Time To Face Reality MFFL’s

 

 

If the loss against Sacramento the other night didn’t do it, maybe last nights result did. The Dallas Mavericks dropped their 2nd straight, finding multiple ways to prevent them from snagging a much needed victory. The fact is this: The Mavericks just don’t have it.

 

“We could have won this game a million ways,” Nowitzki said. “It’s a tough one.”

 

We all need to face facts. The Mavericks are a hodge podge of a roster. They have an aging superstar who needs some help. The Mavericks front office believed they had found those players in Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews. Both players came off off-season surgeries. Parsons has been on a tear since 2016 began, whereas Matthews has struggled mightily all season long.

 

Wesley Matthews, signed by the Mavs to a max contract last summer, ranks 117th of 118 qualified players in field goal percentage (.388).

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 7, 2016

While the Mavericks still currently sit in the 6th spot in the Western Conference standings, it’s really just delaying the inevitable. Dallas hasn’t taken advantage of losses by teams they are in the chase with. Portland has lost three straight, and the Mavericks haven’t done anything to separate themselves. They sit just a 1/2 game ahead of Portland, two games up on Houston, and just 3.5 games ahead of dropping out of the playoff race altogether.

 

 

As a fan base of a franchise that has been highly competitive for much of two decades, been to the Finals twice, and won a championship, we tend to try and find who it is to blame. Is it the Mavericks front office, who continues to fall short of adding that big name to the franchise roster? Should we all forget what Rick Carlisle has done during his tenure with the team and blame him for the current rut we find ourselves in? Is Parsons really the heir to the Mavericks future or just a good “sidekick”?

 

Once again, say it with me. These Mavericks have overachieved and just don’t have what it takes. When I say that, I mean they just don’t have what it takes to do anything come playoff time. We are all just along for the ride. That ride is watching the Mavericks grind their way to the playoffs, only to find themselves matched up with a team they have no chance to compete with.

 

Want to argue that? Go ahead, I dare you. Of the Mavericks 33 wins this season, only five of them have come against teams with a better record. One was against Golden State when Stephen Curry took the night off, and one was the emotional victory of DeAndre Jordan and the Los Angeles Clippers. They tend to beat the teams they should and lose to those they should as well.

 

So what do we have to look forward to? A match-up with the Warriors, Spurs, Thunder, or Clippers? Can you honestly sit here, read this, and say, “Ryan, you need to wake up. Carlisle and company can figure out a way to steal a home game, and pose a serious threat against one of these”?

 

This team has issues. At times, they make offense look beautiful, only to find a way to make hitting a jumpshot almost as difficult as fitting a square peg into a round hole. They also tend to lack a killer instinct. They seem incapable of putting teams away, which is a result of them leading the NBA in OT games (12) this season.

 

It really comes down to this. I have found myself getting into this team throughout periods of this season, only to be pulled back down to earth. Last night was another one of those instances. I refuse to do it any further. If you don’t believe me, watch the game tonight, when the Mavericks will host one of their potential playoff match-ups in the Los Angeles Clippers. They don’t stand a chance in a seven game series with them, and if for some reason, they do win tonight, you can come find me and say I told you so. Just be ready for me to say it right back come next month.