Admit It, Mavs Are Better Than We All Expected

One month into the NBA season, the Mavs are undeniably overachieving. Their relative success pales in comparison to the record-setting dominance of Steph Curry and the 20-0 Warriors, but at 11-8 they have exceeded expectations that a slow start would bury them into April.

Punctuated by Tuesday night’s overtime win in Portland, the Mavs are 6-6 on the road. Only the Warriors and Raptors have more road wins.

Everywhere you look, there is good news.

Entering Friday night’s home game against the Rockets, Dirk Nowitzki is playing like he’s 27 instead of 37. Chandler Parsons and JaVale McGee are improving game-to-game from injuries. Deron Williams has plenty left in the tank. Wesley Matthews’ Achilles concerns are a thing of the past. And Zaza Pachulia isn’t as bad as we all predicted.

At this point they are a good team, that with improving health should only get better. Will they be a threat to the Warriors or Spurs in the playoffs? Nope. But this early glimpse does provide hope that a playoff berth is realistic.
 

A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.

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