By DavidKaye
After last nights 93-87 victory at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Dallas Mavericks raised their winning streak to ten straight games. Their recent run of success comes after they started the season by losing their first four games by an average of 14.5 points. Now, the Mavericks are finally resembling the team who represented the Western Conference in last years NBA finals.
The team is lead by forward Dirk Nowitzki who is averaging 25.7 PPG and 10 boards per game. Over the last few seasons, he has distinguished himself as the best shooter for a big man and he will consistently step behind the line to drill three pointers. Nowitzki does not have one of the best supporting cast surrounding him and as a result there is added pressure put on him to perform well.
Up until last season the Mavericks exited the playoffs early because of their lack of defense. From the span of the 1999-2000 season up until the 2004-2005 season, Dallas was giving up 98.7 PPG. This span included three years of surrounding at least 100.8 PPG and during the 1999-2000 season the Mavericks gave up more points than they scored. Last year, Dallas returned to a more defensive oriented team and held opponents to 93.1 PPG. This dedication to playing hard on both sides of the ball has been installed by third year coach Avery Johnson who has his players performing at the top of their game.
The early season skid by the Mavericks should not be a problem in the long run because they play too well as a team to let something like that affect them. This years Western Conference is extremely strong and Dallas will have one of their toughest tests ever in returning to the NBA finals. If they are to do so, they will need Dirk Nowitzki to average more than the 27.3 PPG he did in last seasons playoffs and for the rest of the team to play consistent basketball.
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