Remaining Schedule For The Dallas Mavericks: How Do They Match Up?

It’s no secret that the Dallas Mavericks have had a rough couple of games. The overtime loss to the Lakers was tough, especially with the potential matchup with them in the first round. Playing without their star Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum proved to be too much for the Mavs. Similarly against the Utah Jazz, Al Jefferson and Paul Milsap dominated the game in a triple overtime win over the Mavericks. What is the common denominator between these two games? Bigs. The Mavs cannot defend skilled bigs. If a player can hit a jump shot and has a post game, expect them to have a big game against the Dallas Mavericks. It’s so obvious that every team they play exploits it, and there are no adjustments that Rick Carlisle can make short of always double teaming in the post. Brendan Haywood, a good post defender, cannot play defense against shooting bigs. He is too slow to react; he often throws a late hand up in the air to feasibly attempt to contest shots. Brandan Wright and Ian Mahinmi are no better, as they can defend shooting bigs, but they are undersized, so they can be posted up very easily. For Coach Carlisle, he has to just pick his poison and hope for the best against these type of players. Knowing this information, how do the Mavs fair against the teams they play in the last 4 games of the season?

Houston Rockets

Being at home helps against this Houston Rockets team, as they are fighting for their playoff lives. Currently in a tie with Phoenix for the 8th and final seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets are in a slump as of late losing their last 4 games. They will come out strong against the Mavs and will go early and often to Luis Scola, who has had success against the Mavs this season averaging  20.5 points in their 2 previous matches.

Golden State Warriors

Out of playoff contention and without Stephen Curry as well as Andrew Bogut, the Mavericks should win this game easily. As long as they keep David Lee in check, there isn’t another threat on the Warriors that can’t be neutralized with some aggressive defense. Averaging 17 points a game against the Mavericks this season in 4 games, David Lee knows how to take advantage of Dallas’ weak front court. Let’s hope Dallas’ front court is ready for the challenge.

Chicago Bulls

Dallas has yet to play the Chicago Bulls this season, so this should be an interesting matchup for both teams. The Mavs have a good perimeter defender in Delonte West, and that is important since we can only assume Derrick Rose will be playing. If Dallas can somehow neutralize Rose, the offense will run through their bigs Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah to pick up the slack. The Bulls, like all teams in the NBA, will have studied the tape on the Mavs and realize their weakness in the front court. Look for Coach Tom Thibodeau to call a lot of pick and rolls with Noah/Rose, and for them to be quite successful with it. Good news is that they don’t really have anyone that can defend Dirk Nowitzki, so expect him to have a strong performance.

Atlanta Hawks

Another matchup that has yet to occur in this lockout shortened season, the Hawks are currently sitting tied for 5th place in the Eastern Conference. Josh Smith, averaging 18.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, has the potential to completely destroy the Dallas Mavericks. Like Nowtizki, he can shoot from anywhere on the floor, and he  has the ability to take it to the hoop. Play him at the 4 spot and he will spread the floor for Atlanta’s other deadly shooters, including Joe Johnson. Average 18.6 points per game this season and shooting 37.2% from behind the arc, look for Johnson to attempt a lot of threes in this game. With him playing at the 2, it will create matchup problems for the Mavs so expect to see much more of Vince Carter this game. If the Mavs have clinched a playoff spot by this game and losing won’t hurt their spot in the standings, look for Kelenna Azubuike to get some minutes on Joe Johnson as well.

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