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NBA FINALS: HEAT v MAVERICKSJune 11, 2006Avery JohnsonDALLAS, TEXAS: Game Two Q. There's all sorts of statistics about Shaq one game versus two games off after a bad game, what in general have you told your team about what to expect from him and how to deal with him tonight? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Some circles it seems like he never touched the ball. But from what I watched on film, he touched it a lot. We've tried to give him different looks, sometimes send three people, two, single coverage, you've just got to try to mix it up. Again, if he comes out and has a monster game and he shoots -- what, he took 11 shots or whatever he took, if he takes 21 or 25, then that's 14 that's not somewhere else. So we just have to adjust. We've been adjusting to so many different things these playoffs starting with Memphis and had different poison with San Antonio, you had different deals you had to deal with with Phoenix. So we just adjust as the series goes on. Q. Two players on the Heat had free throws, even attempts in Game 1, was that surprising to you and can you talk about how your team played that it worked out that way? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, again, their two primary players are a tough guard for us. We've seen this before, last year in the playoffs for us. We met a team this year had that kind of a three-headed situation in San Antonio. So we've seen just about everything. And these are two great players that can dominate a game, but at the same time, we feel the other guys, we have to do a really good job of guarding those guys, because a lot of those guys have been stars before on their teams, like Walker and Payton and those guys. So we've got to pay just as much attention, and it puts a strain on your defense, but that's what we've got to do. Q. Is your feeling that Pat will go away, you talk about how many touches, how many extra touches Wade had and what (the team's winning percentage is) when Wade touches the ball as much as he did and do you anticipate that he'll have fewer and he'll go other places? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: I think for us more than anything, we look internal. We didn't play our best game, all right. We have different statistics and we watch film sometime and we didn't play our best game. So more than anything, we need a better game from the Mavericks. And if we get a better game from the Mavericks and the Heat plays a better game, then we'll have to see what happens. Q. How does the new zone defense rules help you neutralize Shaq, how is that advantageous to the Mavericks? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: I don't know if it helps neutralize him, but for us it helps you try to keep two people in his area. The rules were different when we played obviously. You couldn't go below the free throw line and a lot of different things and there were no zones. So for us, our man-to-man, when it's really good, is a zone, and our zone is really good when we get a chance to play man-to-man, if you know what I mean. So it helps if we can keep him down. If we can't hold him down, then it really doesn't help. Q. When you actually double-teamed a few times with Devin Harris, you don't even consider a person's size when you double, because each guy has a different effect when he doubles? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Again, you can't always put him in a perfect situation. If I had my way, I would double-team him with all three of my centers, but I can't do that, all right. So sometime when you do it, you've just got to pick the right guy at the right time and hopefully, you know, hopefully we can get a double-team on him. Q. You're big into body language. How has Josh's been last couple of days since Game 1? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Josh is really -- he's really loosened up a little bit as the season moved on. He's become more open and he's really soaking this up, as the playoffs has moved forward. Obviously he's been battling a lot of different injuries this year. He's pushed through a lot of pain, which I really like in our players. Having an injury and playing in pain are two different things. So I really like what Josh is doing. He told me he was a little -- he was a little antsy, a little tense a little bit, a little anxious in Game 1, because he's never experienced it before. A lot of our players haven't. So hopefully he can settle in a little bit more and still enjoy it, but hopefully we can have a better game. Q. Are you optimistic that he'll come back with a stronger offensive performance? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, we hope to. But, again, we're not out there playing by ourselves. They scout, they watch film, and try to take you out of your strength. So I don't think it's going to be easy. Q. In each of the last two series, you guys lost the first game. This series, this game you won, but you said, admittedly, it was not your best game. Do you feel like you've spent in the time off now between Games 1 and 2, do you feel like you spent a similar amount of time making adjustments, less because you won, or maybe more because it's the Finals? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: I think it's about the same, you know, maybe a little bit more. We don't like when we play bad, and that has nothing to do with the other team. We respect our opponents. Obviously we're thrilled to be here. We wanted to be here all year. But we're not a satisfied team. You guys only get a glimpse of our team during the game. You don't see them in practice, you don't see them in shoot-arounds, you don't see them in film sessions. So this team is a team that really have set the bar pretty high throughout the season. Q. It goes back to that whole comfort level thing, doesn't it? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: When we have been comfortable, we haven't played well. But when we've been concerned, and quiet, confident, we're a much better team. Q. We all remember how you pretty much lit into Dirk after his Game 4 performance -- COACH AVERY JOHNSON: I did what? Q. You kind of lit into him -- COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Did he say that? Q. Yeah, he did. I was curious if you repeated that the last couple of days or can you go to the well too often? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Dirk pretty much manages himself. We just try to make some corrections when he has games like he had, Game 1 of this Finals. Q. When Dirk does have a game like that, like he had in Game 1 of the Finals, what do you look for when he comes out in the game, does he look for anything different or is there any sign in him you see when he comes out that tells you he will be different? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Yes, there are some signs. Q. Could you elaborate on that? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: I can't elaborate on it but there are some signs. Q. Do you expect him to be different? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Yes, I do expect him to be different. But again, Haslem is a pretty good defender. And if you're watching the game, when Dirk has the ball, it's pretty much that three-on-the-ball philosophy. Dirk is guarded by somebody, somebody else is sitting in his lap, and another big is waiting for him or kind of what we call, spotting up. So if he doesn't make quick, decisive moves, and if we don't space the floor properly, he's not going to get anything. So I think it's more to do with the team than just Dirk. He has to make strong moves. He knows when I don't like certain things that he does on the court, but he will try to make some corrections. But at the same time, you know, we're in The Finals; you've got to give the defense some credit. Q. How does it feel, Coach, to know that there are other teams that have players that respect you so much that they would love to play for you and your organization? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, I'm not really thinking about that right now. You know, I'm not trying to be flattered right now, okay. (Laughter). Q. There's a lot of them, they respect you. COACH AVERY JOHNSON: And I'm honored. I'm very humbled by that. I've never been an arrogant player and I'm not an arrogant coach. But right now, I'm just kind of focused on this job, and if it comes after July 1st and players takes less money or something to come play for us, then great. But right now, I don't have time to think about that. I've got 350 pounds on my mind. (Laughter).
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