Harry How/Getty Images
The day has come Mavericks fans. While I stayed up late watching the Stephen Curry show in Golden State, and watched LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers squad lose earlier in the night, the fact that the NBA was back didn’t hit me. That was, until this morning. Dallas Mavericks basketball is back ladies and gentlemen, and it starts off with a bang. The Mavericks are in Arizona to take on the Tyson Chandler, and his new team, the Phoenix Suns.
These two teams figure to battle throughout the entire season for one of the last playoff spots in the very competitive and deep Western Conference. The Suns have a very solid starting squad consisting of Chandler, Markieff Morris, P.J. Tucker, Eric Bledsoe, and Brandon Knight.
“I mean, they just have about seven guys that really do a great job of pursuing it, ripping at it and deflecting,” said Rick Carlisle. “And then, when they get steals and get in transition, those are un-defendable opportunities, so we’ve got to do a good job there. And they can really score.
We learned yesterday that Chandler Parsons (right knee surgery) and JaVale McGee (left tibial stress fracture) will not play in the season opener, and the back court consisting of Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews will be on a minutes restriction to start the season. It was not explained in any further detail, so we will have to certainly monitor those minutes to start.
What To Watch For:
Tyson Chandler vs Mavs Front Court
The impact of losing the DeAndre Jordan sweepstakes and not being able to keep Chandler in the process could be painfully evident right from the start. With no McGee to start, the Mavericks will lean heavily on Zaza Pachulia, Salah Mejri, and even Dwight Powell to battle down low. I’m sure Chandler was already excited about opening the season in front of his new fans, but the fact that he gets to do it against his former team as well, there figures to be more than enough extra motivation.
“I mean, he’s going to be fired up. That’s Tyson,” said Dirk Nowitzki. “He always gives 100 percent effort and energy, and he gets a lob dunk where he wants to tear the rim down and gets the crowd going. That’s him and he’s going to be fired up to play, but so is everybody else.”
Impact of Wes Matthews & Deron Williams
It would have been nice to see more of this in the pre-season, but we did get a glimpse of it in the pre-season finale against the Chicago Bulls. The fact that we are mentioning Wes Matthews and season opener in the same sentence is remarkable. Matthews tore his achilles last season against our Dallas Mavericks, and was originally told he could return close to Christmas. Scratch that. Matthews will start tonight alongside his former Utah Jazz teammate, Deron Williams.
This is a unique opportunity for Williams, and it’s one that he easily could have never been granted. He and the Brooklyn Nets agreed to a contract buyout, and he immediately returned home to Dallas to partner up with the Mavericks. This was a guy who used to average 20 and 7 every night in Utah, and was one of the top point guards in basketball. Then Brooklyn happened. There were definitely health issues and I believe chemistry issues as well. This is a chance for Williams to be with a team full of great chemistry and allow him to get back to his old playing days.
If these two can stay healthy, and they can get Chandler Parsons back soon, the outlook on this season could look much brighter.
Prediction:
If the Mavericks had Williams and Matthews playing a little more prior to the season opener, I would give the Mavericks a chance to pull off this early victory. However, I feel like the Mavericks will hang around, but ultimately fall short. Practice is one thing, but it’s going to take some time for some of these new faces to gel with some of the old ones. Mavericks fall to the Suns, 105-100 in the season opener.
How To Watch:
The game starts at 9 p.m. CT, and will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest. For those who aren’t local, you can watch with NBA League Pass.
On Tap:
The Mavericks will play tomorrow night, and will get their first chance to let out some frustration against DeAndre Jordan and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Mavericks don’t return to Dallas for their home opener until February 3rd, when they take on the Toronto Raptors. They will face the Suns, Clippers, and Lakers before that game, so it’s important to take care of business on the road early, as they will have to do it much of the first month.
“You know, these are three tough games to start out,” said Mavericks point guard Deron Williams. “Starting on the road with a West Coast swing and three in five nights, it will definitely be a good test to see where we’re at.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
You must log in to post a comment.