| A Glance At Things To Come Authored by Jeff Stotts - October 28, 2005 - 1:31 am
With a 103-97 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night the Dallas Mavericks completed their preseason schedule and now shift their focus to the season opener on November 1 in Phoenix. The preseason offered a glimpse into the direction that Coach Avery Johnson wants to take his Mavericks. The team is deep, healthy for the most part, and all seem to be on the same page. However it is often said that the NBA season is not a sprint but a marathon and it will be interesting to see how the Mavericks will endure through the grinding season that lies ahead. Here’s a preview of the 2005-2006 season for the Dallas Mavericks.
November
14 games (6 Home, 8 Away)
A good start is important but it doesn’t guarantee anything, just ask the 2002-2003 version of the Mavs that started off 14-0 only to see the Spurs close the gap and win the division in the last week of the season. If these Mavericks repeat that amazing start it will be a shock because the early schedule is far from easy. The opener will be a shot at bittersweet revenge as they return to Phoenix and play the Amare-less Suns. Former mate Michael Finley returns to a place he called home for the past nine years for the Mavericks’ AAC opener. Unfortunately for the Mavs he’s bringing the World Champion San Antonio Spurs with him. The Rockets return to the scene of their 40 point Game 7 loss and look for T-Mac and Yao to try to single handedly erase this embarrassing finish from their team’s mind. Hopefully Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal will be suffering from the lingering effects of a turkey-induced tryptophan haze as the Mavs head to South Beach the day after Thanksgiving Day. A 14-0 start isn’t going to happen but a 9-5 beginning seems more realistic.
December
16 games (9 Home, 7 Away)
The month begins with another visit from the champs as the Mavs host the Spurs. Hopefully by now the Mavs will have gelled as a team and can make some noise against some playoff caliber teams like the Bulls, Pacers, and the Grizzlies. A midmonth West Coast swing brings the Lakers, Sonics, and the redesigned Kings. New Year’s Eve will be spent in Oklahoma City as the team visits the displaced Hornets. Look for the Mavericks to enter the new year with a 20-10 record after going 11-5 in December.
January
15 games (6 Home, 9 Away)
Mavericks’ fans will have very few opportunities to see their team to begin 2006. Nine road games await the Mavericks in January on both the East and West coasts. The Mavericks make their lone trip to Madison Square Garden, to play the Knicks, a team they beat twice in the preseason on last second tip-ins. An instate game against the Rockets is the only divisional game of the month and the Mavericks will record another winning month finishing 10-5, stretching their overall record to 30-15.
February (8 Home, 2 Away)
After starting the month in Memphis, the Mavs head back to Big D where nine of the next ten games are at home including a six game home stand. February also brings the All-Star game so every Maverick not named Nowitzki should get a much needed break. Shaq and company make their only trip to the AAC days after Kobe Bryant and Phil are in town. February stands as the month Dallas takes advantage of their schedule and puts together a strong 8-2 month to compile a 38-17 record.
March (6 Home, 11 Away)
The rest and relaxation provided by the previous month will be much needed in March as the schedule-Gods are not kind. The team will need to pull together as they have a game every other night including back-to-back games on three separate occasions. 11 games will be against potential playoff teams including the Spurs in the Alamo City and the Kings in the cowbell-crazy Arco. King James brings his royal entourage into Dallas this month and the Suns also visit, possibly with a healthy Amare Stoudamire. The Mavs’ March record will be a hard-earned 9-8 and move their overall record to 47-25.
April (5 Home, 4 Away)
The homestretch begins with Dallas-native Kenyon Martin and the Nuggets coming to town followed by the Kings. A three game trip out West is the team’s last regular season road trip as the Mavericks visit the Clipper, Warriors, and Suns. The Clip crew then comes to Dallas to conclude the season on April 19 but by then the Mavericks will have wrapped up their sixth straight 50-win season after going 6-3 in April.
The Mavericks’ regular season record of 53-29 will be good enough for fifth in the West with a potential first round match up against the Rockets. However no one knows what the upcoming season holds and anything is possible. Just remember it isn’t how you start but how you finish. Hopefully the Mavericks won’t finish until late June. |
