We NEED a win. It’s been a grueling stretch for the Dallas Mavericks since their 4-1 start. It’s not necessarily the competition that has been the killer, but rather the Mavs beating themselves in close games due to the Turnover Plague. With only three wins in the last 10 games, basketball has been anything but fun for the Mavs or us fans.
Last season Dallas defended its title with a depleted championship roster. Instead they brought in guys like Vince Carter, Delonte West and the ill-favored Lamar Odom. It was a season of distress, complaints and questions about the directions the Mavs Brain Trust was taking the team. The point is last year was a miserable excuse for a real chance to defend our first world championship.
Now with a new season and basically a brand new team, 15 games in and after a quick start that raised all of our hopes, we’re back to feeling uneasy and frustrated with this Mavs basketball. The youth that we all wanted to be entertained by has had several moments that make us miss the luxury of having smarter, seasoned veterans Jason Kidd and Jason Terry.
The Mavericks look to avoid dropping two games under .500 when they hit up the Windy City to face the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls without their own star Derrick Rose also enter this game with more losses than wins.
In the loss to the Philadelphia 76ers the Mavs received solid performances from their front line as Elton Brand and Shawn Marion recorded 17 points and 8 rebounds apiece. Chris Kaman scored 20 points and Vince Carter added 15 points on 6-10 shooting. They still found a way to not come away with the victory because the turnover bug destroyed them late in the game when they spilled the beans on six straight possessions.
Erase the memory and focus on the Bulls. Chicago always plays the game with intense grit and rebound the hell out of the basketball. The Mavs really haven’t had much luck against Tom Thibodeau’s team. Based on what one has seen you’d expect Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and the active Taj Gibson to dominate the glass. Luol Deng also does work on the boards so we need to hope our team can hold its own and compete with them.
The other keys really don’t need more mention. Stop the elementary turnovers and value the ball. Efficient passing and good ball movement should lead to better offensive execution. Try O.J. Mayo running the point some and Juice needs to be way more aggressive attacking early.
OK I need to get this steak on my grill and finish the rest of my dinner. Remember this isn’t a MUST WIN game by any means, there just aren’t any of those this point in a young season. Enjoy it MAVSNATION!
Action tips at 7:00 p.m. CT and airs on both FSSW and CSN Chicago.
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