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1997–98 Dallas Mavericks season

NBA professional basketball team season

NBA professional basketball team season

  • Jim Cleamons (fired)
  • Don Nelson Fox Sports Southwest

The 1997–98 Dallas Mavericks season was the 18th season for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Mavericks acquired three-point specialist Dennis Scott from the Orlando Magic, and signed free agent Hubert Davis. After winning their first three games of the regular season, the Mavericks struggled once again losing ten straight games in November. Head coach Jim Cleamons was fired, and replaced with General Manager Don Nelson after a 4–12 start. Along the way, forward A.C. Green broke the NBA's "Iron Man" record of most consecutive games played, breaking Randy Smith's record, which was 906 consecutive games.

After winning their first game under Nelson, which was a 105–91 home victory over the New York Knicks on December 4, 1997, the Mavericks traveled to Mexico City, Mexico, where they lost to the Houston Rockets, 108–106 on December 6, which was the first NBA regular season game played in Mexico. The Mavericks posted a 15-game losing streak between December and January, which led to a dreadful 5–27 start, then later holding a 9–38 record at the All-Star break. Players like Shawn Bradley, Robert Pack, Kurt Thomas and second-year forward Samaki Walker all missed large parts of the season with injuries.

At mid-season, the team traded Scott to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Cedric Ceballos, who only played just twelve games before sitting out the remainder of the season due to a season-ending knee injury. The team also signed free agent Shawn Respert, who was previously released by the Toronto Raptors. The Mavericks played .500 in winning percentage by posting an 8–8 record in March, but then lost eight of their final nine games of the season, finishing in fifth place in the Midwest Division with a 20–62 record, and missing the NBA playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.

Michael Finley averaged 21.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game, while Ceballos averaged 16.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game after the trade, and Bradley provided the team with 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. In addition, Davis contributed 11.1 points per game and led the Mavericks with 101 three-point field goals, while Walker provided with 8.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in only just 41 games, Khalid Reeves contributed 8.7 points per game, Pack averaged 7.8 points, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game in only just 12 games, second-year guard Erick Strickland contributed 7.6 points and 2.5 assists per game, and Green provided with 7.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, Davis participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout for the second time; Davis lost in the final round to Jeff Hornacek of the Utah Jazz. Finley finished tied in fourth place in Most Improved Player voting, and also finished tied in 18th place in Most Valuable Player voting. The Mavericks finished 26th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 503,936 at the Reunion Arena during the regular season, which was the fourth-lowest in the league. Following the season, Thomas signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks, while second-year forward Martin Muursepp, and second-round draft pick Bubba Wells were both traded to the Phoenix Suns, and Respert was released to free agency.

One notable highlight of the regular season was a game against the 2-time defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls at the United Center on December 29, 1997, where Wells fouled out of the game in just three minutes, which was an NBA record for fouling out in the shortest amount of time; Nelson used a strategy for Wells to foul Bulls forward and rebound-specialist Dennis Rodman, who is known as a poor free throw shooter. However, the plan backfired as Rodman shot 9–12 from the foul line, and the Bulls defeated the Mavericks, 111–105. The Bulls would go on to defeat the Utah Jazz in six games in the 1998 NBA Finals for their third consecutive NBA championship, and sixth overall in eight years.

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1997 NBA draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
115Kelvin CatoCIowa State
234Bubba WellsSF/SGAustin Peay State

Roster

  • Don Nelson
  • Sonny Allen
  • Butch Beard
  • Ron Ekker
  • Donnie Nelson
  • Charlie Parker
  • Scott Roth
  • Bob Salmi
  • Kurt Thomas

Roster notes

  • Center Shawn Bradley holds both American and German citizenship.
  • Rookie power forward Ace Custis was on the injured reserve list due to a preseason knee injury, and missed the entire regular season.

Regular season

Season standings

:z - clinched division title :y - clinched division title :x - clinched playoff spot

Game log

Player statistics

Ragular season

PlayerPOSGPGSMPREBASTSTLBLKPTSMPGRPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
SF**82****82****3,394**438**405****132**30**1,763****41.4**5.3**4.9**1.6.4**21.5**
PF**82**682,649**668**123782760032.3**8.1**1.51.0.37.3
PG**82**541,950185230801071723.82.32.81.0.18.7
SG81302,37816915743589829.42.11.9.5.111.1
SG67191,50516116756851122.52.42.5.8.17.6
C64461,8225186051**214**73128.5**8.1**.9.8**3.3**11.4
†SF52421,797197129433270734.63.82.5.8.613.6
PF41191,02730224304036525.07.4.6.71.08.9
C41868015735312724016.63.8.9.8.75.9
PF41760311430291423314.72.8.7.7.35.7
C391454413322154613913.93.4.6.41.23.6
SG392395683415412810.11.7.9.4.13.3
†PG1602142132604613.41.32.0.4.02.9
PG121029234422019424.32.83.5**1.7**.17.8
†SF129364722511820330.36.02.1.9.716.9
†SG1002152717508221.52.71.7.5.08.2
PF5073243103714.64.8.6.2.07.4
PF103000003.0.0.0.0.0.0
  • † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Mavericks only.

