"I'm pretty damn happy with our team... Let's kick some ass."

[G-Man]

I stole the title from a DevinHarrisWillStart post, but I have to agree with him.

As hard as it was to watch the rest of the league play "Lets Make a Deal," and to watch a lot of great players not land in Dallas at the trade deadline, I still think we are in great shape to make some playoff noise.

Before we added Peja and Roddy, the team we had was already 2nd or 3rd best in the West. I don't think any contenders in the West got any better with trades except perhaps OKC. I'll be stunned if Denver or Utah come back strong by April. So at minimum, we were already good enough to make the Western conference finals...or at least get to a 2nd round showdown with the Lakers.

But with the addition of Peja and Roddy, we have a great chance to be a much better team by April. And we've done it without blowing up the roster. Instead we have plenty of time to work the 2 additions in. Peja has already shown himself not to be a disruptive factor, and Roddy already fits. As fans who have watched so many trade deadline swaps, we all know how hard it is to get it totally together in 30 games. So even though I would have loved to get a Prince, SJax or GWallace, you know, big scoring agressive defending wing, there is something to be said for not pushing Marion and Jet any farther down the bench. I'd call it addition by not adding disruption.

Peja and Roddy do help with what we need most, and that's someone to take the defense away from Dirk. What I was hoping for was another guy who could demand a double team. Instead, we get Roddy, who's drives will collapse the defense in. Even when he doesn't get to the hoop, defenders will get out of position trying to contain him. And with the way the Mavs have been moving the ball, Dirk has a much better chance to be open, and to have the defense scrambling to get to him. This team thrives on early offense, and with Roddy racing down court, Peja Jet and Kidd spotting up and and Dirk trailing on the break, there will be good shots to be had.

Peja perched on the wing has a similar effect. Teams will be reluctant to leave him. That makes Roddy's drives easier, while giving him a target in the corner who is not fazed by defenders running at him. As much as I've hated the guy for the dozens of daggers he has shot through my Mavs Fan heart, I have never analysed his game the way I have since he joined our team. He's quite crafty in getting open under the basket, and he can hit that 3 standing or moving. No one is less fazed by having a hand in his face (remember the playoffs against New Orleans?) He's got a pretty good escape dribble, and he's an excellent passer. He'll be passing to 3 point specialist Kidd and Jet, or to Dirk. (Please guys, don't forget you can also drive.)

I think with the way these 2 additions force the defense to respond, Dirk will get the some of the same kind of relief as if a top tier wing had joined the squad.

I Think back to the 67 win season, as this is our best year since that fateful one. The MBT stood pat and confident at the deadline, but the year ended in disaster. However I see no similarities between the teams. That team lost because Nellie knew exactly how to attack it. He knew the ball was coming to Dirk and trained his team on how to defend his prodigy. Dirk at the time had far fewer moves and was terrible at passing out of the double team. He knew that our points, Jet and Devin, were poor passers. That is no longer the case. That team had only Jet as a 2nd offensive weapon. This team has Roddy who can drive and hit the 3. It has Peja on the wing. It has a center who can catch and finish. He can also run with the fastest bigs, where as the previous team had to bench its starting center. Dirk is rarely trapped by the DT. This team also has in DSteve and Marion, a pair of shutdown wings that the previos team lacked. And it has a coach with far more experience. I think this team wipes Nellie's boys off the court. I think with Peja, Roddy and Chandler starting, its a very different team from last year, as well.

One more thing. By not trading Butler, we still have Butler. Keeping him pays a major benefit as it shows some loyalty to keep together a tight knit squad. His teammates were clearly dreading his departure, and the poor guy was on Twiiter every day virtually begging to stay a Mav. Its nice for everyone to see him get rewarded. Much nicer still, if he comes back for the 2nd round. I think he'll come back inspired. Remember, the way the games are spaced, the 1st round seems to take forever. Even if he barely sees the court by round 2, round 3 is still 2 weeks further away. If he's back, he replaces Peja with a 3 who can defend. That's huge.

San Antonio still scares me, as does the Laker's experince factor. But we have the length, and with Mahini, we have the foot speed to keep up with Odum and Gasol. We have Marion and Dsteve to throw at Kobe...our best wing defenders perhaps ever.

The rest of the season has to be about getting the defense back to where it was in December. Roddy needs serious work on defending the pick and roll. I fear what happens when we play someone good that Peja will need to cover. we'll probably have to give his minutes to Marion and Stevenson, which will hurt the offense. And we must figure out how to cover 3 point shooters. That inability is why we can't hold onto leads, and its why we've lost to Denver, Chicago and San Antonio.

But I feel we are in good shape and have the skills to fill the holes we have from within. It will take a lot of work over the next 30 games. But I think I'd rather be trying to hone what we have than integrate new guys and figure out what to do with the ones we lost.

The way the standings look, we'd face the Lakers in the 2nd round, Spurs in the 3rd and either Boston or Miami in the finals. Its a true murderers row, and the odds of surviving are tiny. But I like our chances as well as any since the Nellie debacle.

Lets kick some ass.