Inside Report: Practice Report — Roddy B. turns 23, Mavs stand pat at trade deadline

Earl K. Sneed reports from the Mavericks' Thursday practice, where the team celebrated Roddy Beaubois' 23rd birthday and stayed focused on improving despite the trade deadline.

DALLAS — While 29 other teams might have been focused on Thursday’s trade deadline, the Mavericks were more so interested in how they could improve following their 14th win in the last 15 games.

As Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and president of basketball operations and general manager Donnie Nelson worked the phone lines to see if a deal would benefit the team, coach Rick Carlisle kept his players focused on improving a day at a time.

“The only ones worried about trades are you guys,” Carlisle told reporters after the team’s Thursday morning practice.

But Nelson added that the front office did at least explore the possibility of making a move. But when it came down to it, neither he nor Cuban wanted to break up the close-knit squad.

“We had lots of conversation just to see what was out there. But, look, this group has got special chemistry and they’ve really earned the right to make a run for the roses,” Nelson said. “It’s a sign that chemistry is real important … And when you’ve got it, don’t mess with it.”

So, instead of speculation over possible trades, the only sound that could be heard within the team’s locker room was a collective “Happy birthday, Roddy B.!”

That was the message greeting second-year guard Roddy Beaubois when he arrived to work on his 23rd birthday, despite being highly-coveted by many teams at the deadline, according to Nelson.

“Roddy is a very popular Maverick when it comes to receiving phone calls, because it’s his birthday. And yes, I did sing him happy birthday,” Nelson joked.

All kidding aside, Carlisle took Thursday to point out the progression in Beaubois’ play from Year 1 to Year 2, even though the combo guard has played just three games since coming back from a fractured left foot injury that kept him sidelined for six months.

“I believe he’s made great strides considering he missed 6 1/2 months with an injury,” Carlisle said. “He’s a student of the game. He watches our team closely, even when he’s been out. He knows what’s going on. He realizes expectations are high and he knows how he fits into what we’re doing and how he can help us. And it’s just important for me and the staff to bring him along at the right pace.”

Beaubois echoes his coach’s sentiments, saying that the game has slowed down for him in his second campaign. It’s allowed the cat-quick guard to team with backup floor general J.J. Barea, as the two have picked their way through defenses and provide much-needed penetration for an otherwise jump-shooting squad.

“It’s always good to have someone go to the paint, either to finish or kick out for somebody else. So, I think that because of my speed I can bring that to the team, so I have to do it,” Beaubois explained.

The Mavericks may need more of Beaubois’ penetration and ability to drive and score in the lane going forward, playing as a team with what Carlisle admits is a deficiency to score points in the painted area. But the coach doesn’t want to put the entire onus on Beaubois’ or Barea’s shoulders, believing that the penetration duties should be a shared responsibility between all five players on the floor.

“[Beaubois and Barea] are gonna be important, without question. But penetration comes from every position. It doesn’t just come from the guys playing the backup point position … It comes in different forms. The key thing is we want to get everybody tuned in to exactly what is expected of them, and we want to be able to play and react, rather than to think and try,” Carlisle explained.

The coach also hopes to cut down on the team’s miscues and giveaways, after the Mavericks’ 19 turnovers (eight in the first quarter) translated into 24 points for the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, although the Dallas squad still sprinted to a 118-99 home win. And as his players look to shake off the rust due to the All-Star break, Carlisle believes that the turnovers number will also begin to decrease.

“Turnovers were a problem. We’re not a high-turnover team, but in the first half we were poor in that area. So, that’s an area we’ve got to clean up,” Carlisle said.

“Guys were fumbling passes,” sixth man Jason Terry added. “Passes that have been right on the money the last month and a half weren’t quite on the money. So, today was more emphasis on timing, crisp passing, getting back, transition defense and talking. So, I thought it was a good, productive day.”

The Mavericks will get the chance for another productive practice on Friday before flying to the nation’s capital to begin a three-game road trip against the Washington Wizards on Saturday night. The team will also try to extend a four-game winning streak, with two more stops in Toronto and Philly up on the schedule.

“We owe Toronto, they beat us already. Washington is an athletic team. And Philly is playing well. So, our mission is set. We want to continue to play well on the road, and I don’t see why we can’t get it done now,” Terry said.

Note: Starting a three-game road trip on Saturday night, the Mavs will head into the nation’s capital looking for a second win over rookie phenom John Wall and the Washington Wizards. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

The team will return to Dallas and host the Indiana Pacers next Friday, March 4, looking to avenge a 102-89 road loss on Jan. 12. That game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest. Great seats are still available and tickets can be purchased by visiting the American Airlines Center box office, logging on to Mavs.com or by calling 214-747-MAVS (6287).

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