Erick Dampier Vows to Put Tony Parker on His Back

Spurs lightning bolt Tony Parker ripped through the Mavericks Monday night on his way toward 38 points on 72 percent shooting and, of course, a Game 2 victory. Given the defensive backcourt struggles Dallas has had all season, this is not a surprise. Heck, in the first half of Game 1 Parker had his way with Jason Kidd!

But enlightened Mavericks center Erick Dampier has a solution for Thursday's Game 3 in Big D: beat the snot out of the Frenchman.

Dampier vowed to Jean-Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News that he'd make Parker feel the pain in Game 3:

"Parker got into the teeth of our defense and caused problems," he said. "Every time he drives the lane, we have to put him on his back. The first foul has to tell him he's in for a long night.

"My first foul Thursday night is going to put him on his back. I guarantee it."

Fantastic! Just the cure for what has been (ignoring Sunday's blow-out festival) an exciting, high-octane first round: East Coast defense from a 7-foot wall of bricks. Dallas fans might beg for an early assault of Parker, but the NBA at large hardly thirsts for that type of game.

Regardless, Parker seems to have figured out a way to shoo J.J. Barea and Dallas has shown very little ability to intimidate Tony out of the paint. Damp's going to have to do a lot more than talk to change the tide.

H/T: 48 Minutes of Hell