Mavs Forecast: February 22
The new look Mavericks dazzled hoops fans in an incredible fashion last week. Starting the week off sloppy, they finished strong without even enduring a formal practice. Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood have assimilated nicely 
into the lineup, both contributing excellent production in their starting roles and who isn’t attracted to Deshawn Stevenson’s Honest Abe tattoo? Although it’s probably too early to tell, it looks like Dirk has found him a suitable sidekick in Butler. The adventures of Dirk-man and Butler continue as the Mavericks look to extend their three-game win streak this week. To the Mavs-cave!
Monday, February 22, 2010, 7:30 PM CT vs. Indiana Pacers (19-36) FSSW
The Maverick week kicks off on our home court versus the lowly Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have an abysmal 7-21 road record and have dropped the last five straight versus the Mavericks. Although they are coming off a convincing win against Houston Saturday, don’t expect a similar result in Dallas. Diamond-in-the-rough forward Danny Granger will not be dressing out. The only offensive threat remaining for the Pacers is former University of Texas guard 
T.J. Ford. His 18 game “exile” made him easily forgotten. Hopefully the Mavs remember what this spark plug is capable of. Unless the Mavs’ minds are too focused on the Lakers game Wednesday, look for the streak to extend to four.
Wednesday, February 25, 2010, 8:00 PM CT vs. Los Angeles Lakers (42-14) ESPN/KTXA
I have been looking forward for this match-up for, well, this entire decade. A tender ankle could help our Mavs club run all over the Lakers supporting cast. But stop, collaborate and listen, Kobe’s back with a brand new edition. If my cheesy Vanilla Ice reference didn’t sell you, beware. Black Mamba is suiting up Tuesday against the Grizz and aims to further separate his championship squad from the rest of the West. This does not bode well for our boys. This game could go either way. The Lakers are playing on their second night of a back-to-back and are on the road. Although they boast a strong road record (16-9), Kobe’s ankle may be sore after they ransack 
the once proud city of Memphis. This game is a definite reality check. A lot is on the line at the AAC Wednesday night and hopefully the national audience will recognize that our Mavs are legitimate.
Friday, February 26, 2010, 6:00 PM CT vs. @ Atlanta Hawks (34-20) FSSW/ESPN
The Hawks are downright good and can downright play. Poster boy and face of the team, Joe Johnson, is an absolute nightmare to defend and his supporting cast is as gritty as the town they represent. Winning in the ATL is not easy. The Hawks are 21-6 on their home court and hope to use that advantage to flex their Eastern Conference prowess. The front court is anchored by Al Horford and Josh Smith who both are not shy to flirt with the incredibly attractive double-double. They could wreak havoc on our lack of depth at the big man. If the Mavericks hope to impress a national audience for their second time this week, they are going to need more than a strong showing from our newbies. Our bench is crucial to success. My boy Eduardo Najera and six-man extraordinaire Jason Terry better plan on playing big minutes to contribute in bigger ways.
Sunday, February 28, 2010, 8:30 PM CT vs. New Orleans Hornets (30-26) KXTA/ESPN
Two words: Darren Collison. He’s the best player you have never heard of. All you Maverick fans who simultaneously murmured “phew” at the sight of Chris Paul on crutches need a little education. Collison, who actually started over Russell Westbrook at his days at UCLA, has averaged 24 points per game and 9.6 assists per game in his last five. Collison, where have they been hiding 
you? What these statistics fail to mention is that Collison can at times turn into a turnover machine. In these same last five games he has averaged nearly six turnovers. Jason Kidd needs to play the role as an intimidator and force the youngster into early mistakes. David West is another threat worth mentioning. He has an above-average range and a tenacious touch around the rim. Look for him to cause some problems for our front court. This will mark our third home game of the week as well as our third nationally televised game.
Prediction (3-1)
The spacing for the week bodes well for the Mavs. No back-to-backs and three home games. Our former Wizards will finally get to practice and learn a few tricks Rick Carlisle’s spell book. If the Mavs drop one, it cannot be to the Lakers. It marks the biggest game of the new decade and our boys must show they’re capable of challenging the NBA’s finest. If anything I look for the Mavs to extend the win streak to at least four against the Granger-less Pacers. That said, winning in Atlanta is tough. It’s a sea of red and a fan base eager to tear into any opposers. New Orleans has strength, but without Paul they don’t have depth. This should also come as a win for the Mavs who hope to gallop into the sunset with a division title and top-seed in the wild Western Conference.
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