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Dallas Mavericks: Previewing The Week Ahead

By Brandon Jennings

Feb 22, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 22, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Dallas Mavericks enter the week of Feb. 23 looking to build on a modest two-game winning streak. The Mavs (38-20) followed up an impressive 111-100 victory against the Houston Rockets on Friday with a 92-81 win against the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

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Amar’e Stoudemire made his debut on Sunday (14 points in just 11 minutes), but we won’t see what the Mavericks’ rotation will look like moving forward until Chandler Parsons makes his return the court. Parsons was wearing a walking boot on Sunday, and he is not expected to return until Feb. 28. The combination of Richard Jefferson and Al-Farouq Aminu has minimized the effect of losing Parsons in the last two games.

There is positive news on the injury front as point guard Rajon Rondo and center Tyson Chandler have played in each game since the All-Star break and they both appear to be playing at close to 100 percent. The Mavericks continue to stay within striking distance of the top teams in the Western Conference, but this week their test will come against two of the best teams that the Eastern Conference has to offer.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Toronto Raptors, Tuesday, Feb. 24

The Mavericks welcome the Toronto Raptors to the American Airlines Center for their first game of the week. The Raptors enter the week with an impressive record of 37-18 and they are second to only the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference.

Dec 3, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

The player the Mavericks have to contain when Toronto comes into town is point guard Kyle Lowry. Despite making the All-Star team, Lowry may be the most underrated player in the NBA. Lowry is averaging 18.3 points, 7.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Raptors and he has carried this team late in games.

Lowry had 25 points against the Mavericks when the two teams met up on Nov. 28 at Air Canada Centre. Despite his big game, the Mavericks prevailed by a score of 106-102. The Raptors are led by head coach Dwane Casey, an assistant for the Mavericks during their 2011 championship run.

The Raptors are efficient on both ends of the court, but their offensive ability provides the biggest threat to Dallas. Per Basketball-Reference.com, the Raptors average 105.1 points per game, the fifth most in the NBA.

Dallas Mavericks at Atlanta Hawks, Wednesday, Feb. 25

After facing the team with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, the Mavericks travel to Atlanta the following night to the face the top team in the Eastern Conference. Dallas should have revenge on their mind this time around as they look to avenge a 105-102 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks at the American Airlines Center on Dec. 22.

Feb 11, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) and guard Kyle Korver (26) react after a play against the Boston Celtics in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) and guard Kyle Korver (26) react after a play against the Boston Celtics in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

The Hawks’ superb ball movement will test the Mavericks’ defense on the second night of a back-to-back set of games. The Hawks lineup may not appear to be star studded, but they have did four players represent their team in the 2015 All-Star game. Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, Al Horford and Kyle Korver are all having impressive seasons for the Hawks.

Defeating the Hawks on their home court won’t come easy. The Hawks are 25-4 at Philips Arena and the Mavericks will have to start the game with more focus and effort than they did when these teams met in December. Kyle Korver has become a must-watch player this season. Korver is on pace to post the greatest shooting season in NBA history, currently shooting 51 percent from the field, 52 percent from three-point range, and an impressive 91 percent from the foul line.

The only other player to ever shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range, and 90 percent from the foul line is current Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who accomplished the feat in 1996 as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Brooklyn Nets, Saturday, Feb. 28

The Mavericks then return home for a matchup against the disappointing Brooklyn Nets. The Nets enter the week sitting at 22-31, battling for the No. 8 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Nets’ leading scorer is veteran shooting guard Joe Johnson. Johnson (33) is averaging 15.7 points per game and he is still capable of providing instant offense for a very average Brooklyn team.

November 13, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nets 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 13, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nets 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The Nets still have point guard Deron Williams, the player the Mavericks centered their 2012 offseason around. Williams may have spurned the Mavericks then, but given the trajectory of his career, that wasn’t a bad thing.

The Nets are only 12-16 on the road and this is a game the Mavericks should win. As favorable as this matchup may appear to be, the Mavericks should proceed with caution. Two other Eastern Conference underdogs, the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, came into the American Airlines Center under similar circumstances and left with surprising victories.

After two games against the top teams in the Eastern Conference, the matchup against the Nets should be one that Dallas works to take advantage of.

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