Time to acknowledge reality

[ThisIStheYear]

The Mavs are title contenders, this year.  It’s unbelievable, but true.    I wouldn’t say they’re the favorites, but they have a legit shot.

[BigDirk41]

The Mavs are title contenders, this year.  It’s unbelievable, but true.    I wouldn’t say they’re the favorites, but they have a legit shot.

You can call them contenders because they may end up a 3 or 4 seed possibly, but there is almost zero chance the Mavs can beat the Clippers in a 7 game series. They are ahead of us by a lot and they can contain Luka with 3 all NBA defenders. I'm as happy as anyone about the Mavs and looking forward to them making some noise in the playoffs, but they are not on the Clippers level. I just want to enjoy the season and see what they can do. We aren't winning the championship this year. We are still several pieces away.

[ThisIStheYear]

I agree. The Clippers are a matchup nightmare, who the Mavs won’t beat. But they’re not really better, they just have a difficult wing tandem for Luka to get through and a bench that can neutralize the Mav’s depth. But the Mavs may not even have to play them. The Clippers are no better against the field. The Mavs have a decent chance against every other team.

[michaeltex]

The Mavs are title contenders, this year.  It’s unbelievable, but true.    I wouldn’t say they’re the favorites, but they have a legit shot.

You can call them contenders because they may end up a 3 or 4 seed possibly, but there is almost zero chance the Mavs can beat the Clippers in a 7 game series. They are ahead of us by a lot and they can contain Luka with 3 all NBA defenders. I'm as happy as anyone about the Mavs and looking forward to them making some noise in the playoffs, but they are not on the Clippers level. I just want to enjoy the season and see what they can do. We aren't winning the championship this year. We are still several pieces away.

I agree that a championship is unlikely, but this is one hell of a lot more fun than anytime since 2011! 

I don't know that we are "several" pieces away, but I certainly think we need to develop/acquire/draft a contributor that will make defenses pay for getting sucked into the Luka/KP gravity well. I see flashes of that from Seth/THJ/JJ/Brunson. Maybe it will be by committee since matchups change from game to game, but I'm still holding my breath whenever the starters tap out. I know the bench mob has been key in the winning streak, but I need a little more time to fully believe. (Maybe I've spent too many years getting my heart broken and stomped on by the Cowboys' 20 yrs of failures.) If DAL gets into the late January timeframe with a W/L% similar to now, then it will be time to really start thinking about "what-ifs".

Championship or not, Luka and his posse are appointment TV.

[windjc]

The Mavs are title contenders, this year.  It’s unbelievable, but true.    I wouldn’t say they’re the favorites, but they have a legit shot.

You can call them contenders because they may end up a 3 or 4 seed possibly, but there is almost zero chance the Mavs can beat the Clippers in a 7 game series. They are ahead of us by a lot and they can contain Luka with 3 all NBA defenders. I'm as happy as anyone about the Mavs and looking forward to them making some noise in the playoffs, but they are not on the Clippers level. I just want to enjoy the season and see what they can do. We aren't winning the championship this year. We are still several pieces away.

Several players? I disagree. You exaggerate.

[radioaktiv]

I am guardedly optimistic.  I think I'll enjoy seeing how far we can go, but won't be disappointed if we fall short - after all, everyone was hoping for just contending for 8th seed at season's start.  We've already exceeded expectations.

I agree some teams are stronger, but it's not like we're assured to run into them in the playoffs - a bad matchup here and there, and say a higher seed or two gets upset early - who knows, we can get lucky.  The 2011 championship was unlikely too.

[omahen]

We're playing well now, but I'm looking forward to this five game stretch leading up to Christmas. Then we'll see what the Mavs are really made of.

vs Miami
@Milwaukee
vs Boston
@Philly
@Toronto

Totally agree. This will be a real test as all 5 play excellent and tough defense and a lot of them have plenty of long wings to trouble Luka. If Mavs can win more than two, I will also start dreaming.

[ClutchDirk]

We're playing well now, but I'm looking forward to this five game stretch leading up to Christmas. Then we'll see what the Mavs are really made of.

vs Miami
@Milwaukee
vs Boston
@Philly
@Toronto

2 weeks ago it was wait until the 4 game stretch we just went through to see...

[omahen]

2 weeks ago it was wait until the 4 game stretch we just went through to see...

That was if we are eligible playoff contender. We are - confirmed. Those five are if we can dream about bigger stuff.

[michaeltex]

I will say that the team's response last night was encouraging! DAL on the 2nd of a B2B w/travel playing MIN coming off 2 days rest. Back in October I would have said this is a "schedule" loss, but the young guns proved me wrong and I'm excited about it.

I know one can talk about the NOP blowout letting the starters rest for a more even minutes distribution, but the first 3 quarters looked like MIN was going to take advantage of the short rest for DAL. Then Brunson happened, although it was really a group contribution to gut out the win.

I like the feel of the team and I think just letting the guys marinate together for a while is going to have positive results.

