By Mike Fisher -- DallasBasketball.com
For the Mavs, a U.S. map and the NBA schedule read the same: You can’t get from Dallas to California without passing though a lot of other stops.
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There was a time during the middle of last week when “Lakeritis’’ struck the Mavs. They were coaxed by the media into talking about a possible first-round matchup against the powerhouse from LA – and they seemed to talk rather meekly about their chances.
That concerned me; it was the day before the game against the Kings, and a full two weeks before any such possible playoff meeting. … why would the Mavs possibly bother talking about playoff matchups? Why would the Mavs try to get from Point A to Point Z without recognizing all the other letters in between?
The Kings, of course, are different. They’ve long suffered from “Lakeritis,’’ and this month, as they’ve allowed LA to make up seven games in the standings and take charge of the West, Sacto doesn’t seem to just have the disease – it seems to have injected itself with the germ!
My understanding is that the foolishness of worrying about a playoff opponent while there is still two weeks to go in the regular season was somehow discussed in-house down at American Airlines Center. Somebody told somebody to shut up about the Lakers and just worry about the Kings and the Suns and the rest of the teams Dallas knows it must play.
And voila! With Saturday’s 124-103 manhandling of Phoenix – the fourth straight win, the fourth straight game that SmallBall has been used to score 120 or more, the fourth straight game that Nellie has put the reins of this team back into the hands of The Big Three – the potential playoff matchups look much different than they did a few days ago.
On Wednesday, it was the No. 6 Mavs vs. the No. 3 Lakers. Two days later, it was going to be the No. 6 Mavs against the No. 3 Kings. Over the weekend, the No. 6 Mavs could’ve contemplated opposing the No. 3 T’wolves. And after the Spurs won in LA on Sunfday afternoon while the Grizzlies lost to Minny, it could be any of those combos, or maybe Dallas playing one of them as the No. 5 seed, given the fact that now the Mavs move into the final games of the season just one game back of No. 5 Memphis.
Dallas at No. 5. … hmm, should we start etching in cement who the Mavs’ foe will be at the No. 4 seed?
Don’t bother. It’ll change a few more times in the next fews days.
Which is my point about “Lakeritis’’ last week: Why bother projecting how you’ll do against a foe you might never play? Why bother worrying about the strength of an opponent that might not retain that strength when you oppose it? Why not just make damn sure you beat non-contender Seattle on Tuesday?
Dallas doesn’t especially want to face LA – but if Kobe is stuck in a courtroom and Stuntman Shaq still has his head buried in a press-row laptop, I’d welcome a Dallas-Lakers series, and would pick Dallas!
On the other hand, the Mavs have had an easy time with Sacramento this year, and the Kings are slumping – but I don’t doubt for a moment that the Kings have the ability to turn it on in time to crush any first-round foe.
The Lakers? The Kings? The Spurs? The T’wolves? If I’m Dallas, I don’t especially want any of them in the first round. I’d much rather play the Sonics, the Jazz and the Sonics again.
Well, guess what? I get my wish. That’s exactly what Dallas gets to do THIS WEEK: Seattle, Utah and Seattle are the opponents from now through Saturday.
Follow the instructions on that map, and the route to the playoffs will take care of itself.