It dawned on me while watching Greg Smith and Richard Jefferson botch a pick-and-roll with the Mavs trailing the Hawks by a whopping 24 points: This team isn’t complete yet.
In the wake of acquiring All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, the Mavs still have holes to fill. The Hawks exposed them and reminded us last night in a blowout victory that winded up being only a three-point final score. In short, the Mavs miss Brandan Wright. And Rondo’s gotta be better.
Free agent Josh Smith could fill Wright’s backup forward role, but he’s likely to sign elsewhere since the Mavs can offer him neither the most money or a starting job. As for Rondo, there’s much room for improvement.
Lauded as a gritty defender who will stay in front of the Western Conference’s array of elite point guards, against the Hawks he help surrender a career-high 22 points to backup Dennis Schroder. Yikes. On offense, Rondo has to get accustomed to coming off a screen ready to shoot an open 16-foot jumper. Teams are daring him to shoot, and through two games he’s been hesitant, and ineffective.
The Mavs have an open roster spot. They will fill it, with Josh Smith or someone like him.
Until then, they can’t afford to miss seven free throws and a breakaway dunk while trying to dig out of a 24-point hole against an Eastern Conference team at home.
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 currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
