The New Dallas Mavericks

Presently the Mavericks are in the midst of a twelve game winning streak. They sit 2.5 games behind the Lakers for the best record in the NBA Western Conference. They currently have the third best record in the NBA. All this with their starting and backup center out with injuries and Jason Terry out with a broken orbital bone in his cheek bone.

The Mavericks made the best trade in the history of the franchise over the All Star break. They acquired two starters for two non-starters. This on a team that was already on pace for a fifty win season. It was such a steal that even Kobe Bryant said "I hate the trade".."It just got harder to win." Now those are the type of words I like to hear from one of our rivals. Well we are now rivals because since the trade the Mavs are 12-1. With the loss coming in the first game out of the break and on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. One of those wins was against the Lakers.

The Mavericks are in the best position since 2006 to have the number one seed in the Western Conference. It will not be easy but besides having a better team than before the trade deadline, they also play the easiest schedule in the NBA. They have no more back to backs and play less winning teams than any other team. They have finished the season series against the Lakers and have one more game against the Denver Nuggets and that is in Dallas. A win and the Mavs will have the tie breaker against the Nuggets.

In a couple of weeks the Mavericks will have all their players back and match up against any team in the NBA. I have no idea if this team can win a title but none other than Dirk Nowitzki thinks this is the best Mavericks team he has been on. That includes the team that lost in six games in the NBA finals against the Miami Heat. I just know it is going to be hard to beat this team four times in a seven game series. If the season ended today the Mavericks would play the San Antonio Spurs. It would be nice to send the Spurs home for the second year in a row but the Mavs true test will come against the Lakers or Nuggets.

Nineteen games remain of the regular season. The Mavericks play a total of ten games against team with winning records, but only three of them(Portland twice and Memphis)are on the road. They have no games left against the East. If the Mavs go 16 and 3 they will win 60 games again. It may take that to secure the home floor advantage throughout the Western Conference portion of the playoffs. '

Things are indeed looking up for the Mavericks and their fans. Life is good and to top it off Dirk has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week the last two weeks. Jason Kidd has had a number 15 triple double and Roddy Beaubois has been unleashed on the NBA. All this while Caron Butler has been a Robin to Dirk's Batman and The Matrix has been amazing. Go Mavs.