By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Dallas is 2-2, 1-0 after the first week of the new season. Dallas has dropped games to Phoenix and New Orleans and have wins over Memphis and Brooklyn. Dallas will have their hands full with the upcoming teams on the road and at home. The key for the Mavericks will be half-court defense and making better decisions on the offensive end. Three things that the Mavericks must improve on would be creating turnovers, rebounding and running the offense through Christian Woods instead of Luka Doncic. Keep in mind that Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr will need the ball on the wing to create one on one matchups in the open floor. Three-point shooting should be limited in transition. Long shot equals long rebound is a huge problem for a team that struggles rebounding.
10/29 – 8:00 pm – Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks – TV: Local
This should be an easy game for the Mavericks. The Thunder are a young team that will have growing pains this year. Keep an eye on the Thunder PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s leading the team in scoring with 29.3 ppg. He will be the x-factor for the Thunder. Dallas will need to stop him and get a win at home. Final Score: Thunder 91 – Mavericks 114!
10/30 – 6:30 p.m. – Orlando Magic vs Dallas Mavericks – TV: Local
This will be the second game of a five-game home stand for the Mavericks. The team is getting younger and hungrier. The Orlando Magic is a good team with no veteran leadership on the squad. They just got their first win of the season. Dallas should have an easy time tuning up the Magic at home. Keep an eye on SG Spencer Dinwiddie on the defensive end. Final Score: Magic 89 – Mavericks 129!
11/2 – 7:30 p.m. – Utah Jazz vs New Dallas Mavericks – TV: Local
Dallas beat the Utah Jazz in the preseason on the road. This will be the Mavericks third game in a row at home. The Jazz will be seeking revenge for that loss. Keep an eye on Luka in this one. He’s bigger than all of the Jazz point guards. He should play more in the paint by posting up the smaller players instead of launching three pointers. He would be the favorite in the MVP race if he adds more dimensions to his game. Final Score: Jazz 100- Mavericks 121!
11/4 – 7:30 p.m. – Toronto Raptors vs Dallas Mavericks – TV: Local
This is the fourth game of the Mavericks 5-game home stand before hitting the road to Orlando. Dallas will need to play tougher on the defensive end. The Raptors are a better team in the paint and Dallas will need every player crashing the boards in this one. ESPN has the Mavericks favored to win this one at home. The x-factor will be all of the Mavericks rebounding or lack of… Final Score: Raptors 91 – Mavericks 117!
