Endorsing the up-tempo game

By Steve Goldstein Sports Central Columnist

The changes in the NBA's rules, including the eight-second line and the allowance of zone defenses, have had only negligible effects on the league's style of play this season.

The just-ended regular season was filled with mostly run-of-the-mill action featuring mediocre teams that couldn't shoot straight.

As we move deeper into the playoffs, however, there's reason to hope that will change. Two reasons, actually. The Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings.

After coaching success in the '80s with the Milwaukee Bucks and Run TMC featuring Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin for the Golden State Warriors, Don Nelson had hit a slump.

He'd traded Richmond to Sacramento for Billy Owens, and first-round pick Chris Webber decided he didn't like Nellie's in-your-face style. Nellie exited stage right.

His next gig was with the New York Knicks. That, too, ended badly, as Nellie wasn't the one who could convince Patrick Ewing to give up the ball.

Becoming General Manager with Dallas looked like a nice way for him to ride off into the sunset. Then Mark Cuban, a basketball novice and new Mavericks' owner, saw something in Nellie that most hadn't seen in a decade.

The man knew talent, and he knew offense. The Pat Riley in New York/Miami style couldn't work forever. While offense around the league became stagnant, Nelson unveiled shooting and the fast break, lost arts in the NBA.

The recent acquisitions of Nick Van Exel and Raef LaFrentz have given the Mavericks five All-Star level offensive players.

Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki are skilled, versatile shooters and ball-handlers, while no one works harder or plays more than Michael Finley.

The Mavericks have proven to have the ability to beat teams by outshooting them, rather than by suffocating them defensively. The results have been positive for Dallas and for fans of the NBA.

The Sacramento Kings, too, play an offense-first style, though their lineup is more traditional. They really do start a point guard, a shooting guard, a small forward, a power forward, and a center.

The Kings are also influenced by the mostly hands-off manner of their Head Coach Rick Adelman. Adelman found success in Portland, taking the Trailblazers to the cusp of two NBA titles.

Like Dallas, Sacramento has the unique ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor. Small forward Peja Stojakovic is one of the league's best, while power players Chris Webber and Vlade Divac have soft touches from inside the top of the key.

The Kings' offense also takes its cue from former Princeton Coach Pete Carril. The team moves effectively without the ball, a key to beating both man-to-man and zone defenses.

The Kings look to run off opponents' missed shots, and point guard Mike Bibby is a deft ballhandler on the break. The result is a group that focuses more on team basketball, less on one-on-one moves, a rarity in the NBA.

Neither the Mavericks nor the Kings are teams that need to be told to get the ball past halfcourt in eight seconds. Their common goal is to beat the defense down the floor at every opportunity.

Both teams have found great success. We can only hope that wins by the Mavericks and Kings will have a positive effect on the rest of the league.

After all, to coin a phrase, the best defense is a good offense.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.