I don't think there's any question that the defense has slipped of late. But if you're trying to project how things will go from here, you certainly can't overlook the disruption caused by the injuries. The team certainly played some high-quality defense through the bulk of the second half tonight, and I don't believe it was nearly as bad as the score made it seem in the first half.
Looking ahead, I do think we'll probably see the Mavs finish the season as a weaker defensive team than they started out being (unless Haywood can keep up his play from tonight, of course). Thankfully, there are a number of reasons to think that they could end up being a clearly improved offensive squad.
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"He's coming off the bench aggressive right away, looking for his shot. If he has any daylight, we need him to shoot the ball. We know it's going in."
-Dirk Nowitzki on Jason Terry, after JET's 16 point 4th quarter against the Pacers.
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