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Michael Finley looks the part of locker room general. It's an hour before tipoff against the Clippers on Tuesday night, and the longest-tenured Maverick is pacing, addressing his troops. Make that his rookies.
The Mavs captain is going through his pregame checklist. Are their heads on
straight? Do they know their assignments? Are their bodies ready?
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Finley isn't doing this because he's worried about being the perfect teammate. It's more about passing on the knowledge. Ticketmaster
"I'm just trying to be a positive influence on these guys," he said.
Finley is mostly an example man, but he will bark when necessary. And (good-naturedly)
bite.
He'll make sure Jon Stefansson racks all the basketballs left on the court after
practice. Josh Howard better tuck in that jersey before doing interviews.
If only they could handle the luggage.
"Times have changed," Finley said. "The Mavericks have hired
guys to do a lot of the bag carrying. I'll just bring an extra bag full of nothing
to give to the rookies."
Make no mistake, the rookies are ready to carry.
"I'm his apprentice," Howard said. "He helps me out a lot, especially
when I come out of the game for bad reasons. He'll talk to me." Ticketmaster
Finley observed and learned from one of the best as a Phoenix Suns rookie eight
years ago, the always- opinionated Charles Barkley. With Barkley as the ringleader,
and Danny Manning and A.C. Green among the lieutenants, Finley wasn't going
to take a wrong step.
"Guys like that ... didn't really boss me around, but every once in a while
put a bug in my ear," Finley said. "The things that they told me my
first day in training camp I still remember."
The Mavericks plan to carry three rookies -- Howard, Stefansson and Marquis
Daniels -- when the regular season opens Oct. 28 at Los Angeles against the
Lakers. That's quite a departure from recent seasons, when veterans filled out
the roster.
The Mavs broke camp with one rookie last season, but Adam Harrington was cut
in January.
Four rookies started the season on the 2000-01 squad -- first-round picks Courtney
Alexander, Donnell Harvey and Etan Thomas, and second-rounder Eduardo Najera.
The first three were traded within 1 1/2 seasons. Ticketmaster
The Mavs' latest crop of first-year players add a level of athleticism, especially
Howard and Daniels on the perimeter, that coach Don Nelson had craved but hadn't
found. But that's not all these rookies provide.
"It's not just fresh legs, we had fresh legs with other rookies, but they
didn't have the work ethic," Nelson said. "They weren't as easy to
deal with on a day-to-day basis. ... And these guys are like sponges. They just
soak up everything the coaches give them, and they're going to learn real quick.
They're both intelligent young guys, with some skill and great attitude, so
we're really excited about both of them. All of them."
Nelson isn't the only one excited. A certain locker room general is right there
with him. Ticketmaster
"It's been a long time since we've had some real rookies around here,"
Finley said. "It's just the beginning. It's just the beginning."