DALLAS - Even more disconcerting than the Mavericks' 33-point loss at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers is the fact that Dirk Nowitzki has run out of answers. I asked him after the game what he planned to do to pull out of one of the worst shooting slumps of his career and he just muttered something about needing to keep putting up shots.
It seems that Father Time is finally winning this battle against one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. And it doesn't help that Nowitzki's teammates are cratering at the same time. The Cavs were a team in chaos earlier this season, but the additions of J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov have galvanized this team. Kevin Love has stopped pouting and LeBron James regained his mojo after a two-week break.
"That's a team that can win it all," Nowitzki told Fox Sports Southwest.
The Mavs simply want to hang onto a playoff spot at this point. Head coach Rick Carlisle pretty much said that Tuesday's 127-94 loss was rock bottom. He tried to take all the blame, but the reality is his players are in a tailspin. Rick has a brilliant mind, but he doesn't have a clue what to do with this group. Rajon Rondo doesn't resemble the guy who thrived in the playoffs for the Boston Celtics. His main goal seems to be avoiding contact at all cost in order to avoid the free throw line.
"After the first quarter it was our worst performance of the year, just flat out," Carlisle said. "We just did a horrible job and I'm taking full responsibility for what happened the last three quarters. We got a little lucky in the first quarter, we got some breaks.
"From then on, 41 points in the second quarter, too many breakdowns, too many lack of concentration mistakes that are just normally beneath who we are, but it's on me. And I'm sick to my stomach about this."
I don't understand why Carisle thinks this is "beneath" this team. The Blazers and Warriors ran this team off the court recently. The Mavs would not be favored over any of their potential opponents in the Western Conference playoffs.
Amar'e Stoudemire has been one of the few bright spots for the Mavs, but he was disgusted by Tuesday's result. He indicated the team was "joking" around too much in shootarounds. Stoudemire said it was up to the veterans to show the way. But then, this team is loaded with veterans.
Chandler Parsons sparked the Mavs early in the first quarter with eight points in less than a minute. He had 15 points at halftime but he rarely touched the ball in the second half. It's time to consider the possibility this team might not put it together this season.
Rondo's regarded as a player who excels in the playoffs, but he's doing little to get the Mavs there. He'll likely play elsewhere next season.
The primary concern is that Nowitzki's game has seemed to falter overnight. It's something Carlisle doesn't want to hear, though.
"This is not a Dirk thing, this is a Mavericks thing," Carlisle said. "You can't go out and perform the way we did the last three quarters and point to Dirk."
Carlisle chose to point at himself Tuesday. But there are plenty of culprits.
And this upcoming schedule threatens to swallow the Mavs whole.
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