Last time the Mavs finished with a losing record at home Jim Cleamons was the head coach, Reunion Arena was their gym and Dirk Nowitzki was just an obscure German teenager.
To keep 2016 from becoming 1998, the Mavs have to beat mediocre Eastern Conference teams like Charlotte.
The year before they drafted Nowitzki the Mavs went 13-28 at home. In every full season since then they’ve won at least 21 home games, including 36-5 in 2006-07 and 27-14 last season. After coughing up a late 20-5 run in a loss to the Raptors Tuesday night, this year they’re 0-1. If they hope to make a push for the playoffs in the West, they can’t lose games to teams like the 1-3 Hornets.
Charlotte is improving, but it’s still Charlotte. The city has lost 14 consecutive games in Dallas, dating back to when it was a different organization and the mascot was the Bobcats instead of the Hornets.
A loss tonight would erase any positive vibes from Dallas’ 2-1 start. A win would turn the Mavs in the right direction toward another winning home season.
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.
