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Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks: A Tale of Two Teams

By Adithya Prabakaran

Dalton Schultz #86 (L) and Blake Jarwin #89 of the Dallas cowboys (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Dalton Schultz #86 (L) and Blake Jarwin #89 of the Dallas cowboys (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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dallas mavericks
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 30: Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban smiles during the game between the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2019 in New York City.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The team has actual chemistry

I write this knowing it is a LOT easier to be closer with a group of 15 people instead of 53, so allow me to explain myself.

Social media has allowed us to be closer to our favorite athletes. We see the funny instagram stories, the videos on twitter, and the segments on YouTube. The best teams can constantly joke around off the court team but know when to get serious product on the court every game.

There is no greater sign of this on the Mavericks than the bench play. If Doncic and Porzingis are not playing like the two best on the team, other players like Seth Curry, Justin Jackson, Jalen Brunson, Delon Wright, and even JJ Barea step up and fill in for the other two.

There is a collective understanding of what each player needs to do in order for the team to win. While it starts with Rick Carlisle, the team has been executing at an extremely high level.

How does this team’s chemistry differ from the Cowboys? After all, the Cowboys have the “Hot Boyz” and “the Purge” printed on shirts, caps, and necklaces.

The Cowboys have a lot of voices. Their six captains are quarterback Dak Prescott, guard Zack Martin, linebacker Jaylon Smith, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, safety Jeff Heath and punter Chris Jones.  The Cowboys also have several former captains in tight end Jason Witten, linebacker Sean Lee, center Travis Frederick, and defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford.

There are no shortage of “leaders” in this group, however, there is a pretty big issue. One leader is trying to build his own brand, one leader has been injured, and one is playing well but comes across as obnoxious with the media. It is impossible for all 53 players to be on the same page, but if some of your captains aren’t on the same wavelength, for various reasons, it makes it that much harder for the other 47 players to receive the same message.

This was evident when Michael Bennett went on a tirade after the Thanksgiving loss to the Buffalo Bills. Bennett was frustrated that about the teams performance knowing they could’ve executed at a significantly higher level.

It is nice to see someone care so much about losing, but that player wasn’t someone who had been on the team for a long time. At that point Bennett had been on the team for 5 weeks. How was it that a relatively new voice on the team was the loudest? How does a person who has barely played for the organization care more about the team winning than anyone else? How are the captains of the team not the one stepping up to the plate?

The Mavericks have been able to combat this by doing the following…

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