Avery Johnson Settles Into New Role
Gleason
Sat Apr 20, 5:19 AM ET
By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Write
DALLAS - Avery Johnson showed up for work ready to tape up his ankles, lift
weights and start practicing with the Dallas Mavericks. Then he remembered
that's not his job anymore.
Johnson detoured from the locker room to the coaches' lounge Friday to begin
his first day as an assistant.
A blood clot in his leg prevented him from being active in the postseason,
but Mavericks coach Don Nelson valued Johnson so much that he became the
14th member of the team's ever-growing staff.
....Johnson was the only Dallas player with a championship ring, which he
won with San Antonio in 1999. For the first round against Minnesota, his
expertise comes from having beaten the Timberwolves in two best-of-five
series the last three years.
"They're a much better team this year. Kevin Garnett is better - not because
he's scoring a bunch more points, but because he's made other people better.
He's made Wally Szczerbiak better. He's made Chauncey Billups better. He's
made their jobs easier. So I think he's the key to this whole ball game."
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