Jason Terry rooting for DeShawn Stevenson to stay at Dallas Mavericks – NBA Update
Jason Terry does not want to see DeShawn Stevenson leave his side.
The Dallas Mavericks shooting guard wants his NBA World Championship winning teammate to stay put and has been trying to make that happen by doing what he does best - talking about it.
Terry is known for being a loud mouth. However, late in the NBA Finals this year, the Mavs sharp-shooter showed that he really can back up his big words.
Recently, Terry has been busy lobbying for Stevenson’s contract renewal with the Mavs.
"What he did in this organization for us, you can’t put a price on it. Because me, watching the playoff series, not only the championship, but the first, second, third rounds, he defended his butt off and he set the tempo for us,"
Terry said. "That kind of toughness you can’t buy. It has to be in you. He’s one of the few guys in this league that has that and it’s special, it’s unique and I believe it’s at premium.”
The 6-foot-5 Stevenson, who is also a shooting guard, only managed 5.3 points per game last season and will be an unrestricted free agent once the lockout ends. However, his value to the Dallas Mavericks outfit cannot be understated.
In a team, laden with the offensive talent like NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and the ever green Jason Kidd, DeShawn’s gritty defence made him stand out last season.
Stevenson was especially terrific during the NBA playoffs. The Mavs had players like Caron Butler and Rodrigue Beaubois out injured, but Stevenson slotted in seamlessly to fill the gap. Time and again he provided Dallas with relentless
defence, invariably against the best players on the opposing side.
His defensive ingenuity provided the platform for the likes of Terry and Nowitzki to blossom and express themselves to devastating effect. It therefore does not come as a surprise that “Jet” wants him back next season.
"Oh, we got to get DeShawn back. Unless you can find another guy like DeShawn," Terry said speaking to ESPNDallas. "DeShawn just has ‘it.’ Whatever that is, it’s special and I’m a guy that’s fighting for him to be back with the
Mavericks."
Aside from the gritty performances at the back end of the floor, Stevenson provided an outlet on offence at the most crucial of times. His dead eye 3-pointers, especially during the Finals against Miami Heat, became a secret weapon
for the Mavericks.
It is clear that Jason Terry enjoys playing alongside Stevenson and he wants to share the court with him next season. To know it for sure, Terry will have to wait until the end of the lockout, but for the moment though, he sure
is leaving no stone unturned in his efforts.
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