Dallas Mavericks Roundtable: Week Eight

Back with another hot, heaping helping of Dallas Mavericks analysis—albeit, quite late—here is the Dallas Mavericks Roundtable for Week Eight. 

Your scores for the week:

12/15: Nuggets 98, Mavs 88
12/17: Mavs 96, Raptors 86
12/19: Mavs 97, Nets 121
12/21: Mavs 97, Wizards 86

As usual, the first three questions will address the week's performance, while the last two will address the issues at large.

1. How did the Mavs look to you this week?

Janet Kessler: They looked liked crap!

• vs Denver: I'm really mad about this game. Who in the heck were the guys in the Mav Uniforms? What has happened to our fense (not a typo—there was no D). Wasted Dirk's & Terry's efforts. A big F for lack of effort.
• vs Toronto: They did win three quarters. Closest to a complete game since playing Phoenix. If the Mavs had been in Dallas at the time of the tip, they would still have been in the basement at the AAC, warming up. They didn't start playing for real, till one hour after tip. Fairly good win, can't give 'em an A though. Got to be ready on East coast games, no excuse.  I say B.
• vs Devin Harris (I mean New Jersey): What did I tell you guys last week? Except I didn't think the Mavs would just stand around and not challenge him. Big ol' F.
• vs DC: Started with two missed three-pointers by J-Ho and Dirk. Trailed by three after one, trailed by two at the half. Even trailed after three. Finally put it away in the fourth. Struggled for three quarter against a bad team. I say B-.

Overall for the week they won two out of four. I give them a D.

Waleed Ershad: The Mavs had some good wins and looked good in some parts of the week. But in other parts they looked horrible. Seeing Devin Harris drop 41 against us hurt.

Alex McVeigh: The win over Toronto was promising, but once again they lost to a team that they need to beat if they are going to go deep into the playoffs, not to mention they are one of only five teams to come into the Izod Center and lose. C.

2. What was a personal highlight for you?

Janet: Did we really have any? Seeing little Devin all grownup and beating the you-know-what out of the team that drafted and traded him away (future All-star). I liked seeing Singleton against the Wiz.

Waleed: Devin Harris scoring 41 points and dishing 13 assists. Oh wait, he doesn't play for the Mavs anymore.

Alex: Seeing the Mavs for the first time in person. Just watching Dirk live when you know he's about to drain the fade away, and it doesn't matter if you're 6'1" or 7', everyone in the arena know he's going to sink it.

3. What is the most immediate issue that needs to be fixed?

Janet: Starting with energy and defense.

Waleed: Our inconsistent defense. We need to develop a defensive mentality.

Also, we need to whoop bad teams so we can get some rest for our older guys, send a message that we're contenders, and get of the benched guys playing time—like Gerald Green. And Antoine Wright was projected to be the started but he's DNP now?

Alex: They need to stop letting mediocre players have career nights. Darius Songaila shot the lights out in the Wiz game, and we've also done similar things to people like Kosta Koufos and Ben Gordon.

They haven't done awful when it comes to shutting down the stars (except Devin Harris and 'Melo), but they let the role players tear them apart.

4. Would you be willing to have a down year next year, if it meant the Mavs had the cap space in 2010 to go after a big free agent like LeBron, Bosh, Wade, etc?

Janet: We have a down year now. Do we not re-sign Kidd? To do that is to admit the Kidd trade was a failure. We need a trade now.

Waleed: I dunno...it looks like we might have to. But it's risky.

Alex: It would be tough to waste a year of Dirk in his prime for a mere chance at landing a big name free agent. Then again, Cubes knows how to make some good offers.

An off year might also effect Dirk's decision on whether or not to opt-out and/or re- sign. I say no.

5. Many of the Mavericks are having their best season in years (Dirk
and Terry's PPG, Kidd's three-point and field-goal percentage), yet the Mavs are struggling like they haven't in years. Why do you think that is?

Janet: We need a definitive starting five. I understand sometimes matchups dictate certain lineups. Who are our game to game starting five? How many different lineups have we seen this season?

Waleed: Good point. I think some of the role players need to score and help out. We've lost Devin's and Stack's scoring so Terry and Nowitzki have had to pick it up. If only we could get get 12-15 from Brandon Bass and maybe some more from Barea, Wright, Green, Singleton, or Williams.

Alex: The Mavs also have one of the best scoring benches in the league, but somehow they aren't putting it all together. I think it comes back to team defense, they are allowing teams to do their thing on offense, whether it's Parker kicking it out to an open three, Devin Harris slice and dice the defense, or 'Melo hitting jumper after jumper.

Player of the week:

Janet: The only consistent player this week, sixth man Jason Edward Terry.

Waleed: Devin Harris!  Oh, wait—he doesn't play for the Mavs anymore

Alex: Jason Terry has kept putting in the points, even when he needs a lot of shots to do it. We need consistency now more than anything.

This week's games:

12/23: Grizzlies @ Mavs

Janet: Another team we should annihilate, but will probably struggle against. Hopefully we will make good on our home court. Mavs over the Griz.

Waleed: Their wing players are O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay.  Uh-oh.  Josh Howard can't guard both, one of them is going to have a big night.  But Dirk is gonna come up even bigger.  Dallas wins 102-92.

Alex: Should be a win, but you never know with a young athletic team. I think the Mavs will close out the homestand with a W.

12/25 Mavs @ Trailblazers

Janet: We can't beat top-tier teams.  Portland wins.  Might be a spanking too.  Merry Christmas, Mark Cuban!

Waleed: Howard can keep Roy in check—unlike Jason Richardson.  Dallas wins 95-93

Alex: A back-to-back roadie in two of the toughest places to win in all the league. I think Dallas can win it, but I just don't think they will. Portland wins.

12/26: Mavs @ Utah

Janet: Second of a back-to-back, another top team—but one dealing with injuries. How bad do the Mavs want this one on the road?  In the end I think it will be Utah at home.

Waleed: Utah at Energy Solutions Arena is almost an automatic loss—almost.  Dallas falls short, 109-112

Alex: You can be sure if Portland wins, that Dallas will come into the game against a banged-up Jazz frontcourt and do some damage. Mavs win.

12/28: Mavs @ Clippers

Janet: We gave on the road the last time there. This is the type we struggle with (which seems to be everybody lately). Clippers win another road loss.

Waleed: Clips always sucked and always will.  They have virtually no fans since LA belongs to the Kobe and co.

Alex: Sure, they lost to them before, but I don't think I can ever seriously pick the Clips.

Picks record as of 12/22/08:

Blake: 6-3
Janet: 11-2
Waleed: 9-4
Alex: 10-3