Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns: Game Preview

The Dallas Mavericks first game following the officially official retirement announcement of Hall of Famer Steve Nash would come against the Phoenix Suns.

It just would.

Photo Credit: Sportsnet.ca

In Nash’s historic 18+ year career, he spent 10 seasons in Phoenix and six with the Mavericks. But this isn’t about the greatness of Steve Nash, it’s about the Mavericks at the Suns on a Sunday night in late March.

The Mavericks (44-26) are coming off a 3-2 mark in their season-long five game home stand. Blowout losses to Cleveland and Memphis sandwiched wins against the depleted Clippers, Thunder and Magic.

Wins are wins, but the Mavericks still lost to the two big boppers coming in and with the Spurs smashing the Hawks today on the road Dallas will be 7th in the Western Conference at the end of this night no matter what.

Oklahoma City also blew out Miami earlier today, shrinking the gap back to four games between the Mavericks and the 8 seed.

Regardless, the Mavs need to take care of their own business and leave the nervous, nail-biting, hair-pulling standings watching to the #MFFL’s.

The Phoenix Suns (37-33) were last year’s big surprise, finishing 9th in the Western Conference behind…Dallas.

This year they’ve been just as much of a disappointment.

The Suns brought in Isaiah Thomas from the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade last offseason, forming a three-headed monster at point guard. The results weren’t too bad and Phoenix was fighting yet again for one of the lower playoff spots.

Still with a young roster and developing potential stars like Markieff Morris, Alex Len and also integrating Thomas in with their dual point guard backcourt of studs —Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe— things were looking up for Arizona’s pro basketball team.

Smiles No More.

Photo Credit: ValleyoftheSuns

However, Goran Dragic wasn’t too keen on losing a lot of playing time, thus numbers and performance, especially in his contract year.

So at the Trade Deadline he was shipped to the Miami Heat for first round picks in 2017 and 2021 and also allowing Miami to dump Danny Granger on them. The fun, up and coming team was shattered with this move…

…despite the acquisition of Brandon Knight from Milwaukee for Tyler Ennis and Miles Plumlee, a great move from a talent perspective, they sent Isaiah Thomas to Boston for a 2016 first round pick via Cleveland.

Between Thomas’ team-friendly contract, Dragic asking for and being dealt, Bledsoe’s max deal in town and Knight’s pending restricted free agency…the Suns messed up a good thing and did it quick.

Still, though, they present a tough matchup for the Mavericks because of three main things: Youth, Athleticism, Younger.

Whether two of those are the same because it’s such a big factor is something I will neither confirm nor deny, but it is.

Phoenix is 2-0 vs. the Mavericks this year. They won 118-106 in Dallas on December 5th and then 124-115 in Phoenix on December 23rd.

The key to the Mavericks getting win one first the Suns this year is getting Dirk Nowitzki open looks against the likes of Markieff and Marcus Morris, Alex Len and former Mav Brandan Wright. The athletic and lenghty defenders have been giving a slower and older (but still effective) Nowitzki huge fits this year.

Getting Dirk open looks shouldn’t be that hard, but the Mavericks have made it appear so far too often this year. However, Rajon Rondo‘s involvement in getting #41 open looks has been much, much, much better as of late.

Don’t expect a lot of defense or rebounding between these two teams, but neither wins a game without making a lot of shots anyway.

Next: Mavs: Recipe for Deep Run in Playoffs

More from The Smoking Cuban

Home/Mavs News