MAVS NEWS: Luka Is Hurt, But is Trudging On | DLive's Mom Passes Away| Maxi OUT

[KillerLeft]

Maxi coming back healthy and playing like he did a few years ago would be the simplest solution, but that feels like wishful thinking at this point. He only played 37 games last season and now he's broken down again. Hopefully they get him back on the floor in time to re-evaluate before the trade deadline.

I'm not nearly as worried about the backup center being switchable. You have to get to the playoffs first, and if the Mavs are dropping winnable games due to the Powell/Holmes minutes, it could have a huge impact on their playoff seeing. It might even bump them to a play-in team if they aren't careful. Sure, it would be great if you have a backup you knew could hang in the postseason, but if Lively can't do that as well I feel like they're screwed either way. The matchup matters as well. Imagine they end up playing the Wolves without a legit backup because they were worried about smallball. That could get ugly.

Agree with some of the good points here. Yes, the first paragraph is wishful thinking FOR SURE. It's just that I haven't seen a better solution offered (yet). That is probably due in part to our difference in opinion concerning the 2nd paragraph. 

As for the emboldened sentence, I SO, SO, SO HOPE the Mavs can get matched up with Minnesota in a 7-game series. Imo, there will be no easier out in all of the playoffs. What Minnesota is trying has (in my opinion, obviously) a ZERO percent chance of working in the playoffs. I am less worried about Minnesota than any other Western Conference team, and it's the specific and obvious tactic of spreading them out and NOT trying match size with them that will have them out in the first round. 

Maybe this is premature of me, but I'm not all that worried about the Mavs making the playoffs. I've seen enough to know they'll beat the teams they should beat, they CAN win some big, tough games, they enjoy playing together and are improving as we go through the schedule. They'll finish between 3-8, easily. I'd bet they end up above the play-in line.