BIG LOSS: Jason Terry has had a huge impact for the Dallas Mavericks coming off the bench. He suffered a serious hand injury against the Bulls last Friday. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Terry never starts the game for the Dallas Mavericks, but no single team player has a bigger impact or is more capable of setting the tone of the game coming off the bench.
“We look forward to him coming in,” said Maverick forward Josh Howard. “His presence is felt immediately. With his quick hands and shooting skills, he provides us with the winning edge.”
Matt Carroll, a new addition to the Mavericks who came over in a trade for center DeSagana Diop, said about Terry, “JET is our Energizer Bunny. He picks up the tempo and is a great three-point-shooter.”
“He understands his role,” said guard Jason Kidd. “JET is a great player on the floor as well as off. His enthusiasm from the bench or life is reflected in his work ethic and his involvement in the community.”
When asked how he feels coming off the bench, Terry just smiles, saying, “That’s my job.” And what a job he has done over his career. While at Arizona, Terry was the sixth man and Arizona won back-to-back national championships in 1997 and 1998.
JET is averaging 20.2 points per game and four assists per game as the season reaches the midway point.
“Jason Terry is our sixth man. At each appearance he ups the tempo of the game. But it really is in the fourth quarter that he is the most effective,” said Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.
“He gets the crowd involved with his enthusiasm and determination. He is an established leader,” Nowitzki concluded.
“He knows his job and does it effectively,” said Maverick coach Rick Carlisle.
Promised Land
When I told Terry what the coach had said, he just smiled and said, “Coach knows his basketball, and plays us where we can be the most effective. Coach developed so much of his knowledge when he played for those great Boston Celtic teams. This man can take us to the Promised Land!”
When I heard Terry use this “Promised Land” phrase, I thought he was just being flippant or trite until I remembered a conversation we had last week after a game.
Terry told me unequivocally how important the Lord, church, and his family all were to him. Prayer was a daily activity and he had great faith in his coach.
Injury
Jason Terry broke the fourth metatarsal on his left hand Saturday night in the Mavericks 115–114 victory in overtime with the Chicago Bulls. He will be sidelined for several weeks.
With Terry out, the Mavericks are in trouble. In the game against the Bulls, Terry played for less than half the game, but scored eight points.
He wasn’t there in the fourth quarter when the Bulls took the game to OT.
As for other players off the bench, no one comes close to Jason Terry. San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili averages 14.7 points per game, rookie Michael Beasley of the Miami Heat averages 12.7 ppg, and Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz averaged 12.7 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game before departing injured.
Durhl Caussey is an accredited writer covering the Dallas Mavericks.
