2011 NBA Finals: 5 Questions the Dallas Mavericks Need to Answer Now
Game 3 of the 2011 NBA Finals was a collection of runs.
The Heat would put in several straight baskets and then Dallas would come roaring back.
But Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle talked about the challenge that this pattern creates when he said the following in the post-game presser:
“I think tonight one of the things that hurt us was we were digging out of holes all night, with the exception of the very beginning of the game. We get down five or seven climb back into it, get a one-point lead or get it tied, and then we were a minute or two later back digging ourselves back again. It’s very difficult playing from behind."
If Dallas has any hope of getting back into this series, they will need to answer these five questions:
5. Is Brendan Haywood out for the Rest of the Series?
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The absence of Dallas' back-up center Brendan Haywood was significant on Sunday night.
While he is only averaging 3.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg in the 2011 postseason, Haywood's physical presence and interior defense has given the Mavs a level of toughness that they have lacked in past seasons.
Tyson Chandler played decently in Game 3, but the Mavs only other interior player was Ian Mahinmi, a rarely used third-stringer who had 2 points (2-2 on FTs), 1 rebound and 5 fouls in eight minutes.
Haywood is listed as day-to-day. But the Mavs need, if at all possible, for their bouncy big-man to return to patrol the lane for the rest of the series.
4. What Happened to the J.J. Barea That Lit Up the Lakers?
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J.J. Barea played like a man possessed against the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Quarterfinals of this year's playoffs.
He was nearly unstoppable and almost impossible to contain, averaging 11.5 ppg (shooting 50 percent) and 5.5 apg (with 1.0 turnover per game) against L.A.
The first three games of the Finals against Miami have been a completely different story.
Barea is averaging 4.3 ppg (shooting 22 percent from the floor) and 1.7 apg (with 1.3 turnovers per game) against the Heat.
Without his spark and production off of the bench, the Mavericks look mixed-up and out-of-sync.
3. Is Peja Stojakovic Done?
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As quickly as Peja Stojakovic took off early in the first two rounds of this year's playoffs, it seems he is now out of fuel.
Against Portland and L.A., Stojakovic was playing at a high level, was logging 24 minutes per game and scoring 11 ppg and shooting around 50 percent from the floor and beyond the arc.
In two separate games, the Yugoslavian-native tallied 21 points.
Now, because of his sub-standard performance against the Heat, Peja is averaging nine minutes and has only scored two points in three games..
If the Mavericks stand any chance of getting back into this series, Stojakovic needs to re-emerge and knock down open shots when called upon.
2. Can Jet Terry Take off Again?
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From the bench, Jason Terry has been the Mavericks No. 2 scorer all season.
During the Portland and L.A. series, Terry was in rare form, scoring nearly 20 ppg and shooting well over 50 percent from the field and from beyond the arc.
Now, against the Heat in the Finals, Terry is not even scoring 14 ppg and is not hitting on even 40 percent of his shots.
The Mavs desperately need Jet to fly high in the remaining games of the series.
If not, the series may not go back to South Beach.
1. Can Dirk Carry the Mavericks Alone?
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The Mavericks got the ball into the hands of their superstar, Dirk Nowitzki, at the end of Game 3 regulation.
He had a nice look, even with Udonis Haslem challenging the shot.
The shot did not go down, and the Mavs did not go to overtime.
It's hard for any player on any team to be the sole source of offensive production.
And even though other Dallas players have stepped up at different times, the Mavericks are needing Nowitzki to do most of the heavy, heavy lifting against the Heat.
It's hard to imagine that anyone would think that Dirk is responsible for any more than the 28 ppg and 10 rpg that he is contributing against Miami.
CAN he do it? Yes, he can. And I would be elated if Dirk carries Dallas to a championship.
But will it happen......?
