JaVale McGee’s dunks are perfect option for Dallas Mavericks
Big picture-wise, the Dallas Mavericks knew they really needed a center such as JaVale McGee.
A center that can block shots, effectively patrol the paint, shoot mid-range jumpers off the pick-and-roll, and also master the fine art of the alley-oop dunk.
The latter is important because the defense can’t cheat one way of the other when deciding whether to defend the alley-oop or the mid-range jumper.
Small forward Chandler Parsons is adept at lobbing the ball inside to McGee for the alley-oop dunk. He effectively did it last season with Tyson Chandler and Brandan Wright before their careers guided them away from Dallas.
A guy like JaVale makes it so much easier because obviously he’s long and he’s athletic, and he can jump extremely high. He almost is a bailout for me when I get in the lane.
Chandler Parsons on lobbing to JaVale McGee on the alley-oop
But Parsons tossed a pass from near mid-court to McGee on Dec. 18 against the Memphis Grizzlies that not even McGee could corral.
“It’s all about timing,” Parsons said. “When you’ve got a guy like McGee that plays so good above the rim, it makes the defense tough to guard you. It makes the bigs have to make a decision when he’s going to try and challenge you at the rim.
“And as an offensive player, when you get in the paint and get in the lane, you have to make threes and see if he’s coming at you to lay the ball in, or if you’re going to make the lob pass."
The lob pass is usually thrown so high that most of the time no one can retrieve it except the player to whom the pass is intended.
“A guy like JaVale makes it so much easier because obviously he’s long and he’s athletic, and he can jump extremely high,” Parsons said. “He almost is a bailout for me when I get in the lane.
“I always feel like you can throw the ball up from anywhere and he’s going to go get it.”
The Mavericks know the alley-oop is an integral part of life in the NBA. Those teams that have it are the ones that are most successful.
“When you have to guard the hard roll like that, it just opens up a lot of other things and makes other guy’s life a lot easier,” owner Mark Cuban said. “Obviously on the other side, the shot-blocking [is critical], and he’ll start getting his timing down.
“Him and [Chandler] Parsons in particular can develop a really nice chemistry.”
Meanwhile, McGee is slowly getting his legs back under him after dealing with stress fractures in his left tibia for the past two seasons. And whenever McGee is ready to play 25-plus minutes, he could give the Mavericks an above-average change of pace.
Starting center Zaza Pachulia is a muscular type who is tied for fourth in the NBA in double-doubles with 15. Pachulia can use his girth and power to slow down opponents, while the angular McGee can stretch his arms and have opponents retreating to the backcourt for a jump shot.
“Zaza is great, but he’s just a totally different kind of player, a different style,” Parsons said. “He’s lower to the ground and JaVale’s a high flyer, so it’s just going to give us a more versatile look and it gives us more options.
“They’re two different centers who give you two different styles of the game."
McGee (7-foot, 270) had his best game of the season against the Grizzlies when he scored a season-high 10 points, blocked three Zach Randolph shots, and executed three lob dunks.
“It has to do with spacing and execution,” coach Rick Carlisle said of the lob dunk. “When we set good screens and move the ball right, pockets of space opens up.
“But it’s not as simple as having a tall guy and you throw the ball up to the rim. You’ve got to do some other things well for it to work."
It’s good that JaVale’s health has gotten better and he’s able to play some now.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle
McGee’s wingspan of 7-6 1/2 is second in the NBA to Utah’s Rudy Gobert, whose wingspan is 7-9.
“It’s definitely a blessing and it’s definitely a blessing to be athletic, also," McGee said. “Those go hand-in-hand with each other.
“Really, what’s important to me is when I get in [the game] do what I do and get as many efficient minutes in, and get as many blocked shots and rebounds as I had to in order to help the team win.”
Now that the lob dunk in back in the Mavericks’ game plan, they can start using it regularly, beginning with Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Center.
“It’s good to have guys that can roll and finish at the rim," Carlisle said. “[McGee] and [Jeremy] Evans can both do that.
“In the past we’ve had some guys that were very good at rolling and finishing lob plays. It’s good that JaVale’s health has gotten better and he’s able to play some now.”
Dwain Price: 817-390-7760, @dwainprice
Mavericks vs. Bulls
7:30 p.m. Saturday, FSSW
This story was originally published December 25, 2015 at 4:49 PM with the headline "JaVale McGee’s dunks are perfect option for Dallas Mavericks."