By Dr. Jack Ramsay The Dallas Mavericks are 21-16, stand fourth in the Midwest Division and sixth in the Western Conference. They have won six of their last 10 games, but they needed a 127-121 overtime win over New York on Monday to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to Indiana and Detroit. The Mavericks are coming off a 60-22 season -- their best in franchise history -- and gave the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs all they could handle before losing in six hard-fought battles in the Western Conference finals last spring. But the Mavs made roster moves in the offseason that they hoped would upgrade their offense and rebounding. They sent catalyst Nick Van Exel and others to Golden State for Antawn Jamison and Danny Fortson, later traded Raef LaFrentz and Jiri Welsch to Boston for Antoine Walker and Tony Delk and signed free-agent point guard Travis Best. It hasn't worked out the way they had hoped. Compared to last season, when the Mavs got off to a 14-0 start, they've never gotten a consistent flow to their game. They were 10-4 after their first 14 games this season, and their record has never gotten better than six games over .500. The Mavs score 102.3 points per game (second-best in the league) and are rebounding better (third-best in total rebounds); but their defense has become considerably more vulnerable. Last season, they allowed 95.2 points a game and a .438 field-goal percentage to opponents. So far in the 2003-04 season, the Mavs allow 99.9 points a game -- most in the NBA -- and .453 in field-goal percentage defense (27th in the league). They've also struggled to win on the road (5-13) compared to last season when they were 27-14 in away games. Dr.Jack's Diagnosis & Cure
Actually if they wouldnt of traded Van Exel, I think we would have had a better record. Van Exel was a spark of the bench we couldnt afford to loose. Although Jamsion produces rebounds and inside presence, Van Exel was a peice of the puzzle that will be HARD to replace.
