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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SUNS v MAVERICKSJune 3, 2006Avery JohnsonPHOENIX, ARIZONA: Game Six Q. Avery, in your career, you were at times considered by some people as a player who couldn't be on a championship team because of various reasons. You know, some people over the years have said the Mavericks is that kind of team that couldn't win a championship. Is there anything that you've been able to tell them or discuss them versus your experiences compared to where they are and how they've been? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Yes, I think in some ways I think I've made a conscious effort to try not to talk about my career, because I think sometimes when you've played some guys who have played and when they become coaches they try to remind players how good they were and how great they were when they played and how great their teams were and I think I've tried to stay away from that as much as I could. But there are rare situations where I bring up stuff like what you're referring to, when people doubted me, being able to lead a team as a point guard. But it's pretty rare. I try not talking a lot about my career, because when I do, I want it to mean something. Q. Avery, can you talk about the shoot-around today? You talked about how the shoot-arounds in the last two games had different results. What did you see today? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: I thought they were pretty focused, you know, but who knows what's going to happen in the game, but I thought they were focused. They were very attentive. We have a lot of respect for our opponent, and where we are at this time of the season is a pretty unique time. So I think, you know, they're focused and hopefully we'll have a much better chance to win this game compared to the last time we were here. We weren't there in the fourth quarter. Normally when we're there in the fourth quarter, give ourselves a chance to win, you know, we win our share of games, but not when you're down like we were the last time. Q. Avery, I think in those last two games here you got the split but you came out, you're averaging like 90.5 points and shooting 41.3 in the two games. You talked about spacing, was it just a matter of clearing up the spacing? Did you do some other things offensively to turn that around and get -- COACH AVERY JOHNSON: We mixed in a few other things but the spacing is very important during this time of the year because you have a tendency to stand a lot. And you allow teams' defense to pack it in the lane, so we have a little bit more movement. I think guys made some decisive moves, which is very important. And giving a guy a foot or two to operate during this time of the year is very significant. So the better out our spacing can be, we space a little differently than what they do, because our teams are different. But when we have the right and proper spacing, something that we've talked about a lot all year, it gives our scorers a better opportunity to score and when they're double-teamed, we have better outlets. So that we can try to make the defense play. Q. The way they play, is it tougher to keep your spacing (no microphone)? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: I just think sometimes it's just a little laziness. Everybody goes through it. All the coaches, we coach the same stuff. So I just think you try to encourage your players not to be lazy and make sure that they space the floor because it's very important. Q. Avery, did Miami taking care of Detroit bring the Finals into better focus for the team? And do you use that, that there is already a team there? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: No, we haven't talked about it. We just really talk about seeing if we can get off to a good start this game, make strong moves, get back on defense, see if we can win a rebound game, communicate, just all the little things that are very important. We don't talk about end results and what's happening in other situations. Q. Avery, much was made about for obvious reasons Dirk's game the other night and you've played with a lot of great players over the years. When a great player takes it upon himself, as Dirk said he did because he saw things slipping away to exert himself, can that kind of player be stopped and what do you expect from him tonight? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, I've seen it before. In my career I've seen it from different players. And it's good, because sometimes I think that's what the great players do. I remember there was a time I told Duncan if you got single coverage score, if you got double coverage score, if you got triple coverage pass, and that's what I think great players do. They know how to rise to that level where the rest of us mortals can't go. Q. That's why you don't tell those stories about yourself, is that right? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Right. Q. What do you expect from Dirk tonight? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Who knows, I think they have a lot of pride. Obviously they don't want to happen with what happened the last game. But I think it's more tonight, it will be a night where we need more of a team offensively, instead of kind of one player just carrying us. Q. Do you believe in motivational talks, and would you give -- what would you say to a team before a game like this? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, I think they are important when used properly. I think like whether you're screaming or motivational talks or whatever it is, I think it wears thin on players. So I've just tried to pick my spots to give motivational speeches, and I just think up until the time that I meet with them before the game, I'm always consciously thinking and meditating on what's the right thing to say to them, because sometimes you don't want to overdo it and sometimes you want to make sure as a coach and as a teacher you say the right things. So we'll see what we need to do before the game. Q. Avery, you've talked all year ever since you were hired about trying to win a championship, that being the focus. At what point in this season did you realize that this team might be special enough to do it? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, you know, I thought it from the beginning, if we could really come together and, you know, just having a vision for this team, if we could just come together and guys would grow. I didn't know Josh Howard, you know, I had goals for Josh Howard and Devin and Jason Terry and we just didn't know how it was going to come together. But I think from the beginning, looking around the league, and looking at some of the other situations, I thought we could be very competitive and I thought we would have a chance. But you just never really know how it's going to come together. And we had an awfully good regular season, obviously, especially with having two, three and four out of our top eight guys injured all year. So you just never really know. But you're optimistic about it and you hope and you have a vision and you never really know how it's going to turn out. Q. When was that coming together, was it the long winning streak? COACH AVERY JOHNSON: I think more than anything it was the three game losing streak.
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