[StepBackJay]

I agree Mavs are contenders which is why we need to get Iguodala in here and maybe one other impact move. Mavs have a lot of depth right now on paper but it's a long season and eventually there will be some injuries. Our bigs depth is really sketchy. Boban can only play certain matchups so if/when Powell gets banged up its basically more Maxi + DFS playing more PF. Iggy might be also able to play with DFS but I'd feel better if we had another big available that isn't a rookie that has never played in the league.

[BigDirk41]

The Mavs are title contenders, this year.  It’s unbelievable, but true.    I wouldn’t say they’re the favorites, but they have a legit shot.

You can call them contenders because they may end up a 3 or 4 seed possibly, but there is almost zero chance the Mavs can beat the Clippers in a 7 game series. They are ahead of us by a lot and they can contain Luka with 3 all NBA defenders. I'm as happy as anyone about the Mavs and looking forward to them making some noise in the playoffs, but they are not on the Clippers level. I just want to enjoy the season and see what they can do. We aren't winning the championship this year. We are still several pieces away.

Several players? I disagree. You exaggerate.

Maybe I should have said multiple players away. We are 2-3 quality players away from being on the Clips level. Depending on the talent of said players, we could be 1 or 2 players away, but I don't see us aquiring a 3rd star this year. I will agree that if the Lakers or Nuggets can take out the Clips before we face them, we would have a fair shot against the Lakers or Nuggets based on matchups and talent. 

Lets be honest about the Clips. They have 2 of the top 10 players in the NBA. They have 3 all NBA defensive players. They have a perennial 6th man of the year contender. They have a loaded bench. They can defend like no team in the league. 


We have arguably a top 2 or top 3 player and then KP as of now is what, maybe top 40? I'm asking honestly. He's definitely not near the top as of now, but he can get there. We don't have a single all NBA defender. We don't have anyone who will contend for 6th man of the year. Our bench is deep, but they have better players coming off the bench.

I'm just trying to be realistic. If the Mavs win the title, I will more than gladly eat crow. I root for them every game just like the rest of us. I will pull for them all through the playoffs like I always do. I just don't think we can get past the Clips. I agree we will have a good chance against any other team in the entire NBA. We don't even have 5 clear cut starters. We are amazing because of Luka, but if Luka can be contained we are average. The first meeting the Clips contained Luka. Until that can change, my opinion won't change. 


All that being said I'm really hoping for a deep playoff run and who knows, maybe we'll be hot as heck going into the playoffs.

[DrMav]

Health plays such a huge factor and we don't know by the time playoffs roll around will it work for or against us.  With a player like Luka, if guys get hot at the right time, who knows what could happen if we are healthy and maybe another contender is banged up.

Right now I just hope we put ourselves in position to take advantage of fortune if it falls our way and push not just for the playoffs, but a top 4 seed to get a round at home.

I definitely think there's room to improve the roster via a trade, but I'm also cautious of disrupting the chemistry this group has and continues to build both on and off the court. Will have to trust that RC and Donnie have a good pulse on the guys in the locker room in who is a vital personality, and learned from the Rondo trade that a talent upgrade on paper doesn't necessarily mean an upgrade on the court.

[HanspardsShowerVoice]

A fully healthy Clippers roster would be hard to beat in June, but I would be surprised if the Clippers have a fully healthy roster in June. This time last year I would have said there is absolutely no way the Toronto Raptors are beating the Golden State Warriors in a 7 game series. At the end of the day you just to get be good enough to throw your hat in the ring, and see where the chips fall ... and I think the Mavs are good enough to be one of the teams that throws their hat in the ring.

[fifteenth]

Man, not much to argue about if we're going to be really good this fast.

Even during Dirk's reign we had a lot of stuff to argue about. We had to cheer on countless iterations of on the fly retooling, wait 13 years for a championship and then have to look on in horror as said championship team was ruthlessly dismantled. There was always plenty of stuff to argue about.

What are we going to do with all this success?

[ClutchDirk]

The Mavs are title contenders, this year.  It’s unbelievable, but true.    I wouldn’t say they’re the favorites, but they have a legit shot.

Username checks out..

[Lucky Luciano]

The Mavs are title contenders, this year.  It’s unbelievable, but true.    I wouldn’t say they’re the favorites, but they have a legit shot.

You can call them contenders because they may end up a 3 or 4 seed possibly, but there is almost zero chance the Mavs can beat the Clippers in a 7 game series. They are ahead of us by a lot and they can contain Luka with 3 all NBA defenders. I'm as happy as anyone about the Mavs and looking forward to them making some noise in the playoffs, but they are not on the Clippers level. I just want to enjoy the season and see what they can do. We aren't winning the championship this year. We are still several pieces away.

Several players? I disagree. You exaggerate.

Maybe I should have said multiple players away. We are 2-3 quality players away from being on the Clips level. Depending on the talent of said players, we could be 1 or 2 players away, but I don't see us aquiring a 3rd star this year. I will agree that if the Lakers or Nuggets can take out the Clips before we face them, we would have a fair shot against the Lakers or Nuggets based on matchups and talent. 

Lets be honest about the Clips. They have 2 of the top 10 players in the NBA. They have 3 all NBA defensive players. They have a perennial 6th man of the year contender. They have a loaded bench. They can defend like no team in the league. 


