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Mr. 1,000They beat the Phoenix Suns (remember when this was a can't-miss game?) 98-89 at the American Airlines Center and it was the Mavericks of old.
Defense was better. Ball movement 100 times better (30 assists ... Vince Carter and Jason Terry had five each, Dirk Nowitzki had seven ... 19 total offensive boards). Movement, in general, was much better. Rebounding was off-the-charts better (seven Mavericks had at least five). Body language was a 180-degree switch from the first six games.
That's a game you watch and you wonder if the Mavericks, as constructed, are capable of putting that type of game together for the next three months. Then again, Brendan Haywood is still your starting center. And Haywood is still not good, even if he grabs 12 rebounds (by a light year, his best game of the year).
Most importantly, Lamar Odom is finding a role. Still working himself into mid-season shape, he had 15 points and five boards on 50 percent shooting while Kim and Khloe looked on. I do wonder about Odom's presence on this team and how it could eventually alter the starting line-up.
If Odom gets back and Rick "With A P" Carlisle can depend on him and Vince Carter and Roddy Beaubois (that alley-oop from Jason Kidd was ... thrilling) to bring offense off the bench, could Jason Terry be moved into the starting two-guard position? Nothing against Delonte West. Frankly, he's probably been the best new Maverick this season. And I have no true love for Jason Terry, but if you could bring enough firepower to start the game and then have no true dip in production once the bench is put in play, why not? I think Terry, Odom, Beaubois, Carter or whoever should be put atop the priority list for minutes, at least above West.
Anyway, a good win. I'll take it.
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