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Bass rare bright spot for Mavs
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NEW ORLEANS — As the Dallas Mavericks try to regroup in the wake of two lopsided losses to the New Orleans Hornets, one of the few things they can be encouraged by is the play of former LSU forward Brandon Bass.
Bass has been a rare bright spot, first in the 104-92 loss in Game 1 on Saturday and especially in the 127-103 blowout in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Mavericks coach Avery Johnson was reluctant to speculate on what Bass might contribute in the series, but the former Southeastern Conference Player of the Year has emerged as one of Johnson’s more productive players.
“Brandon is a young player and I don’t want to get into talking about how much of a factor he can be,” Johnson said before Game 1. “This is his first playoffs. We just want to take it slow and if he gets in the game and he helps us, great. If not, then we have some other ways that we can go.”
Johnson needs to consider other ways to go in terms of defending Chris Paul (averaging 33.5 points and 13.5 assists) and defending the Hornets in particular (191 points in the last six quarters).
But it looks as if the Mavericks need as much of Bass as they can get. Putting him in the starting lineup might not be a bad idea.
Bass, an Erwinville native who starred at Capitol High before playing at LSU, has averaged 13.5 points — only Dirk Nowitzki (29.0) has averaged more — 6.5 rebounds (fourth best on the team) and shot a team-best 61.5 percent from the floor. He has made all 11 of his free throws.
“They’ve just been telling me to go out and do what I’ve been doing,” Bass said, matter-of-factly, “just rebound and run the floor.”
Bass, 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, has shown athleticism, strength, and energy on a team that has displayed little of those three traits thus far in the series. As New Orleans was rolling up a 28-point lead with embarrassing ease in Game 2, Bass, the only Maverick without playoff experience before Saturday, was outwardly the only Dallas player who seemed angry enough to try to do something about it.
“Coach has given me the opportunity to go out there and play and I just go out there and try to play hard,” Bass said. “That’s basically been it. I just have to do what I’ve been doing the whole year and that’s the little things — getting rebounds, hustle plays, and running the floor.”
Bass entered the NBA three years ago as the Hornets’ second-round pick (33rd overall) in the same draft in which Paul was the first-rounder. He struggled with Hornets and never earned coach Byron Scott’s confidence.
After last season, New Orleans declined to tender an offer to Bass, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Bass was invited to participate on the Mavs’ Summer League team and he played well enough to earn a free-agent contract.
This season he played in 79 games, starting one, the regular-season finale against the Hornets eight days ago. Needing a victory to clinch the seventh seed and cement a first-round matchup with New Orleans, Bass helped Dallas blow out the Hornets in the second half.
He played nearly 30 minutes and had 13 points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds. Scott said one of the first things he talked to his team about when the playoff pairing was set was trying to keep Bass off the offensive boards. Bass was 5-for-5 on free throws in that game, and he’s 16-for-16 at the line against New Orleans in the last eight days.
Bass said he feels no ill will toward the Hornets and the significance of the series is that it’s his first in the postseason, not that it’s against his former team.
“Certain players go to different teams and become successful,” Bass said. “I don’t know, I just think Dallas is a perfect fit for me.”
In Game 1, Bass played nearly 20 minutes and had eight points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal. In Game 2, he played 29 minutes, getting 19 points, eight rebounds, and one steal. He made all five of his field-goal attempts and all nine of his free throws.
“It’s a new experience for him and he has no pressure on him,” Johnson said. “We just want him to enjoy this time and if (and) when he gets in to look to do what it is that he does. We’ve kept it real simple for him — get in and rebound and take the shot when it’s there. That’s about it. There’s no pressure on him to do anything great for us.”
Bass has been a rare bright spot, first in the 104-92 loss in Game 1 on Saturday and especially in the 127-103 blowout in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Mavericks coach Avery Johnson was reluctant to speculate on what Bass might contribute in the series, but the former Southeastern Conference Player of the Year has emerged as one of Johnson’s more productive players.
“Brandon is a young player and I don’t want to get into talking about how much of a factor he can be,” Johnson said before Game 1. “This is his first playoffs. We just want to take it slow and if he gets in the game and he helps us, great. If not, then we have some other ways that we can go.”
Johnson needs to consider other ways to go in terms of defending Chris Paul (averaging 33.5 points and 13.5 assists) and defending the Hornets in particular (191 points in the last six quarters).
But it looks as if the Mavericks need as much of Bass as they can get. Putting him in the starting lineup might not be a bad idea.
Bass, an Erwinville native who starred at Capitol High before playing at LSU, has averaged 13.5 points — only Dirk Nowitzki (29.0) has averaged more — 6.5 rebounds (fourth best on the team) and shot a team-best 61.5 percent from the floor. He has made all 11 of his free throws.
“They’ve just been telling me to go out and do what I’ve been doing,” Bass said, matter-of-factly, “just rebound and run the floor.”
Bass, 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, has shown athleticism, strength, and energy on a team that has displayed little of those three traits thus far in the series. As New Orleans was rolling up a 28-point lead with embarrassing ease in Game 2, Bass, the only Maverick without playoff experience before Saturday, was outwardly the only Dallas player who seemed angry enough to try to do something about it.
“Coach has given me the opportunity to go out there and play and I just go out there and try to play hard,” Bass said. “That’s basically been it. I just have to do what I’ve been doing the whole year and that’s the little things — getting rebounds, hustle plays, and running the floor.”
Bass entered the NBA three years ago as the Hornets’ second-round pick (33rd overall) in the same draft in which Paul was the first-rounder. He struggled with Hornets and never earned coach Byron Scott’s confidence.
After last season, New Orleans declined to tender an offer to Bass, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Bass was invited to participate on the Mavs’ Summer League team and he played well enough to earn a free-agent contract.
This season he played in 79 games, starting one, the regular-season finale against the Hornets eight days ago. Needing a victory to clinch the seventh seed and cement a first-round matchup with New Orleans, Bass helped Dallas blow out the Hornets in the second half.
He played nearly 30 minutes and had 13 points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds. Scott said one of the first things he talked to his team about when the playoff pairing was set was trying to keep Bass off the offensive boards. Bass was 5-for-5 on free throws in that game, and he’s 16-for-16 at the line against New Orleans in the last eight days.
Bass said he feels no ill will toward the Hornets and the significance of the series is that it’s his first in the postseason, not that it’s against his former team.
“Certain players go to different teams and become successful,” Bass said. “I don’t know, I just think Dallas is a perfect fit for me.”
In Game 1, Bass played nearly 20 minutes and had eight points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal. In Game 2, he played 29 minutes, getting 19 points, eight rebounds, and one steal. He made all five of his field-goal attempts and all nine of his free throws.
“It’s a new experience for him and he has no pressure on him,” Johnson said. “We just want him to enjoy this time and if (and) when he gets in to look to do what it is that he does. We’ve kept it real simple for him — get in and rebound and take the shot when it’s there. That’s about it. There’s no pressure on him to do anything great for us.”
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