The Dallas Mavericks are more than likely making the playoffs, barring a ridiculous collapse. If they can turn this slump around in the next 11 games, they still have a shot to be a dangerous opponent in the Western Conference playoffs.
There’s still a chance all of that happens. But also, there’s a chance hell will break loose in Dallas.
More from Dallas Mavericks
- 3 NBA superstars with legacies on the line heading into 2023–24
- NBA Trades: This Mavs-Nets deal may lead to Dallas adding a third star
- NBA Trades: This Mavericks-Pelicans swap would boost Dallas’ frontline
- Ranking the 4 riskiest boom-or-bust NBA teams in 2023–24
- 5 NBA players facing do-or-die 2023–2024 seasons
Much can happen within 24 hours. And apparently, if you’re associated with the Dallas organization in any way, a typhoon is furiously heading for the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks were in Phoenix, about half a quarter away from stealing a much-needed win over the Suns on Sunday night. Dallas was down by 17 points in the third quarter.
The Mavs fought back to take the lead and appeared to have snatched a win from the jaws of defeat.
Then, Monta Ellis and Rick Carlisle happened.
There is no fathomable or appropriate way to describe what happened in the last five-plus minutes on Sunday. It didn’t make sense then, and it still doesn’t make sense now.
Point to any plausible argument as to why Dallas lost 98-92 to the Suns. The 13-for-22 discrepancy in free throws might be a good start, with Dallas needing only seven of those to essentially win the game. Or the 49-40 rebounding edge for Phoenix is another key point to look at.
Here’s where it should start – 0-for-8 in the fourth quarter, 0-for-7 shooting in the final 5:04, with a turnover.
That was Ellis’ stat line. The one usually depended on to close games for the Mavs shot 4-of-22 on the night and scored 11 points. After the game, Ellis didn’t speak with reporters nor did he even address his lackluster fourth quarter.
Now, that’s not why all hell is set to break loose and the apocalypse will hit Dallas when the offseason hits. Ellis is a volume shooter. He has been his entire career. Him going 4-of-22 is alarming, but these kinds of performances have happened before. That’s not why things are going haywire.
Things are going haywire because of Rick Carlisle.
There have hardly been times where Carlisle has been accused of poor management. He’s usually the one to call himself out if the Mavericks have a bad night. He’s a championship-winning coach and has the pedigree that calls for respect on the highest of levels.
But there is a time and place for ridiculous things to be said. Sunday night was not one of those times, as Carlisle dug himself a deep hole in the eyes of media and pundits.
What you are about to read are the transcribed key points of what Carlisle said after the game. And if you find yourself with a puzzled look on your face afterwards, believe me, it’s normal.
"[The first half] was an embarrassment, flat out. Second half, we got angry and we played a hell of a lot harder but we made too many mistakes.We had to get shots. He’s the one guy who can get clean shots. He’s getting good looks. I always believe he’s going to make the next one. My responsibility as a coach is to get shots. We can’t go places where clear shots are not going to be generated.Look, this is not a Monta Ellis shooting problem. This is a Dallas Maverick hard play problem. We don’t play hard all of the time. That’s the problem. It’s pretty clear that’s where our inconsistency is. That’s where we have to get better. We have to be a more together team. I believe that we can do it. We did it in the second half.In terms of the soul of the team, you have to ask those guys."
Puzzled? You’re not the only one.
I did not see the quotes right away after the game, because I was at work. About 10 minutes after Carlisle’s presser, I got a text from a friend in Dallas who sent me the transcript in its entirety.
My response: “You’ve got to be s****ing me.”
The first half was an embarrassment – much like the other two meetings against the Suns. Phoenix has taken Dallas to the woodshed on all three occasions this year. With the exception of the second half, the Mavericks have been dominated. That’s fine, no problem there.
Now, the part about Ellis. “We had to get shots,” Carlisle said. Where in the world does it say, in the coaching handbook, that the player who missed 18 shots in a game is the only one capable of getting his own shot?
It doesn’t take long to look at the box score and see Chandler Parsons had a game-high 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting, or Dirk Nowitzki made 5-of-10 from the floor.
