When life in the NBA seems to be bleak because the competition seems to be so superior, it’s not uncommon for team executives to seek intervention from higher authorities."My dear basketball gods," someone like Mark Cuban might say, "please grant me the strength to be patient.
"AND DO IT RIGHT NOW!"
Patience is an important component in competing for a title, and Mavericks fans perhaps understood that a little better after Monday.
In defeating the Magic 105-95 in Orlando, the Mavericks registered their most significant victory since Jason Kidd was acquired at the trading deadline almost a year ago.
No doubt the victory was a bit tainted. All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson had to leave the game with a shoulder injury in the third period, and Orlando played without him for the last 21 minutes.
In the Mavericks’ most impressive victories this season, someone has been hurt. They beat the Rockets with Yao Ming sidelined and the Spurs with Manu Ginobili injured.
But the victory over Orlando was less tarnished because the Mavericks played such good defense.
The Magic leads the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, but the Dallas defense limited Orlando to 3-of-20 from the 3-point line. Nelson would have undoubtedly helped in that area. He was 3-of-9 when he left the game, which means the rest of the Magic shooters combined to go 0-of-11.
Keep in mind, however, that this is a Dallas team that lost a game to Utah in December when the Jazz was playing without Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap and Deron Williams.
The Mavericks have had some good victories over decent teams that will be in the playoffs — Phoenix, Atlanta, Portland and Detroit.
Generally speaking, however, they have beaten teams they were supposed to beat but lost to the elite teams in the league. Only four teams have won more than 75 percent of their games this season — Orlando, Cleveland, Boston and the Lakers — and before Monday, the Mavericks were 0-5 against those four.
The question that has faced them the entire season was, could they break through? Finally, they did.
And that’s a product of patience. If there is almost universal criticism of the Mavericks, it’s that they have not made great personnel decisions — particularly in the last couple of years.
Fans and media have had very helpful suggestions: trade Dirk Nowitzki, blow up the nucleus, dump Josh Howard, rescind the Kidd-Devin Harris trade, etc., etc.
The Mavericks, however, have refused to panic. No doubt they were at least flirting with panic when they were 2-7 to start the season. But they won five consecutive games to even the record and since that poor start, they are 26-12.
In making the Kidd trade, Cuban and Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson have made it clear they are going for a championship right now. That has been amusing to some, but what should they be saying? That they are competing for the final playoff spot?
The truth is the Mavericks have two Hall of Fame-potential players, two players who either have been or are close to being All-Stars, and they have done a decent job developing their bench.
They should be in the mix — and, in fact, they are — for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It should be expected of them and demanded of them. Anything less, and it is a statement on the players and they should be held accountable.
But writing them off at any time during the first 47 games of the season makes no sense — not with 35 games still left. And look at what’s happened — Andrew Bynum out 8-12 weeks in Los Angeles with a knee injury and Chris Paul day-to-day with a groin injury.
The opportunity is there for the Mavericks, and so are the challenges. They have back-to-back games against playoff-level teams beginning tonight in Dallas against the Blazers and then in Utah on Thursday.
Right now, you could argue that the Mavericks are playing their best basketball of the year. Then again, if we’re being consistent, it’s only a small part of a long season. There is much more to prove.
jhubbard@star-telegram.com Jan Hubbard, 817-390-7760
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