No Time To Sulk: Positives From The Dallas Mavericks Loss To The Miami Heat
Well Mavericks fans, that game was not fun to watch. With the Western Conference playoff picture so uncertain, every game becomes a must win. If one win could have given these Mavericks the momentum to finish this season strong, it would have been this one.
Starting the first half strong, the Mavs looked good coming out of the gates. Finishing the 1st quarter with a 29 to 24 lead over the Heat, it looked as if it was going to be a long game for Miami. That is until Miami exploded for a 36 point 2nd quarter while holding the Mavs to 24 points, taking all of the momentum with them to the locker room at halftime. There were periods in the 2nd half where the Mavericks looked like they were coming back, but in the end the Big Three proved to be too much for them(19 points from Lebron James and Chris Bosh, 16 points from Dwayne Wade). Shane Battier may have had only 6 points, but his defense was the key to the victory. He held Jason Terry to 1 of 10 shooting at just 3 points for the game; Terry barely got a clean look all night. It also didn’t help that Dirk Nowitzki went 1 for 9 shooting in the second half either.
An opportunity lost –but perhaps some good came out of this game.
There’s no time to pout and get into another slump. The Dallas Mavericks are in a race to secure a playoff spot, currently clinging on to the 6th seed in the West. They are only a game and a half ahead of the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets, who are also fighting for their post-season lives. This means the Mavs need to quickly shake this one off and move on to Orlando, who they play next in their Florida road trip. But what positives can they take away from this disheartening loss?
Delonte West
It was Delonte West’s first game back, though his minutes were very limited. He played only 8 minutes, but went 3 for 3 from the field with 7 points. Mavericks fans should be very happy seeing this, as Rick Carlisle wants to ease him back into the line up and without risking a preventable injury. I think that was the right move, as West is clearly not 100% (and won’t be for the remainder of the season) as seen when Norris Cole picked his pocket while he was dribbling with his injured hand. The last thing the Mavericks need is for West to give up petty turnovers just because he isn’t ready to be back. For now, we know he hasn’t lost his shot and the rest will come back with time.
Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom had another strong game today, going 4 for 6 from the field for 12 points, including 2 for 2 behind the arc. He also chipped in 4 rebounds and 3 assists. What can I say? The headband is working for him. Perhaps it is keeping the sweat away from his eyes –which he kept mistaking for tears. Either way, this is a good sign for Lamar and hopefully proves he is comfortable in the system now. Don’t put all of your faith in him yet though Mavericks fans, we have seen some good back-to-back games from Odom before, and we all know how that turned out. Let’s wait and see how he does in Orlando, but he certainly has something positive to build on.
Brandan Wright
Another solid game from the high flyer, going 5 for 8 from the field for 11 points. The Mavericks are getting something from him they have not gotten from any other player on their bench: consistency. Brandan Wright has great decision making skills and exceptional scoring ability. What impresses me most about him is his ability to find the open space on the floor and call for the ball. When he is on the floor with Dirk, he takes advantage of the attention Nowitzki commands and gets to his spots around the paint. After that, a dunk is just a one step and leap away. His production has taken its toll on Ian Mahinmi’s minutes however, who played only 19 minutes against the Heat compared to Wright’s 28 minutes. Can’t argue with production, but Wright’s defense needs to improve if the Mavericks are to keep playing him at the Center position. Hopefully once Haywood comes back (probably next game against the Magic to defend Dwight Howard) Wright will start to get more minutes at the Power Forward position and Odom can take more reps at the Small Forward position. Adjustments will have to be made, but it would make for more optimal and efficient lineups.