Feeling pressure

“Mental toughness” has been a much-talked about topic throughout preseason. An offshoot of a guy’s makeup upstairs is how he handles pressure.

Jerry Stackhouse was asked before the game if players handle pressure differently. He answered with a question of his own.

“Think about that question,” Stackhouse said. “Do all humans like pressurized situations?”

Last time I checked, NBA players are also human, so Stackhouse does make a point. Just because they’ve reached the top of their profession doesn’t mean they all want the ball down one with the clock under 10.

“There are a lot of guys that play well that don’t respond in late-game situations,” Stackhouse explained. “They may be talented, but that doesn’t always respond to being confident with the game on the line. They might not be willing to accept the backlash.”

The Mavs aren’t hurting in that category. Start with Stackhouse, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Eddie Jones, Josh Howard, Devin Harris and keep going down the line.

“The list goes on,” Stackhouse said. “We’ve had guys that have taken and made big shots over the course of their careers.”