Can the Mavericks Keep the Momentum Heading Into the All-Star Break?
With the NBA All-Star Break approaching, it’s crunch time for the Dallas Mavericks amid a season of mixed fortunes and injuries.
Heading into December, the team built up impressive momentum that raised eyebrows among some commentators, and while they’ve suffered some losses this new year so far, many fans are looking beyond the break with renewed hope.
But will the side continue to flip-flop between wins and losses, or will they finally get enough of their star lineup out of injury to build further momentum toward a strong season finisher?
The Story So Far
At the time of writing, the Mavericks are sitting at the top of the lowest third in the Western Conference, standing proud ahead of the likes of the Grizzlies, Jazz, Kings, and Pelicans, but with a mountain left to climb. They remain several wins adrift of the Clippers, Trail Blazers, and Warriors, and that’s not the only concern on their shoulders.
It’s little wonder that so many Mavericks fans are checking out the latest scores and updates heading into the break, with the team teetering mid-league. Several are using services such as LiveScore to make sure that they never miss a moment and prepare themselves for when the action gets started again after the February pause. It’s nail-biting time for lots of basketball fans, but for the Mavs, tensions are high.
A recent triumph over the Miami Heat, another mid-table side on the other coast, has helped inspire fans heading into the break. While the team may no longer have world-class players such as Luka Dončić, they can at least rely on relatively recent acquisitions such as Max Christie, an LA transfer who proved a pivotal player in said match (and more besides).
Injuries and Setbacks
Tense games looming in late February heading into March will prove whether the Mavs have the staying power to push beyond mid-table after the break. These won’t be easy matchups, with the likes of Memphis, Oklahoma, and Charlotte all waiting for them.
Fans will be hoping that Kyrie Irving will have made a comeback from his knee injury from before the Christmas period, while the likes of Naji Marshall remain in the air.
The Mavs have also had to contend with the fact that Danté Exum and Dereck Lively II both exited due to injury around the holidays, with neither player heading back to the court until the next season at the earliest.
Players to Watch For
The Mavericks’ A-team squad over the past few seasons has been impressively diverse, and this has been a genuine asset as they’ve struggled to move along with big injuries such as those mentioned above. Thankfully, there are more than a few stars who are, at the time of writing, fit and healthy enough to help Dallas keep moving and, hopefully, jump up the table.
Last season, we discussed the potential for NBA stardom in flexible forward Cooper Flagg and how he could be a savior for Dallas’s fortunes moving forward. Thankfully, he’s more than proved himself on the court this season so far, meaning that our assessments have been justified – even if there are plenty of games left to go.
The statistics so far tell us that Flagg is still the second-top points scorer for the Mavs at present, just behind the since-traded Anthony Davis, and he’s had the most minutes per game out on the court so far for the team this season. He’s also the champion stealer heading into the break, with Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington also proving essential forward players.
It isn’t the first time the Mavericks have looked like they pivoted the All-Star Break to get the team back to full health, but it’s a strategy that might just help them leapfrog a few rivals heading toward the season’s end.
The momentum might seem promising, but you can hardly blame Mavs fans for wanting a little more as the games continue.
With the likes of the ever-ready Flagg pushing hard as the main forward force, there’s plenty to look forward to in the upcoming fixtures.
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