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Bench Warmer
For nearly a decade, they have been contenders, separated by 278 miles and four championships, all on the Southern side. Led by two of the defining players of this generation, they have battled relentlessly. This year both teams added veteran stars to attempt one more run at a title with their respective cores. But as we hit the halfway mark of the season, and with the trade deadline looming as a potential last resort, the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs are staring themselves in the mirror with the question on their faces: "Are we elite?"
Twelve days ago, the Mavericks bested the Spurs in San Antonio behind a 42-point fourth quarter. That quarter served as a perfect example of both the Spurs' and Mavericks' seasons. The Spurs uncharacteristically surrendered 42 points in a quarter, continuing the mystifying nature of their inconsistent defense. And the Mavericks went from looking docile and meek to exploding on offense behind Dirk Nowitzki, who very often looks like a legitimate MVP candidate. Yet it's these times that make you wonder why the Mavs don't always perform at such a high level.
Since that game, Dallas has suffered a complete meltdown against the class of the West, the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Spurs beat the Lakers. The Mavericks defeated the surging Thunder, then got walloped by the defenseless Toronto Raptors, before coming from behind to topple the Celtics in Boston on Monday. During the same time period, the Spurs also defeated a strong Thunder squad in overtime, before losing a back-to-back to Charlotte and Memphis. Even for small-market, building-franchise supporters like myself, that was quite a shock to the system. Then, just to illustrate their inconsistency, the Spurs knocked the Hornets off in New Orleans on MLK Day.
But it's not the résumés of these past two weeks that illustrate the baffling nature of the teams, it's the characteristics that have defined those wins and losses. The Mavericks' offense is a classic Jekyll and Hyde tale. One minute their ball movement is stagnant, their defense lax, and you wonder how this team is currently the second seed in the Western Conference. Then their offense wakes up, they turn the tide on defense, and all of a sudden they whoosh past their opponent in a barrage of Dirk 18-footers and 3s. The only consistent thing about the Mavericks is their inconsistency.
The Spurs, on the other hand, have started to put it together. After a tremendously slow start, the Spurs have picked their defense up off the ground. DeJuan Blair is putting up impressive numbers, Tim Duncan is playing at, well, a Tim Duncan level, and Richard Jefferson shows flashes of blending in. But the Spurs seem to be on a two steps forward, one step towards stumbling in the gutter trek. They manage to get Manu Ginobili back healthy, and Tony Parker winds up with plantar fasciitis, which is, you know, kind of painful. They find that George Hill is turning into both a worthy backup point and a complement to Parker manning the helm, and find that Ginobili is struggling with his shot. They get Matt Bonner back from injury and realize that it's Matt Bonner.
But then, you look at each team's record and discover that the Mavericks are on track for 54 wins and the Spurs for 50, and in perfect position for the playoffs. Unfortunately, that's not the target for these two teams. The Mavericks added Shawn Marion and refrained from auctioning off Josh Howard to make one more run with Howard, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Dirk. And Spurs' ownership dipped into its pockets to actually go into the luxury tax to acquire its offseason additions. Spurs ownership specifically said prior to the season that it was a championship-or-bust season. Now, both teams have time to hit a next gear, to gel and make a run at something special. But since the Lakers are 21-3 with Pau Gasol in the lineup and look very much like the gold standard everyone has to aspire to, the trade deadline seems like a very significant date. Making a move risks undermining any chemistry you've developed and sliding even further. Standing pat risks the idea that all the work these teams have put into finding themselves may result in nothing more than a solid understanding that it just wasn't enough.
Matt Moore
TrueHoop Network
Twelve days ago, the Mavericks bested the Spurs in San Antonio behind a 42-point fourth quarter. That quarter served as a perfect example of both the Spurs' and Mavericks' seasons. The Spurs uncharacteristically surrendered 42 points in a quarter, continuing the mystifying nature of their inconsistent defense. And the Mavericks went from looking docile and meek to exploding on offense behind Dirk Nowitzki, who very often looks like a legitimate MVP candidate. Yet it's these times that make you wonder why the Mavs don't always perform at such a high level.
Since that game, Dallas has suffered a complete meltdown against the class of the West, the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Spurs beat the Lakers. The Mavericks defeated the surging Thunder, then got walloped by the defenseless Toronto Raptors, before coming from behind to topple the Celtics in Boston on Monday. During the same time period, the Spurs also defeated a strong Thunder squad in overtime, before losing a back-to-back to Charlotte and Memphis. Even for small-market, building-franchise supporters like myself, that was quite a shock to the system. Then, just to illustrate their inconsistency, the Spurs knocked the Hornets off in New Orleans on MLK Day.
But it's not the résumés of these past two weeks that illustrate the baffling nature of the teams, it's the characteristics that have defined those wins and losses. The Mavericks' offense is a classic Jekyll and Hyde tale. One minute their ball movement is stagnant, their defense lax, and you wonder how this team is currently the second seed in the Western Conference. Then their offense wakes up, they turn the tide on defense, and all of a sudden they whoosh past their opponent in a barrage of Dirk 18-footers and 3s. The only consistent thing about the Mavericks is their inconsistency.
The Spurs, on the other hand, have started to put it together. After a tremendously slow start, the Spurs have picked their defense up off the ground. DeJuan Blair is putting up impressive numbers, Tim Duncan is playing at, well, a Tim Duncan level, and Richard Jefferson shows flashes of blending in. But the Spurs seem to be on a two steps forward, one step towards stumbling in the gutter trek. They manage to get Manu Ginobili back healthy, and Tony Parker winds up with plantar fasciitis, which is, you know, kind of painful. They find that George Hill is turning into both a worthy backup point and a complement to Parker manning the helm, and find that Ginobili is struggling with his shot. They get Matt Bonner back from injury and realize that it's Matt Bonner.
But then, you look at each team's record and discover that the Mavericks are on track for 54 wins and the Spurs for 50, and in perfect position for the playoffs. Unfortunately, that's not the target for these two teams. The Mavericks added Shawn Marion and refrained from auctioning off Josh Howard to make one more run with Howard, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Dirk. And Spurs' ownership dipped into its pockets to actually go into the luxury tax to acquire its offseason additions. Spurs ownership specifically said prior to the season that it was a championship-or-bust season. Now, both teams have time to hit a next gear, to gel and make a run at something special. But since the Lakers are 21-3 with Pau Gasol in the lineup and look very much like the gold standard everyone has to aspire to, the trade deadline seems like a very significant date. Making a move risks undermining any chemistry you've developed and sliding even further. Standing pat risks the idea that all the work these teams have put into finding themselves may result in nothing more than a solid understanding that it just wasn't enough.
Matt Moore
TrueHoop Network
