Photo Courtesy: Michael Kolch
By DaVince “Dino” Wright
The Dallas Mavericks are currently 34-24 at the time of this article. Dallas sits in second place in the Southwestern Division and 5th place in the Western Conference. The Mavericks have sat in the 5th spot for the past month in conference. They recently beat Miami on the road. Over the Mavericks last five games, Dallas is 4-1 with wins over Philadelphia, Detroit and Atlanta and a split with the Clippers. Dallas isn’t a surprising team at this juncture of the season. They are decent at best. The NBA trade deadline has come and gone with a few adjustments to the roster. Let’s take a look at Dallas right before the NBA All-Star Break.
Key Trade and Signing
Center Kristap Porzingis was traded away to the Washington Wizards. In return, the Mavericks get guard Spencer Dinwiddie and guard Davis Bertans. Kristap Porzingis was injury prone since leaving New York a couple of seasons ago. Dallas gave up a couple of draft picks to make the deal work. In order to move “The Unicorn”, Dallas gave up a future second-rounder. Spencer Dinwiddie was a second-round pick for the Pistons in 2014. He has averaged 12.4 points with 4.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season. He can score as well as defend on the wing. It’s what the Mavericks need on the defensive end of the floor. SF/C Davis Bertans is a capable back up but won’t see that much playing time in Dallas. Dallas is loaded with big men that can play decent minutes, but don’t command respect from opposing post players. Dallas signed Forward Dorian Finney-Smith to a four-year 55.5-million-dollar extension last week. Let’s be honest, he’s not worth it. He averages 10.1 points per game and grabs 4.8 rebounds a game. PG Luka Doncic leads the team in every major category… scoring, rebounds and assists. Finney-Smith is a decent player, but he’s no side kick for Doncic. Dallas needs a proven veteran that can help this team on and off the court. I’m surprised that no one wants to come to Dallas and play.
Playoff Push
After the All-Star break, Dallas will need to slow the pace of the game by not forcing fast breaks that results in turnovers. Over the past five games, Dallas has averaged 106.3 points per game and give up 103 to opposition. The Mavericks are 7-3 over their last 10 games and can keep up in the Western Conference with tough gritty wins over top tier teams. Key free agent signings will help this team make a push towards the playoffs. The only thing missing is that one guard and/or forward with playoff experience to help them over the edge.
