Sometimes, we all need a Friday afternoon dose of truth.
That’s why it’s important to address the surprisingly large number of Twitter users and other social media savants that believe the Mavericks are doing a terrific job of tanking down the stretch to give themselves the best chance they can get to keep their first-round draft pick.
To recap, that pick goes to Atlanta as compensation for the Luka Doncic trade unless it is in the top five. And as the losses mount, the Mavericks’ odds of having their lottery draft pick be in the top five keep getting better.
It’s still laughable when people utter the “T” word.
This team traded away four of its five starters and got one (Tim Hardaway) in return. They lost another top player to injury for the rest of the season (J.J. Barea).
What did people expect to happen when the Mavericks went all-in with Kristaps Porzingis for next season?
Losses were, and are, going to happen.
And yet, to say that this team – players and coaches – is trying to lose is completely unfair to Rick Carlisle, Luka Doncic, Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the roster.
Apparently, people confuse a shortage of manpower with tanking.
That’s unfortunate.
If you stayed up to the bitter end of Thursday’s loss at Denver, you got a double-dose of proof that the Mavericks are trying their best to win games. A furious comeback from 10 points down in the final minutes culminated with a Doncic dunk with just over 5 seconds showing. He was fouled on the drive and missed the free throw.
The play was a heroic moment, and yet when he missed the free throw, he was as distraught as he could be.
Then Nikola Jokic threw in a crazy buzzer-beater to break the Mavericks’ hearts. The despondency was clear and anybody who took to Twitter to applaud the loss was showing a serious lack of appreciation for the way an outmanned team beat one of the best teams in the Western Conference on their home floor for virtually all 48 minutes.
It was a tough loss. And, yes, when all is said and done, it may help the Mavericks’ lottery position.
But anybody who doesn’t see the difference between this March and last March and the way the Mavericks are playing clearly has their blinders on.
Twitter: @ESefko
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