German media interview with Holger Geschwinder

from DMN Mavs blog comments section:

Posted by MrReflex @ 2:59 PM Tue, Feb 19, 2008

I just found an very interesting Interview (Feb. 15th) with Holger Geschwindner (Dirks personal coach…) about the Situation of the Mavericks (Dirk, Kidd...). I am sorry, but it is written in German. I will sum the most important points up:

Part1
http://www.sport1.de/de/sport/artikel_2170559.html
Part2
http://www.sport1.de/de/sport/artikel_2170560.html

Question: After what happened last year against Golden State, has Dirk a blockade this year … do you also need to be a mental coach?
Answer: I don’t think that Dirk has a blockade and you can’t come him, with a metal guru and Slogans like ”you are the best”. Those things don’t work with intelligent people.

Question: Has the regular season lost its importance to the mavericks?
A: No, especially, because it is such a tight race.

Q: Should the Mavs try to avoid certain feared opponentt teams?
A: No, they have 7 games to adjust to their apponents. I don’t understand all these talks about matchup problems. The players just have to be inserted/used/positioned in the right way.

Q: Who is the favourite in the west, especially after the trades of Gasol and Shaq?
A: I can awnser this after the Trading deadline. … and the Spurs are not the team to be measured on any more. Constantly Pick and roll at the free through line is out of date – but a lot of teams still stick with it. Soon / In the near Future there will be no strict fixing of the 5 positions. Every player will be used to his strength – like the Lakers do it.

Q: Should the Mavs improve in that area:
A: The Mavs are an example, that players are pre-assigned at wrong positions. It has lasted until this season until they found out: Jason Terry is no playmaker, he wants to score. Harris is fast and good at penetrating the rim, but he is not an organizer. A learned playmaker couldn’t hurt .

….. German National Team Questions….All Star Game….

Q: How do you rate the performance of Dirk in this season?
A: Regarding the circumstances: Great. A lot has to do with the coach and his “Herumprobiererei” (Negative, slang expression for testing here and there). At least he let Dir make his first triple double and did not take him out again.

Q: Do those tactic experiments harm the Mavs?
A: I wouldn’t say it this way, But Dirk has not the best condition. First he was told to play less minutes. Now he is playing more than ever, so the Mavs still can win. He has so many jobs on the field. And that a 2,13 meter Top-scorer often has the most assists is strangely. Additionally the opponents double and triple him much more often this year.

Q: His three point conversion is down to 30%. Schouldn’t you help right away?
A: Nonsense. If he needs it, we can repair it in three days. Throughing is what he can do best and what we can cour the quickest.

Q: Will you fly to Dallas before the playoff?
A: We will see. In the past I always did it.