Practice report (11/30/12): Mavs integrate Fisher into the fold
Earl K. Sneed reports from the Dallas Mavericks' Friday practice, where 16-year veteran point guard Derek Fisher joined the team for the first time.
Practice report (11/30/12): Mavs integrate Fisher into the fold
DALLAS — Friday was a day of new beginnings for the Dallas Mavericks.
One day after waiving big man Troy Murphy to make room for five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher, the Mavericks returned to the practce court eager to get back to work despite their current three-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, Fisher hit the court for the first time since his Oklahoma City squad fell to the Miami Heat in a decisive Game 5 of the Finals, after failing to sign with a team as a free agent heading into the start of training camp.
And with one practice now under his belt, Fisher could immediately be casted into a leadership role for the Mavs when they try to end their current skid against the Detroit Pistons at home on Saturday before venturing back on the road for three games.
“It was an exciting first day. Overall it worked out great. It was a little bit of a minor setback when I took a nice elbow to the nose and I had some nice leakage, so right back into the mix on the first day,” Fisher joked after an unnamed teammate delivered a welcoming message to the 38-year-old veteran lead guard in a competitive practice.
“But overall it was a really, really good day just getting out here with my new teammates,” he added before announcing he'll wear No. 6 as he pursues a sixth title. “I’ve been really training hard and keeping myself ready for this moment, not knowing where it would be. But to be back out here with a group of guys that, you know, everybody is working hard and trying to win games, it felt really good to be back out on the court.”
Sitting at home and admittedly having to at times ban himself from watching basketball, Fisher spent the entire offseason and early stage of this season listening to potential suitors for his services before signing with the Mavs on Thursday, adding that he was able to catch about half of the team’s first 16 games. And after working with the first team during Friday’s practice, the 16-year pro is expected to assume a leadership role from Day 1 for a young team even if he doesn't in fact slide into the starting lineup ahead of 25-year-old Darren Collison, who returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s 101-78 defeat in Chicago due to a sprained right middle finger.
“He’s ready to go,” Carlisle said of his newest addition. “You know, for a guy that’s been sitting out, he’s obviously been working hard and taking care of himself. And it will take a while to get game legs, but he did a great job today and he’s a guy that’s gonna help us. … He’s going to be involved. He’s probably going to be our starting point guard, and we’ve got a great situation with him and Collison, ’cause we’ve got two really good players there and I see a real possibility that those guys could play together some, too.”
“I did keep tabs, especially on the teams that I was in communication with for the last few months. Teams I felt like I had the possibility of playing for, I watched and paid attention to the way the teams were playing, the way guys were interacting with each other and how things were going. So, keeping an eye on this team, it’s not so much just needing one guy to be the leader. Everybody is capable of being a leader. We all have individual responsibilities and accountabilities every time we come to work. … But we want to win games. And so, whatever hat I need to put on for us to figure out how to win games, that’s the hat I’m gonna wear,” Fisher foreshadowed.
Note: Derek Fisher is expected to make his Dallas debut when the Mavs return home to host the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS (6287) or by visiting Mavs.com.
