NBA.com/Stats:
En route to slamming the division door shut, the Warriors dropped a staggering 37 dimes on 50 made field goals, 10 of which came courtesy of Stephen Curry.
According to GSW Stats on Twitter, Golden State is sharing the ball at an unprecedented rate:
Curry led all scorers with 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting (5-of-9 from three), while Andre Iguodala added 21 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench.
The Blazers, who were without LaMarcus Aldridge (hand), Nicolas Batum (back) and Chris Kaman (shoulder), put up an admirable fight. However, 29 points from Damian Lillard, 23 from C.J. McCollum and 15 conversions from beyond the arc still weren’t enough to top the balanced Dubs.
Thunder Buddies Unite
I'm not sure what the rules on levitating are, but Russell Westbrook may have broken them when he flushed home a transition lob from D.J. Augustin in the second quarter of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 127-117 thrashing of the Los Angeles Lakers:
Westbrook finished with 27 points, 11 assists and two rebounds as Oklahoma City cruised to a fourth straight win. He's recorded a double-double in all but two of his last 17 games.
Enes Kanter (25 points, 16 rebounds, four assists) went next-level in his quest to compile a sixth straight double-double, totaling 15 points and 10 rebounds in the first quarter. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Kanter's the first player this season to boast that accomplishment:
With the win, Oklahoma City opened up a three-game lead over the Phoenix Suns and 3.5-game cushion on the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 8 seed.
In more optimistic news for the Lakers, rookie Jordan Clarkson poured in a career-high 30 points (12-of-19 shooting).
Detroit's Backcourt Means Business
Reggie Jackson's still getting acclimated to life in the Motor City, but he's looking increasingly more comfortable in his new role with each passing game.
In the Detroit Pistons' thrilling 108-104 win over the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors, Jackson dropped 28 points (10-of-18 shooting) and nine assists while running mate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three.
Jackson and Caldwell-Pope have now topped 20 points apiece in three and four of their last five games, respectively.
Andre Drummond's 21 points and game-high 18 rebounds were also quite significant, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
With the loss, Toronto dropped a half-game back of the Chicago Bulls into the No. 4 seed. Those two will do battle Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre.
On the bright side, once Toronto squares off against Chicago, it won't face another top-five Eastern Conference team for the remainder of the regular season. In fact, the Bulls and Houston Rockets are the only teams left on Toronto's schedule with records above .500.
That's Not Giannis, Mike
Michael Carter-Williams' 6'6'' frame allows him to see over just about every defender, but it doesn't ensure he'll throw accurate lobs.
Case in point: this attempted alley-oop feed to Jerryd Bayless during the first quarter of the Bucks' clash with the Heat:
Sadly, that errant pass was the most noteworthy component of Carter-Williams' four-point, four-assist outing.
The Hits Keep on Coming for Houston
Houston Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley reportedly suffered a left wrist sprain against the Indiana Pacers, according to the Houston Chronicle's Jenny Dial Creech, but it appears as though the ligament damage may be more serious than originally believed.
Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears has the details:
Just when it looked like Houston was working its way back to full strength, this news dropped. Dwight Howard is officially "questionable" for Wednesday's game with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Fox 26's Mark Berman, but Beverley's injury figures to set the Rockets back a bit.
