Mavs Midweek Donuts: Time For The NBA Stretch Run
DALLAS - The NBA All-Star Game is behind is. The NBA Playoffs stretch run is ahead of us. All the news and links and stuff that's fit to print here in Mavs Midweek Donuts ...
DONUT 1: STREEEEEEEETCH The Dallas Mavericks are about to enter what many of us errantly refer to as "the second half of the NBA season.'' In fact, of course, Dallas at 33-22 (good for seventh in the West) has following the All-Star Break not "half the season left'' but just "one-third of a season,'' 27 games.
Dallas has won games at a .600 clip. Continue doing just that - nice as it is - and the Mavs land at 49 wins. Last year, 48 wins in the West got you in. The year before that, 47 wins got you in.
Coach Rick Carlisle, as wishing and believing that this year's team is capable of special things, would be wise to not flirt with the 47 or the 48 or even the 49.
DONUT 2: CUBAN'S CUTDOWN At one point, we might've judged Mark Cuban as being bitter because he was blocked from owning a Major League Baseball team. But now, given the Houston Astros scandal and the botching of it all? Tony Cubes insists his "thankful'' to have been blocked.
DONUT 3: WELCOME TO THE MAVS, BRI! The 75-Member Staff has a key new addition in Bri Amaranthus, who previously covered the Portland Trail Blazers but now comes to DFW to join our DallasBasketball.com and SI.com team.
Learn more about Bri above, and of course give here a lovely MFFL welcome on social media and in the Community section below, too!
DONUT 4: HOMETOWN HOPES Dirk Nowitzki has a simple wish for Luka Doncic.
Well, two wishes, actually. And maybe they only look "simple'' because Dirk himself accomplished them. Check out Dirk here.
DONUT 5: HOMETOWN HANGOVERS Of course, the Mavs aren't going anywhere until they start fixing themselves at the AAC. Our TJ Macias takes a wordsmith-y look at Dallas' woes at home.
DONUT 6: EAT YOUR DONUTS! Our Steven Kilpatrick offers up a terrific look at "where we are now,'' reflecting back on the last game Dallas played before the All-Star Break (featuring Luka and KP), reflecting on Luka's All-Star Weekend, and looking ahead to where roster changes can add some help to the Mavs' stretch run. Click here to eat your Donuts!
DONUT 7: WHO PUT KYRIE IN CHARGE? Wait. Kyrie Irving is running the show now?
Our Matt Galatzan with a sound reaction to the unsound news.
DONUT 8: MAVS STEP BACK POD Mark Cuban endorses it; what more do you want?
Trigg and Galatzan produce our as-good-as-it-gets Mavs podcast, including one of the latest episodes, above.
DONUT 9: CARDI B? FINE WITH ME! Luka Doncic used to like Jennifer Aniston. Now he likes Cardi B.
His kookiest All-Star reflection is here.
DONUT 10: GIANNIS HAS NO BAG?! Here's a weird Twitter war in which a blue-checked media person argues that The Greek Freak can't really do much of anything. Weird.
DONUT 11: WHAT'S ON TAP The Mavs are conducting a Wednesday afternoon practice session as the gang gets back together. They'll travel for a weekend roadie, back-to-backs at Orlando and at Atlanta, then return home for a Monday visit from the T'Wolves.
Combined record of that trio: 55-109. Remember Donut 1? This is about that. The time to streeeeetch toward 50 wins is here. Now. This weekend.
DONUT 12: THE FINAL WORD "Major League Baseball is run more like the mafia and more like a fraternity than it is a business.” - Mark Cuban.
