Mavericks' early NBA Cup exit is quietly a major blessing in disguise

The Dallas Mavericks' seven-game winning streak ended on Tuesday when the team fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder by a score of 118-104 on the road. The team struggled defensively, as Oklahoma had no problem shooting the ball. The Thunder shot 40 percent from the 3-point line, as Dallas failed to contest their open attempts.

Luka Doncic struggled to get going early. Doncic only had two points at halftime, as the Thunder were playing tight defense on him all night long. Doncic also shot 25 percent from the 3-point line and 33 percent overall. He struggled to move the ball, as he had six of the team's 18 turnovers with several careless passes. However, he finished with a double-double, recording 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Yet even with Doncic having an off night, other Mavs can carry the load for the team. One player who stood out Tuesday was Naji Marshall. He returned after missing the past four games with an illness. He, along with Klay Thompson led Dallas with 19 points a piece. Marshall also shot 63.6 percent from the field, as he could do a little bit of everything for the Mavs. In simple terms, Marshall has been the perfect piece for Dallas this season.

Dallas' NBA Cup loss gives them much-needed rest and less travel

The Mavericks were missing part of their roster in Tuesday's loss. Forward P.J. Washington missed the crucial game because of a mystery illness being passed around. His absence illustrated just how important his impact is to the team. It's clear he is one of the team's top scorers, defenders, and rebounders, and his aggression would have come in handy against the Thunder.

However, losing to Oklahoma in the Knockout Round of the NBA Cup might not be a bad thing. For starters, the Mavs' schedule has been brutal the past couple of weeks. Dallas has played seven of the past 10 games on the road. Their past three games have been on the road, as they have traveled from Washington to Toronto and then to Oklahoma City.

Coach Jason Kidd expressed his displeasure with the team's schedule (subscription required). Simply, he stated, "Yeah that the schedule is messed up." Kidd went on to mention that "something needs to be looked at." His response was a direct correlation to the team's schedule at the end of November. Dallas had a three-game stretch where they from Denver to Miami, and then to Atlanta in a time of four days before returning home for one game, and then going back on the road for two games before returning home again for one game. Since the beginning of November, Dallas has had back-to-back home games once, and them going on these long road trips just to return home for one game and then go back on the road is unfair.

The Mavs' health also benefits from their early exit. The team has had a series of players miss time due to injuries and health. Players such as Doncic and Thompson all missed some time because of wrist and foot injuries. Dallas saw multiple players miss games because of an illness that was passed around. As mentioned, the most recent player to get sick was Washington along with Maxi Kleber. Washington and Maxi Kleber should be able to get plenty of rest to return to form once the team hits the court again this weekend.

Dallas will get plenty of rest over the next few days as the team isn't expected to play until Sunday when they travel to Golden State. This means that since Houston beat the Golden State Warriors Wednesday, Dallas will get to spend the next few days in Big D before having to travel to Golden State. After the Warriors game, Dallas will spend at least 10 days at home, as their next road game isn't until December 27 against the Phoenix Suns. This couldn't come at a more perfect time, as the team closes out the month with four games on the road.

Even though Dallas won't get to compete for their first-ever NBA Cup title, the rest and less travel are more important right now. They need Washington back badly, and they have their eyes set on a bigger title this season.