Mavs' Malaise: My Top 10 CBS Contemplations
10. No doubt about, we're mired in the worst stretch of Mavs' basketball since 1999.
9. In the wake of Friday's 13-point loss in Sacramento, Fox Sports Southwest analyst Bob Ortegel called it "humiliating" and "embarrassing." And then came Saturday. A 23-point blowout to lowly Golden State. Words can't describe this funk.
8. With losses to Lottery-bound Phoenix, Sacramento and Golden State, that may have been the worst road trip in Mavs' history.
7. The Mavs this season have six losses to Lottery teams and have lost seven consecutive road games, longest streak in 13 years.
6. Coming out of the break the Mavs played nine games in 12 days. The result? 2-7, with losses to the West's four worst teams and one of the East's bottom four. Yuck.
5. The Mavs are now the third NBA team this year to go 0-3 on back-to-back-to-back games. The others? Suns and Pistons. Ouch.
4. Against the Warriors, head coach Rick Carlisle attempted to shake things up by giving Jason Terry his first start of the year and Dominique Jones the first start of his career. The result? At one point in the second quarter the Mavs had 10 turnovers and eight hoops. Failed experiment.
3. Once upon a time this season the Mavs held 15 consecutive teams under 100 points. They surrendered 110 to Sacramento (30th in scoring) and 111 to Golden State (26th). And the offense ain't much better, having produced less than 100 in 11 of their last 12.
2. Lamar Odom is back. But he still isn't the player the Mavs expect. Or need. Despite being without Brendan Haywood (ankle) and Brandan Wright (concussion), Carlisle played Odom only 17 minutes against Golden State. In that run he was 1 of 6. That on the heels of going 2 of 7 against Sacramento.
1. I know the playoffs are still five weeks away (23 games remain), but if the Mavs are going to be hot and healthy come mid-April this is a huge week. Getting back Haywood and Delonte West from injuries is a start. And whipping the lowly Wizards (Tuesday) and Bobcats (Thursday) will also be a step in the right direction. Those teams have combined for five road wins and will each be at the end of a long road trip. If the Mavs don't obliterate both, something's seriously wrong. Something that may not be fixable.
(© Copyright 2012 CBS Local. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Also Check Out:
