Darrell Armstrong believed in the Mavericks when he suited up for them and he still thinks this team has the right stuff.
"The reason I took it and the reason I look forward to the challenge is," Armstrong said of his first NBA coaching job as a Mavs assistant, "I feel like these guys can still win. I feel like these guys have the ability to still be an elite team in the West." The 40-year-old former point guard spent two seasons with the Mavs, including the 2006 run to the Finals. He was a feisty spot player on the floor and a fun-loving, yet inspirational leader in the locker room.
Many of his old teammates remain in the locker room.
"I thought it would be a great opportunity for not only myself but for guys that I played with (for me) to come up here and hopefully motivate them and push them to another level," Armstrong said. "One thing about it, I was a leader on the floor when I played. I was a leader in the locker room and a leader on the bench. Avery (Johnson) gave me a lot of leeway to say things and the guys always responded."
MAVERICKS 117, WARRIORS 93: The Mavs shot 62.8 percent in the first half, including 4-of-5 from the three-point arc, and had five players score in double-figures, a feat that often doesn't occur in a full game, to take a 69-47 lead into the locker room. Jason Terry scored a team-high 22 points. Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points and Josh Howard scored 19. Erick Dampier notched a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
