Optimism key for Bass

There's little doubt that acquiring Brandon Bass last offseason after New Orleans tossed him aside has been a big addition for the Mavericks. For the most part, he's seen consistent minutes, but every now and then, whether to send a message or something, coach Avery Johnson has sat Bass.

Bass played just 12 seconds at L.A. last week, but he's rebounded with two big games. He played 24 key minutes against the Suns, scoring 19 points while defensively battling Amare Stoudemire and Shaq. On Tuesday against Seattle, he scored 13 points, 10 in the first half while the rest of the Mavs were struggling to get in rhythm.

He said he didn't allow the 12-second game to get him:

"I mean, I sat on the bench for two years, so I didn't let it get me down," Bass said, referencing his minimal playing time with the Hornets the past two seasons. "My main thing is you've got to stay positive. You've just got to keep working and be ready."

-- Jeff Caplan

Comments

[DJ]

Why does Avery have to send messages by sitting a player down? Bass may have his issues but Avery appears to be losing the respect of his team with the childish antics he uses to "communicate."