We have arguably a top 2 or top 3 player and then KP as of now is what, maybe top 40? I'm asking honestly. He's definitely not near the top as of now, but he can get there. We don't have a single all NBA defender. We don't have anyone who will contend for 6th man of the year. Our bench is deep, but they have better players coming off the bench.

I'm just trying to be realistic. If the Mavs win the title, I will more than gladly eat crow. I root for them every game just like the rest of us. I will pull for them all through the playoffs like I always do. I just don't think we can get past the Clips. I agree we will have a good chance against any other team in the entire NBA. We don't even have 5 clear cut starters. We are amazing because of Luka, but if Luka can be contained we are average. The first meeting the Clips contained Luka. Until that can change, my opinion won't change. 


All that being said I'm really hoping for a deep playoff run and who knows, maybe we'll be hot as heck going into the playoffs.

If you don't think that KP is currently playing like an "ALL NBA DEFENDER" then I'm not sure what you're looking at when watching the games.

KP is in the running for DPOY atm. Last I checked he was top 4 in the race.

[StepBackJay]

Man, not much to argue about if we're going to be really good this fast.

Even during Dirk's reign we had a lot of stuff to argue about. We had to cheer on countless iterations of on the fly retooling, wait 13 years for a championship and then have to look on in horror as said championship team was ruthlessly dismantled. There was always plenty of stuff to argue about.

What are we going to do with all this success?

I was wondering the other if Cubes was like Dirk we finally got you that 2nd superstar in Luka and Dirk's like "I am 41 and retired now but thanks anyway." Would have been nice to see 2013 Dirk and Luka operate together. Oh well, he did have 2 finals appearances and a ring. I think the MBT has learned a lot from 20 years of Dirk, lots of 50 win seasons but not as much playoffs success. This should benefit Luka which is especially important since we aren't guaranteed blind loyalty from him.

[BigDirk41]

The Mavs are title contenders, this year.  It’s unbelievable, but true.    I wouldn’t say they’re the favorites, but they have a legit shot.

You can call them contenders because they may end up a 3 or 4 seed possibly, but there is almost zero chance the Mavs can beat the Clippers in a 7 game series. They are ahead of us by a lot and they can contain Luka with 3 all NBA defenders. I'm as happy as anyone about the Mavs and looking forward to them making some noise in the playoffs, but they are not on the Clippers level. I just want to enjoy the season and see what they can do. We aren't winning the championship this year. We are still several pieces away.

Several players? I disagree. You exaggerate.

Maybe I should have said multiple players away. We are 2-3 quality players away from being on the Clips level. Depending on the talent of said players, we could be 1 or 2 players away, but I don't see us aquiring a 3rd star this year. I will agree that if the Lakers or Nuggets can take out the Clips before we face them, we would have a fair shot against the Lakers or Nuggets based on matchups and talent. 

Lets be honest about the Clips. They have 2 of the top 10 players in the NBA. They have 3 all NBA defensive players. They have a perennial 6th man of the year contender. They have a loaded bench. They can defend like no team in the league. 


We have arguably a top 2 or top 3 player and then KP as of now is what, maybe top 40? I'm asking honestly. He's definitely not near the top as of now, but he can get there. We don't have a single all NBA defender. We don't have anyone who will contend for 6th man of the year. Our bench is deep, but they have better players coming off the bench.

I'm just trying to be realistic. If the Mavs win the title, I will more than gladly eat crow. I root for them every game just like the rest of us. I will pull for them all through the playoffs like I always do. I just don't think we can get past the Clips. I agree we will have a good chance against any other team in the entire NBA. We don't even have 5 clear cut starters. We are amazing because of Luka, but if Luka can be contained we are average. The first meeting the Clips contained Luka. Until that can change, my opinion won't change. 


All that being said I'm really hoping for a deep playoff run and who knows, maybe we'll be hot as heck going into the playoffs.

If you don't think that KP is currently playing like an "ALL NBA DEFENDER" then I'm not sure what you're looking at when watching the games.

KP is in the running for DPOY atm. Last I checked he was top 4 in the race.

I like what KP is doing on the defensive end, but he also gets in really bad foul trouble. He lets guys get easy layps and dunks every game so no I don't see a all NBA defender in KP, but he is a really good shot blocker when he's aggressive.

KP is ranked 145th in defensive rating. Tim Hardaway is ranked better than him. He's not going to make a all NBA defense. I can't find him in anyone's top 5 for dpoy currently so I'm not sure where you found that. I've watched every Mavs game this season and I love KP on defense. DFS is a really good defender, but he's not going to make the all NBA defensive teams either.

[audiosway]

The Mavs are title contenders, this year.  It’s unbelievable, but true.    I wouldn’t say they’re the favorites, but they have a legit shot.

I have to agree with you. And with Luka, if he stays healthy, I see them being steady contenders for the next 13-14 years to be quite honest. He is just that good.
What I'm really looking for at this point is KP to become the Unicorn. I'm thinking it will be around the ASB. They have a good chance to be very hot going into the playoffs.

I saw this from Luka when I had him top rated on draft day. But, I never imagined it would be this early. I thought we would see this Luka in year 3-4.