The good news, the bad news and more before the Mavericks square off with the Chicago Bulls
Who could possibly resist stopping down for Josh Giddey, Coby White and the Bulls vs. Anthony Davis, Naji Marshall and the Mavs?
What are we to make of these Dallas Mavericks (36-38) entering Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bulls (33-40) at the United Center? The fanbase has largely thrown its collective hands in the air following the most stunning trade in NBA history, combined with a karmic bout of horrendous injury luck for the two months or so. It leaves us searching for answers to life’s big questions.
What should we be rooting for, anyway? What does it all mean?
While we stare into the abyss, the Mavericks are wrapping up a four-game eastern swing with a chance to turn the chicken shit the organization has served its fans into a tepid 3-1 chicken salad.
The Anthony Davis Era has begun in earnest, but the big man hasn’t quite rounded into form yet in two games on the floor. He was still on a minutes restriction of about 28 minutes in
Thursday’s 101-92 win at the Orlando Magic.
Was it too early to bring him back from the adductor injury he suffered on Feb 8 against the Houston Rockets? Is the fact that he’s only mustered a light jog in either of his two appearances in the past week evidence of that or is it just standard easing back into game shape? Does it matter, if the alternative to bringing him back would have been forfeiting actual NBA basketball games for not being able to field eight warm-blooded players?
As depressing as those questions are, the answers might be even worse, given the underhanded way the Mavs front office is being anonymously quoted in reference to its former superstar Luka Dončić, most notably the complete absence of general manager Nico Harrison from the public discourse amidst persisting outrage and lackluster attendance at recent home games.
There are still regular-season games to mark off the list and still, in theory, at least, goals to be pursued. To that end, there is still both a little good news and a little bad news surrounding the heaping helping of general malaise filling fans’ plates.
The good news
The good news is that the Mavericks have already won two of three on their current four-game Eastern Conference road swing, picking up wins at the Brooklyn Nets on Monday and at the playoff-bound Orlando Magic on Thursday. The Mavs earned those wins despite even more roster instability after PJ Washington rolled an ankle against the Nets and had to miss the teams 128-113 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday and Thursday’s win in Orlando. They can do no worse than 2-2, even if they lose to Chicago, before coming home for a pair of games against the Nets and Atlanta Hawks.
The good news, the bad news and more before the Mavericks square off with the Chicago Bulls
Who could possibly resist stopping down for Josh Giddey, Coby White and the Bulls vs. Anthony Davis, Naji Marshall and the Mavs?
What are we to make of these Dallas Mavericks (36-38) entering Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bulls (33-40) at the United Center? The fanbase has largely thrown its collective hands in the air following the most stunning trade in NBA history, combined with a karmic bout of horrendous injury luck for the two months or so. It leaves us searching for answers to life’s big questions.
What should we be rooting for, anyway? What does it all mean?
While we stare into the abyss, the Mavericks are wrapping up a four-game eastern swing with a chance to turn the chicken shit the organization has served its fans into a tepid 3-1 chicken salad.
The Anthony Davis Era has begun in earnest, but the big man hasn’t quite rounded into form yet in two games on the floor. He was still on a minutes restriction of about 28 minutes in Thursday’s 101-92 win at the Orlando Magic.
Was it too early to bring him back from the adductor injury he suffered on Feb. 8 against the Houston Rockets? Is the fact that he’s only mustered a light jog in either of his two appearances in the past week evidence of that or is it just standard easing back into game shape? Does it matter, if the alternative to bringing him back would have been forfeiting actual NBA basketball games for not being able to field eight warm-blooded players?
As depressing as those questions are, the answers might be even worse, given the underhanded way the Mavs front office is being anonymously quoted in reference to its former superstar Luka Dončić, most notably the complete absence of general manager Nico Harrison from the public discourse amidst persisting outrage and lackluster attendance at recent home games.
There are still regular-season games to mark off the list and still, in theory, at least, goals to be pursued. To that end, there is still both a little good news and a little bad news surrounding the heaping helping of general malaise filling fans’ plates.
The good news
The good news is that the Mavericks have already won two of three on their current four-game Eastern Conference road swing, picking up wins at the Brooklyn Nets on Monday and at the playoff-bound Orlando Magic on Thursday. The Mavs earned those wins despite even more roster instability after PJ Washington rolled an ankle against the Nets and had to miss the team’s 128-113 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday and Thursday’s win in Orlando. They can do no worse than 2-2, even if they lose to Chicago, before coming home for a pair of games against the Nets and Atlanta Hawks.
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