The 2017-2018 Mavs schedule was officially released on Monday afternoon. The mid-August NBA schedule is always a gift from above since it always takes place at such a slow time in the sports calendar. Unless the “Big 3” Tournament is satisfying your basketball fix. In which case, you need re-evaluate said basketball fix.
In this day and age of super teams, there are a plethora of elite games that everyone will immediately circle on their calendar. Games such as:
- Monday, October 23rd and Wednesday, January 3rd against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
- November 11th against LeBron James, (maybe?) Kyrie Irving and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Wednesday, January 24th against James Harden and his new backcourt partner Chris Paul and the Houston Rockets.
While tons of fans will pay ridiculous prices to sit in the nosebleeds of the American Airlines Center to see those games, the true NBA fan should look for the hidden gem of a game on the schedule. Here are five games that will have sexy storylines, but won’t make you break the bank on the secondary market in order to get tickets.
Friday, October 20th against the Sacramento Kings
There were a slew of point guards selected in front of Dennis Smith Jr. at number nine in June’s NBA draft. One of those is the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox out of the University of Kentucky. Fox represented the last pick of the top five talents in the draft that seemed to be for sure picks with the likes of Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Jayson Tatum and Josh Jackson. By the middle of July, Smith Jr. likely had some of teams who picked in the top five re-thinking their choices thanks to his summer league performance.
The Kings also made some interesting signings this summer by adding the likes of George Hill, Zach Randolph and former Maverick Vince Carter to multi-year contracts. Despite that, they aren’t exactly receiving love as far as playoff projections.
The franchise seems to be headed in the right direction, but it’s always entertaining to see the Kings be crazy. Especially in person.
Saturday, October 28th against the Philadelphia 76ers
“The Process” makes its lone appearance in Big D on the first Saturday night home game of the season. The 76ers, unlike the Kings, are relative dark horse candidates to snag one of the lower Eastern Conference playoff spots. After years of losing, they appear to have the numerous young and talented players available to field a competitive roster.
The aforementioned Markelle Fultz and 2016 number one pick Ben Simmons will be early on in their rookie seasons. Joel Embiid, when healthy, quickly turned into a must watch player during his short season last year. Philly also added sharpshooter J.J. Reddick on a one year/$23 million contract this summer.
Fun fact: J.J. Redick’s $23 million salary this season will be nearly FIVE times Dirk Nowitzki’s $5 million this year. Again, Dirk chose that salary, but it’s still crazy to think about that.
Saturday, November 18th against the Milwaukee Bucks
When was the last time anything out of Milwaukee was something you didn’t want to miss? The answer to that is unknown, but the Bucks have become one of the most exciting up and coming teams in the league thanks to a talented young roster built around potential MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The Greek Freak” is a fitting nickname thanks to the insane size and athleticism that allows him to get up and down the court as quickly and smoothly as, well, a buck. Don’t you dare bring up how easily the Mavericks could have had him back in the 2013 draft. We’re all trying to get past that.
Milwaukee’s coach is of course the legendary Jason Kidd. Future basketball Hall of Famer and starting point guard for the 2011 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks. If there’s ever a chance to give a standing ovation to a member of that team at a game, you’ve got to take it.
Saturday, January 13th against the Los Angeles Lakers
This game is scheduled for 2 PM and if you’ve never been to an afternoon Mavs game, you have to do it. There’s just a different energy in the building and it’s fun to walk out of the building and still have plenty of time to do something after the game.
Of course there will also be tons of so-called Lakers “fans” at this game to go back and forth with. Just be sure to keep it PG around the kiddos. The only exception would be if you see Lavar Ball. Every fan in every NBA arena needs to let that guy know that he needs to stop clogging up our social media feeds with his insane opinions and enormous personality.
The much more relaxed Lonzo Ball will be in the middle of his rookie season with the Lakers and will sure to be a polarizing figure on the court no matter how he performs. Matchups between Dennis Smith Jr. and his fellow rookie class point guards will certainly can’t miss matchups for a few seasons.
Tuesday, April 10th against the Phoenix Suns
This will be the regular season finale and it could possibly be Dirk Nowitzki’s final game as a Maverick. Hopefully they make the playoffs and he plays another season, but who knows how his body will feel throughout the grind of another 82 game season. If the Mavericks are out of the playoff picture and Nowitzki has given any subtle verbal hints, this one will be a can’t miss as well.
As far on the court product, Devin Booker of the Suns is another electrifying young player on a bad team. He scored a deceptive 70 points in a loss to the Boston Celtics last season and he also drained a buzzer beater to beat the Mavs at the AAC in a game that proved to be a major blow to the Mavs’ slim playoff chances at the time.
Remember how cheering for members of the 2011 Mavs is a must? If Tyson Chandler is still donning a Suns jersey at this time, cheer extra hard for the big man who anchored the Mavs locker room and defense during their only championship season.
There are many other games worthy of paying to see in person this season, but these five represent great opportunities to see young talent against the Mavs young and improving roster. What games can you not wait to see this season?
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