Daniels sits, waits for Dallas
DALLAS — On a night that featured almost as many flying elbows as dunks, in a game in which the Dallas Mavericks reminded San Antonio how much it misses Tim Duncan, it was a subtle moment that illustrated the struggles of Marquis Daniels.
As the lead mushroomed to 30 points in the third quarter and the sellout crowd serenaded the Mavericks with yet another ovation, Daniels sat next to coach Avery Johnson on the bench, listening to a 30-second explanation on why he had just been pulled.
“These are trying times,” Daniels said. “I’ve got to learn and go with it, adjust.
“But as long as we’re winning, that’s all that matters. Of course you want to play, but you always take the win.”
The Mavericks are winning a lot these days. But as this team charges toward the playoffs, Daniels is being left behind.
It was bound to happen to someone. Injuries allowed the Mavericks to avoid this dilemma until now. But with four healthy players demanding minutes at two spots, something has to give.
Who sits? Josh Howard is the team’s best defensive player and has proven to be the ideal complement to Dirk Nowitzki on the front line. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective on offense.
Michael Finley is the team’s second-leading scorer and has made more 3-pointers than any other player on the roster. Jerry Stackhouse is the sixth man and plays with an edge that Johnson loves. He can also break down the defense and create his own shot, something that will become more evident in the playoffs.
Daniels earned his six-year, $36.7 million contract because he’s a smooth offensive player. But Johnson isn’t looking for smooth offense as much as he is in-your-face defense.
“It’s just difficult right now because we don’t have 36 minutes for him,” Johnson said. “Last year, I think there was a stretch where he played quite a bit. He shot the ball 25 to 30 times. We don’t have that right now.”
The assist Daniels had in Thursday’s 104-68 win was his first in 12 days. He scored 13 points (more than double what he had in the previous five games combined), but most came in garbage time.
Johnson doesn’t need Daniels to score. He has Stackhouse and Keith Van Horn off the bench for that. He’s looking for Daniels to penetrate and play defense.
“The way guys earn minutes here is not by trying to go out and prove to the coach they can have a great offensive night,” Johnson said. “It’s been a harder adjustment for some guys more than others.”
It’s been hardest of all for Daniels. He had a handful of glaring defensive mistakes Thursday. The player who flourished in the second half of last season because Don Nelson put the ball in his hands now finds himself spotting up on the wing while Jason Terry and rookie Devin Harris run the offense.
“It’s very different,” Daniels said. “I’m not on the ball as much as I was last year.
“But Coach Johnson is doing a great job of getting guys in spots where they can score the ball.”
Johnson sat down with Daniels twice since he’s taken over to discuss his diminished role. He calls Daniels a good kid who has responded to what he’s asked, but added it’s too late in the season to worry about any players’ confidence.