Dallas Mavericks Must Take Advantage of Immediate Post-Break Schedule

The Dallas Mavericks limped in to the All-Star break, but could use rested legs and a favorable schedule to get back on track as the playoffs approach.

The NBA All-Star break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Dallas Mavericks. The team lost four of its five games heading into the 10-day pause, and the wear and tear of a grueling 55 games was starting to show on many of the veterans.

Dirk Nowitzki has averaged more than 32 minutes a night since the first of January, and the workload appears to have caught up with him. He shot just 41% from the field from January 1st to the break, a full six percentage points lower than the accuracy in his first 31 games. Wesley Matthews has connected on just 38% of his attempts from the floor since the start of the new year, and Zaza Pachulia has been banged up as well.

But the extended rest should help the Mavericks immensely, and the team could use a favorable schedule emerging from their hiatus to right the ship and get back on track.

Only twice in their first 10 games after the all-star break will the Mavericks face a team currently above .500, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers. They get the Magic and Nuggets twice, the 76ers, the Timberwolves, Kings, and Pistons in that stretch. Obviously there is no such thing as a sure thing, but Dallas is looking at a lot of winnable games as we really get into the schedule’s final trimester.

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Right now there’s a pretty good chance the Mavericks make the playoffs, but the important thing at this point is where they fall in the standings. The injury to Marc Gasol changes things, as the Grizzlies sit a few games ahead of Dallas in the standings, and the trade deadline could alter the landscape of the west as well, but all the Mavericks can concern themselves with is winning the games in front of them.

Luckily they’ll have a good shot at doing that in the immediate future, hoping to build some momentum and steer clear of Golden State, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City as we get closer to the second season.

Next: Blockbuster Proposal That Brings Horford to Dallas

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