Mavs vs. Lakers: Which Team Is More Desperate?
The Mavericks play the Lakers on Sunday night.
Early in the year, when the Dallas Mavericks acquired Rajon Rondo, they were a top four seed in the Western Conference and considered to be contenders. But, the Mavs brilliant offense (4th in scoring, 8th in assists) could not erase their abhorrent defense (ranked 20th). Rick Carlisle, a defensive coach, was given the benefit of the doubt. Just wait, his supporters said. He’ll make Chandler Parsons and Monta Ellis and an old Dirk Nowitizki a defensive team. They will be good enough.
The Mavs have lost 4 out of 5 games and in the Western Conference that will take you to the deep end of the ocean. Their four losses have been against playoff teams. Their one win has been against a lottery team. Not to say the Mavs are panicking as they are a 6th seed with one more loss than the 7th seed Spurs, but they are a heading for a one-and-done playoff exit. They have to start beating playoff teams now. Since they acquired Rajon Rondo on December 18th, the Mavs record against playoff teams is 10-12.
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No problem on Sunday night. The Mavericks feed off of lottery teams. They are 23-6 against lottery teams and have already beaten the Lakers twice this year. Lottery teams are pathetic defenders and the Mavs offense of Parsons, Nowitzki and Ellis are an impossible combination for the under-talented.
Still, the Lakers being the Lakers, will give everything they have. Jordan Clarkson is coming off of his best game as a rookie and against the best defense in the NBA. Once again, the Lakers had a fourth quarter lead they could not keep. Much of the blame goes to their offense’s inability to spread the floor, move the ball, drive into the lane and feed perimeter shooters. The Lakers hold the ball too long and take contested shots they don’t have the talent or skill to make.
Interesting match-up will be the point guard. Despite his brilliant game against Memphis, Clarkson has yet to prove he is a starting NBA point guard. He has not shown a talent for controlling the tempo of the game when it counts, late in the fourth quarter. Rajon Rondo is the opposite. He is 5th in the league in assists as he has plenty of offensive weapons. Rondo is shooting a higher percentage from three (40%) than Clarkson but his free throw percentage is a laughably grotesque, 29%.
It’s hard to imagine that the Mavs are worse than the Lakers at something but their pathetic perimeter defense is only topped by the Timberwolves and Knicks. The Mavs have three players over 30 years old (Tyson Chandler, Monta Ellis, Dirk Nowtizki) and on Sunday night they catch break. They face a team that doesn’t have accurate three point shooters or guards who can get them open shots.
The Mavericks, 5-5 in their last 10 games, have displayed the sort of mediocrity you want from a team hoping to be in the lottery. 9 out of their next 15 games are against Western Conference playoff teams. Beating the Lakers is a must.
As for the Lakers, they were helped last night by a Minnesota win. Now they are two games back of the Timberwolves for the worst record in the Western Conference. Expect the usual Lakers hustle and grit and gutty performance. The Lakers will play hard and throw in a highlight or two, go to sleep in the third quarter, and then fumble away a victory in the 4th.