Dallas Mavericks Loss to Miami Heat: Bad Game or Sign of Things to Come?

Well, that was not exactly the start to the season that the Dallas Mavericks and their fans were looking for.

After an emotional ceremony in which the team raised their championship banner, the Mavs were defeated by the very team they beat in the finals last season, the Miami Heat, 105-94, spoiling Dallas's celebration.

While a quick glance at the score may suggest that the game was competitive, it was not in any way.

Miami dominated the game from the opening tip off.

The Heat held a 21-point halftime advantage and led by as many as 35 after LeBron James's beautiful tip pass to Dwyane Wade for the dunk midway through the third quarter.

Dallas played better from there and cut the lead almost down to single digits, but there was little doubt that the Heat were the better team on this day.

So, the question is, how worried should Mavs fans be about their team?

There were many different areas in this game in which Dallas could be critiqued. Their shooting was awful, just 37 percent for the game; they looked unmotivated and old; and defensively they let LeBron and D-Wade run all over them. 

Not to mention the fact that they got out rebounded 51-31 and got just four points (and an ejection) from their star pickup in the offseason, Lamar Odom. 

But they weren't exactly playing a slouch team; give the Heat some credit. They looked completely business-like in their dissection of the Mavs defense and look as though they could win every game the play this season if they continue to play as well as they did in the first three quarters. 

The good news for Dallas is there is plenty of time to recover.

The Mavs still have 65 games to figure it out, and with the talent they have on their roster, there is little doubt that this team will find its way into the postseason one way or another.

While Dallas was certainly embarrassed to perform this poorly on Christmas Day, it may actually help them moving forward.

As commentator Jeff Van Gundy noted during the game, it is entirely possible that the Mavs are still caught up in their championship win from last year and have not made the transition into the new season yet.

But a clubbing by the Heat should wake them up.

Dallas won't have much time to recover from this, (They play Denver tomorrow night.) and the repressed schedule might tire them out. So, only time will tell if they can correct the many mistakes they showed in today's game.

However, the roster has not changed, and they still have No. 41 on their team.

So, even though they didn't look it today, it is my belief the Mavericks will still be one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference this season.