MAVS 104, SPURS 99

[mavsluvr]

Mavsluvr: The Mavs have Luka. Why else are they considered so much better than the Spurs that you feel we should have blown them out? Even if you don’t consider KP as a stud, talent wise he is the next best player on this roster and he was out. 

With Luka, we have a chance to be competitive against any team. With the rest of this roster there are no easy guaranteed wins either.

First, "Besides Luka, what do they have?" = "Except for that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?" Having Luka is HUGE. 

Secondly, I think the Mavs are (or at least should be) a better team than the Spurs. SA is rebuilding, and I believe are predicted to win fewer than 30 games. Their (very talented) players are mostly young and inexperienced. The Mavs' mostly veteran roster is entering their third season together, largely unchanged. They have a leg up on knowing how to play together and how to play against other NBA teams.

One of the hallmarks of a contending team is the ability to impose their will on the weaker teams in the league. Arguably, it shouldn't have been necessary to pull a 5-point win out of the fire against a team of youngsters with no star. Last night, it was reported that Kidd was very nervous in the third quarter of the Houston game. He allegedly thought it was going to be a blowout, it was a tight game at that juncture, and he still had to put in Frankie and Moses to keep his word to play everyone. (Both players fortunately did very well.) He would have been subject to a lot of criticism for a gimmicky (but fun!) game plan if they had lost. Point being that Kidd thought this roster has the talent and skill to blow that level of team out, and that seems reasonable. 

I understand why you ask the question. I sadly acknowledge that it's reasonable and thought-provoking. My nightmare is that you are right and this team is really no better than the young, inexperienced squads that are expected to land in the lottery. At this point, I don't yet think our team is  iin that boat. If Luka is out for a substantial period of time, we'll get a live test of what we have without him, and I admit that I would be quite nervous about that. 

I did NOT intend to suggest that there are any easy or guaranteed wins, with or without Luka. If the Mavs (or any NBA team) chooses to relax against any other NBA team, they risk eating a slab of humble pie.