Only 22 games remain in the NBA regular season for the Mavericks.
They are 31-29, and the only thing that record does is put them squarely in the crowded washtub of teams getting tangled up without knowing yet if they are going to cleaned up or cleaned out.
There are 11 teams within four games of each other and while that’s better than being already rubbing your rabbit’s foot for the lottery, it’s still a stressful place to be.
The Mavericks will be either in the playoffs or the play-in tournament. The goal now is to avoid the play-in at all costs.
So what’s that going to take?
We’re here to tell you.
The Mavericks absolutely must come back from the weeklong All-Star break with a vengeance. They can’t tiptoe into the final 22 games. They have a six-game home stand to start it and four are against West opponents, three of whom are below them in the standings.
They have to win at least five of those six games to establish themselves as threats for a home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Another thing: they have three games left against San Antonio. The Spurs have lost 14 games in a row and are firmly fixated on the No. 1 pick in the lottery, hoping to strike gold with Victor Wembanyama.
Knocking out three wins against the Spurs is a must.
If the Mavericks can do those things and break even with the rest of their schedule, which is challenging, then they’ll be able to avoid one of those nasty play-in games.
And now, our questions for this week:
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: After a week or so, what’s your breakdown of the Kyrie Irving trade? Doug S.
BIG ED: OK, it’s not a simple answer. First off, we love the fact that both players have deferred to each other in their first few games. Secondly, we hate that both players have deferred to each other in their first few games. This is not a situation where a superstar arrives and immediately becomes “The Man.” That’s happened a lot in NBA history. Allen Iverson joining Carmelo Anthony in Denver in 2007. Those two jockeyed for 1-A designation and won a grand total of one game in their first two playoff runs. They did reach the West finals in 2009, but couldn’t get past the Lakers. This situation is different because this is going to be Luka’s team until further notice. That’s what we’ve been told and that’s what makes sense. He’s 23 and an MVP candidate on a yearly basis. Irving is 30 and a great player with lots of big-time basketball ahead of him. And the guess here is that they are going to figure out ways to coexist and prosper. And it will require Jason Kidd to be involved, too. It’s not so much about X’s and O’s, but putting those two in their sweet spots and then getting them in unison. My bottom line is that you can’t be against this trade. I was originally against the Jason Kidd trade that sent Devin Harris to New Jersey in 2008. And for more than two seasons, I looked smart. But then came 2011 and it was the payoff that made that deal a slam-dunk. This one might take time, too. But when you have a chance to get a star who is only 30, you go for it. Yes, the price was step, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and picks. But if this had been Pascal Siakam or Tyrese Haliburton or Donovan Mitchell, it would have been a trade that you had to make. Hopefully, it reaches a fruitful conclusion in the near future.
QUESTION: How do you feel about the first few games Finney-Smith and Dinwiddie have played in Brooklyn? Erica T.
BIG ED: No team reshaped themselves and maybe the entire NBA more than the Nets at the trade deadline. They traded two superstars and got back a ton of mid-level talent and a bevy of draft picks. The two Mavericks who ended up in Brooklyn have started nicely. The Nets are 2-2 in the games that Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith have played. Dinwiddie has averaged 17.8 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds. Finney-Smith is averaging 6.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. It’s too small of a sample size to draw any conclusions. But the Nets are going to be a playoff team, in all likelihood and it will be fun to see those two work with Mikal Bridges and the younger Nets. Personally, I will always be pulling for Finney-Smith and Dinwiddie. And, by the way, it wouldn’t be surprising in the least to see one or both of them back in Dallas somewhere down the line.
QUESTION: What’s your favorite barbecue spots locally? Steve H.
BIG ED: Hardest question I’ve gotten all season. We know how to do brisket in Texas, no doubts there. Ribs? Those are little harder to find, at least when it comes to really great ones. If I’m anywhere in the neighborhood, I will go to Hutchins in McKinney. Haven’t been to the second location in Frisco and I prefer original locations over satellite spots. That’s why I go to the Hard Eight in Stephenville when I’m heading to the Hill Country but don’t really visit any of the other locations. If you want an off-the-radar spot, try Wood and Time in Farmersville, just off the main street. They began in a service station in Lavon and moved into their new digs awhile back. They make a great brisket. Of course, you can’t really go wrong with places like Terry Black’s, Pecan Lodge, Heim or Hurtado. Again, I prefer original locations, but it’s Texas. Even our mediocre barbecue is way better than most anything else you will find. But I will say ribs in Memphis or St. Louis are hard to beat.
QUESTION: Do you have any thoughts on how to make All-Star weekend better? Vince W.
BIG ED: I don’t necessarily think All-Star weekend is broken. Unlike the Pro Bowl. And hockey was problematic, but I have to confess, the NHL did a great job of making it watchable a few weeks ago in South Florida. Lots of creativity. The NBA has smarter minds than me working on keeping the spectacle fresh. My personal tweak would be to eliminate the slam-dunk contest. Either that, or pay enough money that it gets the attention of the stars that fans want to see dunk. But to me, the three-point shootout is more fun than the dunk show. As for the game itself, I kind of like when they make it Americans versus international players. But that’s just a personal preference.
Twitter: @ESefko
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