In the Wild West, who knows, there’s a chance the Mavs wind up facing the Warriors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
So, tonight, I can’t wait to see how leading MVP candidate Steph Curry is locked by Rajon Rondo. Oh, yeah. %^&*$#@!!
In a game that would’ve tested how far Dallas has come – or perhaps how far it is falling – since the acquisition of their pesky point guard, instead the Mavs will face the West’s best without the injured Rondo. Somehow Raymond Felton fighting over a screen to block a Curry flick-wrist 3-pointer just isn’t as compelling.
While Rondo mends facial fractures from his accidental collision with teammate Richard Jefferson, the Mavs over the next week will face the type of Western Conference point guards he was acquired to stop: Curry tonight, then Portland’s Damian Lillard, the Clippers’ Chris Paul and then, first game after the All-Star break, the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook.
It’s obviously never a good time for an injury to a starter. But for where Rondo and the Mavericks are and for where they think they are headed, this setback comes at exactly the wrong time.
Rondo, remember, is a four-time All-Defensive Team member. Without him and against this gauntlet of star point guards, the Mavs should be happy to make it through this rugged seven-game stretch and to Feb. 21 with a record of 3-4. Without Rondo, unfortunately, 2-5 – with wins over only Sacramento and Utah – is more 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 currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
