Jeff Caplan has a good article on the Mavs failure to prove they can beat the better teams in the West.
"We've got to find a way to get a win to end this trip on a positive and then get ready to play a very talented team in New Orleans," Kidd said. "You concentrate on the first game."
Dallas needs a convincing win in the West. Nine of its 13 victories have come against bottom-dwellers: the Los Angeles Clippers (three), Memphis (two), Minnesota (two), Oklahoma City and Sacramento.
The Mavericks have beaten Houston without Yao Ming and San Antonio without Manu Ginobili.
This quote from Kidd on Denver's defensive strategy doesn't fill me with confidence about tonight.
"They invite you to shoot the 3-ball," he said. "They like to see if you'll fall in that trap. You just got to make sure you're taking good shots."
Why do I feel like I know how this will end? In the Mavs losses to Denver this year they have shot 30 & 35 threes.
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Sefko has an article on the Mavs defense which has been pretty awful lately.
Both the Suns and the Kings shot better than 50 percent, with Phoenix throwing in a ridiculous 62.7 percent. Those are losing numbers and the Mavericks know it.
"Teams are shooting a very high percentage on us right now, so the answer to that question is probably no," Jason Kidd said when asked if the defensive level had remained high enough.
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John Hollinger now says the Mavs have less than a 50% chance of making the postseason and project to finish the season 21-24.