Even Amar’e Stoudemire was 7-of-11 shooting and had 16 points.
I’m not a math major, but those three combined to make 19-of-38 shots, which I believe, is 50 percent.
Those three got their own shots, and you’re saying a guy who missed 18 shots was the only one with the coherent ability to generate offense? Rick has officially made fools of everyone.
And if this is a Dallas Mavericks play hard problem, then explain how the Mavericks didn’t play hard in the second half? On top of that, not only did they not play hard, but you decided to leave the ball in Ellis’ hands in the fourth quarter, not once thinking that after the fourth or fifth miss that it was a bad idea.
Raymond Felton did more in the five minutes he played in the fourth quarter than Ellis did in the whole game. That’s the definition of playing hard – having players ready to go at any moment. He did, and you want to criticize the team for not playing hard?
Again, we are fools, and Rick Carlisle is the king of court jesters.
So, after all of that, there was no way things could get any worst for Dallas than that, right?
Well … From ESPN Dallas’ Tim MacMahon.
"The Mavs continue to express confidence in Ellis as their closer — and he does still lead the NBA in clutch points this season with 118, per NBA.com’s definition of the final five minutes of regulation or overtime with the score within five points — but he’s been bad for almost two months now. Ellis is shooting 38.5 percent from the floor since Feb. 1.Not coincidentally, the Mavs have been mediocre during that span with a 12-10 record.Regardless of whether anyone will admit it on the record, Ellis is a big part of that problem. Folks in the Mavs organization have been fretting for weeks about the impact Ellis’ moodiness has on the team’s soul."
That last sentence says it all.
Monta Ellis is now an emotional problem in the Mavericks locker room. You can’t blame Rajon Rondo for this one.
The problem with Ellis’ struggles are not that oblivious. His hip has bothered him since the All-Star break. Clearly, it is still a problem. And he refuses to even take any time off from it because he hasn’t missed a game in a few years.
Ellis’ pride is getting away from better judgment. And when you combine that sort of ego, and mix it in with what Carlisle had to say, it creates one giant cluster that seems impossible to fix.
But wait, there’s more.
ESPN’s Marc Stein was on Bill Simmons’ podcast Monday to discuss all things NBA, but of course, Stein was asked about the Mavs and those problems.
Here are the essentials you need to know about what Stein said.
- Tyson Chandler should be the No. 1 priority for Dallas this summer.
- Rondo is more than likely going to be offered more money by the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks, and will leave Dallas.
- Ellis is going to think he’s worth more than the $8.7 million he can get next year if he picks up his player option.
This has all happened in 24 hours. The Mavericks have gone from losing a game to the Suns to, possibly, having the entire roster get demolished and in the process of another makeover this summer.
In the span of 24 hours, the Mavericks have gone from a playoff team to possibly losing not just one-fifth, but three-fifths of its starting lineup, including the guy they brought back for a second time, only to possibly lose him to free agency again, which would be the ridiculous thing to ever happen in the Mavs organization since deciding not to re-sign Steve Nash.
And speaking of Chandler, MacMahon mentioned on his radio show Monday that the Mavs are actually thinking of letting Chandler walk this summer because they feel the chances of getting an upgrade at center are actually good.
What the hell?
This sequence of events makes the Rondo-Carlisle blowup look like a kids fight by the monkey bars.
The Smoking Cuban
If Dallas is letting Chandler walk, and possibly fine with losing Ellis and Rondo as well, then the fix must be in that Dirk Nowitzki is retiring and Dallas will throw every penny humanly possible toward the ways of LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love.
Which, if you’re keeping track at home, is not going to happen.
Things are unraveling in Dallas, and the Mavericks are on the verge of imploding because no one has any idea what is happening in the time-space continuum. Dallas has 11 games left to try and make the playoffs and make some sort of playoff run, and here we are, discussing what may happen this summer and who may, or may not, be back next year.
There has never been this much drama facing the Mavs’ organization like there is now. And it’s only going to get worse, unless Dallas goes on the playoff run of all playoff runs.
This is shaping up to be something indescribable.
Next: 50 Greatest NBA Players Without a Championship
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout