Ouch - This Article Stings a Little

[twistaeffect2004]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...r.405721b.html

It's sad to watch the Mavs play these days because we have no memories of champagne showers. Or championship celebrations. Or raising a banner at American Airlines Center.

If we're honest, all we really remember from the Mavs' magnificent eight-year run as one of the league's elite teams is how they choked away a 2-0 series lead and a 13-point advantage with six minutes left in Game 3 against Miami.

Had the Mavs won, their descent into NBA mediocrity wouldn't be nearly as difficult to accept because you'd have those unforgettable memories.

But it is.

That's because we know the window for winning a championship has slammed shut on this franchise.

Who knows when it will open again?

These Mavs, losers of four of their last five games, don't resemble a playoff team.

They often struggle to beat the league's dregs like Minnesota and Memphis, and these Mavs shoot way too many 3-pointers and make too few. Too often, they defend the paint with indifference. As usual, their inside game is unreliable.

In a loss to New Orleans last week, the Hornets treated the Mavs the way Dallas has treated so many opponents during its eight straight 50-win seasons. The Hornets allowed the Mavs to hang around until the fourth quarter, when star point guard Chris Paul and New Orleans elevated their game and won easily.

This season – all season – will be a mental struggle for the Mavs as they deal with being a middle-of-the-pack team. Already, the Mavs have had two losing streaks of at least four games.

It affects players like Dirk Nowitzki more than others because he's been a part of all the success Dallas has had this millennium. He remembers when teams feared the Mavs.

Just two seasons ago, Dallas won 67 games.

"It's never fun to lose," he said the other day, "especially for a franchise that's been used to winning for several years."

Yes, the Mavs are only 1 1/2 games behind fifth-place Houston and 2 ½ games behind fourth-place New Orleans in the Western Conference, but it seems like so much more. That's because we see no tangible evidence that Dallas can consistently compete with the top teams in the conference, even though Dirk is a superstar, Jason Terry is the NBA's best sixth man and Jason Kidd remains among the league's top point guards.

Maybe you'd feel better if Josh Howard was playing well, but he's been hurt much of the year, and he's been inconsistent when he has played.

With the trading deadline looming next month, the Mavs find themselves in a precarious position as they embark on a four-game road trip that begins today against Philadelphia and ends against Boston.

If their recent struggles continue on this trip, the Mavs will find themselves sellers at the deadline.

To stop their recent slide, the Mavs must consistently show the mental fortitude they displayed a couple of days ago in the fourth quarter of their win over Utah, a bad road team playing on consecutive nights.

Like when they rallied from a 12-point first quarter deficit after a 17-0 Utah run. Or when Brandon Bass hit an 18-foot jumper to make it 106-101 with 2:21 left after Dirk had left the game briefly with a foot injury.

Or when Antoine Wright made a short jumper in traffic, pushing the lead to six with 1:46 left. Or Terry's 3-pointer that clinched it with 52 seconds left.

It's the only way they can win. They can't just turn it on at winning time. They're not good enough.

Rick Carlisle has known that for weeks. It's time his players accepted that truth.

Sadly, the good, old days are gone. They're not coming back anytime soon.