Mavericks center Tyson Chandler (6) and Dallas Mavericks small forward
Shawn Marion (0) defend Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol (16)
during the second quarter of play in Game 2 of the Western Conference
Semifinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center in Los Angeles, on
May 4, 2011.
One of the most worn-out cliches in the entire world of
sports is that "defense wins championships." We all say it. We all
believe it. And yet, for years when the Dallas Mavericks would assemble
their best chance to win a championship, it seemed it was seldom based
on defense.
You play the cards you are dealt (or in
personnel collection, the cards you are able to deal yourself) and for
many reasons, defense was never the identity of this thing. And they
continue to chase a championship to this very day.
But,
in this run - which may or may not be a historic journey - it sure
appears that defense is the calling card of this team from Dallas which
has now won 6 of its 8 playoff games and has won more road playoff games
in one week than they had since their haunting crash-and-burn in Miami
in 2006.
Make no mistake; they were awesome at times
offensively on Wednesday night at the Staples Center. But, that has been
true for years since Dirk Nowitzki has been on this team. Dirk has
ebbed and flowed in his time as a Maverick, but you seldom felt that
Dallas was unsuccessful because their offense was lacking.
Instead,
the Mavericks defeated the Lakers (again) last night because they have
finally found a defense. And, I don't mean a defense that can trouble
Minnesota or Golden State in February. I mean a defense that has the
world champion Los Angeles Lakers frustrated. A defense that has the
ability to stand its ground and defend the paint and the rim. A defense
that doesn't remind you in any way, shape, or form of the Erick
Dampier/Raef LaFrentz/Shawn Bradley defenses of the past. Those passive
and grounded big men did take up some space, but never presented much of
a challenge to those relentless offenses that attack the rim.
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