Roy Tarpley May Be Answer to Mavericks’ Problems in Playoffs

Roy Tarpley may be the Dallas Mavericks’ new answer to their old El Foldo tendencies in the NBA playoffs.

In these parts, “El Foldo” is Tex-Mex for the Mavs taking deep-six playoff dives like losing to Seattle in the first round last year despite an impressive march to the Midwest Division title. Dallas has never been in the NBA finals.

Tarpley, in his second year out of Michigan, has been such a hit at forward and center for the Mavericks that he could very well earn the NBA’s Sixth Man award this year.

He’s just won an NBA Player of the Week Award, not bad for a bench jockey.

Under new Coach John MacLeod, the 7-foot Tarpley has been given ample opportunity to display his talents, which include an uncanny timing for offensive rebounds.

“Roy has become such a force that we think he has a bad night if he doesn’t get 15 rebounds,” guard Rolando Blackman said.

Tarpley comes into the game usually for strong forward Sam Perkins, but he also spells center James Donaldson, who is bedeviled by hamstring problems.

The moment Tarpley straps on his protective goggles -- he’s wary of eye scratches -- the Reunion Arena crowd comes alive, giving him a big cheer even before he reaches the scorer’s table.

“I come into every game pumped up because of the fans,” Tarpley says. “I’m fired up from the start.”

Tarpley says he doesn’t mind the sixth man role, for now.

“Sure, I’d like to start some day, but I help the team more by coming off the bench,” he said. “It gives me time to study the man I’m going to go against. I just enjoy playing, I don’t analyze myself.

“But it really would be something if I play the way I’ve been playing my whole career, wouldn’t it?”

In playing 26 minutes per game, Tarpley has averaged 11 rebounds and 12 points per game. Extended to a 48 minute game, Tarpley would be averaging 19 rebounds per game, tops in the NBA.

A recent Chicago Sun Times survey of broadcasters and writers named Tarpley as the top sixth man in the NBA.

“We’re using Roy much like Boston used Kevin McHale early in his career,” said Mavericks Vice President and Personnel Director Rick Sund. “He can play forward and center just like Kevin did. Roy is playing more intelligently every game.

“We caught some heat about not making a trade for a center, but look at some of the games Roy has had recently and you can see why we weren’t desperate.”

Tarpley had 28 points and 23 rebounds in a recent game against Phoenix. Playing center against the Houston Rockets, he had 10 more rebounds than Akeem Olajuwon.

“This is the first year Roy has really been given a chance to show what he could do,” Sund said. “He had to go through the rookie learning experience last year.”

Tarpley also threw a scare into the Mavericks when he disclosed a chemical dependency problem last summer. He is under close supervision.

A first-round draft pick in 1986, Tarpley was almost the property of the Los Angeles Lakers. A trade was kicked around that would have sent Mark Aguirre and Dallas’ 1986 first-round pick to the Lakers for James Worthy, but it never happened.

This was at a time when Aguirre was having personality problems with then Coach Dick Motta, who quit last season. The Lakers were said to interested in Tarpley’s potential.

Tarpley demonstrated against the Philadelphia 76ers recently how awesome he can be when he plays power forward while 7-2 Donaldson is at center.

Tarpley had 19 rebounds and 15 points in 34 minutes against the 76ers.

“Roy and I controlled the boards, and Charles Barkley wasn’t his usual rip-roaring self,” Donaldson said.

Philadelphia guard Gerald Henderson said Dallas is a changed team with Tarpley.

“They have to have somebody take charge down the stretch, and Tarpley could be that guy because he can really control the glass,” Henderson said. “I see Dallas as the top team in the division now.”

Owner Donald Carter recently gave the Mavs a tongue-lashing for blowing too many leads, accusing them of being “too nice and without a killer instinct.”

That’s when Tarpley started getting more minutes.

“Too nice” is suddenly a description that doesn’t fit them any more, thanks to Tarpley.

Dallas blew out Denver 123-96 on Monday night to move out to a comfortable lead in the Midwest Division. Tarpley had 21 rebounds.

Tarpley has been the catalyst, giving the Mavs hopes of joining the NBA elite of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston.

“I had no idea I was capable of playing like this when I got into the NBA,” Tarpley said. “But I might as well keep doing it.”