References

References

  1. "1997-98 Dallas Mavericks". Basketball-reference.com.
  2. (September 25, 1997). "PLUS: BASKETBALL; Dallas-Orlando Trade". The New York Times.
  3. (September 25, 1997). "Nelson Still Dealing, Gets Scott from Magic". Los Angeles Times.
  4. Johnson, L.C.. (September 25, 1997). "Trade Lets Magic Get Rid of Scott". Orlando Sentinel.
  5. (September 5, 1997). "Two Free Agents Sign". The New York Times.
  6. Shapiro, Mark. (September 5, 1997). "76ers Sign Cummings to 2-Year Deal". Chicago Tribune.
  7. (September 5, 1997). "NBA Referee Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns". Los Angeles Times.
  8. (December 5, 1997). "Nelson Replaces Cleamons". Los Angeles Times.
  9. Smith, Sam. (December 5, 1997). "Nelson Fires Cleamons, Then Defeats Knicks". Chicago Tribune.
  10. (December 5, 1997). "Mavs Respond to Change". The Spokesman-Review.
  11. Farber, Michael. (November 17, 1997). "Ironman, Move Over, Cal Ripken. A.C. Green of the Mavericks Is Working on Two Streaks: Consecutive Games Played and Temptations Resisted".
  12. (November 21, 1997). "They're Iron Men at Heart". Los Angeles Times.
  13. Ortiz, Jorge L.. (November 23, 1997). "Even at 6-Foot-9, Green Overshadowed by Ripken". SFGate.
  14. (December 7, 1997). "N.B.A.: YESTERDAY; Rockets Win as N.B.A. Makes Debut in Mexico". The New York Times.
  15. (December 7, 1997). "20,635 See Rockets Win in Mexico". Los Angeles Times.
  16. (December 7, 1997). "In Mexico, Rockets Edge Mavs". The Washington Post.
  17. "NBA Games Played on February 5, 1998". Basketball-Reference.
  18. Springer, Steve. (March 30, 1998). "Piatkowski's Place Is on Injured List". Los Angeles Times.
  19. Gardner, Kris. (February 18, 1998). "Dennis Scott Goes to Phoenix". The Houston Roundball Review.
  20. (February 19, 1998). "Celtics Land Anderson in Deal with Raptors". Los Angeles Times.
  21. Heisler, Mark. (February 20, 1998). "It's a Big Deal for Clippers: There Are No Slam Dunks in the Flurry of NBA Deals". Los Angeles Times.
  22. Springer, Steve. (March 29, 1998). "Tonight". Los Angeles Times.
  23. "1997-98 Misc News".
  24. "1997–98 Dallas Mavericks Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
  25. "1997–98 Dallas Mavericks Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
  26. Popper, Steve. (February 8, 1998). "N.B.A. ALL-STAR WEEKEND: Kids Slam and Ham, But a Grown-Up Shoots for Dough; Houston Pair Win in 2Ball". The New York Times.
  27. Bender, Patricia. "1997–98 All-Star Events and Contestants - in New York". Eskimo.com.
  28. "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference.
  29. Povtak, Tim. (May 1, 1998). "Hawks' Henderson Wins Most Improved". Orlando Sentinel.
  30. "1997–98 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
  31. "1997–98 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
  32. (January 23, 1999). "NBA DEALINGS: McDyess, Divac and Smith Sign". Kitsap Sun.
  33. Roberts, Selena. (February 3, 1999). "Pro Basketball; Thomas Elbows Way Into the Oakley Role". The New York Times.
  34. Lewis, Brian. (February 3, 1999). "Thomas Volunteers for Oakley's Role". New York Post.
  35. Gardner, Kris. (June 24, 1998). "Steve Nash Dealt to Dallas". The Houston Roundball Review.
  36. Wise, Mike. (June 25, 1998). "PRO BASKETBALL; 7 Feet 1 Inch of Potential at No. 1". The New York Times.
  37. Armour, Terry. (December 30, 1997). "Bulls 111, Mavericks 105". Chicago Tribune.
  38. (December 30, 1997). "Jordan Scores 41, Rodman Fouls Up Nelson Strategy". Los Angeles Times.
  39. (December 30, 1997). "Jordan Scores 41 to Tie Mark". The Spokesman-Review.
  40. Araton, Harvey. (June 15, 1998). "Sports of the Times; At the End, Jordan Lifts Bulls to Their Sixth N.B.A. Title". The New York Times.
  41. Howard-Cooper, Scott. (June 15, 1998). "A Rousing Six-cess". Los Angeles Times.
  42. "1998 NBA Finals: Bulls vs. Jazz". Basketball-Reference.
  43. (October 5, 2000). "Mavericks Sign Forward Ace Custis". Associated Press.
Info: Wikipedia Source

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