It’s a new week and what better way to kick off Monday evening than with Mavs Game Night! With 11 games in the books, the Dallas Mavericks rest a nudge above .500 with their 6-5 record. Rick Carlisle and his team will shoot for win seven against the Golden State Warriors.

This will be the second night of back-to-back Southwestern road games for the Warriors as they were defeated 119-109 Sunday night by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Stephen Curry (22 PTS & 6 AST; 4-8 3PTM) and David Lee (19 PTS & 10 REB) led the Warriors. I’m happy to see the oft-injured Curry healthy so far this season, because he’s a spectacular player that has been plagued with poor injury luck throughout his short career.

The backcourt matchup should be a dandy. The Mavericks’ revamped point and shooting guards, Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo, will have their hands full against Curry and second year sharpshooter Klay Thompson. Thompson burst onto the scene a year ago (18.1 PPG 3 AST & 3 REB as starter) after the Monta Ellis trade which provided him ample playing time.

Mayo deserves his due early this season. After two dismal seasons off the bench in Memphis, Mayo once again has been given the opportunity to shine as a starting shooting guard. He has not disappointed. Juice had the burden of filling the shoes of one Jason Earl Terry. Mayo isn’t the JET, but he doesn’t need to be. In his own way, Mayo leads our Mavs with 21.3 points each game and makes the Mavs organization look very intelligent in its value offseason signing.

Chris Kaman, Elton Brand and the rest of the Mavs big men will need to be ready tonight. The Warriors have two guys in Lee and Carl Landry who love crashing the boards. With Dallas’ weak rebounding well documented, the Mavs have placed emphasis and working hard to seal their man and prevent easy second chances for opponents.

Bernard James or “SARGE” as we will call him ought to receive huge props for bustin’ his butt non-stop every time he touches the court. Sarge exemplifies the ideal case where regular statistics don’t begin to address his effectiveness to the team. We know he’s 27-years-old and that’s an elder rookie, but his seasoned maturity and relatively sound understanding of the game builds the confidence Carlisle already holds in him.

Turnovers continue to be an issue for these younger Mavericks. The number (15.2 TPG) isn’t the glaring issue. One needs to assume turnover totals rise when the tempo of the game speeds up. The up-tempo style isn’t an excuse. What alarms me remains the way the Mavs players are coughing up the ball. I have no issue granted credit to quality defense when its due, but the Mavs’ recent competition and defensive stalwarts don’t add up.

The Mavericks responsible for the most turnovers per game are Mayo and Shawn Marion (2.7 TPG each). Juice has had his share a superb feeds, but they’ve been overshadowed by some questionable passing choices. Marion isn’t the guy you want leading a break or passing out of the occasional double team; it’s really not his strength.

Collison and his confidence have been off and on like a shaky high school relationship. When the two are together, it’s all smiles for coaches and Mavs fans. Only when they take a break from one another, tension arises and indecisive feeling emerge of “Is he the right one?” People need not worry though, Collison’s relationship with his confidence and the faith our Mavs have in him is way more stabilized than the average high school romance.

Mavs and Warriors no longer present that despised matchup. The years of Don Nelson and the “WE BELIEVE” Warriors rest in the past. None of which are sweet memories to our Mavericks, who themselves look vastly different from the teams that met in the 2007 playoffs.

Fresh basketball’s ahead for both squads meeting tonight in the American Airlines Center.

Time to get that 7^th win, Let’s Go Mavs!!!

Game action starts at 7:30 p.m. CT and airs locally on FSSW/CSNBA.

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