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Howard's end

Steve Kerr

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Question
(from Bill Piche of Marion, Iowa)
My 12-year-old daughter and I were sitting watching Dwyane Wade destroy the Pistons in one of the games and she turns to me and says: "Dad, I don't think LeBron James is the next Michael Jordan. I think Dwyane Wade is." To put this in context, we were discussing the great players who might lead their teams to championships. If anyone has insight into this one, you would.

Answer
Thanks for the question, Bill. I think the NBA is heading for a terrific run in the next 10 years or so, with so many great players evolving and capable of winning titles. The obvious ones you mentioned: Wade and LeBron. Dirk Nowitzki is four wins away from leading his team to a title. The Suns would have had a better chance this year with Amare Stoudemire. (Is he good enough to carry Phoenix to a championship? We'll see.) I'm a big fan of Elton Brand, and though it's tough to imagine a team called the Clippers winning titles, Brand is good enough to pull it off. Dwight Howard isn't far off – he's going to be a force and Orlando has a bright future. And what about guys who have won titles but are still in their primes and might do it again? Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan will be right back in the mix next season. I just think the league is in a great spot. The game is entertaining, there is parity and there are so many great young players emerging. Sit back and enjoy the action.

PHOENIX – Dirk Nowitzki may be the face of the Dallas Mavericks and their best player, but Josh Howard epitomizes what the Mavs are all about. His many talents – versatility, speed, shooting, quickness, length – are mirrored by an incredibly deep Dallas roster.

The Mavericks can play any style – big or small, slow or fast – and they're able to use their flexible team to put plenty of lineups on the floor. But no matter the situation, schemes, strategy or circumstances, you can bet Howard will be in the middle of it.

The 6-foot-7 Howard can guard just about any player on the floor – or anyone coach Avery Johnson wants him to guard – and at no point was that more apparent than in Saturday's Game 6 against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals.

After getting shredded by Phoenix's pick-and-roll game in the first half and trailing by as many as 18 points, Johnson decided to put Howard on Steve Nash. To that point in the series, Howard had guarded just about every Suns player – from Raja Bell to Shawn Marion to Tim Thomas to Boris Diaw. But Howard hadn't really gotten a shot at Nash.

Using his amazing athleticism, Howard basically shut down the league MVP in the second half, bringing Phoenix's high-powered offense to a grinding halt. Howard's length allowed him to play off of Nash a bit, but he was still able to challenge shots and recover to cut off driving angles.

After scoring 51 first-half points on 55-percent shooting, the Suns couldn't get anything going in the second half. Dallas slowly wore them down, holding Phoenix to 15 third-quarter points to erase the first-half deficit. By early in the fourth quarter, it was apparent that the resilient Suns were finally fading and that the Mavericks were going to overtake them and earn a trip to the NBA Finals.

As impressive as Howards' final numbers were – 20 points, 15 rebounds and three steals – they were not indicative of his impact on the outcome. He personally changed the game with his defense on Nash and, combined with Nowitzki's big second half, helped send his team to the biggest stage of all.

BEST PLAYER ON THE LOSING SIDE

Boris Diaw – What a series for this guy. He started it off with 34 points and the game-winning shot in Game 1. Then after four more impressive outings, Diaw came up big with a 30-point effort in Game 6. He went right at DeSagana Diop, forcing the Mavs' center into foul trouble and out of the game. Diaw made 11 of 16 shots in a variety of ways: post moves, jumpers and drives. Considering where Diaw was at the beginning of the season – an Atlanta castoff with hopes of finding a spot in the Suns' rotation – Diaw came as far as any player I can remember in one season. He has established himself as one of the most difficult big men to cover in the entire league because of his combination of size and ball-handling skills.

SUB OF THE NIGHT

Jerry Stackhouse – With Jason Terry and Devin Harris in foul trouble, Johnson went to Stackhouse for big minutes and he came through. Stackhouse played 40 minutes and provided 19 points and three steals. He proved to be a tough cover for Phoenix, posting up defenders and knocking down open jumpers when the Suns decided to double Nowitzki.

ADJUSTMENT OF THE NIGHT

Putting Howard on Nash – Phoenix's bread-and-butter play is the screen-and-roll play involving Nash, and Dallas mixed up its coverages all series to try and defend it. In the first half, the Mavericks switched the play, with Terry guarding Nash but getting rubbed off repeatedly onto Boris Diaw. Once the Suns recognized the mismatch, they went right to Diaw and punished the smaller Terry. Diaw scored 20 first-half points, many of them coming against a smaller man – Nash's man. With Howard on Nash in the second half, however, Dallas was able to switch the pick and roll and not get hurt inside. Howard would switch from Nash to whoever was setting the screen – usually Tim Thomas or Diaw – and suddenly there was no advantage for Phoenix inside. Thomas made one post-up move over Howard, but that was it. The Suns had no advantage over him, and suddenly they had no way to attack the Mavs' defense. That's why Phoenix found itself at the end of the shot clock over and over again during second-half possessions.

STAT OF THE NIGHT

39-36 – That was the rebounding edge for Dallas. So what? Well, it marked the 17th consecutive playoff game in which the Mavericks outrebounded their opponent – an NBA record. Dallas has gone from a soft, jump-shooting team two years ago to a versatile, defensive-minded, glass-eating team this season. Give Johnson credit – he instilled a tough-minded, gritty confidence in this club, and the team's rebounding dominance has been a big factor in its evolution.