2021-2022 MAVS NEWS: 4th in West | WCF loss [ARCHIVED]

[F Gump]

I just don't see it. .

If you want to close your eyes to what has ALREADY happened, so be it.

But when the results are there over and over (and they are) and the Mavs keep landing at or near the top of the ladder (and they have), it's not some sort of wild optimism to see what's happening. It's denial - a need for negativity, really - that keeps proclaiming that what has been happening is not there.

The Mavs are very very good. Before Wood. Should be even better with him added.

I pointed this out before the playoffs, and was told it was too early to call them good - even though they had accumulated win totals in the very upper echelon of the NBA. 5th best win total, despite learning new system from scratch. Despite a MAJOR roster change mid-season. Best (or 2nd best) since turn of the year.

Then they went into playoffs, with no experience in knowing how to win a series in the playoffs, having to learn on the run, and finished in the top 4. OF THE ENTIRE NBA. That's not some sort of rosy optimism, it's what is.

All the "could have been betters" you cite are ignoring the most important thing you want to gloss over, which is that they have been learning how to win games. You don't win on style points, or stat battles, or rankings in this category or that. And each time they learn how to win another way, it only gets better. Same in the playoffs - they had to learn how to win in that crucible, under fire, against the best of the best -- and they learned how to take down battle-tested teams, including the clear #1 seed, and losing only to the eventual champs.

You don't like their style of play, when they win? So frickin what? You do what's effective, get your wins, and move on. As they did. Lots of games where the other team said "Watch this, we'll get more rebounds" - getting all those style points, baby!!! --- and Mavs reply was "Oh no, oh my, you may win the middle" then they rained 3s while the opponent was getting 2s.

It's not how you win stat battles. It's not style points. It's being able to figure out how to win on the scoreboard. Which they have done, and kept doing.
 
That's not an IF. Or a WISH. Or a MAYBE. It is WHERE THEY ARE.

That was with a very short roster, playing on fumes. Won anyhow through a long two rounds, then it caught up with them. But with some reinforcements (and they have two already), they should be even better (and they were already FINAL FOUR). Whether you like it or not.