DALLAS _ DeShawn Stevenson is in a slump.
Over the past eight games, the Dallas Mavericks' starting shooting guard is averaging just 4.1 points per game. During that span, Stevenson is 11 of 42 from the field for 26.2 percent, including 10 of 37 from 3-point range for 27 percent.
That's a direct contrast to the previous five games from Jan. 2-12 when Stevenson averaged 17.4 points and shot .466 percent from the field (27 of 58), and .489 percent from behind the 3-point line (22 of 45).
Coach Rick Carlisle, however, doesn't seem all that worried about the power shortage in Stevenson's offensive game.
"I just want him to keep playing a solid brand of basketball,'' Carlisle said. "His game for us is going to start with solid defense and taking open shots that are there.
"When he’s able to make plays, it’s good. But we want him to make plays that are the right plays and the ones that he’s capable of making.''
In the aforementioned five games from Jan. 2-12, Stevenson averaged 33.4 minutes per game. But in the last eight games his minutes dipped down to 22.1 per contest.
"Now that we have Sasha (Pavlovic) we’ve been able to take (Stevenson's) minutes down a little bit,'' Carlisle said. "But I don’t think we have to reduce his minutes because of him hitting a wall or anything like that. I just don’t see it that way.''
-- Dwain Price
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